Chapter 2, here we go! :D

When Peter woke up, the circumstances were less than ideal.

His body ached and pinched from the meticulous beat down Goblins electric gloves gave his nervous system; every joint creaked and stiffened, but it wasn't the worst electrocution he's endured. In fact, it was quite tame compared to what Electro normally dished out – Peter didn't even have an electric burn as far as he could feel, which meant Goblin must've been holding back the voltage so he didn't hurt him.

Peter still groaned as he gradually floated back to consciousness. He blinked several times before he realized the green hue cast over the room was on purpose and not a trick of his eyes. It was gaudy in a villain-esque type way, but at least Gobby was consistent in his color scheme.

The second thing he noticed was that he was completely immobilized – which probably should've been higher up on his priority list, and definitely over Goblin's favoritism toward the color green. He grunted and pulled at the thick metal clamps pinning him to the slanted table, but even with his super strength, they were remarkably sturdy.

Not that he couldn't bust out of them right there. If he just put a little more strength into it they'd break off easy enough, but across the room, Goblin's immense shoulders walked between shelves of chemical vials and equipment, and he'd probably notice if Puny Parker crushed a metal table with his bare hands. It didn't look like Goblin noticed he was awake yet though, so that gave him some time to gather his bearings.

He didn't recognize the room he was in. It was all lowlights and dark shadows, most of the light coming from the green-hued lights illuminated from panels in the wall, and the hexagon-shaped screens taking up an entire section of the room. An expanse of equipment was placed neatly around the room too, from the microscopes and flasks organized on the tables, to the smooth-running generator and engines stacked in the corner. For all his love of violence and chaos, the Goblin sure had lab safety down.

It took Goblin only a few minutes to notice that Peter was awake and struggling, and quickly changed direction so he was walking toward him.

"Ah," Peter heard him say, that hair-raising voice booming against the walls like a mini-bomb as his arms exploded into a gesture, "Welcome home, son."

Peter pressed himself into the table as if that might add more distance between them. Despite running the calming-techniques Danny has been teaching him through his head, his heart rate spiked with every step Goblin took.

"What do you want?" he asked, not needing to fake his nervousness. He didn't need to pretend when he was literally shaking his shoes. Nothing good ever came with spending time with the Goblin – Peter could only imagine the things Goblin would do if he realized he had Spider-Man pinned down and not just Peter Parker.

"Let me go!" Peter tugged against the clamps again, pulling himself up as much as he could, before Goblins words sank in and he slid back down, staring at him in bewilderment, "Wait, did…did you just say son?"

"The son I've always wanted," Goblin confirmed, coming to a stop next Peter – he was so frigging huge - "Harry and I share a few recessive genes, but nothing more," he dropped the tools he was carrying on the mobile-table nearby, continuing with seeping praise, "You're smarter, more driven, and as a wimpy, defenseless kid," Peter resisted the urge to glower, "you'll appreciate power. You can be a greater creation than the late, great Spider-Man!"

Peter tried not to choke on his own tongue. Don't be suspicious. Don't be suspicious. Don't be suspicious. When Goblin turned to face him, Peter didn't think he understood the irony in what he just said, but he still felt the insistent need to tug against the clamps because that hit a little too close to home. His spider-sense was a spasmodic jerk up and down his spine and over his skull, but he didn't need it to know that something bad was about to happen. He could feel it in the air. See it in the all-too-creepy way Goblin kept looking at him.

Peter warred with himself, wondering if he should just endure whatever Goblin was planning, or throw all caution to the wind and fight his way out – alter ego? Never heard of it.

But while every inch of his body was pleading with him to get the heck out of there, the roots of Peter's fears kept him planted on the table. Aunt May would never be safe. Neither would MJ. Goblin would know where to go to find them and it'd be all his fault; it was bad enough that Harry was involved; Peter couldn't handle Aunt May and Mary Jane getting caught up in too. Besides, Goblin's made no positive indications that he knew Peter's secret, so perhaps he should just wait until SHIELD tracked him down before he did anything rash.

But whatever he was going to do, he needed to do it fast. Goblin turned around again, now brandishing an injection gun, and Peter's stomach dropped. His spider-sense fired to def-con 2 and he leaned as far away from the needle as he could manage.

What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?

Goblin made a small chuckle as he positioned the hollow-point of the gun against the crook of Peter's arm. Peter clenched his fist, as good as that did him, and felt a spasm of fear hit his chest when the needle sank into his skin. He grunted something between a wheeze and whimper as the writhing black fluid inside the tube was pushed into his bloodstream. The injection gun softly pulled away afterward and Peter's panic heightened.

