Venom
Chapter 1
Eddie Brock vomited into the trash can. He was standing in a dark alley somewhere in the Bronx. He didn't remember how he got there. He just "woke up" and was sitting on a street corner. Since he didn't want to get arrested he had run into this alley and laid down when he had felt sick. Eddie's head was filled with images of blood, and of teeth scraping through metal….claws scraping through skin…
He shuddered. Suddenly, a noise caught his attention. Eddie turned to see a big man walking towards him.
"Hey kid! I don't know if your momma would want you hanging out in alleys! Why don't I take you home? Don't worry…I accept cash!"
The man pulled out a small pocketknife and jabbed at Eddie's pant's pocket. Eddie reached in to grab his wallet. He had been mugged so many times, it felt almost natural. As he touched the smooth leather of his wallet a strange sensation shook through his body. He felt the hairs on his skin stand up and the images he had been seeing so faintly before grew larger, louder, and bloodier than ever…
"Come on, kid! This ain't no joke! Give me the money now! I mean it! Now! Right now! Come…"
The man stopped as Eddie got up. What was he doing? He was going to get himself killed!
"Look kid…I was…I was joking!"
Eddie felt even more surprised when the man dropped his knife and started to run away. Then, as Eddie began to chase the man, all he felt was anger.
Screams filled the night's silent skies.
2 months ago…
Bolivar Trask gazed over the black suit. His dream had come true. The suit was real and finally…it was in his possession.
The sound of the sliding door opening caught his attention. He turned to see Viloe, his assistant coming in.
"Mr. Trask," Viloe began, "I have received the test results of the suit. It seems it was designed to be a cure for cancer. The user who wore it would be injected with a venom-turned-liquid antidote, and the venom would eventually destroy the cancer. It seems the work was never completed for some reason…"
"Interesting," Trask replied. "Has any group shown any interest in what we have found?"
The suit had been found contained in a bottle in the wreckage of a recent fire. The fire had burnt down a small, scummy hospital. Why it had been there is what Trask wanted to know.
"Not any groups in particular, sir," Viloe told his boss, "but the Daily Bugle has sent a photo-journalist over to ask some questions and see the suit. Do you have any objections?"
"Of course not," said Trask. "We have nothing to hide. Show him in."
Trask smiled. He would soon be the man who saved millions of lives from the infamous cancer. Send all the journalists you've got.
17-year old Peter Parker stepped into the Trask Industries building. Jameson had sent him to check out some new bogus cure for cancer. Peter didn't care though, as long as Jameson wasn't trashing Spider-Man, Peter was okay.
A hunched man in a green lab coat ushered Peter forward.
"We are pleased to have you here, Mr. Parker. Mr. Trask is excited to show you his discovery!"
"Our discovery, Viloe, our discovery!" said a cheery voice in the next room over.
When Viloe walked Peter into that room, he said, "Don't be so modest, sir! Mr. Parker wants the truth now, you know?"
"Of course, Viloe!" Trask said, as he motioned Peter to follow him. "Now Mr. Parker, what you are about to see is a giant leap forward in human evolution. This suit I have discover—Um, invented shall bring an end to the disease of cancer!"
Peter gave a weak smile as they entered a cavernous room, all chrome interior with lab tools galore. Trask showed him to a table covered with a blanket. When Peter arrived next to him, Trask pulled the cover away, revealing a black suit…Nothing but a black suit.
"Go ahead Mr. Parker! Take some pictures, don't be shy! Viloe and I will be waiting in the next room when you want to begin the interview!"
"Uh, O.K. Mr. Trask…," Peter replied.
With that, Trask and his assistant left.
Peter took a few pictures from different angles and glanced around at the room.
Jameson had told him to be discreet, but to try and find out more than they would tell him. Peter knew he meant during the interview, but…what the heck?
Peter walked to the next table closest to him. There was a manila file on it. He grabbed it quickly and opened it. Inside was info about the real creators of the suit. It was obvious that Trask knew nothing of science, and just wanted the fame that came with intelligence.
