Chapter 30: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

In which the more things change, the more they stay the same.

MaximumCarnage has joined the chat.

FluffySockPuppet: hey look whose here!

FluffySockPuppet: yo cam!

xXCrashNebulaXx: you been quiet. things ok?

MaximumCarnage: assignmence :(

MaximumCarnage: classes, work, etc

FluffySockPuppet: gotta learn to half ass things

FluffySockPuppet: vital skill

Dragon_Knight1337: lmao. you'd know

xXCrashNebulaXx: when you can dig yourself out cam?

Dragon_Knight1337: for dnd sesh!

xXCrashNebulaXx: since last time we planned didn't work out

FluffySockPuppet: cuz big brain here got into superhero battle

FluffySockPuppet: still cant believe it

FluffySockPuppet: im so jealous

FluffySockPuppet: why nothing fun ever happens to me

BrainsBrainsBrains: fun? scary as hell more like

BrainsBrainsBrains: not right state of mind for games after that mess

BrainsBrainsBrains: but we need meeting. all of us

MaximumCarnage: yea. i wanted to tell you all smth

MaximumCarnage: important

MaximumCarnage: not for chat

FluffySockPuppet: the plot thickens!

xXCrashNebulaXx: cam what happened?

Dragon_Knight1337: r u leaving nyc?

FluffySockPuppet: you got married or smth?

MaximumCarnage: NO

MaximumCarnage: wtf sock? im not even dating

FluffySockPuppet: then TELL US! or we keep guessing

MaximumCarnage: later. in person. at my folks home. gotta tell them too

FluffySockPuppet: wtf this about?

xXCrashNebulaXx: i'm actually worried

BrainsBrainsBrains: just set meeting time. next weekend?

Dragon_Knight1337: u in on this brain? wt doing?

xXCrashNebulaXx: i'm free. i think

FluffySockPuppet: ill MAKE time. i need to KNOW

Dragon_Knight1337: me 2

MaximumCarnage: k. thx guys

FluffySockPuppet: at least give us a hint!

Dragon_Knight1337: hint! hint! hint!

BrainsBrainsBrains: its pretty weird. rly better in person

MaximumCarnage: yea. sorry

FluffySockPuppet: ur evil

FluffySockPuppet: im gonna die from suspense

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Leslie asked without looking up from where she was dragging her clothes out of her wardrobe and stuffing them into a plastic bag.

"What other alternative is there?" Cameron retorted, gesturing wildly with a dinner plate. "Keep hiding from my friends and family for the rest of my life?"

Carrie took the plate out of his hands before he could drop it, wrapped it in a paper towel, and put it into a box with the rest of the dishes and other cooking utensils.

Leslie turned around and glanced at Eddie, who was moving the already packed boxes out of her apartment. "And you're okay with that?"

"It's not our decision to make, and we're not going to make Cameron lie to someone he cares about just for our sake," Eddie replied. He grabbed one of the largest boxes, barely noticing its weight, and carried it outside where a truck was waiting to be loaded.

"And Brian took it pretty well," Cameron added. He stroked Carrie's serpentine head with a smile. "We were both so worried when he confronted us… But he was okay with Carrie, so I don't think it will turn out that badly… At least, I hope it won't."

Leslie raised an eyebrow. "And you think that me being there will somehow help? I'm a complete stranger to them."

"Yeah, but you're a human stranger." Cameron looked away, suddenly nervous. "You don't have to, I just thought–"

Leslie waved her hand. "Nah, it's fine. If you want me there, I'll be there, even if just for moral support."

His expression immediately brightened. "Thank you!"

For a few minutes they just worked in silence, then Leslie asked. "How do you think everyone will react?"

"My friend Ricky is gonna be over the moon, that's for sure. He said that he's jealous of Brian for getting caught up in that fight. And he loves aliens." Cameron laughed suddenly. "I remember one time he told me that he wanted to get abducted by aliens just so he could see what a UFO looked like up close."

"Do aliens actually abduct–" Leslie started to ask, before she paused and shook her head. "Nope, I don't want to know."

"My dad is probably gonna be the same," Cameron continued. "He's a sci-fi writer and he's also a bit obsessed with aliens."

