Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

"You know, this is like old times," Octave said wistfully as she decoupled another machine.

Venom stood, ready to lift it from its housing, "Um, huh?"

She looked over, "robbing whoever you just defeated."

Helios snorted, "Oh? Something you want to tell us V?"

"I didn't steal from everyone." Octave stopped and looked up, "did I?"

"Me, Aleksei, Osborn, Fisk, Hydra, Doom, and now the Kree."

"Ha! See, I didn't rob Shaw or Stark." Venom said triumphantly, "Oh, and uh, You forgot Sterns, but technically that was Felicia. And you helped."

"And Stark counts. We did steal his repulsor tech, and Friday and Jocasta, unless she was giving you a very close pelvic exam." Octave gripped the cable and it hissed as it slid free. "And there. You can take it through now."

"I thought Jo and Friday were off limits," Helio said as she telekinetically lifted the machine. She walked several spaces before a portal opened. Once the pressure equalised she slid it through.

"Uh, well. We can't really give them free will and then decide they aren't allowed to use it," Venom explained. He looked through the portal where Jhalia and Huntress lifted the machine to be stored for now. Once they were done, Jhalia would catalogue everything using the Golden City database. He gave a quick wave to Hexen, who was keeping the portal open. As he moved back, it closed while they undid the cabling from the next machine.

"Or she just stood up to you and told you to stop being an idiot. Like the rest of us had to," Octave said before moving to the next set of cables. "I mean, it was obvious one of them was going to, you just didn't want to admit you liked the idea."

"I like the idea of lots of things, but it doesn't mean they are good ideas."

Helios laughed, "Did you just admit that some of your ideas are stupid?"

"Hardy Har Har. Most of my ideas are stupid, but they just work, therefore, not stupid."

Helios laughed, "Nope, dumb luck is still dumb."

Venom chuckled, "So me getting lucky is dumb? Guess I'll be spending my nights alone then."

"Oh hey, I never," Helios began but Octave cleared her throat.

"And if you two don't stop flirting, we'll never get finished, and none of us will get lucky."

Venom stopped, and his mask for a brief moment made a thick ridge above one eye. The fake eyebrow raised, "Octave being the voice of reason? Guess my luck just ran out."

The trio laughed as Helios lifted another machine through the portal. As she turned back she froze. "Pete....is that."

Venom turned at the use of his name but stopped as well. In front of them as Octave approached it was an innocuous-looking box. Plain silver with a single cable running from it. "Liv! no!" He shouted.

Octave stopped before she touched the box, "Please, step back slowly."

She retreated, retracing her steps exactly, "Bad?"

Helios huffed a low breath, "Apocalypse shared a few things unintentionally. The other one of those was one Earth, he had it and it contains Reality energy."

"That? Well, I guess poison does come in small packages. I guess that was the syphon, and then, how exactly do we contain a device capable of altering anyone who touches it?" Octave asked, "Did Apocalypse maybe leave an instruction manual?"

Helios laughed, "No, unfortunately, but I can move it." Helios touched the side of her head and the box lifted off the ground. "Jhalia?" she called over their radio, "I need a containment room, nothing else can be in there and only I should be able to access it."

Jhalia was busy moving machinery around in the warehouse and clicked on her comm. "Not even the Golden Tribe? It will be unusual to bar the royal family from accessing part of the city."

"Nobody can touch this unless you want another Apocalypse. He used a smaller device to Enhance himself. We may also need Stephen and the Reality Stone."

Jhalia sighed, "Then I shall make the necessary arrangements. Leave it on the Moon, for now, We have too much here to store it safely."

Venom thought for a moment. "I have a few ideas on how we can dispose of it safely, but let's get the rest of this cleared first. Helios, move that over into an empty space until we can deal with it.

Helios nodded and moved it in front of the door.

⁂

“I get why the eggheads are here, but what's up with Johnny an’ me?” Ben Grimm asked. He was looking uncomfortable as he was sat at a table with everyone else.

Peter, sat with Shuri and Charles had invited the Fantastic Four to a meeting.

"We have something for Reed, but you need to know just how bad it could be," Peter explained. "We found more ruins like the ones in Egypt, and there we found something."

"Yeah, great, sometin’ else for Reed to muck around with," Ben grumbled.

"Nope, this is for you all." Jean lifted the box onto the table with her powers and then stepped back to sit with Peter.

"A box, I have lots of those in my lab Parker. Why did you call me away from my research for a box?" Reed asked gruffly. Peter knew from Susan that Redd was still trying to copy the dimensional energy of the Reality Stone.

Peter closed his eyes and took a breath. Over the years Reed still hadn't made a mark. He was brilliant but not like Tony, or even himself. Reed made fantastical devices, which usually failed in spectacular ways. Everyone knew he had opened a wormhole to another dimension. It was just a pity it turned anything organic that crossed its boundary inside out.

"This is a copy of a reality-altering device used to create Homo Sapiens," Peter explained. Before Reed could argue, Peter glared at him. "We already have the proof, dont start."

