"Some folk would die for the sake of another
Lay down their life for their sisters and brothers
For me sacrifice is something quite other
'cause I always kill the things I love" Claudia Brucken
Harry...Harry...why did it have to be Harry, why does everyone I love have to pay the price for my mistakes.
Everything was a blur when I opened my eyes. I'm still trying to process what hat just transpired: an hour ago, my best friend since childhood shot me, as well as one of the best scientists in the country, and a highly decorated army veteran who could beat Mike Tyson in a fight without breaking a sweat, then stole an object that could wipe out the entire planet. I tried to get up but I couldn't move. It was like every inch of my body was being pinned down by chains that would get tighter if I even thought about moving. The bullet that Harry used must have had some kind of paralyzing drug. All I could do was lie on the floor and hope that someone would find me at some point. I started hearing footsteps that were heading my way, it sounded like this person was running, when they walked in, I began to make out who it was.
"Oh my God, Peter, Peter can you hear me?" Gwen begged as she shook me franticly in an attempt to wake me up. My bullet wound was gone but the hole in my shirt was still visible as well as some dry blood that had leaked through it.
"Harry...he's infected...I have to stop him." I groaned
"No, you've just been severely injured, you're not going anywhere." she said in a commanding tone while pulling me up from the ground and moving me to a bed
"Gwen, you don't understand, Harry stole the symbiote, and I don't know what he's planning to do with it." I replied
"Good" she said, forming A sadistic smile on her face, and picking up a large butcher knife "Gwen, what are you doing?" I asked as she started walking towards me
"I've realized something, you didn't know my father very well before he died. He was always the strict one in our house, always making me and my brothers crazy, always making sure we did our homework every night, and get to school every morning. But underneath all of that, he still had a heart of gold, he was just too scared to show it. He wasn't a perfect dad, but he was mine. HE WAS MINE, MINE, HE WAS MINE, AND YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME!" she shouted, as she Plunged the knife down and into my heart again and again. She then started laughing after the fifth or sixth stab, but her voice slowly began to sound like Venom's. Then her teeth turned into fangs, and her face began to turn more and more demonic. Suddenly, everything in the room shifted, it slowly began to look like the med-bay.
I jolted up once I realized what just happened, and checked myself to see if any of that nightmare was real. I was relieved to see that the only thing that was diffrent what that the spot where the bullet hit me was covered in stitches.
"Peter everything's okay, you're fine, everything is fine." Gwen said in a soothing voice while rubbing my sholders as I panicked "How long was I out?" I asked, lying back down, and trying to forget about the nightmare I just had
"A few hours." she replied
Harry, he's infected, he stole the symbiote..." I said
"How could he be infected, I thought your blood was immune to this?" she asked
"We were wrong, it was your blood is what's preventing George from changing, your completely immune to this thing." I replied
"Then why isn't George getting any better?" she asked
"My blood is twice as vulnerable." I sighed
"Is there a way of destroying this thing?" She asked, hoping for a good answer
"Possibly, Dr. Warren begun to talk about it before Harry killed him." I replied "All of the symbiotes are controlled by their 'king', and if the king is destroyed, everyone that's been infected will turn back to normal."
"And I'm guessing venom is their king?" she asked
"Yes" I replied
"And that's what Harry stole." she responded
"Yup" I said
"Well, shit." she commented
"yeah, pretty much" I replied
Harry attacked the ship while I was out, there were at least 50 to 60 body bags in the med-bay, apparently he was trying to slow everyone down as much as possible, I don't even think I want to know why.
PFC. John Jameson was the son of my former boss (and mayor of New York City) J. Jonnah Jameson. Jonnah was never one of spider-man's biggest supporters, he would constantly go on and on about how spider-man was a menace to society, and he should be locked up. But after a while, I figured out why he would always say that about my alter-ego, he was paranoid that his son would try to be like me and likely get himself killed.
John's mother died of lung cancer when he was only four years old, leaving Jonnah to raise him on his own. John practically had to beg his father to let him join the military, and after his recruiter told Jonnah that the most John would be doing is desk work, he let him join. I had a feeling that Jonnah knew the recruiter was lying, but he realized that he couldn't shelter his son from the rest of the world forever.
I didn't know John very well, I'd met him a few times during Christmas parties at the office. We got to formally know each other once he and Howard started becoming friends. Although I actually hadn't seen him since Gwen, George, Philip, Simon, and I flew out to Sacramento for his and Howard's graduation.
Eddie had already told him about my secret identity, so at least now he could help Gwen and I form a plan on how we could destroy venom, and since most of the soldiers' commanding officers were dead or infected, everyone was looking at me to lead them in the battle that was to come.
