Perhaps it should be more alarming that I've apparently acquired and donned a new suit without my permission. It should be even more pressing seeing at apparently it can talk to me. However in the face of a man literally made of fire, I've got bigger problems. Who knows maybe this thing will turn out to be fire retardant?

~no.. dodge fire…~

"Oh come on!" I leap backwards off of the building as the human torch casually throws a wall of fire at me.

I hear Johnny shouting at me as he follows of the side of the building, "If all you're gonna do Is run away you might as well give up." In a flash of light and heat he surges towards me, my enhanced reflexes give me just enough time to avoid crashing into his flaming body. "After all I'm just too fast for you!"

Smug prick. But he is right; the only reason I escaped last time is because of Katherine. I can't outrun him, and hitting him does more damage to me than him. I wonder if I can get him into the water?

I aim for a building trusting my new suit to shoot web for me. It shoots out as soon as I have the though with even more force than I'm used to. Before I even grab it the web starts retracting into my hand shooting me upwards like a grappling hook.

~Better together~

Not bad I'll admit, I aim the other hand down and flick a trash can lid in Johnny's direction. He bats it aside at most that distraction buys me a second but I need all the advantages I can get.

~You move… I distract ~

As I go to swing forward I feel the suit shifting by my shoulder blades, I look back and see that a tendril of the suit has shot down to copy my earlier actions and thrown a manhole cover back at Johnny who is forced to knock it aside with a blast of fire. Now this I can work with.

~partners remember, together~

I guess it wouldn't hurt to hear this thing out, after we escape of course.

"Alright kid if you're gonna play dirty then the kid gloves are coming off!" Johnny shouts from behind me. His yell is accompanied by a wave of heat and pressure. Come on, how much stronger can this guy get?

As I go to swing into an alley out of the corner if my eye I can see someone on the ground beckoning me to the main street. A girl if the long black hair is any indication, although a bandanna and sunglasses hide their identity. It could be a trap, but considering that I'm accepting help from apparel already then why not?

I dive forward and angle myself low towards the stranger being sure to swing by just out of arm's reach. As I do my eyes widen as I notice in my peripheral vision in their other hand is a traffic light! I make a tight curve around the building as this person swings the traffic light above me. I don't see it hit the human torch but I do hear it. The incredibly loud crash, not unlike a baseball impacting with a bat. I have no idea if he can get back up from something like that but I'm not going to stick around to find out.

I give the unknown helper a nod and quickly make my way to a concealed alley. I would take this suit off and wear casual clothes but seeing as Johnny torched all of my clothes- as I'm saying this I look down and my suit is changing shape and color. I'm now wearing a very similar outfit of jacket and jeans that I was wearing before.

~partners~

I give my new outfit an appraising nod, "We should talk about that." I say as I walk out if the alley.

~hungry~

Me too, pizza?

~Yesss~

"So, how do you eat?" I'm reclining against the ratty sofa in the junkyard, two pizza boxes besides me. I could probably think to this thing but talking feels less awkward. I don't like the idea of this thing reading my thoughts…. Hm no comment, I guess it's being polite.

~while we are bonded I absorb all the nutrition I need through you~

I frown at that, "So that means that you're a parasite?"

~No! Not a parasite. We are equals, our union is mutually beneficial, a symbiosis~

Still a parasyte but we can get back to that later. "Why are you speaking clearly now? Earlier you sounded like some kind of neanderthal."

~I didn't speak to the last human I bonded to. I found him.. lacking. I have only now decided to learn your language~

"So you learned it for me? So that we can be partners?"

~Yes. You are the ideal partner for me. Together we will be unstoppable~

Why do I feel like I'm being buttered up by this thing? "You say that but what is it that you want to do? Who are your enemies?"

~Your enemies are my enemies, your goals are my goals. I simply desire our success, our symbiosis is the ultimate ideal.~

Sounds clingy, and obsessive. I believe that this is called a 'red flag'. If only it didn't sound quite so useful, "Fine then, we can be partners for now. What do I call you?"

~Call me, Venom.~

I'm just finishing up my, no our second pizza. When the wind picks up around me, and I remember why I'm in New York anyway. The door to the cloaked X-jet opens and I see Scott and Jean jkump out. My two least favorite X-Men, except for maybe Bobby. She wasn't even supposed to be on the mission.

"Peter! What the hell happened, out there? This was supposed to be a simple operation." Scott yells as his feet hit the ground and he makes his way towards me.

I feel like he's glaring but it's hard to tell with that visor on. "It's not my fault, the Human Torch and I had an encounter before I met you. It's just bad luck that I ran into him."

"You made enemies with the fantastic four!? Why Is this the first I hear of it?"

Cyclops continues forward angry, I can feel myself getting a little heated as well.

~I don't like them. From what you remember we can take them. Easily~

For a second Jean locks eyes with me and I can tell that she heard him. "Scott." she holds out a hand towards him and he stops glancing back at her. "We're not alone."

