Note: While this story is based on Spiderman/Marvel Universe, it largely features a number of original characters with references to existing ones. This is a mature story, intended for mature audiences, expect violence, swearing and some sexual content. Some descriptions may be graphical and while I try my best to avoid 'smut,' don't be surprised if some manages to creep in.


Nightmarish visions clawed at Regina's skull. A growing darkness enveloped and ensnared her very being. Suddenly her mind awoke. She was still in the bed, Veronica beside her in deep sleep. Sweat glistened in the silver moonlight. Her usually tidy hair was messy from excessive thrashing. Sat in the bed, Regina felt uncomfortable. An unusual feeling surrounded her. Everything felt unreal.

"Regina," Veronica said as she awoke. A strange echo bounced around Regina's ears. "Are you alright?"

Regina couldn't speak.

"Can't sleep?" A growing fear escalated. Regina clenched the bed sheets tight. She dangled her arm over the bedside in anticipation of the symbiote clutching to her. A bare Veronica swivelled out of the sheets and mounted Regina. Golden blonde hair veiled Veronica's features. An alarming darkness beneath golden streaks unsettled Regina. Then the familiar sound of deep growling as Veronica's pupils turned narrow.

"Regina…" she said. Her body began to shift and break as she reformed. Regina begged for the symbiote to return. Bones snapped, muscles twisted and bulged reforming the young beauty. "Regina…" she repeated.

The transformation continued. Regina was still pinned to the bed and could not move despite her best efforts. The symbiote would not return. Her arm remained dangling, but the creature would not return. Regina panted in terror, her breathing accelerated.

Then the lizard tore into Regina…

Regina screamed loudly.

"Regina, calm down…" reassured Veronica. Regina's eyes were wide open, dawn sunlight streamed through the blinds. No darkness and no giant lizard loomed over her. Veronica was gently holding Regina as she shot up from the bed. "You were having a nightmare, sounded like a pretty bad one the way you were thrashing around."

"Veronica, I was…you were." Regina was disoriented still. Veronica lovingly hugged her and gently rubbed her back.

"It's okay." Veronica felt a little uncomfortable reassuring a woman in her twenties in such a way. But she did also consider that she did not have parents to console. Perhaps it was sympathy, but Veronica considered it could be love.

In naked embrace, Veronica gently pecked Regina on the cheek. "It's okay," she whispered again. A thunderous knock rattled against the apartment door. The pair gasped in shock. Regina prepared to get up but Veronica prevented her. "No, I'll get it," she said.

Veronica flung out of bed and swiftly draped herself in a gown hanging from inside a decrepit wardrobe. The knocking continued as Veronica disappeared into the living room.

"I'm coming!" Veronica yelled. Regina heard the door open slightly then clunk against the door chain. "Bryan, you here for Regina?"

"So she is here," Bryan responded. He tried forcing his way in before Veronica calmly removed the chain and allowed the worried figure inside.

"She's not 'decent,'" Veronica said assertively as Bryan made his way towards the bedroom.

"Oh," Bryan replied quietly. Regina heard everything and she slowly slipped out of the bed, as her soles hit the floor, the symbiote instantly reformed clothing, covering Regina's bare body.

"You were here the whole time," she whispered furiously.

"It's the only way you'll be prepared,"The symbiote had feigned it's detachment from Regina. Instead only a chunk had left Regina.

"Regina, are you 'decent?'" Bryan asked from beyond the bedroom wall.

"Yeah," answered Regina as she turned to the doorway. Bryan stepped in, he wasn't followed by Veronica. Anger and fear combined to create a visage Regina hadn't witnessed before. Bryan approached Regina.

"Have you been hanging around Veronica this whole time?!" Bryan whispered angrily. In the other room Veronica had begun making some breakfast. "I was worried, you don't answer your phone, and you leave without a word." Regina was ready to reply but Bryan kept on talking. "I know you want to change and I appreciate you taking the effort to do so. But please, don't forget your brother worries, 'kay?"

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me," Regina finally replied. As Regina walked out of the bedroom, Bryan stopped her by the wrist.

"No, I don't think you are, maybe…coming here was a bad idea."

"Well, I disagree." Regina forcefully freed herself.

"What's happened to you? What's happened this past week that's made you so confident?"

"I met someone special; does that satisfy your questioning?"

"Veronica? I think you should stay away from her. She's got problems of her own." The atmosphere was getting increasingly hostile between the siblings. Regina's tone was noticeably more aggressive. Bryan feared her insanity was taking hold.

