The Hunters
She gazed from high above the crime scene, prowling the rooftops, waiting for the right moment to strike. She watched as a young girl, not yet even 18, fought for her dignity and innocence, in the corner of a dim lit, Gotham City back alley. She kicked and screamed as a rough shaven, overweight, sleaze-ball of a man, groped and grabbed the young girl, trying to get what he probably hadn't had in several years. The young girl continued to scream and scratch but only to her dismay, her cries of help were drowned out by the sirens of Gotham City's patrol units. The man gave a sleazy grin and slapped the girl hard across her cheek with the back of his hand, sending her soaring to the ground.
"You'd be best keeping ya mouth shut Bitch and this will be a lot easier for botha us!"
He smugly spouted in a low, gritty tone of voice as he crept up behind her and caressed a cheek of her buttock and her inner thigh. The girl merely replied with a meek whimper as the mascara ran down from her pitiful, emerald green eyes.
The man took position behind the girl and began to undo zip of his shabby jeans as the young girl waited in anguish for the nightmare to stop. Now was the time…
There was a solid popping sound as two, 3 inch cast iron bolts entered into the back of the psycho's knees and he dropped to the ground.
"Rargh!!!" He screamed in torment as he fell to the ground, clutching his legs as blood streamed out the back of his knee caps. The girl saw her chance and sprang to her feet and ran as fast as she could, aided by adrenaline to as far away as possible from that hellish alley.
"I never fail to amaze myself", said a voice from the shadows of the alley. The man turned around to see a tall, slender dark haired avenger, in a purple outfit and utility belt standing before him. He scanned his eyes over her athletic body and perversely licked his lips. She grimiest at the sight and spat in his face. "You disgust me!"
"Come on Toots, give a guy a chance, you never know, you may like it."
She gave him a long levered kick to the ribs. He winced and the woman smirked smugly, beating him several more times, till blooded tickled out of every orifice on his face. After several minutes, he cried in pain and concluded to plead for mercy and redemption from the damsel in front of him. She listened and laughed at his pathetic excuses, occasionally glancing at the watch on her wrist.
"Look you almost done 'cause there's something on TV I wanna watch tonight"
"Does this mean I get to go?
"Is the pope a Jew?!
She replied angrily back before she bent down and grabbed his oily hair and bringing her bountiful, strawberry red lips, inches from his, she said to him in a seducing voice,
"No"
She fired two more bolts, this time into his temple, as the blooded erupted over her face.
"C'ya later babe, The Huntress' got more work to do," And with that she dropped his head, and strutted out of the alley way, wiping off his blood and cheap brand hair gel onto a tissue and flinging it into a nearby trash can.
Eddie Brock had arrived in town a couple of days ago, just fresh out of escaping from his third time incarceration in the super-human detainment facility know as "The Vault". He had been in for murdering a number of mid-level mod bosses throughout New York, whilst under the control of his gargantuan symbiote count-part know simply as "Venom". Venom had become well know through out New York as its "Lethal Protector" as his methods of punishment were far more severe than his loveable, red and blue arch-nemesis Spider-man. Eddie was now homeless, living it rough in Gotham's notorious "down-town" district, but this played to his advantage, he now could get inside information and his late night "avenging" could continue…
After several nights of sheer blood lust and man slaughter, Eddie or Venom to put it correctly, had quickly climbed Gotham's most wanted list and was second in line only to one called "The Joker". After hearing of his crimes a certain "Dark Knight" was out to end them…
Several small bat shaped blades pierced his thick purple flesh as he gave a loud disgruntled roar that was heard several blocks away by a Ms. Helena Bertinelli aka The Huntress who was out on her late night vigilante watches. She was on her way home but had other plans now, she had to investigate. Venom caught a two footed drop kick straight to the face, followed by two sharp punches to the jaw, his face getting torn by the blades on his forearms. He stumbled back as he "Dark Knight" proceeded to fly kick his gut. Venom quickly caught his leg, and gave his ankle a sharp twist, snapping it in several place. This fight had gone on long enough, Venom had to protect the innocence of this two but town, and "The Bat" was becoming a nuisance. With an almighty two handed, hammer-jacked club to the base of his opponents neck, he sent him thundering to the floor. As Batman began to rise again, Venom stopped on his head crushing it into the gravel. Inches from consciousness, Venom picked up the nuisance and held him upright in front of him with two lengthy tentacles as the blood slowly dripped from "The Bats" battle scarred body.
"We gotta' hand it to ya buddy, you gave a good fight, we actually got worried for a second"
" You.. You think this is over? There will.. Be more after you, they'll avenge me…, the Justice League will put you down like the animal you are!
Venom gave demonic, low toned laugh before receiving and eye full of bloody spit. He scowled and licked up the blood before throwing Bat-man input a pile of trash cans. By this time The Huntress had arrived and immediately ran over to her fallen compatriot.
"Oh my God, Bruce what happened?!
She looked in horror at his beaten down body and ran a tender hand over his wounds, feeling on this rare occasion sympathy for her colleague.
