Neon Venom reuploaded

by Alaster Boneman

A HOTNA story. When the much reviled Venom and his spawn Mania escape their captivity make their way to the eerie harbor city of Innsmouth and bound with two troubled high school students. Andrea Benton and her twin brother Nathaniel lives are turned upside down as they are dragging into the life of reluctant super heroes as a conspeacy long in the making threatens their world

1. Chapter 1

Neon Venom

A Hero's of the new age story

Volume one Gathering gloom

Venom, Mania , Andrea Benton and kyntar symbionts Belong to Marvel comics. All other ideas are ours

This is an edited reupload of Neon Venom, this still takes place with in the HOTNA universe myself and my friend Imax webber have created iv just had to get rid of the hotna primer for this story.

Ill have to redit that and publish it as a stand alone latter

Ps ill have reuploaded this chapter with out the accompanying HOTNA primer. I will have to work on that and upload it separately another day.

XXXXXXX

Chapter one: becoming venom

Date 07/09/2061

Country USA,

Sate Massachsetts, Kay county,

City of Innsmouth

Local time 15:30pm

XXXX

As the ageless sun slowly descended ever closer to the distant horizon, the fathomless, azure sky above Kay County gradually turned to the colour of bruised and brooding flesh. A pitiless chill, common to the east coast as the year ran down, rose to cover the land as the sky darkened with clouds which rumbled and threaten things worse than rain. Meanwhile the foam topped ocean waves thrashed the shoreline.

The damp forests that dotted the bleak and bitter barrows of Kay County, creaked with nervous energy. Fishing birds flew into roost among the old growths, their stomachs full of fish, their progeny oddly quiet and still despite their hunger as if sensing something amiss.

Beneath the waves fish and marine life of all shapes and descriptions slinked away, into reefs of rock and thick forests of kelp.

Even for a city as eerie as, Innsmouth, over burden with forgotten streets, quite shore front docks, rotting wooden pears, rusting canaries and turn of the century brown stones apartment buildings that clashed with a hand full of more modern steel and glass towers that had risen in the last century and half.

The mood that settled upon the harbor city was of a darker aspect than what was typically experienced by most of its residences who were used to feeling a certain level of eerie gloom smother their fair city.

Like any city that bordered the ocean, Innsmouth relied on the fish of its local waters, second only to that industry was the innumerable haunted and historic sites that dotted the city and its surrounding countryside. So, it came as an unprecedented and unwelcome bit of misfortune that many of these sites and their associated tours closed with little warning, before the peak of their trade as Halloween approached.

This was not the only piece of misfortune or strange happening that had befallen the city in recent days.

Joggers and dog walkers that strayed too close to some of the more notable statue cemeteries or wooded parks reported increasing sightings of strange phenomena and feelings of being watched. The city's prisons and poorer districts were hit by waves of suspicious deaths and accidents with little to no physical evidence of a mundane assailant.

The sudden arrival of a squadron of government agents with unclear credentials did little to ease the tension in the air. Especially as these same agents had come with dire warnings and connections enough to quickly cajoled the masked Innsmouth police force into hastily constructing checkpoints around the ring of disused ticket booths that still stood sentinel at the entries and exist of every highway and street into the city.

XXXX

The reason for this most recent disruption gripped the wheel of his stolen car with growing agitation as he slowly approached the check point a car length at a time. It was all the masquerading, fiend could do to not let that agitation grow into something darker that might draw the mortal's attention to the already thin façade the demonic knight, known as Nines had cloaked himself in.

The demon consoled himself, cooling the embers of his boundless rage with the knowledge that he would soon reach his masters hold within the city with his three prize's intact. The added misery of the mortals trapped in the traffic jam with him made the satisfaction he felt of a job well done all the sweeter. Though there was a part of him that wanted more, Nine's was a demon of the pit after all, there was never enough suffering to fill the hungering emptiness within him.

While thoughts of wreaking havoc among the mortals was pleasing to Nines dark heart. He would not dare risk the ire of his master over such a petty indulgence.

Already Nines could tell by just extending his sensors, that his Master the philosopher and his two fellows, Hallow and Playwright had been hard at work in his absence. The skin of reality around Innsmouth and its surrounding countryside which was thin to begin with.

Had being stretched, tortured and abused in subtle ways that few that were not native to this area would not detect at first and even those that were native might have mistaken the wounding as a natural phenomenon. However, to Nines already versed in his master's power. He could see the wounds for what they were and more importantly he already felt the effects on his depleted power reserves and essence. Even now far from the locus of local magical power and drained from a few hard day's work under his belt. He felt his vital essences, slowly replenish from, the lows he had to maintain since retrieving his masters prices.

Nines took a breath, reminding himself that even with his masters and his fellow's accomplishments it would take a few days to re-reach his zenith.

Or at least that what would normal be the case for one such as he but if the Philosopher was being truthful. Then the cargo he had brought with him would solve that issue and some much more. Nines unlike most of his kind, was far more inclined towards trust especially after the many gambles his master had already pulled of that played davit ends, yet there was a part of him that had and did doubt his masters claims as he glanced down at the cargo.

The three creatures contained in three separate glass jars, each about half the size of a human torso were all rather mundane to his eyes.

Thankfully, the government agents Nines had taken the creatures from, had helpfully etched the names of the creatures into the metal caps that topped each container. Unfortunately, the Government convey he had attacked several days ago only had three out of the five his master desired and none among the surivers knew were the other two could be found.

Off the three, only one of the capsules sat on the passenger seat proper, held there by the seat belt. His master had told him to take special care of the one namedCarnage which his master had desired above all others.

Carnage was the colour of flayed mussel and old blood, thin lines of black veins ran along the creatures form, here and there, were dashes of white. The other two were called Venom and Mania respectably, Venom was as black as the void between stars with splashes of white were Mania was shades of grey and white mixed

As Nine's regarded his charges, he noticed that they in turn regarded or reacted to him in a different fashion to their Fellowes.

Venom was the most active of the three, rolling and shifting its mass as much as it was able to in its tight confines intent on trying to escape but the case seemed immune to its efforts. Mania having noticed his attention formed a vaguely feminine face along with a pink tongue which it stuck our out as far as the canister would allow.

Nines growled at the creature, faint whiffs of black smoke drifted out of his facades nose and mouth like dragons breath, he greatly despised being disrespected and yearned to teach the creature a lesson. However he had been strictly warned to not let any harm Befall his charges.

From his brief interactions with these creatures during his journey it had become clear to nines that each had a personality of their own though, none save Carnage seemed pleased at their liberation.

Carnage had by and large despite its namesake, seemed the most passive of the three at least up un till now, were it smiled at him every time he happened to catch the creatures white eyes.

"Toll, papers and reason for travel, please" a young if hoarse voice rosed Nines from his mussing as its owner. A skinny dark skinned twenty something man, dressed in a puke yellow hi-vis jacket and dull blue over all's leaned out of a pre-fabricated toll booth to address the car ahead of his.

Nines yellow eyes narrowed behind both with in his false face and the helm beneath it as he regarded the young man and then the strange police of Innsmouth that crept in an out of the check point around him. His hands griped the steering wheel a little tighter.

XXXXXX

Both male and female officers wore thick dark blue, button up long-sleeved jackets. Some of which were in the style of great coats that ended just below the officer's knee, others wore shorter more practical double-breasted tunics and pants. The officers also favoured thick boots and gloves.

Each officer wore a dull mustard yellow cloth sash on one or both arms, around their bicep. The words,Justice has no facewas stitched into the fabric of the sash and without exception every officer he saw wore an elaborate full mask/ helmet that bore some likeness to a pith helmet.

While the most common form of helmet/mask was a stylised depiction of a squid or octopus 'face', with some effort having gone into lining up the features such the 'eyes' and mouth with their wearer without giving away any hit to the identity beneath.

Other officers wore masks shaped into the likeness of snarling fish, grinning sharks, eels and even snapping turtles. Rarest and he surmised those who held the highest rank sported a elaborately designed masks that sported a resemblance to manta rays or various sea mammals. Nines had suspected for a long time that each mask represented some kind of rank, speciality or seniority but what each mask meant and what, was beyond him.

