Chapter 3: Bonding VS Isolation
Tony looked into the black, pearl-like eyes of the creature before him. As Tony faced it, he couldn't help but be repulsed at the hulking figure. The black skin would pulsate in various areas of its body and tendrils would sprout at the tiniest squeak. The creature grinned at him and the Black Widow, intrigued as to why two avengers would come here of all places. Its name is Venom, the alien symbiote bonded to Mac Gargan, formally known as the Scorpion.
"How can we be of service, man of iron?" the creature growled.
"We came to talk about Spider-Man" said Stark, in a straight forward voice. "It's my understanding that you know him better than anyone."
"No more than you do at this point." Venom chuckled a bit. The chuckle was enough to reveal its massive tongue hanging just outside its mouth, drooling just slightly. "You're his friend after all. Although, the passing of an aunt is enough for a change of heart."
"I heard you've done worse" retorted Tony in his calm voice.
"We doubt that" Venom snapped. "Even we never dared to involve May, she was an innocent, Brock understood that well and now so do we."
"Then what about Mary Jane?"
"She was always bait, a trap the Spider couldn't resist. Nothing else, besides if you're going to be a girlfriend to a so called hero, these things go with the job description."
Tony took in all the behemoth had to say. His eyes gazed at every detail they could yield from its form. Still its tongue hung slightly from its mouth dripping saliva on to the rusted floor. The longer he looked at the creature, the more he wanted it out of his presence. There was nothing civil about this creature nor the man inside it and simply standing around them both made his skin crawl.
Tony turned on his heel to walk in the opposite direction but when he did the creature stepped forward toward him. The Black Widow immediately stepped to cover Tony's back with a gun pointed at the creatures head. The guards were quickly called to attention, drawing their rifles and aiming at the black and white beast.
"We can help you catch the Spider but if your widow insists on a fight we have no problem adding her to our list of arachnids to eat."
Tony exhaled deeply with calm as the situation was already out of control. If they wanted to, the guard could possibly kill venom but that's not what he wanted. He needed Peter but alive and right now the important thing might be to find him before he strikes again or worse. Tony quickly articulated his thoughts and turned back around to face Venom.
"See that's the difference between you and me. I don't want Peter dead, I want to talk to him" said Tony in his cool yet annoyed tone. "If anything, I know you are the best when it comes to finding him and luckily for you I'm in a hurry. But just so you know who's in charge here I brought something for you."
He pulled out a small device from his pocket. It couldn't have been any bigger than a credit card. He moved his fingers swiftly across to screen while lights flashed in response to the buttons he pressed. When Tony was done, all was quiet in to room. The tension was so thick no one dared move a muscle for fear of what would happen.
Venom looked deep into the widows eyes, daring her to move when it happened. A hot sensation began to coming from over its spine. At first, it was nothing to worry about but then it spread throughout the body. Its fingertips began to heat up, the body was too hot. The black ooze, acting as its skin began to lash out in tiny tendrils and screeched in pain. Sound was its weakness, but heat was also dangerous. The pain was too much, the black symbiote began to unravel itself, attempting to distance itself from its host, Mac Gargan.
Gargan's skin was red and hot from the heat surging through him. He staggered to keep from falling to his knees and that would only hurt more. Any movement at all only made it feel worse. All he knew was that it hurt and the symbiote couldn't help him. He just wanted it to pain to stop.
"Alright, stop!" he yelled but the pain wouldn't go away for another ten agonizing seconds. Finally, Gargan had fallen to his knees as the symbiote slithered over his body, coating it in black once more.
Tony pressed a few buttons on his tiny device and stepped closer to Gargan's ear. Slowly he whispered to the monster "Felt that huh? Not only did we plant you with a nanotech solution to track your movements, I weaponized it to fry you from the inside out, so you know I'm not playing games here." Tony remained cool while threatening the venom just an arm's reach away without a drop of sweat. "If you want to play ball so badly, fine. But don't think I wouldn't fry you if you do try something. You bring him to me, that's it."
Tony stood up over Venom with a cold look toward him; the widow still had her pistol pointed at him with no sign of blinking. Tony walked away with the widow following him from behind. As he passed by, each of the guards gave a salute to the monarch of technology. While walking the Black Widow looked like she had a bad taste in here mouth. She stepped ahead of Tony, blocking his path.