Within three hours, Myself, Gwen, John, and the rest of the troops worked out a plan to finally be rid of the symbiote once and for all, which would also save George. The plan was to get venom back onto the ship and try to lure him to the furnace where all that would be needed is to simply push him into the flames. The method of getting venom on the ship was the main thing I was concerned about, since what we're using as bait is something that both venom and Harry want dead: Gwen.
The sky was growing darker by the minute. I was preparing my suit while Gwen talked with Philip and Simon, trying to tell them what to do if the two of us don't make it through this. If we die, Philip, Simon, and George would be flown to California and live with Howard and his wife Caroline.
Gwen and I decided to see George before we left, we didn't want him to know what we were about to do, but maybe it would be better if he didn't find out yet. Luckily for us, he was asleep when we got to his room. Realizing that this could possibly be the last time we see him, we quietly walked over to the two chairs next to his bed. His room was completely isolated from the rest of the med-bay. We still don't know if he's contagious.
I took Gwen's hand when I saw a small tear fall from her eye. "He's going to be fine, Gwen, all of them will, trust me." I whispered to her
"I know" she replied in between sobs "I'm just thinking about all the things that we won't be there for: we won't be there when he takes some lucky girl to the prom, we won't be there when he graduates high school and goes off on his own, we won't be there at his wedding, and we won't be there to see his first child being brought into the world; we aren't going to be able to see him grow up, Peter." she cried as I took her into my arms
"You will Gwen, I promise." I replied
A few of the remaining analysts on the ship were able to track down venom's hiding spot, he was hiding in a clock tower within an oscorp power plant. It was one of the largest power plants in the world, mainly fueled by fusion energy, and 6 years in the making. Unfortunately for me, Harry helped design the power plant and depending on how much of his memories venom absorbed, there's a pretty strong chance that it'll know every inch of the power plant by heart, which puts me at a huge disadvantage since I don't know my way around it at all.
It was weird seeing the city so: empty. It was like the everyone in the world just up and left, although, that's pretty much what happened. There were still a few dozen people on the streets. It's likely that either coney island got over populated and some people had the choice to either leave or be executed, or these people weren't able to make it on time before all of the bridges were blown up. The symbiotic liquid that was connected to buildings earlier was now gone, which likely means that all of it is likely with venom.
I could feel my heart pounding against my chest as the power plant was getting closer and closer after each time I'd swing from another building. Once again, I'm putting Gwen's life in danger just so I can deal with my mistakes.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked Gwen as we swung closer to the plant
"It's a little late to ask me that." Gwen chuckled, trying to hide her fear
"You don't have to do this, we can find another way to get him back to the ship." I suggested, as i set us down on a rooftop across from the power plant. I was hoping that I didn't sound like I was pleading with her, but I obviously was.
"Peter, you and I both know that this is the only way to save him." she replied, referring to George, and possibly as well as Harry. She was right though, unless I'm the one that kills Harry, he'll end up going to Hell, and I couldn't let him and mj be parted for all eternity, I could never do that to my family.
"I'm begging you Gwen, please don't do this, I can't lose you, I won't survive without you." I pleaded, with tears falling down my cheeks
"Peter, we don't have any other choice, this has to be done. I'm the only one that can lure him out, this is our last chance to end this, this is the only way." she replied, with tears in her eyes
"If I don't make it..." she started to say "Gwen.." I interrupted: "Don't talk like that..."
"If I don't make it, and no matter what happens, I want you to live, and I want our son to at least have his father with him, so please, if anything happens, I want you to do whatever you can to keep yourself alive. Promise me." she said
"Yes, I promise." I replied as she took me into her arms
We sat on that rooftop for another 15 minutes, we watched the sun set together, possibly for the last time, and then I lowered us both down to the power plant's entrance. I followed from a distance as she went in. The plant was pitch black, due to the fact that none of the power lines were turned on.
Gwen was armed with nothing but a single-handed flamethrower which closely resembled a hair-dryer, as well as a few flash-bangs. I started hearing something moving, it was subtle for Gwen to hear it, but it was just enough noise for me to hear it. It sounded like a snake slithering on top of wood, and it sounded like it was slowly getting closer.
Suddenly, black ropes started tying themselves around Gwen's waist, and just as our eyes met, she disappeared into the darkness.
"Gwen? Gwen, can you hear me? Gwen?" I called
"PETER" she cried
I looked and finally saw where she was. She was being held from above one of the power lines, hundreds of feet in the air, with a large dark figure next to her. It mostly looked the same as when I saw it on the ship, but it looked slightly taller, it had spikes on its back that looked like dreadlocks, and it's face partially resembled Harry's.
