Penultimate chapter!
Chapter IX
Hunger
It was late, and the rain slashed down heavily on the windows of Titans' Tower. The Titans were waiting for Starfire to return. She had volunteered to search for Raven, and the boys, none of whom particularly wanted to go out in this weather, agreed.
Nightwing was pacing up and down the living room, his hands moving agitatedly. Beast Boy was randomly changing into different animals, as if he was making sure he could. Cyborg was putting on water-proof armor to protect his circuits. None of them were talking.
They were still in shock at the night's events. Jason had kissed Raven. That alone would have been bad, but then Spidey went and almost killed the two of them. They all knew that Spider-Man hadn't hurt Raven on the cheek so much as he had broken her heart. Admittedly, she had probably deserved it.
BB and Cyborg knew that Nightwing was blaming himself for what had happened. As team leader, and still coping with the loss of Batman, he felt like a failure. A loser.
He didn't have long to mope in self-pity. Starfire returned.
"I have not located Raven," she reported, dripping wet, her eyes bright. "But I have found something else... something horrible."
Venom picked Carnage up again, now attempting to rip him in half.
The sheer force behind the grip caused Carnage to scream in pain. But then he became aware that he wasn't dying, that he was resisting.
He broke free, a feat of will and strength that surprised Venom. He kicked him in the chest, and Venom went flying back.
Now the tables were turned as Carnage began to deliver blow after blow of punishment. Venom's earlier attack had caught him off-guard. Now he was on the offensive, and it was apparent who the superior monster was.
Venom was shoved into the concrete, penetrating the thick layer of the street. He growled with rage, and tried to get back up. But the pain was becoming too much. The suit was working overtime to heal, and Peter's will was becoming stronger. They were becoming more and more divided while Jason and Carnage were becoming more united.
Peter had a horrible choice now. The only hope he had of defeating Carnage was by letting go of all will, letting himself be taken over by Venom. On the other hand, once that bond was formed, there would be no going back.
He was dead either way. If he won, he might kill his friends. If he lost, Carnage would definitely kill his friends. So there was no noble sacrifice, no self-destruction that would save anyone.
So, somehow, he had to fight both... the influence of Venom and the battle with Carnage. It was hopeless.
I fought the entire Sinister Six with a bullet wound, killed Norman Osborne when I was at my weakest, and survived being cloned. I will beat this.
"I WILL!"
Carnage threw Venom aside.
"You will what?" he hissed. "Not survive, I'll tell you that."
"Won't he?"
Peter looked up, bleakly noticing that Venom was consuming his mind. His heart sank.
The Teen Titans had arrived, without Raven. They were coming to their doom.
"Are you sure this will work?" Nightwing asked Cyborg.
"Yes!" Cyborg said. "When I scanned the suit, I saw that it has a weakness to heat and sonics. I've got a sonic cannon, so I just need one shot."
"You'll have it," BB said grimly. "Just don't hit me."
"Beast Boy, WAIT!"
But too late. Beast Boy had turned into a rhinoceros, charging the lean red monster. It picked him up effortlessly and tossed him aside. He crumpled against the wall, reverting back to human form, dazed.
Starfire went next, shooting her star bolts at the creature. He snarled at her, throwing bits of concrete up at her. She dodged them with ease, but then screamed as a tentacle reached up and grabbed her.
Carnage began to pull her in, but then Venom jumped, launching himself at Carnage. The mass of black toppled him over, and Starfire was freed.
"Get... out of here!" they heard Peter's voice say underneath the black suit. "I can't control it for long!"
Carnage threw Venom off, walking towards the Titans. Cyborg gasped.
"Oh, hell," he said. "I only have one shot guys..."
The choice was terrible. Bring down Carnage, or save Peter. One or the other. Nightwing took one second to decide.
"Get Peter!" he ordered. "We'll hold off Red and Ugly, here."
"NO!" roared Venom, jumping on top of Carnage. "Don't waste the shot... geeeeeeeet Jaaaaaaassooooonn,, aaaaaarrrrrgh!"
The Titans watched in horror as Venom and Carnage ripped each other apart. Cyborg aimed, but he couldn't get a clear shot. Starfire attempted to separate them with more star bolts, and Beast Boy became an octopus to try and rip them apart, but neither of their attempts met with any luck.
Carnage once again tossed Venom off, and this time, he went sailing far away. Carnage hit Beast Boy, this time going for the kill.
Cyborg's choice was now clear.
"I'm sorry, Peter," he said, with tears in his organic eye. He fired.
Raven approached the church warily.
On normal occasions, entering into one of these buildings was already dangerous. But tonight, it appeared to be even more so.
In her desperate search for Peter, a black mass had flown over her head, crashing through one of the stain glass windows of Saint Peter's Cathedral. There was no evening mass, which probably saved a lot of people's lives.
Now she entered, feeling more frightened now that she ever felt in her life. Not for herself, but for Peter.
As she walked up the aisle, she saw the black bulk cowered before the altar. The cross seemed to watch its struggle, protecting and stern at the same time.
The creature became aware of Raven's presence. It spun around, horrible white eyes staring at her with a large mouth gaping wide.
"Raven...?" it growled. "Staaaaaay awaaaay..."
"Peter, I'm here to help you," she said, trying to ignore the sick feeling in her gut. "We're going to get through this, together."
"Togeeeeether," it rumbled. And then its voice picked up in volume. "You betrayed us! We hate you!"
"Peter, please," she said, a sob catching in her throat. "I'm so sorry. I've hurt you so much, and there's nothing I can do to make it up to you..."
"We hate you!" it roared. "We want to kill you!"
Raven bowed her head.
"Then do it," she whispered, her voice echoing in the empty church. "I won't stop you."
"Feeeeeeeed!"
The monster lunged at her. She made no move to defend herself.
"NOOOOO!"
The sound of Peter's unfiltered voice made her look up, gasping. She could see him, pale and sweaty underneath all of the symbiotic mass.
"Not her!" he yelled, tearing at the suit. "NOT HER!"
"She betrayed us!" hissed the mouth and tongue of the suit as it tried to devour him. "We hate her!"
"No, I don't!" Peter fought back. "I love her! Nothing can change that!"
The suit was intensifying its attempts to destroy Peter's will. Raven remembered Peter's memories, how Dr. Parker's notes said it reacted negatively to loud noises. She looked up, seeing the church bell high above the rafters.
"Azarath Metrion ZYNTHOS!"
Black power flew from her mind to telekinetically grab the bell. She rang it, loud and clear.
The sound almost deafened her, but Venom roared as if it was killing it. As a matter of fact, it was.
Peter ripped the suit apart, desperate in his battle for freedom. He yelled, his voice cracking as he reached a pitch of terror and pain. Raven almost blacked out from the empathic reverberations coming from him. But she held on, because he needed her.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR GGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
It was over.
Raven, almost faint from exhaustion, used her soul self to gather up the remains of the suit, whisking them off to the Tower's high security facilities. Then she returned, placing a blanket over Peter, who was lying nude on the stone floor, pale and unconscious.
"Rrrr... Raven...?" he muttered weakly. She knelt beside him.
"Hi, Peter," she whispered back. He looked up at her.
"Let's not do that again," he breathed.
She nodded, biting her bottom lip, tears falling down her cheeks.
And it's over. Last chapter will tie up some loose ends.
