The Huntsman's Venom

by ThePurpleChronicler

After falling to the Sinister Six, Peter returns to the now crime-riddled streets of New York, determined to purge the city of felony and villainy; as efficiently as HYDRA purged his mind of memory; only to be replaced and befouled with code phrases, as well as a new guttural voice. Little does Peter know that the cold arachnid he's converted into is far from the hero he once was.

14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: God, work is exhausting. I know it's taking a while, but I'm working more hours than sleeping! I love sleeping issues.

I hope this was worth the wait, but I wanted to thank you for being so supportive in your replies to my brief (now removed) update. Glad you know you guys are staying tuned regardless of the wait. It takes a bit of mental prowess to write fight scenes in a way that feels right to me and, hopefully, engaging to you.

Chapter 14: Marked As A Meal

A bolt of lightning lights the sky, a rumble of thunder shortly follows as the rain pelts down upon the Huntsman and his rivals. Neither the Scorpion nor Doctor Octopus has made their moves, each holding their ground, waiting for the Spider to pounce foolishly into battle. Instead, Benjamin stands completely motionless, thankful Gargan and Octavius can't see his eyes, allowing him to study his opponents. Mac is more than eager to jump head-first into his fight; Otto, on the other hand, doesn't appear like he wants to be in the situation, and yet, Benjamin is most concerned about facing four tentacles over a stinger.

"Why are there so many heroes and assholes naming themselves after fucking insects," Benjamin mutters, hearing Karen giggle through his earpiece.

All the while, Ben's making sure Mrs Stark, her daughter, and their bodyguard are safely moving away from the scene, ready to make a retreat if necessary. Their heartbeats are still prominent though slowly disappearing, and with everything happening in the situation, Benjamin's senses find it challenging to lock his hearing onto the Starks. The sounds of the bystanders watching in shock and awe, the news helicopter hovering above them, and the adrenaline pumping through his challengers' hearts. It's a lot for him to take, only adding to his frustration and, admittedly, his urge to kill the two, though probably not the best idea in public. Knowing the Starks are out of harm's way, Benjamin focuses his attention on the conflict, being mindful of the safety of onlookers.

Ben decides it's time this standoff comes to an end, smirking at the Scorpion. "Hey, Mac? Do you want to know something funny? Your first name's MacDonald, but with a mug like yours, you couldn't make the cut to cosplay Ronald McDonald."

Gargan snarls in annoyance, taking a single step forward before halting. "Watch yourself, coño."

"Ben, he's going to attack if you keep agitating him," Karen informs him with a worried tone.

"I mean, how fucking sad is that?"

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" Karen deadpans.

"You could maybe cosplay- Pennywise? Vaas from Far Cry? You can be anything you want, Mac, but in my fucking sight? Go dig a burrow and fuck off."

The Scorpion bounds towards the Huntsman without a second thought, prompting Benjamin to fire numerous webs at Doctor Octopus to keep him at bay, his tentacles blocking the shots, tangling themselves temporarily. Landing before the Spider, Gargan throws two heavy fists at him, the suit's stinger lunging forward all the while, becoming caught by surprise when all of the Huntsman's pincers grasp onto his source of poison as the Spider evades. Grabbing onto Gargan's wrists, Benjamin slams into head into the Scorpion's helmet before throwing an uppercut, knocking Mac away from him, the pincers throwing him a substantial distance.

Feeling a tingle in his neck, the Huntsman shifts to face the source of danger, watching three cars fly towards him, one of which still containing passengers. Benjamin evades one car with the aid of his appendages, bounding and kicking a second with great strength, halting and knocking it into the armoured truck. As the Spider kicks away from the vehicle, he pushes himself toward the third, capturing and hugging the front bumper as the pincers catch their fall. Benjamin lowers the car to the ground as gently as possible before ascending to the rooftop, watching Octavius as he slowly roams towards him, the Scorpion finding himself to his feet.

"You're in over your head, boy!"

"Yeah, that's the reason you're throwing cars at me? Because I'm the one in over my head? On the contrary, you're out of your mind, Octavius."

The tendrils on Benjamin's back hook onto each of the car doors, tearing them off the hinges and freeing two parents and two young children. The family take off in a hurry, with the Spider watching over them, ensuring they're out of the crossfire. He purposely keeps his eyes on the family, setting the bait and spotting Octavius nod to Gargan in his peripherals. Watching the family disappear from view, Benjamin hears the Scorpion begin to storm toward him, causing him to smirk beneath the mask.