Some of the officers were accompanied by a collection of large dogs that would sniff nearby cars, once a significant number of them had gathered into what quickly became a temporary parking lot between buildings of the checkpoint which had not being here when he left and was Cleary a hastily constructed and likely a temporary addition to the previously long abandoned toll booths. Which only meant one thing, this was a trap.

While the possibility existed that this could have been a trap set for any number of criminals Nines was a practiced enough people watcher and tactician to see the trap for what it was and for whom it was meant as among the sea of innsmouth police there were a few figures that clearly didn't belong to the rank and file of the local police.

"Angels and harps" Nines swore recognising the uniforms they wore if not the nearest agents themselves. They wore black nondescript suits and pants, sun glasses and subtle ear pieces which anywhere else in the world might have meant they would blend in with police of any other city. However here among the oddly dressed innsmouth constabulary that choice of clothing meant they might as well have worn neno street signs, advertising their presence. Especially since he had cut down nearly a dozen of their comrades only a few days ago when he had retrieved his cargo. Somehow, they had not only anticipated his arrival in innsmouth but also beat him here.

"Next please" the same board voice as before, called out.

Nines snorted, blowing a black stream of smoke from his false nose as he looked around the car for anything he could use to hide the containers, cursing his lack of forethought but there was nothing for it now. Consigning himself to the inevitable he drove up to the booth.

The young man looked at him from behind the thin sheet of glass, with tired eyes. "Toll, papers and reason for travel, please" he requested with a horse sigh.

Nines fished around in the cars glove compartment and retrieved a few paper notes of what passed for currency in this country. He had taken it from the man he stole this car from along with the man's life and face which his glamour had laid over his true form. "Business in pleasure" Nines stated coldly as hand casually drifted towards the hilt of his sword, which was hidden by his glamour.

"This day can't end soon enough" the young man moaned pinching his brow, handing back the id. "Anything to declare?" he asked stiffing a yawn, his gaze drifting away.

Venom and Mania noting both the toll booth attendants quickly fading attention and the distraction of their captive exchanged a look knowing this might be their only chance summoned up all the strength they could muster in their confined states and began to rock their canisters. They clinked together loudly, drawing the attention of the toll booth attendant who looked down and first saw Carnage's capsule then the other two.

Carnage, sensing violence would soon brake out leered at the attendant.

"What on earth?" the young man shouted, drawing the attention of the female attendant that was working the other side of the toll booth.

Nines discarded his facade as a man might a soiled rag, ripping his sword free of its scabbard and plunged it into the man, once, twice, three times. His fellow attendant screamed trigging the alarm as she fled the booth.

Nines growled as he fed power into his sword which caught alight and sent two small gouts of flame outward.

Not caring that he smashed through the wind screen of his car as he did so. The first smashed the toll booths drop gate off its hinges, the second hit the ground under the car in front of him sending it upward briefly before gravity brought it down on its side. He leaned out of the driver side window as he fired off a third blast of hell fire which hit the car behind his, its occupants already scrambling to get clear as sirens blared.

A few optimistic or reckless police officers, fired shots at his car as Nine's pressed the acceleration paddle of his car to the floor, making the machine spring forward with a screech of abused tires.

Igniting his blade once more, Fire leapt from his sword devouring two, bike mounted officers that managed to weave through the carnage he'd left behind.

Most of their fellow bike mounted officers got the message and prioritised getting the panicked civilian traffic out of the line of fire.

While at the same time, nearly half a dozen police cars took their place and joined the case. With two cars showing their way through. The pair didn't seem to notice nor care that they had clipped several panicking civilian cars as they barrowed through heedless of the danger

Normally Nines would admire such ruthless, bull-headed determination. However, his admiration was subdued by his annoyance as the lead he had opened was being closed faster than he would have liked especially as not all the biker officers have given up the chase yet and continued to dog him.

These bikers were far more skilled than their barbequed comrades, moving too quickly for him to hit with his flaming strikes and calling upon, a spell that would be better suited for the task risked drawing unwanted attention, he was being far to public as it was. With no other choice he, sheathed his blade and redirected the flames around his vehicle that than burst out, devoured one of the remaining riders and causing the two to finally lose their nerves. Which should not have happened at a better time as entered the built-up district of the city.

XXXX

Nines panted in his driver's seat, as he redirected energy away from his failing defence into a more esoteric direction. As loathed as he was to possibly draw more eyes, and if fate was cruel which it often was, eyes that mattered. He had little choice in the matter as, if he didn't act, he would be cut off as the lights for the intersection he was heading toward switched.

His lane turning red and the vertical road that cut through it in a straight line turned green, already cars from that lane were moving. He focused on a section of the road a head and the world seemed to slow,

Seconds stretching out like taffy, smoke billowing of his straining form as with a squeal of protesting reality. His stolen car skipped forward several meters as the oncoming cars slowed to a sluggish craw. It wasn't much, drained as he was he'd only being able to make it a third of the way across the intersection. Yet it was seemingly as effective as he intended. Most of his pursuers screaking to a stop, through two did continue their chase. He smiled 'It wouldn't be enough to stop him' Nines knew as reality reasserted itself. Their momentum had been broken.

It would be a simple matter now to ditch the car and head towards his masters holdings unobserved.

However it was not to be, taken in by his moment of victory, he had failed to hear or see the oncoming truck, which smashed into his rear. Spinning his car like a top, off the road and through the chain link fence and plastic drum barricade of a massive construction site, his car flipping onto first its side than its back as it crashed through scaffolding and porta Pottis.

His arrival sent scores of workers running from the site as the canisters that contained Venom and Mania flew out of his tumbling vehicle and into an open storm water drain. Only his quick thinking and the passenger side seat belt prevented him form losing Carnage to the labyrinthine network of tunnels and pipes that ran under Innsmouth.

Taking a moment to gather himself Nines, noticed one of the workers had become trapped, a rough plan forming in his mind. Nines freed himself and his last charge from the wreckage of the car and stalked over to the pinned worker. If he was to have any chance to recapture Venom and Mania before they were lost to the tunnels or found hosts, he needed to unburden himself of Carnage and have the alien taken to his master. The trapped squirming worker was key to all three of his objectives.

Nines roughly freed the screaming worker from the scaffolding that had collapsed on top of him and pressed a clawed finger of his metal gauntlet to the man's head. Quickly carving a crude simple into his flesh.

"In the name of the law, put that man down and drop to the ground" a voice called out to him. "this is your only waring!"

Nines turned to see at least four masked police officers and two suit waring government agents crest the lip of the work sight "You will take" he pressed Carnage canaster into the man's arms. The man's eyes having rolled back into his skull as the spell took effect and the man became a thrall to his will, sharing all that he knew with out uttering a word as the spell ravaged his mind. Now Nines knew were he needed to go he gave the man the last instructions he would ever hear "to the philosopher".

The demon drew his sword and shield, putting himself between his thrall and the closing police while his thrall shambled off.

XXXXXX

Kay, forgive her but she couldn't help it and she couldn't pretend any more, she was Board! That's what Andrea Benton was, board! She was board of unenthusiastically trudging through the network of dank tunnels that ran under Innsmouth.

She was board of half heartily listening to the droning monolog, which issued from the tour guides mouth with the regularity of time and tide. She was board of hearing the same old jokes, puns and historical factoids about these, kay blasted tunnels.

Not for the first time Andi wondered if the tour guide, a moderately heavy-set woman whom she knew in passing as Miss Lumious was just as board of recanting the same routine as she and several of the teenagers whom belonged to the family members of her father's company who couldn't get out of this were? Though she could not say she was particularly close to any of them other than her current companion Hannibal Servant. Whom was both a childhood friend and the son of her fathers 'right hand man'.

Andi didn't want to be ungrateful to her dad for wanting to spend time with her or her twin brother Nathaniel, she was grateful he put in the effort. She could name a dozen or more acquaintances from school whos own parents whom were just as busy as her father if not more so, who didn't even bother. However this was the fifth or was it the seventh time? This year alone he had taken Nathaniel and herself on this exact tour. Her father was many things adventurous was not one of them, they could have gone and done the mad House tour, Green King haunted docks, Grave-view look out or a dozen other's to just spice things up, but no every year and at least, once every few months they came here.

