Lies & Rough Stuff
The night search came up empty. This guy was no simple crook to track down. Of course, normally they wouldn't have to be doing something like this. Venom swung back to Eddie's apartment for a hopeful few decent hours of sleep.
No such luck. He had hit the bed for maybe a half hour when knocking roused him. I wouldn't open the door, cautioned Venom. Eddie did so anyway and instantly regretted it. Oh boy, but you really need to listen to me more.
"When did you start lying to me?" demanded a fighting-mad Anne.
"Excuse me a moment," groaned Eddie opening up the curtains so as to let some sunlight in. "Okay," he turned around rubbing his eyes. "Let's start from the top. You are here because?"
"Because you lied to me and now Venom is out there slaughtering people. You lied about him being alive. You knew something and you didn't tell me."
She thinks that we did this. Time to prove her wrong.
"Eh, listen man, bad idea."
"Who are you talking to?"
"Oh," groaned Eddie, realizing he had let the cat out of the bag.
"Are you…?"
"He's still with me Annie; ever since the rocket he's been with me. But he did not do this."
She narrowed her eyes until Venom revealed himself from Eddie without fully manifesting. She gasped but that was all. "Why not tell me?"
Because we didn't know until it broke a killer out of prison. Kasady is now bonded to another of my kind and we were out all night looking for him so as to stop him. The reason is because no one else can. But our intent was not to hurt you. Trust me when I say that Eddie didn't wish to lie to you. He just struggled with the thought of understanding how you would take it.
"Dan doesn't know anything, we didn't do anything to draw attention to us. We're just out trying to do good things alright? That. Is. All," Eddie said in a rush.
Anne came close her jaw working back and forth. She stared long and hard at him. Then acted. SMACK! went her hand against his cheek. But then she yanked him close and kissed him full on the mouth. Eddie initially resisted but then melted into it and hugged her close. Tears were flowing down Anne's face. "Sorry, I just…"
"I know," said Eddie. "I earned that. I never make it easy, do I? But I don't blame you or hate you. I never have, even when it hurt. You're the only woman that ever makes me feel like I am actually capable of being worth much. You just…you just make me feel complete."
"Eddie…" Anne's voice was trembling with emotion. "Do you have any idea how dumb you are? You need to stop this. Stop cutting me out, stop pushing me to the side of the road. If something is wrong or going on, just tell me. Stop taking it all on yourself. That's why you're a loser at times. Real men confess things and don't do it all alone. Because nobody can."
"Ah, fudge you're right and I am so, so sorry. Be difficult, but I promise to work on it."
"Thank you," she sniffed. Wipe her eyes dry, she straightened. "What do you need?"
"Okay, answer this for me: where would a serial killer choose to hide in San Francisco?"
. . . . .
She belongs with us. It was time you told here that. She needs someone to serve as an anchor for herself. She worries more than she will admit. She needs someone to cry to, to hold on to. She needs a weight to keep her from being carried away.
"Interesting analogy, that "anchor" that you keep calling me. And since when did you become so wise on the subject of love? You're not from Earth so how do you do it?"
I just watch and listen. Besides, I know what your feeling. You love her and you can't cut her out of your life. You need each other. And frankly that is the very thing that changed me. When I found you, I suddenly began to understand a concept foreign to my kind.
"Wow." Another swing to the right and the elongated arm shot out securely to the building's side enabling them to swing across the intersection.
Yes. In fact, I believe that there was a time when we knew something about these concepts. In truth, we may never know, but I know now what it means to love; what it means to be human, since this is ironically the closest I shall ever be able to come to that. That is part of why the "kiss" when I teamed up with Anne to save you. I wished to see what is was like.
"You are an interesting guy. But what about our killer here?" Eddie asked as they vaulted through a crane carrying materials.
He is unfortunately a problem, but it is his friend that is the true issue. Carnage cannot be permitted to run rampant across this place. He will never stop; no matter how many hosts he must use. He simply can't. We are the only thing in his way.
. . . . .