"W-what did you just put in me?" He demanded, hysteria slipping seamlessly through his voice, "What am I going to turn into?"

Spider-Goblin? The human spider? A duck?! The outcomes were almost limitless given how much crazy was bouncing around in Goblin's skull.

He didn't get the opportunity to delve into any more ideas. A sharp, tingling sensation was growing from the injection point, sweeping up his arm like he was a human pin cushion and someone was sticking thousands of little needles into his pores. Through the veins in his arm, he could see a sweep of black riding his bloodstream, standing out against his skin like spilled ink on paper, as it disappeared up his sleeves in seconds – he could feel something moving beneath his skin, pushing against the tissue layer and probing around in his body. The prickling sensation quickly escalated into something searing hot that left his insides to boil, as if Goblin has injected magma into his blood.

It was only getting worse too, and Peter rapidly found himself crying out, thrashing against the clamps, but unable to string enough conscious thought together to pull hard enough for an escape. The sensation infected the rest of his body, crawling up his throat to get to his brain, down his esophagus to fill his lungs and poison his heart. It ate him up inch by inch, blood-cell by blood cell, as thin black strands began seeping out of his pores and wrapping around his body like a cocoon. He almost didn't hear it when Goblin chuckled and answered Peter's long-forgotten question, "Just an old family recipe."

The tendrils crawled their way his body, covering his face despite the way he recoiled from it, and if it were possible the pain only grew from there. As the dark mass enveloped him, he was lost a vastness of agony and murky substance. The black film over his eyes faded into clarity and he could see again, but it was with a painstaking start that he realized it was through the eyes of another. Red veins sprouted over the black goop encasing him and exploding into pockets of crimson that seeped and merged with the black. Spikes shot out of his arching body, before sliding seamlessly back in.

He could feel something moving with him. Something different. Something alive. It was a movement over his body he remembered all too well from when Venom had controlled of him; he could feel its presence pressing up against his mind like an unwanted thought, getting stronger and stronger, whispering suggestions and opinions into his ears. His pain became Its pain; the mask over his face slip into jagged teeth as his screams evolved into hair raising shrieks as they passed through the symbiotes vocals.

To the side, Goblin was watching with a mixture of intrigue and surprise. Despite the many sensations pulsing through Peter's limbs, he felt a flare of anger. Had Goblin not expected this? Had he just shoved some cocktail of chemicals and spliced DNA into his body to see what would happen?

The shrieking got louder in his anger and with the symbiote adding its strength to his limbs, their arms burst free from the table. They quickly tore the rest of the clamps away, falling from the slanted table and onto crouched feet when they hit the floor. Riding along the painstaking torment an overwhelming sense of energy and anxiety swept through them, and along with it an overpowering urge to find somewhere safe. But they had no idea where to look. So, they surged forward on a whim, shrieking and screaming. They ran into a cupboard of chemicals, knocking shelves off and crushing vials with the tendrils growing from their back, whipped around and attacking anything nearby. Turning, they jumped, seeking higher ground. Distance was their friend and height would be their sanctuary. But the screens they jumped on were not stable enough and broke under their weight. The screen crashed to the floor with them, but they were back on their feet within seconds.

Something big was watching them. A giant green creature. They recognized it; it had hurt them. So they will hurt it back. Anger, pain, confusion – a cluster of emotions that spurred them forward. Goblin was the reason this was happening. He was the reason their skin was on fire and their body flailed with agony. They would make him feel the pain they were feeling. They would skin him alive and devour his organs; listen to his screams as he listened to theirs now.

But Goblin was fast and dodged their attack, grunting in surprise, "Whoa," he said, and his grin was back. That maniacal curve of his lips as though something pleased him. He thrust his hand out, zapping them with electricity and making the pain so much worse. "OBEY SYMBIOTE!"

They stopped. Goblin was strong and he could still hurt them. They were still angry, and they thirsted for something to sink their claws into, but there was a strange urge to listen to this creature too. Something about the Goblin that had them sitting up in attention. Unsure if they approved of this feeling or not, they crouched low, hissing; observing.

"Perfect," Goblin exclaimed, eyes glinting, "Look at the absolute carnage you've wrought! I –" he paused with a thoughtful hum, "Carnage. I like it!"

