vfc15650: Things are getting intense! I hope this chapter delivers on that.
Guest who left a review on Feb 13: I have plans to fully complete this season and possibly a season 5. The updates on this season have definitely slowed due to my college classes getting more intense. I appreciate the hope for me to get more recognition! I do love to get more clout.
TheTypingAvocado: Harry will get more screen time in the next arc for sure. I'm glad you like the whole new energy around him.
Author's note: Okay everyone, this ended up being 20 pages and I hope its still an entertaining read. I did struggle a little bit with this chapter to find the right dialogue and descriptions for characters. I hope you found this arc enjoyable and it's only going to get more intense from here! Hope y'all enjoy the chapter and feel free to give me any feedback or theories in regards to the story!
Behind the Curtain Part 4
Mary Jane and Gwen sat at the kitchen table of Anna Watson's house. Both had changed out of their dresses and into baggy hoodies and sweatpants and removed their makeup entirely after a cleansing shower. Neither had really said much since they returned as the two girls were anxiously awaiting a message from Ben.
Mary Jane had thanked her lucky stars that her Aunt Anna and Peter's Aunt May had gone out to a show tonight. It meant that she could have a conversation with Peter without any interruptions. Of course, that didn't make the time they had to wait any better. In fact, the longer they waited in silence, the louder her demons became.
He's dead, Mary Jane, a voice whispered in her mind. He's never coming back. He's dead, and what were you doing? Hiding from the monster in the closet. Just like you did when your father drank too much.
Mary Jane closed her eyes and tightly clenched her fists. She wasn't going to listen to this. She needed to talk, to do anything to keep these thoughts from digging a foothold further into her mind. "When did you find out Ben was The Scarlet Spider?" she asked Gwen.
Gwen looked startled by the sudden question, but she quickly recovered. "About a month ago," she answered. "He showed up at my window looking like someone had just put him through a blender. Little did I know it was Hobie that was the one that did that."
Mary Jane narrowed her eyes. "Ben was the one that brought down The Prowler?"
Gwen nodded her head sadly, and Mary Jane couldn't help but feel some sympathy chip away at her still angry interior.
"I'm glad to know you took my advice, but why did Ben reveal his secret to you?" Mary Jane asked. It was the one question she was dying to know the answer to. Why would Ben reveal the biggest secret of his life to someone he barely knew, and Peter couldn't reveal his to his girlfriend? The girl that had supported him through everything; through every date cut short and every rain check. Was it unlike her to let her insecurities dictate how she acted? Maybe, but after she had spent the last few months waiting for Peter to stop lying to her, she wanted to know how Ben found it so easy to open up to Gwen.
"He said he was tired of hiding who he was from me," Gwen said with a shrug. "Looking back, I don't think he ever really wanted to keep it a secret. Do you remember the first time we talked with him?"
Mary Jane shook her head. Ben was tired of hiding who he was from Gwen? Did Peter not feel that way? She would share her secrets with him, she wouldn't hide who she was from him.
The redhead frowned. That wasn't necessarily the truth. Sure, she didn't exactly hide her flirtatious nature or how outgoing she was, but while she put on the facade that she was this confident go-getter, Mary Jane was plagued by her upbringing at the hands of her father. Something she hadn't shared with anyone outside of her Aunt Anna. It had only slipped out once around others, and that was due to how her carefully guarded walls had crumbled because of Peter's being in the hospital and Sally's accusations of her. It was just like how things went down with her father.
"Mary Jane?"
"Hmm!" Mary Jane shook her head and looked at Gwen. "What?"
"I asked if you remembered the first time we talked to Ben." Gwen narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at Mary Jane.
"Yeah, Peter kept jumping around like he was sitting on hot coals," Mary Jane answered quickly before Gwen could ask the question the redhead could see forming on the tip of her tongue. "Then later when he had that boxing match with Flash."
"Did-did you know then?"
Mary Jane sighed. "I spent the majority of that day denying it," the redhead said. "I saw him climb out his window after my welcome home party, but I thought I was hallucinating. I mean, I was so jet-lagged that I was convinced I had dreamed it all you know?"
Gwen nodded her head.
"Then, on our way to school we came across a bunch of criminals that had been webbed up," she continued. "So, that put me at ease for a bit, even after I saw that scab on his arm. I knew Peter was brave, but I thought that there was no way my boyfriend could be Spider-Man; the guy that had put his life on the line so many times to protect me and you, and all the other people in this city from the nut jobs trying to hurt it.