"Do you think it wise to trust that creature?" said the Widow with a certain loathing in here voice. "He, it cannot be trusted".
"That's why we have the tracking device to monitor his movements and you following him." the Widow gave a skeptical look at Tony. "Hey, what's the point of being a spy if you can't track a giant baboon? He can track Peter without activating his Spider-Sense so it's logical and I need someone subtle watching him, it, whatever. If he gives you trouble, you flash fry him and I'll send you a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with the appropriate gear just to be safe."
Tony and the Black Widow walked down the hall to the outside world with a trap for the Spider-Man, but would it work?
He swings through the city like an anxious monkey on a vine. Spontaneously, web-lines shoot from the confines of the Iron Spider's wrists and latch onto the towering buildings surrounding him. He moves so fast, cutting through the air like nothing matters except his distant red and gold target, Iron Man. The skylines all blur to mounds of grey as he zooms through the concrete jungle. Faster; he yanks the web-lines trying desperately to close the gap between them both.
"This is the perfect time" he thinks. "He doesn't know I'm behind him."
In response, the four Waldoes on his back stretch out, spinning webs of their own and making him move faster. "A little further" he roars to himself. "Almost!"
The gapping gap quickly turns to mere feet. This is it; the Iron Spider reaches out its arm like a claw to grasp the Iron Man's leg but then he sees it. It was only for a fraction of a second but he is certain of what he saw. Something his mind could not forget and seen for so long there is no mistaking it so high up on the rooftops, red hair. He doesn't even give it a second thought; He stops his pursuit and swings in the opposite direction.
If it was possible, he felt that time was moving too slow. Could she really be here? Was someone playing a game? It didn't matter to him. If he didn't see for himself it would keep him up till he knew for sure. Peter's Heart felt like it would punch a hole in his chest. There was a lump in his throat that wouldn't go away.
"Why am I taking so long? I know what I saw."
Peter releases all of his web-lines and rolling on top of the gravel on the roofs surface. His eyes and the Waldoes stretch out, surveying every direction. This was it, he thought, She was here. He looked around desperately for some sign of her. Slowly, he sinks to his knees, the gravel digging into the Iron Spiders comforting fibers.
He punches the roof with his right fist; the anger swells up even more than before. Was he wrong about her being here? Was it some super villain messing with his head? Or was he crazy and his mind the first to go? His head sank into his chest and stayed there until he heard it, a foot step.
It was such a light step from behind and yet it registered to his mind. Instantly the Waldoes react, three coil themselves closer to Peter's back side while one looks off to the distance at the figure of a woman. She walks toward him in slim fit pants, and shirt wearing sandals. Her body was also slim with flawless skin, shining in the mid-morning sun. He tries to focus hard on her face but it is covered by long strands of red hair.
Peter slowly stands from his knees, craning his head at the red head. She continued toward him and using both her hands to move her hair from her eyes to reveal the face of Mrs. Mary Jane Watson-Parker. Peter's face was in astonishment, she was here in the city, walking right toward him. How this was possible, he didn't care. As he walked closer he could see her lips softly utter something to him.
Peter stumbled closer with his arms out, welcoming her touch. He focused hard on her lips to understand what she was saying as he pulled off his mask. A man suddenly appeared behind Mary Jean, He was young by the way he stood, eager and proud in a brand new outfit. Black boots, white gloves, a black cape and a mask had sections removed, revealing his mouth and blond hair.
Peter's muscles tensed up the moment the kid lifted his hands. Peter sprinted for Mary Jane as hard as he could but as he ran forward it felt like he was slowed down. Instead of the gap between them closing it was growing and the buildings faded into an infinite white void. Mary Jane soon became nothing more than a figure in the distance. Tears streamed down Peter's face as he found it impossible to reach her. He shot a web-line but it moved no faster than himself.
As he saw her fall to the ground, Peter opened his eyes, screaming in a dark bedroom. Peter inhaled and exhales deep as he can, his pours flood with sweat. An open window shade lets in the moonlight shine into his eyes. It was all a nightmare, his third this week. Moving to the edge of the bed, Peter sat up.
