Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Eddie floated in the dark, hearing nothing, feeling nothing. It was peaceful but as the sounds of his own heartbeat thundered in his chest he began to panic a little.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a great spiritual journey? He thought. Is my spirit empty? Am I empty?

Sure, he was in a daze after watching John die. They had gone in so sure of victory and it went to the dogs. After fighting Venom, he realised that his powers were shit compared to what was out there. Venom took him, John, and Flash apart like they were little kids, but worse than that was the woman. Huntress. She tore into him like it was nothing, like he was nothing, and that stung the most.

We are Huntress and we never surrender to prey, she had taunted him.

Was he prey? Was all this for nothing?

He was back on the rooftop, watching himself fight Huntress. His vision shifted and it was him fighting. He ducked under her blow, and as he ducked she spun and brought a foot into his face. The world spun and he flew across the rooftop. He shot out a web and pulled himself back out of her reach but she was too fast. She was trained and he was not, and as blow after blow connected he felt it.

Fear

He was prey

He was her prey

He watched her toy with him. She used feints and traps to goad him into her strikes. She was perfect in her movements, and if he was honest he lost himself watching her. She was graceful and deadly, a huntress. Watching her strike blow after blow was like watching a panther or lioness hunt its prey.

In her deadly ballet. he fell in love.

Not the physical love of a man for a woman. No, it was the love of her skill, the love of her brutality, her passion to make sure that blood was spilt and it wasn't hers. He saw the passion, the dedication to her art and he wished that it was his.

As he watched over and over the pair fight he saw his mistakes. His arrogance, and at once began to formulate how to fix them, he wasn't slow, no slower than her. He wasn't weak, no weaker than her, he was a child to her adult. He was a newborn trying to walk while his teacher ran and skipped.

That is not our way, he heard the voice say.

The way of the Spider is your way, not hers.

As he watched over and over, he saw the movements and he made changes. No longer falling for the feints he made his own. Feeling her movements his senses sharpened and he began to anticipate the strikes. It wasn't the memory of the strike, it was learning her tells, the way her shoulder moved, her eyes flickered. He began to learn, to anticipate, to hunt.

As they fought and sparred the world around him changed and he saw her, the Spider. Each limb darting and weaving its web around him. He saw each of its limbs as an extension of itself, not a limb to be thrown out but a weapon to be used. Each part of him watched each part of her and in doing so he began to copy, he began to learn and he began to understand.

He was only prey if he allowed himself to be prey.

⁂

Cindy was back at fucking Oscorp, watching that shit Parker puke over himself. She recoiled in disgust and felt the sting on the back of her neck. Finding nothing she felt the world spin as she stumbled to the toilets. As an outside observer, she saw it. The small pale spider climbed up its web and into the air ducts. She knew it went next door. Some instinct to find a host. To bite and spread its venom. She watched her vision swim in the mirror. Pale and sweaty she washed her face before a woman tried talking to her. She was some small skinny smug looking nerd with stupid fucking rimmed glasses.

Get the fuck away freak, she thought as her legs became jelly, but she’d had enough of this bullshit place.

Pushing past the woman, she headed to the exit and into a cab, back home, back where she was safe.

Her eyes closed but when she opened them she was in a market square. Spider-Man was chasing some drone thing as it blared a warning at them.

No way, she thought, the NYPD won't fire on civilians.

As she leaned in and snapped a pic with Spider-Man, she felt a small tingle go through her as she touched him.

Gross, she thought, no way I'm crushing on the guy.

Without thinking her eyes flicked down to his crotch, the suit was skin tight and it showed. As she laughed to herself and pulled a face in the selfie, the warning went off once more. As they posed the air was suddenly filled with pepper spray. Screams and shouts filled the area and everyone scattered. She didn't understand why though, it was just spicy.

Fucking losers, she thought as she watched Spider-Man pull a fire hydrant from the ground. so fucking cool though.

As she snapped more pics, she wondered if he was handsome under the costume.

As she lay in bed, her fingers stroking herself, she thought of the handsome man under the mask. Unknown he pounded her, and after she peaked, she sighed. It had been good but wasn't good enough.

Wish some handsome rich man would save me from this fucking hell.

At the diner, she waited tables, collected tips, and gritted her teeth in the staff break room. Being young and attractive was a blessing when you waitressed but sometimes it was also a curse. Sure, places preached tolerance. Oh, any inappropriate touching will get you barred but it didn't happen. She still got her ass grabbed or phone numbers written in place of a tip. What made it worse was the shitty diners who complained when she didn't smile and thank them got comped. God forbid she actually had feelings of her own and wasn't some piece of ass for them.

As she walked home she heard the sirens. As the vans screeched to a halt she saw two large men leap out of the van and shoot strings up into the building tops. Glancing around her, she dashed behind the trash cans, wanting to watch the action. She hid, crouched low and staring up, of course, at this angle she had no chance to see anything but she could hear them.

“She-Venom, you know how insulting that is?” she heard. “We are Huntress and we never surrender to prey.”

As Cindy heard Spider-Man getting the shit kicked out of him she smiled.

No, that was a badass, not some guy in a suit, a badass woman, taking no shit.

She was brought out of her musing as she heard the cry. Agent Web, Flash fucking Thompson of all people, screamed as he headed towards to ground. Both arms sent out those white ropes and as he caught himself, barely inches from the ground. He let himself go, and as he thudded his armour deformed. He was only a few meters away from her when she saw the black dot fly at her. She saw the small, almost invisible droplet of black water as it flew from his wrist and headed right for her. In that instant, it touched and they became one.

⁂

Mac Gargan stayed quiet during the presentation.

Fucking gods my ass, he thought to himself, but even after drinking the liquid, he slept like the rest.