Ok fair, this year a lot of the other historical and or supposedly haunted attractions that dotted Innsmouth had closed their doors with little to no explanation and even now as the peak tourist season for the whole county, October was rapidly approaching. They stubbornly refused to open their doors, however even if they had being open, Andi knew in her heart of hearts that her father wouldn't have broken his rooteen for time or tide.

Letting out a dejected sigh she gave in to one of the lower forms of entertainment, people watching! Studying the half dozen, tourists which had filled out the rest of the group with some interest. Searching for one face that had already caught her eye a few times, this afternoon but had otherwise remained elusive.

There was an older African couple who seemed generally interested in the grizzly details of the numerous criminal organisations, corrupt politicians and honest to kay doomsday cult that had used and added to the tunnel's labyrinthine nature since Innsmouths foundation.

There was a group, what she took to be Japanese students. Though inwardly she couldn't be certain as she had flunked Japanese, in both middle school and was not doing much better in her high school classes.

There was also a white couple whom if she was being generous might have been in their early twenty's though they looked to be only a few years older than herself, with a child. The couple seemed vacant and disinterested in everything around them including their child, a boy of about eight years of age. The boy had spent most of the dull trek running around and screeching like a hellion but had finally and thankfully tired of that tactic and now contended himself with clinging to his mother's leg.

As her aqua blue eyes flickered here and there. She found the person among the tour group that had drawn her attention, and she couldn't deny a flicker of attraction.

The focus of both was a young woman about her age at least no older than eighteen. She was blonde with straight hair that ended just above her shoulders. She was tall, slim but had a respectable bust and shapely behind.

Her clothing consisted of a simple but flattering chestnut brown checkerboard pattern, sleeveless spaghetti strap dress that ended just above her knee, which the stranger wore over an elegant long-sleeved blouse which had an almost doily esk collar that flared just a little over her shoulders and ended above her breasts. She had finished the look of with royal blue ribbon that was pinned to the bottom of her collar by a large bronze medallion, which had a stylised bird, wings outstretched as if in flight etched into the metal. She wore opaque leggings under her near knee length dress that clong tightly to her long legs which were made even longer and shapelier by her sensible black heeled shoes.

Despite Andrea's desire to play of her attention as neutral if interested in the style of clothing the pretty blonde wore and nothing more. She couldn't prevent the flush of pink that filled her pail cheeks as she dared to hope the other girls gaze, amber as a sunset. Which flashed her way with the intensity and mercurial whimsy of a spark of flame was a sign of interest rather than vailed disquiet at her unsubtle lingering gaze.

The coy flip of the strangers, long blonde hair over her ear as she started to wonder over, a hand deliberately placed on her hip made Andi's brain start to short circuit. "Oh kay… shes coming this way" Andi spluttered breathless as she fought a losing battle to keep her face from turning red with embarrassment. "What do I do, Hannibal…she's got to know I've being spying on her!" She whined fidgeting and patting down her decidedly less polished clothes.

"Just talk with her" Hannibal grumbled from behind his porcelain mask, desiring to be anywhere but by his lifelong crush side, as Andi chattered with a girl right in front of him. While he had accepted Andi's interest lay else ware and was trying to let go of his crush with as much dignity as he could manage. Since she had gently let him down several weeks ago, there was a wide golf between acceptance and being her wing man. However, his attempted escape was foiled by his childhood friend grabbing onto his well-developed arm with a vice like grip.

Fore her own part, Guinevere Mason smirked to herself as she observed the interaction with mild amusement as she walked towards the pair. Her amber gaze scanning the other girl, whom looked to be an average if underdeveloped seventeen year old young women like herself. She had pale skin, aqua blue eyes and jet-black hair cut into an asymmetrical bang, the left side being far longer than the right side of her scalp which was nearly a buzzcut.

From the bottom of her tip about a thumb's worth of other girls long bang, was the same shade of blue as the strangers eyes, the rest of the bang up to the crest of her head was a light purple, verging on faded pink.

The other young woman wore a long sleeved worn studded jacket, which ended just above the flair of her hips, Guinevere having managed to notice during the long trek that the back of her jacket had the twin faces of comedy and tragedy emblazoned upon it. Under the jacket the other girl wore a long loosely fitting striped, pink and purple shirt. She also sported a plain black skirt that ended mid-thigh along with tatted black leggings and well-worn pink and white sneakers. Her eyes were framed with dark navy blue eye shadow, her lips and finger nails were a similar shade. She had a few plain metal piercings, two above her left eye, one in her lip and her nose. Lastly Guinevere spooted that the other girl wore several wrist bands one of which had the colours of the biosexual flag.

She also had a black arm bag with a cartoon stingray, which was emblazoned on the front flap. Which the other young women had opened and closed a few times through out the trek trying to read a booklet while trudging through the dark tunnels, especially after the dark-haired girl's other male companion. Whom Guinevere, guessed, she was related too given their similar appearance.

Her remaining companion was a tall boy whose, only remarkable feature was the almost plan porcelain mask he wore, the only detail which marked its otherwise expressionless visage was the art work depicting crashing waves that surged across the mask from left to right

Guinevere was reasonably sure, just going off the local girl and her remaining companion's energy. They were not dating which mean she could shoot her shot with out crossing any boundarys but her sense for these things was far from certain and even if it was. It didn't mean she couldn't have some fun. "Hi, my Name's Guinevere" she said offering her hand first to the boy and then to the girl, the formers grip had being firm but fleeting that letter gentle and lingering. "And I was just hoping you'd take my picture up in the next atrium" she pointed to the passageway that the rest of the tour group had ambled towards. "As I suck at that whole, selfie thing and herd there some spectacular wall art up, I wouldn't mind taking your twos picture in return that would be a nice memory for your date". She said with just a hint of teasing.

"We're not...not dating" Andi blurted out, a ruby red blush painting her features before she regained a enough composure to shoot Hannibal an apologetic look. Hannibal, kay bless his heart nodded in agreement covering for her embarrassment.

"That's right miss" Hannibal stated matter of fact though sensing a mischievous spirit in this Guinevere that Andi, had not seemed to pick up on as of yet. "I'm Hannibal Servant and this mess..."

"Mess!" Andi elbowed Hannibal in the ribs, her blush fading somewhat "I'm Andrea though everyone calls be Andi, Andi Benton. How are you liking Innsmouths… scenic Tunnels! so far?" she asked with only a mild blush flushing her cheeks.

Guinevere chuckled heartily "Hannibal and Andrea...I'm sorry Andi" she said a warm genuine smile pulling at her unpainted lips. "There pretty cool but I take it you two have done this tour before?"

"Yeah, my dad has being taking my brother and I as well as all the families that work for him on this tour since forever," Andi said crossing her arms over her modest bust as she pointed to a tall dark haired man near the head of the group as they finally disappeared from sight. "He means well but we're all kind of sick of it…but it must be your first time, right?"

"Parents sometimes have a hard time letting go of traditions but its sweet of him to treat you all" Guinevere said with a faint smile, recognising the well-worn expression that could come between a slightly over baring parent and their child, as a mixture of frustration and earnest love played across Andis face. As she was sure the same look had come over her face more than once "My mom moved us here for her work. This is kind of the first thing I've being able to do now were settled".

"Indeed" Hannibal nodded in sage agreement with Guinevere's point, more than a little tired of Andi's grumbling before he added "Is she here with you?"

Guinevere shuck her head "No, she isn't really into history stuff or creepy stuff for that matter…but my… dad would have loved this!"

"Then he must have been the one to name you…was he into Arthurian lore?" Hannibal asked "I have to say, it is unusual for us Innsmouthain's to meet out of towners that have the same flair for names as us"

"What..?" Guinevere asked blinking.

Pinching her brow, Andi shook her head and sighed slightly "What he means is, its kind of common here in innmouth for parents to give there kids dramatic names." Andi said japing a thumb in Hannibal's direction a teasing glint in her eye "Take silence of the lambs here for example!"