"Then, I saw him fight Flash. It wasn't how built Peter is that convinced me, it was the way he moved. The way he dodged every single one of Flash's attacks as if he knew they were coming before Flash did. How he let Flash hit him so that we would be none the wiser.
"That's when I knew, and that's when I stopped being able to sleep. Ever since that day, I haven't been able to sleep until I see his spandex butt climb through that window."
"And I thought I had it rough," Gwen muttered.
"You seem to be handling this a lot better than I did," Mary Jane said, folding her arms. She hadn't meant for it to sound that confrontational, but it also bothered her that Gwen could be so calm about all this. She wanted the blonde to be freaking out, maybe not as much as herself, but it would make her feel better to know she wasn't alone in her hysteria.
Gwen shrugged again. "I'm used to it. It's been that way with my dad ever since my mom left."
Oh shit, Mary Jane thought. How could I forget that her dad is a police captain!? He's been out there since before any of us were born!
"I did kinda lose it a little bit when I saw all of Ben's scars," Gwen admitted. "But seeing them in the thick of the danger becomes less scary when I know they can take care of themselves."
Mary Jane nodded her head; that one thought had carried her through her fears for months. She knew Peter could take care of himself; she'd seen Spider-Man in action so many times to know better, but the longer time moved, the longer her demons had time to fester. Mary Jane just didn't want her last interaction with Peter to be him giving her a poorly concocted excuse.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood at full attention. There was a knock on the front door and Mary Jane felt her heart stop. Her legs refused to move beneath her no matter how much her brain screamed at them.
Luckily, Gwen could still move, and she bound for the door. She opened it to reveal a bandaged Peter with his arm slung over Ben's shoulders. The brown-haired superhero leaned heavily on his cousin and looked both like he was trying to hide the extreme pain and exhaustion he felt.
Mary Jane felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked at Peter's pale face. Their eyes locked into each other and no one said a word as Ben supported Peter through the doorway.
They were both dressed in casual wear, Ben with his signature sleeveless blue hoodie and shorts, and Peter in a pair of sweatpants and hoodie that was zipped halfway up allowing Mary Jane to see the bandages wrapped around his chest.
Peter regarded Mary Jane with a look of cautious worry that she couldn't blame him for. If Ben had told him anything about how she reacted or shouted at him, he was well within his right to fear what she'd do now.
Peter and Ben were halfway to the table when the usual feeling of happiness and freedom Mary Jane felt when she looked at Peter finally gave her legs the strength to meet him. All thought of Peter's injuries fled from her mind as she launched herself at her boyfriend. She felt him tense under her embrace and heard his hiss of pain when she made contact, but Mary Jane could care less. He was safe, alive, and right where he should be; in her arms.
"So, you're not gonna stick a stiletto up my ass, right?" Ben asked bluntly, breaking the silence.
"Ben!"
"What? He's not the only one who got tenderized!" Ben complained, snapping his head in Gwen's direction. Then, he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Where's my welcome home present?"
"Ben," Gwen repeated, giving him a look that was a mix of fondness and The Look.
"No, your ass is safe from my stiletto," Mary Jane said, her voice muffled by the bandage over Peter's chest. Then, she positioned herself under Peter's other arm and took his weight from Ben who stepped away and immediately was enveloped in a hug by Gwen.
"So, uh, my ass safe from your stiletto?" Peter asked, his voice surprisingly strong when compared to his physical condition.
Mary Jane gave a weak chuckle. "I'm undecided, Tiger," she answered, leading him toward the stairs. She would rather have this conversation in private and had no doubt that Ben and Gwen were going to have their own conversation.
No one said a word as Peter and Mary Jane began the slow trek to her room, not even as she entered and laid Peter down on her bed. As Mary Jane sat down on the windowsill, she couldn't help but be upset that the first time she and Peter were alone in her room was under these circumstances. That's when she found her mind laughing at her. Even though she had spent the entire journey back home carefully planning out what questions she would ask Peter, now that the time was here, she found that she didn't know where to start.
"I kept my promise," Peter said, causing Mary Jane to look up. "I told you I'd see you again."
Mary Jane felt her blood turn to ice. Those words, they were always his last in her dreams. "Just like my dreams," she whispered.