Leslie rolled her eyes. "Wow. What are the chances?"

"Yeah, lucky me… Chris and Tim, that's my other friends, are probably gonna need some convincing though. And my mom…" Cameron cringed. "She's gonna freak out so badly… I doubt she'll have too much problem with the alien stuff, but if I tell her how many times I almost died… Hell, they're all gonna worry about me, but I can't just keep them in the dark."

Leslie wondered what she would have done in his place. Because she could have ended up in his place, easily. After all, hadn't she been planning to host Carrie before they met?

She tried to imagine what it would've been like. If she had been able to be there in the thick of things, instead of staying on the sidelines… If she had the power to fight on the same level as everyone else…

She wouldn't have allowed Shriek to take her hostage so easily. She wouldn't still have bruises littering her skin. And she sure as hell wouldn't be so scared of her own goddamn apartment, she had to crawl back to her parents!

"Leslie? Are you alright?" Cameron called out unsurely.

She grimaced. "I'm okay. Just… can't believe I'm moving back to my parents' house."

She hadn't been able to find a new apartment on such a short notice, but she couldn't stand living in this place any longer. Shriek was gone, but Leslie was still afraid of her.

"You know, you could stay with us instead," Cameron tentatively suggested.

Leslie waved her hand. "Nah, I'll be okay. Don't worry. It's not like I haven't dealt with my mother's harping before… I just need a bit of time to figure out the new living arrangements – and find a new job – and then I'll be out of that place."

"I'm sorry you got fired for helping us." Eddie's sudden voice nearly made her jump. "You wouldn't have missed three workdays in a row if not for us."

Leslie leveled an unimpressed glare at him. "One: I helped you both because I wanted to. Two: you weren't the ones who fired me. Three: I hated that crappy shop and its even crappier manager. I've been thinking about quitting it anyway, so this just gives me a reason to find something better."

Though it probably would've helped if Leslie knew what she actually wanted to do with herself. Then she would've at least known what to strive for. The way things were, she was just drifting through life.

Maybe that was what she should do once she was done moving: try to figure herself out.

"How did you guys decide what kind of job you wanted?" Leslie asked, looking between Cameron and Eddie.

"I've always wanted to help people," Eddie smiled ruefully. "A warrior, fighting for justice… I guess I liked the idea of investigating and exposing crime. But I didn't have the mind for law and I never liked cops, so I became a reporter."

Cameron scratched the back of his head. "Wasn't anything this profound for me. I like video games, I wanted to know how they work and how to make my own, so I got interested in computer programming and engineering. Kind of a lame reason, if you think about it…"

"That doesn't matter," Eddie interrupted. "So long as you like it."

"I do. Plus, computer tech is all the rage nowadays, so it's not like I'm gonna end up without a job any time soon."

And what did she like, Leslie wondered.

Once upon a time, before everything, she had wanted to be a professional skater, but it had been more of a childish dream than true passion. There was just too much grueling work required to make a name for yourself in professional sports, work that Leslie wasn't willing to put in.

And what did she want?

Her nails dug into her palms. She wanted her brother back. She wanted to make sure that no else would have to suffer through the same nightmare she did.

…Maybe she should become an investigative reporter too. Or maybe a private detective.

Fighting superpowered enemies had been terrifying, but it felt good to make a stand and protect others. She wanted to keep doing it. She wasn't really cut out for fighting evil wizards and homicidal demons, but she still wanted to help people.

She wanted to make a difference.

They had helped Leslie unload all the boxes and carry them in, when she had arrived to her parent's house, but she said she could unpack by herself. Then she added wryly that since this was only temporary, it would be more efficient to leave most of her stuff packed until she could move out again.

With their help no longer needed, Cameron and Eddie went back home. It was starting to get dark and they both had things to do in the morning.

At least, they started to head back home, but then Eddie had a different idea. He ducked into an empty alley and transformed. "What do you say, kids? Do you want to go on a patrol with us?"

"Yes!" Cameron cheered, as Carrie wrapped around him. He jumped on the wall and quickly clambered to the roof. There he paused unsurely. "Wait, how do we do this? Do we just… run around the city looking for trouble?"

