All credit to respective owners!
With the Miles Morales Trailer out, I am wondering if this takes place during the time Superior recruited PS4's Spiderman for the multiverse event. *shrug* Either way, depending on what happens, I may incorporate ideas from that into my story or not, but we finally get into a saga I was very excited about...
THE VENOM ARC
P.S. I have no idea how to do romance, would reality television be a acceptable way to learn about it?
P.P.S. Concept art is not my forte...
-Y.A.R.N.
'I may have made a mistake in provoking Spider-Man.' Warren thought as he was smashed through the wall into the opposing wall.
He crashed into an ornamental case and gasped in pain as the shards of glass dug into his skin and he coughed up blood from his broken form. He dazedly looked up to see this hulking version of Spider-Man stalk through the opening his body had made in the wall. This thing did not seem to be any sort of hero, at least not right now. It was a vengeful monster, with its eyes' markings stretching back into flame-like shapes while it had a mouth with jagged teeth and a long and reptilian-like tongue that occasionally whipped at the air. Its body had put on a substantial amount of musculature while the substance that made his body rippled and twitched as though the suit itself was alive. Its hands were tipped and sharp as its feet were crunching the wood as it stomped under the weight of its power. The once smooth and form-fitting shoulders were tipped in thorny spines and the spines on the forearms had doubled until they seemed more like jagged blades stretching from its skin. The colors were the same in placement, but rather than the sleek and graceful division of color that was present before, the the division was like someone splattered a blast of color, like two halves of shattered canyons at war for dominance as they shifted against each other.
But the crest was the most striking of its monstrous ensemble.
The red spider design on his white suit (as the online forums had dubbed it) that initially was a new symbol for the iconic hero for those in need had turned into veiny and thin legs that moulded with the body of a jagged and withering spider that screamed fear and death. The black designs that danced over the red spider slid down the new symbol into a pair of overgrown spider fangs. The two fangs were defined in a way that spoke of a predator that would rip into its prey with animalistic glee and hunger. From the body and to the legs, twisted and writhing veins of black spread from the the crest and out over the body in jagged lines the same color of crusted blood.
Like tattered and torn webs.
This was not Spider-Man in any way or form, this was a monster who was angry and full of rage. A monster that looked like it was going to kill him only once he begged for it, once what was left of him was a weeping and broken husk of a being. He had tried to get away in a burst of instinctual fear only for the thing to fire a web and yank him into a punishing haymaker that definitely bruised if not cracked some of his ribs. Each blow was punishing, each one causing the persona of Spidercide to forget his own strength and turn into the helpless and weak Warren who prayed for a miracle to never come. Each strike was harshly tearing off the bravado and ego of the villain to lay bare the man beneath.
"No!" Spidercide roared, rallying a desperate attack as he lashed out with a sharpened and elongated set of claws, "I won't be defeated here!"
Spider-Man caught the claws with one fist with no visible change in his expression. There was no narrowing of the 'eyes' of his mask, no indication of emotion. His red edges that noted where his eyes were didn't even twitch in acknowledgement towards the appendage caught in his grasp.
Peter squeezed.
Spidercide's fingers crumpled like a dry twigs in a hydraulic press.
He howled and used his hand to yank himself forward, tackling Spider-Man to send them both towards the foyer of the penthouse. Spidercide leapt away and cradled his broken hand to his chest as he realized he had ended up on the side of the foyer that was away from the windows. Spidercide didn't have a healing factor like that mutant Wolverine and he realized that whatever power he had, it wasn't enough to contend with Spider-Man in this furious state. Spidercide picked up a table with one enlarged hand and heaved it the hero with a roar.
Spider-Man batted it aside as it shattered into splinters of wood as it came into contact with his fist.
Spidercide exhaled angrily and shifted his body so it was entirely covered into spikes and the armored gauntlets actually hardened into spiked flails to give him more lethality. It may not be enough to fully dissuade the wall-crawler, but Warren just needed a reprieve to escape.
Miles had ushered Norman towards the elevators only for Norman to fight tooth and nail to refuse to be moved.
"No!" He roared, "let me go! I need to make sure he won't be harmed!"
Miles wasn't exactly sure who this 'he' was, but trying to tell Norman that he and Spider-Man would handle it apparently wasn't reassuring enough. Eventually Miles just webbed Norman's hand to the wall and fervently apologized before leaving, scrambling up the elevator shaft. He knew Peter was more than strong enough for Spidercide, but he felt he had to try to help Peter in any way he could. Fortunately, the cuts had healed enough for him to feel only a burning of mild pain rather than hot and consuming pain of bloody gashes in his stomach.
Thank spider-powers for a healing factor that helped him recover enough for this. He sprinted and used his webs to launch himself up faster.
He needed to be back up there.
"Close... a sibling and its host... close..."
