Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Venom had carried the girl back to the warehouse with Muse. The trio had remained silent. Venom and Muse would deal with the fallout, and the young woman seemed content just to hug Venom as they swung.

It was warm in the slow summer heat of New York. Venom had held her close and wrapped as much loose symbskin around her as possible. It might have been warm, but she was wearing nothing but a thin hospital gown.

While they returned home, Venom contacted Huntress and Poison. They arrived and stayed behind to deal with the bodies. No one had any idea who they were or what the experiments had been. The group felt they needed something.

The fate that had befallen them was cruel. To leave them like that, abandoned and forgotten, was one last insult they couldn't forgive. Even a small token that someone cared was something they deserved.

They had wanted to leave them for the police. Evidence and closure for the families that they had left behind. Instead, the room was photographed on a disposable camera. Each face was wiped clean and carefully recorded.

This level of crime was beyond them. Nobody could kidnap over thirty children without the police knowing, or worse. It was reported every day, but there were no leads and no evidence. Someone much higher could be covering it up, and that was not something they could handle. All they could do was send the camera to The Daily Bugle, and hope that JJ did the best he could.

⁂

The girl hadn’t spoken since they freed her from the bed. She held on tightly as they all swung back, and as they landed on the roof she dropped down, sniffing and growling.

“Home, like you,” was all she said, and as Venom opened the hatch she sprang forwards and down into the warehouse.

“Wait!" Venom shouted as she vaulted down the hatch and over the railing. As they both looked over they saw she had landed on the warehouse floor without a scratch. Sitting on all fours, she sniffed and peered around the warehouse.

Venom sighed in relief, “she’s definitely enhanced.” He followed after her, catching himself on a girder to make sure he didn’t land on top of her.

She had already run off. She would stop outside each home, sniff and then run to the next. The centre square was climbed over as she investigated everything.  She sniffed the air and headed to Peter's home, pushing the door open and leaping on the bed. She rolled, wrapped a blanket around herself and took deep breaths.

“Think it's the same formula as Felicia?” he asked but MJ shrugged as the pair let their symbskin slide back. He heard a yell and the girl was stood there, all six claws out and pointing at Liv, ready to attack,

“Hey, ok okay, this is what we look like okay?” and he let his armour slide back over him “see it's me and that's Liv," he pointed over to her.

She had been waiting, worried, in her home. As she heard the roof hatch open, she had expected Peter or one of the others but an unknown young woman had dropped in. Fearing the worst, Liv had hidden until she heard Peter's voice.

She nodded, “Monkey,” and the claws slid back in,

“Those are cool,” but he saw the blood dripping from her hands as the blade slid back in. “Shit, did that hurt? Liv, get the kit,” he shouted.

The girl shook her head, showed her hands and she was right. There were no marks on her at all.

"Healing? Handy.” was all he said. “Uh MJ, can you maybe see if you’ve got something that’ll fit her, I think.” Peter was stopped as the girl stripped out of the gown she was wearing.

She threw it to one side and sniffed a few times before diving into Peter's home. She started to throw his dirty clothing about, eventually grabbing a dirty t-shirt. It was sniffed a few times before she lifted her arms over her head and shimmied into it.

No matter what her age, she was older than she looked. Peter scowled as he looked her over. It wasn't her nakedness. She was covered in cuts, marks, and other wounds. She might have a natural regeneration but someone had tested that.

"Want see?" The woman lifted the t-shirt, "don't mind. Want touch?"

She was small, barely five feet tall. He could see her ribs and obvious signs of malnutrition. Even covered in marks her skin was a pale coffee colour. As she posed he could see her small breasts, barely an A cup, with small darker dots as her nipples hardened in the cold. At least she wasn't a child. Her crotch was thick with the same dark thick brown hair that cascaded down her back. She cupped her breasts. "Not big, but still good."

Peter was livid. He hated to think what kind of treatment she had endured to be so brazen, "No. you don't have to do that here. It's safe."

She started to sniff the air again, “safe? home?”

As he nodded, she nodded as well, pulling the t-shirt back on. "Safe," was all she said before climbing into Peter's bed and gathering up his blankets into a nest.

He could hear her breathing become shallow and after a few seconds, he figured she was asleep. He flicked the light off but left the door open, “we’re just outside okay,” he said, in case she was just pretending.

Peter made coffee for the three of them and they sat at the breakfast table, staring at their mugs.

“So, even I can guess that formula is made from humans, enhanced and then drained of a hormone or spinal fluid. Oscorp used animals, I guess whoever makes this found humans to be better,” he said.

Looking over at Liv, she smiled and held up a steady hand.

Continuing his thought, she added her own. “If it's adrenal, then a stimulant. Spinal means enhancer. Dopamine or mood-affecting hormones can’t be extracted that way so, I agree.”

MJ just looked horrified. “Peter, I, I mean, I know I  joined in but is this what is like?" As she saw the pain in his face, nothing like he’d ever seen before either.

He shook his head. “No. This is. I mean, it can be bad, but not this. not this.” He had to let go of his cup to stop from crushing it. His hands tightened so much that his knuckles went white as he squeezed his fists together.

He had never experienced anything like this. Was this what his original fate would have been? Was he part of the same experiments that she was, to be used as some kind of drug factory and then disposed of? His anger rose like bile in his throat.

A hand stroked his thigh, “Peter dear, calm down, we have a target now. We know where they are, and what they are making. Venom and Huntress can go and make sure there are no repeats of tonight.”

There were only three listed in Aleksei's files. Now all three were gone, Huntress and Venom could make sure there were never any more. An operation like this was big. Big enough that doing it quietly was going to be impossible if someone was looking out for it. He could even give Spider-Man a nod. The more eyes on the city meant the less chance of it happening again.

