Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

A week later.

“Peter dear, do you remember when we met?” Liv asked.

“Uh, the time you tied me to a table or the time you tried to blow us all up?” Peter replied.

“The second one. Seems some lunatic wants to buy that warehouse, should I?”

“Uh, is there anything there capable of blowing us up?”

“Uh, maybe some lasers, but nothing that would be incredibly destructive. Maybe some gold I stole.”

“Right, so death rays and illegal loot. Sure, why not, but if I have to chase a death ray-wielding maniac with a huge gold grill around though, you're in trouble.”

Liv laughed, “And as a bad girl, you should definitely spank me.”

Another week later.

“So, what's up his butt?” Marcus asked as he helped Domino clean more of the warehouse. It was just old and unused, and once they scrubbed the whole place clean it smelt and looked a lot better. A lick of paint and the place would be a perfect training area. The only unsafe areas were the walkways, and if it turned out they were really bad, they would remove them.

“She stole my money,” Wade huffed. He was sitting in striped pyjamas, with a cloth cap on, holding a teddy bear, while curled up under a blanket. “And she only got me a stuffed bear. I specifically requested a stuffed giraffe.”

Domino rolled her eyes. “He thinks I stole his money as I bought the place. If Parker can do it, then so can I. I mean, I figured it was safe enough to live here.”

Marcus frowned, “You bought it, with the gold you sold?” 

Domino shook her head, “I found a lotto ticket and won a hundred grand. So I figured why not?”

“Because this is a shithole, that's why,” he replied. “And him? Really?”

“I didn't steal squat. The gold wasn't pure, and the metal was just nickel and was worthless. The gold went for a grand, once he took his cut it was two twenty each, I gave Wade his cut and took the rest as rent.” Domino explained

“He’s living here too?” Marcus asked.

“I'm a squatter,” Wade shouted back.

“Don't ask, I think he’s lonely. I mean, they did throw him out of the mansion.”

“Okay, him I get, but you?”

Domino shrugged, “My powers aren't great, and I can hurt a lot of people.”

“By being lucky?” Marcus asked.

Domino nodded. “My good luck is bad luck for a lot of others. Look, someone tried to mug me, and on the twelfth floor above me, an old lady nudged a potted plant. Boom, instant headshot.”

Wade laughed, “Oh the old flower pot through the skull bit, I love it.”

“While he’s laughing that mugger died. I don't know if he had kids or a family. Hell, what if that was a dog or someone's kid that got pushed? What if a car tyre blows out and saves me but causes a car wreck? Luck isn't always good, and so I want somewhere to stay, out of the way.”

Marcus had no idea, “So, you're one of those uh, Augments?”

Domino nodded, “Him too, but we’re fine. JJ-”

Marcus interrupted her. “Yeah, don't care. If the real news is right then you guys have been around for decades, if not longer and nobody said diddly. As long as there is no weird hinky mind stuff, I don't care. I'm figuring out the watch, and then going back to my place.”

“Uh, about that,” Wade said, as he pulled the blanket up higher, “I got you evicted.”

“What the shit?” Marcus yelled. “How did you get me evicted!”

“Coke, a fuck lot of coke. I mean, if Dommie here didn't jinky up the place it’d be jail or worse.” Wade sighed. “That was a lot of coke.”

“Domino. What does he mean?” Marcus asked.

“Uh, Deadpool is a mercenary, he kills people.”

“For fun and money!” Wade yelled.

“Yeah, and he also robs them after. So when a drug lord got taken out by Venom, Wade here, went in and cleaned the place out afterwards.”

Marcus rubbed a hand over his forehead, “and you hid it in my apartment, you asshole!”

“It's fine, the coke is gone, and your landlord agreed to forget everything. But I also had to give him five hundred bucks and flush the drugs in front of him,”

“Traitor!” Wade yelled. “I would'a just killed him, and then we could have had coke and money. But noooo, someone got to have a conscience, someone’s got to-”

“Wade, want to see my tits?” Domino asked.

Wade nodded and as she slowly undid her zip, the metal clasp broke. As she said, “Oh well,” the wind rattled the building. The structure creaked ominously. One of the rusty walkway struts twisted on a rusty bolt, broke free, swung down and clobbered Wade in the face. “Bad luck Wade, maybe teach you some manners.”

“Dat wos not fair,” he complained through smashed teeth, as he spat them out. “I’ll be twakin fwunny fow a phew days.”

“Yeah, then stop being a dick.“ Domino sighed. “Sorry, that's what happens.”

Marcus looked up, “Uh, maybe Wade and I should go get some camping gear while you make sure it doesn't happen. He heals. That little stunt would have killed me.”

Domino looked guilty for a second, “sorry. Uh, yeah, blankets, a few tents if you can afford them, and camping heaters and stoves. Check out the army supply stores. Wade knows a few, he sells his crap to them.”

“And gwo out wike this?” Wade said as he pulled at the blood lips and grabbed his nose with his thumbs to reset it. “I’ll be a waffing stock.”

Domino snorted, “No comment. Here's a couple of hundred, no icebox so tinned stuff, chicken, veg, stuff with protein. Oh, they sell old rations, get those, expensive but easy to store.”

Marcus took the money, “and beer,” he sighed, “maybe something stronger.”