The sweat drips down to the wooden floor covered in Chinese food containers. The room was small, even for one man and the air was stuffy. These dreams didn't seem to stop attacking him in the dead of night. If it was possible to go back to sleep he wasn't interested since he was now wide awake.
Mice scurried cross the room to dark corner as the light bulbs turned on and hastened their moment as Peter skulked by. He made his way to a rusty sink, passing two small wooden chairs and a with the Iron Spider suit draped over it. Its red and gold colors shine without a stretch on it as if the battle with Iron Man never happened.
The wooden sink counter was split along the edges, unpolished and covered in dust. Peter gives a sigh as he twists the sinks weak knob, letting the water flow into his cupped hand. Repeatedly he sips handfuls of water and even splashing some on his face to stay awake. He can see outside his window, to other buildings to the skyline and catches his breath. The many people living out there, how many of them did his fight effect? There would be more, fights would be required of him tomorrow and the next day.
While sitting back in one of the small wooden chairs his actions replay that fight with the Iron Man, relives it. The anger he felt rekindles quickly and he balls his fist. He lost control; people could have gotten hurt, maybe not by him directly but as a result. Was this what he really wanted? He knew was that "she" wouldn't approve. She would say that he was no better than Venom, the way he lashed out.
The thoughts easily weighed heavy on his mind. It hurts too much to think of what Uncle Ben would say. So he does what comes natural, He goes to work. Pulling out old tools from under the sink, Peter works on the Iron Spider. Maybe the Waldoes can shoot webs? For the rest of the night tinkering sounds would echo through the halls well into the morning.
The sun was up and so was Peter, already long finished with the Iron Spiders improvements. Just sitting in his small chair when a knock sounds at the door. Still, he sits like a stone in place as the knob jiggles left and then right. The knob stops and the locks click then there is no sound.
The door bursts open and a slim figure dashes in, rolling across the floor. Still he sits in his chair as if nothing happened in the first place. The slim figure came into focus; it was a blond woman, slim. She had low cut black tank top with blue jeans and black high heels to match. Her hair fell down a little past her shoulders but her breasts were enough to catch anyone's attention. Round like melons which gave the point to why she wore the tank top in the first place.
The two gauged each other but Peter was far from alarmed. He knew her as Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, someone who didn't do much of anything without money involved but a good person at heart, somewhere.
"You're off your game, Spider" Said Felicia in a slow, sexy tone. "What if I had been Iron Man?"
"Then you would be at the wrong place at the wrong time" replied Peter flatly. "After a brawl in the middle of the city, last thing Tony wants to do is fight me while I'm expecting him. He'll most likely track me but even then with my spider-sense it would be difficult."
"Wow you're not kidding" Said Felicia as she stood upright and closed the wide open door. "Not even a joke to lighten the mood."
"Yeah well I'm not in a joking mood these days" continued Peter in his flat voice "What brings you back to Chinatown? I figured you'd be busy with the heroes for hire."
"Well when my friend Ms. Lang said you could stay she didn't think you would be up half the night keeping the neighborhood up with you. Do you want the avengers to find you?"
"I suppose in a way I do. Its fine, I'll leave today."
Felicia was taken aback by Peter's words. "You don't have to leave, just keep it down."
"No I have to go, don't want the avengers to catch on to me just yet. It might be best to leave now actually."
"Now hold on a second. I know times are hard on you Spider but you don't have to do this alone." Said Felicia as she grabbed Peter's bare forearm with two hands. "I know Mary Jean is gone but I care about you too. She wouldn't want you to do something you'd regret. Come with me, we can go to Paris right now. Please, it hurts me to see you like this."
Peter gave Felicia a cold stare like ice.
"I have work to do here in New York, I can't go to Paris now."
"And why not?"
"Because too much has happened, I started all of this and with great power comes gre-"
"-Comes great responsibility" said Felicia in a sorrowful voice. "I know that line goes great with the cub scouts but look around you. Norman Osborne's a good guy, heroes are in hiding and the one place on earth you shouldn't be, you are. Please, you're going to get yourself killed."
"Maybe that's part of the plan, too. A line was drawn when the Civil War started and I picked the wrong side and the people closest to me died. I have to own up to it and make things right no matter what."