Spidercide tumbled over the table before slamming a wall next to a painting of Osborn and his son, sliding down and gasping in pain. He barely managed to look up to see and enlarged white fist slamming into his chest. The wall behind him shattered into some sort of high tech room and he crashed into a screen, his body sparking as the screen let out a discharge of electricity as it shattered. Spidercide winced as the wires sparking lit fire to the room and began to heat the room. It was then a loud thud was heard form some sort of cylindrical metal protrusion from the wall. The pounding got louder and louder as though something was trying to break out of the wall. Spider-Man walked through before recoiling from the heat, his suit beginning to slim back down and mouth sowing shut as his symbiote's pain brought clarity back to his head. Viri squirmed in agitation as it sensed something else other than the residual pain of heat... It was... was...
'Peter!' Viri howled, 'One of my kind... A symbiote is in the lab! You have to get it out the heat might kill it!'
Peter shook off the last of his fury and red haze of rage to look at where the pounding was coming from. He fired a webline and began to yank at the metal. Spidercide decided that this was as good a time as any to escape, and sprinted past the hero to try to make it to the window. He leapt away only for a web to snag him in the back and yank him back into the lobby of the suite. He slammed into the wood and groaned only to realized that Kid Arachnid was the one who pulled him back in.
"Sorry!" The young hero called, "But it'd be rude of you to leave before the party's over!"
Peter yanked at the metal and it finally came apart to showcase the glass case that it was protecting and Peter stopped cold as he realized what he was seeing.
Harry Osborn.
His best friend.
A sick young man who was supposed to be in Europe getting treatments.
Shrouded in a symbiote and completely unconscious while floating in a tank filled with a green liquid.
Suddenly it all made sense.
The Devil's Breath.
Norman's obsession with it.
Why he kept it in New York.
All of it was done because the man was desperate to save his son.
Peter mind spun at all of this information before he shook off the sudden realization; the symbiote inside the glass container was writhing in pain as the heat from the burning lab kept rising. Peter cocked his fist back and launched himself at the glass. His fist slammed against the glass, which shattered into a million pieces and let all of the green water flow out and over the flames, dousing them. Peter caught Harry as he weakly moaned, the mask pumping the sedative gas torn from its housing as the case shattered. He pulled Harry out of the smoking hidden lab and leaned the stirring Osborn to the table to lay down and hopefully stay out of the way of the fight.
Peter had barely backed away from Harry when the symbiote that was wrapped around Harry lashed out.
It leapt from Harry's body to attempt to wrap around Spider-Man and began to try to cover and surround Peter's body. Viri howled in outrage as the symbiote tried to burrow into Peter and rip Viri off of Peter.
'How kind of you to give us your host brother!' The venom symbiote cackled, 'We were so tired of being bound to that sickly human!'
'Get off of us!" Viri roared, "What are you doing?! You cannot simply take my host from me!'
'We don't care! If I cannot have a suitable host, you do not deserve one either! We were tortured and harmed, a lab rat bonded to a dying husk! Your host is perfect and we want him! Surrender him to us!'
'Stop!' Viri screamed.
'Stop resisting us!' Venom howled angrily.
Peter cried out as he felt the symbiote try to tear Viri off of him and implant itself inside of him, not caring for the damage it caused to Viri or Peter. He could feel the hate and aggression of the symbiote as it brushed against his mind, trying to forcibly bind to him. Peter grabbed two handfuls of the offending symbiote and began to pry it off, pulling the black symbiote from his chest and Viri. The slimy black symbiote howled and screeched as it refused to let go, it attempting to tear Viri off of Peter before Peter managed to toss it off with Viri's assistance. He took a deep breath as it flew through the air and stumbled away from the slimy organism that landed into a writhing heap onto the floor..
"What the hell...?" He managed, breathing deeply.
'I don't know what happened to it...' Viri whispered in confusion, 'Whatever has been done to it has changed it!'
But that turned out to be the least of their worries as the suit seemed to realize there were other hosts near by and crawled over towards Miles and Spidercide. Miles didn't sense the danger as the suit leapt and landed squarely on his back, making the hero stumble forward from the sudden weight. The suit trickled over Miles like ink, shrouding the young hero in a suit of a new design. Replacing the red spiderweb patterns that were stitched into Miles suit, the symbiotic flowed into a suit that was utterly black except for the stylized white spider logo that covered Miles' chest and back and where the webs were previously red they were now a stark white. The eyes of his mask became less defined and almost jagged and flame-like.
Spidercide's eyes widened at Miles' new look and panic began to truly set in as he realized that whatever happened to Spider-Man had now happened to his protege.
He was dead.
Miles turned to the villain and smashed his fist across the villain's jaw, breaking it and sent the villain sprawling across the destroyed lobby. Spidercide had barely stopped sliding before Kid Arachnid came down on him with a flurry of blows that finally beat the villain into a bloody and deep pit of unconsciousness. Miles flexed his hands and grinned at the strength that was now flowing through him. A burst of dark satisfaction bubbled in Miles' head as he smirked at the downed villain, if he really wanted to end it though... all it would take was a quick blow into Spidercide's head...
Miles stiffened before dismissing the thought, he was just angry with Spidercide.
