Raph found himself hitting the web head over the head for about the tenth time at the moment, in spite of the fact Peter's head was too durable to really feel the pain. This was LITERALLY the only way to keep the guy from killing himself within a matter of seconds. "Calm down! Trust me when I say that rushing out there is stupid!" A guy stronger and smarter than Spider-Man running around with all their secrets … very terrifying.
"Aunt May is in the hospital, she can't escape! While we're down here nobody is out there even stalling that bastard from getting what it wants!" And Peter's freak outs were not getting any better. "He knows who I am…what if he goes to Tombstone, or Shredder, or the Kraang, or…!"
"They wouldn't do that." Leo said firmly. "He wants this personal, to have the pleasure of hurting you alone."
"They." Donnie said.
"Does this look like the time to be politically correct Donnie?" Leo glared.
"I'm just making sure we make sure we know what we're dealing with." Donnie answered back. "It took almost two weeks for Peter to fully adjust to say 'we' instead of 'I' when the symbiote attached to him. That leads to two prevailing theories. Either they've bonded so well and so thoroughly in such a short amount of time, or the bonding between the Alien and Eddie is shoddy and rushed."
"Or they both just agree on really really hating Peter." Mikey suggested.
"Not helping." Donnie slapped Mikey. "Point is that there's about a forty percent possibility that the hold the alien has on Eddie isn't as strong and firm as it was on Peter's. That means it'll be easier to pry it off of him once we get the right tools."
"If we can get close enough." Raph rubbed his shell. "He's got all of our skills and kicked our shells with it."
"It's not that he has our skills, he's just observed us long enough to know how to counter us." Leo stated.
"I thought he just got our memories from us being in the mind space thing?" Mikey asked.
"It was Peter it was bonding with, they couldn't care less about us." Donnie said. "Although that means he knows we know about his weakness to sound …"
Their conversation was cut short as they arrived at the lair …. a very damaged and destroyed lair, with Splinter lying on the floor. "Sensei!"
"My….my…my…" Their father gasped out weakly as he laid on the ground…bleeding out of his mouth, eyes, back… just… bleeding everywhere. "The… the alien…"
"Don't speak Master Splinter, you can't move too much!" Donnie rushed to his side. "Peter, web up his wounds! We need to close them off before he bleeds out!"
"Web casting, cheaper than the real stuff." Peter muttered humorlessly as he applied the wounds. "We ran into the thing. It took over an old … friend of mine."
"Is he gonna be alright?"
"If we treat him fast, he'll live. Mikey, grab my kit." Donnie spoke up as the younger turtle ran. "… I don't mean to rain on our odds… but if he took out Master Splinter, what are we going to do?"
"Different body, different memory, same weakness." Leo spoke up. "Sound. Like the bells. A LOT of it. Get to work on weapons after you and Mikey take care of Splinter. Me, Raph, and Spidey will figure out Venom's next move." … Yeah, now he was starting to see why Splinter chose Leo.
"The creature …" Splinter spoke up. "Spoke of …your friend… Murakami."
That got them to freeze. "I'll call." Leo dialed, putting it on speaker. "Murakami, you need to-"
"Sorry, the noodle shop is packed, can I take your order?" A familiarly sickening voice asked. "Figured you freaks would be going down the list at this point. You love the little gift we left at the lair?"
"If you lay a finger on him-" Spidey started.
"We already laid a BUNCH of fingers on him, but don't worry, he'll live…..I think, we were pretty rough on him, and we were too busy picking up take out to pay attention. Say hello, Homewrecker."
"PETER! GUYS! DON'T FALL FOR…" …April's voiced sounded like it was being drowned out underneath mud.
"APRIL!" Donnie grabbed the phone. "You listen here, you space fairing parasite! I don't care how long it takes, I am going to rip the BOTH of you apart molecule by molecule!"
"Geesh, even in a life and death situation, you can't even put your feelings aside, so pathetic." The bastard laughed. "Not that We blame you, she is such a sweet little morsel, be a shame if she were to go SPLAT all over Fifth and Laird avenue, where all her schoolmates and the rest of New York are watching."
"Eddie, don't you dare-"
"Be there in five minutes, or Ms. O'neil becomes the Bugle's next big headline! Can't wait for Peter to get pictures of that!" The phone hung up.
Peter instantly began rushing back to the entrance. "He gave us a time limit, he's not gonna give us room to plan!" He shouted. "I can't wait a single second!"
"That's why it pays to have a team." Leo nodded. "Donnie, get to work on that weapon. The rest of us are going topside!"