"Maybe you should be looking out for yourself and stop worrying about me." Regina went toe to toe with Bryan.

"You can't seriously expect me to just let you go about as you please with your 'issues,' I was worried."

"Well don't! We don't need you," Regina said sternly. Bryan was stunned silent. For a moment he thought Regina might actually punch his face in. The look in Regina's face was of pure rage.

"Alright," said Bryan quietly. He began walking out. "I'll leave you two be then." Bryan walked past Veronica sat on the rotten couch with paper in hand, and prepared to walk out the door. "I know you've got your own problems," said Bryan to Veronica, "but please look after her."

"Of course," Veronica responded. Bryan vanished out of the apartment. Regina leant on the bedroom door frame as he left. "Regina, what the hell was that?" She looked at Regina astonished.

"I don't need his pity; he needs to stop concerning himself with me." Slowly, Regina drifted over to the couch and took a seat. Veronica shuffled across to her, glancing between the closed door and Regina.

"He's still your brother, think how he must feel." Veronica put down the paper and prepped her fingers. Gently, she pressed her digits against Regina's neck and onto her shoulders, below the shirt. "I wish I had a brother like him, someone looking out for me." Her hands glided over Regina's shoulders as she carefully massaged them. Regina felt alleviated and started to become relaxed.

"I didn't know you had any family."

"You didn't ask, and no I don't. I never knew my parents, or if I have any siblings. As far as I can remember, there was just me and the world." Regina could sympathise with Veronica to an extent. But ultimately, Regina knew who her parents were. A luxury Veronica didn't have and never would. However, whatever Veronica was doing, it was having a remarkable effect on Regina.

"She's good," purred the symbiote.

"That's nice," Regina said, ensuring the symbiote's feelings were heard. "What was that?"

"Just a little trick I picked up on my travels. Not so stressed now, are we?" Veronica removed her fingers from Regina. For a moment Regina thought that she was referring to her and the other. In a second she realised this was not the case and smiled. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." Veronica got up and made her way to the kitchen to finish preparing some breakfast.

"Her? Hungry?" jest the symbiote. Regina took no notice and reached out for the paper strewn on the table before her.

'Frenzy at OsCorp tower,' read the headline. Regina took a slight intrigue at the story and read through it. Vague details indicated that Veronica was there, or rather the 'Lizard,' as the Bugle called her.

A tally of bodies rested on her conscience, Regina was uncertain if Veronica was aware of this. She refused to believe it. Regina felt vile, having to deal with one dead on her conscience was enough. Yet, that was different, she had no other choice. Quietly, Regina hoped that Veronica didn't know.

"I hoped you wouldn't read that," said Veronica as she peeked over Regina's shoulder.

'Does she always sneak up like that?' Regina thought, recalling yesterday when she confronted Veronica about the paperwork on the desk.

"Have you read it?" she responded.

"I don't need to, I was there," admitted Veronica. She conceded that Regina knew, after yesterday, it was unnecessary denying it.

"What happened?" asked Regina, face straight as a post. "I want to hear your version, more so," Regina paused to look at the paper a moment, pretending to take a keen interest as an uninitiated. "What's it like being that thing?"

"Frenzy," whispered the symbiote. Regina ignored it.

"It's unpleasant as you may gather, Regina." Veronica then began indulging Regina with the stark details, "Imagine having your body torn from the inside out, bones snapping and shifting to form a new being. And imagine your muscles exploding to accommodate such a radical change. Worst of all, it's always there; even now…I can feel it, screaming in the back of my mind, screaming to be free."

"Oh I can't imagine," joked the symbiote.

"I-I can't imagine," Regina dictated the symbiote's words and got up with the paper still in hand. Unlike Veronica, Regina's secret was still secure. She wouldn't surrender it quite as easily as Veronica. "You must be very strong to go through such a thing."

"No," replied Veronica, "I'm not strong enough. I'm not strong enough to stop Zoe and that…thing." Distain endowed Veronica's face. Of course, she was referring to Regina's other.

"Thing?" asked Regina, acting purposely naïve.

"This thing." Veronica forced the paper from Regina's hands. A few shreds ripped from the two grasping the sheets. "This…'Frenzy.'"

"Frenzy?"

"I know it's just a word, but don't you think it seems fitting, given the chaos?" Regina pondered for a moment.

'Frenzy,' she thought. Something about that word just clicked, like it were a seal of approval from the symbiote.