"Harry, I know your still in there, please stop this." I begged
He looked at me, and began to laugh, menacingly, and almost hysterically. He then stretched out his arm three times its average length, and pulled down a power line behind me. I rolled out-of-the-way just before it landed on the ground, but when I looked up I saw him heading towards the top of the clock tower and then onto a power line 25 feet above it.
I swung over every power line as he tried to knock me down with his fists and the spikes that protruded from his back and shoulders. When I got to the top of the clock tower, he looked at me with angry eyes, and then formed a small smirk with his razor-sharp teeth, then I spoke: "Harry, you don't have to do this! Just let her go and we can help you." I pleaded
"HARRY OSBORN IS DEAD!" he shouted
"Fine, you wanna fight? FIGHT ME!" I commanded
"Fine, IF YOU WANT THIS PRETTY LITTLE CUNT SO BAD, COME AND GET HER!" He shouted as he let go of his grasp on Gwen, and she started falling in a noise-dive toward the clock tower's glass dome rooftop.
I raised my hands as high as I could, as I jumped up. Our mid-air collision felt like two waves crashing together, and it sounded like thousands of cannons being shot at the same time. When I finally caught her, it was like all time slowed down, like everything around us just froze. Then after our brief moment of peace, we crashed through the roof.
We held onto each other's waists as tight as we could as we crashed, I then landed us on the largest gear I could find.
"Are you alright?" I asked Gwen
"Yeah, I'm- WATCH OUT!" she cried
I quickly turned around and saw Harry lunge at me. He grabbed onto me before I could react, and we both fell from the gear. We were now in a mid-air grappling match. I tried to get him off of me but it was like the liquid was made out of super-glue. I was eventually able to use my free hand and send a hard punch to his windpipe, it loosened his grip on me, until he tried to wrap his hands around my neck, but I used both of my feet to kick him off of me. He landed on a gear, only to instantly lunge at me again, but just before he reached me, I heard an ear-pearling BANG! Gwen had found a pole and hit a metal gear as hard as she could. The creature that was inside Harry was now screaming in agony, giving me the opportunity to throw him off the gear that he was standing on.
He landed on the floor of the clock tower in a large pile of black liquid. Using what little time I had until he was done resembling himself, I tied together as many webs as I could to create a wall strong enough to temporarily keep Harry at bay. I quickly grabbed Gwen, and swung out of there as fast as possible.
Harry was able to break down the web-wall as soon as we swung out of there. The ark had descended since we left, high enough so that the infected couldn't try to come aboard again, but low enough to where Gwen and I, as well as venom could get back on.
I realized that Harry was now chasing after us, which meant that phase one of our three phase plan was complete. I couldn't swing as well with Gwen over my shoulders, which ment that Harry was able to get closer to us than I was comfortable with. Just as Harry lunged off a building and headed towards us, I shot a web at his eyes. It would only slow him down, but it was just long enough for me to sling-shot Gwen and I back on the ark.
Harry met us on the ship shortly after we got back on. "Give it up Harry!" I commanded as Jameson and the rest of the solders fell into formation behind me "Your all all alone Harry, there's no way you can make it out of this! The doctors here can help you, they can get the symbiote out of you. Please let us help you." I begged
He stared at us angrily, and then he opened his mouth: "I don't need your help Peter, I never did!" he replied, no longer sounding like himself, he sounded like the monster within him had completely taken over; Harry was gone, now there was only venom.
"And what makes you think I'm alone?" he asked with a sadistic smile
Suddenly, I felt the ground beginning to shake beneath my feet, then I looked over to the side, and saw what he was referring to. The ship was too low for too long, and now all of the infected in the city were in an ant pile and climbing on up to our ship.
"GET THE SHIP IN THE AIR NOW!" Jameson commanded on the intercom
The ship started to ascend in the air, but there was still enough time for a few hundred of the infected to get on the ship.
As she ran inside, the solders began to open fire on the infected as I made my way over to Harry/Venom, who was trying to flee.
"YOU'LL NEVER GET A CHANCE LIKE THIS AGAIN!" I shouted which made him freeze "This is what you want isn't it? You wanted me to pay the price for letting MJ die, well this is your chance, come on, COME ON!" I taunted him
He slowly turned around and faced me. I could easily see the hate and rage in his face, he started growling louder and louder, then he shouted as he charged toward me at full force.