"Not this bit again, please Andi" Hannibal pleaded with a tired, long-suffering sigh.

Continuing as if she hadn't been interrupted "My dad is kind of a nerd for classics as well and named my brother, Nathaniel after a character form the war of the worlds musical" Andi explained. Her eyes widened suddenly as she realized that Nathaniel, would be missed in the next head count which would be commenced in the next junction. "Salt in the deep, if he isn't back before the next check in. My dad's going to blow a gasket" Andi murmured chewing her lip, her eyes darting between Guinevere, the group that were sluggishly fallowing the tour guides lead and the nearest service door that led into the deeper tunnels.

Confusion suddenly being replaced by concern, "Is your brother lost...Should we tell the tour guide or someone?" Guinevere asked going to call to the group before a light, but firm pressure gripped her elbow. She turned back to see Andi looking at her, a plea in her aqua blue eyes.

"He isn't lost he knows these tunnels like the back of his hands! The issue is he and my dad have been at each other like bloody Allie cats recently and I'd rather not go through another bloody row." Andi explained, starting to fidget.

"Is it really that bad?" Hannibal asked genuinely concerned.

"It's going to be worse than bad if dad finds out Nathaniel's ditched" Andi murmured her eyes searching through the gloom for any sigh of her twin but the darkness beyond the ceiling lamps. She checked her phone "no signal" she exclaimed "Do you two feel like doing me a favour?" she asked glancing between her childhood friend and the young women who caught her eye.

"Andi I'd rather not be caught between whatever strife that's been going on between your brother and dad" Hannibal stated matter of fact. "It's better if you avoid that to, Nathaniel needs…"

"Our help and so dose Andi" Guinevere sated knowing an opportunity when she saw one as she saddled up to Hannibal like an overly friendly used cars dealer or circus ringleader looping her arm around the larger teens. "Go on, Lector and I will cover for you and try and slow down the tour group but you're shouting us dinner when we leave these lame tunnels deal?" Guinevere offered with a Cheshire smile.

"Oh Kay, you got her doing it too!" Hannibal moaned freeing himself from the strangers embrace.

Andi Smiled "Were all going to the Salty Nelson when we are done with the tour, best surf and turf place, this side of the harbour…" she grinned

XXXX

The network of tunnels, sewerage pipes and draining cannels that sat beneath the streets of Innsmouth like a vast hive had been added to since the city's foundation for every conceivable prepose and by every breed of person to whom had a mind to use them for anything else other than their original prepose. It was for that reason the tunnels have become such a tourist trap and steeped in local legend and history.

They were, riddled with hidden rooms, secret hallways, cellars, false doors, private chambers, dead ends flat out mazes. With hundreds of entrances connecting the tunnels to the surface, to basements and to subways and water treatment plants the city over it was a perfect way to travel the length and breadth of the city with out being seen. In a case of typically bleak innsmoutth humour 'that all their modern-day labyrinth needed was a minitour'

In the golden age of sail, pirates and privateers had used the tunnels both as smuggling routes and if local legend was to be, believed hiding places for their ill-gotten gains. During the revolution, colonial militias had conducted and planed whole gorilla campaigns against occupying red coats. In the lead up to the civil war and throughout its bloody duration the tunnels had become a valued link in the underground railway for escaping slaves.

In the prohibition that fallowed the first world war, rum runners and other criminal fraternities had frequently run afoul of a most unusual competitor in the form of the esteemed church of Dagon, a dooms day cult that had risen to power in the wake of the great war

It was in one of the many hidden alcoves these groups among others had left behind, some distance from his parent, twin sibling and the tour group that an energetic seventeen-year old boy with a can of spray paint in his right hand and brush in the other had done what many of his forebears had before him, made use of the tunnels for his own ends as he had done for weeks now. Gradually he had replaced the kaleidoscope of old, fading graffiti that had covered his chosen wall, with something far more appealing.

Nathanial Benton japed and slashed, as if he were a knight of old and the wall or more importantly the revolting graffiti his art was gradually replacing, a dreaded rival. A dragon to be slayed. With quick almost frantic edge to his brush stokes, he lunged, he parried, blocked and struck again and again.

Spray his shield, brush his sword. Forward, back, side, sweep with the spray Jap, jap, Slash Jap!

Breathing hard after minutes of this back and forth he stepped back from his work assessing "Now let's see how its turning out..." Nathanial murmured his dark gaze intent as he, chewed on his callused thumb, mindful to keep his brush's still very wet head away from his cheek. So far, he had managed to keep himself relatively clean, well clean enough that a few new accidental scotches of paint or grime, to be lost among his deliberately messy exterior.

Which consisted of a simple dark leather jacket speckled with splotches of old and faded paint alongside several, colourful plastic pins one of the largest of which read 'art happens'.

He also wore a plain red hooded shirt, faded denim jeans that had become so worn in places they had to be resewn or new cloth added just to keep them from falling apart he also wore steel cap work boots that like the rest of his clothing had seen better days.

Like his sister he had pale skin and jet-black hair, the latter had been, cut into a short spiky mow hawk leaving the rest of his skull bare save for a light fuzz. While his sister had aqua blue eyes and his father had brown.

Nathaniel's own eyes were a miss match of the two, his left mirrored his sister while his right brown, though besides that, his harder features and bord frame. He and his farther had little in common.

Clearing his mind of distractions such as the prospect of having to face his father's disapproval when he returned to the tour group. Nathaniel was mildly annoyed that his art had unintentionally come to reflect not just his mood of late but his ever-denigrating relationship with his father. It was clear for anyone to see the meaning behind this piece. To the point that to his critical eye, it looked nothing more than a trite cliché.

The picture he had crafted was that of a storm ravaged shoreline were a single figure a vague outline of man stood. Menaced by meter high waves topped with foam. Blots of white-hot lighting streaking across a dark brooding sky.

He and his father were both the storm and the man, the menaced and threat anyone could see that.

Nathanial grimaced, disappointment burning in his chest as a bitter realisation seeped into his already dark mood, like bacteria flooding an open wound and making it septic. Had he really wasted weeks of his time, snuck out of his house, ditched school and more to come here just to draw this? He thought bitterly. Art was meant to be subtle to provoke the sensors and discussion, be wondered at, speaking secret truths to those that viewed it. This was tortured metaphor at best, hardly worth the paint and time he had spent on it.

It was as he dwelt on the bitter failure coiling around his heart like a snake. He felt more than heard a distant 'thump' which was strong enough to reach him and send a shaking vibration through the tunnels, despite Nathanal being certain the sound had come from above. "Fucking depths" he swore as one of his discarded spray cans slipped under his foot as he turned about to focus on which direction, the vibration had come from.

He stumbled knocking the pile of cans he had left haphazardly under an open storm water pipe that exited into his alcove. He was able to catch himself before he fallowed several paint cans and more importantly his old radio over the edge of his alcove and into the passage way below which would lead, in a roundabout way back to the tour groups main path "Shit" he swore as his radio smashed against the stone floor.

"Nathaniel is that you?" the familiar voice of his twin sister called out to him, causing him to look up from his smashed radio and see that his sister was a little more than half way up the passage that ran below and up to his alcove. "Are you all, right?" Andi asked as she rushed toward him

"Yeah, just made a mess..." he grumbled as he griped the wall to steady himself. Feeling something clanking its way through the pipes build into the wall, turning to regard his sister who now stood at the foot of the ladder that led up to his alcove "Getaway Andi, I think something from the construction site above us might have…..woah…" he cried out as he jumped backwards to prevent from being struck square in the chest by a large glass capsule that fell from the storm water pipe but he couldn't avoid the black, thick viscous tar like substance that splashed all over his legs as the battered capsule smashed against the ground, nor was he agile enough to avoid being put on his back side for a second time in as many minutes

Andi screamed a she jumped back as a second capsule broke on top of lip of the stairs that lead to Nathaniel's hiding spot. She barely avoided being cut to ribbons by the sharp glass. However, the ashy grey goo that oozed out of the shattered jar, quivered as if uncertain before bunching up and lunching itself at her, bearing her to the ground as it did so Covering her torso, shoulders and neck in a ashy grey goo. "Oh my kay it Jumped at me It jump...it's all over me" she said trying desperately to pull some of the stuff away from her body but it was like pulling at bubble gum. "Oh my fucking kay….…. " Andi screams turned to gurgles as the ashy grey mass spread over her head and slithered downward. She fruitlessly tried tearing it from her body but did little more than tare at her own clothing.

