CHAPTER 7:
Venom Attack
Raven

It was obvious that things were different when we got back to SHIELD. I had started to harness my fathers power, and I even controlled my turn. For the next few days, I barely ate and all I did was meditate and sleep. Yet even while I slept, I felt like I was wasting time by not meditating.

Meditating to keep myself under control.

"Raven? Can I come in?"

Sam?

"Sure," Sam entered the training room and I floated down from my spot.

"I know I've been kind of a dick lately, and I just wanted to say. . .I'm sorry. I don't know what you've been through and I don't know your reasons for leaving the Titans. I'll respect your boundaries and I hope we can become better friends," I felt his guilt when he was a few feet from the door, and he was being sincere and honest from this.

"Thanks, and me too. . .look, the relationship between Robin and I complicated my relationship with my team, and they started to lose trust in me because of my heritage. I'm just glad that you guys don't judge me for that," I softly smiled.

"Hey, we don't ask for the parents we got. It's not our fault."

"I'm guessing you can relate to that," He shrugged.

"Just a bit."

"Oh, and Fury called for an emergency meeting, so we should head out," I grabbed his arm and we were teleported to the meeting room.

"What's going on?" I asked, sitting down next to Luke.

"I assume you've heard of the attack on Batrok the Leaper?" Fury looked irritated, so I just nodded yes.

"It's Venom, and right now, we will do whatever it takes to take him down."

"You got it, boss. Just point us in the right direction," Luke was ready to take down Venom, and I was too. From our previous interaction, I wasn't as fond of him either.

"I'll blast that goo boy into next week!"

"And what about whoevers' inside it? You gonna blast him too?" Peter revealed.

"Him? Is there something you need to tell me? Well. . .?" I could easily access his mind and find out the identity of whom Peter was protecting, and that's exactly what I was doing.

"You're Venom?!"

"Isn't it so cool?! I can do anything, Pete!"

It's Harry Osborn.

"Okay, I do know, but I'm not telling," Peter replied with attitude.

"Some team player you are! Let me at him!" Ava sneered.

"Hey, you can hang me upside down by my toenails and I won't tell. You know I have a thing about secret identities," Peter looked back at Fury, whose anger was growing by the minute.

"Not the response I was looking for, kid."

"Come on guys, I'm begging you, let me take another shot at this solo. I know I can find him and take care of things where nobody gets hurt. Come on Nick, please," Peter pleaded.

"Sorry, can't do it. This is a serious public threat, all hands on deck. As of now, we're on high alert. You hear anything, you move," He turned back to Peter.

"But not you. If keeping secrets from your own team is how you'll play this, then you're off the assignment altogether," Now I feel like a hypocrite.

"Okay Fury, I'll sit this one out."

Sure you will.

"Uh-huh."

_____________

"Did you really think your webbing would stop us?" I quirked my brow as I launched Venom through a giant glass container.

"Not now, Phoenix, we need to deal with this," Luke glared at Venom, who was already up and roaring at us.

"Not a problem for me!" Nova shot a continuous energy beam at Venom, who then fell and cried out as it started to shrink and I could see an article of clothing reveal itself.

"Whoa, take it easy!" Peter shouted, webbing Novas hands together and moving him away from Venom.

"What are you doing?! We got our orders!"

"I told you, I can handle this. No one has to get hurt-uh oh-" Venom went after Peter, but he refused to attack and continued to dodge him.

"Too late for that!"

Peter, stop protecting Harry.

"How are you in my head?! And how did you know?"

Your mind was easy to get into. Now stop, we can handle this. Venom is too strong and Harry doesn't have the mental power to break through.

"You know I can't let you."

"What is your damage?! Are you with us or against us?" Sam flew towards him, getting right up in his face.

"Hey, you forget that there's someone inside that thing. But you guys are clearly out for blood, and it doesn't have to be this way," Peter tried talking us down.

"Afraid it does, dork. Whoevers lost in there is long gone. Now, time for my SHIELD issued tiger claws," Ava wasn't about to back down just because Peter said so, and neither are any of us. Us against Peter is not going to end well.

"I'm telling you, he's still in there!" Venom lashed his goo at us.

"Whoever it is, we got our orders. Take 'em, team!"

My black mass started crawling onto Venom, trying to keep him from thrashing around so that they could do their job.

"Tiger! What are you doing?!" Peter cried out.

"Our job!" Sam responded, sending another beam into Venom.

Shit!

I let him go, but then spotted the shards of glass from the tank I threw him at earlier.

Whatever it takes.

And I shot one through him.

"Raven! No!" Venom crashed through the floors, crying out as he escaped.

"What did you do?!" He came raging at me, and pushed me.