"Got it!" He shouted. "Splinter, hang in there."
"Damn it….this bastard is really making it personal." Raph growled as they ran through the sewers. "Peter, how the heck were you ever friends with this monster to begin with?"
"He wasn't always a monster….he's just like me." Peter sighed as he webbed through the halls. "Our parents were both scientists that worked together, and our families would spend a lot of time together. When they died in a plane crash, I was taken in by my uncle ben and Aunt may….Eddie was put in the system, and stayed there until he graduated."
"… Did it hurt?" Leo asked.
"I..I don't know…I was too young to remember them." Ouch…the alien had a point. Even before the bug bite, Peter had a rough life. "…. But Eddie wasn't. He felt alone…which is why I was the only family he had left….and…i failed…"
"This isn't about you failing." Raph pointed out. "Even if you messed up, Eddie's the one taking it too far."
"It's the Symbiote, it has to be." The web head shook his head. "It says things, it tempts you, it nurtures your negativity and feeds off it."
"But how much of that negativity is the alien's and how much of it is your friend's?" Leo said.
"… Hopefully enough to save him." Peter said, hands shaking as he shot out more webs. "Please, be enough."
Mikey groaned as they ran across the rooftops. "My first parade and I can't even enjoy it." Splinter was beaten to near death, Murakami was most likely in a similar state, and April was at risk of suffering the same fate or worse. This could definitely go down as the WORST thanksgiving in history.
"He's trying to make it as public and gruesome as possible." Leo pointed out to the crowds on the street. "Making sure Peter doesn't forget about it anytime soon….."
"He has the Goblin's theatricality and the Shredder's ruthlessness." Raph groaned. "Spidey, any tips you can give us about fighting you…or someone like you?"
"Be very, very aggressive and quick to avoid ticking off the Spidey sense." He said, busy looking over the crowd. "My main style is all about jumping around as much as possible so no one can get a good grip on me. He'll also make sure to keep plenty of space forself to swing around on."
"I can roll with aggression." Raph smirked.
"Space is gonna be a problem with a crowd this big." Leo winced. "No doubt he chose the parade so we'd have trouble staying out of sight."
"April, April, April …" Spidey paused. "Yes I see … no that's just Mary Jane … with Flash?"
"We'll at least he's not evil." Mikey said. "… At least he's not an evil monster." He corrected himself. "… Possibly …"
"I can confirm he's not taken over by an alien symbiote…that I know of." Spidey grumbled. "Great, he called us over and didn't even bother to show."
"He's obviously trying to hide in plain sight." Leo noted. "It's not just April he has hostage, it's this entire Parade. He can strike anywhere."
"Then … maybe he's after Liz. I've…had a growing thing with her…and he's trying to target who I care about the most." Spidey muttered, looking over to another section of the crowd. "Well she's surrounded by jocks, so we'd know about it before it got too bad … Where is he?"
"Surprised you aren't hangin out with your buddies." That Flash guy said as they walked by.
"Gwen's the only one that showed." Mary Jane said. "Although she's hanging out with Eddie." ….Oh shell. "God help her out of that mess."
They turned to see that blond girl Peter was friends with, get led on by Eddie, who smirked at their direction as they went deeper into a crowd. "Keep an eye on the crowd, engage if Venom comes out, I'm going in." Peter said, leaping fast enough to cause cracks in the ground.
"So Peter and this Eddie guy used to be best friends … just like Splinter and Shredder used to be." Mikey nodded. "It's like some kind of circle that never ends."
"I thought Harry was his best friend?" Raph asked. "Before the whole … Goblin thing." Oh yeah … that could apply too. Just how many best friends grew up to hate each other?
"Two besties gone supervillain? I'd call that a common denominator!" Black webbing grabbed Mikey by the leg and pulled him upward, slamming him on a roof. "The Parker corrupts what the Spider destroys!
"He got behind us!" Leo shouted, throwing some ninja stars, which just sunk into the guy's skin.
"Way to state the obvious, you expecting some reward? How about your weapons back?!" Ninja stars were shot out of the guy's arm, but three times bigger. "Interest on the house!"
"I didn't think your humor could be worse than Spidey's, but I guess you really DID absorb all his bad traits!" Raph ran forward, trying to stab him in the leg, only for the monster to jump and leap off his shell, sending Raph into the ground.
"At least We know a bad joke when we see one, like your entire existence!" Venom webbed up Leo's arm, and brought him in close to a headbutt. "Wow, Donnie didn't show? And here we thought he didn't have the character development to focus on anything but his one sided crush."