Domino patted him on the shoulder, “Yeah,” she handed him another hundred, “maybe a lot of both.”

Another week later.

“Why do you get to sleep next to the sexy babe, while I get the fish turds and river stink?” Wade complained.

The tents had been set up, away from the hole that had been torn in the river end of the warehouse. Like most of the warehouses in the area, it had a dock. Only this one had been destroyed in an accident and the owner never fixed it. At that end of the warehouse, they had covered the broken wall with tarps, but it wasn't perfect. The water brought in the cold, and the wind still managed to blow through, making it worse.

“Because, it's cold at the other end, even with the tarps, and you stink,” Marcus said. He had no complaints about sleeping next to Domino's tent. He had no complaints whatsoever as she liked to sleep in very tight tops, and the tent walls weren't that thick. He was even sure her early morning stretches were done with him in mind.

Nah, not that lucky, he thought to himself while ignoring Wade's whining.

It wasn't bad living in the warehouse. They had a decent supply of gas, powering not just a few heaters but kitchen stoves. Best of all, it was free. He had gotten a few odd jobs and a courier gig. It wasn't living the high life, but it was better than being on the street. The stripped-out walkways had been sold for scrap and that bought them supplies in trade. Shultz was a bit shifty, Marcus thought, but he was fair. He had offered them some empty prefab offices, but at two grand they couldn't afford them. It was tents and sleeping bags.

What he hadn't attempted was using the watch. Some of the other forms looked just like regular guys. But so had Speedo, the affectionate name Wade had given the fast-moving form. All it took was a power like that eyebeam guy and he could blow the warehouse up.

“Well, I say, stop being a pussy and use it," Wade said. “I mean, I'm pretty sure I’m immortal, plus, use it or lose it.” he pointed at the watch, whose face seemed to be growing dimmer.

“While I hate to agree with Wade, he does have a point. Things are getting worse, and there is that speech coming up. We might need you. So, I’ll make a deal with you, try out the last five powers,“ she leaned in and whispered in his ear. “And we can see how lucky you can get.”

Marcus gulped. He had never had someone who smelt so good so close before, and truth be told, Domino was all kinds of stupid hot. Wearing tight leather didn't help, and taking a deep breath. Marcus agreed.

“Fine, fine!” He wondered if in not using it, it was slowly winding down, or even if that was possible. He now knew what Domino was going through. He had powers he couldn't control, and he could easily kill someone, or worse, himself.

“Right, so,” he turned to figure four, who was wearing a bodysuit but this time had a face mask on, just covering his eyes. Which seemed kinda stupid, you could see the figure's whole face. Glasses were not going to stop anyone from recognising you.

The face of the watch sprang up and Marcus pushed it back down, disappearing in a flash of light.

Standing there was a muscular man, wearing a tight black bodysuit. Down either side, it had two thick green stripes. Covering his face, like tight sunglasses, was a green face mask. On his chest, he had a circle with the two triangles in it, but the watch had changed into a ring.

Wade saw the new form and backed away. He dropped to the ground and scrambled back, “No, no, you can't make me, you can't,” he began to scream.

“What the fuck Wade?” Domino asked as he shuffled into his tent and zipped it from the inside.

“No animated super suit, no animated super suit,” he mumbled over and over again.

“Well that was weird,” Marcus said, and the ring on his finger changed from a green colour to yellow, “And fucking rude. I mean, what's his problem.”

Domino shrugged, “dunno, seems freaked out.”

“Freaked out? Freaked out, I’ll give him something to freak out about, fucking pussy.” The ring changed yellow and as Marcus pointed it at the tent, a figure shot out.

It was a yellow rendition of a handsome man, with perfect hair and teeth, “g’day mate, ole Hugh here, off to see my good mate, Ryan. Hey, Ryan you fuckin’ loser, wanna sing some show tunes?” 

As the man taunted Wade, he screamed in his tent, and Domino could only look on in confusion.

“Does he look like Wolverine to you?”

Marcus shook his head. He had seen the Augment on Wade's phone, “Nah, Wolverines only what? five-foot-two? That guy’s over six feet tall. He’s more like some huge jacked man.”

Marcus pulled his hand back and the figure disappeared, and the ring turned back to green, “uh, that was weird. Think he’s okay?” As Marcus spoke, the ring turned blue, and his outfit changed to match.

“I think you should quit that one, Rainbow Ring's powers are really strange,” Domino said.

"So, I tried, how about you hold up your," Marcus looked down at her chest, "end of the bargain." The ring and the stripe turned a mauve colour. "Maybe rub some of that luck off on me."

Domino looked at him. He had been nice to her, and not the ‘Oh I'm a nice guy’ nice. He was polite, considerate, and sure he stared...when she wanted him to. "Uh, I'll pass. Powers sometimes don't mix well, and you don't want me rubbing bad luck off on you. You might get stuck in one form."

Marcus nodded and touched the symbol on his chest, but this time he failed to turn back. “What the hell?" He yelled and his ring turned red, “fucking piece of shit, turn me back, fuck.” He smashed a hand into the other, crushing the ring into his palm. As the transformation ended, he shook his head, “that hurt. So ring guy is a no as well.”

“Yeah, hey Wade, it's gone now. Scary Australian man isn't here anymore,” Domino shouted at the tent Wade was hiding in. “Maybe wait to do the last four, yeah?”