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SPIDER-MAN

Tangled Web

Chapter 9

(With Friends Like These)

While New York was the city that never sleeps, it could never be called the city that never eats. The melting pot of mixed cultures might as well have been simmering a fine stew. There were countless courier and delivery jobs for everyone's side hustle, but Diego had been doing fine sticking to just food delivery. The tips were good enough that he might be able to move into an apartment with fewer roommates and get a little more room for himself. His slicked back black hair was kept neatly beneath his red hat and his red shirt was emblazoned with a flower blossom of pizza slices that was the symbol of his current vendor. His clean-shaven face made him look younger than he really was.

Spinning his body to squeeze between two rather oblivious pedestrians, Diego kept his cargo safe as he reached his destination. He moved up the slightly sloped cement steps like a champ, coming up to the over-painted sentry door on the front of the complex. He glanced up at how many windows were on the building, then back down at the door before him, then finally the electronic lock on the side. He reached over and pressed the buzzer for suite 1A. The pause was almost long enough that he started to grow concerned, but finally the door clicked, and the smile returned to Diego's face.

As the street noise of New York fell away behind him, the delivery boy moved down the hallway, smelling the faint savory and salty aroma of Bianchi's famous sauce and cheese infused with just a bit of pepper jack. Diego reached the end of the hall, spotted the 1A and knocked on the door to the apartment - a door that was ajar. With the knock, the door eased open a few inches. Diego winced a little. Delivery boys weren't supposed to open the door, but someone had let him into the building so someone had to be home…

“Hello?" Diego called out, “Pizza delivery…" he called out. There were muffled noises somewhere in the apartment, though not a clear answer. Maybe they were just really busy putting groceries away or something and had left the door open so he could drop off the pizza? With reluctance, Diego slowly eased the door open. At first it swept across the kitchenette area covered with the cartons of other food deliveries, but as it swung wider Diego laid eyes on a sight he'd only ever seen on the screen of a computer. While his jaw dropped, his fingers still managed to grip onto the pizza box.

The most handsome, muscle-bound man Diego had ever seen stood with legs spread wide and bare, hairy ass cheeks on full display as his hips pistoned in and out of an even hairier ass before him. His partner was on all fours, rolling his head side to side, his curly black hair nearly blending into the forest of black hair that ran down his broad back. The top had shaggy grayish-brown hair and a beard worthy of the daddies from the raunchiest of films Diego had ever watched, but the man before him was truly a beast. In fact, the rod wobbling below him didn't look human. It was long, tapered, as red as a tomato and it came to a point. In fact, above that hairy ass was a thick black tail that was wagging.

While neither had been disturbed by the knock or even the voice of another man in the apartment, the aroma of the hot pizza finally reached them. Both bearded men turned their heads, eyes a bright yellow and mouths lined with fangs. The bottom's face was distended around the teeth like a short muzzle, his nose shifted and dark black, moist. As he lifted up on clawed hands, his chest revealed more nipples than it should have had and that long, pepper-like cock sprang to attention. His pointed ears were tipped with black fuzz, and he whimpered reluctantly as his mate, his Alpha, pulled out.

Diego still stood there, paralyzed as the Alpha approached him with confidence, charisma, and not an ounce of shame. His cock was also inhuman, though it was bigger than the largest dildo Diego had ever seen. It glistened with copious pre, shiny and slick. His balls were low slung, the sack covered in gray fur. A patch of white was spreading across his chest. He came up to stand before Diego, a smile crossing his lips which forced his beard to conform around it. The tip of his tongue ran across the points of his fangs as he took in the young man.

“You didn't run…" JJ said, his voice deep, his amber eyes looking nearly molten as he took in the delivery boy.

“N-no sir…" Diego muttered. Where had the sir come from? JJ nearly laughed.

“I'm pretty sure this is the setup to some adult movies." JJ said. Diego nodded.

“It is, sir." Diego replied.

“Then I guess the question is, as cliche as they are, do you like those kinds of movies?" JJ asked. Diego swallowed a little before nodding eagerly. He didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't thinking with his head anymore. JJ growled a little in pleasure. He took the pizza from the delivery boy, set it on the counter, then wrapped a strong arm around his shoulder. Pulling him inside the apartment, he used a clawed foot to close the door with a click. JJ guided Diego around the couch and over towards Ali, clearly enjoying the almost hypnotic way the young man was responding to the situation.

“I want to introduce you to my boyfriend, Ali." JJ went on, reaching down. He unbuttoned Diego's jeans and drew the zipper down, reaching in to adjust his underwear before pulling out a hard cock. Resting the warm flesh on his hand, he nudged Diego closer. Diego gasped and inhaled as he felt the hot, wet ring of Ali's ass start to engulf his cock. Diego shivered and moaned, eyes widening and half lidding as he slid in deeper and deeper. JJ leaned in, nuzzling his lips across Diego's neck, “That's werewolf cum on your cock…" JJ said.

