It only took a few days for New York to recover once again. The streets were beginning to look more populated, and the people who walked the streets felt safe again.

Ryker's Island was rebuilt, this time bigger and more room for criminals. In charge of the rebuilding was Oscorp, once more headed by Norman Osborn.

He wanted to take a prisoner out and use him for experiments. He inspected each and every one. Not liking the looks of many of them. But then he picked one he liked, it was Mac Gargan, AKA the Scorpion.

"Him," Osborn said to the warden "I want him. He'll prove mighty fine for what we've got going on."

The warden looked at Gargan, and then Osborn. "Well alright, , but can I ask why?"

"Oh don't worry about it, warden…" Osborn said as he passed some money to the warden "It's all in the name of justice."

The warden nodded knowingly as he gave a grin. "Oh, now I get it . You can take 'im."

Osborn smiled from ear to ear and shook the warden's hand. "It's been a pleasure, warden. It really has."

In another section of the prison, Doctor Kafka sat in her office, having recovered from the leg stabbing. She looked out her window as she sighed. Suddenly in front of her was Anti-Venom.

"You doing alright, Doc?" he asked her.

She smiled at his appearance and nodded. "You've made so much progress, Eddie. I'm proud of you."

Eddie handed her a box of chocolates through the window. "Here. Take this, Doc"

She took the boxes and gave a small smile…but then it turned to a frown. "Eddie…I couldn't. Look, you're nice…but you were just a patient of mine. This happens too, too often. You're a good friend, Eddie. But I'm…already married."

Anti-Venom's smile turned to a frown. His white suit began turning black once more. The black symbol reshaped into the normal white symbol and his teeth became white. His eyes were no longer visible, just the white lenses of…Venom.

"They're always married. All of them!" he screeched. "Or never interested in Eddie Brock! No matter how good he makes himself! No matter how far down the road of redemption he goes!"

Kafka tried to intervene by saying "Eddie, it's not like that…if I could then I—"

Venom hissed and slammed the window down. "IT'S TOO LATE FOR EXCUSES! THE CURE CAN WAIT…FOR NOW, WE'RE BACK TO BEING VENOM!"

He then swung off as Doctor Kafka looked at the newly reborn villain sadly.

Back on the mainland, Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, Ben Reilly, and Cindy Moon were looking around the Avengers Mansion, their new home.

Inside was Colonel Fury, the older adoptive father of the younger Fury. "We've got little room to spare. You guys are gonna have to share rooms. Two per room, one bed, got it, or need I run that through your thick skulls again if ya don't?"

Gwen and Peter instantly wanted to bunk with each other, but Ben and Cindy were hesitant to share a room.

"Okay I see blondie and his lady friend don't wanna share a room" Fury said as he placed a cigar in his mouth. "So the two chicks and the two guys are gonna pair up, now."

Peter and Gwen groaned as Cindy and Ben looked away from each other rather shyly.

Colonel Fury glared at the two groaning lovers with his eye. "If you got a problem with it…you can either solve it amongst yourselves…or take it up with me."

Both Peter and Gwen went along with it as they walked into each of their rooms. Ben and Cindy followed along with them.

Peter looked at Ben as they both sat on the bed and then said "Bro. Bro. Real talk. You got a crush on Cindy, don't you?"

Ben's eyes turned wide. "What? Pfff, that's silly, Peter."

In Gwen and Cindy's room, they sat on the bed. Gwen then said to Cindy "Yo Cindy, talk to me. You're crushing on Ben, aren't you?"

Cindy's face turned to shock. "Me? Crush? On Ben? Don't be absurd, this is platonic, Gwen."

Back with Peter and Ben, Peter hung his arm around Ben. "C'mon, bro. You're a clone of me. You look at Cindy like how I look at Gwen."

Ben frowned. "I do, I like her, but she's too good for me. And you brought up why, Pete. I'm a clone…and she shouldn't have to settle for a clone."

Peter gave him a brohug. "You're your own person, Ben. You even dyed your hair blonde to differentiate us. But you remember, you're different from me. And you always will be. You're good enough bro."

Once again with Cindy and Gwen, Gwen said "Look Cindy. You've got to tell him. Do it."

Cindy hung her head as she frowned sadly. "Gwen…I'm a genetic experiment who doesn't even know who she is…what's true…what's a lie…I just don't know, Gwen."

Gwen smiled at Cindy. "Cindy, you don't need to cling to the past. Or what you were. What matters is what you are now. You've got to tell him, and I mean it."

Cindy and Ben walked out the doors of their respective rooms and bumped into each other. Cindy waved at Ben and Ben said "Hi…"

Cindy looked Ben in his eyes and asked "Ben…I uhhh…I ahem. I need to ask you something."

Ben looked at her right back. "No, I need to ask you something."

Cindy smiled and replied "Ask away."

Ben began sweating. He scratched the back of his neck. "Okay. Cindy, I want…to ask you out. On like…a date."

Cindy nodded excitedly and hugged Ben. Ben began slightly winced she was a real tight hugger.

…

Back with Norman Osborn, he was in the lab, attaching restraints to Mac Gargan.

Mac looked at the restraints and then back at Osborn. "Are you sure you can remove this suit, Osborn?"

Osborn smiled and pulled out a vial of black ooze. "Oh yes, Mac. You're soon gonna be my first of many in helping destroy Spider-Man."

"Good…" Gargan began. "I just want out of this suit! And maybe kill Spider-Man. He was the one who put me in jail!"

"Then we have a shared hatred, Mac. Now hold still." Norman ordered as he opened the vial and poured it on Mac.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Mac screamed as the goop seeped into his armor. It began creaking and breaking…Mac then broke out of his restraints. His hands were covered in black…on his chest was a ragged spider-symbol that was less clean than Brock's. His eyes became visible and the white lenses that were once a trademark of Venom just became white markings around his beady red eyes. But the trademark fangs and tongue were still there, as always.

"What…did you do to me…?" Gargan asked as he looked at the parts of the Scorpion armor and then his black, veiny arms and hands.

"You're now Venom, Gargan." Norman explained rather calmy. "You're a soldier for me."

Gargan screeched at Osborn. "You removed a suit that I couldn't remove…to give me a suit I can't remove?!"

Norman smirked. "Yep…pretty much."

Gargan frowned. He fell on his hands and knees. "So…I'm still a monster…a freak…but now at least I can hide what I am for now."

Norman kneeled down to Mac's face. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Mac. It's for the best. Now you'll be able to fight for justice and what I believe in. Maybe when you do, I'll remove the symbiote."

Mac looked up at to Osborn, seeing him face to face. "Really?"

"Of course, my friend." Osborn said as he passed a cigar to Mac. "Smoke up, this is the beginning of a brand new beginning, and the beginning of the end of Spider-Man."