CHAPTER 41

Chilling With Venom

Heading inside via the rooftop access, the three of you decide to stick together so nothing unfortunate happens. The three of you head inside, as you notice there seems to be an overall lack of power in certain parts of the building- for example all the camera seem to have no power going to them.

Eventually the three of you reach some signs directing you on where to go. After some quiet, whispered discussion with Gwen, there seems to be three possible places to go. You also don't know how much time you have until security kicks back on.

The R&D might have information on what Smythe was working on. The archives might have data on your father's works when he was working at Oscorp. Cold Storage might have any projects that Oscorp might not want to show the public for whatever reason, and Norman Osborn's office might have something worth investigating.

You head down to archives- there's a likelier chance that your father's information, years old, would more likely to be in the archives. It doesn't take long to get there, honestly. The security's down, and while the power should mean the electronic locking doors remain locked, it seems someone's made them unlock instead- security isn't even present.

There's probably a dozen more important things to keep an eye on than a bunch of records during a situation like this, after all.

Heading inside, you see Gwen head down, looking for anything of Smythe's. You decide to do some snooping yourself.

You look around for any sign of Richard Parker or Carl Brock or their works, but you're not finding anything. There's absolutely no sign of their work, and where they would be are spots where there'd be boxes with papers or other materials within.

Where their names might be, there's nothing, not even the indication that there was anything ever there.

Just empty spaces.

You try to think of anything else to look for as you remember the future- of a certain entity.

You find a heavily redacted folder with the words 'Project Venom' on it. It seems not to be the original title, which was heavily redacted. Opening it, you see heavy lines of black taking out almost everything, flipping through you find one thing of note.

-"Status: Project indefinitely halted, moved to-"

The rest afterward is redacted as well.

You head back towards where you last saw Gwen and see her closing a box marked 'Smythe' pocketing a phone, not her old one, as she does so. She goes and puts the box back, but you notice a she seems pretty disappointed.

"Turns out that it was only early work from when he got hired- mostly robotics stuff, there's nothing on whatever project the spiders were from in here."

Glancing around as the three of you head out of archives, it seems like there's still no security on.

With some reluctance on her part, Gwen's outvoted two to one as the three of you decide to head to cold storage. Gwen probably has an inkling of what's driving you here, but you're not sure she really understands.

If Osborn has what you think he has, then he can't keep it. Not ever.

The nightmares are mostly gone, but you still remember Carnage's inhuman cry.

Opening the doors to cold Storage, you leave a cart in the way of a door in case the locks were to reengage, and head inside. It's much cooler in here, and you see that there's a lot of things in here. It's less of a storage room and more of a storage warehouse.

You maneuver your way through the labyrinth-like cold storage, looking for any sign of the project your and Eddie's fathers worked on. It takes a while, the cold slowly growing more and more potent as you go on- your innate sense of direction and perception makes you realize that if security was up you'd be going through a lot of security doors, however they're all open for now.

And, you realize, the clearance seems to keep going up as you search.

Eventually you clear the final security door and enter a large chamber, a large frosted cylinder on the other side of the room, up some stairs. Above it, you see the words 'Project Venom' etched onto metal above.

This place isn't just where your dad's work was stored, you realize with some shock. This place was created around your dad's work. Every single part of this cold storage being there to keep people out from this forbidden chamber.

Looking around the ground floor, you see two locked containers- their doors clear- with two flasks of black ooze within them.

You can feel your heart beating as you step forward, up the stairs, towards the cylinder. When you reach the top, your hand brushes the glass as you wipe away to see what's inside.

And you stumble back onto your ass with a loud clatter, in horror.

Frozen in ice, like a monster from some ice age, is a massive humanoid beast. Its flesh black and oily, covered in frost, the size of three men. A large, inhuman mouth filled with a long tongue and serrated teeth is open in a snarl, its two large, tattered looking eyes narrowed.

Frozen in the moment of a pounce, as dozen of tubes pierce its hide, giving it a constant stream of some unknown chemical cocktail.