"My job, Spiderman. You can't favor people who hurt innocents, even if they were an innocent before."

"He could be dying! What is wrong with you?! Is that stupid gem getting to your head?! You're a monster!"

"I'm the monster? So you're gonna look at a raging Venom who has hurt others for no good reason, and then look at me and call me the monster for just doing my job?" I questioned.

"Then you're in the wrong fucking business-"

"Hey, hey, break it up. Let's not say anything else we'll regret," Luke pushed us away from eachother, and I felt my father grinning away within his prison.

Stop letting it get to you.

______________

It was storming by the time we got to Midtown, and already darkness had fallen over the sun and the moon was lively in the sky.

"Okay man, it's just us. No teachers, no Colson, no Fury," Luke crossed his arms.

"No witnesses."

"We are standing in the circle of trust," Danny stepped forward just as lightning flashed.

Such beautiful weather.

"Circle of what?" Peter tilted his head.

"You were actually protecting Venom. . . from us. Why?" Ava threw her hands up, completely baffled.

"You gotta decide whether or not your gonna trust us. This is it. Now or never," Luke let it all out. I joined this team with no expectations, and yet I've grown close to these people and even consider them to be my friends.

But Peter is teetering on the edge right now, and I can't work with someone who doesn't have faith in my abilities to do what's right.

He let out a sigh,"O-okay, okay, but this is one of those "swear on your aunts life" kind of moments. In fact, let's take a blood oath right now-"

"Parker!"

"Right. . .so, here's the thing, that person inside Venom, you know, trapped in there. . .is Harry Osborn."

Wow, I'm so shocked right now.

"Okay, makes sense."

"'Makes sense'? Come on, that's huge! There was thunder and everything! Raven even knew!" They all looked at me.

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

"I don't think you should be directly talking to me right now, since I'm a monster and all," Digging the knife even deeper felt good, as well as the gas lighting.

"You get why I didn't say anything before, right?" Peter asked us.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, moral dilemma, best friend, blah blah blah," Ava exclaimed.

"Look, he's in over his head. It's not his fault he can't control it. If we just treat him like another bad guy-"

"What are you all doing here so late at night? Who authorized this meeting? And why are you here?" Fury appeared on the board.

"Me? Well, uh, uhm. . ."

"Somebody better answer me or else you'll all be cleaning the helicarrier deck with toothbrushes," Fury threatened.

"Uhm, we got the alert that Venom was attacking the Oscorp building, so we moved in - we engaged. But the target escaped," Luke jumped in.

"Oscorp? Again? What is going on over there?" We all looked at eachother, and although I didn't like it, we were going to protect Peter and Harry.

"We're not sure, sir. Just one of those things, I guess," Ava scratched the back of her neck.

"Uh-huh, is there any pertinent info you're leaving out? Any of you?"

Hell yeah.

"So you're all in on it now. Fine. Just remember that thing is still out there, so now you're at threat level Alpha. Fury, out," And his hologram disappeared.

"Wow, I-I don't know what to say guys. You could have rat out Harry, but you didn't. You actually covered for m-"

"Quit blubbering! There's still stuff to do."

Thank you, Sam.

"So aside from Harry Osborn being trapped inside Venom, what else do we know about it? Come on, any info we could use here?" Luke looked to Peter.

"You mean, aside from this?" Ava pulled out the sample from earlier and handed it to Peter.

"That's it! Let me in the chem lab with this and I'll whip up an anti-venom that'll save Harry once and for all!" Peter stood up.

"Auntie Venom? How about an Uncle Venom while you're at it?" Sam joked.

But we all just stared at him in judgemental silence.

"Oh come on! Uncle Venom, that's gold!"

"So while you're playing professor, it's up to us to find Venom?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, Cage, I think that'll be a lot easier than you think."

___________

"What?" I opened my door, barely, to see Peter.

"Wow, you're the second person to apologize to me today. You making this a trend?" I put my hand on hip as I opened the door wider.

"No! A-Absolutely not. . .you were just doing what you could and I let my feelings for my best friend get in the way of heroing. I was conflicted and took it out on you," I stepped out and closed my door.

"I was actually half trying to kill him."

"Half?"

"Half of my training comes from Robin, the physical part anyway. There's a ruthless side built into me, and I'm not ashamed of it. I'm willing to do anything if it means the innocents remain safe, but I will respect your choice."

"Can I ask you something?" I nodded yes.

"Do still feel for Robin? The way you talk about him sometimes, it seems like you either still like him or regret him."

"I do regret some parts of the relationship I had with him, but my feelings for him are gone. He chose his path, and I've chosen mine."

Foolish girl.

This war you have started will not end well.