Hey everyone!

I'm back with another chapter! This one is based on a suggestion from RemTar85, and features a signature horror movie, and showcases a slightly older Eddie at sixteen.

Enjoy!

Venom and The Thing

EDDIE! WE WANT TO WATCH THAT ONE!

Sixteen-year-old Eddie Brock looked over at the movie in question, freezing as he realized that it was about to be a crazy night.

The two friends were in a movie store, looking for a movie to rent for a Friday night of pizza and tater tots, staying up late, and hopefully horror. Venom had never seen a horror movie before, and while it was not Eddie's favorite genre, he had promised the symbiote that they would watch whatever movie he chose at the store. Now, however, the human was starting to regret his decision.

The movie the alien had selected was The Thing, a 1982 horror movie about a parasitic creature from outer space that kills and then pretends to be its victims. Taking place at a remote outpost in Antarctica, the creature slowly picks off the research team one by one, with the remaining crew members unable to tell who is human and who is monster. While it had not been as well-received when it had first come out in theaters, it was considered a horror classic now, and was in the section of the video store labeled 'Best Horror Hits!'

"Uh-oh," the teen muttered.

WHY UH-OH, Venom asked curiously. WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

Nothing, Eddie thought quickly, turning away from the movie. You know… This place doesn't have any good movies. Let's go somewhere else.

EDDIE, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT MOVIE?

Nothing's wrong with it!

THEN WHY ARE YOU SWEATING? AND WE CAN SENSE YOUR FEAR, AS WELL AS WHEN YOU'RE LYING TO US.

I hate having an alien in my head, the teen thought.

HEY!

I'm sorry. It's just… you wouldn't like that movie.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? HAVE YOU SEEN THAT MOVIE BEFORE?

Well… no, Eddie admitted. But you just wouldn't like it, is all.

WHY?

Because… He debated if he should tell the symbiote the truth, and figured he should [before Venom poked his brain for information]. He sighed. It's about an alien.

...OH The alien moved around his mind and chest a little. THAT WON'T UPSET US, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT IT.

It's not that. It's just… He braced himself to tell the news. It's about a parasitic alien that takes over people's bodies, kills them, and then pretends to be them so they can kill more people.

Venom did not reply, and despite the cheery attitude of the video store, Eddie was tense as he waited for his friend to reply. After a few minutes of silence, the teen figured it would be best to walk away from the movie in question, so he started to walk away.

STOP.

Eddie's legs stopped moving, taken over by the symbiote. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head, and he prepared himself for the alien's angry rant about how insensitive humans were, making a film like that. Or for him to get mad at Eddie for not keeping the film away from him. However, the symbiote surprised him when he said-

WE WANT TO WATCH IT.

"... What," Eddie said out loud, making a passing mom and her kids look at him with some confusion.

WE WANT TO WATCH THIS MOVIE, Venom said.

Are… Are you sure, Venom, the teen thought. I mean… You won't get upset or anything? Or offended?

OF COURSE NOT, the alien said, a trace of annoyance in his voice. WE'RE A MATURE ALIEN, AND CAN HANDLE A SIMPLE HORROR MOVIE ABOUT A MAN-EATING ALIEN SYMBIOTE. BESIDES, YOU SAID WE COULD WATCH WHATEVER MOVIE WE CHOOSE, AND WE CHOOSE THIS ONE.

The human swallowed the lump in his throat, wishing that he did not have to do this. While Venom was able to read and sense his emotions, the link went both ways, and Eddie could tell that the symbiote was feeling miffed and a bit upset. He had no idea why the alien would choose to watch this movie when there were several other options to watch, but he knew that it would be unwise to go against Venom's request in this instance. So, nodding, he took the movie off the rack and went to go check it out.

[][][]

Later that evening, Eddie sighed with relief as the movie's final credits appeared on the TV screen. It had been a good horror movie, with plenty of jump scares and a crazy ending that let him feeling unsettled. However, he was even more unsettled as he felt Venom shifting around in his chest.

Venom had been silent since they left the video store, not uttering a word as the teen nervously put the tape in the VCR. The symbiote had even been quiet when he brought out the pizza and tater tots for them to eat, simply poking his tentacles out to point out the pieces he wanted his host to eat. Occasionally, the human could feel the alien flinch with fear during a jump scare, but most of the time, he could not tell what his friend was feeling.

"... Venom," he finally asked, turning off the TV, looking at his reflection in the blank screen. "Are you… I mean did you…" He sighed. "C'mon, buddy. Say something! You've been quiet all night, and this was supposed to be fun!"

