Disclaimer: Yes, Venom is back. Yes, he's bigger in this fic than in the film. Yes, he refers to himself in the plural. Yes, he still has the distorted web pattern. (I'm one of the few who thought that was cool) No, I don't own the rights to Spider-Man. Any questions?

Chapter IV
A Prelude to Torture

"Peter! Peter, wake up!"

Peter slowly opened his eyes and glimpsed the worry that resided in Mary Jane's eyes. "Mary Jane?"

"Thank God you're okay," MJ said as she moved aside, allowing Peter to sit up. "I thought you'd never come to."

Peter shook off the confusion and realized he was in his apartment. "What happened? How did I get back home?"

"You came in through the window last night and collapsed," MJ said. "I had to help you onto the sofa."

Peter glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was already noon. How long was he out cold? Peter held his face in his hands. He could barely remember anything that had happened the previous night. It was all bits and pieces. There was the Bugle, then the stalker… The stalker! It wasn't a dream, or a nightmare. Peter was able to recall what did happen; he'd been thoroughly trounced by a monster he'd long believed to be dead and gone. Not anymore!

"He's back!"

"What," MJ asked in confusion. "Peter, what're you talking about?"

"Eddie Brock," Peter snapped. "He's alive, and so is the symbiote. He's calling himself Venom now, but it's like he's two different people," Peter slowly stood up, which was in itself a struggle. "Or monsters!"

Mary Jane remembered Eddie Brock all too well. How could she hope to forget how that maniac left her suspended eighty stories in a cab? It was Brock who killed Harry and could've very nearly done her in if it hadn't been for Peter. Who could forget the goings on before that night, when the symbiote was influencing Peter for the worse? Now, hearing that that lunatic was still alive sent MJ into a whirlwind of emotions. Mostly dread.

"Peter, what're we going to do?"

Peter paced around the room like a caged animal, so deep in thought that he barely even heard MJ. "I don't know. It's all happening too fast. Where's Aunt May?"

"She'd gone home before you came in last night." MJ said matter-of-factly.

Peter was getting greatly agitated by that point. "I have to make absolutely certain that she's okay."

"What about Brock?"

Peter was already opening the door out of the apartment when MJ asked that question. "Hopefully I won't have to deal him just yet. In the meantime, you should probably go stay with a friend. It isn't safe here."

"But Peter…"

"Please, Mary Jane," Peter snapped. "Just go find somewhere safe. You'll be in danger if Venom finds you."

Peter almost immediately regretted snapping at his wife like he did. Mary Jane couldn't blame her husband for being so agitated. The thought of Venom coming after her again sent more that chills down her spine. She was far more concerned for Peter's well being. Yes, Peter was more than capable of fending for himself. He'd done it so many times against a rogue's gallery of villains. But Venom was in a league of his own since he and Spider-Man were basically carbon copies of each other. Like twin brothers. That was a frightening form of symmetry. Peter meanwhile had regained some of his composer.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," Peter said. "I just can't risk your safely any way."

"I know, Peter," MJ said. "For better or worse, right?"

Peter approached MJ and placed his hand on her shoulders. "Just do this for me, okay? I need to be sure that Aunt May is safe."

"Okay! I'll go stay with Liz," MJ said. "Just be careful, Peter."

Peter nodded without saying a word and soon after was out the door. Mary Jane sat back down on the sofa on which Peter had awoken earlier. Again, she couldn't blame him. Had it been her aunt, MJ would've been deathly worried as well. She prayed that Aunt May was alright.

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It was Christmas Day. It was supposed to one of those extra special happy times, in which Peter should've been with family and friends. Instead he was rushing down the hall toward Aunt May's apartment room. He needed to be sure that she was okay, that Venom hadn't gotten to her yet. By the time he did reach the apartment, the first thing Peter wanted to do was burst into the room ready for a possible fight. No. The last thing he needed was to have Aunt May startled by his barging in. She'd been through enough already after the incident with the Hobgoblin. So why was Peter so hesitant to simply knock on the door? Venom was the obvious reason. Peter knew that Venom was invisible to his spider-sense. So for all he knew, Venom could've been in there already, waiting to ambush his sworn rival. Peter looked to knock anyway but he could swear that he heard the piano playing inside. Aunt May might've been playing when he knocked on the door. The music stopped and the door opened to reveal Aunt May.

"Peter!!!"

"Hi, Aunt May," Peter greeted his aunt forcing a smile to unsure May wasn't worried. "Merry Christmas."

"To you as well, dear," Aunt May embraced Peter, who was somewhat relieved that May was safe. "What brings you here? I thought you'd be celebrating Christmas with Mary Jane."

"I just had to see how you were doing and give my best wishes," Peter said in only half-truth. Then he heard a familiar tune from the piano inside. "Do you already have company?"

"Yes I do actually," Aunt May said. "A very nice young man arrived here before you did. He tells me he's a childhood friend of yours."

Peter sensed that something was very wrong with this situation. The tune he was hearing from the piano was Clair de Lune. Even on his very best of days, Peter often had trouble playing that particular tune. But now he was hearing it being played perfectly, beautifully and very hauntingly. Aunt May allowed Peter to enter the apartment and Peter spotted a man sitting at the piano. Then the man turned around and all the blood drained from Peter's face. He found himself staring directly at Eddie Brock.

"Hey Pete," Eddie calmly greeted to Peter. "Long time no see. How you been?"