Felicia gazed at Peter's shining wedding band on his forefinger. Slowly a feeling came over her. She had that stunning realization that no matter how much she cared for him, Peter would not, could not stop. He always did have his values and couldn't lose them, especially now after losing everything because that wasn't in his character. Maybe this was why she cared for him so much. Did he keep her honest even when she wasn't sure of herself?
She brushed her own blond hair behind her right ear and took a deep breath. "Alright spider, you win. You always were better at the hero thing than I was but if you need help, call me ok?"
Peter looked Felicia straight with his blue eyes. He gave a slight smile and looked down to the messy wooden floor. "Maybe I will."
The time in the tiny apartment seemed to stand still as the two fell silent. Peter grabbed the Iron Spider off of the table and heads to the bathroom. Wandering to the nearest window, Felicia then looked out at the morning commuters as they walk about the street except one. A mid-sized man in a black jacket was staring straight at the window. He was bald with a narrow nose but a face she had never seen before.
A chill runs down her spine like a cold wind blowing through her body. The man continues to stare but she quickly looks away. "Spider, I think it's time for you to leave right now."
Peter opened the old bathroom door, like it was ready to come off of its hinges. He grabbed whatever cloths he could from his backpack and slipped into them. Felicia gave another look out the window to see the man crossing the street. There was no question he was coming toward the building. Felicia tossed Peter his backpack and pushed him into the hallway into another empty apartment, just as unkempt as the last one.
The window in the furthest corner looked like it led to an alleyway. He jumped to the wall outside the window without thinking and climbed the wall onto the ground and mixing into the crowds and out of sight.
The old wooden steps whine from the heavy weight bearing down on them. The sounds proceeded down the hall as Felicia made a run for the window of Peter's former apartment but it was too late. The stern bald man stood half way in the doorway, his grunt was enough to make her stop dead.
"It's been a long time" Slowly he walked toward her. "So long since we had your silver hair clenched between our fingers."
Her heart sank deep into her chest she forgot it was beating. Maybe if he said "I" instead of "we" things would be different but he did say we. Her shiny blond hair slowly turned ghostly white she raised her fists and ready for a fight. He raised his open hands to his shoulders and stopped dead.
"Easy Pussy cat. We only want to talk."
"Sorry but "I" am not in a talking mood, Venom."
"You will if you don't want Iron Man at your dinner table."
Her hands descend down to her waist. She watched Venom's hands slowly lower his hands with a sinister smirk on his face as he took one step closer.
"I remember the first time we met. Or should I say you met us, we were with Brock then."
"Get on with it. You want to know if I've seen the Spider, the answer is no"
"Oh but we know better than that". The black coat that was Venom easily stretched to Felicia, closing the distance between them as a large tendril. "So much better."
It slithered around her neck quickly like a snake choking her. She tried to dig her sharp nails into the black ooze but it fought back, pushing back against them, bending them. The black slim let out a low squeal and little tendrils squirmed, wigging frantically. The form of the coat had also begun to spread across the man's body until he was covered in black and a sinister spider spread across his chest and back.
"If the Spider is back in New York you wouldn't be able to help yourself to come to his aid. He was here, that much we know. Where?"
Felicia struggled to breathe but the pressure was too great, he was too great. "I…don't…know."
Venom cackled at her response like it was a hilarious joke. His sharp teeth separated at inhuman distance for a normal jaw revealing its lizard tongue, wiping left to right, up to down. "We know you've seen him, it's all over your face."
Venom's elongated arm began to reel in the Felicia with a firm grip. Closer his mouth drew with each second, those jagged uneven teeth. "With you, he will come to us". Venom's tongue slobbered saliva all over her cheeks and slid its alien slick texture over her smooth face.
Venom slammed Felicia's head into an already weak wall. Her eyes shut at the moment of impact and her body went limp in Venom's clutches. People cracked their apartment doors open to see what was happening. Elderly Asian women peeked out of their doors as the titan, Venom made his way with Felicia in his arms. Its alien mouth widened from ear to ear looking back at the elderly women. One of them walked down the hall in front of Venom, speaking to him as if it were a person who owed her rent money.
Her face was wrinkled like a raisin and her face had a few liver spots. Her hair was covered by a white bandana, tightly wrapped around her head. Her fingers were so skinny there was practically nothing but skeleton.
"What are you doing with her? She is a guest here."
