I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I decided to post what I've got instead of missing a week. So here's the shortest chapter of the story.

Okay. The other two rats were in the building. He could deal with that. For starters, he didn't know for sure that the rats were already on their way. The guard asked for the rats. But maybe Spider-Man could stop them from actually releasing the rats.

Spider-Man moved so quickly they had no time to aim. He struck the first guard's helmet hard enough to shatter it and knock out the head inside. Spider-Man web-pulled the second, and only other present, guard. Once he caught him, Spider-Man threw him cratering into a wall.

They were both done, but then Spider-Man heard over the second guard's radio someone saying, "Copy that. Vermin 2 and Vermin 3 are on their way."

Spider-Man sighed. Apparently, there was no getting out of fighting the rats. Not that he didn't want to fight, he just knew this was going to be noisy and noise could mean attention from Green Goblin.

Spider-Man weighed his two options. Option one was call Danger and fight the rats together. Option two was count on the symbiote's extra power to help him fight the rats without Danger. The more he thought about it, the more option two seemed favorable. He still wanted his lookout. This fight would ironically be too dangerous for Danger due to him being so new to this stuff. And he didn't want to have to explain the symbiote's use in the upcoming fight.

Knowing the rats were coming to his location, Spider-Man threw the guards into the storage room so they wouldn't be meat in front of the rats. Knowing he was about to fight inhuman monsters, Spider-Man wed-grabbed the guards' guns.

The rats arrived in the hallway sooner than expected, growling and running on all fours. He pointed at one of their heads and fired, but they apparently had been equipped with bullet proof helmets. After seeing the bullets bounce off their helmets, he unloaded the rest of his ammunition into Vermin 2's torso. It didn't even make any more noise than it already had been as its body soaked up the bullets.

Spider-Man hesitated to use the symbiote's abilities beyond the basic enhanced strength and speed. He could guess that the rats' helmets had built in cameras, but he decided on taking the risk. Maybe he could get to whoever was watching before they reported to Green Goblin.

Spider-Man willed his suit to fade to black.

Tendrils spread from his arms and crashed into the rats, holding them back. Then he used one tendril to throw Vermin 3 to a distance and the other tendril to pull Vermin 2 in. Spider-Man hit Vermin 2, breaking its rib.

Vermin 2 lounged its open jaws at Spider-Man who positioned his forearm in the rat's mouth only for tendrils to spread from his arm and prop Vermin 2's mouth open, not letting it bite down. Spider-Man formed a blade out of the symbiote on his other arm and stabbed it deep into Vermin 2's flesh.

Vermin 3 came charging toward him again, so Spider-Man moved Vermin 2 in the way, letting Vermin 3 sink its meat-hook-like claws into the wrong target.

Spider-Man moved to the side and then pushed Vermin 2 crashing it into Vermin 3. Spider-Man sandwiched Vermin 3 between Vermin 2 and a wall. Vermin 3 tore into Vermin 2's flesh, trying to claw his way out. Spider-Man let Vermin 2 go and backed up a few steps. With Vermin 3 still clawing at it, Vermin 2 turned around and attacked it instead of Spider-Man who was backing away at the time.

With both the rats distracted, Spider-Man jumped unto Vermin 2's back. Spider-Man created a tendril with dozens of blades and wrapped it around Vermin 2's neck. Spider-Man pulled on the tendril, tearing the blades around Vermin 2's neck. Blood sprayed from all around its neck and, within seconds, Vermin 2 was drained. It fell limply and twitched for a brief time before its body gave out completely.

Vermin 3 came at him, but Spider-Man was too quick for it to land a hit and too strong for it to absorb his blows without injury. Spider-Man's punches broke Vermin 3's bones and ruptured its organs. In time, Vermin 3 struggled to pick itself up; not because it lacked the will, but because its now frail limbs rejected its commands. Spider-Man ripped off its helmet and used it to bash Vermin 3's skull in.

Spider-Man would have stopped to look at the symbiote covering his body if he had time. He ran off to beat down the building's remaining guards and shut down their attempt to move the rest of their stuff out. But while he didn't stop to think about things, he thought about them anyway.

That fight was easy. It had been somewhat challenging to fight one Vermin the first time when he didn't have the symbiote. But with the symbiote, he defeated two of them easily. It was already proving to be valuable. And so far, he could think clearly, always remembering his intent to stop the bad guys and holding back from killing any humans. It made him think about what might have been if he never abandoned the symbiote in the first place. Maybe if he never gave the symbiote a reason to affect his personality, everything would have been fine. It was hard for Spider-Man to admit it to himself, but the symbiote had a point about his refusal to do what's best for himself. For so long, he had it in his head that it would be selfish of him to use his powers to make money, but his poor choices weren't necessary for him to do what was right; MJ had almost proven that with her suggestions. Maybe he sold pictures for pocket change instead of making merchandise deals because, deep down, he felt like he should be punished for not saving his uncle. Was it really so selfish for him to get royalties for toy sales? Not really; it would have just made him scared of going down the same path that got his Uncle Ben killed. But his uncle didn't die because Spider-Man was making money; he died because Spider-Man wouldn't save the day. And who said he couldn't do both.

And that wasn't the end of what could have been. If he hadn't abandoned the symbiote, so many battles would have been won so much quicker and with much less collateral damage.

Maybe the symbiote could have even saved Gwen.

Like finding one's self home after absentmindedly driving, Spider-Man realized that he had wrapped things up inside the building. All the guards were unconscious, webbed up or both. He changed his suit back to red and blue and found Danger outside with a few people who tried to escape.

"Did you find my . . . uh- the hostages?" Danger asked worriedly.

"No, but I know where they are now."

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Couple Reviews by MVPKnight