"Its.. Him.. Down the alleyway..
She cocked an eyebrow.
"Who? The Joker? Bane? Is Frost back?
Bruce Wayne shacked his head before passing out from his injuries. She pondered whether or not to go and investigate further but she decided not to, and for good reason. Bruce Wayne was arguably The Justice League greatest hand to hand combatant, and who ever he had faced tonight, she didn't stand a hope in hells chance again. She picked up the Billionaire before dumping him on her motor cycle and speeding of towards his mansion and the care of his beloved Alfred. As she sped of, high above on top a dilapidated apartment building sat the creature Venom, he gave a grin, licked the blood off his teeth then set of to pursue the dark haired beauty.. Looks like The Huntress had now become the hunted.
She gave Alfred a goodnight kiss on the cheek and he blushed thanking her before leaving the Wayne estate. She powered down the Gotham streets, frightened from what she had seen earlier and wanted home, to security. As she drove she kept thinking over what Bruce had said. What had he fought that had beaten him so badly? Should she have investigated further. Her thought chain was broken when out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of bulky silhouette galloping above her. Her heart rate increased as tormenting thoughts entered her head, she revved up, hitting speeds excess of 150mph. The silhouette eventually left her line of sight. She hanged her head, sighed and laughed lightly.
"Its just a delusion, God I'm so worked up.. Maybe I'll take a few days off, get some retail therapy. She lifted her eyes up just in time to see something dark plummet from above and land metres from the front of her bike. She screamed and ripped on the bikes brakes, but it was hopeless. She hit the item and 100mph as she flew over the handle bars, cracking her skull off the ground and passing out.
She re-awoke several hours later, the taste of dried blood on her scuffed face and lips. She tried to focus on her surrounding, everything a complete blur. Helena then lay back taking in deep breathes, she had gotten of lightly, that crash could have killed her. After a quick glance around, trying to lock onto what she had hit she then attempted to stand before a sharp shooting sensation ran around her shin. It hanged in two pieces. She winced and gritted her teeth as she used her entire will power to drag herself to her feet.
"Ugh…" Her bike was in flames, looked she was walking home. She turned, and that's when her heart stopped. Approaching out of the wreckage of her bike was a creature that could only be described as "From Hell". It must have been at least 350 pounds and had claws that could tear several phone directories with ease. She screamed as it set it's ghostly white "eyes" upon her, grinned showing it's ravenous teeth, then flew for her. She quickly dispatched the creature by flicking out her staff and smacking it in the gut, sending it soaring over her shoulder. It landed straight on its feet, and skidded, then sending a large ball of web fluid, it stuck the idle Huntress straight on the chest, knocking her straight into a wall, before exploding and sticking her firmly in place. The creature stood inches from her as heart pumped uncontrollably and watched the citrus coloured saliva drop from its seemingly endless tongue on the massive spider marking on its chest.
"You know why we pulled over?
"What?!
" You were speeding madam, going 150 in a 30 mile zone, and you hit an officer of the law"
The creature's laugh seemed to echo itself as it suddenly caught sight of her chest and it shut up, completely mesmerized.
"It was you wasn't it! You've been behind the decapitations, and you almost killed Bruce!
Her inner rage rose as the creature just plainly nodded and still gazed at her breasts. She spat in its face!
"Hey prick! My eyes are up here!
Venom snapped out of the trance and wiped of the spit and clapped his claws.
"So ya caught us out, what gave it away? The teeth? Yeah we killed 'em, its our duty as a super civilian and as for your friend Bruce, he was in our way, just like you are.."
"Your insane! You're a freak! You honestly think your doing the right thing?!"
He nodded then dragged his claw across the top, tearing it and then licked from her breasts up her neck then her face, as she fought to stop throwing up, the smell of death and decomposition off his breathe.
"What are you doing?!
"Mmmm you'll be a delicate morsel indeed"
Helena's gut sank as she knew what he meant and there was no hope of her escaping as she was trust up to the wall with a severely injured leg.
Venom ran a nail across her abdomen as blood began to creep out and Helena's situation began to sink in. Tears began to role down her cheek as the creature licked them off. She was going to die, and in a most painful way , totally defenceless, the one way she had promised she would never go. Her breathes began to shorten as he crying began to get harder. She waited for Venom to strike. His razor bladed jaws of death upon her. Just as Helena gave up her last hope of rescue, something strange stirred up inside Venom. It was Eddie, he was wanting free. Venom tried to resist but Eddie was persistent. He dropped to his knees as Helena gasped.
"BROCK! DON'T DO THIS BROCK! YOUR MAKING A MISTAKE!!"
Venom shouted in what seemed to be pain as he gripped his head and his deep coloured flesh, began to tear away, revealing a normal man on the ground. Helena gazed in awe, completely speechless and motionless.
Eddie rose and immediately saw his damsel in distress before her and began tearing away the webbing that was holding her upright.
"Oh God, I'm so sorry!
She sensed the panic in his thick New Yorker's accent and as she fell loose from her bondages, fell flat into his arms.