"I know his personality is a helluva lot more endearing than YOUR ugly mug!" Spidey swung in, actually managing to kick Venom in the side, although that only made him move a few inches.
"Ah, the main course has finally arrived." They chuckled. "Ready to play a game of 'save the damsel's'? The stakes are for keeps, my favorite kind." They launched forward, launching a kick to Spidey's own side.
"..Damsel's?" Mikey questioned as Spidey flew right into his face.
"Peter Parker is Spider-Man, and Spider-Man is Peter Parker, right?" They asked. "Two faces, two lives, two cares. Double whammies all around today!" They pulled Spidey in close with a web, trying to take a bite out of his neck.
"Sorry, Spider's are off the menu!" Leo jumped in and sliced Venom's open jaw, chopping the bottom half as Spidey was given enough room to send a kickin into the man's chest, freeing him.
"Aww." And they grew a mouth on their stomach. "And we were so looking forward to tastingyour suffering."
"Eddie, if there's any dencet part of you still left in there, please, fight it!" Peter yelled
That seemed to still the monster … before the mask was off. "You … you got lucky." He growled.
"… What?"
"You had your aunt and uncle, you fell ass backwards into powers, and you have all the friends you want, and you don't deserve them!" Eddie accused. "You never lost your parents, you don't even remember them! The ESU was all I had, the Connors were the only family, and you messed it up time and time again!" He grinned. "I've always hated you, Peter Parker, deep down. My love just brought it to the surface, helped me see the enemy." The mask reformed. "And now….we will end the source of all our PAIN!"
"… Then I know there's no saving you." With a blur, Spidey and Venom went at it, faster than they've ever seen either of them move before, with blows that sounded painful on contact.
"So we finally pushed your buttons, did we!?" The enemy shouted as they sent Pete into a wall. "And here we thought we'd have to throw your little Auntie off her life support before you finally snapped!"
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU MONSTER!" Peter jumped back in and smacked Venom right in the mouth, making the jaw dislocate. "Even if you hate me, you have no excuse attacking innocent people!"
"Innocent is relative when it comes to you, 'bro'!" Venom sent a knee kick into Peter's chest. "Everyone that know's you becomes bitter and hateful! We see it as sparing Ms. O'neil and Ms. Stacy from the displeasure of knowing YOU!"
"Spidey is an awesome guy you jerk!" Mikey tried strangling the guy with his chucks around the monster's head. "Let them go!"
Venom's response was to turn their head around like an owl. "We think letting them go is the last thing you want."
"MRRRRRRMMMMM!"
"GMMMMMMMM!"
Everyone turned to see the parade going on right beside them, looking at April and that Gwen girl, both tied up and gagged with black webbing…and both hanging on from two parade floats. "The girl Parker cares about most, and the girl Spidey cares about most! Red heads and blondes, you always put yourself in this kind of pickle bro! We almost don't have to do anything to ruin it … almost, it's still too much fun to do it personally." With a snap of Venom's fingers, the webs holding them up slowly started to tear. "We could make them fall quickly … but watching you struggle is too good to pass up."
"Spider-man, save the hostages, we can hold off the slime ball for a minute!" Leo shouted as the three of them charged.
"Stop living out your space heroe's fantasy, Leonardo! Your false bravado only makes you more laughable!" Venom jumped onto Leo while punching Mikey and Raph away., piercing his talons through his shoulder."And from what we've seen, there's no way you improved fast enough to actually be a threat." They grinned, pressing down harder and harder as the ground cracked and more blood spurted.
"No…..but we've improved fast enough….to know not to come in without a trump card." Leo smirked.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNG
"HSSSSSSSSAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!" The creature gasped out as it's entire body rippled.
"You called me a smart guy before…so how about I show you how smart I really am!" Donnie came in, holding up what looked like a super megaphone. "Symbiote, Mr. Brock. I believe you're both familiar with my friend, high frequency sonics!"
"Booyakasha!" Mikey screamed, going in for an attack. Finally, they had a fighting chance!
Donnie continued blasting the bastard with a constant stream of sound, watching (with mildly sick glee) as the armor peeled, before Mikey landed a blow that looked like it hurt. "Rescue April, we got this!" He shouted.
"You little-"
BOOOOONNNNG
With another blast, the armor once more peeled as Raph landed a stab to the stomach. "Oooh, I'm sorry, did that hurt mr. emo goop man? I couldn't hear you over the sound of your butt getting kicked!" Raph send a punch right into the man's face.
"Spidey, we can hold him off, grab the girls and get them to safety!" Leo shouted.
