Hey, readers! Sorry for the long hiatus on this story; I was working on my Swat Kats FF, and got pretty deep into it. Of course, I haven't forgotten about y'all, so here's another chapter where Eddie and Venom go on a field trip! Favorite, follow, and enjoy!
-aggiefrogger
Eddie's class was on a field trip to an aquarium, since they were studying marine animals in his science class. It was always exciting whenever they went on a field trip, but the boy couldn't help but feel nervous; the last time he went on a school trip, it was a camping trip, and he'd come into contact with the Venom symbiote. Fortunately, that had turned out well, but he still felt uneasy as he and his class walked into the building.
YOU ARE SCARED, Venom noted.
No I'm not, Eddie thought quickly, a brief blush covering his cheeks.
WHY DO YOU BOTHER TRYING TO HIDE FROM US, the alien asked, slight amusement in his voice.
"Shut up," he muttered out loud, earning him an odd glance from one of his classmates as they started into the main part of the aquarium, surrounded by large tanks full of colorful fish of all shapes and sizes. They each had to choose a fish to write about, and the students wandered along the many tanks, trying to find a fish suitable for their assignment.
THESE LOOK DELICIOUS, the symbiote commented as the boy made his way past the tanks, admiring the many species of aquatic life. ESPECIALLY THAT LONG ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A NOODLE.
It's called an eel, the boy explained, watching the grey creature slither through the water like a snake. And they probably taste nasty. He particularly didn't want to eat an eel; even though he couldn't taste what the alien ate, he didn't like the thought of swallowing the large creature.
WHATEVER. CAN WE EAT IT NOW? The parasite moved in the boy's body, pulling him closer to the tank, and the teen could feel the alien's hunger.
"NO," Eddie whispered out loud, looking around to make sure that no one heard him. "These animals aren't for eating; we just… look at them and observe them."
WHAT IS ENTERTAINING ABOUT THAT, Venom questioned.
"It's not. It's more of something awesome to look at, and right now, I need to chose one of these fish to write about, so please be quiet, unless-"
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A SEA CREATURE? The sudden question threw him off, and Eddie wondered if he had to spend the next few hours answering questions, again.
"Now how should I know? You can take over one of their bodies, if you want to know so bad!" He was being sarcastic, but the alien suddenly stiffened, as if struck by a pin.
OKAY. WE WILL.
"Wait, what?"
Suddenly, a black sludge shot out from Eddie's chest, hitting the ceiling. Before the young teen could react, it had crawled through an air vent and disappeared.
For a minute, Eddie Brock simply gaped at the vent, wondering if what had just happened actually happened. His chest felt empty, as if a vital organ was suddenly gone; the parasitic alien had been a part of him for over four months, and with it suddenly gone, the boy felt panicked for a moment, wondering what he should do next. He had no idea if the alien was coming back, or for how long it would be gone, but-
Wait, why am I complaining, the human thought, looking around at the tanks. I can finally have a moment to myself for the first time in months! I might as well make the best of it! And with that thought, he made his way farther into the aquarium, glad he could now focus on his assignment.
For the next couple of hours, he walked through the aquarium, relishing the fact that he didn't have to answer a bunch of dumb questions about fish, aquariums, or what they were eating for lunch. Eddie found a fish to write his report on, and finished it in record time, allowing him to explore the other exhibits at his leisure. He even got to see a bunch of sea turtles in one large tank, their large majestic forms slowly swimming through the water.
"That's pretty cool," Eddie murmured as a green sea turtle swam right in front of his eyes. "V, what do you think about-"
He cut off, remembering that the symbiote had disappeared, and was probably wandering around some part of the aquarium. While being able to have his body to himself was freeing, but he couldn't help but wonder if his alien friend was okay. He also wondered if the parasite had reached a new host before dying; it had told Eddie that it could not survive long outside of a host, and-
"He's fine," the boy told himself, "he's an alien from another planet that can take over bodies; he'll be fine." But just in case, he started to slowly walk around the tanks, nonchalantly checking each one for a fish acting oddly, but finding none. Even if one was acting weird, he wouldn't be able to tell; he wasn't an expert on fish. He walked close to each tank, making sure that all the creatures inside could see him, but none showed any recognition, or possessed any alien traits.