And, even though this thing is surely frozen and unaware, you can't but help feel that it is watching -you-.

In the distance, you can hear the sounds of movement from behind you- fast, frantic movement.

You pull Stella up with you, hiding on the ceiling, as you call out to Gwen as loud as your willing to- a loud whisper, really, as she looks back from the monitor she's at and towards the door before joining you on the ceiling. You wait with bated breath for the intruder- other than yourself. Your spider-sense, at the moment is silent. For the moment.

Nearby- the monitor Gwen was looking at- decently large- is playing. There's a very different room and there's a woman with short, slightly curly mouse brown hair and glasses on talking to the monitor. "We've hit a wall. There's been a disagreement between Richard and Norman. Norman's funders want results, urging us to move to trials with the Suit, but Richard feels that it still isn't safe enough."

The woman shakes her head. "Regardless, we need -something- and those two have all but fallen apart. Brock's all but left the project…"

The screen flickers, the woman is there, no longer in a lab coat. She looks tired, worn. Her voice shakes and you notice she's alone. T-this is the first human trial of the Suit, p-possibly the last. We cannot take volunteers, and this is one of the only pure samples left. Test Subject's name is-"

You cut away as you see someone enter the room, the fast pace, quickly slowed as the man watches the monitor- looking back, you see black ooze forming over the woman, fast turning her into a humanoid outfit. All the while, she's screaming.

You see the man stop the video before looking around, and then he looks up as your spider-sense blares and in a quick motion he shoots at where you were. He's obviously not a practiced shot, nor is he really athletic, he's still short of breath.

Norman Osborn stares at you, hatred thick in his words. "You shouldn't have come -here-, Spider-man."

You see Stella's eyes narrow as she and Gwen move- Norman doesn't seem to notice them.

"You shouldn't leave super-villain start-up kits just.. laying around, Mr. Osborn."

You web his gun out of his hand and to the wall next to him with hardly a gesture as he rubs at his wrist and glares at you. You gesture around the room and at the 'Project Venom' on ice.

"I mean... this is worse than flaming swords and a jetpack."

You see the flesh around his eyes tighten as he glances around. You keep yourself on the ceiling, out of his grasp, as you look back at the monitor- the video of the woman back to it's start- her short, curly hair and tired face. You grit your teeth as you realize that woman's probably the thing in the tank, right now.

You see Osborn, still angry finish looking around. "Well, I'm at your mercy, Spider-man."

He sits on one of the stairs and looks nonchalant even though you see he's trying hard not to shiver from the cold. Stella and Gwen seem to be at the ready in case he tries something.

OO

The DEVIL

"Boss, there's a situation in cold storage, ti seems. I can't access everything, but Norman Osborn's in there, along with Spider-man. And there's something nasty in there too."

Silence

"..Boss?"

"…aha.. !"

The man swallows as he watches the feed, as his boss clutches his chest, laughing, green mist swirling around him. There's nothing else- no sonic distortion, just laughter. Eventually, he pulls a green mask over his face and looks at the Camera.

"Are you.. Alright boss?"

"Never Better, Phineas! I'm an all new man!"

The Goblin looks around the shattered areas before cocking his head. "Something nasty, you say? Cold Storage? Well, let it go then, let it go! The cold never bothered -me- anyway, Phineas. Let's see what thing Osborn's got hidden away in action. It'll buy me more time, anyway."

"…yessir."

OO

You subtly gesture for Gwen to go to R&D as you maneuver yourself. She nods- and is out of view in moments. You take a deep breath as you try to keep your voice chipper.

"Well some sources said your security was down and your door was open so I stopped by to check things out after that whole Hob-Goblin thing... and I find... THIS."

You try to play off the humor as Norman almost, almost looks amused.

"So, Project Venom, that sounds pretty ominous."

Norman's good mood front stays. "Well, when your life is utterly ruined and you can only look back and taste ash and defeat and every other venomous emotion there is, it feels appropriate. This is the project that damned Oscorp. No, it was the project that damned -me.-"

"You seem to be taking this pretty well, who's the woman? The one you made sacrifice herself for this project of yours?"