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The next couple of hours were quite possibly the most tense and awkward in Peter's life. He was seated in forward leaning position with his hands folded together. Seated across from him was Eddie Brock. He seemed far more relaxed and was seated in a more arrogant matter. Peter was so tempted. He wanted to tackle Eddie to the floor, maybe throw him out the window and take the fight to the rooftops. Eddie more than likely wanted the same thing. Aunt May came around with two cups of tea, one for Peter and the other for Eddie. She went back to the kitchen so she could make one for herself. Peter didn't lay a finger on his cup, while Eddie calmly took his and took a sip. Peter could almost swear that he saw the alien ooze creeping underneath Eddie's clothes. Hell, for all Peter knew, Eddie's clothing was the symbiote. It seemed the clothes really did make the man.

"So Edward, how long have you known Peter?" Aunt May, unintentionally breaking the silence.

"Oh, Peter and I, we've been friends since we were kids," Eddie said. That was about as fabricated as it could be. "I like to think we were more like brothers. Ironically, we wound up working at Bugle. Funny how things work out, huh Pete?"

"Yeah!" was all Peter could say. He was really thinking about getting Eddie away from Aunt May.

"Peter, I'm surprised you've never formally introduced us." Aunt May mentions, obviously not knowing anything about the real Edward Brock Jr.

Peter had to think of something quickly. "Well, so much has happened over the years that I guess it slipped my mind."

"Oh yeah, I guess nobody's perfect." Eddie said, sneering at Peter.

Peter needed right now to get Eddie away from Aunt May. "I'm sorry to do this, Aunt May, but Eddie and I need to get going."

"Really, Pete," Eddie mockingly asked. "I was just starting to get comfortable."

"Seriously, Eddie," Peter mockingly said back. "I think we have catching up to do."

"Fair enough," Eddie said as he and Peter both stood up and head for the door. "Aunt May, it's been a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas."

"I most certainly will, Edward." Aunt May said with a smile.

Peter had to push Eddie out the door, saying to Aunt May, "Bye Aunt May. Merry Christmas."

"Be seeing you, ma'am." Eddie said as he went out the door.

Aunt May smiled and mused to herself, "Such a nice young man. So polite!"

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With Aunt May safely out danger, at least for now, Peter was able to turn his attention to Eddie. Eddie walked with an enormous sense of arrogance. It sickened Peter to no end. He knew exactly why Eddie was doing this. Why make it personal? Why did all the villains Peter had ever battled have to make it personal? Eddie Brock was taking it to a new level. Or a new low.

As they rounded the corner into the next hall, Eddie callously said, "Your Aunty is so sweet to her guests. I hope I get to see her again for New Year's."

Peter quickly and quietly pushed Eddie against the wall. "She's not ever going to see you again, Brock."

Eddie simply smiled, and snarled, "What makes you think you can stop us, bro?"

"I can stop you, Brock," Peter snapped. "I will still you."

Without warning, Eddie effortlessly threw Peter off of him and against a wall. Peter went down hard and Eddie stood over him and snarled, "You really shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Spider-Chump."

Eddie left Peter down on the floor and raced down the hall at breakneck speed. Peter picked himself up and quickly gave chase. Eddie was moving down the halls faster than Peter anticipated. Peter more often than not lost sight of Eddie every time he rounded a corner. Eventually, Peter found that Eddie had burst through a door into a stairwell and continued after Eddie. Peter followed as quickly as possible. Eddie was about three stories ahead of Peter. He stopped periodically to taunt Peter before finally reaching the top. Peter continued up the stairwell until he reached the top, where he found that Eddie had busted through the door and onto the roof. He quickly burst through the door himself, but Peter saw no sign of Eddie. Then Peter realized that Eddie had ample time to change form. He ended up hating being right when he was suddenly forced into the snow covered ground face first. Venom stood over Peter and held his head down, pressing it hard into the ground.

"We're just getting started, Parker," Venom snarled in his frightening dual voice. "We have huge plans for you on this wonderful Christmas day. We bet you're wondering what would happen if a certain secret was revealed to the world at large."

"You wouldn't dare, Brock." Peter defiantly said.

"Oh, we most certainly would," Venom said, and the symbiote receded so Eddie's face was visible. "In fact, we're thinking about asking our old boss about running that headline. That'd be front page news all over."

Peter struggle to get from of Venom's grasp. "They'll find out about you too, Eddie."

"You know what, Parker," Eddie said. "That's a risk worth taking to ruin your life just like you ruined ours," The symbiote reformed around Eddie's face. "You should've never rejected us."

Venom released Peter from his grip and sprinted off the roof. Peter got up quickly and sprinted toward where Venom had dove off. Venom had disappeared again, and Peter began scanning his surroundings. He knew Venom could very easily come from anywhere since he wouldn't trigger his spider-sense. Peter stopped to think about Venom's threat. Granted, Peter was put in the same position when the Hobgoblin threatened the city unless Spider-Man unmasked. That was an ultimatum. Venom wanted to ruin Peter's life as a whole and just for the hell of it. Why couldn't Eddie see that the symbiote was negatively influencing him like it did Peter? Did Eddie hate Peter that much? Regardless, Peter knew he couldn't hope to find Venom now. He also had no idea that, watching from atop a distant rooftop, Venom was snarling and hissing with malice. He was so eagerly anticipating his further tormenting of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Absolute vengeance would belong to Venom alone, and to no one else.

Author's note: You didn't think I'd have Spider-Man and Venom fight each other this soon, did you? You'll have to read and review if you want more. Peace out, kiddies!