~She's in our head, we don't like that~

No we don't, at least Venom is polite enough to pretend it isn't reading my mind.

"Scott there's someone no- something else is in his head." Scott turns and keeps his cyclopean gaze on me he takes a few steps to the left.

He's fanning out, we did this in training.

I keep my eyes in Scott but am still listening to Jean. "Peter, we should get you to the professor, I don't know what that is in your head but it can't be a good thing."

~preemptive strike, they're going to attack us!~

"Peter no, don't listen to it. We just want to help you." I look over to Jean her hands are out palms up she's moving towards me slowly.

~Look out!~

My danger sense goes off and my eyes swivel to the left where I see Cyclops with his hand near his visor. Leaping into the air I feel Venom change his shape back into the sleek black costume. We shoot webs at Scott and turn him causing his laser gaze to go wide.

~Peter stop! Its manipulating you!~

"Like you aren't!" It's no coincidence that things between Kitty and I fell apart so drastically after we met up with the x-men. From the moment we were separated stepping off the x-jet I knew something was wrong, she wasn't happy with me but after that she seemed furious. I land on a rusted out pickup truck far enough away to keep them both in front of me.

I've got Venom now, and I don't need to be the one to take care of Katherine. "I quit. I'm not am x-man anymore, I'm not even a mutant like you, so just leave."

Scott keeps his hand on his visor, I'm watching and hoping my danger sense will give me enough heads up if he attacks.

Jean Grey takes her hand off of her forehead and looks at me concerned. "Peter, I don't care whether you're a mutant or not. But whatever that thing is, I can feel it in your mind. It's dangerous, please let us take you back to the mansion so the professor can look at it. After that you can leave."

I glance up at the open bay door of the invisible x-jet waiting to see if anybody else jumps down. "The question isn't whether or not I can leave the mansion; it's can you get me there in the first place?" Without help, I doubt it. I can dodge Scott all day and Jean may be the weakest of the X-men.

Jean's mouth tightens to a thin line and I see her hand move towards her forehead, but she's stopped by Cyclops who lays a hand on her shoulder, I can hear them whisper, "Jean, we can't make him come. Not without hurting him."

A handful of seconds pass in complete silence. They both have that look of kids passing notes in class as they have their psychic discussion in front of me. I wait patiently, I could probably escape right now but I think it's more valuable to learn if I need to add the x-men to my list of enemies.

Scott's hand moves slowly down to his side and Jean steps forward between the two of us. "Peter if that is what you want we aren't going to force you to do anything. But you are always welcome at the school. You seem to think that there's some difference between you and the rest of us." In more ways than just a spider bite. "-and genetically you're right, but I have always considered you as a part of our family. Just another person that society won't accept." Her and Scott climb into the X-jet. Jean looks at me as the door to the jet closes,

~Stay safe Peter~

I wait for a few minutes after they leave to fully relax. The moment I do Venom recedes back into the guise of clothing. "That… could have gone worse I suppose."

~They know they couldn't have beaten us~

"Maybe, or maybe they just realized it wasn't worth the effort. Either way we don't need to worry about them, not for a while at least." For the first time in what feels like forever I have an abundance of time and freedom to act in anyway I choose. No one but this weird alien suit to judge me.

~So partner. What comes next for us?~

Thinking about the X-men, my thoughts can't help but stray to the reason I was ever with them in the first place. A bird, a rhino, and a pile of sand. There was one other attacker but I'll start with these three. "First we gather information, and then we hunt."

I take a quick nap in the junkyard to wait for dark. Both to avoid running into any of the fantastic four and because It will be easier to gather the information I'm looking for after the sun goes down. Probably. I've never actually had the chance to interact with the criminal element of the city, other than beating them up and my few unfortunate meetings with Fisk.

~Seems like a good idea to me~

"Hey, manners. If we're going to work together you have to at least pretend not the be reading my mind." It's a minor nitpick I don't even know if Venom can control whether it hears my thoughts but that doesn't mean i like being reminded of it.

~Sorry, this is still new. I will.. Adjust~

I pull the hood of my Venom made hoodie down as I walk through downtown.

~so how are we going to do this?~

I look down at my phone where I have the Punishers number saved. I already owe him. We crouch down on the roof looking over the New York skyline. "We need to find a super villain, one preferably not already trying to kill me."

~What about that one?~

My eyes move to where Venom is indicating. There's a single figure racing across the rooftops, black leather outfit with striking white hair that reflects the moonlight. Never seen her before. Preparing to leap from my perch I notice another figure trailing her. Gaining. This one wears a dark red leather suit with a horned mask.

~Which one do we want?~

It take me a second but I recognize the second figure. The devil of hell's kitchen. Actual footage of him is rare, but the images of the criminals he catches makes viral news. "He's a hero, just not a gentle one." She is fast but he's gaining on her. From my vantage point I can tell that it won't be long before she's cornered. "Let's make a friend."