"On it! You go turtles!" Spidey jumped on one of the balloons, and began flipping his way towards April and the other hostage…Donnie was so blindsided by April getting kidnapped he didn't have time to notice there was someone else in danger.
"Oh, you think you're so clev-!"
BOOOOOOOONG!
"A little, yeah!" Donnie shouted as Leo landed a sword strike to the chest.
If Donnie wasn't so angry and worried, he'd be more curious. How did this thing copy all of Spider-Man's powers. Surely just sticking to him wasn't it … did it copy DNA, replicate the code? Might have explained the boost, it was Spidey power on Spidey power … wait, wasn't one of those abilities increased recovery time-
Twip
Donnie was dragged by a web on the foot, dropping the weapon as he got face to face with the snarling monster. "That … was … unpleasant." They grabbed them by the arm, and flung them over the roof.
"DONNIE!" Mikey called out.
"I'm-whoa!" Donnie barely managed to get his balance back as he bounced on one of the parade floats. "I'm fine! Just blast the bastard again!"
"Like we'd ever let that happen!" Venom grabbed Raph by the leg and used him like a club against Leo and Mikey, before throwing him aside and jumping on the balloon. "We have more important spider's to fry than you vermin!" They began heading their way towards Peter, who was just about to reach out to April and the other girl.
"Peter, look out!" Donnie knew he had the Spider sense, but Venom was fast. An early heads up would probably save his life.
They didn't even turn their head as Venom roundhouse kicked Spidey over to Donnie. "Gaah … he moves so fast it almost … no, it didn't register."
"What!?" Donnie went in to jump, only to get webbed up by the arms and legs.
"What's wrong Bro…Spidey sense didn't tingle?"
"...He's invisible to my Spider sense." Peter said, horrified.
"We had so much quality time together, your body WANTS us to come back!" They shouted, slamming Peter through a wall.
"… So our most bullshit trump card is useless against this guy?" Raph asked as the other's caught up with them.
"We still have one trick up our sleeve!" Leo announced as he held onto the sonic blaster, firing at Venom.
"Not this time, mutant!" Venom jumped out of the way, the blasting hitting the nearby windows and shattering them. "Oooh, broken glass. Those people down there better hope a spider to stop shrapnel from stabbing their skulls."
"Gaah!" Peter webbed down, firing a web net to catch all the debris! "It's too public guys! We have to isolate Venom away from everyone else!"
"Aww, and drag us away from the main show? And all those acting lessons Gwen has built up from pretending you're a decent human being." Venom shot ninja stars at Spidey and the gang.
"Why isn't he just shooting us all the time?" Mikey asked.
"They're part of his body. Grown or stored, there's an upper limit somewhere." Donnie observed. "We gotta make him expend most of it if we can't blast him away. Webbing, projectile, spike, anything to run him on empty."
"So annoy him to death?" Leo asked. "Mikey, Raph, you're up."
"Yo Venom! Naming yourself is one thing, but what about the alien? How about Parasite Monster?!" Mikey shouted.
"Symbiote! Not! Parasite!"
"What's that?! Slimbiote?!" Raph called out. "Well you resembled more like the pond scum we find in the sewers…oh wait, that's just poop. It would match the literal shit eating grin you always have on! No wonder why that parasite took over blondie, he's probably covered in the stuff already!"
"We are not a parasite!" They screamed, firing off Kunai, Shuriken, Webs galore at the two.
"Whatever you are, you have terrible aim!" Mikey shouted as the balloon poped. "...Should we count that as a good thing or bad thing?"
"Good for letting April and Gwen fall safely, bad for us being exposed." Leo affirmed.
"Instant web snapping it is, thank you for playing 'save the damsels'!" Venom jumped over. "Now lemon or strawberry…..I've already have enough of a sour taste in my mouth, lets shake it up with something more sweet!" And…he snapped….April's line.
"MMMMMGGGGGGGGGG!" April was falling, no, no, no!
"APRIL!" Donnie called out, wanting to jump out, not caring about being exposed, only to be webbed in the back.
"Oh no you don't! Nobody gets to be the hero today!" They laughed.
"Who cares about heroism when someone's in trouble!" He shouted, extending the blade on his staff … and jabbing it down their mouth, all the way to the throat. "You selfish piece of filth, you don't even deserve to breathe!" Come one, save April, save…
"Sorry, I didn't order the sidewalk pizza! I prefer my red heads to be alive and intact!" Spidey swooped in and grabbed her right before she hit the ground. "You alright?"
"Mmmh." April was safe…. April was finally safe!