Norman shuts down into an emotionless machine faster than you can blink. "I'm not saying anything, Spider-man. After all, you've got nothing on me. Not legally, at least. In the end-"

He looks like he's moving to try to take control of the conversation as the lights turn red, your spider-sense starts to tingle, and an artificial voice comes on over the speaker. "Project Venom Cryogenic Stasis power has been cut. Repeat- Project Venom stasis has been cut. All personnel please evacuate. All personnel, please evacuate."

You see Norman pale and grow incredibly angry at one. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

You both freeze as you hear it, a low roar, as the glass cylinder -Cracks- violently. You feel something staring at you intently as your Spider-sense beings to blare loudly.

Yeah. You're running. Running, far, far away. Landing down, you grab Osborn. "Firstly, this wasn't me. It might have to do with the asshole that actually breached your security that I followed in."

Secondly? "We're getting out of here." You layer as much strong webbing on the glass's cracks as you can as you hear something else break- you see Stella slam her elbow into the covers of the two containers holding the flasks before she reaches in and pockets them.

"What the HELL are you doing?!"

She grimaces as she notices you've seen her before leveling a look at Osborn as if to say 'why the hell do you think I'm taking them?' The three of you head out. Osborn isn't saying anything, but he's watching behind your shoulder as you carry him.

Once you think you've made it half-way you head a colossal roar as your Spider-sense still continues to tingle. And then you start to hear destruction behind you.

You're having to be more careful with all of the twists and turns and different ways- even with Osborn directing you, it takes time. You're still ahead of it, but you can hear it getting closer. It doesn't have to be careful like the three of you do.

It's an engine of destruction.

You've reached the final third, still with a good lead.

Oh god, you need to get out of here.

You're heading towards the exit as you breathe deeply, you notice the room's been getting warmer. The thing behind isn't done yet, either.

You hear it getting closer and closer. Seeing the exit ahead, you give a sigh of relief and move to websling yourself out, only for Osborn to accident knock your arm astray as she shouts something.

"She's coming!"

You release the webbing and watch in horror as the cart you placed there is pulled out of the way and the door slams shut, closing with a 'beep.'

Leaving you trapped inside, reaching the door, you see Osborn trying to get the door open and failing, as you see it in the distance, charging. It stares at you as it pauses and rears back, roaring.

"HUNGER!"

"I'm going to hold it off. You two get that door open. You have any tricks up your sleeves?"

Stella nods as she pulls out her sword- which you're pretty sure she didn't have on her a second ago and should be at Felicia's- and points it at the door. "I'll cut through it."

Osborn shakes his head. "Absolutely not. If she gets out, there's no telling what will happen!"

Stella's response is curt and cold. "And if we don't get out, then it'll be free to break out on its own time, with nothing to stop it."

Stella's waiting for the final word from you.

"Don't. He's right. If it's in here, it can't flee so easily. And if someone tries to shut us in here with it, we'll always have a backup escape plan. That said, you know how to take it down? Any weaknesses?"

You see Norman Osborn look amused. "I keep her under constant cryogenic and drug-induced sleep because I couldn't find a way, Spider-man."

Stella waits by Osborn, quietly guarding him. "I'll make sure eh doesn't try anything. Stay safe.

He seems like he isn't saying everything, but you've come to expect that. You walk closer towards the monster, which seems to be waiting for you.

Watching you.

As you ready yourself, a distance away, tentacles spring up from its back as it howls in what sounds like agony. You're in a rather spacious area- a laboratory in the cold storage it seems, and there's nothing in the area except a few chairs and desks at the edges.

"Osborn, what was her name?! Tell me what her name was."

You hear silence before Osborn's voice carries over. "..that's irrelevant, stop distracting me."

That's all you hear from him as you turn back to Project Venom, frustrated.

"You were a person. You had a name, a life. You can't just let this thing win. I can help you."

You think for a moment it's listening before it grabs at its head and shrieks.

