Authors note: Yay!! Chapter ten. I hope that all of my lovely reviewers will stick with me to the end.

Chapter 10: Into the abyss

About three hours after Peter came back, Otto walked out of the library and up the stairs to the main hall. No one was there. "Hello?" He called to the empty room.

There came clattering and a strange smell from the kitchen. He walked in to find Peter frantically darting about. "Peter… what are you doing?" Otto implored leaning against the door frame.

"I'm, uh, trying to cook a gourmet dinner for MJ while she and Aunt May are out shopping," he said tending to a pot of something on the stove.

"So, you're going to burn down half of my kitchen in the process?" Otto said raising an eyebrow.

"No, no," Peter said opening the oven. Otto found it all quite amusing, really.

"Hey!!" He said concealing a laugh and pointing to the oven which was now full of flames.

"AARGH!" Peter yelled grabbing for a fire extinguisher. Otto snickered, "Oh, my god."

"Y'know, those flames were, heh, really big…" Otto broke off into laughter before putting one hand over his mouth and pointing to the oven again which had burst into flames, yet again. Peter sent a spray of water into the oven again before pulling out the pan and looking at the small, crispy-black turkey.

"Ooh," Peter said grimacing.

"Oh, she'll be impressed… Tell her it's Cajun," Otto smiled.

Can't cook, can he?

Heh, Heh, snicker…

Awww that was mea- snrf

Ugh, no comment-cough-

"Guys, stop," Otto muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

But it's funny

Yes, 'tis most amusing

Pfft

Heh, you got to admit… it actually was a funny situation

Peter looked at Otto. The anorexic look had gone from his face and his eyes were no longer livid..

"You feed her that, and she'll be in bed for a week with ptomaine," Otto retorted.

"Well, gourmand, what are your thoughts?" Peter asked defiantly.

"Take her out?" Otto said shrugging. There came a voice from the living room as MJ appeared holding bags. "Besides, it's a little late now," Otto finished. Peter went out and discussed to Aunt May and MJ about dinner. This would leave Otto to his work since he didn't feel comfortable in public.

"Have a good time, guys," Otto said thirty minutes later.

"Aw, aren't you going to come?" MJ asked sweetly. She wore the black dress that she had worn on the night John proposed to her and her hair was pulled back in a bun.

Otto shook his head, giving her a smile… "I have some things to do."

Otto watched as they disappeared into the city. He went down to the work room and sat in front of the computer.

So… what exactly is your big plan?

Yes, I'm curious as well

You must explain to me… you felt sick for so long before, how come you don't anymore?

It's not being sick, like physically, three… I think he's found a way to bring the lady back

"Yes, I have… I think… You see, there is a thin barrier between the mortal world and the spirit realm. If I can break that fabric, I can bring her back," He explained. He began rapidly typing at the keyboard. "It is possible," he said smiling with enlightment.

Peter, Aunt May and MJ all took their seats at a restaurant called the "Village Delicatessen," in Midtown. The waiter gave them a smile before stating that he would be back to take their orders in a heavy, French accent. Peter picked up the menu as MJ sighed, "I remember when we used to eat here with Harry. Remember Pete? He took us here on your birthday this year."

"Yeah… I remember," Peter sad thinking back on those days where everything was, in some ways, better. Harry held no grudge against Peter or Octavius and he was probably the best friend that he could have asked for. Now, things had changed. Harry had taken up his father's reign and was now bent on wreaking havoc. Driven by the gas and confusion.

"Peter? You look troubled," Aunt May said quietly.

"I am… you remember Harry?" He asked swallowing.

"Yes, Peter of course," She said wondering what bad news Peter had for her this time.

"And I take it you remember the Green Goblin?" He continued.

"Y-Yes, I suppose," Aunt May said.