"You go Spidey!" Donnie cheered. Now back to dealing with the bastard that started it all.
"One girly saved." Venom laughed with a new mouth. "The second is a bust, you made your choice Spidey!" And the other girl began falling.
"GWEN!" Peter shouted, putting down the girl with some school jocks before rushing back, only for a compact web to knock Spidey off course as Venom yanked Donnie's staff out of its throat.
"HAHAHAH! Like I said, NO ONE gets to be the hero today! Spider-man's second greatest failure… The death of Gwen Stacy!"
"Not on my watch!" Mikey shouted, throwing down his nunchuku, extending the chain to rope it around the girl. "No one dies today!"
"Not today Turtle-" Webs launched onto Venom, yanking them down to the street.
They hit the ground, watching as Gwen was thrown into the crowd by the turtle, hidden just out of view by the balloon and the buildings. "Thanks for the catch!" Their pain shouted.
"No problem Spider-Man! Just give that creep one for Midtown High! No one messes with our group and gets away with it!" Flash Tompson shouted.
"That's the idea, Eugene." Spidey whispered, charging in and knocking them into a lamppost.
"Ooooh, cute. You think a bunch of high schoolers are gonna stop us after we break your legs." They smirked. "Should we call that naive or desperate?"
"Don't know, how's your new diet treating you?" Spider-man quipped as they flipped, kicking Venom in the face and into a fire hydrant. "You're looking a little slim, Venny. What's your secret? Not getting your daily dose of butt whop?" Spidey swung and kicked them in the back. "Don't worry, I got more than enough."
Be careful Eddie, we're low on mass. Can we make more? Can, but it'll hurt you. I can take it, for our goal.Very well. Their body and veins were filled with agony, letting out a howling cackle. "Oooh we have plenty of food." They said, bulking up. "Every toxic action you cause is something we feed on Spider-Man!" They sent a web forward, pulling them back to smack them into the ground. Too low to the ground, the turtles couldn't get in close without exposing themselves, meaning he got to have a little fun. "Why are you hitting yourself!? Why are you hitting yourself!? Why are you hitting yourself!?" They asked, playing with the webs as they made the man kick and punch himself like a marionette, using their superior strength to force those limbs to move against his will.
BOOOOOOOONNNNG
"GAAAAAAGGGGH!" That infernal unpleasant noise was being fired at them from above. Come on, there's a sonic blast in the street and NOBODY is gonna look up to see where it's coming from!? What the hell was wrong with New York!?
"Aww, does someone not like the music selection?" Spidey quipped as they kicked them in the face again, webbing them by the head and dragging them up the wall. "I'll ask the dj if he can turn up the volume!"
"No need bro, I'll file the complaint in person!" They compressed everything into their fist, watching as Peter went flying … through a building, soaring into the air. You are amazing, you know that?Your muscles help. Venom jumped up to the building, sending a web line over to Donnie. "You've been charged with a noise complaint, the fine will be one broken spine!" He shouted, slamming them into the ground like a flail.
"Can't we take that in payments?" Leonardo asked, slicing away at their arm repeatedly.
"Sorry to say, you don't seem like someone who could afford the steep interest rates." They used claws as substitute blades, matching and exceeding his own blows.
"How about an IOU? Like so?" Raphael stabbed them in the ears, causing an unpleasant ringing. "IOU one pair of eardrums!"
"Only if I can IOU an organ or two!" They placed their foot on the turtle's shell, sticking to it as they raised their foot, before stomping them into the ground.
"You wouldn't be too mad if we dined and dashed, would you!?" Michelangelo shouted as he extended the chain into Venom's neck, trying to squeeze. "You do complain about money a lot, so we wouldn't want to impose!"
"I'd prefer you stay! I would LOVE to dine out on your pathetic excuse of a brain! With all the tv you watch, it's practically oatmeal!" He grabbed the chains and whacked them against Donnietello. "Don't you get it!? You can't stop US! We have your skill!" They jumped over Leo's blade, kicking him in the stomach. "Your strength!" They overpowered Raph, sending him into the ground. "Your intelligence!" They ducked under Donatello, using a whip to launch them into a wall. "Your cunning." They grabbed onto a surprise attack from Mikey, throwing him away. "You're resourcefulness!" And they punched Spidey in the gut. "AND YOUR POWER! Can't you see that there's no stopping us!? It's only a matter of delaying it until we find the next person to break." They laughed.
Peter stared at them, really stared at them … then slumped. "I can't win. You're too strong."
"Don't give up!" Raph shouted.
"Let me guess, you want to beg us to end you so they won't suffer?" Venom asked, feeling glee at the admission.
