Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Fuck them, Harry thought, fuck them all.

His meeting had gone exactly as planned. Malik and Shaw had both said the same.

“Sure, sure. We’ll be ready.”

Every time he pushed for an actual date he was blown off.

If you want to play, fine, But you won't like the game.

⁂

Cletus was standing in the middle of his cell. The restraints had unlocked themselves and retracted into the wall. He stretched, hearing bones and muscles pop and creak as he worked sore joints.

He smiled as he heard the door unlock and open.

It's been a while but time to play.

He froze. It was here.

“Cletus. Follow” Harry raised an eyebrow, “and if that's not gone in two seconds I’ll shove it up your ass.”

The red blade that had crept from Cletus's arm vanished back into his body. He never said a word and obediently followed.

⁂

The room was pure white with a simple table in the centre. There was one chair, and Cletus frowned as he saw a plate and cutlery.

“Sit,” Harry commanded and Cletus did. He sat staring at the plate in front of him. He knew better than to stare at the boss.

“You will eat. You will be given a half-hour break between courses. I suggest stretching and getting that scrawny shitbag you call a body actually moving. Then you eat again. After you’ve eaten I’ll be back.”

Cletus knew not to argue. Arguing brought pain, arguing brought back the nightmare.

He was surprised though as a serving of his normal shake was replaced by a glass of white milk. He almost drooled at a plate with two freshly grilled steaks and a portion of leafy greens.

He sat and ate. Ignoring the server that stood waiting.

After he ate, the server took away the plate and Cletus began to stretch. It had been too long since he had meat and he let the rich protein meal revitalise his body.

Right on the dot another server with another plate came in. This one was chicken, with more vegetables and more milk.

Over and over, eat, stretch, and resist the urge to kill. Eat stretch, resist. Until Harry showed up again.

“One last meal, one last server. Who thought Carnage was such a fucking pussy. Is filling your stomach more important than the hunt? Khaos killed every one of those useless assholes and you sat here whipped,“ Harry sneered.

Cletus looked at his plate, then at the man standing holding the serving tray.

Carnage flowed over him and several bladed tendrils sprouted from his back.

One took the server's head off.

A blade took off both legs.

More tendrils speared through the man's groin and ripped away his balls.

Blood sprayed and Carnage screeched in joy at the bloodshed.

Harry smiled. “Get a new server in here. Someone looks hungry.”

⁂

He’d had his fun but now it was getting boring. These useless meat puppets didn't even scream no matter what he did. He’d even pealed the last one like an apple but nothing. He’d just stared at him with empty eyes until he gurgled his last breath.

Cletus sat at the table, a prime rib in front of him and the usual leafy greens. This meal had a freshly poured draft beer. He folded his arms and stared at it until Harry appeared.

“I warned you, that if you didn’t eat, there would be consequences.” Harry scolded him and he lay a single pistol on the table, “So, be a good boy.”

Cletus laughed and stared at him, ”Go fuck yourself, Osborn.” He flipped the plate over, “I’m full.”

Harry snorted and then began to laugh, “Oh Cletus, You’re not full. You’re bored.” Harry lay three envelopes on the table, “Eat these, then tell me if you're full.”

Harry picked the pistol up from the table and smiled as he pointed it at the server. "Don't forget rule one Cletus."

He pulled the trigger and the man's head disappeared in a cloud of blue energy and a spray of brains and blood.

“Fuck this up and I’ll make sure that I won't be bored or hungry.” Harry stared at Cletus, boring a cold glare deep into his soul.

Cletus nodded. Rule number one. Dont piss off the King.

“Have fun Cletus,” Harry said as he walked from the room.

Cletus tore open the three envelopes. Each one was the address and layout of three properties.

One was a warehouse in Sunset Park. One was an apartment in Manhatten, and the last was a small bungalow in Queens.

Each one was easy pickings, some kids, some rich bitch, and an old lady. Cletus felt insulted that Harry doubted his abilities.

He looked at the steak and the beer, Why not. He thought. He would leave his work for dessert.

⁂

Harry was happy with Cletus. He had learned his place, Khaos was another matter.

