Spiderman: Venom

Peter didn't get the opportunity. Just as he was nearing the roof hatch to head out, the warehouse door swung open. MJ, looking utterly drained and stressed, had finally returned.

She had managed to leave the hospital but came directly to her home. Harrison had insisted she stay with Flash, but she had escaped after pretending she needed to use the restroom. Her bag and phone were still at the hospital, but she'd felt an urgent need to leave.

"It," she began but then stopped herself, shaking her head. "I need sleep. Can we talk about this later?" Gwen and Peter simply nodded; MJ's exhaustion was evident. As she stepped into her home, neither noticed the faint smile that appeared on her face.

Home, she thought to herself, feeling a small but comforting sense of relief.

"So, uh, do we tell her?" Gwen asked while sipping her coffee. She had recently purchased a small portable hot plate to heat her coffee pot since Peter hadn't wired electricity to the central area yet. She understood why, given everything else going on.

Peter leaned forward, shaking his head. "She's dealing with too much already. She's smart, though; she'll figure it out on her own."

Gwen raised a brow. "You mean about us, you dork. Not the little goo monsters."

Not a monster. Add more sugar; this drink is gross.

Rolling her eyes, Gwen added two extra spoonfuls of sugar. "I'm not going to end up in some lab just because I've got a helpful slime creature living in my head."

Peter chuckled. "Either way, she's clever. Uh, I think she might already know about us. I mean..." He hesitated. "It's kind of obvious. We just need to make it official."

Feigning dramatic excitement, Gwen fluttered her eyelashes. "Already? I don't know if I'm ready for something official, Pete. Where would the kids sleep?"

Peter snorted as Gwen set her coffee cup aside. "I'll talk to MJ first. And maybe see if Felicia will actually come around."

"I saw her a few days ago. She seemed... upset."

Frowning, Gwen glanced at her cup and sighed. "Yeah. I've been avoiding her a bit." She wasn't ready to admit that her actions—kissing Felicia—had created the tension, or that she needed to tell Peter about it.

Have them both. Lots and lots of woosh splats! Kitties and Peties.

Shh, not now. We'll see.

Peter picked up his cup and carried it back to his place, leaving it in the sink.

"See you later," he said, grabbing his jacket, kissing Gwen, and heading to work.

Gwen watched him leave. Her new internship wouldn't officially begin for another week, and she'd been given time off to recover. She knew Flash wouldn't be attending his internship, and she hoped to speak to her supervisor to reverse her transfer. For now, her goal was to figure out a way to make things work with Felicia, MJ, Pete, and herself all together.

At the gate, Peter smiled as he noticed the flag on his mailbox was raised.

Yes, my first official mail.

Opening the box, he retrieved the contents—a single card:

'Tonight, find the man in black. Sunset Park. I'll track him.'

Flipping it over, Peter saw nothing more. A faint fragrance lingered on the card. He sniffed it, recognizing it as a woman's scent.

Black Cat? She's the only one who could link me to Venom. For her own good, I hope it's not her.

Crushing the card into a ball, he tossed it into a nearby trash can and headed toward the junkyard.

Harrison finished off the terrible hospital coffee, cursing MJ under his breath. She'd left Flash alone and simply gone home, leaving him stuck here with meetings and work piling up.

Stupid bitch, he thought bitterly, glaring at his son's unconscious form.

Flash had disobeyed him and pursued Parker, despite being told to stay away. Now, because of his reckless actions, he was in this situation. Even that Stacy girl, who Flash had been so infatuated with, got away with just a minor cut on her head.

Idiot son, Harrison cursed again.

He was about to flag down a nurse to check for any updates on Flash's condition when his phone rang.

"What now, Norman?" he snapped.

"We've all heard about Eugene. Such a shame. If you need some time to—"

"I don't. Once he's stabilized, I'll be back later today."

Norman sighed audibly. "Harrison. No, you won't. Spend some time with your son."

Harrison scowled, glancing at Flash lying motionless in the hospital bed. "No. I'll be back."

"Harrison, you won't. The board is meeting today to discuss whether you should be censured. The Parker incident spiraled out of control. You went too far. And we're inclined to—"

Harrison cut him off angrily. "To what? Take my position away because of some punk kid? If you pull this, Norman, you'll regret it."