"Yes, it does seem very fitting. I like it!" the symbiote agreed. Regina was too self-absorbed to notice Veronica sifting through her collection of OsCorp diagrams. Below the pile though there were different files, much more distinct than simple diagrams. Formulas, equations and senseless writings that, to the untrained eye, meant nothing, but to Veronica, meant everything.

"Zoe and that thing are in cahoots," stated Veronica. "Her pet minion. Another of her 'science experiments' I wager."

"Science experiment? Me?! I'll show her science experiment!" raged the symbiote. A tense surge slithered around Regina's body. It caught her by complete surprise and in a moment, she lost control. She tried to speak, but her lips wouldn't move, she tried to walk, but her legs would not go. She was a prisoner inside her own body. The symbiote was now the puppet master, Regina's body was now it's.

"NO!" Regina cried out from her prison.

"I don't think so," said the Regina-imposter.

"No, those aren't my words!" Regina screamed. Her voice just echoed in an empty space, like yelling into a large, empty metallic chamber.

"The Bugle might say otherwise, but I just know it. I feel it," Veronica responded unbeknownst to Regina's sudden change. Her stride was more confident, full of vigour. A stance, unlike any Regina had displayed prior. Insidious strings had moved Regina closer to Veronica and she reached out.

"What are you doing?!" Regina watched on as her palm was manipulated onto Veronica's shoulder.

"Can you feel this?" Regina's palms gently glided over Veronica's clothing, the symbiote could feel the fabric through its host's senses. This was an experience unlike either had encountered before.

"Yes," Veronica responded, not quite sure how to react.

"Oh." The palm went underneath Veronica's clothing, brushing a surprisingly rough texture. The symbiote noticed that Veronica's wound had worsened. Rather than just simple moss coloured veins, scales began forming around the injection point. Regina foresaw what was about to happen.

"Don't!"

"How about…this!" A bellowing scream followed as the symbiote dug Regina's nails into Veronica's scaled skin. Veronica was caught off guard and something inside was growing, her mind became hazy. Blackness filled her memory. The beast was trying to take hold.

Regina's symbiotic tendrils weeded and threaded around Veronica's body. It was encouraging a forced evolution of Veronica's mutated cells.

"Enough!" Regina tried to regain control. Her body jerked as pieces of her humanity returned. The symbiote wasn't prepared to allow her, not without a fight. It sought something in particular. Regina could feel it what this request was, but refrained, determined to force the symbiote's tendril strings off of her.

Veronica was in agonising pain. Her transformation was not materialising. The symbiote's hold prevented it. Her body was being altered by the invasion of more cells. The DNA of the reptiles were being spliced and enhanced.

"Stop it," said the Regina-imposter, it could feel the human side vying for control. "You've had your fun, now it's my turn." Regina could no longer bear the sight of Veronica wincing in agony.

"Will you stop?! Please!" Regina begged.

"Oh, but we're enjoying this."

"No, I'm not!"

"That didn't seem the case last night, what's different?" quizzed the symbiote. It prodded at the clear brutality Regina displayed towards the Lizard at OsCorp tower. Though, the symbiote would gladly admit that its influence ultimately bred her relentless nature. But, mostly, it wasn't. Regina had become absorbed by the strength the symbiote wielded that her 'insane side' took hold.

"But this is Veronica, not the Lizard."

"They are one in the same, just like us," stated the symbiote.

"No. I'm Regina…I'm-" Regina hesitated. There was no denying what she had become under the influence of this being. And clearly, it wasn't going to be swayed until she muttered that distinct word.

"Accept it. This is who we are."

"We're crazy, I am crazy, mad, destructive. We're…we're…"

"Yes?"

"FRENZY!" Regina yelled, finally conceding to the symbiote's childish game. And, as if on cue, she was instantly reunited with her body and retracted away from Veronica. She collapsed to the floor. Regina dropped to catch her. Veronica had blacked out, yet she stirred in Regina's arms.

"We're Frenzy," Regina whispered.

"See, it wasn't that hard," a stoic demeanour from the symbiote aggravated Regina.

"I swear, if you-"

"Good, we like you angry. Oh, it's delicious." The symbiote savoured Regina's hate. It would satisfy it for at least a short while.

"Regina?" Veronica's eyes opened, "Whoa, I must have blacked out for a sec." Regina just played along, calmly.

"Are you alright? You just collapsed all of a sudden." The lying was painful. But she just had to accept that the less people knew about her alter-ego the better. Regina helped Veronica back to her feet.

