(A/N: I do not own Spiderman. That right belongs to Sony).
School went as per usual, Peter supposed. It was just another average Friday at Midtown. He and Liz were putting their books away and getting prepared for the next round of classes. They had different periods after lunch so Liz bade Peter goodbye with a kiss to his cheek and walked off.
Peter let out a smile as he put some books in his bookbag and began walking to class. While walking, he could see Harry getting some books as well. The brunette smiled and stepped towards his best friend (He was extremely happy to finally have a male friend in his life again).
"Harr! Hey man, how's it going?" Peter asked, stepping by Harry.
It was at that moment Peter got a chill running down his body. He couldn't exactly describe it but the feeling he got being around Harry was…strangely discomforting. However, he decided not to think about it. They had only just made up after months of silently feuding with each other yesterday so he guess there were still slight wounds to mend.
Harry closed his locker and looked to Peter with an ever so slight smile on his face. If Peter didn't know any better, he would've assumed Harry was faking it.
"Oh…hey Pete…" Harry said, his expression not changing.
"You…you getting ready for class? I think we both have Felicia next period" Peter pointed out, trying out some small talk.
"Yeah, I guess we do. It's just been a bit. I've almost forgotten what classes I even had. I've been having a private tutor at home for the last few weeks so it's gonna take a bit for me to readjust" Harry said, sighing.
"Oh…yeah. Sounds rough" Peter said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Eh, it was alright. It was an older lady. She was nice enough. Anyway, I'll see you at class. I'll save you and Gwen a seat…she is in next period's class, right?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh…yeah. Yeah, she is. She actually sits by me so we'll sit as a trio…like old times" Peter said, smiling slightly.
"Yeah…I bet it will be…see you there, Pete" Harry said. Peter almost swore he could have seen his slight smile turn to that of light anger as he turned around and began to walk down the hall.
Peter just blinked, not knowing what to say to this.
"Hey, Pete" Said a voice that suddenly brought his mind back. He turned to see Gwen carrying her books.
"Oh…hey, Gwen" Peter said, smiling as Gwen stood in front of him.
"You were talking to Harry, huh? How is he?" Gwen asked, curiously and with a hint of worry for her friend.
"Eh…he's fine…I guess he's just still a little mad" Peter said sheepishly, looking down at his shoes.
Gwen gave a little look of pity but let out a smile nevertheless. "It's alright, Peter. You guys just made up yesterday so it'll take time for you guys to get back to where you were before. Really, I kinda envy you. Just imagine my situation. I'm his ex-girlfriend for crying out loud"
They both shared a little laugh.
"Well Harry and I were never that close" Peter said with a chuckle.
"Really? When I first met you guys, I saw how close you were. I thought you two may have even been-" Gwen started before being interrupted.
"Gwen" Peter playfully scolded.
"Just teasing, just teasing" Gwen said, giggling. "But seriously though, Pete, just give it time. He's just coming around. He'll get there eventually"
"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right. He's just still in recovery mode is all. Not worth stressing out over" Peter said, nodding in agreement with her.
"Now come on, can't leave your precious white haired cat lady waiting for you, especially not if it's with me" Gwen said with a good natured roll of her eyes.
"Ah, come on, that's not true. It's not like they spy on us whenever we spend time together" Peter reasoned, letting out a jittery laugh.
"Well it wouldn't surprise me if they did. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they had when we talked at the Silver Spoon a couple of weeks ago" Gwen said.
Afterwards, no words were said as they walked towards Felicia's classroom.
*ESU Genetics Lab, 4:00PM*
It was another day of smiles, laugh and science at the Connor's genetic lab. Both of Peter's girlfriends decided to leave him alone this time and let him work. Besides, it didn't seem necessary as Liz was gaining more control of her powers as time went by and Martha still didn't really approve of Peter and Felicia being so close especially when their son Billy was here playing the latest Space Wackos game on the office computer. Why she really cared alluded Peter but it hardly seemed something to worry about at the moment.
