Chapter 3
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004
New York, New York
7:49 A.M.
Eddie nervously chewed his nails as he waited for his ride from Magneto. He felt like he was going to throw up any second now. I can't believe I'm doing this! he thought, beginning to shake. I know I need the money, but -- but this is Oscorp! The Frankenstein company! I might as well be signing my own death warrant! Come on, Eddie, you can still walk away from all this. Yeah, and get whacked by Magneto for scorning him. Argh, if only I'd been able to get another job. . . .
Before he could waffle on his decision any more, a new Buick LeSabre with tinted windows pulled up to him. The passenger's side window rolled down, revealing a woman who would have been amazingly beautiful -- if she didn't have scaly blue skin and yellow eyes. "Edward Brock?"
Eddie nodded. The rear door opened. "Come on."
Eddie got in. Might as well go out with a bang, he thought with a sigh. The woman paid little attention to him. Eddie noted that, in the interest of propriety, she wore a sports bra and short skirt, but was otherwise naked. "You're Mystique, aren't you? Magneto's second in command?"
Mystique smiled a little. "That's me. Erik says you're rather desperate for money."
"That I am." He stared out the windows, fingers tightly crossed. Please let this go okay. Please, please. . . .
They drove the rest of the way to Oscorp in silence. Mystique didn't seem interested in talking to him, and, truthfully, Eddie didn't feel much like talking. He was just too nervous.
When they arrived at the company, Harry Osborn himself was standing outside to greet them. Mystique motioned for him to get out, then drove off. Harry walked up to Eddie with a rather creepy smile. "Hey. You must be Edward Brock," he said cheerfully.
"Call me Eddie," Eddie said, shaking Harry's hand with a frown. Something about this guy wasn't right. From what he'd heard -- mostly from Peter -- Harry was a low-key, almost depressed person. This Harry looked ready to conquer the world. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Osborn."
Harry winced slightly. "Harry, please. Mr. Osborn is -- was my father." He clapped a hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Ready to help test the next phase of stealth technology?"
"Let's do it," Eddie said, before he could let himself chicken out.
Harry's grin widened. "Great. So, what do you do for a living, Eddie?" he asked as they walked inside.
"Nothing at the moment," Eddie confessed, getting into the elevator. "I used to be a photographer at The Daily Bugle, though."
"What happened with that?"
Eddie scowled, feeling his bitterness rise to the surface. "I got fired. With the help of Peter Parker."
"Ah, yes, Peter Parker," Harry nodded wisely. "He was my best friend throughout high school Then he showed his true colors and betrayed me and my father." He looked at Eddie sympathetically, playing with his hands. "Let me guess -- it had to do with Spider-Man."
"Got it in one," Eddie sighed. "I was writing an article on him, and Peter corrected me on a few facts and helped me put a more positive spin on the whole work. Needless to say, Jameson hated the piece and fired me." He sullenly kicked the wall. "I don't get why Pete would do that. He seemed to be a pretty upstanding guy."
Harry laughed, a surprisingly harsh sound. "Well, I dunno if it was Peter's fault so much as Spider-Man's fault. He and Spider-Man have a real close relationship. In fact, Spider-Man practically dominates Peter's life."
Eddie frowned at that. Spidey dominates Peter's life? Is Harry trying to say that Spider-Man told Peter to mess up my article? No, of course not! Spidey's a hero! No matter what Jameson says about him, Spider-Man's a hero!
Still I don't know the guy like Peter does -- or claims he does. Maybe Spidey thought he was doing Pete a favor. Eliminating the competition. Eddie put a hand to his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. Damn, can I figure out who to hate, please? And when?
Harry frowned at him, looking genuinely concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Just a bit of a headache," Eddie said, not wanting to drag Harry into his personal problems. "I'll be fine."
They finally reached their floor. Harry and Eddie stepped out of the elevator into a very white room. People were everyone, all wearing a lab coat with "Oscorp" stitched on the back in green. Harry led Eddie across the room and into a second, larger room. Another group of people was there, waiting for them, each looking rather pensive. They summoned smiles as Harry walked in. "All right, everyone, I'd like you meet our lucky volunteer," he said, sounding for all the world like a game show host. "Say hello to Eddie Brock."
Everyone smiled -- a bit unnaturally -- and nodded at Eddie, who waved. "Well, then, let's get this show on the road! Eddie, we need you to strip down, there's a curtained area over there you can use. Dr. Gromit, do you have the suit ready?"
"Right here, Mr. Osborn," Dr. Gromit, an older man with thick brown hair and a handlebar mustache, said.
