Rain: Hello all! I am back with a brand new chapter for A Symbiotic Bond: A Venomous Titan and we last left off on Garfield willing to hear out Black Cat and Red X so let's get down!

Mario: Here we go!

A Symbiotic Bond: A Venomous Titan
Chapter Eleven

Champion City
Eternal Beauty Diamond center
Garfield Mark Logan

"O-Oh , Hey Rocket!" Garfield said with a grin on his face as Rocket floated down to the ground beside him.

"So...I was getting ready for our dinner but you never showed so I got worried. Next thing I know, the chief of police tells me you're battling two thieves at this place. So now that I am here, you have stopped battling them and actually asked to just talk."

Garfield chuckled and scratched the back of his neck and said "I know but...Like I said, he saved my ass back in the day and they are being forced into doing this so I...want to give the benefit of doubt."

Rocket shook her head but she let a smile appear on her face. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked rhetorically before she let out a sigh and said "Well, if he is willing to listen, I am too. But do not misunderstand me. Feed me anything that can be a lie and I will beat you both into paste."

Garfield then watched as Rocket stepped in front of Black Cat and said "Especially you thief...I haven't forgotten what you've done."

Black Cat lowered her head and said "Raquel, I-"

"You have no right to use my name," Rocket said, her voice rising.

Black Cat flinched before she placed her left hand on her upper right arm and gripped it, guilt on her face as she murmured "I'm sorry Rocket..."

Garfield and Red X exchanged glances. There was history between these two but the question was how did they know each other?

"Felicia, calm down," Red X told her as he took her hand.

"Raquel, relax," Garfield said as he placed a comforting hand on Rocket's shoulder, which was very tense but he smiled when she relaxed beneath his touch.

"Right..." Rocket said after shooting Garfield a grateful smile. "So, tell us what exactly is going on. Why are you two being forced to rob places?"

Black Cat frowned and said "Well, My teacher, Catwoman, was doing her final run as a thief...You know, due to marrying the Dark Knight and she got a client who wanted her to steal these ten rings from someone known as the Mandarin."

"The Mandarin? What kind of name is that?" Garfield asked.

"No..." The Symbiote hissed out in shock.

'You ok?' Garfield asked.

"The Mandarin...there is another one in this universe...That cannot be possible..." The Symbiote said, more to herself than to Garfield.

'Hey, come on and speak to me,' Garfield said a little louder.

"The Mandarin is a very dangerous opponent. During my time as...his suit, we teamed up with Tony Stark to face this warrior. He is very fierce and he nearly killed both Tony Stark and myself with him. We barely won but he escaped through a portal using one of his rings...Could this be the same Mandarin?"

'It could be. Considering the fact that you came to my universe,' Garfield noted before he started to pay attention to Black Cat once again.

"You would think a strange name but no, this guy is something truly dangerous," Black Cat stated, her voice serious. "Since Catwoman is marrying Batman, she's going on the straight and narrow so when she saw this client, she said it would be a perfect time for me to take her place as the top cat burglar. So I went..."

"And during that time," Red X began. "I had just gotten out of fighting the Teen Titans after saving their asses with the boy wonder when I got word of ten powerful rings being held by the Mandarin by a source of mine. Needing the new equipment to fuel this suit. I went."

"It was then we encountered each other once again..." Black Cat then spared Red X a loving smile, which made Rocket blink in confusion but then Black Cat added on "We fought, as we typically did but decided that we would work together to at least get the rings..."

"But we were instantly in a trap," Red X finished. "The Mandarin and his foot soldiers were around us the minute we entered the part of his mansion where the rings were said to be. We fought as hard as we could and did defeat his men...Until the Mandarin himself came out..."

"We were soundly defeated..." Red X said bitterly with clenched fist. "It was almost laughable at how easily we were beaten. I couldn't believe it. The apprentices of Batman and Catwoman, beaten like children..."

"It was humbling," Black Cat said softly. "But instead of killing us, he put us into his employment to steal from him these diamonds and crystals but never random ones. They were very specific ones that he needed."

"So he collared you up?" Garfield asked.

"Well, after the second time we tried to escape," Red X said with a grin.

"So you guys weren't just stealing willy-nilly. He was sending you to steal specific diamonds and crystals...But why?" Rocket asked suspiciously.