Peter was wiping a table and Gwen was wiping the floor. Don't get Peter wrong, he loved interning at the Connor's but it could be so boring at times. Wiping tables was not really a way he preferred his afternoons. He kinda just wished something out of the ordinary would happen and he thought this full knowing that this was the same lab where Electro and the Lizard attacked them.
After a few more boring minutes of wiping tables, there was a knock on the doors.
Dr. Connors turned around from experimenting with chemicals he was developing and turned towards Peter with a raised eyebrow.
"Another visit from your lawyer, Peter?" Curt asked the brunette.
Peter just shook his head in confusion. "No. Not today. Last I heard from him was last week. He gave me records of Flint Marko's daughter…you know, Sandman. I'm helping out with her medical issues"
Curt cupped his chin and scratched a bit. He began to walk towards the door, not knowing in the slightest who it could be.
The blonde doctor turned the knob to open the door and see their unannounced visitor. What he saw left him speechless.
"E…Eddie?" Curt asked.
As soon as Dr. Connors had said that word, every head in the lab turned and indeed. There he was: The bulky, musclebound former lab assistant and ESU freshman Eddie Brock in the flesh wearing his signature white t-shirt and black coat.
"Hey everyone. Long time no see" He said with a sheepish grin on his face.
Martha Connors let out a wide smile and practically shrieked with joy as she practically ran towards the former blonde college student and gave him a big hug.
"Eddie! I can't believe it! How are you? I was so worried" Martha said as Eddie returned the hug and patted her on the back.
Peter and Gwen just looked at each other funny as they raised eyebrows at this. This…was definitely not what they were expecting.
"It really is good to see you again, Eddie. After…what happened…with the whole Venom incident, we thought you were…gone for good, I guess is the best phrase to say here" Curt said, rubbing the back of his head.
Eddie emulated his former boss as he did the same.
"Y…yeah…it was a long road to recovery…but I really do think I'm better now…and I have those two over there to thank for it"
Eddie pointed out Peter and Gwen for the two doctors who just continued to stare blankly at the scene, not exactly knowing what to say here. If it were a different circumstance, Gwen would jump to give one of her oldest friends a hug…but considering everything she's learned about Eddie since then regarding Venom, she…was more hesitant this time around.
"They came to visit me in my time of need and it was exactly the motivation I needed to get better and out of Ravencroft to continue my life" Eddie said with a pretty sincere smile on his face.
"Well that's great! I'm very proud of you, Eddie" Martha said, beaming at the man.
"I…I know Dr. Kafka was supposed to call but eh…I guess I beat her to it so uh…I know I haven't been the most reliable lab assistant but…if you still need a pair of hands around the lab, I-" Eddie said but Martha beat him to it.
"Of course, Eddie. Heck, you're practically family" Martha said. She then proceeded to give him another big hug which he returned as he patted her back.
"This calls for a celebration! Gwen! Peter! Come say hi to Eddie" Curt had said with a big smile.
However, despite orders from their boss to do so, Peter and Gwen stayed right where they were, not moving a muscle. Soon after, Curt's face turned to one of slight worry. They'd never seen them act like this before…at least not in a scenario like this. He could sense something was wrong.
"Is there something I don't know here?" Curt asked, his eyes switching from the group of interns and to their recently rehired lab assistant.
"Oh, uh…let's just say I didn't have the best reaction when they first came to visit me. I guess Venom was still on my mind" Eddie said, growing a solemn look on his face.
The blonde man walked towards Peter and Gwen. Their heart rates increased as he walked towards them.
Peter didn't feel his spider sense go off so that must have meant Eddie wasn't a danger right now…and he guessed it was for good reason. Besides, the symbiote had gone down Midtown's drain and hadn't been seen since. It was gone forever…at least, Peter thought it was.