Venom only shrugged in response. "Pretty much. New York is a big city, there is always something going on here."

Cameron felt Carrie pulling his attention towards a faint noise of distant police sirens. He vaguely gestured in that direction. "Like that?"

"Exactly like that."

The sirens were loud and easy to track, so Venom and Carnage had no trouble following the police cars.

Venom was used to web-slinging enough that it didn't require much attention from them. Instead, they observed how the kids moved around.

Carrie didn't inherit V's ability to create webs and their tendrils lacked the same reach, so Carnage had to either jump between buildings or run across walls. It looked like it required far more effort than web-slinging did, but Carnage was fast and light on their feet, easily keeping pace with Venom.

When they finally reached their destination, they saw an old warehouse surrounded by police. They perched on a nearby roof, their enhanced senses picking up some of the chatter below. It seemed like a dangerous armed gang had barricaded inside the warehouse, and the cops weren't sure how to approach without a heavy risk of casualties.

"Sounds like something right up our alley," Carnage said brightly. They crouched on the edge of the roof, ready to take a leap.

"Can you deal with gunfire?" Venom asked, just to double-check.

Sharp scales formed on their skin, covering their entire body in a way that made them vaguely resemble a pangolin. "We can. We're bulletproof."

"Then let's go!"

Compared to a fire-slinging maniac or a reality-warping demon, this should be a piece of cake.

There was one thing horror movies got right: people rarely looked up.

Carnage crawled across the ceiling, silent and unnoticed, then paused thoughtfully. Actually, why not lean into that? They were the monsters here, weren't they?

They tapped their claws on a metal rafter, quiet enough that the gang milling below didn't notice it. Venom heard and turned towards them, tilting their head in silent question.

Carnage gestured at the sparse light fixtures illuminating the warehouse. They both could see in the dark, couldn't they?

Venom's toothy grin widened and they nodded in understanding.

They both silently moved between rafters, positioning themselves on the opposite sides of the large room. And then they quickly and efficiently destroyed all lights, plunging the warehouse into darkness.

Dealing with baseline humans armed with ordinary guns didn't actually require so much effort. They could've just dropped in the middle and started swinging, which was Venom's preferred way of dealing with such situations, but for now they decided to hold back and see how the kids would handle it.

The thugs huddled together, warily pointing their guns into the darkness. They weren't scared enough to start shooting (yet), though that was probably because they were more afraid of accidentally hitting each other.

Then Carnage made their move.

They stayed on the ceiling and stretched down three long tendrils, aiming towards the thug who was standing right in the middle of the crowd. Then they used one tendril to swiftly yank the gun out of his hands, another to cover his mouth and muffle his screams, and the last one to wrap around his waist and drag him upwards.

Carnage put him high on the metal rafters, unharmed but unable to get down by himself. The others screamed in horror, unable to understand what was happening, and scrambled away, shooting blindly into the air.

In response, Carnage formed more tendrils tipped with serrated blades, and cleaved through several guns, rendering them useless. Their strikes were careful and precise, only slicing through the barrels.

They were far more careful than this scum deserved, Venom thought privately. In their place, Venom would've probably removed a few hands and fingers along with the guns. Or just skewered them through.

The blades melted away, and Carnage dropped down from the ceiling, using their tendrils like whips to trip up the thugs.

Venom frowned when the hits barely made them stumble. Carnage should be strong enough to break their limbs with ease, so why–

Their tendrils lashed out again, this time knocking the thugs off their feet.

…Ah. It looked like Carnage was still figuring out how much strength they were willing to use on baseline humans. Despite their powerset being geared far more towards murder and violence than even Venom's own, they were intent on inflicting as little damage on their enemies as possible.

Venom silently shook their head. Honestly, it just didn't seem worth the trouble to them. On the other hand, so long as it didn't put anyone in undue danger, why not let the kids play around a little? They were still learning, after all.

Not all guns had been destroyed, and one of the thugs had managed to scramble back to his feet and open fire.