A red flash from the fallen screen pulled Goblin's attention to the ground, where a news channel was rolling footage of a red and blue hero climbing out of a mound of debris - Spider-Man. It was Spider-Man. They had been Spider-Man. A team of other brightly dressed people were helped him out of the fallen building – a building that had nearly crushed Host this morning.

Goblin growled, clenching in fists in fury. "Still alive? No!"

He crushed the screen under his foot and stared down at Carnage with a new fire in his eyes, "Find him," he commanded, "Rip him to shreds, bring me Spider-Man's bloody carcass, then you can be part of the family."

A thrill of excitement raced up their spine. Their desire to move, fight, and kill throbbed in every one of their limbs and they screeched more eagerly, turning to seek a way out of the room to begin their hunt. They couldn't kill Spider-Man, of course, that would mean killing Peter Parker. The Host. The symbiote needed their Host. They like their Host.

But maybe they could find someone else.

Far beneath the squirming mess of the symbiote, Peter felt himself jerk back to reality, "No!" he cried, fighting against it, forcing himself to pull away from the symbiotes urges. The pain that exploded over his limbs made everything go white and he was pulled more tightly within the symbiotes grasp – a fish hooked to a line. Whatever this symbiote was, it wasn't like Venom. Peter had been able to break free of Venom. This – whatever this symbiote was - was stronger and far more determined. It pulled him back in easily as two long tendrils burst from their back and they jumped, leaping from the wall, running along the rafters, before jumping through the broken stained-glass window near the top of the ceiling.

The impact of the wind hit them like a rushing car, but it spurred them on. They leaped into the open air with high screeches of delight planted among their shrieks as they swung from building to building. The streets below were overrun with people. So many bodies unaware of what was soaring above them. It tingled through their body with sadistic delighted glee, but they wouldn't descend among them – not yet. Goblin was still dangerous, and he had things that could hurt them, but he also understood their desire for blood. Their lust for a fight. He had sent them out there to hunt.

So, they would listen…for now. They needed to find someone to bring to Goblin because it couldn't be their Host.

But Goblin had a son. And Host liked the son too, which appealed to the symbiote. Perhaps both would be happy if they took Harry Osborn instead.

Peter squirmed again, struggling a second time against the symbiote's control. He argued, telling it not to go after Harry, but the symbiote could tell how much Host cared for Goblin's child. Host cared for Harry very much and it would calm Host to know that Harry was safe.

So, the symbiote shushed him. They would bring Harry Osborn back with them. It was decided.

They switched direction, heading toward the Oscorp tower. The burn in their limbs was a growing itch in the back of their head – an itch only satisfied through action. They longed for something to sink their teeth into. They were hungry. So, when the building came into view and a group of people were already there waiting, they trilled excitably. But first, they zeroed in on the red-haired boy that they recognized from Host's memories.

Harry was surrounded by others; SHIELD Agents, all holding weapons. They would have to go first.

They wouldn't give them the opportunity to fight back either. They didn't hesitate as they broke through the glass and wrapped a long tendril around one of the room's support pillars, pulling it down. A large cloud of dust resulted in the destruction, and with it they used the cover to take out the agents. It yearned to thrust its claws into their chests, rip their throats out, and show them how strong they were. But Host was fighting extra hard against it. The symbiote relented, this time.

They incapacitated the agents quickly until the only one left was a man with one eye, who they lifted off the ground. Despite this, the man shot at them and with a screech, they threw the man across the room where he hit the wall on the far side with enough force to crack the drywall. The man was out cold.

"That is not Venom," one of the superheroes said – Powerman, it was – and the rest of the team stepped in front of Harry when Their eyes narrowed on him.

"That is a symbiote," Harry said, blue eyes peeping over their shoulders, "But –" those eyes widened in horror, "No, Pete!"

The symbiote trilled in agreement. That's right. Harry knew who they were. Knew who Host was. Harry was a good human and would make Goblin happy and would make Host happy too. The symbiote preened, knowing it had made a good choice.

But the rest of the team was standing in the way.

Several tendrils whipped from their skin, going for the team, but was blocked by a sturdy wooden table thrown to the side for cover. It broke easily enough under Their strength, but it gave White Tiger the time to push Harry to the side, just as the razor-sharp tips reached them.

They lurched forward, jumping side-to-side, before lunging to grab Harry again. White Tiger pushed Their Harry once more, this time into the waiting arms of Iron Fist, and flipped out of the way as tendrils pierced the ground she'd been standing on.

