LAURA

'Dr. Kafka! Is it positively true that the brain-eating killer has struck once again?'

'Has Venom embarked on a fatal spree to evoke a sense of terror in the city?'

The San Francisco City Hall was dense with reporters and cameramen, crashing into one another to get a precise view of the most important speech of the week. Everyone in the city knew that this would make the front page cover of every known press corp since Venom's wrongdoings were the talk of the night. After the mysterious case closing on Keith Malik's eternal disappearance, Venom's terror bout had set the city off into despair.

'It is confirmed that Venom is the nefarious criminal. He is under some delusion of being a hero and the matter is being looked into.'

 The midnight zephyr blew into the crowds in vain and hoping the night sky would open up to let the downpour. Our hot bodies scrunched together in a small space making all of us agitated, most of them sticking out recorders and microphones to get clearer flags and shoving while doing so. In my hands was the same pen and pad, which I used to scribble down so I could input in the late night meeting after. My boss, Paul stood close beside me, his hand providing my balance at the small of my back. I felt a little uneasy under his touch but dismissed it as loser's talk.  

'I got a few newbies out front to get the full recording,' Barnum leaned down to say into my ear, his voice louder than usual. 'We've to get this on air by dawn.'

I nodded ungainly, not letting my focus deter. This meeting was the only thing that was restricting the maddening thoughts of the incidents that occurred not too long ago.

There was an impending terror on the citizens on the streets, some families holding their children close on the pavements as they strolled by and the evening time snack-vendors moving towards the sounds of the population to avoid any sort of misunderstandings. Not many realized this but I did. People knew that Venom was bound to turn against them but neither thought this could be a conflict. 

'The SFPD's commissioner has authorized the establishment of an elite task force to bring our Lethal Sin behind bars,' the stunted, dark-haired woman spoke clearly. Dr. Ashley Kafka was known for treating the most insane of criminal villains so if the police department were to bring her in, this situation was extensive than we'd estimated. Her sharp nose twitched with the relieved talks that freed, she dimmed her grim smile to a grimace. 

'We all know this is no more than the doings of a man behind the mask. It is the task-force's duty to bring him to justice. Dead or alive.'

The pen fell from my grasp. I raised my eyes to the speaker of the crowds with an awestruck gaze and she had her gaze set past me but it felt as if she were speaking to me. My breaths became sporadic as she continued.

'Until this distraught criminal is caught, I'd advise the citizens to not stay out too late and keep public intelligence to a minimum. For the children and for our future, please stay safe because we have nothing to fear. Nothing at - '

A loud, pealing scream echoed past the throngs of reporters. The crowd parted into a semicircle to observe the scene. Many more screams rattled through as the action unfolded, my heart gripping tight into my throat. Another womanly shriek traversed after, unsettling us all together.

'It's Venom! Run!'

When fear embedded into the hearts, the crowds hit the ground shrieking for their lives and some cameramen stayed behind a few bushes to get the sequence on tape. The troubled citizens dispersed into various street corners to save their lives. Behind me, Dr. Kafka's handlers were quick to act, ushering her into the nearest vehicle and clearing the scene. The central speaker's podium was left empty and a distracted man knocking it down the stairs in a hurry and spinning to the bottom of the open stairway. Meanwhile, Barnum was nowhere to be found so I assumed he'd taken off somewhere woth the masses ahead.

 Ahead, Venom was in an apparent state of unfiltered ferocity as his clawed fists scratched the grassy center-ground of the city square and screeching into the night. His prehensile lingua that was latched between the strong set of fangs was emitting a green, acidic substance which was entirely new to Venom making me question this new character. The thick amorphous veins that lined thick thew on his arms looked too white to be normal. His arrowhead like eyes pulled back with every time he focused on a running victim as if finding his desired prey.

I was swift to act, stumbling down the remaining set of steps and crouching behind the podium. The symbiote screeched louder, the ground rattling with his every pound to the ground and wreaking havoc as another scream belittled into the air. I sneaked a glance from the edge, my breath hitching as I saw the unknown faces of few citizens groaning or unconscious on the ruined patches of land. 

The police department started their attack on the loose symbiote, rounding the ten-foot tall monster. I saw one of the cops motion to me, screaming at his lungs to move me from the scene of action. I couldn't. This had gone way too far and I had to make it stop.

If it were Eddie in there, he would listen. He wouldn't hurt me and I trusted my intuition.

I straightened from my hiding spot, using my one-arm balance to pounce over the podium and walk staggering, towards the maniacal alien. The creature snapped his neck to my gaze, his lips letting out a gruesome roar. Around me, the chief savagely ordering at his crew of members over the megaphone.

'Ceasefire, immediately! We've got a civilian on the field!'

'Roger that. Aiming target mark, over.'

I flinched out of fear. Raising my hands in surrender when silence fell after the cocking of guns, I took a small but brave step forward. The creature looked down at my moving feet and I sucked in a shaky breath. He had his attention on me, so I had the upper hand.

'You know me,' I murmured in a bare minimum. 

His amorphous suit's matter shifted slightly, growls still erupting from within. His fists hit the ground in curiosity, taking a long whiff and his yellow fangs peeking out sharper and more dangerously. I struggled to maintain my cool mask, my palms shuddering from the long wait. 