"Hold on ill help you!" Nathaniel yelled, trying to get to his feet only to realise that his own puddle of goo was holding him to the ground as it climbed up his legs like a wave of living tar.

"You should tell her to relax kid this won't take a second. Also try and concentrate on a good look. We might be together for a while and papa Venom got to look cool for his big comeback..." a gravely though not unpleasant alien voice intruded into Nathaniel's mind as he tried to kick at the goo that spread up his own legs while he had been distracted by Andi's struggle.

"Oh fuck that noise!" Nathaniel yelled as he made to grape for a broken shard of glass and went to stab at the thing that was now up to his thighs, however he was prevented from doing so as a section of the goo sprain off the ground like a snake and knocked the shard from his hand. This errant section warm goo shot out tendrils like spider webs, lashing his hands together.

"Oh, you got spirit, I like that kid" the voice which had identified itself as venom hissed. "But we don't have time for twenty questions so if you winna keep you and your sister alive your better get with the programme right quick"

"Get off of me!" Nathaniel yelled as he thrashed about in a futile effort to rid himself of the thing, but all his thrashing managed to do was cover himself in paint which had spilt from his scattered cans. Paint that the creature seemed to suck up like a sponge and incorporate into itself as it moved up his body.

"Good idea, kid a dash or two of colour might just be what the doctor ordered to change things up" Venom snickered. "We'll be a regular old picaro before to long if you don't stop squirming"

Nathaniel tried pulling the spreading mass away from his body but it was no use. "What are you...who are you...why can I hear you in my head?" Nathaniel yelled while trying to listen out for his sister, but he could only hear the occasional splash and muffled gurgle.

"Questions! What did I say about Questions? Is it so much to ask that one of you hairless bipeds get with the program right from the start?" the voice asked sounding annoyed "But don't worry kid, uncle Venom will explain everything but first how about some calming juice pumped straight into your grey matter?" Venom offered with a chuckle

"Calming...wh...what?" Nathaniel mumbled as he felt his mind go foggy, like his brain had been swaddled in cotton balls.

"Whoops, my bad that was a bit too much...been a while since I had a teenage host...give me a tick" Venom explained somewhat apologetically.

True to Venom's word, Nathaniel felt the mental fog lift as suddenly as it came upon him, while his sensors, touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight all expanded out as sharp as glass. Which made even the smallest details of the tunnels around him stand out like stars in the blank canvas of space but there was more, suddenly and all at once his awareness expanded outwards. Not just in the purely physical sense of the world, it was like he had a real-time three-dimensional map, complete with something like radar or echolocation extend off his awareness constantly but it was so much more than mere radar. He was aware of things he couldn't even see, touch or hear.

Gradually Nathaniel felt his mind and body adjust to the new sensations as Venom covered him utterly and started to change structure, forming a Hooded mid-night black biker jacket, white spikes sprouted from the tops of his shoulders. An elaborate neon white spider icon grew across his chest and back, its front most pair of legs anchored to his collar bone, were the other three pairs stretched across the barrow of his upper and lower chest which he suspected met with their counterparts on his back, the spider had an extended abdomen which was nearly split off from the rest of the body by a stylized V and ended just above his belly button in three triangle prongs.

His denim jeans were replaced by thick leather jeans, with neon blue knee pads and none descript biker boots with blue lace. His fingers were now covered in thick gloves tiped with an almost claw like edge, glowing neon white squares formed on the back of his hands. A impulse that was not entirely his own had him reach for his phone which he used as a make shift mirror. The space with in the hood were his face and head should have being was a nearly featureless void save for two strangely shaped eyes and a wide toothy grin, complete with a thick pink forked tongue that lolled from his maw. He also noticed two glowing bluish white Xs on the outside of the jackets hood.

Taking a moment to study himself Nathaniel couldn't fail to notice; he had somehow grown nearly half a foot in height and his build once scrawny at best now surpassed many of the top jocks of his school.

With the transformation now complete Nathanial realised he could not read or feel Venoms own thoughts as such but rather sensed the aliens presence as a distant intelligence and identity attached to his own sense of self. It was almost like there was a roommate that he had not asked for nor wanted that had barged into his domain and started filling the space with his own detritus.

"Wow rude...You're not exactly my cup of tea either kid" Venom huffed as he grew, a long vaguely serpentine proxy head and neck, so he and his host could speak more directly. He had learned from his many previous hosts that they tended to respond better to his companionship if they could anthropomorphise his personhood, in the form of a head.

"Kay wept!" Nathaniel exclaimed taking a step back from the hell beast that emerged from his body, not that did him any good as the 'Venom' head could seemingly stretch or shrink at will. The euphoria that had made the transformation as pleasurable as it had been faded into a dull background comfit. "What in the salty depths are you and what did you do to me?" Nathaniel asked looking down at himself with alarm.

Venom rolled his proxy heads eyes "Look, this isn't my first rodeo since I came to this arm pit of a planet. So let me cut a long story short! Let's just say we formed a partnership, a symbiosis. I get something...mainly a ride on your body and few other things here and there that aren't worth mentioning right now...and you get a whole bag of tricks...it's a sweet deal" the alien said, his proxy head smiling with all the sincerity of a crocodile.

Before Nathanial could press the alien feather, he felt a shift.

A sudden and profound sense of threat tingle down his spine. It was not unlike the feeling he got when he was small and still afraid of thunderstorms, when a crack of lighting trigged some primal irrational fear. Yet this new dread, this sense of threat of danger it was to close and to specific. It drew his attention to the dimly lit hallway his alcove attached to, the same hall way he knew had a man hole nor far from the construction site on the street above.

You and sister are going to have to trust and work with me and Mania if you winna live" Venom said as his porxy head melted back into his host body like a sand castle being hit by a wave.

A light appeared in the darkness a little beyond the outer edge of the amber glow offered by the single dingy ceiling lamp that hung above his refuge, if it was not for his now heighten vision, Nathaniel wouldn't have seen a wicked sword reefed in dark red flames that hurt his eyes to look at, the swords welder who soon came into sight was no less pleasant to look upon.

The figure was at least seven feet tall and looked to be male, wearing a wicked parody of knightly plate armour rendered in blood red and crude brass brace with a few leather bindings, belts and a knee length loin cloth. The belts and leather had a disturbing likeness to human skin. The hellish figure carried in his offhand a large shield, which had bony spikes growing out of its surface and was rimmed in what looked to be bone.

Lastly the creature wore a brutal helmet with full face mask which was shaped into a vicious sneer. Four blood red horns emerged from the knight's head, seemingly though his helm. One pair of horn's curled downward and shared a likeness to rams horns, the other pair curled backwards and pointed upwards like twisting, deer antlers.

Nathaniel met the knight's eyes and knew in that instinct, as he met its slitted yellow eyes that this thing was not human.

Nine's pointed his flaming blade at the new host, rage boiling of him like steam. "Give me symbiote's," the demon knight screeched. A fist sized blot of fire lanced out from the tip of his blade which exploded were Nathanial had been standing.

Acting on his new instincts, Nathaniel jumping upwards and away from the impact sight long before the ball had even travelled halfway. Though he could feel the alien flesh quiver despite this distance he had managed to get away from the first fire ball which was strong enough to engulf his art piece and the dozen or so paint cans that still littered the place. Despite the distaste he had felt for his work mere moments ago, he felt a great well of anger surge though him at seeing weeks of effort, miss placed as it was be turned to ash. However, before he could think of retaliating in any manner, as he clung to the ceiling via his feet. He was forced to fling himself over the lip of his alcove and into the tunnel below as another fire ball slammed into where he had been standing. This one was faster than the first and strong enough to shatter the stone the tunnels were made from, showering him in white hot shrapnel.

