Superman's Saiyan little brother

"Symbiote?" Robert turned to look at the other Avengers, hoping someone might recognize the term. Unfortunately, they seemed just as confused and bewildered as he was, clearly having no idea what a symbiote was.

"JARVIS?" Faced with the unknown, Tony Stark immediately called out, hoping that JARVIS's extensive databases might have some information about symbiotes.

At this moment, neither Robert nor Tony Stark considered the possibility of extraterrestrial origins. Most of the crises Earth had faced previously were either from mutations or other dimensions. Considering Earth's relative insignificance in the vast universe, it was unlikely that a significant extraterrestrial threat would be focused here. Earth's dimension, however, was more prominent and known.

Another reason why Robert and Tony didn't immediately think of aliens was that the black life form mentioned it was part of a species. Given its ability to parasitize Peter Parker, they speculated that there might be a hidden colony of such creatures on Earth, and they just happened to encounter one that had attached itself to Peter.

"Sorry, sir. I've searched my databases and those of other known organizations but found no records about this symbiote. There are entities with symbiotic characteristics, but none match this one exactly," JARVIS reported, quickly dashing Tony's hopes for a quick answer.

Robert wasn't too surprised by JARVIS's response. Even with the resources of official institutions, JARVIS's knowledge of the supernatural world was limited. A black life form that could parasitize Peter Parker without Robert even noticing was bound to be elusive. If such a species existed on Earth, it was no wonder they had remained undetected due to their remarkable ability to hide.

"Tell me, what's your name, and what exactly are symbiotes? How many of your kind are there, and where have you been hiding?" Robert demanded, his tone cold. "Be honest, and I might give you a chance. If you lie, don't expect any mercy."

"I'll be honest! I will! There's no way I could deceive you…" The black life form, now curled into a cautious ball, spoke with a voice tinged with fear and a hint of resentment.

"You know my strength?" Robert was slightly taken aback. When Peter had been controlled by Nakxi, it hadn't accessed Peter's memories or thoughts. If it had, Nakxi wouldn't have lost control during the battle. The implication that this symbiote had knowledge of him suggested it had accessed Peter's memories.

But if the symbiote had Peter's memories, why had it tried to attack him earlier?

"My name is Venom. I learned about you from Peter's memories, which is a special ability of our symbiotic species. I didn't deliberately read his memories," Venom explained quickly, sensing Robert's scrutiny.

"When I emerged from Peter's body and leaped towards you, it was a reflex. Our species instinctively seeks to merge with stronger life forces. I couldn't entirely control that impulse."

"No wonder it jumped at me like a crazed dog…" Pietro began to comment but quickly shut up as both Robert and Kara shot him sharp looks. The rest of the Avengers stifled their laughter, understanding Pietro's sentiment but recognizing the gravity of the situation.

"Go on," Robert said coolly, ignoring Pietro's interruption. "Tell me where your kind live, who else you've parasitized, and who the strongest among you is."

"We are not parasites; we are symbiotes," Venom protested weakly but quickly changed course under Robert's stern gaze. "We live on the symbiote homeworld. I don't know how I ended up on Earth; I fell through a spatial rift and suddenly found myself here."

"The strongest being on our planet is our god, the origin of all symbiotes, possessing unimaginable power. It's said he existed before the universe itself…"

"An alien life form?" Robert raised an eyebrow, not overly surprised at the notion of an extraterrestrial deity. Many planets with extraordinary abilities had their own deities. As for claims that such beings predated the universe, Robert took them with a grain of salt. Many gods exaggerated their origins, and unless they were from another universe, it seemed implausible.

"So it's an alien life form. No wonder JARVIS had no information. A symbiotic relationship, huh? That's an interesting biological setup!" Tony Stark's eyes lit up with curiosity. Venom's description intrigued him, especially regarding this unique life form's capabilities.

Of course, Tony needed to verify if this so-called symbiosis truly benefited both parties. Venom's presence in Peter's body seemed more like parasitism than a beneficial relationship. While Venom's presence had enhanced Peter's physical strength slightly, it didn't make up for the loss of his thunder powers.