"Guys…I really am sorry for how I acted. The symbiote messed things up in my head. I wasn't thinking clearly and I went off on you guys, trying to blame Peter for my problems when I really should have been looking at myself. I let myself get addicted to the symbiote and it caused me to turn my back on my responsibilities, my classes, my job and most importantly the people I care about most…you guys" Eddie said, his eyes beginning to water which Peter could see. "I…I know I don't deserve your guy's forgiveness and I honestly don't expect it but if you're willing to give me another chance…I'd love to be your best friend again"
Peter was stunned, even more so than before. He knew deep down he shouldn't….but he believed him. He believed Eddie Brock, a man who had seen Peter dead not 2 weeks ago practically begging for another chance at friendship. He didn't know how to respond.
It seemed Gwen did, however. She was practically in tears at the blonde man's apology. She went over and gave Eddie a big hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing into his white shirt.
Eventually, Peter reacted as well…and in a way that was quite similar to Gwen's. It went against every instinct he held dear ever since he started fighting crime…but this wasn't an ordinary criminal…this was Eddie Brock, his best friend since they were little kids, his 'bro'. Maybe…maybe it was time to accept that he had gotten better, patch things up, move on and be best friends again. Peter went and gave Eddie a hug as well, the three of them wrapped in a big bear hug.
Martha sniffed at the scene as a tiny tear came out her eye. Curt just smiled and stayed silent until he let out a little suggestion.
"I think the lab can rest for a day. Why don't we all go out for Pizza and Ice cream? My treat to you guys" Curt said.
"Free food? You know I'm in" Eddie said as they finally separated.
Gwen chuckled at this. "Yeah, you're definitely back to your old self, Eddie"
"Go get, Billy, Martha. We'll all go together" Curt said which Martha happily agreed to.
"You know…I…I can't wait to get things patched up, Eddie. I really did miss you" Peter said, smiling up at his big brother.
Eddie let out a smile too. "Me too…little bro"
*Later that night*
The owner of Red, White and Blue Electronics was beginning to lock up. He was ready to have a nice, hot shower and get straight to bed.
As he was wiping down the front counter, he could hear the front door bell ring, signaling someone had entered the store.
"Sorry, we closed about 5 minutes ago. I'm just closing up" The owner said without even looking up.
"I'm sure you can make an exception for us" He could hear another man say.
The owner rolled his eyes. "Look, pal, I just had a rough day and I'm not in the mood to argue with-"
That was all that could be said when he saw a man in black clothing with a balaclava covering his face holding down a glock to his face with two other men in similar clothing behind him with guns as well.
The man blinked, too scared to even utter a sound.
"Don't say a word. Just give everything you got in the register and your most valuable merchandise. Then you'll be able to go home" The man with the gun said.
The owner didn't say a word. He just slowly did as he was told. Why did this always happen to him? First the two guys who he was pretty sure were Sandman and the Rhino and now this? What was so special about his store?
As he was putting money in the bag, the robber holding a gun to his face say "Let's speed it up, huh? We don't want to risk the spider sticking his neck around here"
"I'm going as fast as I can! Just please wait a second" The owner said with fear in his voice.
"Well we're running out of patience. You better get us what we want in less than 5 minutes or our fingers might just slip" The robber said.
This didn't cause him to go any faster, just cause him to just shiver in fear.
"Ok. Listen, we don't really want to kill you. There's no use having anyone die here but it's quite clear you can't do the job in time so here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to shoot your arm just to ensure your cooperation and do the job myself" The man said, pulling the safety trigger on the gun.
"No, please! Just give me one moment!" The owner exclaimed, pleading for his life.
"Sorry pal but we can't risk anything" The robber said as he continued to aim his gun. The owner held his hands up in utter fear.
Before the trigger could be pulled, a web-like substance from above shot down and enveloped the gun. The web pulled away with the gun before the robber had a chance to react.
Everyone below looked up to see the one and only Spectacular Spiderman in full costume.
"Now fellas, didn't your mommies ever tell you not to play with scissors. Well these are like scissors 2.0. Not good at all" Spiderman quipped.
"God damn it! I knew this would happen. Get rid of him, fellas" The supposed boss commanded and the other two aimed their guns up at him.