"I can't believe it!" He exclaimed, "This is insane! One blow and I knocked him out!"
Peter approached cautiously, "Uh... You okay Kid?"
Miles turned excitedly to his mentor, "Did you see that? I was awesome! I never knew a symbiote could make me that strong!"
Peter couldn't help the smile in his voice at Miles' excitement, maybe the suit would listen to Miles and there wasn't anything to worry about.
Viri's worry flitted across their bond, but Peter knew Miles could handle it, besides maybe it was only angry because Peter was already taken after it had finally been freed from the tank imprisoning it?
Speaking of which...
Peter ran over to Harry while Miles secured Spidercide and quickly held him up; Harry's muscles probably hadn't had much activity since his 'trip' and probably had atrophied from lack of use. Harry opened his eyes and dazedly looked at Spider-Man, confused as to why the hero was even doing there in what he realized was his father's penthouse (which was practically ruined and completely destroyed).
"Spider-Man?" He mumbled, voice hoarse from disuse, "What...?"
"Easy." Peter said, a sorrowful thrum in his chest at sight of his best friend looking so weak and sick, "You've probably been in that vat for a long time. What's the last thing you remember?"
Harry coughed and took a deep breath, his forehead furrowing as he tried to clear the haze of unconsciousness from his mind, "My dad said I should rest up before leaving? I fell asleep and then I heard voices and whispers? Maybe someone was talking to me? Waking up here is the newest thing... How long have I been out?"
"I don't know." Spider-Man said quietly, before he disclosed out the date.
Harry's eyes widened and he turned frantic, "I can't! That long? No! That can't be right!"
It was at that time Norman Osborn re-entered his destroyed penthouse.
He saw his son and his face turned to horror, "HARRY!"
"Dad?" Harry murmured.
He ran over to his son and slid to his knees, ignoring Spider-Man outright, "Why are you out of the tank, you need to go back in! Your sickness, where is the symbiote that we attached to you to help keep you stable? You need it to stay healthy!"
"Dad, what about my treatment? Why was I unconscious for a whole year!" He demanded.
Osborn turned to look at the hero with a glacial look, "This is not for outsiders. Leave us now."
Spider-Man stood up and gave Harry a long look before sighing, "He should know now, and give it to him straight."
Norman sneered, "Don't tell me what I need to say."
Miles heaved a completely wrapped up Spidercide over his shoulder and gave his mentor a look, "Come on coach, we should go."
Spider-Man sighed before following Miles out he door.
Harry was helped into one of the intact chairs in the penthouse, Norman took a seat away and looked at his son.
"What was he talking about?" Harry demanded, "What happened."
Norman pursed his lips, inwardly grimacing at the all of the events of note that happened, "It was supposed to be your cure son..."
As Norman told the story, he said as much as he could.
The cover up.
Dismantling Octavius Industries.
The Devil's Breath.
The Sinister Six.
His loss to be mayor.
Project Olympus.
Harry grew more and more horrified, "Dad... How could you have kept that disease so close? Why did you go after Otto and ruined his life! Then you nearly got yourself killed several times!What the hell is wrong with you!"
"It was for you!" Norman argued, "I needed the best minds to help me with a cure! I won't apologize for trying to get you cured faster!"
"It killed dozens and even hundreds of people!" Harry shouted, attempting to get up only to fail as his weakened muscles were unable to raise him up.
Norman reached out to his son and Harry panted in exhaustion, "Harry, you need to rest. You are in no condition to move."
"I need a phone." Harry growled, "I want... I want to talk to my friends."
Norman frowned but pulled out his cell and handed it to his son.
Peter wasted no time in helping Miles drop off Spidercide to the police before slipping into an alley so Viri could shift into simple street clothes. Miles quickly swung away to go home and inspect his symbiote. Peter had his misgivings, that symbiote was intended for Harry and he probably needed it to stay healthy. He just hoped Miles wouldn't get too attached, he felt the aggression of the symbiote when it briefly tried to bind itself to him, and its conversation with Viri wasn't something he didn't hear. Either way, if Harry acted as he usually did, Peter need to be able to reach his phone and not sound strained at greeting his childhood friend. He wasn't a moment too soon before his phone began to ring with what read with Norman Osborn's number. He shakily reached for his phone and brought it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Peter?" Harry's voice said softly.
"Harry?" Peter whispered, "Is that you?"
It wasn't hard to act as though he couldn't believe it, he was still reeling from seeing Harry in the flesh.
"It's me Pete." He could hear the smile in Harry's tired voice, "I'm back from my... trip."
"Let's meet up!" Peter said, "I can't wait!"
Harry hesitated, "I am a bit... under the weather right now. I need to take a few weeks before we can meet up, but you can visit if you want. I have a lot to talk about. How's MJ?"
Peter sighed, "She's in Symkaria."
"What?!" Harry exclaimed.
Peter told Harry about everything that had gone down in regards to MJ while he was 'away'.
Harry seemed stunned, "Everything's changed..."
Peter pursed his lips, "Harry... I think we need to talk."