Avenging Justice 3:

To Infinity and Anti-Life

Part XXVIII

Earth, California, San Francisco

Venom sat on one of the large buildings, a phone in his hand. A news report indicating the metal armored man known as Steel, was being looked for. Man and symbiote smiled, this one was powerful and a danger to the innocents. That was okay, they could take care of him, for they were Venom. Not a doubt entered either mind that he might be too much for them, they tangled with Spider-Man easily.

They hopped off the building, shooting a strand of webbing out. Something that the symbiote had learned from Spider-Man, copying the texture and structure of the material. They swung past the tall buildings, waving at the shocked people inside, and missing their fearful reactions. Venom was their Lethal Protector, and would watch over them better than any Spider could.

Below three people were beating down another, Venom landed hard amongst them and smiled. Their wide toothy smith, slobbering maw and slithering tongue sent the attackers fleeing. Not fast enough to escape him, but it was good to let the hunt play out. The first was tripped and then flew up into the air as webbing grabbed ahold of the man. Venom leapt past, as the man flailed erratically upside down. The second was a woman, he slammed into her, and left her webbed up on the ground. Much to his pleasure, a dark, dance pool of something gross nearby, and both symbiote and man chuckled at that. The final one he pounced on, digging talons into the man's massive hide.

"Three on one isn't a fair fight, now is it?" Venom growled. "Now how shall we make this right?"

The man gasped, "Leave me alone demon, he had it coming!"

"Oh, we have to hear this! What did they do to you little man?" Venom let his maw hang open with saliva dripping out.

Screaming the man felt his bladder release its contents, "He's a mutie, they're dangerous."

"No, you're dangerous!" Venom said as he lifted the man's head. "Bet your brains won't even tide us over for an hour. Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles!"

Before Venom can bring his jaws down, his head is jerked backwards. They growl as a very familiar strand of webbing is stuck to their head. The bigot forgotten for a moment, they turn to see the blue and red colors of Spider-Man coming in for a kick. Much too fast for them to move, and they had to applaud the Spider for attacking when he did. However, Venom was a little irritated at being followed to his new home. He had left Spider-Man New York as it was.

"You're interrupting us, Spider-Man," Venom growled as the webbing was ripped off their face. Picking themselves up off the ground, they were prepared for his next attack. Grabbing Spider-Man by the neck, they tossed him into the sky. They didn't want to hurt him, much, but were abiding by their agreement. Why he was here, though?

Spider-Man landed on a nearby lamppost, his limbs already prepared to spring. However, Venom wasn't attacking and wasn't going back to their victim. In the background he could hear the police sirens coming. The cops in New York tolerated him enough, but he wasn't sure the San Francisco cops would. Of course they couldn't take on Venom themselves, so it was a matter of stopping Venom and not getting on the wrong side of the police here.

Spider-Man shot back, "Eating brains isn't a good diet. How about something a little more sustainable, like a good burger, or one of those world famous sea food tacos by the dock?"

"You would protect the life of one who has given over themselves to hate?" Venom growled. "I thought better of you."

Spidey cocked his head, "I stop the bad guys, I don't eat them!"

With that he launched off, and targeted Venom's feet. Changing midflight to pull a trashcan to him using his webbing. As he expected, Venom dodged his first attack and was readying to slam fists into his body, when the trashcan hit them from behind. It really wouldn't have hurt Venom, but it did do enough to get his attention, which is what Spider-Man wanted. He lay into the symbiote and man thing with all his might.

Venom grinned, needle teeth opening to show the prehensile tongue wiggling out, "Now this is fun!"

Spider-Man moved, but not fast enough. A punch hit him and his vision became blurry, and he fought against going unconscious. Just as quickly he moved, as a massive black fist smashed the ground where he had just been. By instinct, he sent out two strands of webbing and yanked hard. Venom came stumbling up, just caught off balance enough to be affected. Spider-Man put all his strength into one massive uppercut.