Finding himself in a strange desert-like place he grinned as he scurried along the rocks. He was no longer the man, he was his true self.

Oh, I like this, the Scorpion thought to himself, as it killed anything it could find.

⁂

Sam Wilson flew like he never flew before, feeling the wind beneath real wings this time. Unlike his harness, he could feel each feather as he glided, swooped, and hunted. New ways of seeing the world sprang into his mind, and his call echoed around the seaside cliffs. The Falcon spread its wings and soared.

⁂

Scott Lang stood seeing the world as he normally did, small. He was used to this. Hank and Hope spent weeks spent teaching him to see the world like an ant. As the hive swarmed he knew what he needed to do, and Ant-Man marched on with his soldiers. He heard the call to war and with his army, he would fight.

⁂

Adrian Toombs snorted, he was used to this, used to waiting and scavenging.

Always been a Vulture, he thought.

Even if Aleksei, the rotten bastard, got the job he wanted while he was relegated to San fuckin Fransico he didn’t care. He laughed when he heard Aleksei got killed. Now it was his time, the Vulture always got its prey, it was just patience and picking the bones clean. New York would be his.

⁂

Aaron howled at the night sky. A full moon hung like a beacon calling to him, calling to his blood, and as he embraced the inner wolf, he changed once more. Agony ripped through him as his body tore at itself. Muscles bulged and expanded. This change was different though, no longer the muscle-bound werewolf he was now a full wolf. On all fours he howled at the moon, calling to his pack, calling to his alpha.

A wolf always travelled with a group, the lone wolf saying a stupid fallacy. Wolves hunted in packs, cared for and tended to each other, and never, ever hunted alone.

He knew his boss was nearby, he could sense him, even now through their bond. He was pack and even after changing, Aaron knew loyalty. Not obedience, that shit was for dogs, and Aaron was a wolf. Tasting the night air, he heard the call of his pack mates. Prowler knew they would hunt, and they would taste blood

⁂

Wilson Fisk, no, not Fisk anymore, the hulking gorilla deserved to be called Silverback. The thick grey streak down the huge monstrous back of the creature was a testament to that. As he strode through the thick jungle he felt the creatures bow and part for him. He was king of this jungle, he was ruler and anything that stood in his way would be crushed.

In New York, he tasted defeat. His weakness let Venom pummel him to mush, his weakness left him open to mistakes and stupidity. No more and as he reached the top of the cliffs in front of him he stood. On two legs he thumped his chest, roaring into the night,

Hear! Creatures of the forest, creatures of the night, and creatures of the sky. Hear, for your king has arrived. Silverback, ruler of the world, strongest of them all.

Those who listened closely though would hear, buried within the roar a sadness, a name.

A pain echoed, Vanessa, and those who knew her would feel it and understand. But it was an ending, an epitaph for his lost love. No longer would he allow such things to hold him back.

Venom exploited a weakness. He had been stupid and lost everything. Now was the time to rebuild, move on, and respect the past but ultimately ignore it.

As the roar echoed, it was joined by the howl of a wolf, the screech of a vulture, and the hissing of a scorpion.

For they were all the chosen, and while each had their own champion, these four would hunt, these four would kill. These four would claim the world as their own.

⁂

Cindy watched as the black droplet splashed against her skin and then vanish. As she watched the scene her shadow stretched and became a thick black thing in front of her,

“So, Silk yeah?” She asked, but there was no reply, "Oh come on, I know you're there, stop fucking hiding."

The creature hissed,

We hide, we hide from the scary man and from the Venom. Please, we behave, we stay hidden, we stay quiet.

“So that's why I don't have these powers yeah? Cause of you?”

We hide, we keep you safe, we keep you from hurting, we keep you from discovering us and the spider.

“So I do have powers?”

Yes, the one called Brock, the one called Webb and the one called Venom, you are like them, we are like them,

“Show me” Cindy cried out in pain as the Symbiote released its control on her. Her muscles spasmed and she collapsed onto the ground. She twitched, wracked with sudden and excruciating agony. Sounds, light, and each nerve in her body screamed and she screamed with it.

Panting and aching she pulled herself onto her knees, “Not at once you fucking stupid shit.” She cursed more as she felt her heart hammering in her chest, and taking deep breathes she willed it to calm down,

“Don't fucking do that again, shit. Now, a little at a time.”

As it covered her she felt their connection. Her muscles relaxed and the pain faded, replaced by an indescribable feeling of power.

“Now that's more like it, uh Silk?”

We chose the name, soft and desirable, strong and unbreakable, we are Silk, you are Cindy. We are one.

“Yeah, I got that, so the memories? I mean, how come I know about Flash bullying Parker, I mean, I wasn't there, so why do I feel like shit over it?”

We learn by bonding, we teach by splitting, you know as Webb knows, you know what Venom knows.

Cindy shook her head, great, just great.

It is, we are happy we no longer have to hide.

Wait, you can read my mind?

Yes, as can all of us, Venom is simply too stupid to realise.

Cindy laughed. Peter? Stupid, yeah I guess, I mean, Gwen practically drooled on him for a year before he realised. So now what? I mean, Spider-Girl or whatever the hell I am plus you, T’Challa said you were a devourer and I needed to choose.

No, the panther is wrong. We are free. We were once a weapon, to kill and consume but we are free, as are you. We will hurt but if you wish us gone we will leave.

Gone? And leaving hurts you?

Yes, we need a host to survive, you are our host and we would be lesser for leaving, if we found no other, we would die.

Nah, I kinda like the idea of powers.

Cindy had once been at the top. Shitty luck and shitty people pushed her from her pedestal. But now, now she could show everyone that Silk and her amazing abilities deserved to be there.