Welcome back to Ashes of Midnight. Last time, Iron Man developed a tool to capture a sample of Fallen Venom's Symbiote so countermeasures against him can finally be created. However, after some observations by Cynder and Captain America, it's clear that HYDRA is establishing a battle front around Fallen Venom's location. Thankfully, Spider-Man has a plan to get them through. The rest of the team may have been hesitant to go for it, but Cynder gave the order and Spider-Man is taking charge. So, what awaits at the captured Sanctum? Read on to discover...

(Our scene opens up outside the captured Sanctum Sanctorum. HYDRA choppers fill the skies, keeping their eyes for any meddling heroes. One in particular lands on a nearby rooftop. But just away from there, a team of Cynder, Spider-Man, and Blade is keeping watch over the site. Soon enough, out of the helicopter steps Bruce Banner and Crossbones.)

Caretaker: (Via the comm system) Banner.

Spider-Man: And there's old Criss-Cross with him.

Cynder: It's Crossbones.

(Before long, Fallen Venom joins the HYDRA party on the rooftop, where it appears Bruce Banner has set up some sort of device.)

Cynder: And there's Eddie.

Spider-Man: Along with a giant... what is that anyways?

Blade: No idea. But whatever it is, it can't be good if they brought a whole army to protect it.

Spider-Man: Okay, this calls for a last second adjustment to the plan...

Caretaker: (Via the comm system) Are you ever going to tell us what this plan of yours is?

Spider-Man: (Finishes his thought process) Got it. You two lay low and wait for my signal.

(Spider-Man starts working on his plan, while Bruce Banner starts waxing poetic about his device.)

Bruce Banner: Oh the wasted time. Suppressing gamma energy when I could have been harnessing it. Oh when Mother and The Master see what I've accomp...

(But Bruce Banner doesn't even get to finish that sentence as Spider-Man webs his mouth shut.)

Spider-Man: (Completely giving away their position) What's up, Doc?

(Crossbones is annoyed at this and rips the webbing off Bruce Banner's face, before the latter turns to Fallen Venom)

Bruce Banner: (Pointing at Spider-Man) Eat his brains.

(Fallen Venom wastes no time in getting straight after his nemesis.)

Spider-Man: (As he swings away) Signal! Signal! THAT WAS THE SIGNAL!

Blade: Alright then, let's get to work.

Cynder: Couldn't have said it better myself!

(Fallen Venom leaps up at the duo, but ignores them to chase Spider-Man. Seeing his opponent on his tail, Spider-Man leads Venom to an old church. But this isn't just any church, it's the very one where he himself shed the Venom Symbiote years ago with the aid of a familiar bell)

Spider-Man: (Slinging into the tower, then to the bell) Counting on you again old friend. Three... Two... One...

(But while Spider-Man is braced for action, nothing happens.)

Spider-Man: That always used to work! Well, it did that one time anyways.

(And of course this is the moment Fallen Venom leaps through the wall. Spider-Man's Spider Sense allows him to dodge rubble from the impact, but he still gets trapped under a piece of it)

Caretaker: (Via the comm system) Parker, report! Parker, status!

Spider-Man: Kind of under a bit of pressure right now. But I've got Eddie right where I want him.

Fallen Venom: (Relishing in the moment where he thinks he's victorious) AT LAST!

(But just as he's about to chow down on Spider-Man's grey matter, Cynder flies in with Blade in tow and kicks Fallen Venom right into the bell, and just like Spider-Man expected, the resounding clang of the ringing bell weakens Fallen Venom, just as he realizes where he is)

Fallen Venom: Not here! Not again!

Cynder: I should have known your plan was to lead him back here, Spidey.

(But in his pain, Fallen Venom knocks loose a pillar holding the bell up, causing it to drop down the tower, effectively neutralizing Spider-Man's plan just as he lifts the rubble off of himself)

Spider-Man: Uh oh.

(And with that, the battle is on. Cynder and Blade handle much of the fighting while Spider-Man takes the Symbiote Sampler and tries to get close enough to Fallen Venom to use it.)

Spider-Man: As much as I enjoy this little song and dance of ours, Eddie, I think it's time we changed things up a bit! How about we try a little smash up?

(With that, Spider-Man uses his webbing to pull the bell back up the tower and string it up)

Spider-Man: (Unsure if that reference dated him at all) Is that not a thing anymore?

Cynder: Let's find out!

(No hesitation in her movements, Cynder just straight up punches the bell, causing a powerful sonic pulse that disables Fallen Venom)

Fallen Venom: MAKE IT STOP!

Spider-Man: This'll only sting for a second, Eddie!

(While Fallen Venom is down, Spider-Man swings into the fray and uses the Symbiote Sampler, grabbing the much needed sample while Fallen Venom flails around)

Spider-Man: Perfectly natural reaction!

Fallen Venom: WE WILL DESTROY YOU!

(Spider-Man gets the full sample and leaps off of Fallen Venom's back just as the corrupted Symbiote takes a tumble down the tower and the very bell used to beat him falls on top of him.)

Caretaker: (Via the comm system) What. Just. Happened?

Spider-Man: (Holding a perfect sample of the Symbiote) My plan happened.

(And as Spider-Man basks in his moment of glory, our tale ends for today)

And that looks like a good spot to wrap up for now. So it looks like Spider-Man's plan was a total success! Now with the sample of the corrupted Venom Symbiote, the good guys should be able to develop a countermeasure to the energy it exudes. Who knows? Maybe this'll lead to a way to restore Venom and the others to normal. But to find out more on that, tune in next time! Same time... same channel!