They landed with a low, screeching hiss, but jerked to the side when Powerman came at their left and used the tendrils to lift themselves into the air. Heights were usually safe, but Nova was up there with them, and They had to knock him in the shoulder when he tried to grab them.

They shoved Nova into the wall, and when they let go he slid to the ground with a grunting 'oomph.'

Dropping from the ceiling, They went after Iron Fist this time. Obviously, They weren't going to let him take Harry.

Harry was Theirs.

Although, much to Their chagrin, Iron Fist dodged each attack and managed to land a hard kick to Their face, and they stumbled back with a growl. Regardless, They regained their footing and used their claws to lurch forward, right on top of the monk. They tackled him before the teen had a moment dodged and went straight for his chest.

To their surprise, Iron Fists smiled, as if he expected it, and his fist illuminated in gold. He punched Them square in the chest, sending them back into the air. Instead of falling though, several large strands grew out of their body and latched onto the walls, ceiling, and floor, suspending Them over the ground so they could look their battlefield over again. The team was proving harder to take down than They thought.

"This Venom indeed seems different," Iron Fist commented, his expression becoming more uneasy.

To the side, Powerman was sprinting up the stairs leading to the next landing, which would've given him the higher ground. The higher ground was Theirs. They shot out one tendril, nearly hitting the teen and embedding it into the wall, and pulled themselves toward him, hitting the wall hard enough this time to crack drywall. Despite the surprise of their attack, Powerman tackled Them against the stairs, arm pulled back for a punch.

But they were smarter than that, and several spikes surged from their body. Powerman recoiled quickly, "Euh – definitely pointier."

They punctuated his sentence with a kick to his chest and Powerman hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Their spider-sense tingled, and they rolled to the side as several streaks of blue light hit the spot where They'd been pinned.

They climbed the stairs, leaping onto the banister, then back on the wall, following each blast up to Nova. The boy barely managed to dodge when They lunged at him.

"And peppier," he added but wasn't fast enough to avoid the tendril that wrapped around his chest and tossed him back on the ground, where he landed on the sofa with a grunt, rubbing his helmet where it had hit the hard back. "I'm guessing too much caffeine," he groaned.

They flipped back down onto the main level, bouncing in a crouch, before running after White Tiger, who jumped at the wall and used it to flip herself backward, so she was right behind them. Their back was protected though, albeit she managed to slash the tendrils that zipped toward her. Still, They barreled onward and pushed her back. White Tiger rolled with the hit and used the momentum to propel Them over her head. They stuck to the wall easily and jumping back down, hunched so low to the ground, Their chin almost touched the floor. The heroes regrouped.

"Or," White Tiger said, standing in front of them, "Goblin improved on the original formula."

They all scattered like insects when They jumped into the fray. Iron Fist moved backward, regaining his footing, and lunged with a poised fist. But They knew his tricks now and before he could make contact, several strands wrapped around his chest They threw him into the bookcase. With him out of the way, They were free to attack the next closest.

Two tendrils wrapped around Powderman's wrists, keeping them apart when he tried to bring them together, and They pulled themselves forward and hit him in the chest, feet first. The force was enough to knock him back into the wall, and They used his body as a springboard to flip backward. As soon as Their feet touched the ground, White Tiger was on them, her deadly claws in their face, but they grabbed her arm and kicked her off. She skid across the floor, but maneuvered her body and used her arms to spring herself back up, landing on the bookshelf in a crouch. Flipping back again when They destroyed the bookshelf, she landed on the couch, rolled off, and sprinting at them once more.

But she wasn't anticipating Them lifting the bookshelf up, over her head, and smashing it back on top of her. She disappeared amongst the broken piles of wood and books, hitting the ground hard.

With a shout, Nova flew at Them, using the Nova Force to shoot beams. Those blasts were most unpleasant, so when he came flying up to them, They stepped to the side and caught him around the middle. As he squirmed and wiggled in Their hold, they contemplated throwing him like they did the others but hesitated. The rest of the team was still getting to their feet and weren't prepared to launch a counter-attack yet.

Nova was open. Vulnerable. Squirming. They trilled at the feeling of having this human at Their mercy and regarded him with a cold, feral grin as sharp, razor claws grew from their finger's tips. It wouldn't take a lot to get him to bleed. Their skin was bubbling with the need. They've been fighting this whole time, but such little blood had been spilled. Their fingers twitched as they searched all the different areas they could stab and rip apart. Host was trying to fight, but the symbiote has been nice enough already.