Much to the hero's relief, he heard the massive form of Venom crash. Only for his heart to sink as the creature began to laugh heartily. Then he was jumping, swinging and vaulting for all he was worth. His vision and mind began to clear, the longer he was able to not take any hits. Which is when he remembered the device hooked onto his costume.

Spider-Man hoped it hadn't been damaged in the fight, and really wanted to check on it. However, a very angry symbiote and man were making that nigh impossible. So, he had to keep dodging attacks, counterattacking where he could. The whole way, Venom began to look like they were enjoying this more than being angry any longer. This would have caused Spider-Man a pause of concern, but Venom had always been an odd duck.

Behind them, police had arrived on the scene, and now were firing pistols at both of them. Two rounds hit Venom and they briefly turned around and growled at the officer. Spider-Man used that to lay into Venom, and moving the fight away from the police. Most striking was that Venom seemed to be splitting his attention between Spider-Man and the police.

Then Venom broke off the fight, by throwing Spider-Man away, and tossing two nearby benches at him. The fusion of man and symbiote rushed back towards the police, and Spider-Man felt his core go cold. He needed to stop this maniac before he hurt one of the police. He also had to take care of the debris, or someone innocent might get hurt. It would cost him time though.

"Leave him!" Venom screamed as he landed nearby the police officers. "He is the victim, those three were attacking him!"

One of the cops kept his side arm trained on Venom, "Listen here, creature, but this Mutant is in violation local ordinances."

"It doesn't matter, he was attacked!" Venom spat back. "He is Innocent!"

Another man walked up with, dressed in paramilitary garb, "He is a Mutant, they are all aberrations. To defend Humanity, people, they need to be controlled. Their unique abilities used for our advancement, not to supplant us."

"And to think the Spider calls us Evil," Venom growled. "Release him!"

The man pulled a gun, and Venom grinned bigger, "I don't think so freak, and we'll be taking your little friend as well. The Life Foundation has need of it, more than you ever will."

With that he fired his weapon, but instead of a projectile, a blast of heat and sound wounds Venom. They howl in pain and the symbiote quivers to get away from the damage. Inside Eddie Brock felt himself slow, as his symbiote's pain flooded his own mind. Pushing past it, he tried to move, but was only slowed as two more beams hit them both.

Spider-Man watched in stunned silence. He'd gotten there just in time to hear what the paramilitary twit said, and what Venom had said. Worse, Venom was making sense! If these people were arresting the victim of a crime, and not the criminals, what had happened here? Eddie was crazy, but he did have a code. It wasn't a code Spider-Man himself would follow, but even when they had tangled in the past, he'd mainly left things between them.

"With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility," Uncle Ben's voice said. Spider-Man knew what he needed to do.

Flipping through the air, he shot out three webs. Each attaching to the special weapons the paramilitary goons had been using, and he yanked hard. All three weapons rose into the air, and he attached them to a nearby streetlight. Then, just as quickly he landed by a cop card, removed its door and pulled the Mutant out of the back.

Though quick, the police had enough time to realize what was going on and they were turning to fire at him. Not quick enough though, as Spider-Man launched back into the air, before wincing. Not because of any damage to himself, but because he heard Venom's roar. He had to make this quick, get back before Eddie and the symbiote did something he'd regret later. He was starting to miss New York.

Venom launched himself at the goons first. Now with their weapons removed, they scattered, and the other police began to reform a perimeter away from him. Brock could feel the other's pain, and the weakness it felt. He wanted to hurt those responsible for his other's pain, but something was telling him to retreat. He and his Other needed to recover, and his old enemy had given him an out. It was weird having Spider-Man come to his rescue. There must be a trick to this.

One police car crashed into the top of another, sending glass and plastic flying. The sound of crunching metal and bursting tanks kept everyone's attention. So much so, even the paramilitary goons didn't see the massive black form of Venom leap off into the air. They did see him swinging away, but only after it was too far away for them to give chase. One of the goons picked up a radio and spoke into it. The response was not kind, as his face blanched.

