Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Peter was riding a high. Even Flash and his cronies giving him the usual sneers couldn't dent his cloud of happiness.

He had carefully saved the picture she had sent him t his computer and then removed it. It was special and hopefully a promise of more to some. He hesitated though but grinning like an idiot, send her one back.

What she thought of his abs pulled tight, and the small hint of his pecs he didn't know. She had gone strangely quiet afterwards and then sent a smiley face twenty minutes later.

Coming back to school would normally have drowned his mood in acid but today after he went on a date with Gwen. He didn't care.

Aunt May had given him an interrogation. While it was obvious she had instigated the whole thing, he couldn't be mad at her for invading his privacy. He even used her guilt to get the tracking app off his phone. He could have done that himself without telling her but he knew May meant well.

Even if the morning news gave him a dumb name, Tarantula, which he thought was stupid. He didn't care though. He'd just make sure his next outing he left someone conscious enough to tell them his proper name, Venom.

Phff, he thought, what dumbass thought of Tarantula?

He’d even sprayed his name on the ground.

stupid reporter, He had flicked to the pictures. Catching the name on the byline, Eddie Brock, he made sure to remember him.

As Peter read the Bugle his exploits as Venom was starting to make the news already. The first night out was now a memory. He knew he'd been too harsh on the man but he would learn. Learn to hurt but not kill. Leave a bruise, not a disability. As long as they behaved, he would be lenient, but those who attacked him would suffer,

The rest of the school now saw Peter as some kind of pariah, more than usual. The suspension for fighting had given him a reputation, and the video had added to it.

He was now a delinquent, violent and the quiet white boy image put a darker on in some of the student's heads. But again, he found himself unable to care what they thought. He was here to learn, not listen to idiots whispering.

He was glad to be back. Glad to see Gwen and Felicia, but surprised to see Harry missing.

But as the week wore on, so did his bad mood. It wasn't Flash that was making life hard for him, it was now everyone.

Harry had stopped coming to school and Gwen had been the usual but a bit distant.

After some persuasion. He found out Gwen was experiencing how difficult it could be for a woman to get into the sciences.

A new hire had given her a coffee order and shooed her away as she tried to explain she was there for sample collection.

Upper management took one look at her five foot ten, curvaceous figure, big blue eyes, and to top it all straight blonde hair and decided she was dumb.

Most had either hit on her, suggested she try out as a model or just ignored her. Soon she was dealing with thinly veiled comments aimed at her chest or ass.

Even if they knew who she was, they either played golf with her dad's boss or had "connections'' and didn't care.

Even with coaxing, she refused to talk about it in greater detail, but it was fine. He was still there if she needed to talk and she knew it.

As he sat alone at the lunchroom table he was greeted by someone he didn't really want to talk to,

"Hey Parker, we need to talk."

Cindy Moon. She was his co-chair of the mathematics club and third on the high school honour students table. Standing at the same height as him, her graceful features were a result of a supermodel mom and a fitness coach dad.

It was rumoured she was gay but in high school, she would never come out publically. People like Flash made sure of things like that.

"Yeah, so, uh, you're off the math team." Cindy was always blunt. Normally it treated Peter the wrong way as it was rudeness veiled as honesty.  Today was fine though as meant that Peter could get this conversation over. Lunch and daydreaming about Gwen were more important.

"Yeah, so, I uh don't care." Peter had had enough of this place.

High school was supposed to teach you how to be an adult. Lately, Peter felt it did was teach you how to be a dick to those you thought lesser of.

"Look, Cindy, with everything going on the math club is the last thing on my mind right now. So yeah, whatever, replace me, get Betty in, do whatever,"

She snorted. As if they could get someone in to replace him. Peter was the biggest brain in school next to Gwen and if he left then the club collapsed.

She really didn't care about Flash. But the math team losing Peter meant that they would also lose the finals and that she did care about. It was part of her future plans.

Cindy brushed her hair behind an ear and leaned in closer to him, "You don't care? well I fucking care. Your little stunt will cost us the cup and look bad on my college applications, no one likes second Peter".

Peter idly spooned at his pudding, "Well, take it up with Flash, his dad, the vice principal and everyone else. Because as I said, I. Don't. Care." He made sure to enunciate each word.

He was tired of people giving him lectures for everyone else's behaviour.

Flash and his group were sitting at their usual table. Normally they would be laughing and making a scene. Right now they were watching as Peter and Cindy argued. Flash scowled as the normally timid Parker was standing up to someone else.

"Peter, look I’m sorry about what happened but you should, there's talk-" she began but he interrupted her,

"Cindy, look you're nice and all but when I say I don't care, I really don't". Peter dropped his spoon on the plastic tray. "In fact, you're right, I should care, which is why," and he made sure to raise his voice, letting everyone hear him.

"I'm sorry Flash is such an asshole that he can't even bully someone properly. I'm sorry that he's so fucking stupid he has ruined each club that I've been kicked out of. And I'm sorry that you're all so stupid to believe anything that moron says. And I'm sorry you think he matters because his dad's rich and you're all suck-ups.”

“Lastly," he stared directly at Flash. "I'm sorry you're all so selfish that you don't care when anything happens unless you're involved. You're all so fucking pathetic."