"Finally."

Benjamin bounds from his perch, swinging his body as his tendrils hurl two doors at Mac and Otto, attaching a few surprises to the metal. The Scorpion catches the first with both hands, unprepared for the second to crash into his accidental shield, sending the green suit of armour backwards, his stinger surpassing his fall. Doctor Octopus' tentacles catch the doors without much work, not to Benjamin's surprise, but instead, to his satisfaction. While Gargan keeps his eyes on the Huntsman swinging above them to his next vantage point, Octavius turns to face his threat, his pincers staying firmly in position. That's when he spots two devices attached to the exterior. Otto looks over at his associate with enlarged eyes, seeing an identical contraption adhered to the door in his grasp.

"MAC!" Otto screams, his appendages swiftly turning the doors to the other side. "THERE'S A-"

The explosives detonate, sending the Scorpion flying backwards through the air before colliding into a brick wall, crashing through it on impact. The two blasts bolt the Doctor toward the Stark's SUV, and the armoured truck crushed against it, his pincers sparking along the ground as they attempt to slow his velocity. Lucky for the Octopus, his tentacles catch him before he slams against the windshield of one of the thrown cars, lowering him to his back. With lightning bursting from the dark clouds above, Octavius takes his first firm breath since the encounter. As the thunder cracks, the boom drowning out all noises for seconds, Benjamin takes the initiative, landing on top of the vehicle's roof. The Huntsman hurls his metal fist towards Doctor Octopus' head, his tendrils capturing the tentacles, closing inches before Octavius moves his head.

"Won't you die already?!" The Huntsman screams out, his adamantium fist demolishing the glass on impact. Ben triggers his blade with a furious growl, slicing the edge toward Octavius with vicious speed. "Come here, you little-"

Otto's tentacles slam the Spider into a nearby car, denting the door and shattering glass everywhere using their apprehension. Venom changes the shape of the tendrils, oozing them out of their capture before rapidly solidifying again, taking the form of scythe-like blades. "You're either meeting your reaper tonight, Doctor, or you'll understand, at the very least, your little team's days are coming to a glorious close."

"You haven't beat me yet, menace," Otto taunts, standing five feet away from the Spider.

"Your associate is clumsy, psychotic, and, well," the Huntsman looks over to the hole in the wall, keeping Octavius in view. "He can pack a punch, but it seems his Scorpion suit can't take one, leaving you alone and outmatched."

"Aren't you high and mighty, thinking you're any better than us-"

"I'm better because I'm a highly trained killer with inhuman powers, capable of things you wouldn't dare imagine. When did I ever say I was better morally? Ha, I've come to terms with what I am. It's a shame you'll never get the chance to do the same."

"This feels oddly personal-"

"How could it not be personal, you fucking Cro-Magnon?! You're waging a crime war on this city, plunged it into chaos which has taken so many lives and- after all, you did kill one of my own, what's to say you won't do that again? Silk? The Spider-Man kid? How many more innocents are you animals going to kill?"

If Octavius could see the Huntsman's eyes beneath the mask, he'd fall blind by the intense silver glow emitting from them, powered by the Spider's undying hate.

"How many are you going to kill, Huntsman?!" Otto rages back, his feet slowly leaving the ground.

"Oh, me? I'm only going to kill the animals, starting with you!" Benjamin roars, launching two tendrils towards Octavius, initiating an exchange between tendril and tentacle, slashing and clashing against one another, carving through the rainfall.

"Ben, you need to calm down, collect your thoughts, please," Karen implores in a tone that unsettles the Spider, causing a slight shiver. She's scared, not of Benjamin, but for him. "I know I can't stop you, but you can't kill them in front of all these people. You shouldn't at all, but at the very least, not in the public eye. Focus, Benjamin, you know you can do this without killing them."

"I'll try my best," Benjamin mutters through clenched teeth as one of the tentacles clasps onto his chest, yanking him forward before bashing him into the side of the car's bumper. "He's not- giving me- a choice in the matter."