“Fuck me, pup…" Ali panted, his voice inhumanly deep. More and more black fur was sprouting across his shoulders, his back, his ribs. The ottoman he was bent over was torn to shreds by the long ivory claws curving out of his fingertips. Diego reached down with shuddering hands, taking a hold of Ali's furry hips. With the big fluffy tail wagging and the posture he'd adopted, it was almost like he was fucking a dog… and for some reason that turned him on in ways he'd never even begun to think about before.

Diego started to push forward and pull back, hesitantly at first, but then faster and faster. Ali fell back into his previous rhythm, throwing his hips back over and over, making the young man plow his ass. The more he got into it, the more he changed. Knees and elbows popped and snapped. His arms gained more muscle by the second but the black fur that covered them made them seem even bigger. Ali rolled his head side to side as his face groaned and creaked, stretching into a full muzzle. The portions of his skin that were visible grew smaller and smaller until nothing was left but the tip of his wet, black nose, his leathery lips, his nipples and his paw pads.

A look of rapture was crossing Diego's face as he kept going, hearing the wet, lewd sounds as his cock plunged into that well used ass. The off-white cream of JJ's previous gifts was oozing out around his groin, dripping into his bush and rolling down his balls, staining his jeans and Diego didn't care. He'd fantasized about something like this and now it was happening, except it was so much stranger and more amazing than anything his limited brain could have comprehended. He panted, going at it, though a shiver ran down his spine as he felt his pants and underwear yanked down, his belt having apparently been cut by the Alpha's thumb claw.

Diego didn't even bother to look back over his shoulder as he felt those strong paws slide around his ribs and up his shirt, rubbing his chest and teasing his nipples. He closed his eyes as he felt that hot, slick meat pushing between his cheeks, prying open an asshole that had only known lube and toys before. He shivered as he felt that hot mouth against his neck again, licking and sucking from lips that were less and less human by the second. It was very likely he might end up as the food that had been delivered to these two beasts, but there was an equal chance that he might get a tip that would change his life forever.

As JJ pushed in, Diego kept going, buffeting back and forth between Ali's ass and the Alpha's cock. He murmured and moaned, hornier than he'd ever been, his nipples as hard as diamonds. He was sweating from the exertion, sandwiched in between two hairy monsters. He kept going, feeling the synapses in his brain building up and up towards fever pitch. His balls were already starting to tug up and his cock was throbbing. He felt the blinding wave of orgasm strike as he started to deliver his modest human seed into the already full vessel before him, but then something hot and searing pierced into his neck.

Feeling his lungs rush with the sudden gasp of air, Diego didn't pull away from the fang lined maw that had bitten into his neck and shoulder. He felt the hot leak of blood and saliva running down to stain his shirt, he felt his heart rushing to deliver his vital fluids through his body despite the leak. He felt spasms of his cock as it kept going despite the pain, and he felt a tingle spread through his head and face and shoulders as if the buzzing numbness of an inconsiderate napping position had come to life.

Tasting the delivery boy's blood, smelling his orgasm, feeling his body accept the life of a predator, JJ couldn't help but to cum. The base of his lycan cock bloated, locking him inside the former virgin's ass just before spurt after spurt of copious seed flooded his intestines. JJ slowly released his bite and began to lick the wound. Diego felt so strange, so amazing, in an afterglow more powerful than he'd ever experienced in his life. He blinked lazily, the brown of his eyes gilding slowly as if dipped in gold.

The innocence of the delivery boy had been despoiled and it was already showing on his face. The clean shaven, boyish charm he had was eroded as peach fuzz pushed out and grew dark, giving Diego a mustache that was split in the middle but curved down on either side. Similar hairs sprouted from the point of his chin, pushing out centimeter by centimeter, hanging down in an ever longer tuft. His ears were already stretching to points and the perfectly groomed line of hair on his neck was growing uneven and unkempt. JJ sniffed, taking it all in, his heart racing with the thrill of welcoming someone else to the pack.

****

The city glittered like a thousand jewels, lights winking on and off while others were as steady as the North Star. Where light was cast, though, shadow often fell. Even with glowing bodegas, the apartments and tenements above were dark. It was just how Black Cat liked it. His lithe, flexible suit accommodated the unusual positions as he made his way up to the fire escape, moving up with muffled toe tips as steps. Reaching his intended destination, he brandished one particularly advanced looking glove. An almost razor thin translucent claw emerged from the fingertip.

Crouching down, he drew the claw along the window while a digital display began feeding data across the goggles over his eyes. While there was a security system, it was a do-it-yourself modular kit that relied on cellular signal. Beneath the mask, Black Cat's lips curved into a wicked smile. Reaching to an armband around his left bicep, Black Cat tapped a few controls to put out a jamming signal. Once he was satisfied it was going, he gingerly lifted the window into the apartment, slunk one leg in and then slipped the rest of his body through. Rising back up to his full height, he couldn't help but take in the decor.