"Well, Harry's father was the Green goblin-"

"Norman? Norman Osborn? He was such a sweet man," Aunt May said terrified. "Y-You don't mean that Harry had now become?-"

Peter nodded slowly, "Yes," he whispered. The waiter returned and they took their orders. Aunt May put a hand to her head and took a sip of water. "I'm sorry Aunt May," Peter said gently leaning over and putting his arm around her shoulders.

They ate in silence. When they were finished, MJ paid the bill and they left without a word spoken. They all climbed into the old tan car and as Aunt May rested back in her seat, Peter gently placed his hand over hers. Aunt May looked into his eyes, tears welling in her own and smiled. They drove home in silence.

The next morning, MJ walked down the stairs and down the hall to Otto's lab. He was beneath a partially completed machine. There was a clang inside followed by, "Ow, damn it!"

MJ stifled a laugh with her hand. Otto, lying on his back on top of a skateboard, rolled out from underneath the machine… whatever it was. "Hi," Otto said.

MJ lowered her eyebrows, "You didn't sleep last night did you?" she said in a serious tone.

"Uh…who wants to… no," Otto said with a tired grin. He rolled himself back beneath the thing and began working again.

"I brought you a Gatorade," MJ said holding out a large plastic bottle filled with bright teal-colored liquid. One actuator reached out, took it from her gently and disappeared back from whence it came only to reemerge five seconds later. It opened and looked at MJ curiously. It flexed its pincers as if it were trying to say "Hi!" which, it did. But the voice was heard in Otto's head instead of out loud. "Why hello," She said giving it a smile. It rested itself on her hand as another actuator peeked out from beneath the machine.

I like her, she's nice…

Hey, quit slacking

Yes, get back to work

Kiss up

Otto reached out with another actuator and tapped it on the back of the 'head.' They both retreated under his project leaving MJ to go back to her business.

Eddie, still lying on the couch in Harry's office, looked around.

Pleassse, I need sssussstanance, the symbiote said writhing inside of his body.

"Well, no one's around," Eddie said shakily standing up. He flexed his muscles and the symbiote covered his body changing him from Eddie to Venom again. He opened a window quietly and leaped out.

Venom let his tongue fly out of the side of his mouth as he plummeted towards the ground. With a PLIP, he released a line of black web and began swinging fast in the cold, morning air. He landed on a low rooftop overlooking an alley way where a grungy looking punk was pinning a woman with low-riding jeans against the wall.

"This ain't nothin' but chump change lady! No matter, I'll get my pay someway else!" The punk said with a laughing look in his eyes. "That scare ya? Good!" He said looking at her frightened expression. "I like to see fear in my victim's eyes," He said grinning maliciously. But her look went past him and to the gaping maw behind him.

"That'sss good, ssso do we," Venom said going from his upside-down position to grabbing the punk by the neck and pinning him against the wall as the woman looked on in horror. The horror in the man's eyes was clearly distinguishable as Venom lowered his fangs into his victim's neck. The woman let out a petrified squeal as she watched the color, life and everything else being sucked from the man. Venom, when he was through, let the dried corpse fall to the ground in a crumpled heap. "Done! Now rot, you vermin." He turned back to her, "Oh, ssso sssorry, we're being rude… Hi, we're Venom. Now, don't be frightened, we are sending you to a better place than this rat-infesssted hole," Venom said lowering his fangs into her neck. She let out a dying scream as she turned from a living, breathing person, to a dried, crumpled heap on the ground.

Venom leapt away cackling back to Oscorp.

Peter was busy doing his laundry, careful not to let Aunt May see his Spiderman outfit. Sirens cut through the shrill air and Peter walked casually with a stack of clothes into his room and shut the door. He changed into the slightly damp red and blue tights before climbing up through the ventilation shaft and out into the frigid air. He leapt into the air following the line of police cars, swooping low enough to listen to what was being said on the cop's radios.