"What dreams?" Peter asked, his brow knit with worry as he propped himself up on her headboard with a grimace.
Mary Jane grit her teeth; it's just like a performance, she thought. You have the script, just read it. "The same ones I've had since I saw Spider-Man climb out of your window."
Peter took a deep breath, as if he were steeling himself for a fight, and coughed a little bit. "I'm sorry you had to find out like that."
Mary Jane felt her ire rise a little bit, and she narrowed her eyes. "How did you expect me to find out?"
"Honestly?"
"Honestly," Mary Jane confirmed, folding her arms.
"I have no idea," Peter said with a shrug. "How long have you known?"
"Since I came home from California," she answered.
Peter's eyes widened. "You've known that long and haven't said anything," he said. Then his hands went into his hair, causing him to cry out in what Mary Jane could assume was a mix of anger and pain. "Dammit, why didn't you say anything!?"
Mary Jane shook her head. "What?"
But Peter didn't seem to hear her. "All this time I've been fighting with myself about whether or not I should tell you," he said, ripping his hands out of his hair with a grunt. "But you knew the whole time? Why didn't you say anything?"
Mary Jane felt her anger flare. Even though she knew how hypocritical it made her, she didn't say anything because she wanted Peter to trust her enough to share his secrets with her, and her emotions got the better of her as she shouted, "Why didn't I say anything? Peter, this is your secret, why didn't you tell me after Scorpion attacked Oscorp? Do you have any idea how terrified I was for you? Seeing you on a bed with a hole in your shoulder before I even knew you had powers?
"Then I saw you swing off into the night in a red and blue costume and everything changed. I know you can take care of yourself, I've seen you in action enough to know you can handle it, but tonight…Do you have any idea how much my mind spiraled out of control when you ran off to fight Venom, and then when I saw Ben carrying you away?"
"MJ," Peter said, moving slowly toward her. He reached out for her hand only to find her pulling away, so instead, he crouched down in front of her gaze. Mary Jane knew he could see the tears falling down her face. "I can only imagine what was going through your head, but I'm fine. I may take a few bumps and scrapes, but I promise you I will always come back to you."
"No!" she exclaimed, causing Peter to jump backward and look at her in confusion and fear. "No more promises, Peter! I won't live in my dreams!"
Peter pushed himself next to her and wrapped his arms around her. Mary Jane immediately returned his embrace as she felt all the panic and fear she felt as he ran off to fight Venom threatening to overtake her. Gut-wrenching sobs escaped her mouth as she trembled in Peter's embrace. All of the pent-up emotions she had hidden from him came pouring out of her as he stroked her damp hair.
She didn't know how long they sat there, but she knew it was exactly what she needed. Every time Mary Jane had woken from one of her nightmares, she could never really fall back asleep. Not even the knowledge of knowing Peter had returned home safe and sound was enough to put her at ease, but having him here in her room with his arms wrapped around her shoulders and her's around his waist soothed her hysterical nerves. She could feel every bandage beneath his hoodie, but that didn't matter; he was alive.
"Mary Jane, please, I need to know," Peter whispered in her ear, "what happens in your dreams?"
Mary Jane lifted her head up slightly. "Peter–"
"I know you must be really ticked at me for not telling you," he said, "but, please, let me be there for you like you've been there for me."
"Peter, I was never mad at you for not telling me. I'm more mad at myself for not coming clean because you're right. If I had said something maybe I wouldn't be having these nightmares." Mary Jane took a deep breath. This is what she wanted, for it all to be out in the open between them. "They're all the same," she said, her voice becoming rushed. "We are together and then a siren goes off and you promise me that I'll see you later…"
Peter remained silent, though his grip on her did tighten.
"...It changes who's there. Sometimes it's the whole Sinister Six, sometimes it's only a few of them, but no matter what, Venom is always there. It's always him…"
Peter's breath hitched.
"...But that's not the worst part." Mary Jane lifted her head and stared directly into Peter's brown eyes. She had been working on how to say this to him; there was no point in hiding it anymore and she was pretty sure she'd felt this way since she saw him in the hospital bed after he fought Scorpion. However, she had denied it because she didn't think she'd ever be worthy of Peter Parker. Steeling herself, Mary Jane continued, "The worst part was seeing the man I love die in my arms before I ever told him how I really felt."