The Huntsman rolls back onto the bonnet, Venom's tendrils striking to keep the tentacles at bay, causing a harsh clang of metal to echo. Otto throws punches toward the Spider to no avail, with Benjamin easily maneuvering past the attacks, spinning and kicking Otto. Though two of his appendages take most of the hit, Otto loses his footing, stepping back between the two vehicles. Using the slippery surface to his advantage, Benjamin rolls off the side of the bonnet, his scythes spinning wildly and deterring any attacks. Now on his feet, the Huntsman's tendrils pick up the pace, striking Octavius and forcing the tentacles to act defensively. Battling the Octopus, the Spider unleashes a flurry of swift attacks, overwhelming Otto and his tentacles, creating an opening Benjamin takes.

With two tendrils clamping down on two tentacles, the other two pincers hook onto a car door on each side of Octavius. With a savage scream, Benjamin yanks each vehicle toward the Doctor. Otto barely escapes, with two of his appendages elevating him out of his harm's way, though getting crushed. The Huntsman leaps and tackles Octavius, slamming and pinning him into the connected bonnets before wrapping his hands around the Doctor's throat. With all of his tentacles subdued, Otto is left helpless, his hands desperately seizing the Huntsman's arms to lessen the pressure squeezing the life out of him. No matter how hard he struggles against his capture, Octavius' human strength does nothing to falter the Huntsman's raw strength, and for the first time since the Sinister Six's emergence, Otto feels afraid for his life.

"You're nothing, but an inconvenience to me, Doctor, a mere bump in the road, and I grow bored. You either give up, kill me or cripple me. Choose while you still have air in those lungs."

Without warning, the tentacles separate the vehicles once more, catching the Spider off-balance and causing him to fall back, separating the two. Otto grounds painfully, hitting his back and the back of his head against the cement, remaining conscious yet dazed. Now caught between the vehicles, Benjamin flips onto his feet, his spider-sense alerting him of an impending attack, with the Doctor's tentacles adjusting their grips to the front of the cars. His tendrils react before the Huntsman can, two impaling the doors on each side of him, stopping the vehicles from crushing the Spider as he quickdraws his handguns. Benjamin sets his weapons to automatic fire, bringing the heat to the Octopus, watching with glee as the Doctor's tentacles desperately block the barrage of red bolts, debilitating their armoured-plating, leaving them vulnerable.

"Enough of this!" Octavius screams, jetting his damaged pincers towards the Spider at full speed; two succeed in striking Ben's chest, knocking and pinning him to the ground by his shoulders. "HA! How's that for inconvenient?"

"You want me to answer that? Seriously?" Benjamin snarls through clenched teeth, struggling against the appendages, slowly rising from the ground, the forceps digging into the flesh beneath his suit.

"It was strictly rhetorical-"

"Oh, yes, Captain Obvious, please explain the apparent for me, spell it out while you're at it-"

"Silence, pest!" The Doctor's remaining tentacles clamp on each side of Benjamin's skull, lifting him further off the ground as appendages on the Huntsman's shoulders adjust, constricting and cramming his stomach and chest. With only his arms free of imprisonment, the Spider shakes and flails to attempt to pry the "You're formidable, Huntsman, I'll admit to that. Though it's become apparent you're no match for one of the Sinister Six, has it not?"

"Benjamin-"

"No, V," Benjamin commands through his scattered thoughts. "I've got this one. We'll play with the other one. You have my word on that one."

"It's going to be a pleasure studying this suit of yours, it appears-" Octavius tilts his head, glaring at the shining black suit, regarding the substance as "-oddly familiar."

The constriction narrows and Benjamin feels the life slowly squeeze out of him, his recently healed ribs beginning to re-crack under the tension. His lungs empty and body weakening beyond cognition, the Huntsman's free arms slowly rise upwards, his bloodshot eyes gravely noting the placement of the pincers. His fluttering eyes catch the Scorpion breaking away from the hole in the wall, adding another contender to an already downhill battle. As the world shrinks and fades to blackness, vision static and tunnelled, his eyes slowly closing, he unleashes his final strike, disengaging his vibranium blade and throwing his arm downwards.

Immediately, Benjamin feels the tension halt, and the pressure suddenly freed from his ribs and lungs. However, his head continues to ache; the desperate gasping for air and arduous cough that follows make it challenging to re-open his eyes. He notices the pincers crushing his skull waver as if their attention has diverted. Prying his bloodshot eyes open, he stares down at the severed and sparking Doctor's tentacles, observing them slowly slither off his body like beheaded snakes, leaving Octavius with only two remaining appendages. With his breathing steadying, the Huntsman takes the initiative, disjoining the pincers from his head with trembling hands, tearing them as far apart as possible before dropping to the ground.

