Venom 9

The flight was nothing like Eddie Brock imagined. He saw Lily zoned out the entire trip, her face slightly pale as she ate her chocolate. He managed to wave down a cab on arrival, taking her to his apartment. She sat in the living room as he scrambled around the room.

"I can't thank you enough for this," he said as he returned with a voice recorder, setting his phone down as well, "I'll take you to the Foundation tonight, but I'd like to get your story."

"Of course, thanks for doing this." Lily answered.

"No, thank you. Please, though, tell me your story from the very beginning." He said with an encouraging smile.

"Well, my name is Rainlily Santiago, and this started about a month ago. I worked two jobs and was a single woman with no extended family. One day, I noticed two men following me at both my jobs. At the time, a friend of mine named Bruce Banner also visited me at work when he noticed them. Well, within the week, those same two men abducted me. Shortly before, we learned that Life Foundation employed these two men." Lily explained.

"What happened next?" Brock asked, hearing the solemn tone in her voice.

"I woke up in a locked room inside a laboratory. I remember room number 009; I could hear others in neighboring rooms. I heard…something coming from the ceiling and saw a tube shoot out something onto the floor. It was black and gooey, and it was moving. It consumed me, and then I learned…it was a symbiote."

"Symbiote? You mean some infection?"

"Something like that?"

"Well, can you tell me more?" Brock asked, getting closer to her, "Was it a virus? Maybe a parasite?"

"PARASITE?"

Brock fell back when he saw the black symbiote come out from behind her. "What in the actual hell is that!?" Lily sighed, patting Venom's head as she rubbed against him, "They don't like the word. Their name is Venom. He's my symbiote."

"So, this is what they did to you?"

"And many others- I was one of the few who survived."

"And the others?"

She frowned, "I took care of them. Mostly. But my friend Banner helped free me, or the Avengers did. They've been keeping me safe for the most part, but they've been attacking me in public now. It's not safe for me anymore with them; all they were doing was keeping me safe, but I realize I was delaying the inevitable."

"You said 'mostly' just now."

"That's all why I'm here. We think they're experimenting on the symbiotes if they can."

"There's a symbiote named Riot. Only a tiny piece of him was in New York. We suspect they have him here in your city."

"And they're here in San Francisco…it explains the sudden rocket."

"Rocket?" Lily questioned.

"They suddenly started a project. I couldn't find the details, but they're expediting it for some reason." Brock answered. "He's bringing others to your planet." Venom spoke up. "How many others?" he asked. "Our kind take over worlds, destroy civilizations, and consume worlds before looking for another. He means to bring others here to complete this."

"Then we need to stop them. Promise me you'll drop me off there, Eddie?" Lily asked, grabbing his arm gently. "I will; I'll try to help you stop them." He told her, but she shook her head. "It'll be dangerous for you, trust me." She warned him. He stood up, grabbing his keys. "We should head out now if we want to avoid traffic."

"Let's stop Riot!" Venom shouted as she stood up, following behind him. "I have a question, just a personal one." Brock spoke, locking the door behind him. "Yeah, of course." She asked. "Those two guys at the meeting; what was up with them?" He asked her, pocketing his phone and keys in his leather jacket.

She blushed, "Oh, uhh, no. They're both my boyfriends, I guess?"

"You guess?"

"It's complicated." She told him, making him smirk nervously, "Lucky guys."

Heading downstairs, Eddie and Lily froze when she saw the same men at the diner in his lobby. He grabbed her arm, taking the exit behind the elevators. Pushing the back exit, two men were standing there, snapping back at them.

"It's her!"

Venom punched them out before they could radio backup. "Well, that's pretty awesome." He said, guiding her towards his motorcycle. She climbed behind him, holding onto him tightly as he took off. Driving through the city, they reached the fence of the institution, seeing the rocket in all its glory.

"So, what's the plan here?" Eddie asked, helping her off the motorcycle. "Just in case…" She called Bruce's phone, and hearing it straight, it went to voicemail; he was never one to answer.

"Bruce, I know you're probably mad, but I didn't want you guys fighting over me, let alone keep bringing you trouble. I'm sorry to do this to you, but in case I don't make it through this…thank you. For everything. For being my only friend, the closest thing I had to a family. And…if you could tell the guys I adore them? Love you, Bruce…bye."

Eddie was hit with the realization- she came knowing she probably wouldn't survive. "You stay here. If I'm not back in, let's say, half an hour, warn the Avengers." She handed him her phone, "But I'm going to finish this here and now." He was about to interject when he saw the alarms go off, the lights leading to the rocket blinking. "They started the rocket launch." Eddie spoke, making her sigh. Venom takes over her body. Eddie was in awe of the change, noticing Venom in a tall, feminine form.

"We'll take it from here. Thank you, Eddie, for everything." They leaped over the fence, approaching the rocket, when they saw Riot charging."Oh shit, that's a big one! You can take him, right?"

"He has got shit you have never seen. But it's him, alright."

"What does that even mean? What are our chances here? Honestly?"

"Hmm. Pretty much zero."

"Well, shit. Let's go save the planet then, buddy." Lily told them before they ran after Riot.