Before they distribute the first cut, a loud "NO!" caught their attention. It was a familiar voice, ringing with panic and reminded them that They were here on a mission. They tossed Nova to the side and turned toward Harry, who was staring at them in wide-eyed horror.

They stalked forward, mouth parting to release a pleased hiss as their tendrils reached out to grab him. Harry backed up, holding his hands to his chest, palms out and eyes wide. "Stop!" he shouted and They…stopped. There was something familiar about Harry – more than the simple fact that Host knew him. Harry was more. They had a…connection. An invisible link that still tethered them together. They've been bonded before.

And he could see it in Harry's eyes. The boy was quick to catch o; he looked between himself and Them, and his eyes hardened back straightening. Host knew that look. That was the Stormin' Normin' look, Harry Osborn style.

"I said stop!" Harry repeated when They tried to grab him again. It was both frustrating and natural as they fell back, tilting Their head to listen. This was so strange. They had a mission, they needed to bring Harry back to the Goblin, but…but Harry was bonded to them too. Harry knew them.

"You know who I am," Harry repeated, and They trilled, excitement running through them again, driving away the sizzling pain in their veins. Harry remembered them. He remembered their bond too. "You're Venom. You're just…different. I don't know what my dad did, but we still have a bond. You can feel it too," He held his palms out and They took an anxious step back.

Then, hesitantly, their tendrils moved forward, touching his skin. "That's right," Harry said, expression still steely and firm, and when they were faced with no resistance, the symbiote trilled again and moved over his body more eagerly. Harry was familiar. They could remember him now. They had been bonded before; they knew each other.

Goblin had called them Carnage, but he was wrong. They were Venom.

"We're friends," Harry continued, watching as the symbiote crawled up his arm and down his torso. "We're family." As the symbiote reconnected to him, the red receded and their shrieks died down. There was no pain with Harry; his blood was nice and homey. His body a safe haven.

Peter Parker was where they came from. He was the original. But Harry had never turned them away. Harry had accepted them first.

Harry was their Host.

But…Peter Parker was their Host too.

In a moment of panic, the symbiote cut off the tendrils connecting them to Harry, but those over the boy's body continued to expand. They whined, a feeling of such confusion and anxiety hitting them, they took another step away. Instead of letting them retreat though, Harry burst forward and grabbed Them, knocking them both to the floor. He dug his hands into the symbiote, fingers curling as if to pry it off manually.

"Come back to me," Harry said, a twinge of desperation lacing his words, "Let him go. Please! Leave Peter alone, you can have me instead!"

The symbiote tried to resist. As much pain as they and their Host were in, Parker was their Host. They belonged to him. They were a part of him.

But somehow, somewhere along the way, they had become a part of Harry too. It managed to hold off a few seconds longer, before its walls caved and the rest of the symbiote followed, pulling away from its original Host until Peter collapsed against the floor with a loud, pained gasp. He curled in on himself and groaned, skin a sheen of sweat the exertion of the symbiote.

He took a second or two, waiting for the ghosting remnants of the pain to leave his body, before slowly pulling himself up onto his arms, still panting heavily. He's only been bonded to a symbiote once before, but it hadn't been able to keep him locked up like that before. He hadn't been able to break free at all. Having this symbiote was like forcing something back onto him that just didn't fit right anymore.

A deep, dark voice had Peter looking up again and his stomach dropped.

"We are Venom," the large, looming figure standing over him said. The narrowed white eyes stared down at him, its sharp teeth glistening in the light. When it looked at Peter, still curled in on himself, breathing heavy and faced pinched from ghosting pain, its expression became one of rage. "And we are going to END THIS!"

A large black hand grabbed Peter by his shirt and hauled him up. "Whoa, whoa, Harry – " Peter tried, but didn't get much out when he was tugged under a giant, muscly arm, and carried to the open window. Peter scrambled for leveraging, trying to pull himself away, and stammering out as much objection as he could before Venom jumped out of the building. The last thing he saw from the Osborn penthouse were the alarmed, and equally exasperated, looks of his team.

"No, not again!" Peter yelped as they hit open air.

Chaotic-space-cowboy from Tumblr headcanoned that the reason Carnage was shrieking so much in the episode was because Peter was in pain. I thought that was an interesting take and wanted to include it into this retelling. So, basically, when injected into Peter's body, the symbiote has a strange negative response to him, and vice versa for Peter. Seeing how the symbiote still originally came from Peter, it stays connected to him.

So, yeah, anyway, there's chapter two! :D Hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter will be out in a few days.