"It's not just Parker. We know about the funds you diverted. We're aware of the favoritism shown to Eugene. And there's the issue with Gwen Stacy as well."

Harrison scoffed. "So? She's just some blonde Eugene was interested in. She'd have lost interest in science eventually."

"That 'blonde,' as you put it, earned the second-highest grades in her class. Only Peter Parker outperformed her, and you drove him away. You're tarnishing Oscorp's reputation. Stay with your son. That's not a suggestion, Harrison." Norman hung up without waiting for a response.

"Damn Osborn," Harrison growled through clenched teeth. So what if I lost Parker? So what if some blonde was smart? Women always lose focus on work once they get pregnant anyway. Once Eugene was done with Stacy—or even MJ—he'd have heirs. Hopefully, they wouldn't turn out to be disappointments like his son.

Flash groaned weakly, attempting to move. Harrison shook his head in frustration.

"Can I get a nurse in here?" he shouted. Before my idiot son injures himself even further.

At his workplace, Peter found the junkyard unusually calm. Aleksei sat with an ice pack pressed against his head and simply waved at Peter as he passed by on his way upstairs to his workstation.

The space was immaculate now. Since Peter had taken on the dual responsibility of cataloging and appraising items, he ensured it stayed spotless. Aleksei trusted his judgment—if Peter deemed something junk, Aleksei knew it wasn't worth keeping.

Peter's latest role involved repairing phones. Aleksei had followed his suggestion: smaller electrical repairs were now handled by Max. While Peter still worked on consoles and intricate electronics, his workload now consisted mostly of phones.

Peter had just sat down and started examining a Stark-tech phone when Aleksei appeared.

Squinting under the bright lighting Peter had installed for working on small components, Aleksei groaned. "Ugh. Hey kid, don't ever go to bars, alright? Bad for you," he said, lowering himself onto the edge of the table. "You're a good kid, Pete. The guys around here like you. You don't complain, you just work."

He pulled an envelope from his pocket. "I know you get commission, but let's be honest—you're barely making anything, and we both know it. So here's a proper contract. Decent pay, set hours, and all that."

Peter opened the envelope and flipped through the pages. It was a nine-to-five job with a $500-a-week salary. He grinned. "I'd love to, but, uh..."

Aleksei waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, college, I get it. You're smart. You'll figure it out." Groaning again, he got up. "Just sign it and leave it downstairs, okay? I need to go lie down for a while."

Peter chuckled, grabbing a pen to sign the contract. He'd already decided to accept it.

A full-time college course would take four years, while a part-time schedule stretched to six. He'd reached out to recent graduates who had shared tips on managing the workload. After completing practice exams, purchasing required books, and figuring out necessary practical skills, Peter was confident he could handle both commitments.

It was also why he was short on cash. He'd paid for two courses upfront and set aside money for essentials like taxes and other expenses. When he'd first planned to rent out his properties, he hadn't anticipated tenants moving in so quickly. He'd prepared for the possibility of four empty homes but now had two tenants and four additional empty units. Once classes began, he'd distribute flyers. Having six tenants would provide more stability than just relying on his salary.

Balancing work during the day with studying for online classes and tests felt manageable. He'd just need to convince Aleksei to give him time off for hands-on classes. With his efficiency at work, he could easily make up lost time over the weekends.

The only reason he wasn't taking night classes was that he needed evenings free for training and bonding with Venom. Besides, he figured Gwen wouldn't appreciate it if he devoted all his time to studying.

With Gwen adapting to Poison and MJ settling into life at the warehouse, things were falling into place perfectly.

Gwen gently knocked on MJ's door but still heard the muffled response: "Come in."

MJ was curled up on the couch under a blanket, her coffee sitting in front of her as she stared at her phone.

"You okay?" Gwen asked, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her.

MJ chuckled softly. "Aren't I supposed to be the one asking you that?" she replied, leaning into Gwen.

"Nah, I've got a thick skull—I'll be fine. But you?" She gestured toward the phone. "You're not."

"Harrison made it crystal clear I was supposed to help Flash recover however I could. I kind of freaked and ran."

