Chapter 7

*Author's Disclaimer – Most characters do not belong to me*

*Author's note – Remember to read the Other Host first otherwise you will be really, really confused*

******************************************************************

Peter was wearing his best and only suit. It was a matching navy blue jacket and pants and Peter wore a navy blue tie with it. Mary Jane was wearing a black form fitting dress with no shoulders that went all the way down to her feet. Peter led Mary Jane into the theatre where they sat down in front of the run way.

"A Fashion show?" Mary Jane asked, "How did you worm your way into this one Peter?"

"I didn't have to worm my way in," Peter replied, "I got tickets from one of the models on my plane ride over."

"Really?" Mary Jane asked.

Peter nodded, "I'll point her out to you, if I can. These models can wear such strange things and so much make up it's impossible to tell who they really are."

Mary Jane just shook her in an exaggerated exasperated way as the show began. The first model to come out was Melanie and Peter recognized her right away.

"That's her," he said to Mary Jane and pointing. As Melanie reached the end of the platform she winked at Peter before heading back.

"See she winked at me for a reason," Peter said with a smile.

Mary Jane just sighed, "Victoria's Secret's Fashion show? It seems almost typical of you Peter."

"Hey," Peter said, "It's not that bad is it? I mean maybe you'll see something you like."

Mary Jane kicked her legs out in front of her, "You'd better hope so. Or I may not be so nice."

Peter focused his attention on the next model coming out and he fell backwards in his chair.

"Peter!" Mary Jane cried, "What is wrong with you."

Shrieks started to rise from the crowd and there was a rush to leave. Mary Jane slowly turned around to look at the runway. On the runway where there had once been a model Carnage now stood her left hand holding the decapitated head of an unlucky photographer.

"So Mary Jane it looks like Peter's come running back to you," Carnage said, "How predictable."

Peter scampered to his feet and pushed Mary Jane behind him, "Get out of here!" He yelled.

Mary Jane shook her head, "This is our fight too."

Peter pulled away instinctively as Mary Jane had turned into Venom. No matter what he did he could not get used to the mouth. Carnage launched a tentacle at Peter. He dove aside and Venom grabbed it and pulled Carnage off the platform towards her. As the two symbiots fought each other Peter rolled under the runway to change into his Spiderman costume. As he was ready to crawl back out his leg struck something. Peter looked and noticed a fire extinguisher "Couldn't hurt to try," he muttered to himself.

Grabbing the fire extinguished Peter slid out from under the runway.

"Hey," he yelled at Carnage, "You might want to see this."

Carnage delivered a swift kick to Venom, that sent her crashing into several chairs, and then whirled around to face Peter. Peter unloaded the fire extinguisher into Carnage's eyes.

"Argh! Our eyes!" Carnage screeched in pain.

Peter took advantage of the moment to deliver an uppercut to Carnage's chin sending her up into the air and then crashing to the ground. Venom pulled herself up and pounced forward to pummel Carnage. However Carnage was quick and she caught Venom and threw her with her feet narrowly missing Peter. Peter emptied the fire extinguisher at Carnage and then went to check up on Venom.

"How are we going to defeat her?" Venom asked.

"I was going to ask the same thing," Peter said, "She must have a weakness."

Venom thought for a moment, "Fire. The symbiot should be weak against fire."

"But that could kill her," Peter argued.

"It's either her or us," Venom said, "We would prefer it to be her."

"No," Peter said shaking his head, "There's got to be a better way."

"There isn't," Venom said, "Forcibly removing the symbiot will cause the death of the host. And you know full well that we can not allow her to remain bonded with the symbiot."

Behind his mask Peter was almost in tears, "There has to be a better way!" He screamed, "There has to be!"

Just then Carnage batted him aside, Peter hit the wall and fell to the ground completely dazed and unaware of what was going on but still conscious. He crawled around trying to make sense of what was going on. Suddenly the runway beside him collapsed to the ground. Carnage and Venom were grappling each other and rolling down the collapsed runway. Suddenly Peter's hand landed on something. He lifted his hand to see what it was. It was a Zippo lighter. He flipped it open and the strong flame came out.

"Light the fabric!" Venom yelled at him.

Peter looked down at where Venom held Carnage pinned against the runway then back at the lighter in his hand.

"Now!" Venom ordered.

"He won't," Carnage said, "Because inside he's emotionally weak."

Sobbing Peter's hand accidentally dropped the lighter. Suddenly the fabric went up in a burst of flames. Peter rolled aside to avoid the heat. At the other end of the runway Venom punched Carnage and then leapt back. Suddenly the whole runway was ablaze. In the midst of the fire the symbiot that had bonded with Gwen writhed in pain as it freed itself from her body. Peter wanted to run forward to help Gwen but Venom stopped him. She dragged a struggling Peter out of the building through a fire exit and carried him up to the roof a neighboring building before dropping down. Suddenly the theatre exploded.

"NO!" Peter screamed at the burning rubble.

******************************************************************

Peter's anguish has only just begun; stay tuned to see just what can go wrong next. (Perhaps I will even let you decide as I don't really know myself what I'm going to do although I have a few ideas.)