An hour or so later, there was still no sign of the symbiote, and Eddie started to worry about the parasitic alien, wondering if it had somehow died outside of a host. He knew that it wasn't his fault if Venom died, but he still felt upset as he finally sat down on a bench, head hung with guilt as he wondered where his friend was. What was even worse, was that it was nearly lunch time, and his class would be leaving soon to return to school. If the symbiote was gone for good, then that meant no more late night talks, no more tater tot and chocolate runs, no more-
The teen wiped a stray tear from his cheek, knowing that he had to leave soon, when a sudden thud startled him from his thoughts.
He had been sitting in front of the shark tank, which was full of a dozen or so sharks silently swimming around; the lights in this room were slightly dimmed, creating an eerie atmosphere. Turning around, he saw one shark in particular, a bull shark, was floating near where he was sitting, staring right at him. Then, it's eyes went completely blank, and a black tendril waved from one of its dorsal fins.
"V-Venom," the boy asked, wiping his eyes dry as he stared at the shark. It shook its tail, and suddenly swam straight up, disappearing as it swam to the top of the tank, which the teen couldn't see from where he was. "Wait, come back," he yelled, running to the tank and pressing his face against it, trying to spot the fish. He eventually saw it, but it swam away from him.
A sudden thought occurred to Eddie, one that made his blood go cold; what if Venom wanted to stay in the aquarium, using the shark and other animals as its new host, because he preferred it over his weak human body? It made sense; as a shark, the symbiote could kill without being reprimanded, and would have complete control over the animal's body without having to struggle for power.
"V, please," the boy pleaded, tapping lightly on the glass, trying to get the shark's attention; there was no one around, so he was able to speak out loud, hoping that sharks had good hearing. "V, I'm sorry if I chased you away, but please don't leave me alone! You're my best friend, buddy; you're my only friend, and I… I'll miss-"
Something heavy landed on the teen's shoulder, and he jumped, feeling a familiar sensation as the black substance seeped into his neck.
WE ARE BACK, Venom spoke in his mind, resuming its regular residence in his chest.
"V," Eddie gasped, the empty feeling gone as relief filled the boy. "Don't do that again! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
WHY WERE YOU WORRIED, the alien asked, sounding slightly confused while sensing the boy's spike in emotions.
"Because you just disappeared without warning, and I had no idea where you were, or if you were even alive! What if you had died outside of a host? And my class is about to leave the building; how would you have gotten home if I was on the other side of town?"
CALM DOWN, EDDIE; YOU'RE SCARING US.
"You mean like you scared me," Eddie snapped, sitting back down in front of the tank. "I was worried about you, dammit, and you show up as if you were just out for a walk in the park and-" The boy cut off, slamming a fist onto the ground next to him, embarrassed that he felt this way about his missing friend while the parasite was just having a grand old time. He also still felt guilty for not caring sooner, and he again wiped his eyes, feeling slightly humiliated. He could feel tendrils emerge from his hand, wrapping around his fingers; it was comforting, but the boy was still upset.
… EDDIE, Venom asked tentatively, now sensing what the boy was feeling. WE ARE SORRY FOR SCARING AND UPSETTING YOU LIKE THAT. WE… WE CAN TELL THAT YOU MISSED US, AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG. The tendrils wrapped around the teen's fingers, feeling like someone was holding his hand. AND… WE WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN, IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT.
Eddie took a shaky breath. "It… it's fine, V. I just… I thought that you might have liked it too much here, and would leave me forever, and-"
WE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, the alien promised solemnly, the tendrils hugging the boy's hand. YOU ARE OUR FRIEND, AND WE LIKE YOU. BESIDES, THEY DO NOT HAVE CHOCOLATE OR TATER TOTS HERE; JUST DEAD FISH.
The young teen chuckled a little, starting to calm down and cheer up; he was glad that the alien would remain his friend, and wasn't planning on leaving him anytime soon. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "And, if I'm not mistaken, they have tater tot back at the cafeteria today, if you want some."
YES, the parasite cheered, glowing with warmth in the boy's chest, and Eddie couldn't help but smiling again, finally standing up and walking towards the exit. The tendrils were still wrapped around his hand, but anyone who noticed probably thought it was a glove, and they remained wrapped around the teen until they got back to the middle school.
