Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

The warehouse was quiet. The group had no words for each other, and the only notice was the quiet clinking of spoons as they stirred coffee.

While Norman had gotten away, they had succeeded in removing him from the Goblin armour. It was a victory if it came at a high cost. Hiding, they had managed to smuggle it back to the warehouse undetected.

The emergency services were busy dealing with not just the ETF casualties. Thankfully, as they watched the news, the civilian ones were minimal.

Norman had escaped into the sewers, but not after Flash and Gwen had some revenge. Gwen wanted to kill him but he stopped her at the last moment. He wasn’t like them, he wasn't like her, and while she had been thankful he stopped her, a part of her hated him for it. She didn't want to just kill Norman, she wanted to take her revenge, just like the rapist, long and slow.

She found herself staring at the coffee Flash had made her. It was strange. She didn't feel sad or lonely. She didn't feel anything other than a lack of his presence and in that, she felt more guilty than anything. Liv had come over and was keeping an eye on her. She knew that she should be sad, she knew she should feel ‘something’ but she didn't

He was dead and she knew that. She just didn’t feel it. Even as Poison, when she watched him die she felt nothing but rage, rage at Norman. Anger that he’d taken something from her. Rage that he dared to hurt someone in front of her.

Even asking Poison if she was suppressing any pain, or hiding it she was told.

No, Gwen is Gwen, was all Poison said and went back to sleep.

Gwen stared at the steaming hot mug of coffee in her hand, wondering if she was broken. If something was wrong. You were supposed to grieve, supposed to cry and wail but she didn't. She never thought she hated her father, never thought she would be so cold to his passing. It was Liv that snapped her out of her strange mood.

"It's not you, it's the world," Liv told her. "We're given social norms and expected to follow them. Parents die so we're supposed to be sad. Personally, I pissed on my father's grave, or well, if I'd had the courage I would have. I hated that man. We're brought up to treat them with respect. They raised us and gave us a home. Ignore the ones that abuse their kids. Ignore the sexual deviants that shouldn't be within a hundred feet of a child, let alone be raising one. Gwen dear, if you don't feel anything then take that as normal, and tell anyone who says otherwise to fuck off."

Gwen stared for a moment and then burst into tears. The stress of the fight and the pain of her loss finally bubbled to the surface.

Even as the tears fell she knew didn't need to feel bad about her dad, she loved him but it never went beyond that. She would grieve in her own way and once it was over, move on. She looked around. Peter and Felicia were hoisting the armour up the stairs to the storage office. Liv was sitting with coffee and Flash was staring into space. As she saw her life, she realised she was fine with that.

Oscorp was gone, but Stark was there in its place. College life went on and so did life in the city. Even with the Green Goblin on the loose, life marched on regardless. It had to and now so did she. Her life was here, not Stark Industries, not her schooling, and as hard as it was to admit, not her dad.

What was weird though was Flash. It wasn't just that Flash had come back and helped with Norman. They both had a grudge against the man who killed both their fathers, but that Flash seemed the same as her. Now that Norman had been pummeled and beaten, he was taking the death of his father in his stride. It was awkward but he seemed at ease in the warehouse. He was even trying to make Gwen feel better. As if the shared history they had was forgotten and nothing more than a childish illusion.

Gwen wondered if that was what Peter had felt when a naked and frightened Liv tumbled into their lives. There was no fight to be had. He'd won. He'd taken out the group that humiliated and beat him. So when Liv cried he knew there was no need to take things further. Even with Flash here, wary of Peter, but making coffee and acting as if he belonged, it was strange. Was conquering your enemies a literal thing? If she had fought with her dad would he have respected her more? Or just pushed back until their relationship broke even further?

Gwen was brought out of her musings by a shout.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" MJ yelled from the warehouse doorway and Flash stood and backed up from the table. She had gone out to get food for everyone. She had powers but not training and felt useless as Gwen, Felicia, and Peter all fought Goblin. If a warm meal was waiting for them, then they could unwind, relax, and decompress after the events of the day. Without her phone and no headset, she had no idea what had happened to Gwen, or her father.