Peter stiffened completely underneath her, but rather than panicking when silence fell between them, Mary Jane only felt more confident. She held his gaze without a trace of the fear that had consumed her for the past few months, and in his eyes, she could see him slowly start to recognize what she just said. Then, a smile that cleared the ice from her blood appeared on his face. "You love me."
It wasn't a question, and Mary Jane returned his smile while shifting so she was in a more comfortable position next to him. She placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you, Peter Parker," she said with all the confidence that Mary Jane Watson was known for. She pulled him close as gently as she could and kissed him softly. She sighed as Peter threaded one hand through her hair and placed the other gently on the small of her back.
This was it, this was how it should be. Everything out in the open and no masked secrets. She and Peter, together; ready to take on the rest of the world. She pushed Peter back against the window, allowing herself to be swept up in the moment, at least, until she saw Peter grimace.
"You're in pain," she said, pulling herself back.
"Then I think I need some more anesthesia," Peter said, trying to hide the pain in his voice and lean in for another kiss.
Mary Jane laughed but pushed Peter away. As much as she wanted to, she knew that neither she nor Peter was in any condition to take things further. "I know you did not just compare me to a medical supply, Tiger," she said, her eyes flashing teasingly.
"Worth a shot," Peter grunted as she helped him up off the windowsill and back to her bed. The moment Peter's head made contact with the pillows on her bed, they began to droop, almost as if his body had unconsciously given him enough energy to stay awake during their sorely needed conversation. Mary Jane planted a kiss on her boyfriend's forehead and made to move for the door when a strong hand caught her wrist. "Stay with me?"
Mary Jane felt her heart melt in her chest. She was just going to go downstairs and wait for a call from her Aunt Anna or Peter's Aunt May, but the way Peter looked at her with a vulnerability that she didn't know was possible from a man who could stop a bus with his bare hands and knock an alien through several walls stopped her in her tracks. She slid onto the bed next to him, with her back propped up on the headboard.
As Peter rested his head on her lap, Mary Jane felt a sense of deja vu come over her. However, instead of her burrowing herself into Peter's body to ensure he was there–like when he came home after his fight with Scorpion–it was Peter burrowing himself into her body. With the same look of peace that she no doubt had worn on her face. Mary Jane sighed and the last things she remembered as her eyes closed was the feel of Peter's hand enclosed in hers and the look of sheer happiness on his face when he realized that Mary Jane loved him.
Watson Residence, Kitchen
Ben didn't know how long he stood rubbing circles on Gwen's back and she took great shuddering breaths and hugged him tightly, but he knew it wasn't nearly long enough. He knew she had been the one to hold it together when MJ had given in to her panic and fear. But now that MJ had been up with Peter, Gwen crumbled into Ben's arms. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'm okay. Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," Gwen said, removing her head from the crook of Ben's kneck. "This is just a little different than what I'm used to."
"What do you mean?"
Gwen sat down at the table and took a sip of water from the glass on the table. "Well, usually I just wait at home for my dad to get back," she said rubbing her arm. "I don't really see what's going on, so I guess it makes it easier to deal with. But tonight…"
"Tonight you saw how messy it could all be," Ben finished, sitting down across from her and capturing her hand in his.
"I'm just glad that you're really good at what you do."
Ben gave a hollow laugh. "Skill had nothing to do with it," he said, causing Gwen to look at him with confusion. "Venom didn't want me at all, he was there for Pete. You've been around longer than I have, any idea who's under the ooze?"
Gwen looked relieved at the change in subject, causing Ben to breathe a mental sigh of relief. He knew Gwen wasn't one to sit by when there was work to be done and how just having something to do could ease her mind. Which is why he also felt bad that he knew he had to go back out into the city tonight. Venom kicked their collective asses, but more importantly, they didn't know where or who he was. With Peter needing to recover, Gwen was his first choice for information having been captured by Venom once before.
"Honestly, I don't know," Gwen said. Ben felt his confidence shake. "Any one of the crazies Peter has taken on over the past year could be under there. Maybe you should talk to my dad about this, he might know if anyone has broken out recently."
Ben shook his head. "I already did, I was hoping you might know something he didn't."
Gwen chuckled. "I'm flattered at your confidence in me," she said standing up from the table to sit on Ben's lap, "but if the police captain didn't know anything, I doubt his daughter would've known anything."