"PARKER! IT HURTS! PARKER! NEED YOU!"

As countless tentacles reach out to engulf you.

It's roaring unintelligibly as it focuses upon you.

"IT NEEDS PARKER. NEEDS IT. HURTS SO MUCH."

You deftly dodge the first onslaught of tentacles, as Venom growls in rage and pain as a second volley comes for you. Jumping out of the way, your spider-sense warns you as you seem ore tentacles grab you by the legs and start pulling you in.

You can't manage to get a good, strong enough grip as it pulls you in. You're sinking.

Sinking into an endless black abyss as you hear a tired, pained woman talk.

"It needs you. Needs you more than me."

You aren't free. But you aren't being eaten, your will is strong enough to subvert that much.

You're not sure what's going on here, but things aren't looking good.

You try to reach out and grasp control, but all you hear is the woman's howls of agony.

"IT NEEDS YOU!"

You feel the blackness around you has focused upon you more as you feel pressure down upon you- trying to overwhelm you, control you.

Consume you.

And then it ceases as you distantly hear the sound of crackling electricity as the blackness weakens, even as you and the woman scream in agony.

It's weakened.

You wrestle control- separating it from the woman and drawing it to you. It responds quietly, peacefully, like another part of your body.

As you come to your senses. Looking at yourself, you see black-almost seemingly purple in the right light- looking skin and on your chest, there's A large, White Spider-symbol.

To your side, your aware of a woman laying there, unconscious. Hearing the door open, you see Norman Osborn drop what he's doing and run to the woman's side, tears in his eyes.

And in the depths of your being, you feel the slightest stirrings of hunger.

END

To Be Continued

Please Review

Publishers Note:

Norman seeing Stella: If you read the previous chapters you know Norman met Stella during Thanksgiving living with the Parkers, so I bet most of you are thinking he now knows her true identity and might connect Spider-Man being involved with the Parkers. This is not the case and it's not a plothole, again I will remind you that Stella's innate power is illusions which effects everyone else except Peter and those who are highly or mostly connected to magic such as or . Norman does not have magical awareness so he's probably seeing someone else in the place of Stella.

Well now that that's over, see you next time!

Equipment:

**Limited Police Information: Peter Parker now has access to police logistics and information (limitedly) through Gwen Stacy. If you need to find out anything the police know on minor matters, she can tell you. More classified subjects are above her level.

*-Assumed that Peter gets respectable gifts

STRONG WEBBING INVENTED. This thick substance is able to go through your webshooters, but just barely. It also requires more use per cartridge, meaning that you have less usable- not advisable for web slinging unless larger cartridges are in use.

(Fake) Glasses- Hides the fact that your sight is now perfect to the unaware.

Hard drive- a removed computer hard drive. Contains files left by your father.

Richard Parker's Bag - Has a lock on it. A bag that belonged to your father- holds blueprints and notes on his works, as well as a warning.

Web Shootersx2- Roughly made, but they do the job. Each one can fit six cartridges- has rotating cartridges that can change between webbing types.

Web fluid (6x)- Six cartridges worth of regular webfluid.

Strong-web-fluid- Six cartridges worth of strong webfluid.

Spider-man costume (Durable) - You can't wear it under your clothes, but it reduces both your agility bonus and the damage you take by one. It does, however, boost your fellowship bonus by one in the costume.

Spider-man costume (sonic-proofed/Agile)- It's too thick to wear under your clothes, but your agility isn't decreased. However, you can't hear anything while in this costume and it can be sweltering during warmer months, but it should protect you from the Hobgoblin's Sonic Laugh.

Spider-man Costume (Stylish/Agile)- It's a light, thin material that allows you full mobility. However, it offers you no extra protection. You're friendlier looking, so fellowship rolls to those not hostile increase by three. This costume also offers you no protection from the cold- better wear some thermals or you might get frostbite... everywhere!

[Equipped] Symbiote Suit: It appears to be more tamed around you…for the moment, however you feel the smallest bits of hunger.