Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Across the water, Peter was busy sketching when he felt the thrum go through him. Pausing he looked at the table and saw a slight ripple in the glass of water next to him. He frowned as he felt something, something in the Earth. This wasn't a quake, whoever heard of a quake in New York. He took off his shoes and let his bare feet touch the ground he could feel it, a thrumming through the whole area.

He flicked on the TV to see if any news had been reported and even texted Gwen and MJ. They had felt it but had no idea, no injuries and nothing on the news either.

Peter tilted his head, hearing a sound. Lying flat on the ground he could hear something along with the vibration, but he had no idea what. Better safe than sorry he used symbskin to shape a pair of sneakers. Locking up the warehouse walked around the property to find the strongest feeling. Once he knew where it was coming from, he checked the map of New York online, and immediately saw it was in Staten Island.

Ock.

He filled various punches with small vials made by Gwen. If Ock or any of her crew were behind this, he wouldn't be going in blind this time.

As he walked he felt the thrumming weaken. Whatever had happened was starting to fade and it was now a time issue. Getting over to Staten Island wasn't difficult. Getting over there quickly was. Traffic wasn't light enough to get a cab, and there was no way he could run fast enough.

He ducked into an alley, and uncaring, Venom covered him. Sending out a web he claimed up and started to run towards Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. He would be able to swing along its support struts easily enough. Once he got here it was even easier as he dropped down and swung underneath, away from prying eyes and any cameras.

As he swung, he grabbed his phone. If it was Ock he needed backup. Fighting Sandman had been difficult enough, but the pair could be tricky. Almost impossible if it was her full crew. This time he would be prepared, and he would make sure nobody got hurt.

He also hoped Spider-Man was near enough to investigate. He cursed as he and the red and blue wall-crawler never made plans if something big came along to team up. He had no way of contacting him and unlike Felicia wasn't about to risk his secret identity on a hunch.

The thrumming continued at an even pace and then began to ramp up. While he could feel it through his webs, none of the traffic above him seemed to be reacting. Looking down, there was no vibration in the water either. Whatever it was, only he seemed to be sensing it. Meaning it was probably a trap just for him.

Once he was across the bridge he landed in a nearby alley. Feeling the ground once more the vibration was coming from the warehouse district.

Definitely Ock.

Cursing, he switched direction and headed into the industrial section. The police had sealed up her lab. The only other location was the warehouse.

⁂

Liv watched as the reactor flared into life.

Sandman was tending to Electro, whose normally dark skin was now a pale grey colour. "Uh doc, he ain't lookin so good." He had a cloth and was wiping down the barely conscious man. Even the dampness on his skin was the only comfort Sandman could give him.

Liv ignored him. Right now she was too busy dealing with hydrogen overflow. The four tentacles worked as she kept an eye on each dial. If anything went wrong now, it would result in a cascade failure. As she brought it back under control, she lifted her thick black goggles. Seeing the almost drained Elector she shouted over, "he'll live," but Sandman just shook his head.

Maybe, she added mentally.

She was too busy working to keep the reactor under control. It was now at a crucial junction. In a few more minutes the vibration she knew would attract Venom would stop. Now all she had to do was flick a switch and it would be over.

Well, probably not.

⁂

It wasn’t difficult from where he was to guess where the thrumming was coming from. The abandoned warehouse he had scoped out was only three blocks away.

Soon he arrived at a shady burnt-out old warehouse in a darker area of the waterfront. Police tape covered the doors and bullet holes covered the frame of the building. The walls were riddled from the shootout, both denting the steel inwards and outwards.

If he hadn't fixed up his own place, he imagined this is what it would look like. Nobody wanted to fix a place up, and so they fell further into ruin.

From the rooftop, he could see that someone had been there since he last checked. While he couldn't see inside, there were enough holes he could catch the flickering lights. Closing his eyes he could hear the muffled conversation and the angry shouting. Two voices were distinct enough to pick out. A woman and a gruff-sounding man.

Ock and Sandman.

There was no way to approach without being spotted, even as Venom and hiding on one of the rooftops he made a choice. He took out his phone and sent Gwen a message.

Gwen, I need help. Sandman and Doc Ock are behind the weirdness and I can't fight them both.

Poison might not be much help Pete, are you calling MJ?

No, please don’t get mad, but I’m calling for a different kind of help.

Venom took a breath and let it out slowly as he typed.

Felicia. I know who you are, and I need your help. Ock and Sandman are planning something and I can’t do it alone. Meet me at the warehouse address you gave me. I already took care of her lab.

⁂

Felicia felt her phone buzz and reading the message almost threw her phone at the wall. She was about to grab her bug-out bag and run out the door when she stopped. Didn't she want this?

So instead, she flopped onto the couch and stared at the screen.

Are you him?

Yes, please, I can’t do this alone. Once we’re done you can come to the warehouse and I’ll explain everything, just, please.

She stared and tapped her finger on the arm of the couch,

She groaned, so much for rule one,

Fine, but only for Gwen, and once we’re done, I want to know everything or I’m gone. And you owe me, you asshole.

