[Third Person's PoV]
2 hours in real time have passed since the SYB-02 bonding experiment failed. Tony had poured himself into refining the symbiote formula, making incremental adjustments with each new iteration. The failures had been frustrating, but he learned from each one. Now, with SYB-09, Tony felt closer to a breakthrough.
"Friday, how's SYB-09 looking?" Tony asked, standing beside the observation window once again, his eyes scanning the sterile containment room.
"All preliminary tests indicate that SYB-09 has improved stability over its predecessors," Friday replied. "The bonding formula has been significantly refined. Baymax has already secured Subject 09 for testing."
Tony took a deep breath, feeling the tension rise. They were on the verge of something big—or another spectacular failure. He preferred the former.
"Alright, let's do this. Begin the bonding process."
Baymax waddled into the lab, moving with his typical calm precision. This time, the cylinder he carried was larger, and the black goo inside it seemed more... controlled. It no longer pulsed erratically or twitched in agitation. It moved like it had a purpose.
Tony watched as Baymax inserted the cylinder into the slot on the Cradle, twisting it into place. The hatch opened, releasing SYB-09 into the containment room.
Inside the room, Subject 09, a muscular lab rat bred specifically for genetic experiments, sniffed the air cautiously. It was larger than the previous subjects, with a sturdier frame and more resilient biology. Tony had specifically chosen this one after learning from the previous failures.
"SYB-09 has been released," Friday reported. "The symbiote is displaying no signs of internal instability. All energy readings are within acceptable parameters."
Tony nodded, silently hoping this test would break the cycle of failures. The symbiote slid across the floor, its movements eerily smooth and precise. It approached the rat slowly, almost methodically, as though it had learned from the mistakes of its predecessors. The rat tensed but didn't flee this time, its animal instincts perhaps less attuned to the threat. Or maybe it was simply too confident in its own strength.
"SYB-09 is initiating contact," Friday continued. "Beginning the bonding process now."
The symbiote's tendrils began to wrap around the rat's body, much like before, but this time, the reaction was more subtle. The rat's muscles twitched slightly, but there were no violent convulsions or immediate signs of distress. Its breathing quickened, and its tiny claws scratched at the floor, but it remained largely composed.
Tony watched intently. The symbiote spread across the rat's back, covering it like a second skin. The readings on the monitor were promising. Energy levels were stable. Neural feedback was within acceptable limits.
"Bonding process is progressing smoothly," Friday said, a hint of optimism in her tone. "Subject 09 is responding well."
Tony's pulse quickened. Could this finally be the one?
Suddenly, the monitor's readings spiked. SYB-09's energy levels surged, but unlike SYB-02, it wasn't due to an overload. Something else was happening. The symbiote was consuming energy, absorbing it from the host faster than expected.
"Wait, what's going on?" Tony asked, eyes fixed on the fluctuating data.
"SYB-09 is... absorbing the host's bioenergy at an accelerated rate," Friday replied, her tone tinged with concern. "The symbiote appears to be draining the host's life force to sustain itself."
Tony's stomach dropped. He glanced at the rat, now visibly weakening. Its movements had slowed, its breath becoming labored. Its muscles trembled, no longer with nervous energy but with fatigue. The symbiote pulsed, expanding as it fed on the rat's vitality.
Tony cursed under his breath, his eyes darting between the rat and the monitor. The symbiote was now fully covering the rat, its black tendrils pulsing with energy. The rat let out a weak, strangled squeak, its eyes dulling as it succumbed to the draining process.
"Burn it, now!" Tony commanded, slamming his fist on the window in frustration.
The flamethrowers deployed from the walls, just as they had before. This time, the symbiote reacted differently. Instead of shriveling in terror, SYB-09 let out a screech that echoed through the containment room, the sound low and guttural. The flames engulfed the rat and symbiote in a searing blaze, but the symbiote seemed to fight back.
For a moment, Tony's heart skipped a beat as the black goo writhed against the flames, resisting the inferno. The symbiote screeched again, louder, its form bubbling and shifting as it tried to escape the heat.
But it was futile. The flames overwhelmed it, reducing the symbiote and its host to a charred, ashen mess.
Tony stared in silence, his mind racing through the possibilities of what had just happened. SYB-09 had been close—so close. But something had gone horribly wrong.
"Friday... what the hell just happened?"
"The symbiote displayed parasitic tendencies," Friday explained. "Rather than bonding with the host in a symbiotic relationship, SYB-09 began to drain the host's bioenergy, essentially consuming it. The host's life force was insufficient to sustain the symbiote long-term, leading to the subject's collapse."
Tony let out a long, frustrated sigh. "So, it wasn't an energy overload this time. It was an energy drain. The symbiote was leeching off the host instead of working with it."
"Correct, boss. The bonding process itself was successful, but the relationship became parasitic, rather than mutually beneficial."
Tony stretched, rubbing his face with both hands as exhaustion settled in. "I need a break... I'm mentally exhausted," he muttered before leaving the bio section of the lab. He wandered over to where Melissa and Mei were working, eager to shift his focus.
Mei, wearing large goggles over her eyes, was deep into her work, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration as she added the final touches to something. Almost as if sensing Tony's presence, she looked up and her face lit up.
"Tony!" Mei shouted, waving excitedly. "Just the person I wanted to see! I've got something to show you!" She hoisted her goggles up onto her head, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.
Tony raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is it?"
"My brand new baby, of course!" Mei declared proudly, reaching for two slap-on bracelets. She quickly demonstrated, slapping the first one onto her wrist. It wrapped around her hand and forearm like red bandages. She did the same with the other bracelet, completing the set.
Then, with a confident grin, she extended her hands and clenched her fists. The bandages glowed briefly before both fists burst into flames.
"I call these babies 'The Fire Fists,'" Mei said, her excitement palpable. "Not only do they make your punches burn, but they also increase the force of your punches! If my calculations are right, you should be able to punch with the force of a ton using these! Plus, they're sturdy enough to block and deflect bullets."
Tony let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "That sounds pretty awesome."
Mei bowed theatrically. "Why, thank you! They'd work even better for someone with a fire-based quirk, but anyone could use them since they pull oxygen from the air to fuel the flames. I won't do it here, but a punch with these can even release a fire blast!"
Tony nodded, thinking. "Have you thought about making it a set?"
Mei tilted her head, confused. "A set?"
"Yeah, like adding boots or something that works the same way. A full set could really tie it together," Tony explained.
Mei's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That's brilliant! I thought just the fists would be enough, but a whole set would be way cooler!"
She quickly deactivated the flames and pressed a button that turned the Fire Fists back into slap-on bracelets. Without missing a beat, she dove back into her work, her mind already buzzing with new ideas.
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