Ben bowed his head. "I know, it was worth a shot though." Suddenly, Gwen's eyes lit up, and she bounced in excitement on Ben's lap causing him to grimace. He may not have had any bandages, but he was still sore from the beating he'd taken. "Please use your words," Ben said, his voice tightening as he tried to hide his pain.
"Eddie!" Gwen exclaimed.
"Come again?"
"Eddie Brock," Gwen repeated. "He was the last person with the ooze, he might have some idea of where it would go!"
"Gwen," Ben said, holding her face in his hands, "you're a genius!"
"Well," she said, looking away shyly.
Ben bounded to his feet and pulled his mask out of the pouch in his hoodie. He gave Gwen a quick kiss before running for the door, however, his hand faltered on the doorknob. He looked back at Gwen; though he knew he had a responsibility to go out and find Venom, but didn't he also have a responsibility to be there for the people he cared about?
"It's alright, Ben," Gwen said, smiling at him. "Go."
Ben nodded, opened the door, and put on his mask as he swung off into the night, making a beeline for The Daily Bugle.
It was a quiet swing to The Bugle, and it put Ben on edge. Not even a petty thief could be found in the night, and the silence after all the excitement allowed Ben to reflect on everything that happened this night. And the first thing on his mind was the words that came from Venom's slimy, disgusting mouth, Your taste…it's just like Parker.
Ben shuddered; what did that even mean to taste exactly like someone else? But not just that, he had the same emotions as Peter? How does that even work?
Pete, when did you dye your hair?
Peter doesn't have a cousin.
All at once, the different times the people in his life had initially confused him for Peter came running to the forefront of his mind. Everyone except for Professor Warren–and funnily enough Sally Avril–had thought he was Peter; someone who he wasn't related to by blood. Even an Artificial Intelligence had confused him for Peter. The memory played out in his head.
"Pardon me, Peter," the A.I. said, "but I think I must be due for an update. I'm reading two of you in here."
"There is," Peter said brightly, he then placed a hand on Ben's shoulder and pulled him toward the Fabricator. "Ben Reilly, my cousin, meet J.A.R.V.I.S."
"No," J.A.R.V.I.S. stated adamantly. "I'm reading two Peter Parkers."
Ben crashed into one of the windows of The Daily Bugle, cracking it. That's what I get for daydreaming while swinging, Ben thought with a groan as he crawled up the side of the building. Though his mind was still swirling with the words of others, he managed to put those aside as he climbed through the top window of The Bugle supply closet. He could hear the sounds of bustling and shouting coming from beyond the door.
Ben stepped out of the closet and nearly got trampled by a Ned Leeds on a mission. Ben jumped out of the way. "Oh, sure, I'll just get flattened into the wall," he grumbled.
"Foswell!" a voice shouted, causing Ben to jump in place. "Where's my scoop on the Midtown Brawl!"
"Eyewitnesses place Venom and the two Spider-Men at the scene," Foswell said. "Venom left on fire and The Scarlet Spider was seen swinging off with Spider-Man in his arms."
"Venom, huh?" J. Jonah Jameson said, rubbing his fingers together. "So, the two Spider-Menaces lured Venom to a school dance, and everyone calls me a conspiracy theorist. WHERE'S BROCK WITH MY PICTURES!" No one answered, causing Jonah to mumble, "Parker would've given me pictures already."
"Here I am boss," Eddie said, as the elevator opened. He was holding about ten different pictures in his hands.
"You were supposed to be here twenty-five minutes ago," Jonah growled as he snatched the pictures out of Eddie's hands and flipped through them while muttering, "crap…crap…that's pretty good…THIS!" Jonah waved a picture of Venom holding a bloodied and tattered Spider-Man in his tendrils. "This is front-page material, Brock!"
"Really? You're gonna go with the one that belongs on a Rule 34 website?" Ben said dryly, with his arms folded.
"Parker!? What are you doing here?" Jonah exclaimed, seemingly confused. Then, his face morphed into a greedy grin. "You got any more pictures of the Web-Heads?"
Ben didn't say anything as yet again, someone mistook him for Peter and all the times it happened in the past few months came rushing to the forefront of his mind. Why did everyone think he was Peter? He wasn't stupid, he knew they looked similar, but why did every single person mistake him as Peter Parker?
"This is Ben Reilly, JJ," Eddie said, stepping forward and casting Ben a look of concern. "He's Peter's cousin."
"So, he sent you to waste my time for him, eh!" Jonah shouted, jogging Ben from his thoughts.