"You were right … I'm nothing without you …" They held out their arms. "Take me back."
"...WHAAAAT!?" Eddie found himself strangely relating to the idiots at this moment.
"Spidey, you can't be serious!" Mikey shouted. "Do you know how much effort it took to get it off!"
"Effort that was pointless in the end." Peter said. "Clearly they knew best … I was an idiot."
"Still are." Venom argued.
"Isn't this what you wanted, Symbiote?" Peter said. "To reunite with your first love? This was all an attempt to get back at me right? To make me see the truth … I'm nothing without you …"
"Hah, like it would ever go back to you. I'm the better partner!"
"I'm? Not We're?"
No…no, they were wrong, we're stronger together….because we love each other…..You were a means to an end….Goodbye Eddie Brock. No … no please …
He watched it crawl away … the first person to love him … please. Please don't leave. "TAKE ME BACK!" He ran at the ooze. "PLEASE!"
"Light's out, Bastard." Donetello gripped his fist, and punched Eddie into the ground, making Eddie feel dizzy… and weak… the symbiote took so much out of him, so much so he couldn't even concentrate on getting up.
"Wow, didn't think you had that in you." Rapheal stated with a bit of impressment.
"He threatened April, there's no holding back."
"What about Spidey!" Michelangelo shouted, as it was silent for a moment. "...Huh, kind of thought it'd be going all cocoon again."
"... Donnie, grab the sound blaster. Mikey, a bag" Leonardo said. "Peter isn't done fighting." … He tricked them … backstabbing … again… if only he could remain conscious enough to do something about it.
Peter smirked inwardly as he looked around his mindscape. Much more colorful than the last time. Hopefully the turtle's caught on to what his plan was while he was keeping the house guest busy.
"Backstabber!" The symbiote screamed. "The emotions taste all wrong! You never intended to keep us around, did you!"
"Wow, you really do know me best." Peter spoke. "So much so you probably know you already fell right into a trap."
"Fool, you don't have the girl, you don't have any protection!"
"No … but you don't have fuel either." Peter smiled. "Do you? Otherwise, you would've bonded with me even if I was kicking and screaming. You used Eddie for all he was worth, wearing him down to the bone, and now I'm starving you out of those essential negative nuggets."
"You still let me in! We will have you, whether you want it or not!"
"Oooof, not even taking in consent? That's some bad mojo." He shook his head. "You see, this is why all your relationships end up in the dumps … or, with you suffering." He watched as the slimeball tried to attack him head on, only to be blocked by a wall.
"WHAT IS THIS!?"
"Basic mental defense, something I read up on after a suggestion from Splinter." He smiled. "And you're wrong…I do have April…and the turtles…and everyone by my side." He smiled as the memories came flooding to him…from the honorary Jameson, to the compassionate Aunt May….to the flirtatious help of Black Cat, to his best friend Harry, to his dad Norman, to the understanding Liz and Mary Jane, to even the very faint Flash Tompson … and Gwen. "You're a disease…they're the cure."
In a second, the mental space was gone, as the parasite crawled off him, making a mad dash to Eddie.
VRREEEE
The little thing cried out at Donnie's sonic blast, curling up into a ball, that was scooped up by Mikey. "No more evildoing for you slimbiote!" The turtle shouted.
"And Brock's down for the count." Raph finished tying up Eddie.
"That was a risky move, you know." Leo chuckled, slapping him on the back.
"Well punching and shouting wasn't working, tricking the mentally unstable individual seemed like the best course of action." Peter laughed … and groaned. "Oh if I ever train with you guys, remind me to pull my punches … I hurt."
"That's actually something we should take account of, considering…." Donnie coughed up a little blood. "Venom pretty much creamed us, even with the sonics on our side. Joining us for training would help a lot against big foes like Rhino and Dogpound at least."
"We'll work something out … after I ice my shell." Mikey groaned. "Hey Raph, does it look cracked?"
"Nah, you're good, but we should probably give ourselves a day or two to rest." The rough and gruff turtle nodded.
"So …" They looked down at the bag. "If it survives cold, no air, and fire from reentry …" Leo listed off.
"The one thing we can do… bury it deep… deep down in cement." Spidey gripped it. "Frozen, forever in place, where no one can ever find it." He could feel the bag squirm even harder at that.
"And Eddie?" Raph asked.
"...Even if I agreed prison was the best place for him, there's going to be no evidence." Peter sighed. "The symbiote will be long gone, and even if he remembers … I doubt he'd tell anyone." He won't be a threat … or a bother. "... Between Eddie and Harry … maybe I really am the common denominator."