The whole cafeteria was stunned and stayed quiet. Peter grabbed his tray and slid the trash into the bag, slid it back and stormed from the cafeteria.

Flash went to stand up, but a very angry-looking Cindy crossed her arms and shook her head at him. He sat back down again, saying something that got a laugh from the group.

⁂

Peter didn’t care he was now truant, and that it would be used against him. His anger at the unfairness of it all bubbled over and he could only run to try and clear his head. He also had to make sure of something.

Arriving at Nelson and Murdock he saw they had finally gotten their placard up. The office now looked a lot more professional with lettering on the door and had managed to tidy the place up.

An attractive red-headed woman smiled at him, “Do you have an appointment?” she asked. The nameplate on her desk said her name was Karen Paige.

“Uh sorry, Miss Paige. I dont. But could you tell Matt Murdock I’m here?”

Karen nodded and hit the intercom, but Matt stuck his head out before she got an answer,

“Peter. I wasn’t expecting you, and uh, isn’t it time for you to be at school?” Matt asked and he smiled at Karen, “it’s fine. My eleven o'clock can wait a few minutes.”

Karen rolled her eyes, “your eleven o’clock isn’t here.”

Matt grinned, ”perfect then.”

“Uh sorry Mr Murdock, this won't take long.” Peter sighed. “If I quit school, what happens to your case?”

Matt stood and held his cane in front of him, tapping it against his foot.

“Well, the case against Flash’s assault goes ahead, but the school board case might hit a rough patch. Has it gotten worse?”

Peter let out a slow breath, “you could say that.” 

Matt stepped forward. “Right now, anything that happens at school is more evidence there is something going on. Even if it's not Flash. Any of the teachers or other students that Flash has influence over. If he hasn't attacked you again. If it's just kids being mean, can you please bear with it a bit longer?”

“And if I can’t?” Peter asked. It wasn’t the stress, he really didn’t want to hurt someone accidentally.

“Then quit. I know it messes up my case, but compared to your health, it's not important.” Matt moved and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder. “Nothing is more important than you Peter.” He patted it a few times, reassuringly. “Oh and tell the school I called you, and that it was important,” he said as he smiled. “Karen, call Peter’s mom and get her to corroborate. Say they must have misplaced the note saying he was seeing me this morning.”

“Thanks, Mr Murdock,” Peter said as he slipped the latest tapes from his bag, “See you.” He closed the office door behind him, leaving Matt to his thoughts.

Matt shook his head, “It’s Matt, Peter. Oh Karen, can you transcribe those for me.” he asked before he slipped back into his office.

He had felt the muscles under Peter's shirt, and their strangely dense nature. He was now sure that Peter had been subjected to the same toxin he had.

Maybe he could help? Matt thought to himself as he ran his fingers over the braille edition of the Bugle, maybe he’s one of those guys though.

⁂

Peter headed back to school and headed to the main office. The secretary behind the desk looked up at the clock and raised an eyebrow,

“I uh, had an appointment. My aunt can confirm that,” he said. This time though he didn’t wait to hear her response and headed back to class.

Being almost an hour late he was still given a tardy slip. No detention to go with it, as May had called not long after Peter had left Matt's office.

Nobody raised his situation again, but Peter could see that something had happened. He was used to the hushed whispers, but now he could hear them.

A mix of ‘he’s on drugs’ all the way to ‘damn he’s actually hot’ hit his ears. All it took was him having a breakdown in the cafeteria to get people to leave him alone.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. Even though Gwen was distracted by her own situation, she still hugged him at the school gate.

⁂

As he made his way home, Aunt May was pacing in their apartment.

Since he'd gotten sick Peter had changed. She was worried it was the money. That he'd become more confident to the point of being a little arrogant. The situation with Flash seemed to have driven him over the edge.

She'd just got off the phone with the school, it wasn't like Peter to just throw caution to the wind. It wasn't until Matt called and explained, that she still had backed him up.

As Peter came in the door May rushed over and hugged him, "so, uh you know?"

She stroked his head as she nodded, "If, anyone-"

"No Aunt May, no one said anything. I just, I just needed some advice. So. Make coffee and I'll tell you everything, I swear. Just, no yelling till I'm done."

A look of sadness, then anger, shock and surprise all flashed across May's face. She kept her promise and held her tongue at every opportunity she wanted to either comfort or yell at Peter.

He'd pulled out paper after paper as he told her of his plans and what he had already spent the money on. She didn't mind that he had spent it. She minded that he had spent almost all of it without consulting her.

She stared at the plans and blueprints for work still to be done. She didn't understand most of them and she hoped Peter hadn't bitten off more than he could chew.

"So, Uh, what do you think Aunt May?" He asked her, staring at her white-knuckled hands.

"Well, I guess, we're going to this warehouse of yours. I can't say I'm not disappointed Peter, you could still have gone to college, you could have used." She stopped and looked at the work he had put into all his ideas, all his projects she changed her mind.

"No, you know what Peter? Your Uncle Ben and I made mistakes. We did things the way we wanted. So no, you do what you do and don't let anyone ever tell you that you're wrong, well, unless it's dumb, then Gwen can tell you."

She smiled and Peter had to laugh.

"Right, let me get my coat and let's see this place of yours."