Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Reed had gathered the Fantastic Four together once more for another experiment. He had been at it for years and had failed to reverse the reality damage done by Doom's machine.

“We know that the Stone gave off radiation and that it saturated our tissues. I’ve devised a means to draw off some of that power, and to use it to reverse the damage.” He explained, “But you might need continual treatments to maintain your form, Ben.”

Ben nodded, he didn't care, as long as he stopped looking like this ‘Thing’ as the media had dubbed him. Even Alicia trying to reassure him he wasn't a giant monster didn't help some days. And neither did Johnny.

“I need you all to attach this to your wrists, and then, it uh, might be a bit painful,” Reed said nervously. The siphon drew off the energy, but he had no idea if it would drain their powers, or damage their cells. As they were all different, he needed all four to do any kind of testing.

“Right, but I don't want to lose my powers,” Johnny said. Of them all he was the most enthusiastic and often went out dealing with petty criminals. Sue had reservations about her powers, as they were physically and mentally taxing. Reed just saw it as another thing to utilise in his experiments. He was the first to admit that being able to stretch was convenient at times.

“It doesn't matter. Once I have some readings I can make adjustments. Ben needs this Johnny. We are all fine, and I won't leave Ben feeling left out.”

“Yeah flame brain, see how you like being on fire all the time, that's what this is.”

Even Johnny had to agree there. Ben might look like a sun-baked turd but it would be hard being on fire all the time. Of them all, he was the only one who couldn't control it.

“Right, right, but uh, I've got a date at twelve, so can we?” Johnny explained and Reed nodded. They slid the armbands over their hands, and at the control panel, Reed flipped a switch.

It was a small tickle, like a cold shiver running through their bodies. As Reed watched the dials, Sue and Johnny shuffled uncomfortably in their seats.

“Right, that's enough, the stabiliser is charged.” Reed stretched over and lifted the final wristband from its holder, “Ben, take that off and try this one.”

Ben nodded and did the strap up.

Johnny lit and juggled small fireballs to test if he still had his powers. "Hey, I'm good," he laughed.

Ben grimaced as the stabiliser connected.

EEE UUURR

It sounded, and the face flashed red.

“Give it a moment, it needs to calibrate,” Reed explained and Ben stared at it.

EEE UUURR

It sounded again, and once more the face flashed red.

“That it? It ain't working Reed.” Ben clenched his fists, “I'm stuck like this ain't I?”

Reed could only shake his head. “If the damage can be done, Ben, it can be undone. Maybe more power, maybe-”

Ben interrupted him. “No, I’m a monster, an’ now you want to do more tests, do more experiments,” Ben shouted. “And this, this stupid thing.” Pulling the stabiliser from his wrist he wound up and threw it. “It's crap. It's all crap.” Ben huffed in anger as it smashed through a window.

Reed could only watch in horror as his latest invention went flying, “Ben.”

Ben shook his head. “No Reed, I'm sick of it, sick of the tests, an’ I ain't-”

Reed rubbed a hand across his face. “That was three million dollars and the last of our Vibranium.”

Ben huffed, “Well then it's a good thing I didn't shove it up my...”

New York, 5th Avenue.

“Asshole,” Marcus shouted as the flying watch smacked him in the head. After his vision stopped swimming, he lay on the sidewalk with a finger raised.

Everyone knew that walking past the Baxter Building was sometimes a bad idea. Reed's safety record was next to zero, and he owed more money in fines than he made. It just seemed like today was not his lucky day. Or so he thought as the sun was blocked out by a rather attractive cleavage. Marcus would have commented on her other features. but from the angle she was at, and the position he was in, that was all he could see.

“Oh, uh hey,” she said, and as his eyes came back into focus, he saw she had a strange diamond mark over one eye. “I got it on camera. Twenty-five per cent of the settlement and the footage is yours.”

Marcus frowned, “What?” He got a better look at her once he sat up. She was really attractive, with tan brown skin, and a huge frizzy afro. Guess my luck isn't that bad.

“I sit here, sometimes, waiting for Reed Richards to screw up, record it and help people sue him.”

Marcus sat upright and the pain in his head throbbed again. “For money?”

“Well, duh. A girl's gotta eat somehow.” Marcus stared at her as she shuffled a backpack around and pulled out a form. “Fill this in, I’ll hand it in and when you get your money you pay me. It’s been great, Reed even printed out a standard form. But uh, it doesn't look like you’re too badly hurt, you might only get a thousand or so,” she explained.

“Yeah don't care, going home,” Marcus said as he rubbed his eyes.

Domino huffed, “My money?”

Marcus shook his head, “A grand?” Domino nodded, “Plus whatever Reed Richards does to get this back?” He lifted his arm and showed her the device now attached to his wrist. “I think I’ll pass.”

Marcus got to his feet, letting the sensations slowly pass as his vision swam. Shaking his head and taking a deep breath he sighed. “Just my lucky fucking day.” 

With his head pounding, and now this crazy weirdo hounding him, all he wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed. A job wasn’t worth this crap, and he still had two month's rent paid and a refrigerator full of groceries.

As he walked away Domino stared at him, flicking back through the photos she had taken. “If it's not payday then what’s up huh?” She stared at his back as he walked away. He was definitely pinging her powers. “Maybe something else, maybe I should follow him and find out.” With a smile and a small grin, Domino decided that it might not be his lucky day, but she would make sure it was hers.