Annoyance and anger flaring hot in his chest, Nathanel griped up one of the larger chunks of rock as he jumped downwards and threw the chunk back at the knight. The burning stone whistled through the air as it impacted upon the knights shield with enough force to not only dent the metal but also turn the stone to powder.

The knight didn't seem to care that he had being struck, firing one last bolt of hellish fire through the air, the bead of burning light would have impacked him as he jumped from wall to wall if something didn't anchor itself to his leg and pull im downwards just in time. Even with the narrow miss, his chest was showered in flaming chunks of rock

Nathaneal screamed as he felt every sense and nerve ending fill with agony so great that it nearly made him throw up as he impacted into the water channel that ran through the tunnel below his alcove with enough force to make the stagnate trash filled water surge up. Despite his newfound straight he found he couldn't bring himself to stand for several seconds as yellowish energy, crackled over him, like visible static. Breathing hard he looked up to see a second figure dash towards him and help him to his feet as the energy dissipated.

"Nat...Venom are you alright?" Andi yelled as she helped her brother to his feet seeing at once like herself, he too had been changed. After receiving a curt nod she pulled herself and her brother back a meter or so as the knight jumped from above landing in the dirty water.

"You'll pay for that!" Andi hissed sending out a jet of greyish webbing from her hand and hitting the hell knight square in the chest.

Nines just laughed as the webbing sizzed and popped, like bubble gum being touched by the flame of a blow torch "Give me symbiote's" the knight commanded his hateful sword rose in challenge

Glancing at her brother whom was recovering swiftly but still looked burnt and then at the half submerged grate behind the knight. Been cogged with trash as it would act like a plug for the water beyond. "Keep him busy and in the water, I have an idea" Andi told her brother as quietly as she could

"I'll do that and more" Nathaniel hissed, his hands changing into axe like heads.

As Nathaniel rushed forward in a burst of inhuman speed and began slashing at the knight whom parried and blocked her brother's frenzied strikes with practiced ease.

Andi Jumped to the left, running along and up the wall to get behind the knight as he smashed her brother across the face with his shield, choosing that moment to kick of the celling, twisting so her feet would meet the knight first. She kicked him into the water.

Seeing his chance Nathaniel merged his two hand axes into a giant two-handed warhammer and smashed it with all his strength into the demon knight driving him deeper into the water which seemed to be weakening him. Steam billowing of the demons burning body

Meanwhile Andi griped onto a mostly submerged grate at the bottom of the dirty channel and ripped it form the coble stone arch and used it as a makeshift club just as the demonic knight railed and which he managed to slice through but it was clear to the three of them that the momentum of the battle was starting to shift out of his favour.

Nines called his power to him and with an ear piecing shriek of abused reality he flickered forward slamming his shield into the female host before she could react allowing its red hot surface to start to cook her. Taking the moment to relish her screams of pain as her flesh began to sizzle and pop. He made ready his sword only to feel the ground beneath himself shift. In his moment of hesitation the male host anchored a black web to his sword arm and torso and pulled. With a yell of denial he was pulled into the filthy thigh high water of the channel which just then rushed forwards with the strength of a tidal surge. Months of trash, filth and trapped water coming free all at once.

Being far more agile than their strange enemy, Nathaniel managed to avoid the worst of the water surge with ease. Winded as she was Andi needed to be pulled from the water lest she meet the same soggy fate.

"Thank you" Andi said coughing, griping her still burnt chest with her free hand. The alien skin was healing but slowly

"it was your plan" Nathaniel reminded her. At the sight of his wounded sister, he couldn't berry the feeling of rage that surged up with in him. Spotting a glow from the water as it started to sizzle and boil away he thought better of the suddenly appealing notion of bashing the demons head in, especially as Andi or rather Mania needed more time to recover. "I think we should get some distance between us and him so we can make a plan" Nathanial stated swinging away from the floundering knight.

Andi sensed more than saw the renewed threat of the demon knight as he screamed "Give me symbionts"

Feeling more and more strength return by the moment but still feeling everything hurt and difficult to breathe "I … I saw a sign for a brake room or something like that a few tunnels back that way". Andi said taking a pointed and then made a sharp right.

"Lead the way there might be something we can use to even things up on our end, and we got to lead him away from the tour group" Nathaniel agreed, fallowing his sisters lead, keeping himself back from her, just in case she fell from one of her swings or the demon knight managed to catch up before she had recovered.

"Don't worry to much about your sis" Venom mind spoke to his young host "Mania might not have been doing this as long as her old man but she'll heal your sis up by the time we get there…more or less"

"Old man…are you her dad?" Nathaniel asked the alien mentally

"Father, mother and all things in between kid and she an't the only one got three others Scream, Toxin…" he trailed of "and Carnage he was with us whit that flaming fool whos chasing us crashed his truck but I don't think Carnage escaped" Venom responded after a moment

"We'll unpack ….that later" Nathaniel told him "What are you and what is he for that matter?"

"Me? I'm a klyntar not, that means anything to you, ape" Venom mind spoke "Old stabby now he… I have no clue who he is! But I have an idea or two what he is and if I'm right about what that's we are in for a world of hurt but what's more important than who and what is why. I don't reckon that we'll agree with his constitution"

"I'd gathered you two aren't fans of fire, already! and you're not from earth?" Nathaniel ventured

"Your fast on the uptake ape!" Venom mocked

"Nathaneil, you can call me Nathaneil" he told the alien

"Survive what's coming for you and your sister kid and ill consider learning your name, till then your just another ape to me" Venom told him

"What ever you say slime ball" Nathaniel growled turning his attention to his sister

'Mania' had dressed Andi in something like a ashy grey full body leotard. Though upon feather inspection Nathaniel realised there was more to the costume than he first thought. The symbiont while covering his sister's hair as it had the rest of her body in its own strange mass. It had clumped Andi's hair into several stylised 'spikes' only one of which resembled the 'bang' Andi had favoured over the last few months. Mania had grafted spiked shoulder pads, wrist bands and had even grown spikes from his sisters' elbows.

There was a mirrored pair of thin white bands which wrapped around Andi's upper arms. She had also being given a thick spiked belt alongside tall gothic platform boots that encapsulated her legs up to and including the knee, the cap of which was also spiked. There were several white bands wrapped around her boot, one just below her knee and two smaller bands on the bridge of her shoes.

A spider icon stretched across both her chest and back, though hers was a slightly different design to the one he now wore. The icon's legs were all connected and fanned out from the central spider almost like wings. The top of the wing like arch crested her shoulder's just below the trunk of her neck an then wrapped around the barrow of her rib cage before connecting with the spider on her back.

The mask Mania had formed while remaining vaguely famine but gave, gave no hint to Andi's true features however unlike the mask he now wore, hers lacked a mouth though the creature had formed a similar pair of eyes.

"I suppose while we are in this mess you got us into, I should call you Venom?" Andi asked sarcastically landing on the ground of a tunnel with a gymnast's flourish before she swung open a door that led to a dimly lit stair well.

"I don't see how this is my fault!" Nathaniel grumbled "But I suppose that makes you Mania?" Nathaniel asked a hint of annoyance in his own voice which was far gruffer than his normal tone. Andi's voice had changed as well, she sounded a little older and perhaps a bit bolder

"I suppose it dose" Andi said somewhat flustered as they stopped to gather their wits for a moment though already, she could sense the demonic knight was not far behind. "Persistent isn't he...I think the brake room is just up this way. We can hunker down and hide and wait for him to pass" she suggested her grey second skin changing to the same colour and texture of the walls they were surrounded by as they sprinted down the stair well.

"Neat trick" Nathaniel commented. He concentrated on his right hand and repeated 'blend in, blend in' inside his head like a mantra. His second skin changed slightly but not enough to fool anyone who wasn't otherwise distracted, meanwhile if she stopped moving her own camouflage would have had her blend into the wall like a chameleon

"I say we ambush this freak" he growled "The work crews store all kinds of goodies down here that we can use to turn the tide on this wacko" he said racing ahead of his sister. Savouring the idea of unleashing a world of hurt on the arsehole that had jumped them.

