Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Blob laughed as he grabbed the nearest bed and threw it by the bottom footrest at Venom.

Venom grabbed it and wrapped an arm around the young woman's body as it tumbled into him. He held her tightly as he flipped the bed on one end and launched it back at Blob.

“Take her, “ he asked as he slid the body into Muse’s waiting arms.

Muse blanched under her mask. The body was mauled beyond recognition. Not just the face but both hands and feet were chewed off. If they hadn’t disturbed him, Blob would have eaten the remaining girl next. She swallowed back her anger and lay the body on one of the occupied beds.

We can help, Muse thought.

I know, but we need time.

“V, keep him busy. We need time to help.”

Venom nodded, keeping his focus on Blob.

Blob had jiggled and laughed as the bed slammed into him. Other than making his huge belly wobble, he hadn't even flinched.

“You ain’t gonna hurt me with moves like that, gonna have to try better.” Blob taunted him.

Blob knew his powers made him immune to any kind of physical force. He had barely felt the bed as it hit him. Unless Venom could hit him as hard as a moving truck, he would tire and then Blob would get lunch. He licked his lips as he looked over at Muse. Lunch and then dessert.

Venom snarled, and two long blades slid from his forearms, “Yeah, I can do that.”

For a huge man, Blob was surprisingly agile. As Venom slashed Blob pivoted and weaved like a boxer. Venom's blades scored hits with no effect. Other than slashing the material of his costume, Blob seemed unhurt,

Again, Blob laughed, “you ain't hurting me like that either,” he roared, “I’m too soft to cut.”

Venom growled, and slashed again. He could see Blob was right, his skin just rippled and folded where even the thin blade scored a hit.

So he made it thinner, and the blade narrowed to a point.

Rather than slashing, Venom began to job, and while Blob's rubber skin did dimple, he also began to pierce it.

Blob huffed, “You gonna sting me to death, like a bug.”

As Venom retracted his arm, Blob raised both fits and slammed them into the curb, knocking Venom back.

“Yeah, a thousand cuts, but I will stop you.”

Blob laughed once more, and lifted a bed. “You ain’t got time for a thousand, bug man.”

Venom could hear a strange noise from behind him. When Muse had asked him to stall for time, she began to make a strange clicking noise.

As Blob lifted the bed, and held it at one end, ready to launch it at Venom, he vaulted forwards. He kicked the end and smacked it against Blob's chest. Unfazed, as Venom hit the floor he then kicked up. It tore the bed from Blob's grasp and after grabbing it, Venom smashed it down on Blob's skull.

Blob shook his head, “That hurt. So now I ain’t playin’ no more.” He wiped a hand down his face.

Venom backflipped away as a meaty fist swung out at him. Blob had put his fists up in a boxer pose and was now advancing, swinging rights and lefts as Venom ducked and weaved.

“Yeah yeah, lardo. Nice belly but your skull isn’t protected right, say nighty night fat ass.”

The clicking behind him had started to become uncomfortable, and he knew what Muse was doing.

As Blob swung a right, Venom grabbed his arm and launched himself up to the ceiling.

With a clear shot, Muse screamed.

The air vibrated as the noise thrummed into ultra-high frequency. Blob screamed as his eardrums burst and blood poured from them.

After a few seconds, once Blob had dropped to his knees, the noise stopped. Venom dropped to the floor and grabbed Blob by the matted blond mop on his head. “Thin skull, thin ears.”

One of the long needle blades extended from his arm. It pierced through Blob's ear canal and its bloody tip slid out the other. He knew he healed fast, and had no doubt Blob might have a similar power. Venom snapped the blade off, and left it sticking through Blob like a novelty arrow hat. He did not want to risk him getting back up.

“You okay?” Venom asked the panting Muse.

Producing a sound that high-pitched took a lot out of her, and she motioned to her throat.

“Can’t speak?” to which Muse nodded. The transformation to allow her to make that noise meant she now couldn’t make a low-pitched one. If she tried, she would deafen Venom as well.