Hell's Kitchen, eighth floor, apartment 80b

Marcus sighed as he saw her. She stood, all six-foot, with dark brown skin, afro hair and that damn diamond over one eye. “You followed me?”

“Of course, my power is never wrong, you're my lucky day.”

Marcus sighed again, “luck isn't a power,”

Domino laughed, ”Of course it is, anything can be a power.”

“Nope, it's not, luck isn't real.”

Domino sighed and her shoulders slumped. “Fine. My power is to collapse probability waves culminating in a variable outcome. As it's my power, the results are always in my favour.”

Marcus frowned, “so luck?”

Domino smiled, “see? That wasn't so hard was it?”

Laughing, Marcus shook his head, “So just good luck, or more?”

“More than a cameo? definitely good for me.”

A third voice interrupted them, and as the pair looked over at the speaker, Domino groaned. It was a strange sight. It was a man, dressed in a black and red armoured suit, with half his mask slid over his face. He was eating a sandwich while busy jiggling keys in the lock of the door.

“Deadpool,” Domino said, sighing and rubbing her forehead. “Sometimes it's most definitely bad.”

Inside Apartment 80B

“I guess why you followed, but uh, Deadpool right? Why are you here?” Marcus asked. Domino had followed him inside, and as he went to close the door, the strange man had just pushed past him,

“Plot,” Deadpool said, and as Marcus looked over at Domino she shrugged.

“Just ignore him, nobody at the mansion liked him, and they probably threw him out.”

Deadpool recoiled, “Aww, that's just mean. I’ll have you know Hank loves me, he had me do all these tests naked, even though I wasn’t supposed to be. He was red with joy, or well, I think he was. With all that fur, he’s like a giant beanie baby,” Deadpool added wistfully.

“Hank?” Marcus asked but Domino shook her head.

“Don't ask, secret Augment stuff. But yeah, if he pissed off one of the heads, then they threw him out. What Colossus not save you this time?”

“Only in the movies,” Deadpool said, and went back to rummaging in the kitchen “Hey, don't you have decent food?” He asked as he unwrapped a toaster pastry and stuffed it in his mouth. “I mean, I'm poorer than Parker and I have better food.”

“Parker? You mean multi-millionaire polyandrist Peter Parker, yeah, he’s poor.” Domino said sarcastically.

“What the shit? Parker is always poor. Damn hack writers, spoiling his one schtick. How am I supposed to relate to him now? What? Does he think he’s Bruce Wayne or something?” Deadpool mumbled.

“Yeah, don't care. Get the fuck out.” Marcus said. He knew who Peter Parker was, his love life was in the media more than Stark, and that was saying something,

“You don't get it. We’re supposed to be together. I mean, you think this novel is risque, you should read the slash stuff.” Deadpool complained, and now Marcus was completely lost.

“Do you know what he’s talking about?” Marcus asked Domino, who looked up from the magazine she was reading.

“Nope, tuned out as soon as he opened his mouth.”

Deadpool tutted, “Well fuck you too, miss ‘my power is luck’. I’m not talking to you,” he huffed.

Domino laughed, “See, it must be working. So, magic man, show us your magic.” She pointed at the stabiliser on Marcus's wrist.

Marcus pulled back his sleeve, “I don't even know what this is, I mean, it looks like a watch but with no face.” 

As he held it up he got a good look at it. It was a thick strapped old-fashioned watch, with a spin dial on the top. The face had two triangles pointing at each other, currently flashing yellow. “You don't think that's bad do you?”

“Give me your hand,” Domino asked, and held out hers. Marcus looked at it, “I can use my powers, sometimes to rub off on people.”

Deadpool snorted, “She wants to rub you off.”

“Can I stab him?” Domino asked.

Deadpool shrugged, “I charge twenty bucks for that. Forty for the face, fifty for the groin.” Both Domino and Marcus stopped and stared at him, “What? It's a tough economy.”

Marcus raised an eyebrow “Anyway, I don't see how it comes off. It's one of Richard's stupid things.” He gripped the top of the watch dial but it wouldn't even lift from his skin.

“Wait, Reed Richards, completely batshit insane but it's totally okay somehow Reed Richards. Punch a hole into other dimensions, piss off the locals and then act like he’s the victim, Reed Richards? Summon interim-”

Domino put her hand over his mouth, “Yes, Reed Richards.” She took it away quickly and wiped it on his bodysuit as he gently licked her palm.

“Okay, then, yeah, good luck with that, I'm leaving,” Deadpool said, and tried to move towards the door,

“Uh uh, you’re staying. You wanted in on this, and now you don't get a choice.” Domino said

Deadpool made a whining noise, “buutt mom, it's probably dangerous, and I don't feel like getting blown up. Again. Today.”

Domino shrugged, “Don't care, my powers are kicking in when you try to move away. You’re staying, and that's final.”

Deadpool pouted and she sighed and lifted a twenty from her purse, “Here, now you’ve been paid.”

Deadpool snatched the twenty “Okay, but you can only stab me in the ass, ‘cause I think you're cute.”

Domino groaned, “I’ll stab you in lots of places if you're not quiet. Now Marcus, the watch.”