Pain. His own screams echoing alongside the crackling of electricity. The splashing of liquid pools on the floor as he stumbled into them as the floor lit up. The agony of breathing as his body re-assembled.
All Angelo Fortunato could thing of was this.
Voices mumbled in the darkness of the box room from behind a mirror-wall. Angelo breathed heavily, his form still not completely shifted back as the pain began to burn in his nerves. He lay face down in a puddle in the room, eyes closed tightly, muscles locked as he anticipated another shock...
...moments passed, still nothing. Angelo opened his eyes, attempting to move slowly as a voice penetrated the silence.
Test completed. All information of relevance has been gathered. Retrieve test subject.
Angelo gasped as the water was drained from the room, a door opened behind him as security guards rushed in. He always tried to fight against them as they grappled for him, forcing a collar around his neck that stopped him from using this curse he'd been tainted with against them, but he never really stood a chance; this particular time he gave up with minimal struggle. His hope was slowly leaving him. As was his vision. Everything began to blur into itself as he tried to focus on where he was being dragged to this time...
Angelo.
The blonde prisoner blinked at the voice, mumbling something. Even he wasn't sure of what.
You've been a great help, Angelo. Without you my research would've taken maybe months to perfect: at first I was disappointed that we couldn't use V-01, but I'm sure you can return the favour to him by killing him...
'V-01'? Angelo looked up at the man, barely able to see a thing.
There's no need for two of you: you're perfect. After we've run some basic tests on your cognitive ability, you will have but one more objective...
Angelo tried to reply, coughing once and slumping into the arms of the guards gripping him. He heard the last words with perfect clarity.
Kill Venom. Kill Eddie Brock.
Angelo awoke with a start. He looked at his hand, which had instinctively warped itself into a sword-like shape. With a sigh, he reverted it, looking around himself; the hospital room was quiet, clean-smelling and somewhat generic. Although it felt safe, somewhat, even though no mutant was safe in the world. He looked at his sister, Anna, lying in her bed asleep. Hard to believe she was ill when she looked so sweet.
Hard to believe she could die.
Angelo stood up, stretching. He checked his watch quickly, he could probably stay another hour, make sure she woke up to someone she knew. Stroking her cheek gently, Angelo let his mind wander back to his dream, to his fathers' ultimatum before Christmas...what did it mean? What were they up to? He gritted his teeth with a slow, deep breath, there was no way he could try and find out: if he told anyone, he'd forfeit Annas' life; his father had him right where he wanted him, and there was no way out...
Angelo sat back down, eyes fixed on his sisters' sleepy smile. An uneasy feeling crept into his stomach as his left hand curled around his Rosetta Beads.
A storm was approaching. He could feel it.