Peter nodded, "We need to find someone to help her though. She's not safe here and we can’t look after someone with possible medical problems, “ Peter said bluntly. "We're not equipped for it."

He knew whatever she had gone through was more than any of them could deal with. She needed a therapist, and a proper doctor to help with whatever had been done to her. He noticed she didn’t have the same drip attachment on the back of her head. He wondered if she had removed it and it healed, or if she was there for another reason.

“No, I think she should stay here. I can watch her, as long as she’s not too boisterous. If we take her anywhere we risk exposing ourselves again. How many of these labs exist within New York? How many have they taken? We can’t risk it, Peter.”

Clenching his jaw at the thought of more, he nodded at Liv and swallowed his anger back down.

They all stiffened as they heard her creep out of the home and walk over to Peter. She sat on his lap and wrapped herself around him once more.

“Uh, do you have a name? I’m Peter, this is Liv and MJ,” introducing them again,

“Laura,” she said as she snuggled into him.

“Uh, we do have more chairs you know,” and she shook her head.

Peter shrugged his shoulders, “uh guys?”

Liv shook her head, “well Mr Pheromone, what do you expect? If she’s enhanced with cat formula you probably smell safe.”

“Uh, doesn’t that only, you know,” hoping Liv wasn’t about to say he was about to get leapt on by a stranger.

Liv sighed and shook her head, “no. You smell nice Peter. We don't always associate nice smells with a certain desire. They can simply be a relaxant. I mean, there is a billion-dollar industry devoted to candles for that very reason."

Peter looked shocked, ”really?”

“Uh, why do you think we all sit on your lap and run our hands through your hair?” MJ said.

At that Laura raised a hand and ran it through his hair and sniffed her hand and after nodding he began to pet him. Making sure to coat both hands, rubbing them on herself.

“Thanks, MJ,” he said sarcastically, as Laura manhandled him.

MJ and Liv stifled laughs at the sight. While she wasn’t small, she was still smaller than Peter. For now, he seemed willing to suffer the indignity for her sake.

They sat drinking their coffee. Laura had sniffed Peter's cup but pulled a face. Instead, MJ had gotten some of the juice that Gwen kept to placate Poison from the fridge. It was a mix of various fruit juices and was sweet and refreshing. It was something that Poison loved and it was one thing Gwen could drink without issue.

Laura grabbed the glass with both hands and gulped it down.

“Hey, it’s okay, there’s a lot more. You can take your time, okay?” Peter gently scolded her.

She nodded and took smaller drinks.

“Got her tamed,” Liv joked but Laura growled at her and pointed a hand. The blades slid out between her fingers and dripped blood on the table.

“Hey, no, Liv was joking,” Peter scolded her and she curled up further into his chest, hiding her face from him.

“Laura. No. Everyone here is good, okay? no stabbing.“ Peter said. He was unsure of how exactly to deal with the clingy but obviously temper-prone Powered girl.

“Actually Peter, I have an idea about that. Laura, dear, look here for a moment.” Liv held out her blanket, “take it, it’s fine.”

Reaching forwards Laura snatched the blanket and stared at it. “Now, smell it.”

As Laura held it to her face, she sniffed and nodded.

“Remember dear, we have our own smell. Whatever her powers are she’ll trust us more if we smell good. So MJ, same, although make sure you get Muse to be friendly, we don’t know what effect a musk will have on her.”

“Then we need to wait, 'cause I’m so angry right now. Scared and angry. We can’t take her to the hospital, we can’t go to the cops or anyone, and tell them what? We rescued a kid from a human crack den. Can you please take care of her and please don’t ask questions.”

“Not a kid. Twenty-one,” and the trio looked at her, she was older than both Peter and MJ, who’d yet to have birthdays.

“Welp, that makes her sitting in my lap a lot less creepy for certain,” Peter remarked. 

While MJ laughed while Liv smiled and shook her head. “Really Peter, at a time like this?” 

He looked into Liv's eyes and down at Laura. It was only then that Liv realised all she had on was a T-shirt. While it was too big for her, it didn’t cover very much of her ass or legs. She frowned as she spotted her legs were covered in scars. Across both thighs were patches of what looked like chemical burns on her thighs. She also had no panties on.

“Right, Laura, as much as Peter appreciates the hugs, we need to get you cleaned and into some clothes. So come on, shower time. Now do you need help or are you capable of doing that on your own? And MJ dear, some clothes, I think I’ve got some spare things in my dresser. Unopened panties that should fit her, as well as a few old tops. You will not be bare-arsed and dirty. Come on, chop-chop.”

Liv took charge. She wanted to give Laura a quick physical examination. Find out exactly how far the scars and sadly, the abuse that caused them went. It was obvious that she was the victim of some lab but not Oscorps.

There was no twinge as she looked at the young woman. No orders about any kind of physically Powered test subjects that set her hands shaking. Norman used death row inmates, and they were all dead. This young woman had been the subject of years of abuse, and Norman's formula lab was shut down five years ago. Liv knew this was someone else, and the more information they could get, the better.

Even as she growled at her, Liv just growled back and Laura was dragged to Liv’s home by MJ. She had an open shower room with more space. The two of them could make sure that Laura was washed properly, and the extra hands might be needed.

Reluctant she still followed and gave Peter pleading eyes. She hoped he would rescue her but he shrugged and pursed his lips as he shook his head.

“Monkey,” was all she said flatly at his betrayal. Liv followed her into her home and the shower could be heard starting moments later.