Redd clenched his jaw, "assuming that is true, why are you giving it to me? It's plain you don't like me, so why are you helping me."

Peter snorted, "First, I'm not giving it to you. It's on loan and Charles is to be given access at all times. Second, it's for Ben. While you're an asshole, you still know more about it than anyone else. Who else would we give it to?"

"And you can prove it was used?" Reed asked as he stood, peering over at the box.

"It syphons energy from the Reality Stone," but before Reed could ask, "and no, that is still being hidden to keep it safe. But, if your cells are saturated, then you might be able to drain that energy away."

Reed just hummed in agreement. He was too busy running his hands over the device. "There is no opening, how did you remove the energy?"

"We have cables that just attach. It's a memory metal, it opens when they're nearby. We have them boxed and ready to ship to the Baxter Building."

Reed nodded again, "Fascinating."

"Great, so uh, what're we doing here?" Ben asked again.

Peter looked at Ben and sighed. "It's no secret you don't like your powers Ben, and we wanted you to know there might be a solution. We can't promise anything, or even give you hope, but hiding this," Peter waved his hand at the box, "would be wrong. There is something that could help, even if it's years away. You deserve to know."

Ben shrugged, "Yeah, I get that, and what's lover boy gonna do?"

Charles snorted. He had attracted a lot of attention now he was back to being young and handsome. "I will be providing aid to Mister Richards. the device was used to alter early Homo Sapiens DNA and created Augments. We hope we can solve the problems some of us encounter with overly dangerous powers."

Reed hmm'd again, "If the X-Gene draws in dimensional energy, you hope that a syphon can be created to draw it away." He stood and looked at Peter, "Rather than simply cutting the flow entirely."

Peter didn't care though. He had seen Anne Marie weep when her powers were nullified. The first thing she did was hug the boy she liked. Selene had hers adjusted weekly, as she suffered the same. Erik was right. Having powers was a responsibility. But there was a greater responsibility to ensure those who had them but didn't want them were cared for. Anne Marie and Selene were the tip of a huge iceberg of problems. They, at least, had to touch their victims. Logan had spent days hunting a young mutant whose power dissolved organic matter. In the end, he had been forced to kill him, but the suppressors now made that a last resort.

"An that'll work for me?" Ben asked. He had tried one of the suppressor bands, and it didn't work. Ben wasn't powered, he had been altered until his current form was his true form.

"We don't know, which is why we're loaning the machine to Reed. It might make it worse, hell it might even kill you. We just don't know," Peter explained. The database had no records of how the machine worked, and they figured it was a personal project of someone. Apocalypse was horribly mutated and barely human. If he had been experimenting with the device to figure out how it worked, it showed.

Reed pursed his lips and stared at Charles, "Is that a condition of the machine's usage?"

"We can discuss that when we are somewhere more private. The machine belongs to Wakanda. It is on loan to me, and through me, to you. I have another project I wish to discuss with you."

"I'm not busy now, and I hear you have a unique Augment. One who I'd like to meet if I can,"

Charles nodded. "If we may Peter. I believe there is nothing more to be said. You may all visit Genosha if you wish, it may do you some good to be amongst others who are powered." Charles touched the side of his head and a portal opened, "Ah Blink, thank you, I believe Reed would like to talk to you. Peter, it has been a pleasure." Leading them through the five disappeared.

Peter looked at Shuri, "Think that was wise?"

Shuri tilted her head, "He is the world's leading expert on dimensional energy, even if he is a bit rough. The device was discharged and it will keep him occupied." Shuri stood and Jhalia sent out a small burst of webbing, sticking the doorhandle firmly shut. "And now, it is your turn to keep me occupied." As her clothing vanished, Peter grinned and advanced.

⁂

Ben smiled as he met Cain, "Hey big guy," and as the pair headed off to talk and eat. Johnny took to the skies. There were others who flew just as fast and recklessly as he did, and he was looking to race.

"Now, I may not be the best at social cues, but even I didn't miss that hint," Reed said as he took a chair. "What is the project."

Charles sat across from him and after closing his eyes for a moment, "Sorry, but nobody will disturb us. Even Sue and your team cannot be privy to what I am about to tell you."

Reed tutted, "I am aware of the need for secrecy Mister Xavier, regardless of the circumstances."

Charles smiled, "Please, call me Charles." He set out a small silver disc on the table between them, then ran a finger in a circle over the top and then leant back.

"If you are hearing this recording I can only hope that you are what we call a variant. In our universe exists an organisation called AEGIS. Augment, Enhanced, Gamma, Industrial, and Sorcery. I am the leader of the Augment faction, Charles Xavier. Captain Steven Rogers leads the Enhanced. Doctor Bruce Banner leads the Gamma department. Reed Richards leads our technological division or Industrials. Finally, Stephen Strange leads our Sorcerers. Please, listen to my warning. We monitor the greater multiverse for threats and your universe is in danger. An inversion, where time and space collapse, is being caused by a creature. It will be known by many names. A Symbiote, a Klyntar, but most universes know it by one name only. The Devourer."