However, as they were doing so, a female with white hair in a black catsuit came down and jammed her two boots into their backs, causing them to fall to the ground and drop their guns.
"You know, I think I'm actually getting used to this whole stopping robberies thing" Black Cat said with a smirk and a hint of a purr.
"Holy hell, I didn't know there were two of you now!" The burglar exclaimed.
"Uh, really? It's been in the papers for a couple months now" Spiderman said with an expression of a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe we need to make out more in the pics to make it official" Black Cat said with a sauntering wink up towards her boyfriend.
"Yeah, let's not put that out in public, kay?" Spiderman said, blushing behind his mask.
"Okay, that's it, I'm out of here! See ya!" The burglar boss said and started to run toward the door.
"Oh no! Please somebody stop him!" Spiderman said in mock worry, knowing full well there was something (or rather, someone) else waiting for him.
Suddenly, as the boss was reaching the door, a small circle of fire appeared seemingly out of nowhere and surrounded the burglar, trapping him inside. He stopped dead in his tracks, a millisecond away from burning the bottom half of his leg.
"I wouldn't go anywhere if I were you. It might not look like much but I can make it much worse…and that's something I really don't want to do" Another voice said.
The burglar turned and saw a girl whose hair seemed to literally be on fire, in a yellow and red latex suit.
"My god, if I had known there were literally this many now, I would've stayed home!" The burglar said.
"Yeah you should have. Now seeing as your buddies are subdued and you have nowhere else to go, I suggest you come quietly or things will start to….heat up in here, if you catch my drift" Firestar said as the flames surrounding the burglar started to rise.
The burglar just blinked for a second and contemplated his choices. Seeing as he only had two of getting beat up then getting sent to jail or just plain getting sent to jail, he chose the latter. He held up his hands in defeat.
"Alright, fine…I give up" The burglar said.
"Good choice" Firestar said with a smirk.
*30 minutes later, outside the Red, White and Blue electronics store*
A police car had strolled to the curb of the store, the sirens still blaring and the lights still brimming with red and blue. Officers DeWolff and Carter came out and inspected the scene.
They looked up and saw a sight they had gotten used to at this point: Three burglars wrapped in a web-like fluid hanging from a street light.
DeWolff sighed. "Does it ever occur to him that we need to climb up and cut them down?"
"Maybe he would if you started being nicer to him" Carter retorted.
"Can it, Carter. Let's get to it" DeWolff said as they walked towards the light.
Beneath the light, Carter found a card below. He picked it up and read "A courtesy from your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends"
*Meanwhile on a nearby rooftop*
"Your 'Amazing Friends'? Really?" Black Cat asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh…well I mean writing out all our names doesn't really have the same 'zing' to it, y'know?" Spiderman said.
"I mean it kinda kills the fun in having a superhero name. I spent a lot of time coming up with mine" Firestarsaid, huffing.
Spiderman sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "Alright. Sorry"
Afterwards, he threw his hands up in the air and turned away from them.
Both Black Cat and Firestar looked at each other, both with curious and concerned raised eyebrows. They then silently agreed to inquire about this. They began walking towards him until both of them were at the both of Spiderman's sides.
"Uh…you have anything you want to discuss with us, Spidey?" Black Cat asked.
"Because you know…you could talk with us about it. It's kind of one of the perks of having a girlfriend, y'know?" Firestar asked.
"It's…kind of complicated" Spiderman said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well…give us the Cliff Notes then" Firestar said.
"I don't really want to trouble you guys with it" Spiderman said, slightly objecting.
"Well…that's just too bad for you because we want to be troubled with it" Firestar countered.
"And we're going to make you so you better spill" Black Cat said, throwing an arm over his shoulder and unsheathing her claws from her hand in front of his face. It gave Spiderman a chill as he was given the light threat.
"Uh…well…in short…Eddie's back" Spiderman said with hesitance.
It took a second for the both of them to fully comprehend but it then hit Firestar suddenly.