Andi shook her head "Whatever he is, he's probably had years to explore and develop his powers. We've had minutes...We don't stand much of a chance" she told him gloomily as she fallowed her brother, turning on the light of the brake room as she crossed the thresh hold out of habit, she didn't seem to need the light thanks to her new abilities.

Nathaniel turned to regard his sister, examining the label on a yellow bottle as he did "He might have more skill than us" he agreed "but there are two of us, we're faster and more agile then him we have a chance"

"Its not like we have much of a choice" Andi agreed spiritlessly still feeling a stinging sensation ripple across her body were the knight had burnt her. She glanced around the weakly illuminated room. There were about a dozen, tall metal lockers, several shelves roughly blotted into walls each one had a smattering of plastic bottles that lined wall hung shelves, cans of various sizes and shapes, labelling ranged in legibility. There was a fire extinguisher hooked onto the far wall, an old bucket of to one side filled with worn shovels, sledgehammers, picks and a rusted work table covered in smaller tools, with boxes underneath.

In the centre of the room was a bare metal table with four plastic chairs around it. Old fast-food wrappers and discarded drink cans littered the place. She reached under the work bench and found a massive bottle filled with something like BBQ gas "But we might have a chance" she said showing her bother her price

"That's the hook, now we just need the bait" Nathanel agreed, his teeth glinting in the flickering illumination

XXXXX

Nines picked up his pace as a fire alarm blared, growling as he felt the ire the had filled him since his cover was blowen smoulder to newfound depths of rage as desperation lent itself to his motivation. While he and his prey hadn't made much of an effort to hide their passage, that dammed smoke alarm would lead the no doubt lead the vengeful police and government agents right to him. While such mundane forces were normally beneath his notice. Drained as he was, from his long absence from the city, fighting the police, 'swaying' a wounded worker into taking Carnage to safety and his battle with the two thieves had left him less and less optimistic about his chances should the police and government agents bring their full force to bear.

Not to mention the other as of yet unseen parties whom had seen his displays with in the city for what they were and were no doubt curious about what he had brought with him. Nines and his allies had spent decades skirting under the surface of awareness among the magical community with in Innsmouth and his rash actions would have all but announced their presence. Something his master, the philosopher would not be pleased with.

And the hells forbid, If the symbionts and their hosts chose to fight alongside the forces on his trail

Nines knew in his black heart, that the punishment he would face would already be great and terrible, the only chance to lesson his master's wrath then was to retrieve the symbionts. He didn't dare countenance the concept of losing them but as poor as they were at covering their tracks. The possibility that he would lose them grew greater with ever second that passed.

As the potency of Venoms and Mania's unique essence's which had being quite concentrated in their containers, had diluted significantly since they and their hosts left him behind. He suspected with in a day, he would not be able to discern any difference between the hosts and base line humans. It was fortunate then they had sought to go to ground rather than flee the tunnels out right.

'Perhaps they seek to make a stand?' he smiled behind his helm as the dark thought crossed his mind as he entered what looked to be a slightly neglected brake room, closing the door behind him to prevent any escape. Steeping on a pile of discarded work overalls, rags and an assortment of trash which littered the floor.

He sniffed the air but couldn't smell anything over the stench of ammonia and old sweat which filled the air though he needn't have bothered relying on such a mundane sense as he could sense the hosts fear spark through the air like summer lighting as soon as he entered. It was delicious though none specific, he could sense they were in the room but little beyond that 'no matter that' he thought smiling 'time to play'

"You are here!" nines said raping his knuckles on the nearest locker three times before he opened and looked inside. It was empty. He closed and opened the door twice more before moving on.

Andi didn't dare move, breathe or look to Nathaniel's hiding spot in the small vent as she clung to the celling like a spider her second skin blending into the brick work, lest the slightest movement somehow alert the hellish knight as he went about his strange ritual. 'I didn't see this before!' She thought to herself 'he doesn't just talk in threes, he does everything in threes, its like he's obsessive compulsive…I wonder if that include things we do to him?' she asked her alien partner whom formed an image of what Andi took to be her new appearance in her mind.

Mania's mental avatar put a hand to her chin as she shared dim memories of several instances where the knights obsession with threes had flared up. Mania agreed that his OCD might be exploitable but she recommended caution and to stick with the plan, she and her brother had already come up with.

Andi had to stop herself form nodding in agreement as the knight walked below her having now gone a little over half way into the trap and clearly getting more and more irritated as he went through his little ritual. With the knight distracted with the last few lockers and the brake rooms table between her and the knight. She risked a glance towards the vent where Nathaniel hid, dropping a portion of her chameleonic disguise around her hand to give her brother the thumbs up. However, dropping the camouflage on her hand seemed to be a bridge to far as the rest of her arm became visible and the rest of her fallowed suit, her head swam feeling suddenly faint. Her grip on the ceiling started to weaken and her mind go a little fuzzy as a result but she was able to bring some sense and perspective back to herself by biting her lip hard enough that it bled.

Nathaniel tensed as he saw Andi's grip weaken on the ceiling brick work she had clung to like some human sized spider, ready in a moment to spring forward and catch her should she fall but his sister rallied at least long enough for the knight to pull open the third to last locker.

There was a small 'chink' sound which was barely audible above the presently ringing fire alarm. Nines stepped back from the locker rubbing at his chest as he felt something splatter against his torso. It took him a second to realise that several open bottles filled with various chemicals had been rigged to splatter on whomever opened the door and adding their mixture to the sodden rags that littered the floor.

Nines scaped a little of the mix off his dented chest plate, these chemicals he knew would easily catch fire. He let out a bark of bitter laughter, he had overestimated the hosts. Demonstrating that he had nothing to fear from their trap, he ignited his sword

Nines laughed "I am fire" he chuckled wickedly "It wont..." he trailed of as he noticed something new, the smell of gas. Nines blinked as he realised the trap hadn't just pored flammable liquid over him which he had carelessly ignited, it also popped the lids of several gas canisters, large and small and one compressed air tank the hosts had managed to find which had been hidden among a pile of discarded cloths and rags. He turned away from the locker trying to get away only for the world, to slow for a second as a lot of things happened at once.

Venom jumped out of the vent he had being hiding with in, a fire extinguisher in one hand while the other anchored a web to the demon knight and yanked him closer to the trapped locker. At the same moment Mania jumped form the celling, gripping the door whole frame and ripped it off its hingers.

Using the door like a makeshift battering ram and shield both, she rammed it into the knight knocking the breath from his chest as he fell face first into the now hissing compressed air canister.

Ignoring the fire that was quickly spreading through the room, she hooked two lines of webbing to the neighbouring lockers and barricaded the knight with in the trap.

"We should run!" Nathaniel yelled as he hung upside down like a bat from the top of the smashed door frame. Spirting out two strings of his own web

"Couldn't agree more" Andi said catching the webs as she jumped of the ground like a jack in the box, allowing her brother to swing her well outside of the raging inferno, she picked up the dropped fire extinguisher on her way through the door. He fallowed a not a second to late landing near her and both hitting the ground in a dead sprint.

"Shit" Nines swore as the mundane world for a second became a vision of hell.

The room exploded with enough force that the twins were knocked prone by the concussive blast. Which made their alien friends sheik and peel away for a moment but they were far enough away that their injuries were minor.

Their enemy was not so lucky as he had been blasted part way through the plaster wall that made up the outer shell of the brake room, his head and about half of his torso now hung limply through the smoking frame. Several large splinters of wood and metal had pierced his armour or what remained of it, which had turned the colour of charcoal and was crumbling away.

Andi cupped her masked mouth as she absorbed the scene. "Kay in the deep, did we do that?" she asked somewhat rhetorically feeling oddly apiece with the violence and bodily harm she and her brother had unleashed.

"Yeah…" Nathaniel huffed as she helped him to his feet, he having taking the worst of the blast. Taking extinguisher as she did

"We'll leave him for the cops…he's not going to put up much of a fight now" Andi said as she used the fire extinguisher to hose the knight down.