He screeched and killed the server as soon as they entered the room. It took a further two-man team to stop him from eating the corpse.

Harry stared at the chair that held the failed bond. It wasn't even that it was a failure, it was just the host was so broken that there was hardly anything left.

He had resorted to those damn collars Shaw made. Norman had trialled one on Liv, but she was intelligent and subservient enough it worked. Khaos was belligerent and would do exactly as he was told. That was the problem. He only did what he was told.

Tell him to eat, and you had to tell him what to eat and how much, and it was the same for drinking

Tell him to kill and he tried to kill himself.

It was a headache Harry didn't need.

“You will go to these addresses,” Harry told him. “You will wait until the right moment, and then you will kill anyone at these locations. You will be violent, you will be brutal and you will fight until they are dead. You will not hold back. You will not avoid your mission. You will do as you are told.”

Harry hated the strong-willed ones. They fought back, they argued. If he had others, this one would have been turned into fertilizer or fed to his newer creations.

Khaos stared at the list. They were in New York. They would be easy enough to find and he would do as he was told. He had no choice.

⁂

As Liv and Peter watched Curt undress they understood the severity of the situation. Today they were going to properly cleanse Curt and re-enhance him. They had seen Norman and the effects of the formula. Even if he had overdosed it was now a very real problem nobody wanted to face.

With Harry's threat, nobody was unwilling to leave May unprotected. It had been a slow but steady race to finish the Lizard formula and keep it and him separate. The only issue she had been unable to solve was the regeneration.

The Lizard formula had a flaw, to regrow a limb the subject needed to remain Enhanced, this wasn’t a cure-all. Even the basic Stacy formula, as it had been christened, could only repair. Regrowing a missing limb or organ was beyond even its semi-miraculous powers. Tissue, enhanced and regrown, grew uncontrollably once the formula was removed. Curt would have an arm after treatment, but the cancer it spawned would kill him in weeks. The Lizard would have to remain, but Peter had provided the solution to that problem.

While Gwen and Curt worked on the formula, Liv and Peter worked on the harness and the armour. Combining the two, with Peter's design for the CLS they created a third option. A self-contained suppressor, capable of dampening the Lizard's influence over Curt's rational mind.

If they were set right, he would be able to remain conscious during his transformation. He would still be pushed aside, but be able to guide the Lizard into a more docile and controllable state.

“I don’t really need to explain this to you, do I?” Gwen asked as Curt shook his head. To save on the cleanup, he agreed to be strapped almost naked to a gurney. It was just welded rebar, as Peter had plenty lying around, but it would be secure enough. If he lost control of the transformation, it would hold him. Lastly, Peter was there to make sure that if he did lose control, Venom would make sure the Lizard behaved itself. Even if it wanted to run and hide.

After the first injection, Curt spent a good few minutes vomiting. He was then strapped down once more and given the second injection, coupled with the new harness. While it was noticeable, the thick metal back adorning his neck would be prominent if he took his top off. They figured that as May already knew he was sick, he could pass it off as a medical device. While technically untrue it was close enough that he didn’t feel guilty about lying to her.

As the second injection took hold he felt the Lizard within him stir. It was followed by the override in the collar and he felt it settle. It was a strange feeling, as the creature that dwelled within him stirred but then became docile. He nodded over to Gwen and Peter, “I am going to transform,“ and Peter darkened and grew as Venom stood, tensed and ready. As Curt called to the creature he felt himself slip away. As Venom and Gwen watched the monster they both knew as Lizard cracked and grew from Curt.

“We are free!” it hissed.

It heard the Connors,  you are, but you will listen to me now, listen.

“We will listen now,” and it lay perfectly still on the gurney.

“I’m going to untie you okay?” Gwen asked, and as she undid the first trap Venom tensed.

“We will listen, and not hurt the Gwen.” Lizard hissed. Hesitantly Gween reached over and ran a hand over the arm of the Lizard. “We are here Gwen, we listen to the Conners and speak for him.”