Peter scanned down the file until he came to two names…and his jaw dropped to the floor. The names of the creators were Richard Parker and Edward Brock Sr.
His father had created this suit. And Trask was stealing it from him. Peter couldn't stand it…There was only one thing to do…Take it back.
Peter ran over to the table with the black suit on it, and hurriedly put everything but the mask on. He threw his camera to the floor, smashing it to pieces, dropped his book bag next to the bits of camera and screamed at the top of his lungs.
When Trask and Viloe ran into the cavern-room, Peter was gone. And so was the suit.
Peter flew through the city at speeds he had never even dreamed of before. He felt great! Even at his highest point, swinging as Spider-Man never felt so good. Peter swung around for a bit then landed on a building. He put on the mask and breathed the night air. The suit was thinner than his usual costume, so he could breathe easier.
Just as he was about to take off again, his spine began to tingle. Peter looked down and saw that the signature spider-mark that was on his Spider-Man costume was beginning to appear in a white outline, and then filling in. He tore off his mask and stared at it. The spider-eyes were gleaming white on the black background. What was happening? Then something overcame him.
Peter put the mask back on and began to swing. What was he doing? His body wasn't following his brain's orders anymore! The suit began to feel tighter and tighter…he couldn't breathe, but his body was still in full motion. It was wearing him down…he couldn't live like this much longer…The suit took Peter down onto a small house's roof.
Peter ripped at the black costume, desperately trying to get it off! He bit at it with his teeth, he pulled at it with his fingers…and then all of the pressure suddenly released. Peter was free! BAM! Peter felt his skin pushing together, his body molding into a ball shape and he couldn't breathe anymore…his eyes closed tight.
Nick Fury blasted through the city outfitted in an ULTRAXZ Hulkbuster suit. Reports of Spider-Man harassing citizens a few hours ago had turned into a full-blown assault on the city.
Fury didn't understand…Parker…he couldn't do this, could he? Just then, a report from his partner Jake Havvods came in through his earpiece.
"Sir! I've just spotted the perp heading towards the Chrysler Building!"
Fury frowned. "What does he look like, Havvods?"
"It doesn't look like Parker…"
Fury breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Peter too well…
Havvods called in again. "Sir, scratch that. It still might not be him…he's not in his usual get-up. He looks a bit more…menacing. It looks like he has…almost like he has teeth! Wait…Let me get a closer look."
"Be careful, Jake," Fury told him.
"Of course, sir!"
Jake Havvods zoomed towards Spider-Man, or what appeared to be Spider-Man.
As he got closer it did look like the guy had teeth…In fact, Havvods was almost certain they were teeth! He had to tell Fury.
Havvods had just turned on his earpiece and began: "Sir, I have just—'', when a piece of red goo hit him in the face and he flew towards the ground. A few painful moments later, he opened his eyes and saw that his entire suit was covered in the goo and his earpiece was crushed.
Damn! He thought. He had to contact Fury!
Just as he got up to try and sign Fury, something hit him hard in the back. When he hit the ground, he rolled over and to his surprise, he saw the suspect!...and he gasped.
What was seemingly Spider-Man before, was now a monstrous beast made up of the red goo and bubbles. On his…or its…face was a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and yellow eyes took up the rest of the head.
The monster slowly stepped towards Havvods. Havvods tried to get up, but more red goo kept him down. The monster had reached him! It bent down, opened its mouth, and took Havvods' arm in his hands. The monster, smiling sadistically, took a huge bite out of his arm! Havvods screamed in pain and anger, as the monster continued to eat…or feed.
The monster took a break from eating Havvods alive and said in a scratchy and disgusting voice, "Don't worry, Jakey! It will be over soon…"
Chapter 2
3 weeks later…
Nick Fury stared at the grave of Jake Havvods. Fury himself had found Havvods' ravaged body in that dark alley…Spider-Man had killed him, and since then, Spider-Man had killed a lot of others as well. It took a long time for Fury to comprehend that it had to be Peter doing these horrendous things. He has been missing from his home for three weeks…from the exact day when all of this had started.