The devils staff extents with a rope like attachment as it wraps around the woman's leg, halting her momentum and sending her crashing onto the roof. She turns and stand facing him, using this moment as he gathers up his staff to catch her breath. "Oh come on, doesn't the big bad Devil have any bigger problems than a poor little Kitty Cat like me?"

The devil himself is unnervingly out of breath, "Breaking an entering, theft, grand theft, grand larceny and attempted murder. You will pay for your crimes, even if I have to execute the punishment myself." He slips into a martial arts stance but then subtly turns his head towards me. "I don't know who you are, but if you don't leave you'll be next."

Annoyed instep from my hiding spot. I whisper into my shoulder, "I thought you said we were camouflaged?"

~We should have been almost invisible to human sight~

In a louder voice I yell as I approach them, "Sorry to interrupt but I have a few questions for the 'Kitty cat' here. Most of the criminals you bring in are missing too many teeth to speak properly so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The black dressed woman looks at me suspiciously before probably deciding that no matter who I am I'm better than him. "There you have it , two against one. I think it's time for you to leave."

3 against one but I'm not going to correct her.

There's a quiet moment where I'm hoping he just leaves, a twitch of his finger is all the indication I get, if I wansn't paying attention not even my danger sense would have saved me as I lean back to dodge his cane.

~He's fast for a human~

"I've fought faster." By the time I'm fully vertical again the devil has already moved to engage my new partner. They both appear to have martial arts skills that put me to shame. Not that it matters. I shoot a blast if web at him and he effortlessly dodges while still engaged in melee. Fine then, I leap at him foot first, doesn't Matter how good he is, two on one Is a losing fight.

Is what I'd thought at least, once I'm in the fight if anything he appears more dangerous, weaving between the two of us as if he knows where we're going to hit. It's both graceful and terrifying. I can't land a solid hit on him, which is annoying because I feel like I'd only need one.

"I think I've heard of you." the Devil calmly muses as he, kicks my ally and dodges my punch. "The Spider or something right? I thought you were off the streets, after your identity got out."

How can he talk while simultaneously kicking our collective ass? "Hold him still for me!"

The black suited cat burger responds as she ineffectually kicks at the devils head, "Easier said than done!"

"I Wasn't talking to you." I punch left, and he dodges right, directly into a tendril of venom that shoots out from my chest. It pushes him to the ground, and I can see him struggling against. He may be skilled but it looks like his strength is only human.

He hasn't given up, he's reaching for something on his belt. I don't give him the chance. Two punches to the face and he stops moving. His nose is broken and he definitely has a concussion, but he should live.

~Let's finish him. Food for the road~

"No, we don't need to- did you say food!" How had that not come up during our earlier conversation? We're gonna have to talk about that later. "We are not doing that. Gross."

~...~

Somehow I can hear it sulking. I look away from the unconscious crime fighter to the woman who is now just staring at me. Great, "You done with your little conversation, hero?" I scratch my head nervously now sure what to say. I had forgotten how bad I am at making friends. "You said you wanted to talk; after helping me out the least I can give you is some conversation, but let's get out of here first." She says looking towards Dare Devil's unconscious form.

I nod and follow her away from the site, but not far. We stop on the roof of a tall building where she jumps up and takes a seat on an air conditioning unit. "Call me Black Cat, he called you Spider right?"

Venom turns from my costume back into my ordinary clothes. I pull the hood back showing my face. No point in a secret identity anymore. "Spider or Peter. Doesn't really matter anymore."

When she sees my face there's a look of recognition. "That's right. The man with a million dollar bounty. I have heard of you."

A million? "Kingpin I assume?"

She chuckles, "His dying wish is what I heard." That bastard. "Ya know, a girl could use a million dollars." She gracefully steps off the air conditioner and saunters towards me. I don't react, I'm not afraid of her, "but unfortunately it isn't an open bounty. Only ones able to collect are, Vulture, Sandman, Shocker, Rhino, Scorpion, and Electro. Although I hear Vulture is still in the hospital. Each of them is offering their own tiny fraction as a reward though." she stops leaning close to me, as she studies my face. She leans back with a Cheshire grin. "Too bad I don't go for chump change. If you're looking for them I hear there's some guy in Harlem trying to take Kingpins spot. He'll be more connected to the underground than I am."

At this point she's walked over to the edge of the building, clearly about to leave, "This gang leader in Harlem. Does he have a name?"

"Cottonmouth. He may seem like an old geezer, but I hear he has a wicked bite. Don't be a stranger, Spider."

Black Cat leaps backwards off or the roof. I dont move to look for her. "That was easier than I thought it would be." I expected to spend at least one whole night looking for answers. It can't be later than one AM.

~Food?~

My stomach is grumbling, I suppose I am eating for two, "First we need to have a talk. It seems that you have some dietary habits that you forgot to mention."

~Fine. Can we talk about it over pizza?~

My stomach growls again "Burger place is closer."

~It will do~