"Oh hey MJ. Uh, look, I don't want trouble." Flash raised both his hands, but she dropped all the bags she was carrying and screamed at him.

Muse slid over her like cloth and she leapt the fifty meters right at him. She landed on his chest with clawed hands and feet, Gwen grabbed the table and slid it back, out of their way. Webb responded to the threat and covered Flash in his armour but Flash refused to fight back.

Muse pushed herself off of him and threw him to the floor. As she landed she sprinted forward, leapt up and drove her elbow into his stomach. As she knocked the wind out of him, she straddled him and began to rain blows down on his chest and face.

Muse split open her maw and as Webb grabbed her wrist to stop her from punching him, she bit down on it. He hissed in pain but his thick armour protected him from her razor-sharp teeth as they dug into the flesh of his arm.

"We hate you," she yelled and struggled in his tight grip. Muse pulled herself forward, using Webb as a lever and drove her forehead into the bridge of his nose. As he shook his head, taking the blow he looked at the struggling woman in his arms. She snarled and snapped at him as he held her fast but he was unwilling to hurt her, not again.

"MJ, I’m sorry, I’m sorry okay, please, stop." His armour peeled back as Flash tried to reason with her, "fuck Parker, help me you dick," he yelled over.

"Unresolved issues there buddy, how about you stop her?" Peter just shrugged. He'd beaten Flash and had no more to prove. Apparently, MJ really hated him though, and Muse was just making that worse.

“MJ look, I'm sorry okay, the hospital, everything I said, I was wrong, you know. Wait, when the fuck did MJ get a Symbiote? Shit Parker, you're an asshole you know that?" and he sat up, flipping Muse round and holding her arms around her sides.

"MJ. Stop!" Flash shouted "I don't want to fight you okay?" but MJ had other ideas. She had some training with Felicia and brought a heel backwards. Flash wanted to scream in pain as she heeled him incredibly hard in the balls.

As he let go of her she turned and smashed a fist into his jaw, sending him flying.

"Do you know what they did to me? Do you know what you put me through?" she yelled, and Flash rubbed his jaw looking up as she stood over him.

"Know what? I thought you were mad because of the hospital thing, so uh no?"

Muse stood and morphed into a beautiful raven-haired girl. "Oh your so lucky MJ. Flash is our school’s hero, you should make sure he's happy if you know what I mean." She became another, a blonde girl, "So, gave Flash your V card huh? Lucky bitch, if that was me I'd have done more than just that," and Muse copied her laughter. On and on, changing into various different girls, Flash suddenly understood.

"No, I didn't, not one of them." He shook his head, "I never."

"You didn’t have to, the school worshipped you. The school sucked the fucking cock of Flash Thompson, and screw anyone who got in his bad books. Peter suffered and me, oh, I knew, I was made to realise. Flash Thompson’s little whore. Know your place, on your knees, smile and nod and swallow. I HATE YOU!" she screeched once more and Muse leapt again.

As Flash rolled to one side, he sprang to his feet and brought his hands up. Muse landed and crouched in front of him. She swept the legs out from under him, and as he fell she kicked him across the warehouse floor.

“And you two, you bring him here. You laugh and drink coffee like he never touched Peter? Like he never did anything wrong, do you hate me? Do I not mean anything to you?” She stared at Gwen and Peter. “Do I not have a home here? That Flash fucking Thompson can waltz in and be sat where I eat?”

Peter shook his head. "He came for Norman and saved Gwen. Flash and I have no issues. We sorted them on that rooftop but MJ. Anything. I mean anything you want," Peter slid into Venom, his bulk shifting and towering over the trio. "Anything," he hissed and walked over to Flash. "Just say what you want." Crouching he put a massive clawed hand on Flash’s head.

“What the fuck Parker?” Flash grabbed the hands covering his face but he remembered that Venom was much stronger than he was. He was at Peter's mercy, and this time there would be no stopping him.