"Don't start on that." Leo walked up to him. "We literally have been inside of your head. We know you're a good person. Harry, Eddie, they made those mistakes on their own. Let them take responsibility for their own stuff."
"... Alright." Even if Peter was going to feel guilty about it….Leo had a point. Right now Peter had a responsibility to the friends he had right now…and his own family too.
"... So are we gonna go tell April it's alright now?" Donnie asked.
"Go ahead and do that…I'll take care of the ooze." He grabbed the squirming bag. "Into a permanent prison you go." Where it won't corrupt or threaten anyone else. "Happy Thanksgiving folks! And to all a normal non maniacal turkey eve!" For one night…he would let himself forget about the rest of the city…right now his Aunt needed him.
Gwen was still in a state of shock after the events at the parade. She had finally made up with Peter, she was about to do the same with Eddie….but then he disappeared….and that monster came in and grabbed her, tying her up next to April of all people. She could barley comprehend how fast everything went. She was tied up, captured, then Spider-man almost failed to catch her in time and if it wasn't for that mysterious chain that came of of nowhere-!
Sufficient to say, both she and her dad weren't in a mood to do much other than hug each other, meaning they missed their deadline on cooking a thanksgiving meal. Leave it to a timely yet shocking phone call from Peter inviting her and her father over for dinner to solve that issue. For once….Peter was the one being there for her.
So here she was, sitting down next to her dad, across from Peter and April, and May Parker was simply smiling with happiness. "I hope you all had fun at the parade. It seemed so lovely from the television."
"Yep …" Ignoring the monster attack. "I'm glad you're finally out of the hospital Ms Parker. Everyone got super worried for a while."
"It was a rather unexpected roadblock, I will admit, but I'm just grateful I'm here at all, enjoying this meal with family and friends alike." The old woman nodded. "Your friend is an excellent chef Peter." May smiled as she ate. "Though it's a little more Italian themed than I initially expected… not that it's a bad thing, just different… in a good way."
"Mikey has an appreciation for the finer things in life." He grinned. "Sorry I couldn't introduce you, his family lives on the other side of New York."
"The company now is fine." She waved off. "Just send him my thanks … although I wish Eddie could have made it. He sounded like he could use some cheering up."
"Yeah…I would've brought him along, but he disappeared on me." Gwen sighed. It seemed like there was just some kind of force in the universe making all of her friends just…give up on her.
"I'm sure he just needs time to himself to figuring things out…that's all any of us need every one in a while." April nodded. "And even though my dad isn't here with me…today just reminded me I'm thankful to have people in my life at all. Just…people I can sit around and enjoy a meal with."
"We'll do our best to find Mr O'Neil, don't worry." Her dad reassured with a smile. "And while it may be strange for me as a police officer….I am thankful for Spider-man. The world is a dangerous place, but I am grateful there's someone around that can make it a little safer."
"He saved me thrice." May chuckled. "I certainly owe a lot to that young man, wherever he may be."
"Yeah …" Gwen couldn't count the number of times the guy saved her. "It's like he's always around when you need him."
"Definitely one too many close calls." April chuckled, patting Peter's shoulder. "He does a good job."
"…Well, I'm sure he's just doing the best he can." Peter laughed a bit awkwardly. "One man can only do so much."
"Crime rates went down because of him, that much is for certain." Her dad smiled. "… Well at least until super crime was invented." He frowned. "But that's an entirely different matter altogether. Let's just focus on good food and spending time together for now. Thanksgiving spirit and all that."
Her dad was right of course, he was rarely wrong. For once, Gwen let go of everything that was bothering her and just let herself…be. She talked with Peter…really, really talked with him for the first time in what felt like forever. When he was actually with her…she was reminded of why she liked him in the first place. His clumsy but well meaning demeanor. His corny but endearing sense of humor. His brains and wit…and the fact the mole on his face was honestly pretty cute.
But the way he chatted with April … snarked with her … they felt closer. Like the secrets Gwen accused her of having were still there, just buried. And they felt closer … at least about as much as she saw when Peter talked to MJ and Liz.
So once all was said and done and as they packed leftovers, she moved closer to April. "Hey … can we talk? Alone?"
"Ah, sure." The girl nodded as they made their way to the door. "So…crazy day we've had."
"Yeah … Spider-Man fought a monster version of himself." She shivered. "And now I know what it's like to wash out webs from unmentionable places."
"Eh, you've been webbed once, you get used to it…I hope that didn't sound as dirty as I think it did." April grimace.