"…Binky." The voice drifted around the rotted timbers and shadows of the condemned building. It had been abandoned for several years and was due for demolition within a few weeks. "Oh Binky, Binky...you're the only one who understands. The only one to ever know."
The shadows shifted and flowed around the rotting wood and cobwebs. A small fire illuminated the lanky figure of Kasady. He continued whispering and stroking the bear. Meanwhile, a certain shadow kept drifting closer and closer. "What is that Binky? We have a guest?" The shadow flinched. "You mean to tell me," the right hand clenched and the voice turned hard, "that someone is here? Here…" Kasady's body began to writhe and change, "to disturb our peace and quiet?!" Then he hurled the bear away and spun so that he was staring right at a certain spot as the rest of the crimson and black symbiote flowed over his face.
"Come on down daddy! You're gonna be the next victim of CARNAGE!" With that he lunged at the massive black form that did likewise. Oof! The jet-black form was big and heavy, with lots of muscle, teeth, and white eyes complete with a long pink whip for a tongue. He outweighed Carnage by easily a hundred pounds and a foot in height. It was essentially a track runner vs a wrestler. A lean and wiry frame against a hulking mass of muscle and height.
"Well, ain'tcha gonna introduce yourselves? Or do I gotta tear it from ya throats ya little rough-housers?"
"We are Venom, and you are dead." With that Venom lashed out and caught Carnage in the face.
But then it went down wrong. Carnage's face began to sprout tendrils and seized ahold of Venom's grip. "Don't gotta see ya in order ta beat ya! Hooooraaaarrrggghhh!" With that he yanked Venom and slammed him against a wall and through it.
What was this? Venom couldn't shake the feeling that they were in trouble. He hurled a piece of masonry and caught Carnage full in the torso with it sending him through another wall. This guy didn't look strong, but…it wasn't just Carnage; Carnage wasn't this strong by himself. Was it his host? Something was very wrong. He actually seemed stronger than even Riot.
"Heh-heh-heh-heh. Man, but this is more fun than I might have thought it would be. You guys are way more fun than those sad sacks of flesh." His arm began to morph and turned into the head of a halberd. He lunged and began to swing wildly. This guy wasn't even aiming just screaming with wild laughter and throwing wild punches.
Venom ducked a blow and heaved him up in a choke-hold with a left before planting his head viciously on the floor with a slam. Carnage only stopped the two-handed slam Venom attempted. "Ugh, man, you guys…too strong!" He strained. Venom bared his teeth in a feral smile. "SUCKER!" CRACK! Went their heads. Then he threw Venom with ridiculous ease.
"Been fun, but its killin' time now baby! Drag 'em out fights, grudge bouts, rematches, the stuff press digs ain't my style." With that a brutal beating commenced. Venom was overwhelmed despite desperately attempting to rally.
No choice, groaned Venom to Eddie. Their connection was starting to splinter from the pain and damage exposing Eddie to real wounds while exhausting Venom. With nothing left but a do-or-die effort, the pair lashed out at the supports around the arena and with Venom straining alongside Eddie, the tendrils began to pull and tear, proceeding to collapse the building down around their ears. Venom pulled himself back to Eddie forming a desperate shield as masonry, metal, and sheetrock fell down around them.
When the dust began to settle, nothing was moving amongst the rubble.
. . . . .
"Rrrggghhhfffff. Alright, where'd ya go, eh? Where'd ya go? Still hadn't had my fun w' you yet pal." Carnage, tendrils pulsing and slithering about his body, began to creep, serpentine, across the rubble. After several minutes of searching and coming up fruitless, he stopped to think. Not something that was necessarily his strong suit in terms of depth, but he wasn't stupid.
Then he closed his white eyes and began to inhale and exhale deeply, slowly. "Ah, you got out didja? Before the whole thing had finished crumbling or something else. Still, your out there. Well, I ain't finished with you pal. We still got more playin' to do." He began to extend tendrils and with that was off swinging across the city, tracking the scent. He had seen the face of the man beneath the symbiote. Now he wanted to see that face in pain as he pulled his insides out. The expression would be just pure delight to Carnage's sick mind.