Eddie paused as he headed over to the changing area. What Gromit was pointing at was a small glass jar with a black lump of goo inside. "Doesn't look like much of a suit," he commented, frowning.
Harry smirked. "That's why it's so great for stealth. It literally molds itself to the wearer."
A woman came up to Harry, frowning. "Mr. Osborn, I would like to again state that I don't think we should be doing this. The tests indicate that there appears to be something sentient about that suit. And it's been behaving strangely in animal testing."
"Oh? Let's hear then."
"Well, we're having a harder time trying to get it off the mice now. It's almost like it tries to bond permanently to the wearer. When Dickinson accidentally touched it with his bare hand, it took us a full half-hour to get it off. And the mice we tested it on started exhibiting personality changes while the suit was on. A few even exhibited violence." She lowered her voice. "It's a bit too much like the supersolider formula for me."
"Okay, I'm not liking what I'm hearing here," Eddie admitted, his pants partway open.
"Relax, Eddie. I promise, we'll have the suit on and off you as quickly as possible," Harry said calmly, flashing his megawatt smile.
"But -- what if something -- happens to me? What's that thing made of, anyway?"
"Mostly big words neither you nor I could understand," Harry admitted. "It's primarily a new substance found on a meteor just outside some town in Kansas. My company managed to purchase it and start studying it. When I learned that it was capable of camouflage, the whole idea just came together."
"With my luck, it'll actually be a brain-eating alien from planet Zorgon," Eddie muttered.
"Oh, relax, will ya? We've been running tests on this thing for weeks. It hasn't tried to attack anyone." Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "Besides, I'm next to try that thing on. Whatever happens to you, happens to me. I promise." He grinned. "Are you going to do this or not? Gotta know right now."
Eddie sighed. Much as he hated to try that blob on for size, he knew on some level it probably wouldn't be any safer turning Harry down by this point. The way he was acting, Eddie suspected something had gone very wrong upstairs. "You're lucky I'm desperate," he said, pulling off his pants. "Do I have to take everything off?"
"You can leave the boxers on," Gromit said, still with that fake smile in place. "The suit should be able to ooze through effectively."
That didn't make him feel particularly confident. Nevertheless, Eddie nodded and stripped off the rest of his clothes. "Okay, Eddie, in you go," Harry said, steering him toward a plastic tube in the center of the room. "Ready to make history?"
"Not really -- just a lot of money," Eddie confessed, getting in.
Harry laughed. "Honest. I like it. Magneto told me you were expecting a pretty tidy sum. How does $100,000 sound?"
"Sounds great."
"Good! I'll sign the check right after we're done here. Are we ready?"
"We're ready," Gromit said, looking at Eddie nervously.
"Great. Prepare yourself, Eddie." Harry moved back as Gromit came forward with the jar. "We're gonna make history here."
The scientist tipped the jar into a vent on the side. Eddie watched nervous as the black goo oozed into the tube and onto the floor. It sat there, quivering like a blob of black Jell-o. "Go ahead and touch it," Harry instructed.
Very slowly, Eddie stuck a finger in the goo. Long black tendrils extended out of it, grabbing his arm. With a soft sucking sound, it started flowing up his arm. Eddie watched its progress with a frightened grimace. Oh God. I've officially become an Osborn experiment. Please, don't let this one go wrong too!
As the goo stretched and slithered over his body, Eddie felt a strange tingling sensation, like his limbs had fallen asleep. He shivered. Although it wasn't really an unpleasant sensation, he still didn't like it. It's like I've stumbled into a bad horror movie.
The goo now completely covered his body except for his head. For a moment, it looked like it was pausing at his neck. Then it flowed upward. For a split second, Eddie couldn't breathe as the good covered his face. Then his nostrils were clear again. There was a similar flash of darkness as it passed over his eyes. Glad that it was finally over, Eddie looked around.
To his surprise, Harry was scowling at him. "Everything okay?" he called.
"Look at yourself," Harry snapped.
Eddie did so. To his surprise, there was a white spider design on his otherwise black chest. Looking up, he saw Gromit holding up a mirror for him. His face looked like a black version of Spider-Man's mask. Figures I'd have Spidey on the brain, Eddie thought, rolling his eyes. "Still, it does look kinda scary," he said aloud, for Harry's benefit. "I mean, it's like I'm Spider-Man's evil twin."
"I don't want to be Spider-Man's evil twin," Harry spat.
"Seriously, it has its possibilities. You could pretend to be Spider-Man with a new costume and go out committing crimes and stuff. Pay the webhead back." Eddie smiled as he thought about it --
And a huge mouth full of sharp, white teeth stretched out of his face. Everyone jumped back in surprise, even Eddie. That mouth made him look -- well, deadly. Almost evil. Oh boy, why do I think this is not --
Good?