Nathaniel tilted his head while reaching out with his new sensors. "Be careful I'm still getting a vibe so he's probably still alive…more the pity" he growled darkly observing the knight as his sister anchored a web to him and began pulling him through what remained of the wall just as the fire suppression system in the tunnels activated showering all three of them and making the coble stone floor slick. "Given his fire thing, I hope water hurts"

Andi gave her brother a side wise glance "He didn't seem to like it back at your alcove" she agreed, checking the knight over, while she had the chance. While she couldn't claim to be an expert in physiology nor was, she experienced, with mutants or innhumans. She would have thought if he was one or the other he would at least have wounds she could make sense of given the advanced first aid training she had gotten from her job with F.E.A.S.T. but what she could see of his flesh seemed to be…crumbling away like a sand castle been washed away with the tide. "I can't help but wonder why he would want our two new roommates? They really don't seem to like fire?" She asked as she looked around the area for the knight's sword. 'Weird I thought I just saw it' she thought

"We should get out of..." she trailed off as her 'danger' sense screamed at her. Acting on the instinct she jumped backwards just in time to stop form been skewered but she wasn't quite fast enough to avoid the blow entirely as the knight leapt from his prone position

Lunging forward like a mad man. More and more of his body crumpling away as he committed himself to the act

Even with her lightning quick reflexes and the knights diminished state, the tip of his blade cut across her lower torso, cutting through Mania's skin and wracking across her own. Sending blazing hot agony to dance across her entire being making her fall backwards.

It was like someone had pressed a branding iron to her very soul. "Don't…don't let him cut you" she managed to cry out as she kicked backwards, enlarging her foot to an almost comical extent and kicked the knights sword out of his failing grip and attached a web link to it pulling it away from the monster as, more of his charcoal armour crumbled to ash. She sagged backward clutching the sword. Ingoting the fact that it burnt her hand as she tried to hold it.

"I have had enough of this creep" Nathaniel growled as he dashed in, the teeth that immerged from his mask growing to comical length before, they shot out like bony darts and impacted the knight like a shower of bullets.

Nines growled as he staggered under the hit "You'll both die" Nines screeched as he curled his hand into a claw and reased a jet of black smoke towards the alien. Hitting Venom with a burst of super-heated air making him scream and fall to his knees as the smoke formed learing faces that bit and chewed more than flesh as he spinted forward and send Venom flinging with a smack across the face.

"You'll both die!" Nines cried out, turning his attention to the female host and made a jerking motion with his clawed hand, pulling his sword from 'Mania's' hand back to his own. Mania jumped up and clambered up the wall, zigzagging to avoid the shower of sparks he sent her way as she landed near Venom's crumpled from and helping him to his feet.

Nathaniel glared at the knight hate and things darker than hate boiling in his chest "We are ending this now! Mania" he growled turning one hand into a fleshy shield and the other into into a spear.

Andi grimanced at her twins tone but knew it was eather the knight or them "With you Venom" she said forming two short swords

"Youll Both die" he said as he slashed at the acrobatic would-be heroes. Before changing tact and punching forward, shooting out a first sized blot of flame.

Not expecting the sudden change in tactic Nathaniel jumped forward his flesh shield raised as Andi flipped backward, taking the blunt of the assault which destroyed his shield and made portion of Venom peel away.

Nathaniel, ignoring the pain, he lifted his spear and charged. At the same moment Andi flung bricks from the celling showering knights night in concreate splinters, one brick hitting his sword just as he was about to send another blast of flame her brothers way. The blot of hell fire flew harmlessly over her twins head and smashed into a distent wall.

Using his pain as fuel, Nathaniel's spear nearly found its mark in the demons crumbling chest plate only for the knight to swing about and barely deflect the spear tip with his own blade. However between the knights weakening strength and his own charge. Nathaniel had managed to push the knight back a foot "Tag in!…" He yelled, recalling a move he had seen in a anime once, hooking the sword and with his spear and pushed down as he shifted

"Be ready!" Andi growled as she rand upside down her fingers becoming knives, landing to the demons side which was unprotected with out his shield which had being lost in the explosion and lunged, her finger knifes digging into his body. Ash bellowed for the wounds but she was not done yet she slashed and slashed again, ducking the knights clumbiy strike as he struggled to get his sword back out of the lock Nathaniel had trapped him in.

Nines bellowed, unleashing a cloud of black fumes that spread off of him in all directions. Pushing the hosts back as screams of the dead clawed at body and mind. The Mania railed faster than Venom pulling him away before Nines could press his attack. He trayed to summon more power to him but he felt his teacher on reality recoil, shuddered and then refuse. He was nearly spent

Having recovered faster than Venom, Andi ripped a lamp form the celling along with a few arms full of electric cable and jumped over the stagged knights wabbling strike, managing to wrap the cord around his arm and yank him into into a puddle that was froming from the constant downpour realised by fire system of the tunnels. Twisting the head of the sparking lamp , she grinned at the knight. Whom for a moment looked surprised as the live wires fell into water he now stood with in

Nines screamed as Mania flipped away, electricity arcing over his body like a lightning rod, making more and more of his body crumply to ash. The other ceiling lamps flickered and died, plunging the tunnel into near darkness. The only illumination that filled the space was the weak glow of ambers and fire that had not being drowned by the sprinker system.

Nathaniel felt a gleeful smile pull at both sets of his lips as he watched the sparking electricity arc for a heart bet or two and then die. Seeing his chance he snatched up the discarded fire extinguisher, and smashed it into the knights head with enough force for the entire thing to explode as it send the knight to the floor. His horned helm caved in.

Andi joined her brother, going to kick their enemy while he was down but he wasn't out of the fight yet. He caught her leg before she pulled pack and he swung her into a nearby wall.

Nathaniel yelled as he ran and picked the knight up and carried him back into the distoryed wall they had foolishly freed him from and imailed the knight on a pieces of rebar. Which pierced were his heart world be.

Overtaken by bloodlust, the twins turned their hands into wicked axes, picks and swords and buried them into his chest. They needn't have bothered; the fight had left the knight as the rebar speared his

"Hosts...will die" Nines Gurgled. "Philosopher will win" he cried trying to summon one last blot of fire but nothing came, his fingers crumbling away fallowed by hid hands, arms and legs. "I…will…return" Nines threated impudently as glared at the hosts. His chest and head crumbling away

Andi staggered back gasping in horror, as realisation at what they had down dawned on her as the rage in her heart faded. She fell to her knees, her mask peeling back allowing her to vomit up the merge contents of her stomach.

Nathaniel rushed over with all the speed he had left, holding his sister "Easy easy…its ok Andi don't fight it" he soothed as he tried to shield her best he could from the constant down pore the sprinklers.

"I hate it when that happens…" Andi murmured somewhat groggy "Last thing I need is people to think I'm bulimic…on top of everything else" she chuckled weakly though there was no humour in her weak joke. A small grey tentacle emerged from her second skin, one providing her a handkerchief

Venom meanwhile created a umbrella that protected the hosts form the worst of the down poor as he and Mania took their cues and peeled away from sight, returned the teens cloths which were no worse for ware.

"its not your fault…" Nathaneil told her earnestly, feeling just as drained now the fight had ended. "You got the worst of …what ever the fuck that was"

Andi nodded, not deigning it "What do we do now?…Their not gone" she said pointing to his umbrella as she shakenly got to her feet

He shook his head uncertainly written across his face "Kay know's, but we cant stay here…only a matter of time before the cops come looking and dads must have missed us by now" Nathaniel said grimacing

Andi chuckled weakly at the concern in her brothers voice. If she didn't know better she might have thought he as worried about their fathers disapproval as much as police interrogation. "Don't worry…I thought of that" she said feeling her strength start to return "But we better hurry" she said looking up to the celing, reaching out with her mind to reach out to Mania's awareness and a string of webbing jumped from her palm and anchored itself to the distant ceiling.

Despite himself, Nathaniel laughed, doing the same as his sister, jumping off into the darken tunnels

XXXX

End of chapter one

Please review