We crashed into each other like mountains made of steel. He was on top of me when we hit the ground. He then tried to sent a punch to my face, but I shot a web at his eyes and kicked him off of me. When he regained his sight, he instantly stretched out his arm, grabbed onto my throat, and threw me as hard as he could into a wall, leaving me breathless. His speed was like nothing I've ever encountered before, he dodged and deflected almost every punch I threw at him, but at least the solders didn't need any help with the infected
I was eventually able to kick Harry in the face hard enough to knock his feet from under him. Just as I was able to take a breath, I suddenly was back at the wall, this time with shooting pains in my shoulders and legs. When I looked around, I saw four large talons in my shoulders and kneecaps, with a fifth heading right for my chest. Just before it reached me, venom was suddenly covered in flames, making the talons quickly come out of my body.
I looked over to my right to see who had just saved me, and saw that it was Gwen who was holding a flamethrower. "You want me, asshole, then come and get me!" she shouted, just before she quickly ran inside with him in pursuit.
My legs and shoulders were still patching themselves up, so I had a hard time walking without agonizing pain. I could hear venom chasing after Gwen and realized that they were heading towards the furnace. Slowly but surely, I eventually made my way to them.
The room was virtually empty when I got there, I hoped Gwen hadn't been caught. I looked around the room again, and eventually found Gwen hiding behind a large pole. She started pointing at something, but I couldn't tell what she was trying to warn me about.
I eventually tuned around, and saw a large black pile on a wall. Before I had a chance to react, venom lunged from the wall and held me by the throat and started walking closer and closer toward the flaming inferno beneath me. "Well, I guess it looks like I've finished my father's job!" Harry/venom announced victoriously
Suddenly, I heard a large BANG, and realized that Gwen had thrown a flashbang, making the large creature release it's grip on me in order to cover its head from the pain. Using the opportunity, I jumped over Harry and started sending punch after punch to his face, pushing him toward the flames. I stopped just before he fell over the edge.
I started to realize something, I was about to kill my best friend. Someone who I've known since I was in diapers, someone who was the closest thing to a brother I ever had. I started hearing a voice, it was weak, but loud enough for me to hear it: "Save me" the voice begged, it didn't sound like the demonic voice that this creature normally had, it sounded like Harry.
It wasn't with anger, it wasn't with hatred, it didn't sound like any other voice except for Harry's. He didn't mean "don't kill me", he meant save him, not saving his physical self, but saving his soul, letting him finally be with MJ, his only true soul mate. With no resistance, I gently pushed him into the flaming death trap.
After the last of him melted away, I slowly dropped to my knees. I then felt a warm hand being placed on my shoulder. I felt the tears begin to leak from my eyes, and buried my face into Gwen as she wrapped her arms around me.
EPILOGUE (two decades later)
Gwen and I are still haunted by everything we've been through since I first put on my mask, but the memories of everyone we lost have eventually became easier to bare.
Everyone did go back to normal the minute venom died, the losses weren't as catastrophic as we expected, only about 50,000. The only real downside was that J. Jonnah Jameson was elected President of the United States (for three terms).
Harry's will stated that I was to be given complete control of OsCorp since he had no children. I was skeptical at first, but Gwen convinced me that my father would've wanted me to take control of the company. Gwen and I ended up putting a stop to all cross species research, which meant that there weren't any giant mutant creatures destroying the city. We decided to turn our attention toward stem cell research, which proved to be MUCH MORE successful (we were able to cure Leukemia within five years).
OsCorp's profits increased by 30% within three years, and honestly, WE'RE RICHER THAN BILL GATES!
George married his college sweetheart, Lily, shortly after they graduated. Then three years later, we were given our first grandchild: Sarah, and five years after that, we were given another: Gabriel.
"Come on kids, it's time to go to bed." Lily sweetly announces to mine and Gwen's grandchildren who were playing on the swing set in our backyard
Gwen picks up Gabriel and follows Lily inside. Gwen looks like she's hardly aged a day, I wish I could say the same for myself. She still makes fun of me whenever I bring up that my hair is getting grayer every day
Sarah calmly approaches me with a smile as I get up from my chair
"How long have you and grandma been together?" she asks
"I think it's been about 20 years, I actually lost count." I reply, smiling down at her
"Do you still love grandma?" she asks
"Are you kidding me?" I ask, smiling at Gwen, who Smiles back at me
"Your grandma is the best thing that ever happened to me." I reply
Gwen hands Gabriel to his mother as Sarah walks back inside, and walks over to me, with the biggest smile I've ever seen on her.
"The best thing that ever happened to you, huh?" Gwen asked as she approached me
"Always" I replied
"Well then, bugboy, you've hit the jackpot." she whispered
When Lily and the kids walk inside, our lips meet with more passion than ever, and then we walked inside and spent the rest of our lives together: in peace, in total, hard-fought, long-awaited peace.
THE END
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been meaning to combine these stories for a while. After re-reading them, I realized how connected they were, and how they all had similar themes. I also realized how unintentionally central the friendship between Peter and Harry was to this.