"I really can't.."
She slapped him hard across the face, cutting his bottom lip.
"You think that a simple apology is gonna fix this?! You almost killed me! You destroyed my bike! You beat my friend inches from death! You tried to fucking eat me!!
Eddie winced as Helena's voice gradually increased in volume.
"Hey Hey, keep it down alright, look its long and complicated, lets just say I don't have control over your friend from a couple of minutes ago. I'll maybe explain it to you later"
Helena sulked and pouted at the broad-chest, strawberry blonde man before her.
"The names Eddie Brock.. If your interested."
He held out a hand
Helena hesitated then gently shook it
"Helena Bertinelli aka The Huntress"
Eddie nodded in acknowledgement.
"You hurt?
"Oh I'm fine and dandy" she replied in a sarcastic accent and pointed to her leg.
"Ahh… that may present you with a slight problem."
Eddie smirked then swept Helena of her feet into his arms
"What the hell do you think you doing?! Put me down!
She thumped him several times on the chest but to no effect.
"I'm taking you home, least I can do, you got a problem with that?
She shook her head.
"Good, now you're address and phone number"
Helena gave him cold hard stare that told Eddie to back off. What an ego-centric prick she thought! He was probably used to the woman falling head over heels for him because of his freakishly large arms and blonde locks, but she was different from most women. She murmured him her address and he plodded along the smoggy down-town streets, all the time Helena sitting cross armed in his arms.
Several un-easy, silent minutes passes and Helena couldn't take it any more. She had to start a conversation so she asked the first thing on her buzzing mind.
"So Mr. Brock… you're a demon I take it?
"Alien.."
She thrust a hand over her temple
"Oh great so I'm getting carried home by friggin E.T.'s big butch brother."
"Not me you idiot, Venom, you know the big purple "dinosaur" that tried to eat you, it's what's called a "symbiote" an extraterrestrial parasite that crashed in New York a few years back… it attached itself to a.. friend of mine then me"
Helena cocked an eyebrow in disbelief
Always knew the big apple was full of the weird and wonderful but that's a whole new chapter ."
They both gave pleasant smiles to each other and Helena rested her head oh his shoulder, to Eddies pleasant surprise.
"Don't get any idea's mister…"
She let out a deep sigh. She was only putting the tough facade on to keep her reputation up. It felt strange to her but she felt comfortable around Eddie for some reason and she had known him less than an hour. It was his stale aftershave, it reminded her of her father, the good times they had before him and her mother where murdered in cold blood. It was that action that cause her to take up the life of a vigilante and got her in tonight's mess…
Eddie reached a small apartment block somewhere in "Mid-town" and carried Helena up the stairs to a small apartment where he gently placed her down.
"Thanks.." Helena mumbled not looking at him..
"Yeah what ever.."
Eddie turned and began walking down the apartment hallway, hands in his pockets and head hung.
"Where ya goin'?
"To sleep.." Eddie droned back.
"And your staying in…"
" Couple of blocks, found a quiet alley, no cops, addicts just me and my stuff" He shrugged "Good enough or me." He turned and gave her a small smile of reassurance.
"Oh.. Then I suppose I'll C'ya later then.."
Helena shut the door and stood upright against it, finally removing her mask and throwing it across the room. She bit her bottom lip and banged her head against the door. All she could think about was Eddie and him out side. Being from a strong catholic upbringing she knew there was only one thing to do.
"This goes against everything that's just happened.."
She sighed and flung the door back open just in time before Eddie left the landing. He turned and saw her fine delicate face for the first time, she was gorgeous he thought. Best thing he had seen so far in this city.
"Get in, your on the sofa tonight."
She pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the couch.
"What?!
She stopped him in mid sentence.
"Just get in.. No buts, I wanna keep an eye on you, stop your killings for tonight at least."
She lied not wanting to show him any real feelings. He hesitantly entered the apartment and was rather impressed, it was larger than it seemed and was nicely furnished. Helena hobbled over to a lining closet and chucked him out a duvet.
"And no funny business, I know what guys are like"
She caught his eyes for a split second and gave him a mischievous smirk.
"Night Baby-doll" And with that she escaped to her bedroom.
Several hours passed and Eddie was still wide awake. He couldn't seem to wrap his mind round this woman. He wondered what her an was, what her intentions were. Was she going to hand him over tomorrow to the authorities? Eddie took in a deep breathe and turned to see Helena's bedroom door ajar. He leaned his head slightly, and saw her sleeping peacefully. She was a picture of perfection itself he thought as he gazed at her, the moonlight breaking in though the window, giving her soft, dark hair the appearance of silk. He ran his eyes across her fine cheek bones and bountiful lips. He had to have her, but knew it was never possible after what had happened tonight. Eddie slumped back down on he sofa and nestled his head into a group of cushions, his head now full of thought about the woman in the next room. As time passed he slowly drifted off, entering in several sweet dreams. This woman had entered so quickly into his life, but she sure as hell was going to take a long time to forget.