Black Cat frowned and said "From what he explained, These crystals and diamonds hold some sort of map to some sort of gem that he heard about. It's call the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak."

"...Fuck," The Symbiote said bluntly.

'That bad?' Garfield asked.

"It isn't good," She retorted. "Let's just say this, that gem holds power that could face down your Superman at full power. If the Mandarin, who is already powerful, is able to get that gem...There is no telling how powerful he can become. From the memories I have of...Him...I can mentally show you the one battle he had facing against the owner of this gem."

'Do it,' Garfield said softly.

It was then Garfield's mind was assaulted by the images of Peter Parker aka Spiderman going one on one with the Juggernaut, this behemoth of a man who was basically unstoppable. It took everything Parker had to take down Juggernaut and even then it wasn't enough.

To Garfield, seeing Spiderman getting thrashed from street to street in New York was terrifying. He shouldn't have been able to beat the Juggernaut but he somehow did by drowning Juggernaut in cement when he was at the breaking point of losing.

"And that was when he was at his weakest, The Juggernaut," The Symbiote said softly. "At full power...I've only seen it twice with two different holders of the gem and for both times...Planets have been destroyed..."

"Oh that's bad. We need to stop him immediately," Garfield said with a serious tone in his voice. "If he finds that gem, we might as well kiss this world goodbye."

"You aren't actually believing them, are you?" Rocket asked.

"I am...Why would they have to lie?" Garfield asked.

Rocket looked to Black Cat and said "I have my reasons," which made Black Cat frown.

"Well I'm not lying this time Raquel," Black Cat said. "This isn't a thief talking to a hero...This is you and me. It's always been you and me."

"No," Rocket said. "It was you and me. You sought out to end that."

Black Cat took a step forward to stare Rocket in the eyes and said "Look, I know I betrayed your trust and I am sorry. I didn't mean for it to ha-"

"Save it!" Rocket shouted.

"Wow...I never seen her mad before," The Symbiote said.

"If you didn't mean for it to happen, you would have stopped yourself," Rocket said sternly. "Y-You would have...Just stopped..."

Garfield could see the pain in both Black Cat and Rocket's eyes as they looked away from one another.

"I don't know what history you two have," Red X began. "But we don't have time for this Felicia...Rocket...We have a bigger issue to solve."

"I agree," Garfield said. "I've heard of them Gem and it holds terrifying powers. Powers that could take down Superman if at one hundred percent. We cannot let him gain that power..." Garfield then looked to Red X and Black Cat and said "You want to be free, I want to stop this guy. As long as you two can promise that this isn't a trap, I will help you."

"They are telling the truth just so you know," The Symbiote said softly. "Built in Truth Radar comes in handy."

'Good to know,' Garfield thought to himself with a smile.

"Thanks," Red X said.

"And what about you Rocket?" Black Cat asked in a soft whisper.

Rocket remained silent for a moment before she turned back to face Red X and Black Cat and said "...I'm in. But not to help you two. But to stop The Mandarin. That's the only reason."

"Thank you," Black Cat said softly.

"Welp," Garfield said with a stretch. "Now that we got that all out of the way, I'm starving."

Red X chuckled and added "Same here. Is there a good place to eat?"

"There is," Black Cat said with smile. "There is a nice little Chinese restaurant nearby. Perhaps we can eat there?"

"You guys go ahead," Rocket said softly. "I'm heading to bed. I lost my appetite." Rocket turned to Garfield and said "As for you, we need to talk later tonight."

"Yes ma'am," Garfield said with a smile.

Rocket gave him a smile before she said "We'll meet tomorrow to hash out a plan to take down Mandarin. I'll also go to the police and explain the situation so you guys don't get into trouble being here or any other time. Until then!" And with that she flew out the museum.

"Well then..." Garfield said after a moment of silence. "Let's go!"

"Wait," Black Cat exclaimed. "What do we do about the crystal?"

"Keep it for now," Garfield said.

"I'm sorry what?" Red X said.

"Keep it...Because I have a plan forming in my head and it involves that," Garfield said.

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. So Rocket and Black Cat have some history and Garfield has a plan but what does Rocket have to speak to Garfield about? Only one way to find out!

Mario: See you next time!