"Yeah, he's a jerk. But," Gwen paused, "let's cut to the chase—you're leaving Flash, right?"

MJ nodded.

"Oh, thank God. I'd probably kick his ass if he came around here. So what's the issue? Just ignore both of them until Flash gets out of the hospital. Pete will make sure they stay away."

MJ let out a sad laugh. "It's not that simple."

Gwen placed her hand over MJ's. "It is that simple. Harrison and Flash can't hurt you. We won't let them." With the ongoing legal case, Gwen felt confident they could secure a restraining order. Peter had plenty of evidence to keep them at a distance.

MJ frowned, sensing an unfamiliar edge in Gwen's voice—a quiet but unmistakable menace.

"Maybe," MJ muttered as Gwen pulled her closer in a hug.

PETE! Poison yelled in Gwen's mind.

As she embraced MJ more tightly, Gwen caught the scent lingering on the blanket. It wasn't just sweat—there was a distinct, aroused musk.

That sneaky little liar, Gwen thought. But... She began formulating a plan, one Peter wouldn't be able to turn down.

"Work's running late," Peter messaged Gwen, giving her a heads-up that he'd be busy.

It served as plausible deniability in case anyone called looking for him.

He slipped into one of the dimly lit alleys, double-checking that he was alone. Summoning his armor, Venom crawled up his body as he scaled the wall to a nearby rooftop.

Sunset Park wasn't far, but Peter wanted to ensure privacy for the meeting. With the Daily Bugle publishing more photos of Black Cat lately, he needed to confirm that Snooper-Man hadn't planted any unwelcome surprises.

After positioning a few wireless cameras connected to his phone, Peter had a wide view of the park. Satisfied, he climbed into the branches of a large tree and settled in to wait.

The tree overlooked a tranquil lake. If he was going to be stuck there for hours, he might as well enjoy the view.

It was well after dark when Peter sensed Black Cat's presence. She approached slowly, cloaked in a black hoodie with a white fur-lined hood pulled over her face.

Peter fired a small web ball at her feet to catch her attention. She paused, glancing up as he shot another to indicate his location.

Activating the camera app, he confirmed they were alone.

She scanned the area, ensuring the park was empty. Picking up speed, she ran toward the tree, leapt gracefully, and landed on a nearby branch.

"What do you want, Cat? Looking for another round?" Venom asked.

"No. I need help. I figured if you went after Marko, you might be interested in finishing the rest." Perched warily on the branch, she studied him, ready to either attack or retreat.

"Why should we care?" Venom asked, unfamiliar with the name.

"He's Sandman," she explained, watching Venom's fists clench at the name.

"So, you're after them too?"

"I am. But I can't take all four on my own. And clearly, neither can you."

Venom growled. "No!" His earlier failure still stung. "So, what? A team-up?"

Black Cat chuckled. "Not quite. I've got four safe houses marked. You handle two, I'll take the other two. We'll split up—no need to work together directly."

It wasn't entirely true. The two locations she planned to give him were the actual hideouts. She needed Venom to serve as a distraction while she raided the other two for intel.

"Hand them over," Venom said, hopping onto her branch. "We'll deal with them."

Nodding, she passed him a slip of paper.

That scent... I know it from somewhere, Venom thought as she leaned closer.

"Here's a tip, Cat," Venom said. "Those pictures of you in the papers? Spider-Man takes them for his reporter buddy." He smirked. "Maybe watch your back a little more."

Laughing, he shot a web toward a taller tree and swung away. He'd retrieve the cameras later—being labeled a peeping Tom wasn't on his agenda.

Watching him leave, Black Cat frowned, irked by his parting comment. She'd given him Ock's primary hideout and command center. Though Rhino was reported as the leader, she'd noticed Ock consistently issued the orders.

Her investigation revealed that Ock's harness came from Oscorp. All she needed now was proof of the identities of the other three. She had her suspicions but wanted concrete evidence before making her move.

She also had one more thing on her mind.

The photos of her fights seemed to focus on her chest and rear, catching her in suggestive poses. None of them were flattering—most were downright provocative.

With Venom's intel, she had a new objective:

I'm going to find Spider-Man and kick him right in the balls.