"I fear for whatever gal has a crush on that man." Gwen shook her head. "Speaking of Crushes …" She turned to the girl. "April, last chance. You're one hundred percent sure you don't like Peter?" Gwen asked her closet female friend.
"Not even a little … why? You planning on asking him out?"
"Something like that." Gwen sighed. "Be for real for me April…what is Peter to you?"
"...He's my best friend… since dad disappeared, I've only been able to relate to him about it." She said honestly.
"Not even Irma and her lack of a family?" Gwen asked.
"Irma's whole thing is that she doesn't give a damn about anything. It's nice to just unload every once in a while…but she doesn't exactly do the whole emotion thing."
"… Well as someone who lost her mom … if you ever need to talk, I'm also an open book." She patted the girl. "Alright, bestie?"
"You got it." April patted her on the back too. "So since I got that out of the way…what about YOU and Peter? What's he to you?"
"… I'm about to find out." Gwen walked over to Peter, holding a couple of leftover bags as her dad walked to the car. "Thanks for the invite Pete."
"Anytime Gwen." He smiled. "I know I've been flakey, but I'll try and get better, promise."
"I know….Today…it was the scariest day of my life, and…I …." Come on, say it. "I…" Say it you chicken, don't back down now! "I…" Oh for Pete's sake!
Forcing her body to move when her mouth couldn't, Gwen leaned forward, grabbed the boy's face….and kissed him on the lips.
"...Whoa, didn't see that coming." April commented
"I …." she didn't let Peter finish, running out the door and closing it behind her, standing in the yard as she took a couple gulps of air. She did it, she did it!
"You alright sweetie?" Her dad asked.
"Yep, just taking in some fresh air." She waved off her panic. "Totally fine… just… got to get more…" She kissed Peter… her best friend… and didn't say a DAMN THING ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS! WHAT THE HECK WAS SHE THINKING!?
April follows shortly after, standing next to her. "...So you just kissed him." She asked.
"Yep."
"And you ran off before saying anything else."
"Uh huh."
"...Why didn't you ask him out?"
"Because I'm an idiot." AAAAAGGGH! All she did was send mixed messages! "Think he'll talk about it first?"
"If nothing else comes up on his plate."
"...Shit, I'm doomed." Gwen might've made a big mistake.
Leo gently rubbed his bruised arms as everyone gathered around the table. It was a tough fight, probably the toughest fight they had since the Shredder. "You've done well my sons." Splinter said, covered head to toe in bandages. "You have not only overcome a foe, you have overcome yourselves. An enemy that knows not only you, but takes everything you've learned and throws it right back at you."
"Yeah, the slime ball was tough, but we're tougher." Raph nodded, his right arm in a sling. "It wasn't the first beat down we've ever lived through, and it's not going to be the last."
"Could definitely use a breather now and then though." Donnie groaned. "Plus side I finally found a face worth building up muscle to punch."
"Well, it's not like we're gonna be fighting that Eddie guy anytime soon. Without the alien, he's just a normal dude." Mikey chuckled as he took out the turkey. "And if Peter patches things up with him, we won't have to fight him at all!"
"I doubt it's going to come to that." Leo admitted honestly. "There was nothing but petty in Brock's eyes. He couldn't see the world beyond himself. The only thing he could cling onto was the idea of blaming Peter for everything." Leo could understand being angry at his brothers … but to blame every single thing in life on them … that was just unimaginable.
"I've been in the exact same situation myself long ago, with Oroku Saki." Splinter sighed knowingly. "Responsibility is a burden not all are willing to bear on their shoulders. It means confronting and knowing you've made a mistake, and choosing to walk the high road to redemption, no matter how treacherous the journey may be."
"Responsibility…" Leo remembered the car … the talk … the letting the criminal walk … the reveal of the face … "Sensei … does the weight of that path ever lighten?"
"It does….but how long it takes is up to you." Splinter nodded. "Had I been more responsible, I could've tempered my rivalry with Saki, I could've moved Teng Shen and Miwai somewhere safe before that rivalry boiled into a blood feud. I still feel that loss to this day…" He looked at all of them, and rubbed their heads. "But seeing the wonderful sons I have sitting next to me… I feel lighter, knowing you all will become great ninjas in your own right eventually."
He felt a big of pride in that statement as a smile wore on his face. "Now let us future great ninjas eat some pizza turkey!" Mikey shouted. "It's gonna taste amazing!"
"It better, you had us slow roasting the thing for six hours." Donnie groaned in exhaustion.
They all took a slice, biting into it … "AWESOME!"