"This is official government business; now move before we eat you, bones and all."
The woman quickly backed off, moving to one side of the hall leaving Venom to stroll down the stairs unopposed. As he walked he talked into the air. "I know you can hear me Stark and if you want me to catch the Spider I need you to do something for me."
It had been at least two days since Peter saw Felicia last. The Black Cat hadn't been seen fighting crime once since then and in New York that was saying something. Was he supposed to find her? Maybe Tony knew that they were talking?
On this clouded New York morning as a blazing sun attempted to break through the transparent grey sky. Great oak trees cast no shadows on this day. Peter walks into a Chinatown store wearing his Yankee baseball cap and a pair of shades. The man at the register looked at Peter with cautious eyes as he picked up a bottle water and bags of mixed peanuts. The man looked at Peter as a news report flashed on the television.
"We bring you a special report. Two days ago Heroes for hire member, Black Cat otherwise known as Felicia Hardy was suspected to have aided and abetting the Spider-Man. One day after his colossal fight with Iron Man the two were seen together by and eye witness in Chinatown and she was captured. Today, the Black Cat escaped an Anti-registration containment facility in Queens, New York. Citizens are urged to notify the authorities if you see the people from either photo."
A picture of Peter and Felicia was on the television. Peter approached the cashier with his food and dropped the cash on the counter trying not to look the man in the eye. The cashier did the same, giving Peter his change while looking at the doorway. As he walked out the doorway, he could have sworn the man winked at him.
He thought about Felicia running from the law. She was a capable person; surely she could handle whatever Tony had planned. Just then Peter's mind froze in place as if he was stuck in a trance. The thought of her trapped in a prison kept replaying in the back of his mind.
It would be a mistake to get involved with her; there was no plan for him. For all he knew the entire thunderbolts team could be gunning after her but she knew the risks. "She'll have to fend for herself" Peter thought to himself "but if I never came back this wouldn't have happened". Peter balled his fist and even grit his teeth in anger but he knew what he had to do, after all it was that simple line or words that shaped his entire adult life. Peter walked to the nearest train station headed to Queens.
Riding on the roof of the F train, his eyes scan the familiar neighborhoods. The lack of sunlight seemed to show the borough at its best. The small mom and pop stores and houses made his mind surge with memories. For the rest of the ride he would keep his eyes clamped shut for the rest of the ride.
Peter stood to his two feet in the Iron Spider suit, glinting gold and crimson in the sunlight breaking through the clouds holding the backpack with all his clothes. Where the train passed houses, wooded areas stretched as far as the eye could see. He leaped down below the train tracks and blending into the houses like a chameleon. He passed countless houses until he reached a warehouse on the edge of the Queens neighborhood.
The wood of the warehouse was warped and the paint was worn. He circled the outside of the building, looking in with his transparent form. The dirty windows made it difficult to see through but there was something inside. A door to the right side of the building swung open and closed, banging against the uneven, warped doorway. Peter slipped Pass the door as it opened and saw an unconscious Black Cat, outfit and all laid out along the dirt covered floor.
The invisible Iron Spider treaded cautiously as he approached the Black Cat. She lay peacefully he checked her pulse, she was alive. The spider's liquid veil washed away like a light mist, bringing the red and gold colors back and elevated her head on his lap. "Felicia, are you ok."
"I'd be just peachy for some cat-nip." She chuckled lightly under her breath.
"This isn't the time for jokes" said Peter curtly grabbing Felicia's cupped shoulder tightly with his hand. "How did you get away?"
"I didn't, It's a trap."
"Two points for the princess" said a sinister voice in the dark corner. "Are you really that surprised, Petey?"
The Iron Spider turned quickly to face the offender, a tall bald man stood in the corner in a black jacket. The man leered at him with an unflinching confidence. The Iron Spider clamped his hand shut, this was exactly what he didn't want to happen yet reality played its hand.
"Sorry, I don't know you." Said the spider in a cold tone, now leering back at his next opponent.
"Oh but you do. You know us all too well."
"Venom?!"
"The Spider remembers us, we are honored. Even with plastic surgery." The bald man became incased in the black symbiote, turning into a hulking venom. It's lizard-like tongue rolled out of its large mouth and bearing its large sharp teeth. "Tony Stark sends his regards."