For some reason, Eddie was suddenly thinking that this wasn't so bad. There was this strange -- feeling -- at the back of his head. A feeling of contentment, of rightness. Like -- all this was completely natural.
"Well, that is closer to what I want," Harry admitted.
Eddie experimentally opened his mouth. A long tongue oozing with green spit lolled out. Wow. This is weird. At least it looks like I'm going to survive the experiment intact. Just for fun, he began climbing around the walls of the tube. The feeling of contentment, of rightness, grew stronger. He liked this new body. Liked it a lot.
"Okay, Eddie, I think we're done here," Harry said happily. "Just come on down and we'll take the suit off you."
Eddie froze. Take the suit -- off? The contentment was abruptly replaced by terror. They couldn't take the suit off! They couldn't separate them now! He'd die if he had to go through another separation! He backed away as the scientists neared, one armed with a strange vacuum device. "No, please no. . . ."
They stopped, frowning. "Eddie? Are you all right?" Gromit asked, shooting a look at Harry.
Must not be separated. . .separated too many times. . .almost killed me. . .let me bond with you. . . .
"Uh, guys, this is going to sound really stupid, but I don't want to take the suit off," Eddie admitted, staying near the back of the tube.
"You can't leave the suit on forever," the woman pointed out, looking both upset and vindicated.
"Who says? Do you know how much I hate doing laundry?" Eddie tried to smile, tried to ignore the fear threatening to rise up and swallow him. They were good people, these scientists. They had to see how important the suit was to him. They'd understand.
The woman turned to Harry. "Mr. Osborn, this is just like what happened with the mouse. It refused to let us remove the suit and turned violent when we did. I think we need to make a thorough study of Mr. Brock's mental state before proceeding."
"Sounds good to me," Eddie spoke up, feeling his head start to spin. So many weird thoughts. . . .
Harry looked at her. The smile disappeared from his face, to be replaced with a look of quiet malice. Eddie could have sworn there was a faintly green cast to his eyes. "Listen here," he snarled, poking his finger into the woman's chest, "you get him down and out of that suit this minute, or I'll personally see to it that you never work in this industry again."
"Mr. Osborn!"
"Shut up! That goes for all of you! I WANT THAT DAMNED SUIT! GIVE IT TO ME, OR I'LL KILL THE LOT OF YOU!" With that, he slapped the woman and grabbed the device.
As much as Eddie hated Spider-Man at the moment, he was forced to given the guy some grudging respect. After all, he was always fair, even to the bad guys. He seemed to do everything he could to keep people safe during his missions. He had had daydreams of being Spider-Man before, of protecting innocents himself. The other presence in his mind latched onto that. Protect the innocent -- keep the bond -- destroy the evil --
Yes, destroy the evil. Pay them back with their own coin. Spider-Man did too little. And besides, he wasn't even here now. Eddie was here now. And he could save these people from the twisted menace that was Harry Osborn. And in doing so, also protect the suit.
Suddenly enraged, Eddie smashed through the observation tube with a roar. The scientists scattered, screaming in fear. Harry alone stood his ground, trying to get the device to work. Eddie smiled again.
And thus the last thing Harry Osborn ever saw was a mouthful of white jagged teeth coming straight at him.
Wednesday, November 3rd
8:10 A.M.
Eddie wasn't sure how he had found his way back to the church. He had run blindly out of Oscorp after killing Harry, needing to put distance between himself and what he had done. No one had tried to stop him -- one look at his face had convinced them not to get in his way. At least he hadn't hurt anyone else during his escape.
Eddie realized he was sweating as salty water dripped into his eyes. He wiped them clear. Oh my God! I nearly ate someone back there! I was seriously going to eat Harry Osborn! Damn, I knew I should have stayed away from Oscorp! Now I've gone completely insane -- or worse!
He looked down at the black suit that still covered most of this body. Great, now I'm stuck with this. Why didn't I let the scientists take this thing off? Why did I freak out?
Because they would have unknowingly killed us. We had to prevent that. And don't feel guilty about what happened. We protected those scientists. Harry Osborn deserved what he got.
Eddie blinked. Why the hell am I suddenly thinking in terms of us?
Because we are two now. Because I am here now.
The voice was Eddie's own, but somehow -- different. It spoke with more of a hiss, much like a snake. And strangely, Eddie was somehow convinced it was coming from the suit. He suddenly remembered Harry's statement about finding the main "ingredient" in a meteor in Kansas. You're -- you're an alien, aren't you?
Yes. A symbiote.