And you will owe me. Felicia thought as the grin crept across her face. This was going to be good. Her investigation of Rhino led nowhere. She had hoped that he was gone but it looked like he never took a day off. Venom would be her way in, and then she could finally find her father.

She filled her utility belt with the usual packages. She knew Sandman was like her, but Ock had those damn arms.

"Hmm, maybe a bit more lethal," she mumbled to herself.

This was not an information-gathering mission. This was a fight.

Sliding on her mask, she took a look in the mirror, smirking at her reflection

I am such a badass.

⁂

He sent the address to both and made his way closer. He would distract the pair, allowing Poison and Black Cat the time they needed to get here. He just hoped he could hold out long enough.

The warehouse shell was crumbling and unstable. Even if he'd hung from the roof it would have creaked and groaned with his weight, so he just walked in. He tried to stifle a laugh as he heard about the space lasers and the inevitable fight with Sandman.

"And here is the star of the show now. Come in Come in," her free arms waved at Venom, skulking in the shadows.

Sandman's fists clenched as he saw the black-suited monster approach. The bastard didn't even bother to hide making him angrier.

"You forgot my invite, Ock. Oh hi Sandy," Venom waved.

Sandman growled at him while Doc stayed next to the reactor, "now now Venom, behave."

"I know Doc, it's a small fusion reactor. Once I knew your name I researched your life. Your focus was on recombinant retrovirals before developing that harness. Oh, for the record, you're a lunatic for creating a star. Even I'm not that stupid and I tried to make a toaster gun."

"A fuckin’ star?" Sandman yelled at her, no wonder Max was dying if she drained him to start it up, "I swear, you’re next."

Liv just groaned, "Stop with the macho bullshit, I need to stabilise this. So deal with him." Liv leant forwards and flicked a switch.

The two mounted lasers whined as they powered up and Electro groaned in pain as more power was dragged from him.

"Now Now Doc, let's be sensible. I'll deal with the star, you two have a nice chat okay?" Venom motioned to the cot beds Ock and Sandman had used at some point in time,

"Chat? You think I'm gonna stand an’ talk this time? I'm gonna kill you," Sandman shook himself and a haze of dust fell from his body.

Venom stood, arms ready in a boxers low stance, waiting for Sandman to come at him. Sandman raised his own fists and grinned as he advanced. As Sandman threw the first punch, Venom leapt to the side. The lasers needed time to power up and he used it while dodging Sandman's blows. He sprayed both lasers with webbing and dived to one side.

“Stay still yah damn bastard,” Sandman roared. He had learned to fire off balls of sand,  but Venom was too fast. All he was doing was knocking more holes in the side of the warehouse.

“Nope, it's a spa day, not a beach day. You’ll make my pants itchy, and I hate itchy pants.” Venom taunted Sandman and as he dived once more, rolled and leapt. He sent a larger more solid ball at the lasers. They batted them on each side and now one pointed at the console, while the other pointed at its twin.

That's them dealt with, now just the lunatics.

Sandman roared in frustration, hurling abuse at the acrobatics of Venom.

Hurry up you two. I can’t do this all day.

He was grateful that while Sandman was taking the fight to him, Doc Ock was keeping the reactor stable. The thrumming he was feeling was now a rhythmic pulse. Once it reached a high-pitched squeal Ock smiled, “and now it's done.”

Feeling the air shift, Venom sprayed black tar at Sandman's feet, making him stop.

Sandman straightened up and looked at the puddle of tar in front of him, “seriously? That again? Even I learn shit for brains.”

The maw on Venom's mask split into a huge grin, “nope, no you don’t.”

He pointed up and Sandman shook his head, not falling for the obvious trick. A white and black figure smashed into him from above. She drove her feet through his waist and he shrieked in pain. As she landed she flipped and sprayed some kind of acid over him, the sand in his body reacting and breaking down. Landing next to Venom, Poison lifted both her arms "Ta-da."

He screeched as the sand began to bubble and dissolve. Looking around in panic he dived towards the rusted and dilapidated wall. It hurt even more to break his body down, but he flowed as sand through a large gap and into the bay.

Before she could react, another dark streak swung down from the roof. Her feet slammed into Doc and threw her across the roof into Electro. He roared in anger and grabbed her.

Whatever energy was left crackled across her body and the pair shook as he electrocuted them. As the strength left him, Electro dropped her. Her body went limp and smoke rose from the harness as he used the last of his power. As she fell, Electro’s body hung limply.

Smoke rose from his body, and small arcs of electricity burned patterns in his skin. His eyes had turned milky white, like rotten dead fish, and his skin was now a pale chalky white colour.

"I brought my plus one this time." Venom quipped as he saw the trio already defeated.

"Plus two," Black Cat replied,

"Way to ruin it. It was a joke," he snapped back.

"Yeah, well. Your jokes are lame," she retorted.

Poison shook her head as the pair began to bicker.

She was mad when she saw Felicia. Even in the bodysuit with a mask on she knew who it was.

She would be having words with Peter later. Once they had dealt with this mess and the group was together, she would make sure they both knew they screwed up.