"Bzzt!" At that moment, Peter, who had been silently examining his condition, suddenly sparked with the familiar power of lightning. The return of his thunder powers reassured him, confirming they had been suppressed, not lost, due to Venom's influence.

"Why, if you claim to be symbiotic, did you suppress Peter's thunder powers? Shouldn't you have made him stronger? And why did you choose to enter Peter's body when you arrived on Earth?" Tony questioned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Venom.

Tony hadn't noticed, but Robert and Kara did—Venom had subtly recoiled from Peter when his thunder powers flared up again. They exchanged a knowing glance, recognizing Venom's reaction to the power.

"I was injured when I fell through the spatial rift and needed time to recover. When I saw Peter, something instinctively drew me to him. His body seemed the strongest of the humans I encountered," Venom explained, glancing at Peter. Despite Peter's thunderous aura, Venom still felt a pull towards him, a fact even Venom couldn't fully understand.

"I suppressed his thunder powers because they are incompatible with my nature. I needed to neutralize them to enhance his strength with my own abilities. I hadn't yet fully integrated with Peter; what he experienced was merely a byproduct of my presence. Once we fully merge, his strength will be much greater!"

"Who will be in control then?" Peter asked, his eyes lighting up with interest.

"Peter! What are you thinking? You were just controlled by him!" Pietro's face turned pale as he quickly reminded Peter of the recent danger.

"Exactly! He claims he can make you stronger, but that's just his word. You can't trust him blindly. Besides, even if he can boost your powers, what can he do without Mjolnir? You won't see any significant change in your abilities!" Johnny Storm also warned, his brows furrowing in concern.

"Tony is right. We need to study this creature thoroughly before making any decisions. We can't afford to take such risks lightly…" Tony nodded in agreement, reiterating the need for caution.

"But he needs a host to be effective. Where else can we find someone suitable for him to merge with? Are you suggesting we use test subjects?" Peter countered, shaking his head and looking at Tony.

"Uh…" Tony was momentarily at a loss, realizing the ethical dilemma Peter's question posed. After a brief pause, he responded, "We need to verify his claims through research first. If necessary, you can volunteer as a host later, but we must ensure it's safe."

"I promise I'm harmless. You can study me, but please don't dissect me. I can feel pain too…" Venom pleaded, sounding genuinely fearful of being cut apart.

"No need for that. With Robert here, even if something goes wrong, he can force Venom out again, right?" Peter looked at Robert with a hopeful expression.

Robert understood Peter's reasoning. Given Peter's need for power, symbiosis with Venom was a potential path to increased strength. Since Venom had already accessed Peter's memories, having someone else merge with Venom could compromise the Avengers' security.

Allowing Venom to stay with Peter minimized the risk of leaking sensitive information about the Avengers. Otherwise, if another member were merged and had their memories read, Venom could expose all their secrets.

"Alright, I'll keep watch," Robert agreed after a moment's thought. "If anything goes wrong, I'll force Venom out."

"You don't need to worry. If Peter doesn't want me, I can leave his body willingly!" Venom assured, trembling slightly. "In a symbiotic relationship, there's no dominance; we're equal partners. I can stay hidden within Peter most of the time, only coming out when necessary."

"Buzz!" Robert gave Venom a measured look, not fully trusting his words but releasing the restraint nonetheless. In this place, Venom wouldn't easily escape, especially now that Robert had locked onto his energy.

"Peter, here I come!" Freed from his restraints, Venom eagerly lunged toward Peter. Despite his spider-sense screaming danger, Peter held his ground, allowing Venom to merge with him.

"Buzz!" Within moments, Venom and Peter became one. Peter's body began to expand, now clad in a black, armor-like substance, with additional limbs sprouting from his back. He looked more monstrous than heroic, a far cry from his usual appearance.

The other Avengers watched in stunned silence as the transformation took place, uncertain of what this new symbiotic partnership would mean for their friend and teammate.

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