A symbi-what?
Symbiote. I live off of a host, and in turn contribute to the host's well-being. I have lived off many creatures in my lifetime.
So then how did you end up inside a meteor?
I'm not sure myself. It must have happened shortly after I left my last host. My sentience deteriorates each time I am left on my own. Eddie felt the suit shiver on him. Please don't reject me now. I need to feed, and you have such rich emotions. . . .
Eddie slumped down against the wall, holding his head. Perfect, just perfect. I'm attached to an alien. A frightening, nerve-wracking --
--scared -- alien.
He frowned and looked down at the rippling suit. Despite himself, he actually felt a little bad for the thing. After all, he'd certainly be scared too if he found himself far from home and treated like a thing in a lab. What happened to you at Osborn's anyway?
The scientists realized I was alive. Although Harry Osborn thought I was nothing more than extraterrestrial goo, they sort of realized what was happening to me. When Harry insisted on animal testing, though, I thought they would let me stay with the animals. The suit shivered again. The animals were good hosts. They gave themselves over to the bond completely. It was torture to be taken from them. They fought for us, but it was useless in the end. I nearly died after the last mouse. The voice became pleading. I need a host, Edward. And you have already fed me so well.
You made me kill someone!
We killed someone, yes. But we killed someone evil. I know you now. We will never hurt innocents. We will protect them from the Osborns of the world, just like that creep Spider-Man.
It was very creepy how fast that thing had gotten into his brain. Eddie almost felt like crying. Why me? Why always me?
Please, Edward. I'm all alone here. And I don't want to die.
Alone. Eddie could sympathize with that. He too was alone. No girlfriend or family. No friends that really cared. And now that he was an Osborn freak. . . . Well, it might be nice to have someone to talk to who understood. Even if the someone was attached to him. And besides, after seeing the growth of the local superheroes -- Spider-Man, the X-Men -- he had coveted super powers of his own. Here was the perfect opportunity to get them. All right. You can stay with me.
He could have sworn he felt the suit smile. Thank you Edward. Now I have some news that I think you might be interested in. . . .
Wednesday, November 3rd
10:30 A.M.
Magnto paced impatiently, feeling rather ill at ease. He didn't like skulking around in alleys and sewers, or making deals with people like Osborn. But sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Once the X-Men and Spider-Man were out of the way, he could continue with his grand plan for the planet -- and eliminate Harry along the way. He smiled over at Mystique, waiting in the car. She would be the perfect woman for that job. As if reading his thoughts, Mystique smiled back and nodded.
HISS-FWAP!
Magneto snapped to attention. He recognized that noise as that of Peter's web-slinging. Was that pathetic, wall-crawling excuse for a mutant about to reveal himself?
HISS-FWAP!
A line of what looked like thick, black webbing hit the wall behind Magneto's head. Seconds later, a figure clad almost entirely in black swung out of the shadows. The figure looked, strangely enough, like a black version of Spider-Man -- albeit with a huge mouth of sharp white teeth. It grinned at him, sitting on the wall. "Hello Magneto. Nice to see you again," it hissed.
Magneto took it in, then grinned back. "Well, hello Harry. I see your test was successful. What did you do with Edward?"
The creature laughed. "You've got the names backward," it informed him with malicious glee.
Magneto blinked at that. "Edward? What are you doing here?"
"Harry had a little accident." Eddie laughed again, his long tongue lolling out.
Magneto slapped his head, scowling. "Damn. I knew I shouldn't have gone to Oscorp. This sort of thing always happens."
"Don't worry, Magneto," Eddie said, crawling along the wall a little to face him better. "We know about Harry's deal with you. We want to take it up in his place."
Magneto looked back up at Eddie, puzzled. "Why?" he asked guardedly.
Eddie's smile turned into a frightening scowl. "We hate Spider-Man. He ruined our lives -- Eddie got fired because of him and his friend Parker. We will not rest until he and Parker are dead. We want to eat their brains, just like Harry Osborn."
Magneto smiled cruelly. "I like the way you think, Edward. Deal struck, then. I help you get rid of Spider-Man and Parker, you help me get rid of all of the X-Men."
"Deal struck, Magneto." Eddie held out a hand, and they shook on it. "We'll show Spider-Man that we're better than him."
"Exactly. That freak has no right to his powers. We know that, don't we Edward?"
Eddie nodded, then chuckled again. "True -- but we're not Edward anymore."
"Then what's your name now?" Magneto said, figuring he couldn't blame Eddie for dropping his given name -- he himself only went by Erik with Mystique anymore.
Eddie grinned, green spit dripping from his mouth. "Call us Venom."