Updating at a record rate, though I suppose this is down to the fact that with the spare time I have, I can get chapters up which isn't a bad thing as that means you aren't distracted as such. Anyway, this is more of a filler chapter but one that does more to set up for several plot threads later on so while this might be action related, you might like this chapter either way for good reason.

So with that said, let's begin!

Chapter 9

Downfall

To say that Peter Parker was not a happy man that morning would be putting it bluntly. When he was watching the morning news on the TV, he and Felicia looked on with the photos from one certain Eddie Brock about what was reporting to be shocking evidence that Spider-Man had turned evil; even though Peter and Felicia both knew that this was far from the truth.

This had also thrown a spanner in the works on their own plans as originally, they had hoped this morning to get down into the sewers, find Lizard while hopefully not taken down by Kraven, give him the antidote which would hopefully heal him and get him out off there. The small matter of Eddie's photos was something to be dealt with later, but the sight of the photos being broadcast that morning certainly put Peter into a foul mood that wasn't like him and he wanted to bring in Felicia's photos at the Bugle this morning to put an end to this hoax.

Felicia tried to tell him it wasn't worth it for now, but Peter was determined to get this over with and seeing how much of a bad mood her husband in which was never like him, she thought reluctantly that if it was the only thing that would help get his mind of it then so be in.

("Can't you just wait a couple more hours until we deal with the Lizard?!" Felicia had asked her husband exasperated.)

Alas nothing was going to sway her husband. As Peter left their penthouse and headed towards the Bugle, Felicia was left thinking as to what was going on with him and why he was so determined to be so narrow minded on this when many times before he had stated that they had to save Curt before Kraven the Hunter got to him. Something was most certainly off…

XXX

The offices at the Bugle were full of activity with the big scoop that Eddie, now pretty much the golden boy in the eyes of many, had found and one certain J. Jonah Jameson couldn't have been more delighted that all his claims of Spider-Man being a criminal looked to have become a reality.

In his office, which included Eddie Brock, Hoffman and Robbie Robertson, Jonah was chuckling with delight at the front page of the most recent Daily Bugle edition in which the front cover had the now well-known picture of Spider-Man with the duffel bag over his shoulder while looking like he was trying to attack the photographer and the headline, 'EXPOSED AT LAST!'.

"Brock, how can I thank you for this?" Jonah said as he stood up and placed his arm around Eddie's shoulders. "All these years telling everyone that he was criminal with no one believing me and now finally I was proven correct!"

"A lucky chance it was, sir," Eddie grinned, "if you are there in the right place at the right time, you take your chance."

Jonah chuckled as he pulled out a cigar and lit it. "You're speaking my language, son! I'm surprised that Parker hasn't done anything about this, and he's the guy who gave me all the pictures of Spider-Man!"

However not everyone in the room was so sure as something didn't feel right.

"Are you absolutely sure this was the real Spider-Man?" Robbie asked with suspicion towards Eddie. "This might've been someone else trying to be Spider-Man."

The head of the Bugle wasn't buying it. "Are you kidding? Look at that picture! What does it tell you…? His criminal activities are exposed at last!"

"And the black suit kind of gives you a clue if you noticed," Eddie added. "Why would he be wearing it?"

"Perhaps some new clothes?" Hoffman spoke up in which everyone else gave him blank stares and rolled eyes. "Maybe Spider-Man would like to change with—"

"Shut up!" Jonah snapped. "Anyway…as I was saying, it won't be long until the whole city is against him!"

"But sir," Hoffman pleaded. "I don't think Spider-Man would suddenly become a criminal like—"

"Hoffman, shut up!"

Robbie then tried to calm the situation down. "Sir, I do feel if Spider-Man is a criminal, then surely there would be witnesses about where he would've been and so far, I don't think anyone has come out to say about where Spider-Man was at or what he was even stealing to begin with."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Uh, hello? I somewhat witnessed Spider-Man doing just that, plus he and Black Cat nearly wrecked my camera if you remember."

"Speaking of which, where is that woman?" Jonah butted in as he puffed on his cigar. "Her being another masked menace could be a danger to the city along with him!"

Hoffman cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck looking like an awkward teenager. "Well, speaking about her…I think she's rather cute."

"Hoffman, shut up!"

Before anyone could speak however, the buzzer on Jonah's desk went off and Jonah went over towards the device and clicked it hear what was to be heard.

"Sir, Parker is here to see you apparently pictures he thinks you must check out," Betty brand's voice came through.

"Alright, send him in," Jonah replied towards the buzzer before looking back at the men in the room. "But as Eddie said, he is a witness to what happened so that's your question answered right there."

At that moment, Peter Parker walked into the room wearing all black and carrying a handful of pictures along with him.

"Parker! Where have you been?!" Jonah called out Peter in which the latter seemed to have a swagger about him, almost if he was pleased about something.

