The moment Peter heard that voice, his eyes instantly shifted.
To his astonishment, Tony Stark—who was supposed to be fleeing in his classic Iron Man armor—was now possessed by a strange black, liquid-like lifeform.
Under the control of this mysterious substance, Tony's body had fused entirely with the armor he'd originally built. It no longer looked like Tony was merely wearing the Iron Man suit. No—the armor had become part of his body, as if forged into his very being.
Most people would've been clueless about what this alien lifeform was. But Peter immediately recognized it: an extraterrestrial Symbiote.
And yet, Peter had been keeping close tabs on global space phenomena. There hadn't been any recent reports of alien meteorites falling to Earth. That meant, under normal circumstances, a Symbiote shouldn't have appeared here—not now.
So why was it here?
This shouldn't have been possible.
Something this anomalous could only mean one thing: this situation was far from ordinary. It was complex, dangerously so.
Still, Peter knew there was no time to dwell on the how or why. Sometimes, strange things happened with reason, but uncovering that reason had to wait. Investigating now would be pointless. What mattered was that a threat had revealed itself—and fast.
Because the moment that Symbiote spoke, Peter could feel the malicious intent radiating from it like a furnace.
His priority now was clear: neutralize the threat and rescue Tony Stark.
After all, Peter had wagered $2 billion on Stark. If he failed to bring him back alive, he'd suffer unimaginable financial losses.
There were many things Peter could tolerate in this world—but anyone blocking his path to wealth? Never. As the saying goes, cutting off a man's income is like killing his parents—and Peter had zero tolerance for that kind of interference.
"Spider-Man? Who? Where did Spider-Man come from? You talking about me?" Peter muttered casually as he stared at the Symbiote-possessed Iron Man. He showed no fear, not even a hint of surprise.
The Symbiote, confused by Peter's calmness, tilted its head. "You're not curious about me?"
Peter scoffed. "Curious? Why would I be curious about something I already know?"
"You… already know what I am?" the Symbiote asked, its voice laced with suspicion.
Peter shrugged. "Of course. You're just another Symbiote from beyond this world. There are tons of your kind—Venom, Carnage, Riot, Scream, too many to remember. Honestly, I can't even keep track anymore. So, what's your name? Or just give me your father's name—that'll work too."
Peter casually counted the names on his fingers, rattling them off like a grocery list.
The Symbiote's eyes widened in disbelief.
According to everything he knew, his kind had never appeared on this version of Earth. And yet, this Peter Parker not only identified what he was—but listed other Symbiotes by name?
That was impossible.
His very existence here defied logic. But Peter knowing about him? That made things even more bizarre.
"It seems they were right," the Symbiote murmured darkly. "You really are an anomaly. You shouldn't exist. And for that reason alone… you must be eliminated."
A trace of regret flickered in his voice—but only briefly—before he launched into a savage charge.
In the blink of an eye, the Symbiote-controlled Tony Stark sprang forward like a wild beast.
This was no longer the bulky, stiff Iron Man armor from the early days. That original suit, with its clunky mechanics and limited weapons—flamethrowers, a few grenades—had always been more brawn than brain.
But now? The Symbiote had transformed it completely.
Gone were its weaknesses.
Now, fused with the Symbiote, Iron Man had evolved into something terrifying—a creature as agile as a cheetah, as strong as a tank, and as fast as lightning.
It wasn't armor anymore. It was a living weapon.
In a split second, the Symbiote Iron Man closed the gap between them and hurled a massive punch toward Peter's face. The wind howled from the force of it, the air itself splitting open with a violent whoosh. Even before the blow landed, the sheer pressure warped the space between them.
Peter, despite his confidence, suddenly adopted a serious expression.
The power behind that punch was no joke.
Still, he didn't retreat. Instead, he raised his own fist and struck back.
He had reasons to be confident.
His body had been enhanced twice—his base strength alone was 60 tons. Add the 10 tons of force from his nano-armor boosters, and he could release a force equivalent to nearly 70 tons. Enough to lift a fully loaded train car.
Among all Super Heroes, Peter's physical strength ranked at the top.
But the moment their fists collided, Peter was shocked to feel an equal force crashing against his own. The power from the Symbiote Iron Man wasn't just comparable—it was nearly identical.
The impact sent both of them staggering backward several steps. They paused, eyeing each other in silence, both shocked by what had just happened.
For Peter, the shock was justified.
He'd gone toe-to-toe with gods, mutants, and monsters. But for anyone to match his full strength blow-for-blow? That was exceedingly rare.
While it was clear much of the Symbiote's power came from Tony's armor, the combination was still unnatural. It shouldn't have been able to go head-to-head with him.
For the Symbiote, the shock was just as intense.
From his earlier words—"I've been waiting for you"—it was obvious that he knew Peter Parker. Or at least, the Spider-Man of this world.
He should have known what Peter's baseline strength was.
He should have been able to overpower him easily.
Yet here Peter was, standing tall, matching him strike for strike.
That realization changed everything.
Without exchanging a word, both combatants charged again, their faces grim.
Fist after fist clashed like thunder. The narrow dungeon echoed with the deafening sounds of war. Rock dust fell from the walls, cracks spiderwebbed through the stone, and the very air trembled under the force of their battle.
And then, something changed.
Bit by bit, Peter began to notice a drop in the Symbiote Iron Man's power. His strikes grew slower. His movements less fluid.
Something was weakening him.
Peter took advantage.
In a fierce exchange, Peter's punch connected squarely with the Symbiote's chest, sending the creature flying backward like a missile.
The force of the blow smashed him into the stone wall behind. The impact shattered the rock, creating a deep crater.
The Symbiote slumped to the floor, disoriented and broken, staring at Peter in disbelief.
"Impossible… I can't lose to you!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
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