"Did I? I feel strange." Despite Regina retracting her symbiotic mass, a sliver of purple slipped gently into Veronica's body. The bonding had done something to her, yet the effect was unknown. "Maybe I should just take it easy," Veronica said as she went about her normal morning routine. Regina watched on with fondness as did the symbiote.

"We should catch a movie later, give us a chance to spend some time," said Regina gladly.

"I hear there's a new film showing tonight. Got a pretty good write-up," Veronica replied.

'What exactly did you do?' scoured through Regina's mind. The symbiote acknowledged the thought and simply responded.

"We've improved her, 'Frenzy'…" Regina feared exactly what that meant…

Ellis awoke, alone. Tapestries on the wall hung low and an amber glow crept through the crack in the door. An empty space on the king-sized bed beside Ellis did not go unnoticed.

"Zoe," said Ellis. The door leading to the study was ajar, but the bathroom door was wide open. A towel lay discarded by the doorway as slight droplets of water lead towards the study. Ellis crawled out of bed and pulled his dressing gown on. He walked out into the study where Zoe was stood in front of the window. The angelic rays of light shone down on her.

Ellis sighed and Zoe looked at him sternly.

"Hey sweetie," Zoe said calmy before Ellis could say anything himself.

"Don't tell me you've been there all night," Ellis finally replied.

"Of course not, I just got up early." Zoe made her way towards Ellis, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ellis reacted sheepishly.

"You seem awfully happy."

"Well, last night did me some good I suppose." Zoe plucked a biscuit from a tray a servant had laid out earlier. "I want to speak with the board."

"You know that's not your strong suit, Zoe. Please, let me handle them."

"No, I think we need to take this company in a different direction. Create something much grander than what they want." Zoe took a hefty chunk out of the doughy snack. It crumbled in her mouth.

"That's not wise. The projects convention is in a few days and right now I've got the board right in my pocket. Besides, we've stuck with them until now. Why the sudden desire to switch it up?"

"Ambition. Something they lack, Ellis." Ellis made steady steps towards Zoe. "I know you helped convince them to take on the bid for OsCorp. Ever since then they've been too timid and reluctant to pursue grander ventures."

"But, you said before-"

"I know what I said," boomed Zoe, "But this is now. And now, I say we break the mould." Zoe was grinning hysterically at Ellis. He noticed something in her eye, quite literally. They were increasingly bloodshot.

"No," Ellis said assertively, "You're not well. Ever since you came here you've not been the same. Secret projects, clients and now this whole 'Lizard' fiasco." This time, it was Ellis reaching for the whiskey bottle. He took a slight swig from the bottle. "Is it this? Because if it damn well is then you need help!" Zoe forced herself upon Ellis. Fire was in her eyes, wide and devilish with a grin to match.

"You don't control me; stop telling me what to do! I can handle this," Zoe answered with a menacing, gravelly voice.

"No, you cannot and this proves it." Ellis carefully removed Zoe as she relieved herself. "The board is my concern now. Everything will be fine. Give me a few days, at least until the projects convention. Have few days to yourself, then see how you feel."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Zoe replied devilishly, "But, if I'm going to spend some 'time alone,' then we should have some time together beforehand." Zoe boldly placed her hand against Ellis' chest and ran it down to his waist. With her other hand she began unbuttoning her gown.

"Okay," Ellis conceded. He lifted Zoe up and carried her back to the bedroom, "I promise, things will change, you'll see."

'Yes, they will…'

"Who the hell does she think she is!" yelled Bryan as he slammed the door behind him. From inside his apartment, Bryan looked out the window across the street. 'Oh, I can take care of myself,' Bryan said girlishly imitating Regina. He sighed heavily. "Now I am reduced to…spying on her from a distance. Why won't she talk to me properly?"

Bryan mused for a few minutes. That girl was not the Regina he knew. She was someone else. But Bryan could accept, in some way, that was a good thing. Yet, her attitude reminded him too much of an insane girl from the past. Even in the period between her college exclusion to a week ago she had improved. She seemed more open. Now, she'd gone back into her hole.

Regina would share everything with him. Any trouble, any torment she would converse with Bryan for words of reassurance.

Now she would confide with that other 'insane' woman, Veronica. She was reckless and a risk taker. Bryan figured, perhaps, Regina liked that sort of thing – Regina possibly wished to emulate that attitude. But even then, Veronica had some compassion. She was honest and open to Bryan and Dr Connors' inquisition. Regina was not so much open, as it seemed.