Fury put his hand on Jake's tombstone. He bowed his head, said a small prayer and began to walk away.
"I swear…on your grave, Jake. I will catch Spider-Man…and I will kill him…"
Bolivar Trask gazed at the schematics of the suit. There was no doubt that Parker had taken it, and was now rampaging across New York…But why? This suit was supposed to be a savior! Were Richard Parker and Edward Brock Sr. terrorists, bent on world destruction? Was it a simple miscalculation? Was it--?
Trask suddenly realized something! Edward Brock SR.! He must have had a son!
Trask walked out of the room and headed towards Viloe's office.
He swung the door open and said, "Find me Edward Brock Jr.! NOW!"
Peter looked around at the surrounding docks. It was slimy here…smelly too…but the cops were after him for some reason and he had to hide.
For the past few weeks, Peter had been having strange dreams…bloodshed filled throughout them…but he was spreading it. Not Spider-Man….just regular guy, Peter Parker. Once he had had a dream in which he…ate someone alive…just regular Peter Parker…
Peter snapped out of his daze. No point in thinking about that, he thought. Just think happy thoughts! Happy thoughts…
Peter laid down and went to sleep…
"Peter…Peter…wake up…"
A chilling voice filled Peter's head. He opened his eyes to see himself in a misty, cloudy world…his own mind. Somehow he knew that it was inside him…how? He had no clue…but it had to be.
Peter looked dreamily upon the source of the voice. It was a red, bubbling monster, with glowing yellow eyes and a mouth full of teeth.
"Who…who are you?" Peter asked.
"I am your new conscious! I am the new you!" the creature said in the same scratchy voice.
Peter was stupefied! What was this thing?
"You are mine, Peter! For the last few weeks I have used you to find the perfect host! I have killed many…or should I say…you have!"
Peter crawled away from the monster. "No! I haven't! I haven't…I would've remembered…"
"Remember your dreams, Peter?" the monster asked. "REMEMBER!"
Peter screamed. He leaped up and lunged at the monster. His body flew through the mass of red goo and tendrils and landed on the other side.
"You can't beat me!" the creature screamed, and burst into a horrible fit of laughter.
Peter stepped away from the thing. He kept backing up…and he began to run! He ran with all his speed in the opposite direction. He kept running, dashing, sprinting…and he burst out of the mist and onto the wood of the docks' piers. He turned to look back and saw the red monster staring at him, dumbfounded.
Peter smiled in victory. "I'm outta here, freak!" And Peter hopped into the air and began to swing…and he kept swinging away, far away…leaving the hideous laughter of the monster behind…
Eddie Brock Jr. looked around the chrome office of Bolivar Trask. It was beautiful…too beautiful. He didn't trust this guy. He kept saying that his father was a genius and had created this special suit…a suit someone had just stolen and was using to commit all of the crimes that have been going on. This guy must be nuts.
"I'm not lying, Edward. This is the truth! If I only had this suit…I could prove it! Now you are sure you know nothing about how your father made it?"
"I don't even remember my father! How could I remember this?"
Trask sat back down in his chair and sighed. Then, a noise from the room outside attracted both of their attentions. They both rushed out of the office to catch a glimpse of someone swinging out of the giant windows above the cavern-room. They then turned their attention to what the person had left behind. It was the suit!
Trask rushed over to it and grasped it in his fingers and held it against his body.
Eddie couldn't believe it! Trask was telling the truth! Wait…this must mean that if Trask knew nothing about this suit…he couldn't have helped make it! He was trying to steal Eddie's apparently gifted father's work!
"Trask…What was the name of the other man who worked on this suit?"
"Richard Parker. Why?"
Suddenly, a light in both of their heads went off. Eddie knew that name…a kid he had known when he was little…a friend…Peter Parker!
