Spider-Man : The Story of a Hero

New York — Connors Laboratory — Afternoon

After swinging across New York from web to web for several minutes, Peter finally arrived at the Connors laboratory, which had remained closed ever since the break-in. Just like last time, he quietly slipped in through the roof before shooting a web onto the ceiling and hanging upside down from it.

He slowly lowered himself into the laboratory, scanning the room with his eyes. Everything had remained exactly as the police and the Connors had left it. Silence filled every room, and the few damages he had caused during his previous visit as Spider-Man were still clearly visible.

Making sure not to leave any trace of his presence, Peter headed to Professor Curtis Connors’ office and methodically began searching through the drawers. Inside, he found numerous files, research notes, and all kinds of documents.

Some concerned completed projects, others the professor’s personal research... until he finally came across the notes dedicated to the symbiote.

— ”Ah! Found it!”

A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He immediately sat down in the professor’s chair and began reading through the many pages covered in writing.

”The black parasite known as the ’Symbiote’ is a living organism that requires another living being to survive... or at least to develop its full potential. When it finds a compatible host, the two organisms merge into a single being. Their thoughts also appear to intertwine. However, it is impossible to confirm this with certainty at this stage.”

— ”Our thoughts are connected...?”

”The experiments conducted so far have been limited to mice, rats, rabbits, pigs, and a handful of monkeys. Despite this limited sample, several observations have proven particularly interesting. The symbiote’s power depends directly on its host. The smaller and weaker the host, the more limited the symbiote’s abilities appear to be. Conversely, the primate subject demonstrated an absolutely spectacular increase in strength. Without the reinforced cage, it would most likely have destroyed it with little difficulty.”

— ”That much...?”

The further he read, the more fascinated he became. Completely absorbed by everything he was discovering, he continued reading in the deep silence of the laboratory.

”The research then focused on identifying the elements capable of injuring or even destroying it. Three weaknesses have been identified. The first is fire. When bonded to a host, the symbiote can sustain severe damage while remaining alive. However, when isolated, prolonged exposure appears capable of destroying it permanently. One experiment nearly resulted in its complete destruction. The second weakness involves extremely high-frequency vibrations. Heavy exposure injures it, and if prolonged, forces it to abandon its host in order to minimize the damage. Unlike fire, however, these vibrations do not appear to be fatal. The third is electricity. The observed effects are similar to those of high-frequency vibrations: it injures the symbiote and can cause it to separate from its host, though no lethal effects have been observed.”

As he finished reading those lines, Peter leaned back against the chair, staring blankly into space for a few moments. All of that information was already racing through his mind.

— ”Fire, vibrations, and electricity are its weaknesses...? That’s a problem. If I’m hit by one of those three things and the symbiote separates from me in the middle of a fight, my identity could be exposed. And on top of that, I’d be left completely defenseless.”

After a few seconds of thought, he straightened back up and immediately resumed reading.

”Another important observation: any injuries inflicted upon the symbiote are systematically felt by its host. Everything suggests that both organisms share the same sensations of pain with comparable intensity.”

Upon reading that detail, Peter’s expression hardened slightly. He finally understood why certain attacks had felt so strange. One thing was certain: it would be best to avoid those three types of damage.

”The symbiote also possesses an exceptional regenerative ability. Experiments show that it can regenerate both on its own and while bonded to a host. The only difference lies in the speed of the process, which is significantly slower when it is isolated. When bonded to a host, it is capable of reconstructing tissue, regenerating entire limbs, and even restoring a very large portion of a severely damaged body. However, this ability can only save a host if that host is still alive. The symbiote is capable of repairing an organism, but nothing indicates that it can reverse death itself. This hypothesis remains impossible to confirm with certainty. The experiments required would far exceed the limits of morality. It is, however, capable of bonding with a corpse in the same way it does with a living being. Observations show, however, that this bond is far less stable: the symbiote appears weaker and seems capable of maintaining the fusion only for a short period of time.”

This time, Peter froze completely. In shock, he slowly removed his mask and placed it on the professor’s desk. A thin bead of sweat appeared on his forehead as he processed everything he had just learned.

”The most fascinating phenomenon observed so far remains an ability we have named: ’symbiotic adaptation.’”

— ”Symbiotic adaptation?”

”The very structure of its organism allows it to reshape its matter into virtually any form. Objects, weapons, additional limbs... even the reproduction of a human face. A test carried out using my assistant’s face produced an almost perfect result. The resemblance was so uncanny that it became disturbing.”

At that moment, the pages slipped slightly from his hands and fell onto his lap. He quickly caught them before carefully putting them back in order. That was when he noticed that a photograph had fallen with them.

Curious, he bent down to pick it up. The moment he looked at it, he was left speechless. The photograph showed Martha Connors...Or rather, the symbiote reproducing her appearance with absolutely flawless accuracy.

Every feature of her face had been replicated down to the smallest detail. Completely astonished by what he was seeing, Peter abruptly stood up from his chair, unable to hide his amazement.

— ”Holy shit... this is insane!”

He took a deep breath to calm himself before immediately sitting back down, determined to continue reading these notes that were gradually revealing all the secrets of his mysterious companion.

”The medical applications could be considerable. Combined with its regenerative abilities, this capability could make it possible to replace amputated limbs, reconstruct organs... and perhaps, one day, cure diseases that are currently considered incurable.”

Upon reading those last lines, Peter couldn’t help but break into a wide smile. The more he learned about the symbiote, the more he realized the extraordinary potential of this creature.

And to think that he was now living with it...That it even allowed him to produce organic webs...It was all completely beyond comprehension. The Connors’ research only deepened his admiration for this living being...

Until the next sentence immediately caught his attention.

”Despite all of this, one major problem remains.”

Peter raised an eyebrow slightly before letting out a small amused smile.

— ”A problem? It’s probably nothing serious.”

”Throughout every experiment, the same phenomenon repeatedly appeared: aggression. After a certain period of fusion, every host gradually developed increasingly violent behavior. The speed at which it manifests varies from subject to subject. This difference may be linked to each host’s individual characteristics, but no certainty can yet be established. Based on our current research, this aggression makes the symbiote extremely dangerous. Until its origin is understood, any further experimentation would represent a considerable risk. Important note: all of these observations are based exclusively on experiments conducted on animals. No human experimentation has been carried out to date. Therefore, a large portion of the conclusions presented here remains hypothetical. Much more extensive research would be required to fully understand how this lifeform functions.”

As he continued reading, the smile that had been lighting up Peter’s face gradually faded. In its place appeared deep uncertainty and growing doubt.

A thin bead of sweat slowly rolled down his forehead as he reread several passages, almost as if he hoped he had misunderstood them. The more he reflected on those final lines, the stronger the feeling of unease became.

If Curtis Connors’ conclusions were correct...Then maybe they explained a lot of things. His recent behavior. His unusual anger. His increasingly extreme reactions...

Was it really him...Or was the symbiote slowly influencing him? The laboratory fell into absolute silence. Without saying a single word, Peter finally pulled out his phone and carefully photographed all of the professor’s notes so he would have a copy of them, just in case.

Once he was finished, he returned every document to its exact place, making sure not to leave the slightest trace of his visit. He then put his mask back on, quietly left Curtis Connors’ office, climbed back onto the laboratory roof...

And disappeared just as silently as he had arrived.

TO BE CONTINUED.