Muse shook her head. “No, not like that, but no, we don't forgive you Flash. Not for school not for anything, but no Peter. Leave him alone.” As Venom shrunk back into Peter, he patted Flash on the shoulder.

“You made my life hell Flash, you and your fucking bitches, I never want to see you again. Ever!” Muse slid away and MJ stomped over to her home. Felicia headed to the door to gather the bags of food she had bought. Gwen followed the pair as she needed to explain, needed to tell her the bad news.

"No hard feelings huh?" Peter lifted Flash by the shoulders onto his feet.

Flash was dumbfounded. “Would, would you have killed me?”

Peter shrugged, “Flash in the scheme of things I respect that you saved MJ at the diner. I respect you didn’t turn me in to the cops, and I respect that you helped Gwen take out Goblin, but if MJ says one word. If Felicia, Gwen, or Liv say the word I will burn this world to the fucking ground for them. Do you understand?”

Flash could do nothing but nod. "I, uh, yeah, I get that now." Flash stepped back from Peter and brushed himself down. “Raincheck on that coffee Parker, uh, yeah, see you around."

He walked to the warehouse's main door shaking his head. He had doubts. He had wanted to make amends and put the past behind him. He had wanted Parker to explain what was going on. Instead, he got more questions but only one answer. Peter might be indifferent, but MJ really hated him.

Of all the shit-brained dumb mother fuck-

He felt the sting and the heaviness. He heard a small voice telling him to wake up, that he should fight, and then the world went dark.

⁂

Peter stood at the door and watched Flash leave. Their talk had been cordial, but he wasn’t extending another olive branch. There was too much baggage, and he figured MJ would snap again and he would have to stop her from killing him.

Liv wheeled herself to the door, “You should play peacemaker, Peter. He might be willing to help us.”

Peter was about to argue when his phone dinged. It was a message from Talia,

Hey, is Saturday at one okay to come round?

He texted back a quick sure and received a smiley face in return.

Liv was waiting patiently and she raised an eyebrow as she slid his phone back into his pocket, “yeah Flash. Fine. but you owe me,” to which Liv just laughed.

Stepping back and opening the door Peter looked around. He leaned back and shrugged. “He’s gone.”

Liv frowned, “You might want to go after him, Peter. You know what the bonding was like for the others. If he’s unstable.”

Peter rolled his eyes “Fine fine, but you owe me two now.”

Liv laughed, “As if I wouldn't already.”

Peter shook his head with the same grin and headed out into the cold.

Walking around the warehouse district there were no signs of Flash. No one was calling for help and even as he tried around the park there was no sign of him.

As he headed back he spotted a familiar face though.

Talia was standing next to a black SUV, and while she looked surprised to see him, she quickly smiled.

“Hey, Pete. Didn’t think you’d be here.” She stepped forwards as the SUV started its engine and then drove off.

“Yeah, a friend dropped by but uh, he left and he forgot his phone.”

Talia shrugged,

“Are you busy?” Peter asked her.

“Yeah, I got a few friends looking for places as well. Thought I’d show them around, maybe have more than one spot open?” She gave him a wide-eyed stare, the infamous puppy dog look.

Peter laughed, “I don’t but, with a few months I can add at least two in. Think they can wait?”

“When they get here, I can ask.” Her phone buzzed and she took a quick look at it, “That’s them, gonna head off. Cya on Saturday Pete.”

Peter nodded and turned to head back to the warehouse, “yeah, cya later.”

As she watched him walk away, Natasha dialled her phone, “He bought it. I still have entry next week.”

She was sad this was going to end so soon. Peter was actually a nice guy and if she was forced to shoot him, it would be a shame.

Clint was her only real friend, but Peter had opened up to her even if it was all a lie to discover his identity.

Since leaving the Red Room, Natasha actually felt sorry for one of her targets. But that was as far as it went. It would be a shame if he turned out to be Venom, but he was still a suspect, and if ordered he was still a target.

At least she could make it quick for him. It was the only kindness she had to offer.