"Sorry to disappoint you sauerkraut, but I'm not here for you," Ben said, turning his gaze away from Jonah completely to look at Eddie. "We need to talk, now."
"Sauerkraut!? Now, wait just a minute buster!" Jonah exclaimed.
However, Ben felt his patience disappear completely. There was a monster on the loose that had almost killed his cousin and classmates, and the guy who made a living on dragging his name through the mud wanted to waste his time? Not gonna happen.
"Look man, a little piece of advice; shave the stache or try a different style," Ben snarked. He then grabbed Eddie by the arm and dragged him away from a spluttering J. Jonah Jameson.
"Thank god someone else noticed the stache," Eddie said when they were out of earshot of the rest of the reporters. "How's Pete?"
"Mary Jane took him to her room, so, probably better than both of us all things considered," Ben answered.
Eddie's eyes widened. "She knows?"
"About both of us," Ben confirmed. "She was honestly more terrifying than Venom when I tried to cover for him."
Eddie nodded his head in agreement. "So, why are you here and not at home?"
"Why do you think?"
"Ben, I honestly don't know who has the symbiote," Eddie answered. Ben growled, his one solid lead for answers just ran dry. He turned to storm out of the building when Eddie placed a hand on his shoulder. "You gotta work on your patience man. I may not know who it's bonded to, but I know who had it last."
Ben whirled around. "Who?"
"Miles Warren, he's a professor at—"
"Empire State University," Ben finished through gritted teeth.
Eddie cocked his head to the side. "You know him?"
"We've met," Ben answered shortly. His breath and fists shook as Ben struggled to reign in his anger. He turned around and stormed into the supply closet he came in from and put his mask back on and jumped angrily out the window. The man who first helped him make sense of his powers was responsible for this new Venom. Responsible for the damage and trauma the symbiote had caused.
You don't know that, his mind argued. He could've just been studying it and it got stolen.
Does the professor strike you as someone who'd let something like that just disappear? Ben snapped at his brain.
Ben was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he again didn't notice that he'd reached his destination. He landed near the skylight of the ESU Biotech Lab and peered through the glass: it was empty and dark, save for the lone light of a computer that illuminated the mustachioed face of Miles Warren as he looked into a microscope.
Without thinking, Ben opened the skylight and dropped into the lab. Warren didn't flinch, he didn't even look surprised that a superhero had just dropped into his presence.
"I must say, I expected you sooner Benjamen," Warren said calmly, with only a slight hint of disappointment in his voice. "I thought you were smarter than that."
That sent Ben's already bursting anger over the edge. Warren knew, how could he know what happened if he didn't know who Venom was under the symbiote. The story wasn't in any of the papers or news stations yet. "Who is he!" Ben shouted, clenching his fists.
"How would I know that?"
"Eddie told me you had it!" Ben shouted. "Either you gave it to someone, or you lost it and didn't warn anyone!"
Warren chuckled. "My dear boy, I study the scientific," he said, leaning back over his microscope. "When I get what I need from one subject, I move on to the next. What happens after is not my problem."
Ben whipped his mask off and slammed it into the table, cracking it beneath his strength. "How can you say that after you helped me get back on my feet?" he asked. "You helped me make sense of all I could do, taught me how to use my abilities."
"Did you not think it odd that I never reached out to you after you left?" Warren asked, his face still glued to the microscope. Then, he let out a sad sigh when Ben said nothing. "I see I truly did overestimate the intelligence of Peter Parker."
There it was, yet another person was mistaking him for Peter. However, this one stung more than the other times it happened since it came from the first person to see him for who he was. "I'm not Peter!" he growled. "Why does everyone forget that!"
Warren finally looked up from his microscope and motioned for Ben to look at the microscope in an almost bored manner. "I trust you will still be able to recognize your blood sequence."
Though he wanted to learn more about Venom, Ben couldn't fight his curiosity at what Warren was trying to show him. Almost as if this was the answer to the very question that had been plaguing him since Venom sunk his tendrils into him. He looked into the microscope and saw two separate but identical droplets of blood.
"Why are you wasting my time!?" Ben shouted as he whipped up to look at Warren. "It's just my blood?"
Warren let out a laugh full of mirth. "Oh dear boy, this is not a waste of yours or my time," he said. "That is your blood, yes, but only one of those droplets is yours. The other belongs to Peter Parker."