"Eddie?...You mean Eddie Brock?" The Latina superheroine asked, remembering the old Midtown High quarterback. She and him talked on occasion when she and Flash were still dating but she honestly didn't think much of him. He always spent time around Peter when at school and that was when she was a snobby, typical high school cheerleader who hated nerds. Now she didn't know what to think of him, especially with the whole Venom thing.
Spiderman nodded. "The very same"
"The guy that became Venom?" Black Cat asked, wanting to confirm.
"Y…yeah. That's him. He got out of Ravencroft a few days ago it looks like" Spiderman explained.
This caused the worries of both girlfriends to intensify as they looked at each other with concern.
"He…just suddenly came back? I thought you said that your visit with him a little while ago didn't go well?" Cat asked.
"It didn't…but he just came in today and said he was sorry and that seeing me and Gwen again was motivation enough to change for the better" Spiderman said.
"And…what do you think?" Firestar asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well…he's my oldest friend. I…I have to give him another chance I think" Spiderman said.
"What?!" Firestar exclaimed.
"Uh…Pete…" Cat began, dropping the superhero names for the time being. "This guy has tried to kill you on god knows how many occasions. You're just going to forget about all that"
"I mean I know how it sounds but you guys weren't there. He came back to his lab assistant job and the whole lab spent the whole afternoon celebrating at a pizza place, including the Connors. While the Connors were with their son, Me, Gwen and Eddie just talked for more than an hour and…it felt exactly like old times. From before I even became Spiderman. I…I know it sounds dumb…but I felt like I had a big brother again" Spiderman explained, his head lowering as he explained.
Both superheroines looked at each other again, beginning to understand how important this was to their mutual boyfriend.
After a while, Black Cat decided to break the silence.
"Look…Petey…we get how important this is to you. We know Eddie's a pretty important part of your life" Firestar said.
"But…don't you think this is a little too soon? I mean first, Osborn comes back to your life all of a sudden and now Brock does too even after the fallouts you had with the both of them. It seems a little too good to be true" Black Cat explained.
"What exactly are you saying?" Spiderman asked, raising an eyebrow and looking towards the white haired former thief.
"I don't really know myself…but…given the history you have with these guys…do you not think there's a bit of an…ulterior motive the both of them may have?" Cat asked.
"What are you talking about?" Spiderman asked, suddenly getting a defensive tone in his voice.
"Just hear us out, Petey. Don't you think it's just a teeny bit strange that both of them come back to your life around the same time and suddenly just want to make up all of a sudden? This happened once before with Eddie as you explained to us. He suddenly came back after disappearing on Thanksgiving and the first chance he got, he tried to kill you" Firestar said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I…I know…but…I mean it's not like Eddie has the symbiote anymore. It went down the drain in Midtown's locker room. It's been gone for several months" Spiderman explained.
"Yeah but that doesn't mean it's gone gone, does it? How do you know he hasn't already found it?" Cat asked.
"Well…I mean it's just a bit of stretch in my mind to think he just found it all of a sudden and my spider-sense doesn't go off when I'm around him anymore so…I…I know it seems obvious that I shouldn't trust him…but he's family, one of the only I have left. If there's even a slight chance that he's reformed…I can't pass it up" Spiderman explained, looking back and forth at the two girls with sad expression across his mask.
Both girlfriends looked to each other and then back at Spiderman. After a long while, Black Cat decided to speak.
"Alright, Pete. We'll do it your way…on one condition" Cat explained.
"Condition?" Spiderman asked, looking towards the white haired woman.
"Me and Lizzie will go around and do all the normal crime fighting stuff for a couple weeks. In the meantime, you will go and see if Brock is legit in changing for the better" Cat said.
Firestar nodded. "I agree. We need to be absolutely sure"
"But…but come on guys, I can't just not go on patrol with you guys. What if something bad comes up?" Spiderman asked, slightly objecting.