"Sorry sir, had a few loose ends to deal with," Peter stated. "But I do have more photos for you that you might think is important. Might ruin the front cover you've already put out."

"What can you…?"

Jonah didn't have time to questioned Peter as before he could finish, Peter placed on Jonah's desk the collection of photos that Felica had taken and a gasp could be heard from Robbie and Hoffman while Jonah and Eddie stared at the pictures with wide eyes.

"W…where did you get these?" Jonah uttered, his cigar falling from his mouth.

"It was from an anonymous source apparently," Peter lied (he was pleased that his wife did seem to have a hidden talent for taking photos) and presented one photo of Eddie talking to the fake Spider-Man with his mask off before looking at the phoney photographer. "Any idea how to explain this, Brock?"

For the first time, Eddie found himself lost for words and his face went white as a sheet as the horrible realization that he had been caught out big time. "I…You see…"

"Brock! What is this?!" Jonah snapped, his face growing red by the minute. "Why are you talking with Spider-Man when he doesn't have a mask on?!"

"It…it's fake," Eddie spluttered. "Peter has faked it!"

"Then how can you explain yourself for being in the photo talking to Spider-Man then?" Robbie pointed out.

All eyes were on Eddie and his eyes darted from side to side and he didn't know what to do. Only thing that Peter could do was smirk and seeing Eddie get his comeuppance was giving him no end of pleasure. But why was he acting like this? Previously he never really felt this much…well, joy, at seeing someone else's misfortune. Granted he always liked it whenever some crazy villain got defeated as they deserved most of the time, however why was he practically delighted at Eddie's misfortune here?

"How is this fake then?!" Jonah retorted by pointing at Peter's photos. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"It's fake, I swear, he's trying to set me up or whoever took these damn photos!" Eddie pleaded, but Jonah wasn't buying it. Granted Jonah Jameson may have been foolish on a few things such as his refusal to realise that Spider-Man was a hero or the simple fact that he hadn't gotten suspicious as to how Peter was able to get such good photos of the web crawler, but one thing Jonah had a knack for was knowing when people were flat out lying to him and seeing Eddie's near meltdown was all the proof he needed to know that these were all fake.

"Eddie Brock…I don't want to hear anymore of this," Jonah said in a rather calm tone that had a hint of fury behind it. "You've pulled a hoax and have made the Bugle a laughing-stock once this news gets out."

As if it already was.

The voice in Peter's head went off again; to be fair it wasn't quite far off…

"Furthermore," Jonah continued, "I don't want to see you in here ever again."

Eddie's eyes widened only knowing too well what this meant. "But sir! Just give me a chance to proof myself!"

"No!" Jonah snapped. "You're fired, get outta here!"

The was a long silence in that office and Eddie glanced between Jonah and Peter, though he certainly glared more at the latter. His face went from shock, dismay, anger and finally, reluctant acceptance.

"Fine, I'll go." Eddie uttered and with one final glare at Peter, he left the office leaving everyone silent in either disbelief, annoyance or for one certain person there, smugness.

The silence was broken when Jonah fell back on his chair and slammed his fists on the desk in anger. "God damn it! Robbie we now have to rework tomorrow's front page!"

The African American stared at his boss knowing what this might be leading to. "Sir, you mean to tell me that…you're going to apologise to…Spider-Man?"

"With great reluctance," Jonah groaned and placed his head in his hands and the prospect that after all these years, the high he had earlier of supposedly feeling vindicated about framing Spider-Man and now left him with egg on his and the Bugle's face. Clearly, he was never going to live it down for as long as he lived.

Peter though was stunned at what this meant. Was Mr Jameson going to write something nice about Spider-Man for once? It was all just a bizarre situation that not even in his wildest dreams he thought was possible. Who knows, maybe luck was going in Peter's favour?

"Parker," Jonah spoke up which got the young man's attention. "I'll pay you the full lot for these photos."

Now this only added more to already a crazy situation and the eyes on both Robbie and Hoffman widened.

"Sir? Do you mean that?" Hoffman asked bemused.

"Of course, I'm sure," Jonah replied. "We've already got ourselves in a bad situation because that Brock. Now we are on damage control and now the only thing we can do is shift the blame on him. All of it.

Robbie rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "All of the blame? But isn't that a bit cruel?"

The head of the Bugle shook his head as if he had heard a stupid question. "How is it being cruel? He is clearly to blame for this hoax and now dragging our name through the gutter. We do that and we might live to fight another day."

Peter Parker thought about the situation and was in two mindsets about it; on one hand it was rather cruel, yet it was true that Eddie had brought this upon himself for this sorry situation so Eddie had no one else to blame but himself.