A knock alerted Bryan. He quickly went to the door and pulled it open slightly.

"Dr Connors," he said. Connors was stood with briefcase in hand, dressed in suit and trousers. Not a lab coat like before.

"Bryan, can I come in?" asked Connors. Bryan opened the door swiftly and beckoned the doctor in. He closed the door behind him. Glancing around, the doctor didn't seem all that focused.

"I've not heard from you for a week, doctor. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, but I need your opinion on this." Connors fished around in his case and removed the vial of green ooze – Veronica's serum.

"That's Veronica's serum," Bryan stated, "I thought everything was destroyed from the lab."

"You'd be right, but I scrounged this together with the remaining notes on Veronica's research. For all intents and purposes, this is the same sample she used that night, minus one element."

"The symbiote."

"Right. But now look at this." Dr Connors removed a second vial, this time containing a blood sample. It appeared normal at first, but then it started to morph and change colour, purple and green tints swirled around. "That's weird. It's never done that before."

"Huh," said Bryan dimly.

"It's never been active. All week it's been idle…fascinating."

"That's Veronica's blood I take it?"

"Yes, but I've never seen it like this. Something seems to have it agitated."

"It's still got the symbiote cells, so that must be why it's reacting so." Bryan took the vial from Connors' hand and examined it briefly. Then he was passed the other vial, Bryan claimed that too. "Is this why you're here, for me to examine them?"

"I'm a physicist, Bryan, not a biologist. I've done as much testing as I can."

"Okay, I get why you brought me the blood sample, but why Veronica's serum?"

"As I said, I've done what I can. Those two elements directly affected Veronica. I'd like to know what you see." Bryan turned away and placed the two vials on a table. "Now I must go, I've got some matters to attend to. Please give Veronica and Regina my regards." Dr Connors helped himself out and stopped just outside. "Let me know if I can help in any way."

"You done enough already doctor, but yes I will." Bryan shut the door slowly and glanced back at the desk. "What the." Strangely, the blood sample was moving, literally moving the vial along the desk towards the bedrooms. It almost fell off the table before Bryan seized it.

"You're certainly an active specimen aren't you? But why are you so interested in what's down there." Bryan used the vial like a compass and walked down the corridor, carefully observing the direction in which the blood sample was jostling. The direction changed, now it was frenetically lurching itself towards Regina's room. Enthralled, Bryan stepped inside. Then the blood went berserk and turned a disgusting darkened red.

Something about this room agitated the creature. 'But what?' Bryan thought. He placed the vial on Regina's bed and started to scrounge around. Considering that Regina had been living here for a week, she had hardly done anything with her personal effects. Still there were clothes strewn about the place.

'I hope Regina doesn't catch me doing this,' he thought to himself. Obviously, Bryan was very uncomfortable clawing around Regina's clothes. Jackets and shirts, he didn't have a problem with, it was more her under garments he was concerned about. Regina didn't wear any of that fancy glitzy stuff, as she put it. Instead, she just wore what was functional: cargo trousers, t-shirts and jackets for the most part.

As Bryan rustled through a pair of trainers he noticed something.

"Hello," Bryan said, intrigued.

On the sole of one trainer was a stain. It was black, for a second Bryan thought I could just be muck or oil. But, he swore it moved slightly. Bryan touched it and scraped it off the shoe. The substance was rather sludgy and lifeless, but a small glimmer clung to it.

On Bryan's index finger the goo began to slip off. He pinched it and took it to his room, removing the vial from Regina's room in the process. A microscope under a large lamp was setup in his room. Bryan took the mass vised between his fingers, placed it under the scope and peered in.

It took Bryan a few minutes to adjust the scope but was finally able to see the mass in detail. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. If anything, it was just a smudge stain or some gum. Bryan persevered, but nothing good came of it.

"Fuck sake," Bryan said in defeat, "I swore it was alive." He got up and ventured back into the living room, leaving the vial in his bedroom. Inside the kitchen fridge Bryan removed a cold beer and cracked it open, the hiss quickly subsided as he took a sip. He returned to his new duty of Regina spying and looked out the window. As he did, Regina and Veronica were just leaving the apartment.

Bryan watched them. Again, he felt like a stalker, but he was adamant to determine what had happened to Regina. He couldn't accept that this sudden change was natural. Also, he would not allow Regina to hurt anybody.

Bryan decided to ghost them. He took a deep swig and left the beer bottle on the side. He briskly acquired a coat and glided out the door, locking it behind him.