"Like I asked you, Doc," Benjamin dodges the two pincers as they impale where he once stood, snickering as he webs them in place with two web grenades each. "Take away your fancy gadgets, and what are you? A fucking man and nothing else, I'd love to see you take the beating you gave me and walk away from it. So, now do you understand? Or do you need further fucking convincing, hmm?"

"How- how are you so strong? So- unbreakable?" Otto questions, holding his hands up in surrender as the Huntsman staunches towards him in a rageful stride.

"The only thing strong and unbreakable about me, you pathetic fool, is my will to shatter scum like you to pieces. You can punch me, stab me and shoot me all you like, break my bones and I'll keep coming. I want you to know this, so listen carefully. Everything you've thrown at me today was child's play, an easy way out of this cesspool we call life, and the only thing stopping me from killing you are the prying eyes of the innocent."

The Huntsman snatches onto the Doctor's coat, lifting him off his feet and leaning in close, whispering into his ear. "Remember that next time you fucking terrorists decide to bomb a tower or attempt to kidnap a little girl and traumatise her. You all think you're so clever, believing you're the only one with eyes and ears all over this city, that it doesn't matter where you go; your power grants you safety. When, in truth, nowhere is. You can bunker down with your colleagues deep underground, and I'll still know where you are. I mean, if I'm honest with you, Doc?"

Benjamin gradually shifts away from the Doctor's ear, getting up in Octavius' face and growling at him like a savage animal. "I already know where you and the Sinister Six have what you'd call an HQ, quite pitiful thing that warehouse of yours-"

"H- How-"

"Interrupt me again, and I'll crush your voice box," Ben warns, diverting one hand close to his neck on the Doctor's shoulder. "It doesn't matter how I know, the fact that I do, now that matters. Aren't you supposed to be smart? Capable of deciphering what I'm saying? I'm saying that when the dusk plummets the city into the dark, where nobody can see you disappear, I'll be there waiting for the right time to strike. Don't get me wrong, I don't enjoy killing, but I'm going to take my time with the Sinister Six, and you're all too helpless to do anything about it. Now, let it soak in that thick head of yours, and if you're taking suggestions, I think you should sleep on it."

Benjamin launches his head forward, crashing it against Octavius', knocking him unconscious in an instant before taking a moment to bathe in the Doctor's helplessness. How easy it would be to break his neck, shatter his skull through his brain, reach into his chest cavity and show the world the Octopus' cold, mortal heart. Though, if the public is going to trust him, he can't be murdering people, at least not in their sight.

Ben can't help but feel caught in a web, unsure of the next course of action. Killing Otto would dismantle the Sinister Six's inventor and intelligence, a much more influential member, especially compared to the Scorpion, the sociopath of the Six. Nobody would miss him, and if he's honest with himself, Benjamin won't bat an eye when killing him becomes a requirement.

"It seems it's only you and me now, Spider!"

Benjamin's head snaps upwards, his eyes detached from his quarry as he dumps Octavius onto the bonnet of one of the impaired cars, webbing his torso in the black web. The Huntsman doesn't bother turning to face the Scorpion, with the clanging footsteps of Gargan's metal granting the Spider an accurate assumption of his position. As he takes a steady breath, slowly calming his heart rate, Ben webs his burnt and torn fedora into his hand, slipping it onto his head before reaching onto each side of his utility belt, retrieving two cylinder-shaped gadgets.

"You didn't kill Doc, did ya?!" Gargan screams out, his chuckling becoming unmistakable the closer he becomes as he waits for the Spider's reply. "I knew you wouldn't. You're too much of a pussy! Too weak-willed to walk the line-"

"That's quite bold of you to assume, dipshit! If you were god damn capable of seeing the bigger picture or had any superhuman hearing, you'd understand why I haven't! Besides!" Benjamin unhurriedly turns to face Gargan, the white eyes of his mask matching the glower beneath, not allowing the pain from Octavius' attempt to turn his bones into mash deter him. "It's far too easy for my liking!"

The Huntsman throws his arms back, flicking his wrists and projecting the small gadgets off the ground like a skipping stone. Upon springing off the asphalt, the cylinders activate, splitting apart, two sets of eight metal legs detaching from another, thrusters dashing them towards the Scorpion. Benjamin begins striding forward, his eyes glued to the drones, not wanting to miss the show; all the while, the Spider slings his handguns into his grasp, spinning the annular grips. Pressing a button on the side of one of his weapons, Ben watches the barrel divide in two, activating the dual-barrel. In the spur of the moment, he decides to attach the dual barrel pistol to the single, his technological submachine gun transfiguring in seconds.