The Iron Spider let go of the worn out Black Cat and stood to his feet. Another fight, not Iron Man but one of his personal greatest opponents. In the past he would be scared to face him alone but that was far from the truth on this day. This monster was responsible for much pain in his life and today would be different, it had to be. The Spider crouched into a battle stance and released to for Waldoes from the golden disk on his back.
Venom's black skin surged and vibrated with excitement, drinking in the moment like ecstasy. The air became calm for a moment as the two readied themselves for the awaited fight until the glass of a window broke. It was the Black Widow with her tranquilizer rifle in hand. She rolled across the floor and aimed at the Spider with every intent to shoot.
"Sorry to interrupt boys, but Tony wants the Spider-Man alive." She said in a cool toned voice while keeping Venom in her peripheral vision and pulled out a slim device from the pocket of her slim, leather suit. "And as for you Venom, Tony sends his thanks."
As she pressed her fingers on the red touch screen Venom's black skin began to quickly unravel into tendrils. It began to screech in pain as the tendrils whipped wildly as he held his hands to where his ears would be. The spider stood hunched over, still ready for a fight as the widow turned all her attention to him. If this was a fight with Venom, the Black Widow shouldn't take it lightly.
The Spider's head began to buzz like a hive of bees. Five Shield agents had covered the exits of the warehouse, aiming additional sonic guns and pistols at Venom and Spider-Man. Even with the extra agents, the problem wasn't them but more of what Venom would do next. Felicia was still down, groggy from whatever damage the alien had done. He would have to work this situation carefully and working alone was the best way to do it.
The Spider-Sense had laid out every agent's position, the beating sweat trickling for their foreheads. He was sure he saw it, a big smirk formed with those large jagged teeth. He was laughing, Venom was laughing so loud the sounds rang through the warehouse. The tiny tendrils began to weave back together like living strands of string. The agents tightened their grip on their pistols shuffling into place.
Venom pulled out a little chip, showed it the widow and broke it before her eyes.
"No way. That device was plated in Gargan's spinal column."
"Your Heating device was attached to Gargan but Starks technology isn't enough to subdue our bond." Venom gazed at the widow with eyes full of malice as he slowly adjusted his body, inflating certain parts and muscles "No devices are unreachable and no technology foolproof!"
Without warning, black globs flew from Venom's body and covered the open chambers of three guns, including the widow's rifle. As the three were surprised by the sudden moment, the last three S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fired their rounds in kind. The black giant Venom fell, hitting his face to the cold, dirty ground. Thought the bullets did not hit him he made a whining sound all the same. With the symbiote weakened Gargan couldn't stand on his own as the pain from his spine made his body useless. The Widow and two agents pulled the black slim off their weapons with great ease.
All of the agents including Black Widow began to encircle the disabled Gargan as the Spider lead high into the air, shooting six web-lines from both hands and the four Waldoes. The Widow looked in both amazement and anger as the Spider brought the guns between his two hands and mashed them together and tossed them to the side. The agents quickly drew their secondary pistols and too aim but it was too late because Venom already back was back up.
It began an onslaught, punching and smashing as the Spider leaded around the surrounding, wrapped up each soldier and occasionally shooting web-balls at Venom's mouth to keep it from eating them. Black Widow was the only one left standing as her subordinates were all beaten and unconscious. She staggered backward at the same time holding her ground.
Grabbling hold of her right wrist and aiming it swiftly shooting darts at her targets. The Spider easily dodged while its evil double ran straight for her. She bent her body to avoid the creature's claw but she was still too close. She kept thinking of the creature as a solid, ignoring the fact that it had no set shape. A large tentacle ensnared her by the waist and reeled her in like a fish on a hook.
"Too bad agent but you never stood a chance" Venom's mouth stretched far beyond any normal jaw, revealing a long tunnel through its throat. She tried to shoot him with more darts, kick loose by striking his crouch but nothing worked. As far as she could tell Spider-Man was standing on the ceiling and watching the show.
"Parker, you can't let him do this. What ever happened to being a hero?"
The Iron Spider continued to watch silently with his arm folded as she drew closer to the alien's insides. She closed her eyes, when a blue repulsor blast struck Venoms shoulder. The widow fell to the floor wide eyed.