Something odd had gotten into Venom's head. And if it affected Eddie adversely, the situation could get out of hand. My theory was at the brink of confirming which related to multiple personalities within Venom. Maybe, Tel-Kar's nudges could have instigated this monstrous part in the usually calm symbiote and triggered a set of murderous tendencies. If Venom was still in there, there could be a chance of bringing him back. A take on reality and from someone he was used to other than Eddie. So, it had to be me.

The acidic green substance that dripped from the edges of its dark lips coated the mud, leaving a sizzling substance behind. My boots crunched the burnt grass making the symbiote rustle. His clawed hands reached out, the gleaming white talons closing in on me. I couldn't run, scream nor move. I'd gotten myself in a trap.

'Target acquired, chief.'

When I thought all hope was lost, a spritz of white discharge flung through the night and encrusted over the manic symbiote's eyes. Another bloom of the matter lined over Venom's talons before he could reach out to remove the obstruction and sealing his thew-built arms to the ground. 

'Is that the dude from - '

'Open fire at target!'

The same webs of white corded itself onto the frontal part of my chest, hoisting me upwards with a crank of my neck. Soon I was soaring past the city hall and the officers already starting to fire pistols at the struggling symbiote as he fought against the web-by restraints. Meanwhile, I followed the trail of white to nothing, my body crashing into a wall of muscle as we landed safely into an alley. I let my feet balance myself, pulling myself away from the red-and-blue suited superhero who was new to town. 

He wasn't all new to me when I discerned who it was. 

'Peter?!' I squalled with surprise. 'What the - how did you - '

Peter Parker, Queen's very own Spiderman. Every youngster looked up to his web-slinging awesomeness and how he'd made it to every single crime scene around New York and helping residents around the clock. Now all that mattered to me was, what the hell was he doing halfway around the States at this hour?

'Spring break started yesterday,' he responded back easily, running back to the site of gunshots. 'I'm staying here for the rest of the vacation with Mr. Stark.'

A growl from Venom rang through the air along with another load of fire. I sprinted back to his side and he let out a string of 'no's latching a strong hand over my shoulder to restrain me from going further. 'You uh, can't go out there.'

'I have to,' I struggled to push off his arm. Damn it, for a tiny person, he bagged a hell lot of strength. Oh wait, he was Spiderman. 'Eddie needs me.'

'No, but that - '

'Let me go!' 

'That isn't Venom, Ms. Sharp,' he confessed with a grunt of pain when I struck an elbow into his chest. I stopped my travails as soon as the words left his masked mouth. I cranked my gaze back to the action-packed scene and back at him. He rubbed his chest with a puff of breath. The symbol of the spider on his chest glowed lightly and his eyes changing locus shapes as he concentrated on the commotion ahead.

'That's not even a symbiote.'

'How . . . '

The beast let out a howling screech that rattled the ground once again, smashing past two cop cars and disappearing into a short road. The sizzling flames and beeping cop cars rang through the air, making Peter sigh and snap off his mask.

'Great, I lost my lead.'

I cast a short-lived glance at Peter and noticed that nothing much had changed. He was still the winsome, tiny and somehow superhumanly strong boy. He sported a pout when he looked up at me.

'What?'

'I er,' I started and shook my head, knowing I had to rephrase that since I was going for a question. 'So you know about the murders, too?'

He was shocked, rooting him on spot. 'There were murders?!'

'I thought you said you had leads.'

'I had a lead,' he corrected. 'You made me -'

'You're of no help,' I cut into his blames and rubbed the bridge of my nose. 'Grr, I've got to get back to work.'

'Me too.'

'Uh, no you don't,' I grabbed the rubber mask out of his hands and walked swiftly to the edge of the alley. I mentally jotted down the list of things I had on my agenda that night.

'You're accompanying me.'

Peter unfroze, looking at me skeptically. 'What, where?'

'You, Parker, are going to help me write an article that's gonna blow this capital away.'

He tried reaching for the mask in my hands but I reached it higher than my head, so he ended up tip-toeing for it. Before I could begin a victory hoot, he'd reeled a long web onto the mask and snatched it out of my hands. I sighed.

'The city thinks Venom is the cause behind this,' I started on a serious note. 'Knowing Eddie, he's not going to stop his ways and the cops are going to get to him. I have to reap the benefits of my job for this one.'

A beat passed for his deep thoughts. A small smile stretched on his face as he shrugged. Peter had no choice but to help me if he needed leads for his own scenarios.

'Y'know,' he trailed off, 'you're always the one who ends up saving Eddie's ass and I'm the means to it.'

I cocked a brow, my heart leaping at the mention of Eddie's name. 'Language, kiddo. I'm still your guardian for the night.'

'Right,' he nodded slyly as if he noticed my demeanor change with the remark of his name. 'What about Mr. Stark?'

I couldn't handle an estranged billionaire in the midst of this. I had bigger things to deal with.

'Not a word to him.'

He winked and held up three fingers, a groan leaving my lips knowing what was coming. 'I will. Scout's honor.'

- ♣ -

[ w/n: then what the hell is it?! theories, anybody? I'd love to hear you out! and hey, Petey the spidey is back in the game and he's staying for good. damn, I love peter too much and it's getting unhealthy. sheesh. ]