"Well, well," Benjamin chuckles, running his hand across the body of this new weapon configuration, already curious as to what the alternative fire will do. "Baby steps, Ben, baby steps. Karen, analyse the target and display any weak spots to my contacts once the Drones do their thing. Afterwards, locate the Starks. They'll need medical attention, stat."

"I'm on it, boss."

"And, V?"

"Yes?" Venom responds immediately.

"Be ready. Let's take this motherfucker down, all three of us."

The Huntsman locks his weapon against his shoulder, staunching towards Gargan as he attempts to lift a car off the ground. However, before he can, the Spider-Drones reach him, appendages outstretched as three attach to the armour, one of the Spiders caught by Mac's stinger. The Drones on the Scorpion's shoulder, stomach and hip dig in before detonating, plummeting him and the vehicle to the ground with a loud boom.

Karen scans the newfound weak points in the dimmed green, smoking armour, giving Benjamin the advantage he needs. Gargan plants his fists into the ground, cracking his neck with a groan, slowly peering up at the Spider, ready to remark. However, his eyes widen a second before the Spider shoots him with three large, concentrated red orbs of energy. A deadly concussive blast burst into effect, levelling Gargan onto his back. Thanks to his suit, Mac recovers swiftly, his stinger lifting him back to his feet before rolling under the sideward vehicle's cover.

"You don't stand a chance, MacDonald!" Benjamin screams, as mindful of his step as he is collateral damage, prioritising the prevention of innocents caught in the crossfire. "Do me a favour, will you?! Poke your head out an inch?!"

Loud, feverish laughter slows Benjamin's stride, causing him to tiptoe as he flanks his target, a shiver managing to chill down his spine. Who knew a psychopath like Gargan could have that effect?

"Why end the party now when I'm having the time of my life?!" Gargan calls back, throwing the side-turned car like it's a softball.

"Oh, great! I've got shit to do, you selfish fuck!" Ben screams in half-annoyance, half captivation. Mac may not be the only one relishing the fight, but Benjamin would enjoy it much more if he weren't rushing to catch up to the Starks. "Now the real fun begins."

Clutching his weapon close with one hand, the Huntsman sprints full speed towards the approaching danger, sliding across the road as the vehicle loses its altitude. The tendrils on his back extend and strike the safety rails, extending the distance of the Spider's slide, ensuring he makes it past the threat. Ben fires two tripwire webs on each of the car's flank, using his free hand moments before it brushes his fedora; a gust of wind and rain sprays his mask on its way past. Red orbs fly as the tripwire's lasers trigger, and two compact webs fire into buildings on the opposing streets, leaving the car looming above street level.

Now in close combat, the tendrils push the Spider to his feet, striking and swiping at the armour at a moment's notice, stunning Gargan with each collision. Benjamin leaps and somersaults around the Scorpion's assault, he and Venom counter-attacking with firearm and scythe. Throwing his fists in a fury as his stinger strikes where the Huntsman stands, Mac's inability to hit his target adds to his aggravation, weakening his focus. Including Peter Parker, the Huntsman is the fourth Spider he's fought since becoming the Scorpion, and yet, none of them has used firearms against him, let alone tried to kill him.

"What's the matter, Mac?" Benjamin bounds to a nearby streetlight, boots stuck against the steel, weapon still locked on his quarry. To Gargan's surprise, the strange black appendages on the Huntsman's back disappears back into his suit, making him wonder why. "Can't keep up?"

"By the time I'm done with you, Spider, I'll pump your body with enough toxins to dissolve your insides."

"Are you trying to flirt with me, Mac? No offence, pal, but you're not my type. I prefer, you know, somewhat stable individuals. You're as crazy as a cut snake-"

"You think you're funny, cunt?" Mac growls, punching into the asphalt, tearing off a chunk of the thoroughfare and flinging it at Benjamin, forcing the Spider to move back to the road.

"Well, yes, I do, but I'm finding how pissed you're getting a lot more amusing, and I'm only getting started. In fact, when I'm done with you, I doubt you'll find anything funny again, kinda difficult when your face doesn't have a good side."

"You have to catch me first, puto," Mac hisses, beckoning the fight with a hand gesture.

