Title: A Shocking Development

Author: Stormy1x2

Word Count: 527

Time Frame: Season 1, Episode 4 – the final battle with Venom on the roof, from Sam's POV.

A Shocking Development

"Nova! I need my hands!"

Nova could not have prepared himself for what he was seeing. He couldn't fight the symbiote off when it had molded itself to him. All he could was crouch there on the roof of Harry Osborne's penthouse and try to keep it contained in one spot until Luke had ripped it off him. But here he was, watching Spider-Man physically punching his way out of the black goop trying to mesh with him down to the cellular level. Oops – and calling for an assist at the same time. That he could do. Nova shook his head, stood, and then fired a burst of sizzling white energy that crossed both of Spidey's hands and vaporized the symbiote.

The symbiote wailed and growled. Spider-Man spoke over it. "You wanna be Spider-Man? You're in for a big shock, Venom!"

He wasn't. Was he? Nova watched, jaw agape, as Spider-Man fired two web lines, each around a metal structure on the roof. He used enough webbing to ensure they encircled the targets and looped around themselves. Then the hero activated his electro webs, sending a rush of energy streaming down them. It bounced back with extraordinary force.

Electricity sizzled down the two lines and struck the amalgamation of Spider-Man and Venom. The white-blue energy lit up the night sky, surrounding and flooding the entity with enormous amounts of electrical power. Peter's back arched, his eye plates narrowing as the power surged through his body, frying his nervous system. Yet he never let go, his gloved hands gripping the webs like bands of iron, refusing to fall down until his enemy was vanquished.

And Venom was indeed vanquished. The symbiote, screeching and snarling in pain, fell off Spidey's body like a retreating wave, landing on the roof and vanishing into a cloud of inky blackness that seemed to simply... disappear. Poof. Spider-Man stood there for a moment, webs retracting into his SHIELD-issued web shooters before he fell to his hands and knees with a grunt of pain, breathing hard. He managed to push himself back up but apparently that was all the energy he had left, and he sat there on the roof, panting with exertion.

Sam hated to admit it, but he was in awe. Spider-Man had just voluntarily, and without hesitation, electrocuted himself in an effort to destroy the symbiote. He got to his feet almost automatically, and walked right towards his team leader, reaching down to grip his arms and help him back into a standing position. He was about to ask for help, or insist on calling Fury for a medical team when Spidey peered up at him and said, voice a little hoarse, "Don't tell Fury. That will definitely void the warranty."

Amazing. That was just... amazing, really. He gazed at his team leader, and all he could do was shake his head slightly. Wow. The web head not only dished it out, but he had just proven, without a doubt, that he could definitely take it as well.

The tiny ball of respect he had for Webs quadrupled in size, but he swallowed the goopy words about to spew forth, and just shook his head again.

That had definitely been ultimate in his book. Still, he'd keep it to himself. No use in giving Webs a bigger head after all.

End

I have to admit, watching Peter electrocute himself in an attempt to destroy the symbiote had me cheering in my seat. I mean, come on – he didn't even hesitate and that shit hurts! I speak from experience (though that was a tiny shock from a cord and a not-so-dead-after-all outlet. I can't even contemplate what that move had to have felt like. *shudders*