"Need anything else?" Peter asked knowing he had a rather important situation to sort out…

Jonah shook his head and began writing on a small note to hand to Peter. "No…no that's all. Give that to Betty and she'll give you the money. Thanks Parker, I really mean that for showing this all before it can get out of hand."

To see Jonah act quite humble was just…strange. Peter, along with everyone else in the Bugle were always use to their boss' loud and brass attitude and often shooting off his own mouth when he really shouldn't have, so this was just weird to see him like this.

"Uh, thanks," Peter muttered. "I'll try and get more photos of Spider-Man then…yeah."

With that awkward farewell and a friendly pat on the back from Robbie who thanked him for getting these photos, Peter walked out of the room to collect his pay from Betty. It was though as he was walking towards the Men's bathroom to get changed into his Spider-Man outfit in which no one would spot him, the voice began to speak to him again.

Why do we help him?

Peter had just entered one of the cubicles to allow the Symbiote to change into his black Spider-Man outfit when he heard that. "I'm sorry what?"

Why does that Connors need our help?

"He's my friend," Peter muttered quietly as if no one could hear him. "I have a chance to do something in which I haven't done before, save someone close to me."

His vanity is his own undoing. Leave him to rot in that monster's body.

Peter had to hold the urge to punch the wall in anger at hearing this. "Shut up! Me and Felicia are going to save him and the sooner he's back the better."

There was silence as the Symbiote completed reforming into the Spider-Man outfit, but just as Peter was about to climb out via an open hatch that he had left out previously when he first got in, the voice spoke again.

When shall we become one?

"Wait, what?"

Why don't you embrace the power, the pleasure, and the peace you can have with us?

Peter didn't know what to think of this. "But I am. I do feel your power anyway."

The voice then let out a low laugh.

Oh, no Parker. You know nothing of what great power you will wield once we are permanently bonded forever!

Now this was unsettling and raised an interesting question. He did feel good whenever he wore the Symbiote, yet it hadn't crossed his mind as to the long term plan if he was going to wear it always. But then another question crossed his mind.

"What about my wife in all of this?" Peter asked just as he slowly and quietly climbed up into the vent and began making his way towards the top through this tight corridor.

Let her join us, too. Let her feel the pleasure and power in which you'll both feel at peace forever. You'll both be unstoppable once she has the power too.

Then another strange thing happened; he was not sure how this was happening or if the Symbiote was doing something on his mind, but the lenses on his mask were projecting a figure…a woman. Not just any woman, but Felicia Parker. However, it was what she was wearing that caught his attention that made him stop dead in his way out. Though she had her Black Cat mask on, from the neck down she was wearing a Symbiote outfit that matched his own in which her one hugged her curves nicely, but something about the Symbiote just seem to really suit her.

Yes, I can sense your longing for your mate to join us. Think about it, Parker…

Peter shook his head and carried on his escape up the vent shaft until he reached the roof and drew in a long sigh. The Symbiote had left him with questions that made him question himself like he hadn't done before however right now that was not really a concern for the moment; now he had to carry out his and his wife's original plan to find the Lizard and save Curt Connors from his nightmare once and for all…

XXX

Among the many thousands of people that walked the streets of New York nearby the offices of the Daily Bugle, one face among that many thousands had one reason to feel angrier than most. Eddie Brock was rightfully in a foul mood and knew his career which had previously already been on thin ice then was now utterly ruined beyond repair and it was unclear just how he was going to come back from this.

As he left though, his anger wasn't focused on Jonah Jameson or the Bugle as a whole, but rather all down on one person that he really wished he would personally take care of himself and ruin his life in revenge…

Parker.

Oh, boy...Eddie is coming for you Parker! Anyway hoped you enjoyed that chapter and I'm somewhat disappointed of the lack of reviews but for this who did review:

NeoTyson - I do like writing the backstory for Felicia mainly to fill in the gaps there and yes, the Symbiote is not all what it might seem to be and will it be affecting Peter more and will Felicia get roped into this? You say that you attempted to write out a TAS SpiderCat story...I'd say go for it as we do need more stories of this paring with this being just one of many. Hope you are enjoying it so far.

Akira-Hayama - Yeah, the notifications on have been rather screwed up lately, in fact there was one review I got on both this and Alien Territory that doesn't seem to be popping up so I'm not sure what to think of that. And yes, writing Felicia's backstory is always fun to do and I'm interested in you saying that despite differences in class that they are quite alike in their lifestyles. Maybe you could add to that as it's likely a thought that never occurred to me, funny how others see something different to your own, haha! Yeah, the Venom interaction is like from the film though you can sense it's not quite so nice as we go along and you are right...things are about to go down!

So please as always, leave me many lovely and juicy reviews if you want to see the story continue and find out what happens next! In the next chapter, our heroes are off to save Curt Connors from Kraven, will they make it in time...? Find out next time!