“Nice place." he whispered to himself, eyes drifting from expensive paintings and sculptures to exquisite furniture and carpets. He maneuvered around the apartment with a practiced ease, navigating around the arc of a motion sensor. Just because it wouldn't report him now didn't mean it wouldn't call in once the jamming was gone. He checked drawers and cabinets with a mix of excitement and curiosity as if he were an archaeologist rather than a thief.

Items of particular value were slipped into an ever-growing bag strapped to his back.

He licked his lips as he spotted a rather high-end tablet. Ensuring it was off, he let it slip into his bag and took a step back, freezing as his shoulder intersected something that clearly had not been there a moment before. Turning his head, the Black Cat came face to face - or rather mask to mask - with another individual in a bodysuit who was currently holding a desk safe with one hand. Black Cat's mouth fell open a bit in shock at first before curling into a grin.

“You have got to be kidding me…" he murmured, “It's Tuesday, right? I could have sworn I put in my reservation to rob this place on Tuesday…" Black Cat posed. The other individual frowned, the curve of the lips barely visible through the black mesh over the mouth of his black and burgundy suit.

“I don't have time for distractions." The other man commented. He had broken in with careful precision after scoping out the apartment for days. He knew the location of everything he had wanted. That recon was now in jeopardy due to this unexpected interloper. Black Cat held up his clawed hands defensively.

“I get it, I get it… We've all got mouths to feed or whatever. Just tell me what you want most and I'll leave you to it. I'm Black Cat, by the way." he smiled. The other still frowned.

“We're not going to be friends." He replied. Black Cat shrugged.

“Acquaintances? Business associates? Mutual alibis?" he smiled. The other man let out a long, suffering sigh. He set the desk safe down, the table shuddering under its weight. Black Cat's spine stiffened a bit as he realized just how heavy the object had been, meaning that his counterpart possessed a strength that was beyond any normal measure.

“Looter." he replied simply. Black Cat blinked behind his goggles.

“Is that what you're doing? Or your name?" Black Cat asked. The other thief growled, and Black Cat winced. “Sorry, sorry, I kid… Looter. Efficient. I like it."

“Did you come for anything specific or just to be a pain in the ass?" Looter asked. Black Cat grinned sharply at that and gave a flexible shrug.

“Why not both?" he asked. Looter gave one more growling sigh.

“Just shut up and steal something before I decide to punt you through the wall." he murmured, moving to pick the safe back up. As he lifted the heavy object, however, it slowly retracted back to the table as if on a bungee cord. Looter snapped his head over to Black Cat, “This is mine. I said I don't have time for distractions." he said. Black Cat held up his clawed gloves.

“I didn't do anything!" he swore.

“Yeah, I'm afraid that would be my fault…" A new voice commented. The other two turned, only able to make the figure out in the shadows now that they were looking for it. The muscled figure was coated from head to toe in an inky black offset only by a warped spider emblem sprawled over the chest.

“Are you trying to rob this place too?" Looter asked with annoyance.

“Uh, that's Spider-Man…" Black Cat whispered. Looter looked at his would-be associate and then back at the black clad superhero.

“I'm not sure I get the whole dynamic here between the two of you, but I do know that neither of you should be here. I'm going to ask politely that you both leave without any of the things you've nabbed so far." Spider-Man said. Even as Black Cat opened his mouth to say something, Looter reached over to grab the smaller thief with one hand and hurl him across the room before turning to run for the window. Peter grunted, spreading his feet as he caught the tumbling thief in both arms, setting him unceremoniously down before launching a web from his right arm that splattered across Looter's back. Looter didn't slow down even as the web grew taught, yanking Spider-Man off his feet and dragging him across the room.

“This wasn't what I meant by leaving peacefully!" Spider-Man called out, hearing the glass shatter and the window frame crack as Looter lunged through it. Peter looked back to see Black Cat reaching for his backpack. “And I said leave it!" Peter growled, shooting a web out of his other wrist to grab Black Cat by the shoulder. For the second time in as many moments, Black Cat was yanked off his feet and the trio went hurtling out of the window and over the edge of the fire escape like beads on a string.

Looter landed with a thud on the street just a moment before Spider-Man dropped down behind him. A quick move of his arms created a rudimentary series of webs that slowed Black Cat down so he was only minorly injured when he hit the street. The distraction was enough to limit Peter's senses when warning of the fist coming in at a breakneck speed. Venom, however, was not so easily caught off guard. A black hand with wicked claws shot up, catching Looter's fist and stopping it before it hit him. Looter grunted in surprise. The black goo covering Peter's arm was tightening and thickening, bulging out to apply the necessary force.

“You've been working out, haven't you?" Peter asked. Looter nearly snorted.

“You're not the only one with special talents, bug boy." Looter replied.

“Apparently, though I kind of wish more people would use them to benefit others instead of themselves." Peter said. Looter moved to kick Spider-Man. While the foot hit his stomach and pushed him back a good foot, he used the inertia to move into a spin kick and hit Looter in the ribs with a glistening black foot. Looter grunted hard, sliding to the side. For the first time since realizing his newfound strength, he'd found someone that was an equal match. Worse than that, Spider-Man had more experience. