Spider-Man: Duty and Loss Chapter 72: Venom

"Woah! What is that?!" Ben's voice came from the side as he looked at the strange blob. Peter gave a small chuckle as he looked at the surprised faces of the fantastic four. With a smirk still on under his mask he replied.

"Everyone I'd like to introduce you to Venom, our ticket out of here." "Venom…not a very reassuring name… it also sounds familiar…" It was Sue this time who spoke up, she was looking at Venom with a critical eye, the same as everyone else.

Venom had stayed still as the rest of them spoke. Every time someone talked his head would move from side to side looking at the speaker, something that creeped them out a little. Peter shook his head as he reassured them, transmitting a plan to Venom while he did so.

"Do you guys remember when I went through my black suit phase?" Their eyebrows furrowed for a few seconds before Sue spoke up first. "You mean a few years ago, I do remember for a few weeks you were trying a new look, but I still like the red and blue better."

Johnny sent his sister a snicker as he mumbled just loud enough. "Spidey super fan." Sue's eyes widened for a second as she snapped her head in his direction. The look in her eyes instantly shut him up. *Cough* Johnny spluttered once, as he turned his head away and changed the conversation.

"I remember that as well. I saw some clips of you in the suit; you were hitting harder and moving faster than I had ever seen you." Venom, who had been giving Sue a bit of a dirty look after the red and blue comment turned to Johnny with a smile, something only Peter could tell as they were connected.

Peter disregarded the abrupt change and addressed Johnny. "Yeah, well you see Venom here is an alien symbiote…" *Gasp* They all looked surprised as they turned to look at Venom. While Johnny and Ben were a bit apprehensive hearing the news. Sue and Reed both had interested looks in their eyes.

If Reed could have talked right then and there, he would have started bombarding Peter with questions on where Venom came from, and what it was capable of. Though as he was frozen he could only file the questions for later.

"…I was the first human he bonded with and well, he makes my powers stronger. Better reflexes, stronger webs, better hearing, everything was enhanced. Though with those enhancements, it also amplified my emotions, specifically anger at the time."

Ben look at Spider-Man when he said those words and could hear the regret that came with them, whatever happened when they were bonded, lead him to regret something. Just as he was thinking this Sue spoke up once again, but this time in surprise and horror.

"Wait! Isn't one of your greatest enemies Venom?! The bigger, scarier and evil version of you?!" Everyone's eyes widened in surprise again as Johnny also chimed in, he had also just remember that fact. "Yeah, didn't you guys have a fight to the death like a year ago!!!"

*Cough* "Wellll, that was a misunderstanding between us… we're all good now." The rest gave him disbelieving looks at his words. 'You were worst enemies and now you're all good again? What the hell???"

That was the general thought that went through their minds as Peter tried to brush off the accusations. Flapping his fingers back and forth in a 'don't mind' gesture Peter finished telling the plan to Venom and they both got started.

"Never mind that, let's get out of here first." Sue wanted to say something else, but kept quiet as Venom jumped from Peter's body and began to slither along the ground. He was on a collision course for Johnny containment cell.

Johnny watched nervously as Venom came right for him and started climbing up the cell wall. Like Sue's cell it had air holes at the top so Johnny could breath, though they were too small for anything large to get through, not that Venom would have a problem.

Johnny's eyes didn't move from Venom as he asked Peter a question warily. "Ahh, Spidey, what's it doing?" Peter blinked at him for a second before face palming, or he would have if he could move his hands.

"Ohh right, I didn't explain the plan did I? So I just need you to bond with Venom for about….30 seconds and I'll have a way for us to get out of here." Johnny's eyes turned to Peter for a second as he took in a breath of air and nodded slowly. Although it scared him to no end, he trusted Spider-Man. He knew he wouldn't put him in danger.

Peter saw the small look of apprehension that appeared on his face before he accepted. 'Thanks for trusting me.' Peter thought that to himself as Venom ever so slowly fit itself through one of the holes and came to rest on Johnny's head.

Johnny kept looking until he lost sight of the symbiote, he could only just feel something touch his head, before it rested there. Calming his beating heart, he asked no one in particular. "So now what?" And as if Venom had been waiting for the words, it spread out over his neck and ear and started to assimilate with him.

Sue and Ben flinched as they watched the process, worry for their brother and friend clear in their eyes. But in the end they trusted Spider-Man. Reed on the other hand was fascinated by what was happening. Johnny's body shivered as he felt something enter his ear, but he didn't move a muscle.

'It smells in here.' The abrupt voice that sounded in his head, almost gave Johnny a heart attack as he shifted from right to left trying to find where it came from. Though he was insulted enough that he had to give a response.

"Hey I do not smell." "What?" Peter stifled a laugh as he looked at Sue giving her brother an 'are you going crazy' look. Johnny looked at her for a second, before he started to realize what was going on. Peter didn't leave them hanging.

"When Venom connects to a person, he can talk to them in their mind. I would have said telepathy, but it's more like his sharing the mind, then intruding." Reeds eyes flashed in interest as Sue gave another worried look, before turning back to Peter.

"Will he be okay?" The worry for her brother hit a soft spot for Peter as he turned to her and gave his most sincere guarantee. "I promise Sue, Nothing will happen to him." That promise set Sue's fears to rest as Venom once again reappeared from Johnny and made its way out of the cell.

Johnny shot a look at Venom as it made its way back to Peter. As it started to climb up his body, to rest at his neck, Ben spoke up. "Now what web head?" Peter gave a smile as he felt his connection to Venom strengthen and them bond.

"Now…Its time we got out of here." At his words Venom began to stretch over his body and in seconds his red and blue costume had turned completely black. He gave of a little more sinister vibe as he clenched his hands.

"Flame on." That was when the suit caught fire.

Chapter end