FINE. The teen's reflection changed, and Venom's face now stared back at him. He had no idea how the symbiote pulled this trick off, but it had scared the human back when he first became his host.

"So," Eddie started. "Did you… like the movie?"

WE… FOUND IT INTERESTING, the symbiote replied non-committedly. WE DON'T KNOW WHY YOU THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T LIKE IT; IT WAS A GOOD MOVIE.

"... Really," the human asked, a tense weight seeming to leave his chest and shoulders. "You liked it?"

YES.

"But you were silent the whole time."

SO?

"I thought you didn't like it, or were upset with me for allowing you to choose it."

WE'RE NOT ANGRY AT YOU, Venom said, the reflection grinning at him. WE LIKED THE MOVIE, AND THOSE TATER TOTS WERE REALLY GOOD!

An unintentional sigh of relief left Eddie, and he grinned.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it," the teen replied, standing up and turning to pick up the remains of the pizza and tater tots. "Hope you don't have nightmares tonight."

WE DO NOT HAVE NIGHTMARES, the alien informed him.

"I dunno; some of those scenes seemed pretty scary. Like that stomach-mouth biting off that man's arms, and that final battle?" He put the trash in the kitchen trash can. "Don't wake me up with any nightmares tonight."

WE PROMISE. Though already, an idea was forming in the alien's head, and he grinned inside Eddie's psyche.

Several hours later, Eddie felt the symbiote stirring in his chest, waking him up. Groaning, the teen glanced over at his alarm clock, seeing that it was past two in the morning.

"Venom," he muttered, feeling that his mouth was dry as he went to the bathroom to get a glass of water. "I thought you weren't scared of-"

He clicked the light on, the sudden brightness making him blink and tear up. Seconds later, he was able to open his eyes, and was able to look at himself in the mirror. He was still in his pajama bottoms, and no shirt on, and his hair was all matted and tangled from sleeping on one side for too long. However, what he was not expecting to see what the gaping mouth in the middle of his stomach, a slimy pink tongue slipping out and licking its sharp teeth.

"AAAUGH," the teen screamed, falling back and away from the mirror, staring at the new hole with horror. He could feel a rush of air entering through the hole, and it felt weird and only freaking him out some more. Then, right as he was about to scream again, the mouth closed, and the chest over his stomach became whole again. At the same time, the alien started to laugh in his head.

"V-Venom," Eddie hissed, slowly getting back up as the symbiote's laughing became louder. "You just… How could you… I'm gonna kick your ass!"

WE DON'T HAVE AN ASS, Venom reminded him, continuing to chuckle as he spoke. HEH HEH HEH! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHEN-

"Eddie!" The bathroom door swung open and Eddie's father stood there, a bewildered and pissed-off look on his face. "The hell's going on in here?!"

"Sorry," the teen said quickly. "I just slipped and fell; sorry I woke you."

"Damn clumsiness," his dad muttered tiredly, rubbing a hand over his face and walking back into the hall, his bedroom door shutting behind him.

"And now I'm in trouble with dad," Eddie muttered, a frown on his face. "Thanks a lot, V!"

WE DID NOT MEAN TO GET YOU IN TROUBLE WITH HIM, the alien said, a warm feeling spreading through the human's chest. WE'RE SORRY.

"Yeah, whatever," the teen muttered, turning off the bathroom light and heading back to his room. Laying down on his bed, he turned onto his side. "Don't wake me up before nine."

EDDIE, WE'RE SORRY-

"Yeah, just shut up and let me sleep now; it's the least you could do." Eddie closed his eyes, sensing the alien stirring in his mind and chest, as well as its guilt and sorrow. The human sighed, knowing that he had to be the bigger person. "Fine. I forgive you."

OKAY. WE PROMISE TO NEVER DO THAT STOMACH MOUTH AGAIN!

"Hoo-ray," the teen said sarcastically. "At least that's the only thing you did from that movie; thanks for not killing me and taking my place."

WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT, Venom told him. BESIDES, YOU'RE TOO MUCH OF A LOSER; IF WE WERE TO DO THAT, WE'D DO IT SOMEONE COOL!

"You're the best, buddy," the human said tiredly, just wanting to sleep. "Goodnight, Venom."

GOODNIGHT.

Yeah! Just a simple chapter about them watching a horror movie, and Venom pulling a small prank on Eddie based on a particular scene in the movie. Hope you all liked it!

-aggiefrogger

I do NOT own The Thing or its characters or Marvel at all.