“It’s fine.” He sighed and looked at the carnage they had made. Blood spilt from Blob and the room was now covered in blood where the bodies had burst with the noise.

“Dammit,” he cursed. "Now we know where the stories came from."

It was an urban legend in New York. Now and then a child would go missing. The only thing they had in common was their age, all teens. Peter had thought when he had been kidnapped, that he was their latest victim.

As he approached the single bed, noting each one was marked with an X, the occupant screamed and twisted. Her movements were restrained by thick cuffs wrapping both her arms and legs. She yelled and screamed incoherently at him but stopped and sniffed the air as he approached.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, we’re here to help.” He raised both his hands, trying to be non-threatening. The girl, who looked young to him, continued to scream and twist, trying to get free. He was amazed she had survived.

“Hey, wait, I’ll undo them, okay, but you gotta calm down okay?” He knelt at the foot of the bed. The simple velcro straps were easy enough to undo but as he did the first one she kicked out at him. He sprang back in shock.

From the centre of her foot was a single large bone blade. It extended out from between her large toe and her second toe. She yelled and kicked out at him as he backed away. Both feet had a blade each while her hands had a pair. As she thrashed and twisted she was unable to attack the restraints that held her to the bed.

“Muse,” he yelled, "She’s alive."

Muse hurried over, unslinging the emergency kit they had brought.

“Hey hey, it’s okay. We’re not here to hurt you,” Venom said and she just glared at him. “Honest, look. We’re like you,” and he extended his fingers into different shapes. “We’re here to rescue you. Please, just, calm down.”

As she watched his hands stretch and change she narrowed her eyes, sniffing again, “agree.”

With both hands raised, he carefully undid her other food strap. The others stayed back, trying to be as non-threatening as possible.

It was now obvious the door upstairs wasn't just to keep people out. I was to stop this young woman from escaping. Her talons looked sharp enough to cut through their armour like it was butter. Once her feet were free, Muse moved forwards.

“Is that her?” Muse asked and came over, the girl growled, "it's okay, I have food, and water." Muse paused for a second, “Should I call you Monkey, or is it okay to tell her our names.”

“Hey, it’s okay, she’s with me,” Venom tried to soothe her. After the horrendous treatment here, he was not surprised she was wary.

Sniffing once more she glared but stayed still.

“I’m going to release your arm, okay? Please, don’t attack me,” and the girl nodded.

Venom let out a sigh of relief as she let her arm relax as he undid the cuff around it and he moved to the other side. “Okay, last one. Please don’t freak out okay,” but she just stared at him.

As the last cuff fell free she shimmied up the bed and rubbed her wrists, “water?” she asked and Muse handed Venom a small bag with a straw. They had no idea what to expect here and had brought medical supplies, as well as emergency food and water.

“Hey, I’m Venom, this is Muse. We had no idea anyone was here or we would have tried to save your friends.” Venom explained.

“Monkey,” she said and he sighed.

“Uh, that was a joke, okay, it’s not Monkey.”

She shook her head and sniffed, “Monkey.”

She slurped the water from the small pouch and sniffed once more. Once it was finished she leaned forwards and sniffed the air. She crawled forwards before she sniffed at Venom's symbskin.

Wondering if he should say anything it was too late. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed into his lap, “smell good.”

“Uh, little help?” he asked Muse, hearing her try not to laugh.

⁂

While Venom and Muse dealt with their latest problem, Poison and Huntress had made it to the last address. The neighbourhood was quiet, but the sounds of a truck being loaded broke the silence.

Huntress let Poison go. Her webs were useless for swinging so she had held her close as they travelled.

“Poison, that's the address,“ Huntress motioned to the men busy loading a truck. “I want you to head down to street level, and run up the road, smashing as many windows and cars as possible. Scream, shout, I dont care. Make a racket.”

Poison nodded. The idea was to bring the cops, mayhem and destruction would do that.