"Way ahead of ya there-" Benjamin clicks in the second trigger, initiating the alternative fire. The split barrel begins to spin wildly, forging and charging up with energy before shooting a red beam at Gargan's chest plate. The Scorpion slams into the fracturing ground, blocking the energy ray with his hand. Consequently, the reinforced gauntlets thaw under the heat and burn the skin beneath, forcing Mac to retreat the gauntlet, further damaging his shoulder. "Feel the burn yet?!"

The beam ceases fire; as Gargan stares up at the danger, he detects the Huntsman moments before the stock of a submachine gun slams into his mask, knocking him on his side as Benjamin lands. Hands firmly planted on the body of his weapon, Ben swings the stock and hits Mac repeatedly, aiming for his foe's helmet and mask. On the fourth strike, the metal mask and glass optics crack; Benjamin is confident the fifth clash will break it off the criminal's face. However, the Scorpion punches Ben in the chest before he can, planting him on the road. Revolving his weapon in the correct direction, the Huntsman aims for Gargan's head, who grasps onto the body and redirects it, causing the Spider to miss his shot.

"Ah ah ah, you're not finishing me that easily," Mac snickers, driving his stinger towards the Spider, who effortlessly seizes it with one hand, leaving him vulnerable. He propels another punch, surprised when the Spider snags his weapon from his grasp to block the blow, knocking the gun from the fight altogether. Gargan then snatches onto the Huntsman's neck, bashing the back of his head into the ground as he begins strangling Benjamin. "Not so tough now, are you, prick?"

"You- haven't killed me- yet."

With his hands occupied and his head detained against the cracking road, Benjamin gradually wraps his legs around the metal arm. His superhuman strength crushes the reinforcements as the tension tightens as the Spider slowly raises his head despite the Scorpion's incursion. Pushing against the stinger and Gargan's gauntlet whilst swinging his body, Benjamin averts the Scorpion to his back, throwing the gauntlet aside before kicking down on Gargan's right arm to free the grip on his neck. Giving Mac a taste of his own medicine, the Huntsman stomps down on his throat, noticing a weak spot in the armour, causing the psychopath to choke before stamping on Gargan's helmet. The glass and metal shatter on impact, causing the psychopath to grunt as metal shards leave minor cuts on his face.

"You stupid- son of a bitch!" Launching his fists at full speed, Mac isn't shocked when the Huntsman calmly arrests his fists; instead, grinning with delight. Without warning, the Scorpion sticks the Spider's stomach with his stinger, the bladed tip puncturing his abdomen, the thrusters on the telson sending Benjamin flying backwards through the air.

The Huntsman hard plummets into the ground, landing on his side before rolling into a nearby car. The blow against his back dents the front bumper, the shock wave splitting the windshield as the air is swept from the Spider's lungs. Blood seeps from the puncture wound and through the cracks of Ben's left hand firmly held against the injury, his chest upheaving laboriously.

"Ben, the toxin has entered your bloodstream, and you've suffered a fracture to your spine. I'd recommend treating your stomach wound immediately. Retreating from the fight would make the process-"

"Karen, no, I can't- leave this fight. I need to finish it," Benjamin stares down at his brace, noting a crack in the bulletproof screen. "Fuck, Karen, the brace. Upload a backup- to the server in Stark's lab in case- my arm takes another hit."

"Benjamin! Don't change the subject! I will be fine, but what you need is medical attention! Time to let your wounds heal-"

"For as long as the Starks require medical, Karen, mine can wait. Now upload that backup."

Forcing himself away from his enemy with an aching whimper, Benjamin hides his right hand as his suit slithers from it, snapping his metal thumb and middle finger to ignite the lighter on his thumb. Holding his centre finger against the flame, the Huntsman allows the adamantium to absorb the heat, satisfied when raindrops steam at the touch. He takes in three rapid breaths, holding himself against the vehicle's bumper before removing his left hand from the wound, closing his eyes as he jams his sultry middle finger into the wound. His body locks up, the veins on his face revealing themselves as his jaw clenches hard enough to shatter stone.

Benjamin barely holds in his scream of anguish, his hand pushing the bumper off as he burns the wound, lasting four seconds before retreating. With the damage now painfully sealed, Benjamin's only concern is the poison that has surged into his blood, hit with a wall of exhaustion as his body fights to metabolise the toxin.