Venom landed hard, Eddie and the Other both battered by that last exchange. They didn't hear the soft landing behind them. All they could focus on was the writhing, shooting, burning pain wracking their body. Pure agony pulsed through them, and it seemed like time was almost standing still. Only their rage was keeping them awake, otherwise both would have been unconscious already.

"You okay there, Eddie," Spider-Man said, his voice softer than even he realized.

Seeing them both in pain, he knew this was bad. It had taken all his ingenuity to defeat both Eddie and Venom in the past. These guys though had looked to be rocking state of the art tech, something Spider-Man could only wish for. Most of his gear were inventions made from scrapes or whatever materials he could afford.

Venom turned, rage filled eyes locked on Spider-Man, "Come to finish the job, Spider-Man?"

"Uh, dude, did you just see where I saved you?" Spider-Man shot back. "I mean you would have been a puddle of ugly and black goo if I hadn't stepped in."

Venom stepped forward, only to fall to their knees, "You are the enemy, we are weak. Now is your time to strike."

"I don't think so, goodness know I'll probably end up regretting that," Spider-Man cautiously moved towards the hulking thing of man and symbiote. "I know this is going to sound crazy, I found it crazy. But, you were right, it wasn't justice to arrest the victim, just because they are a Mutant."

Venom spat out, "You are agreeing with us?! Why do I have this sour feeling in my stomach. I think we're going to puke."

"Hey now!" Spider-Man shot back. "That is my line! I mean you're the psychotic mix of symbiote and man. The fact that we're agreeing means things are really, really bad, or I need to lock myself up in the nuthouse."

Venom sighed, "They're asylums."

"I know that, when did you get so PC?" Spider-Man was generally confused.

Venom fell away and Eddie Brock's face was visible, "I did a report on Arkham Asylum in my early days. Trust me, I'll never make light of that place, or places like it. Why did you do it?"

"Because, just because a law is on the books, doesn't mean it is right," Spider-Man replied. "Punishing a victim just because they are different, isn't justice, it just leads to suffering."

Venom came back up, "You're still a punk, Spider-Man, but we thank you."

The hero and the symbiote were interrupted as helicopters filled the air nearby. Someone was looking for them, and that meant they needed to get to somewhere safe. Spider-Man motioned for Venom to follow, hoping the symbiote and man were too worn out to try for another fight. Much to his relief Venom began to follow. Despite not being able to feel the being in his Spider-Sense, Spider-Man couldn't help but feel a bit of unease in the back of his head. Was that caused by the former villain, or his own fears?

They found a nearby alley, and both landed. With the helicopters flying over them and unable to see, Spider-Man looked over at his temporary ally. Venom was looking better, the drool coming back to his open maw. 'Great I'm judging a monster's health by his drool," Spider-Man was thinking. 'I keep this up and I'll be opening an aberration medical office in no time! Does your symbiote look down? Your mutant lizard thing extra snarly? Your mechanical arms running your life, bring them down to Uncle Spidey's Aberrant Destiny office today!'

"You are looking amused," Venom growled.

Spider-Man countered, "My face is covered, how can you tell what I am or am not?"

"Body language," Venom replied. "You're doing your fool jester routine, something we hate."

Spider-Man shrugged, "Everyone's a critic, even those gooey space monsters from outer space and their angry boy hosts."

Venom groaned, this was going to be a long day. Meanwhile nearby on a massive screen, a news report ran. On it the reporter advised that the Cyborg Superman was doing battle with robotic minions of the Man of Steel. He was advising people to stay away from Coast City, and the inhabitants to stay indoors. He would be dealing with the armored man, and it would be safer for people to not be on the streets. He was also advising other heroes to help quarantine the city while he dealt with Steel.

"We are going," Venom said and began to move.

Spider-Man stopped in mid motion, he had been pacing, "We are?"

"Yes, we are," Venom said. "Something doesn't smell right about this."

Spider-Man couldn't hold back his shock, "Just like that?"

"Just like that," Venom said as he leapt off into the air, swinging away.

Spider-Man followed him, "Well, this is an interesting change to things. Why do I get the feeling I'm going to need so much therapy after this?"