The Iron Spider descended to the ground. He walked straight toward the widow as she spoke "thank you for the assist, thought it was a bit late. Sorry parker but I can't let you g…"
Without warning the Iron Spider struck the Black Widow's face, knocking her out cold.
"That was pretty cold, Pete" Said Venom as he lay on the floor holding his shoulder. "A man after our own heart."
A black shadow slid across the floor and latched onto the arachnid's foot and stretched across like veins. He yanked his leg away as quickly.
Venom stood to his face with a face of astonishment. "s-something is different about you… something delicious. You and I will merge and be one as it always should have been!"
"Over my dead body will you ever control me!"
"That can be arranged."
Hours later, a tired Tony Stark waltzes around his office thinking to himself. Wondering to himself about his newest failure. The six agents were injured, by venom including the widow who was still out cold. Thinking about it all made his throat dry and a dry throat made him feel like drinking.
Every news station had flocked to the Warehouse by now, questioning, demanding answers. The setting suns like shined through the open blinds. Tony sat in his luxurious arm chair watching the news channels on six screens broadcast the incident when it happened.
All of the channels footage cut to a breaking news bulletin. Tony braced himself as a footage started playing. It was Venom, defeated and lying on the ground helpless, the symbiote now nothing more than a puddle of ooze around a disabled Mac Gargan. The camera, which was focused on Gargan had swung around to the gilded face of the Iron Spider. He pulled off his cloth of a mask, revealing the face of a shabby haired Peter Parker, who then spoke into the camera.
"Hello New York, My name is Peter Parker and this makes the third time that I am talking to you. The first time was just before the Civil War started, when I was confident that I was doing the right thing when I first revealed my identity to you. Time went on but something was different. People knew who I was from then on, my life was exposed and my girlfriend was almost shot but I stuck to it and heroes were captured like the villains they once fought and I had changed my mind. Because I realized too late that what we were doing was wrong. I only wish I knew the right choose earlier like the late Steve Rogers."
"After I had switched sides I was forced to battle more of my friends but I thought it was going to be ok but I was so wrong. By then the damage was done, every one of my enemies knew who I was. So while I was out fighting Iron Man, Wilson Fisk the former Kingpin ordered a hit on me and my Aunt May was shot instead. I… was in a dark place for a short time and Fisk knows that better than anyway. I tried my best but she eventually died as did my wife Mary Jane."
"I understand that I was the one that made the decision but that didn't mean that Pro-Registration was right. If I was right to begin with, both of the women closest to me would still be here. Today, Tony Stark sent one of my greatest enemies, someone who terrorized my family with every chance he got. Well I have different plans, whether the plan was to capture me or kill me. Today I will rectify my mistake."
Peter's four golden Waldoe arms folded up half way as the beaten Venom attempted to stand on his feet. "WE WILL KILL YOU, WEAR YOUR CORPSE AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A load sound rang through the warehouse, bouncing off walls and surfaces. The symbiote screeched in great agony. It clawed at the dirt ground attempting to resist but it was too much. The black skin turned to a slick liquid form, dripping like warm ice cream. The sounds grew loader and loader until the puddle dried into dusk.
Tony continued watched the video with skeptical eyes.
"I should apologize Tony; this wasn't about revenge at all. You made a mistake with registration, it's only a matter of time before more families are hurt, more blood spilled. If saving people means to go against the law than that's fine by me, I was already considered a menace before all this. So I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm not going anywhere, not until registration is over."
The video cut to black and the video was over. Peter had made his intentions clear, that he would fight crime while eluding the authorities. It wouldn't be long until the White House would ring his phones off the hook or anti-registration to gain new ground. Tony had made his move, it backfired in a big way. Now it was Peter's turn and the best he could do was prepared for the worst.
The news channels would replay the video for the rest of the day before the government would get involved but in that time Tony would have seen it at least four times. His rapid eyes skimmed over the surface of his monitors until he caught sight of it. A small portion of Peter's bare skin was showing when he remembered one of the Iron Spiders functions. It could separate a portion of itself to contain an object too dangerous to touch.
He sat back into his arm chair and rummaged through his desk for a drinking glass and a bottle of bourbon. He poured as much of the liquid as he could, took a deep breath and said in a low voice "Shit."