Eddie rode into the facility, running toward the command center as the employees ran out. He made his way when he saw Iron Man floating in front of the window. "I found him." The wall exploded on his side, revealing the Quinjet. Bucky and Bruce came out, Bucky aiming his weapon at the reporter.

"Where is she?" he asked, but the reporter pointed behind them, "She's going after the other symbiote. They're trying to use the rocket to bring back others like them."

"For what purpose?" Bruce asked. "To take over Earth. Rainlily is trying to stop them." Eddie simply answered, hoping that was enough. Bucky looked over to the rocket, his heart dropping when he saw her Venom charging after Riot closing behind.

Heimdall saw the events and linked in Loki. Loki froze in place as he had walked beside Thor, seeing everything. "Thor, I must go."

"But Loki- "

"Lily needs me."

Thor swallowed, his face growing concerned, "Go to her, brother."

Venom leaped from underneath, cutting off Riot as they approached the rocket, bringing them to a standstill. "Venom. Get in the rocket. Now." Riot ordered, pointing a finger at her, but she stood tall, her head held up high. "No. We won't let you destroy this world." Venom answered, refusing to join them.

Riot narrowed his eyes, "Then die." Riot snarled, creating a large maul with his right limb. Venom got into a defensive stance before Riot assaulted him. A battle ensued between the two, Venom and Lily deflecting and dodging the attacks even as Riot struck down with an overlarge-looking scythe, narrowly escaping that.

"Jesus Freaking Christ!"

"Told you!" Venom grunted before she sprung back up. Riot created a longsword-like limb next, and Venom quickly made an overlarge shield. Defending as best she could, they saw an opportunity and grabbed him by the head, bashing them through the gated flooring before kicking him back. Riot growled as he got back up, rolling his shoulders, "You have a strong host…"

Venom became protective, growling loudly at them as Riot spoke again, "But not strong enough against me." Riot outstretched his arms into spikes, and Venom deflected, backflipping out of the way. Riot grew irritated and charged at him, close combat as they fought against each other. Venom managed to gain the upper hand, choking him as she was on his back before Riot spiked, throwing her back with a grunt. Riot snarled as she tried to gain her bearings, but he was relentless. He brutally fought her, throwing her around before throwing her towards the rocket.

"T-Minus: 2 minutes and thirty seconds"

The team watched the fight from the camera feeds. Bucky felt hopeless, watching her lose momentum, "Come on, doll."

"Tony, we need to blow up the rocket if they make it in there." Steve stated, Bucky looking to his friend. "She'd be in there. It'd kill her!" Bucky shouted. "She would want us to, if it meant saving Earth." Bruce confessed but the thought of doing it hurt him.

"Let's give her a chance." Tony said, hoping for the best but Bucky looked back at the camera feed.

Riot threw her face down into the ground, pulling at her face. Venom and Lily screamed as they were dividing them away from each other. "Stop it!" Lily screamed in pain before Riot tore Venom off her, causing her to roll out. Riot held Venom in his arms, leaving her to watch in horror as Riot brought them closer- to eat. Riot growled; this was her chance at freedom away from Venom. Every minute with Venom was leading her closer to her death, but she grew attached to him; she wouldn't abandon him. He was there for her; she would be there for him.

"Venom, no!" She sprung onto her feet and reached out to him. He extended to her and consumed her once more. Venom growled as she sprung onto Riot, fighting ruthlessly as they began to tear at each other.

The team was amazed to see the symbiotes peeling away, watching as this guy and Lily punched at each other as the symbiotes did as well. Horror set in as they realized that Riot was trying to consume both, evolving Riot. He charged up the rocket when a high-pitched frequency rang through the speakers, causing him to fall, dividing the two.

Bucky smirked, increasing the frequency, "Try again, Lily."

Both fell to the floor, the symbiotes dividing from their bodies. The man glared at Lily, but when he tried to kick her, she grabbed his leg and threw him onto the floor. He sprung onto his feet as she did as well. He grabbed her again, but she headbutted him before she roundhouse kicked him, causing him to roll onto the edge.

"You're too late," he smirked, "we're on the next step…" She didn't let him finish as she kicked him off the edge. "I didn't ask you anything." She spat before she walked back, glad to know it was over. She was running up to the bridge when she gasped painfully. She looked down to see a piece of metal pierced her stomach, falling onto her knees and her side.

Riot grabbed her head, bringing her close, "You are nothing." He spat, throwing her back on the ground before he took off running towards the rocket. Lily was losing consciousness fast when she saw Venom speeding as quickly to her as possible, but she could feel herself slipping. She reached out to him but dropped her hand, her eyes slowly closing.

Seconds went by too slowly, but Venom finally got to her, consuming her once more. "I've got you, my friend." Venom pulled out the metal piece and roared before leaping towards the rocket. She ran towards the rocket to Riot, seeing him roar at him.

"Traitor!"

Venom narrowed her eyes with a smile, "Have a nice life." She let go, falling back into the air before leaping forward, stabbing the metal piece into the rocket, and watching the fuel come out as she neared the fire. The oil hit the flames and threw her back, Riot screaming out in pain as the fire consumed them.

Venom was being consumed by the fire and roared in agony, Lily screaming out as she felt their pain. Venom didn't want her to die because of them and separated themselves from her, "Goodbye, Lily."

"Venom, no!" she yelled before being thrown into the ocean.