"V, I think it's time you take the wheel," Ben grunts, wincing and yelping as he pushes himself to his feet, getting nothing in response from the symbiote. "V, talk to me. Now. Please? You're freaking me out."

"Say it."

"Huh?"

"Say the words, or I'm not fighting," Venom commands, causing Ben to roll his eyes.

"Ugh, fine, but I still think it's fucking stupid. Oh, and V? Have fun, but make this quick. There's plenty more where this psycho came from. Mask!"

"Copy!" As Venom growls, his symbiotic form engulfs the Spider's body, the Huntsman's physique shifting taller and more muscle-bound, white veins prevalent on the symbiotic's thick skin. An upper jaw steeled with razor-sharp teeth slowly snaps over the Huntsman's head like a draw-bridge, connecting to the lower jaw immerging from the symbiote's neck. Large white eyes adjust in place as Venom exhibits a toothy grin as he punches his enormous fists into the ground, resting against his clawed hands in a quadrupedal position like a prowling predator.

"What the fuck are you, Huntsman?!" Mac screams, charging toward his quarry without fear. A foolish move.

"More than a match for a Scorpion, freak!" Venom growls, leaping across the street with monstrous strength, reaching the Scorpion in a blink before tackling Gargan, pummelling him to the ground. "The Spider should've brought me out sooner."

Snatching onto the Scorpion's stinger, the symbiote drags Gargan along the ground, forcing Mac to use his arms to stop his face from scraping. Further damaging the green suit, Venom effortlessly launches the Scorpion towards the unconscious Doctor Octopus, bounding in pursuit. Pouncing on Gargan as he attempts to recover, Venom grabs his foe's chest plate, lifting and slamming Mac into the ground multiple times before spinning and hurling him into the side of a building. The force imprints the armour into the brick, Gargan's legs dangling while the leverage slowly gives away.

"Boss, A.I.M. just sent a security transport to the scene. They're attempting to arrive before the NYPD, ETA; six minutes. Colonel Rhodes and Mr Keener are two minutes behind them. I recommend an immediate end to the fight. Oh, and I've located the Starks. We should get to them before the Avengers do."

"V, you've heard the lady. End the fight now. We've got places to be!" Ben orders with vigour gifted by knowing the Starks are an apprehension away. "Before we've got another fight on our hands."

"Ugh, fine! You're always ruining my fun!" Venom growls, motioning his wrists towards the Scorpion, catching Gargan as he begins falling with thick webbing. Yanking him forward, Venom seizes Mac's throat with one hand, capturing the Scorpion's stinger with the other. "Uh uh uh. This stinger of yours has caused enough trouble for us. It's time to take care of that."

Using his immense strength, Venom crushes the stinger with ease, poison spilling as the symbiote keeps Mac in place as he severs the stinger from the Scorpion's spinal chassis. Tossing it to the ground, Venom stomps on the metal, shattering the base entirely and exposing the rest of the poison within, knowing Ben's plan. With Gargan now helpless, the symbiote has one more move in mind.

"The next time we meet, Scorpion, the last thing you'll see is this-" roaring in Mac's face, the symbiote displays his wide jaw before slowly closing it. "-before I bite off your head and eat your brains as a snack. Keep this as a reminder-" digging his claws into the good side of Mac's face, Venom unhurriedly drags them downwards, leaving a nasty mark that'll scar. Gargan shrieks quietly all the while, sucking in the air to hold his scream back. "-you're a future meal of mine, that his mark on your face won't matter in the end. It's been fun."

Slamming the Scorpion into the ground, Venom covers Gargan in an almost suffocating amount of layers of webbing, towering over his forthcoming prey. Without warning, the symbiote's form begins to deviate, his physique shrinking and oozing away, unleashing the Huntsman from the beast. "Until next time, Mac."

His back still aching, Ben painfully leans down, examining the toxin Gargan managed to strike him with. Retrieving his syringe from his belt, Benjamin switches the glass cartridges and directs the tip of the device into the poison. Pushing the trigger, a needle collects a sample of it for further study, satisfied once the vile is filled. Rising to his feet, the Huntsman turns to face the Stark's battered vehicle; having heard Mrs Stark mention a first aid kit in the boot.

"Karen, send me the fastest route of the Stark's coordinates, it's time I catch up with them."

Again, sorry this one took so long, things have been quite hectic but I was blessed with some motivation today. The next chapter's title is 'Her Heart Felt Familiarity'.