“Oh, maybe kick over a few hydrants as well.” Huntress stood and stretched, “You dont need to wait.” She sent out a line and swung down into the men, taking one out before she landed, and then firing webbing off at the rest.

The idea was to make sure there was evidence for the cops this time. Even if their victims were still downstairs, this was enough. She had sent taser webs at half the men before she heard a BAMF noise and the air shift behind her.

A pair of heavy hands grabbed her and a split second later she was in mid-air. The attacker let her go but she wasn’t so easily trapped.

There was another split second of disorientation and she was back at ground level. Immediately dropping to one knee she swept out a leg, but the man jumped over it. He disappeared with the same noise and reappeared a moment later.

He was tall, neatly trimmed black hair, and had dark blue skin. He sneered, “You are fast. I am faster,” in a thick Russian accent.

Huntress shrugged, and as one of the men groaned, she fired off another web at him, “Teleporter?” The man just shrugged and drew two large kukri knives from his jacket. “No matter. We will still hunt you.”

He vanished a moment later, but Huntress was already moving. One blade slashed down behind her and missed her shoulder. The second slashed across her waistline.

She bend forwards, grabbed his arm and twisted it. She wrapped webbing around it and then flipped over his back, driving her heel into his spine,

“Yeah, pretty dumb fighting someone sticky when you need to move.”

He snorted and they found themselves in midair again. “Not so dumb. I can teleport before we hit, can you survive?” When he grinned he sowed off his perfectly white but fanged teeth.

Huntress laughed, “Yeah, survive this.” She spread out a large web behind her, slowing their fall. One arm wrapped around his throat and the other lifted his right arm in an arm bar. While difficult he reversed his grip and stabbed backwards. Huntress thickened the armour on her sides and the blades slide harmlessly over it.

“You still need to breathe asshole,” and she began to tighten her grip around his throat.

I really hope you need to breathe.

With another BAMF they were back on the ground and a slash later freed the man from some of her webbing. Still connected with a lasso Huntress backed away.

She smiled as they heard the sirens. “We win. Tell your boss that MGH is off-limits. If I find any of it in New York I’ll shove both those up your ass and beat them to death with your shit-covered corpse.” Huntress motioned to the two large curved knives tha man was holding.

The man snarled at her once more and lashed at the rope around his body, “We will not take this peacefully.” before he vanished once more.

Poison hadn’t hidden, but she had stayed out of the fight. If he looked like he was doing to hurt Huntress anymore she would have sprayed caustic gas into the air. “He’s going to be back.” Huntress nodded, “then maybe we should leave?”

Huntress laughed, and pulled Poison into her arms, She set out a line and pulled them both up into the high skyline.

⁂

After the fight, the teleporter retreated to a richly decorated office.

He took a moment to adjust his suit and tie before quietly clearing his throat.

“Azazel. This had better not be bad news.” The voice was deep and sounded unhappy.

“They took out all three. Zeitgiest and Blob are dead.”

There was an impatient exhale. “I don’t care about those failures. What about the merchandise?”

Azazel looked over at the desk. The man hadn’t even turned his chair to face him. He could see and smell the thick cigar smoke wafting up, letting him know he was there.

“Dead. Factory three was compromised.”

There was a sigh, “I am disappointed in you Azazel. Do I need to remind you of our agreement, of the package I hold?”

Azazel stiffened, “no sir. I will.”

He was cut off, “No.” The chair swivelled around. Sat was a handsome man, dressed in a black suit with a deep red tie. He leaned over and picked up the phone, pressing a single button. Once the number connected he spoke, softly, but with no doubt in his voice as to just how angry he was.

“You lost three. Deal with it or I will make sure there is no White King anymore. Do you understand Fisk?”

There was a single-word reply and the man placed the handset back down.

“We have one last failure. Send Bullseye to aid him, and then clean up the mess. A full sweep of the higher-ups is in order. Fisk included.”