Gwen sighed and patted him on the arm. “Looks like it worked Pete, but uh, stay like that, just in case,” He nodded but relaxed his stance. “Right, undoing the straps and then, if you behave, you can eat, we have meat right?”

Venom nodded. They knew, from Curt, that the Lizard preferred to eat the rats it could catch in the sewers. As Curt preferred to remain vermin free they had fresh meat to see if bribery, as well as the collar, would work.

“Uh, I made the sausages for dinner though,” Venom admitted.

Gwen tutted. “Those were Lizards,” She scolded Venom gently, but she leaned over she whispered, “I’ll get you more."

Venom shook his head, “He’s not a pet Gwen.” but Gwen just pulled a face at him and continued to undo the straps.

As the last one came free Gwen moved back and gave both Lizard space to stand. The transformed Curt stretched and swished his tail back and forth. “We feel better, calm, but we wish the meat now, please.”

Gwen stifled a laugh.“Do you want to eat in private or at the table with us?” while Lizard tilted his head.

“Gwen, it probably doesn’t understand. Follow, and we’ll get you something to eat.”

At the word eat Lizard nodded and moved after Venom.

Gwen tutted, “Bribe him with steak and get a new pet, see if I care, stupid Venom.” She muttered to herself, “he’s my mentor, and it’s my formula, but no. A bit of steak and it's ignore the nice lady,” as she cleaned up the room they had used to cure Curt.

“You know I can hear you right?” Venom called back into the room.

Gwen cursed, “Still a stupid head,” and she could hear the laughter from the breakfast table.

Once she was finished, Gwen came out of the room to the delectable smell of steak being fried. The Lizard was sat on its haunches tearing at a large fatty piece of raw steak while Peter worked over the stove.

He smiled and kissed her on the side of the cheek as he lay a plate down and slid a medium-rare piece of steak on it. He added another onto a plate where he was and a third onto the last plate.

“Uh?” Gwen asked. but Lizard threw the steak up and with a snap of its jaws devoured it whole. After licking its mouth clean of blood, its muzzle shrank and a naked Curt wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Peter motioned to the back of a nearby chair where Curt saw slacks and a shirt waiting for him. Nodding in appreciation he dressed before sitting.

“Gwen dear. While Mr Stupid Head here might not say it, I am incredibly grateful. Not just to have you create the formula but as my pupil. I don’t think I could be any prouder right now, or happy.”

As she cut a slice of steak and stuck it in her mouth she grinned,

“That’s how you suck up,” Peter said and Gwen batted his arm but he laughed. “My brilliant girlfriend,” and beaming she sat, happily enjoying her steak.

⁂

Carnage didn’t care which one he chose. He scoped out the penthouse and it was boring. Two rich bitches scissoring wasn’t his idea of fun. Maybe later he would split their crotches open and let them feel what real scissors felt like.

The warehouse was the same. A bunch of kids fucking around. He couldn't get past the security and crawling over the roof didn't help much. Smashing his way in would cut his fun short. Harry wanted a big scene and a few minutes to slaughter everyone would do, but it wouldn't be fun.

He stood outside the one-floor bungalow. It was a typical mom-and-pop place. Stupid curtains, stupid garden and boring as shit mailbox at the front.

This one. The two old farts he had seen coming and going would scream loud enough that everyone would hear. He was glad they weren't too old. Nobody wanted to see wrinkly and flabby flesh. He wouldn't even have to worry about them croaking halfway through. Just perfect. He just needed to wait for the old fart to come home. It would be so much sweeter to kill his wrinkly bitch wife in front of him. Screams were always louder when it was a loved one being killed.

Settling down, he waited.

⁂

He felt the compulsion. He knew his orders.

Khaos stood in front of the building and as she came out he froze.

No, not her.

He moved on

The angry red one hissed at him as he approached. They both had their orders. They both were chained, Carnage just couldn't see his.

Maybe the woman at the penthouse would end his suffering. Maybe she would be the one.

He watched her lounging, laying across the couch with a glass of wine in her hand.

Probably not. Rich, arrogant and full of herself.

Khaos looked at his options. Old, Too young or rich and defenceless.

He would make it quick, he still had orders.