Trask thought something along those same lines. Peter Parker was the one who took the suit! It was Richard's son.
Brock rushed towards Trask. He pushed him down, grabbed the suit and began to run. Almost immediately, Trask's men were on him, chasing him through the long corridors. Eddie pulled the suit over himself as he ran, hopping to get through the leg holes. When he pulled the mask over his face, he felt something…like he could fly! It was crazy, but it felt real! Without knowing what he was doing, Eddie headed for the nearest window, opened it, and leaped! The guards stopped in their tracks, wondering how crazy was this guy? One guard approached the window and looked down. No one was there. The guard, confused, looked out to the horizon. He could barely make out the shape of a black figure leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Eddie Brock had escaped.
"I was really worried about you, Peter!" Mary Jane said to him.
Peter blushed. "I'm O.K…but about what I saw…and what I did…"
"You didn't kill anyone. It was that evil monster thingy!" Mary Jane reassured Peter. "Do you where that thing came from?"
"Not really, but I think it had something to do with the black suit forming some kind of bond with me. And something inside the suit…I think there was some sort of venom, that might have affected my abilities…and morphed them with my…well, this will sound stupid…but I think the venom morphed with my dark side…the side that I chose to abandon."
"That doesn't sound crazy," Mary Jane said. "In fact, considering everything we've been through since you've became Spider-Man, that's pretty normal!"
Peter smiled.
"What did you do with the suit, Peter?"
"I gave that freaky thing back to Trask, why?"
Mary Jane cowered away from him. "Because…Trask reported it stolen on T.V. By some guy named Edward Brock."
Peter turned to Mary Jane in disbelief. "Edward Brock? As in Eddie Brock Jr.?"
"Yeah, that was his name. Something wrong?"
"That guy…I was friends with him as a kid…he was a few years younger than me, though…his dad and my dad were colleagues. That's it! My dad and Edward Brock Sr. constructed that suit! Trask had just found it…he was stealing my father's last work and advertising it as his own! That's why I took it in the first place!"
Peter got up.
"Where are you going, Pete?" Mary Jane asked.
"I've got to find where Eddie took that suit…if part of that monster is still inside it…I don't know what could happen!"
Eddie Brock's attention was completely taken by the marvel laid on the bed in front of him. That suit was amazing! He could leap from building to building…gliding gracefully as he did it…once he had managed to make it half way up a wall of a building just by running as fast as he could…which was very fast now, too.
He ran his fingers over the smooth suit and began to think up what he would do next. All the possibilities…Maybe leap off the Empire State Building! Now that's a crazy idea!—
Eddie's fantasies about his amazing new abilities were interrupting by a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Eddie asked, suspiciously. Maybe it was the cops…he began to put the suit on just in case.
"Is this Eddie Brock's room?"
"Yes…" Eddie replied as he pulled the mask over his face.
The door opened and in walked Peter Parker.
"Peter! It's you isn't it? How did you find me?"
"I asked the hotel women at the front desk. Now, what are you doing with that thing?"
"It was our father's work, Peter! Aren't you anger that Trask tried to steal the glory from them?"
"At first…but that thing is dangerous! It took control of me and made me do horrible things Eddie! It's not a good thing!"
"Wait…if you took it last…you must be…" Eddie's mouth hit the floor and the light in his head exploded. "YOU'RE SPIDER-MAN!"
Peter looked at the ground. "Take the suit off, Eddie…If you don't…I'm going to have to take it from you!"
Eddie scowled under the mask. "You're just mad because you got rid of it and are jealous because I have the power now! I'm more powerful than you now, Peter! I'm more powerful than SPIDER-MAN! THE SUIT IS MINE!"
Eddie turned around, kicked through his window and gracefully jumped out. After he had made it across a few rooftops he turned…only to see Peter, in his Spider-Man costume, coming right for him. If he wanted a fight…he would have to catch Eddie first!
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