Carnage made a startled noise and swayed back slightly, when the bullets hit them. Venom saw the bullets bounce off their scales, so they knew it shouldn't have hurt them, but they weren't feeling particularly charitable at the moment.

Venom webbed up the gun and sharply yanked it away. They swung it around and smashed the weapon into the wall, breaking it into pieces.

They webbed up the thug, fully intending to do the same to him… Then they paused and looked back at the kids.

Carnage was completely unharmed and they were currently climbing towards the rafters, dragging another terrified (but also completely unharmed) thug with them.

They were putting so much effort not to hurt anyone… It didn't feel right to undermine their work.

So rather than slamming their captive into the wall and breaking half the bones in his body, Venom merely webbed him up.

They had made so many mistakes already… They didn't want to be a bad influence on the kids.

People being afraid of them when they only wanted to help, back in their first battle with Inferno, had been unpleasant and rather hurtful. But playing the role of a horror movie monster on purpose? This was actually fun.

A bit stressful, since Carnage still wasn't sure how hard they could hit someone without landing the person in question in the hospital, but still fun.

And easy. They were honestly surprised how easy it was.

In their previous fights, Carnage constantly felt like they just couldn't catch up. They lacked the power, lacked the experience, and they were barely able to hold their own against the dangerous enemies they faced.

But this time they weren't dealing with Inferno's destructive flames or Shriek's mind-rending screams or Mordo's endless magic tricks or Dormammu's ability to rewrite reality with a snap of his fingers. This time they were facing regular humans with regular weapons, and Carnage was stunned to realize how much stronger than their enemies they were.

This wasn't a mad scramble for survival, whether their own or someone else's. It barely even felt like a fight. Instead, it was almost like a game, one where they had all the cheat codes.

Carnage almost felt sorry for the hopelessly outmatched gang, though not enough to let them go. In no time at all, the thugs were either webbed to the walls or stuck on the rafters, unable to do anything other than wait for the cops to arrive.

"This was awesome!" Carnage cheered as they climbed out of the warehouse and rushed off, bouncing between buildings.

In the aftermath of the previous fights, they had been barely able to stand, too injured or too exhausted to do anything other than crawl back home to rest. Now they felt excited and full of energy, ready to take on the entire world.

"Let's find something else to help with!"

After dealing with that gang and resuming their patrol, they had also managed to stop a mugging and prevent a car crash. The people they helped had been somewhere between grateful and terrified, which was at least better than just plain terrified.

It had been a productive evening, all things considered. But eventually, Venom declared that they had done enough for the day, and they returned home.

They had both detransformed, and now Eddie was watching with amusement as Cameron paced around the room, too jittery to rest.

"Oh my god, I'm so wired… I feel like I drank ten cups of coffee! How am I supposed to sleep like this?!"

Eddie chuckled, "Went a little overboard with adrenaline, did you, Carrie?"

Carrie swayed around their host, looking equally twitchy. "Maybe? I'm processing it."

"Don't worry, you'll learn to control it better," V reassured. It took them a bit of time to learn all the finicky processes of the human body too.

"But you're right, Cameron: you won't be able to sleep until it fades," Eddie continued.

Cameron threw himself on the couch with a frustrated groan. "What am I supposed to do until then?!"

Fortunately, Eddie had an idea for that. V purred in delight when they read his thoughts.

"Want to help us cook? We're making cinnamon rolls."

"Cinnamon rolls?" Cameron repeated, looking up with interest. Carrie stretched out their neck, mirroring his curiosity.

Eddie smiled as V started to take out all the ingredients they had bought previously. "Come on, we'll show you."

The kids still looked ready to climb the walls (perhaps even literally), but they listened attentively and followed his instructions. Despite his otherwise mediocre-to-terrible cooking skills, it was a recipe that Eddie knew by heart.

He had baked cinnamon rolls with Mary, back when they were children (when his sister still cared about him). He had baked them with Anne, before they broke up and she had moved away. He had baked them with V, when they had first bonded.

And now he was baking them with Carrie and Cameron. They might not know how much this really meant for him, how much Eddie came to associate the scent of cinnamon with the feeling of family, but that didn't matter.

Right now, Eddie simply wanted to share something he loved with the people he cared about.