Cat scoffed. "Oh, come on. The last few weeks, it's just the occasional robber. Ever since Valentine's Day with the gang war and since we busted Sandman, all major baddies are in the Vault or in Ravencroft. I'm pretty sure we can handle that"
"Yeah, and Tombstone has been shedding down his operations more since the investigation against him ended. We'll be fine" Firestar concurred.
Spiderman would have objected further…but he felt this was a losing battle anyway as he was dealing with not 1 but 2 females who could be, err….insistent, so to speak about their suggestions. So…it looked like he had no choice.
"Alright, fine…I'll watch Eddie…but it seems kind of weird to just spy on him like that" The spider hero said, not 100% on board with the idea.
"It's for the best, Petey. You have a right to be skeptical after all he put you through" Firestar insisted.
"Well…I guess so. Still seems wrong" Spiderman said.
After a few moments of silence, Cat decided to speak up.
"Alright then. Now that that's settled, let's go back to my penthouse and get a movie going" She said.
"...Yeah. Yeah, sure" Spiderman said, lifting his head up, deciding to just let this go for a bit.
There weren't many more words spoken as they all started moving in the direction of Felicia's penthouse. Firestar held onto Spiderman as he swung through the city. She was beginning to learn how to fly but she still had a ways to go so she didn't really feel comfortable doing it for long distances. Because of that, she held onto the back of her boyfriend as he swung through the city. Feeling his broad shoulders and toned pecs as he swung was a bonus.
All three of them disappeared into the night to begin their traditional 'movie night'
*Eddie's college dorm, ESU*
Eddie's new college dorm wasn't much different than his old one. The only difference was he lived alone instead of with a roommate.
The former quarterback honestly enjoyed being back at ESU. It felt like old times before he even knew Peter was Spiderman.
He looked out the window of his dorm out to the campus, looking at students just walking around in the night. The campus itself was a beautiful sight. However, he had other things to do at the moment.
Eddie got out his phone and dialed a number. He pressed the phone to his ear as it rang.
"Eddie" The voice on the other end said as the call was answered.
"Harry" Eddie said back in the same monotone the redhead on the other end had in his voice.
"So what's the plan?" Harry asked.
"We lay low…for now" Eddie explained.
"What? Why?" Harry asked, his tone rising.
"We need to gain Pete's trust first. I made progress today but with both of us suddenly coming back into his life, that's bound to get him or at the very least his little girlfriends suspicious. He may start spying on us. I sort of did the same thing when I was first separated with the symbiote. I stalked him and gave him a few glimpses of me so he'd get suspicious enough to make sure I was still separated. He ended up leading me right to it" Eddie explained. Thankfully, the line from Harry's phone to his was encrypted.
"So what? We just act friendly toward him right now? You expect me to do that after learning what he did to my dad?" Harry asked, his anger becoming increasingly noticeable.
"You'll need to. If Peter finds out I'm bonded with my love again, he'll just grab another vial of gene cleanser from the Connors and try to shove it down my throat. We can't give him that opportunity and even with your dad's tech, you won't be a match for him or his girlfriends who have loads more experience than you. This will give us the chance for me to plan and for you to train" Eddie further explained to the rich boy.
Silence filled the other line for a while. Eventually, Harry spoke up with a simple 'fine' in a salty manner.
"Good. This really is for the best, Harry. We'll only have one shot at this so we need to make sure everything goes smoothly. We'll both get our revenge and you'll get your company back. Understand?" Eddie asked to confirm.
"...I do" Harry simply said.
"Good…now get some rest. We'll talk more about this later" Eddie said. The two of them then exchanged goodbyes and hung up.
Eddie shut the blinds of the window and then his black coat started to bubble. Eddie simply smiled as it soon engulfed him, allowing him to become Venom once again.
"Soon, my old friend…very soon, you'll feel the wrath of Venom once again. You'll pay for rejecting us. You'll pay for ruining our life. We will become the true hero of New York after we're done with you and your little girlfriends" Venom thought as he let his long, slimy tongue out again.