"-More victims have been found, repeat, More dried victims have been found… requesting a research vehicle!!!" The cop shouted into his microphone. Peter continued to follow the line all the way to Hell's kitchen and near an alley way that was swarming with cops and S.W.A.T members trying to keep curious people away from the crime scene. "Look, there's Spiderman!!" One excited girl shouted as Spiderman walked up to the Police chief. "What's up?" He asked calmly.

"Two more victims have been found in there," he said pointing into the alleyway where a few research meds were snooping about. One body was lying stretched on the ground. Peter looked at it in horror, careful not to show it behind his mask.

"I don't understand it," One of the meds said to him, if this keeps up, New York just won't be safe for anyone.

"Well, I'll catch the one who's behind this," Peter said sternly.

"I knew we could count on you Spiderman," the med said turning his back.

A silhouette flashed quickly from the rooftop and while the scientist had his back turned. Peter leapt up to the rooftop as Black Cat flipped out of the way.

"Cat!" Peter exclaimed surprised.

"Hey," She said cuffing him on the arm. The still had a cut and a bruise on her forehead where Harry rammed her with his glider.

"I honestly thought that you wouldn't show yourself during the day," Peter said putting his hands on his hips, "Are you okay?"

"What?" She said smiling.

"You know, from the other night?" He said moving his arms to cross his chest.

"Oh, yeah… he just caught me off guard… I'll be ready next time, don't worry," She replied. "So, do you know what's behind all this?" She asked as the both of them looked into the alleyway.

"Yeah, Otto's been doing research… it's called a symbiote. It attached itself to Eddie Brock and calls itself Venom."

"Brock… Brock…" Cat whispered to herself, "Oh yeah! He was that dude who was the 'Sin-Eater'!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Yeah, he was a bit of a nut-job, never mind… that was an understatement," She said laughing.

"So… would you like to discuss this over lunch? Otto's wanted to talk to you for a while," Peter asked shrugging.

"Sure… maybe we can figure out how to stop this thing… Venom, or whatever the hell it was," She said.

"Right."

Peter changed in his room back into some normal clothes. Cat came out of a spare room with a pair of black jeans, and a white, silk button up. Her hair was still snow-white.

"Ahem," Peter said pointing to her hair.

"Oh, yeah," She said concentrating. When she let up, her hair changed from white, to blonde and the leather circles disappeared from her eyes.

"Wow!" Peter said, it was almost sorcery.

Peter and Felicia walked out to the living room and sat down. MJ came up and saw Felicia. "Felicia!!" She said as the two girls hugged. "I haven't seen you since high school!!"

"MJ!! What have you been doing witchasself?" Felicia said in an attempt to make fun of the slang dialect.

"Are you guys hungry? Lunch is on the counter… I'm just waiting on Otto to come from his workroom," MJ said with a smile still plastered on her face.

As she finished her sentence, Otto walked up the stairs cleaning his face with a towel. He had a clean change of clothes on and his wet brown hair reflected the lights from overhead. "Hey, Cat!" He said.

They all sat at the dining room table as Peter, Otto, and Felicia began discussing the events of thirty minutes prior. The discussion left the friends deep in thoughts. The Discussion was abruptly ended when Felicia's watch began beeping. "Ayah!! Mother's gonna kill me!" She exclaimed and ran to the stairwell. She turned and bowed. "I'm sorry for being so rude, but I have to go," She said disappearing down the stairs. Peter and Otto looked at one another and forcing a suppressed laugh.

A few weeks later, Otto had completed his machine. The tall walls of his lab seemed bigger. Peter stood next to him. "Peter?" He muttered.

Peter looked to his friend.

"If anything happens, I don't want you to be in here… I couldn't stand to think of failing and losing a friend," He said swallowing. Peter back against the wall as Otto stood on the pedestal and facing what looked like a gateway. He took a few deep breaths as his hand drifted towards the keyboard. "Well," He said to his arms. "Into the abyss."

Peter braced himself against the wall as Otto moved the black-tinted goggles down from the top of his head, down to his eyes and took a deep breath, "Into the abyss," he repeated quieter.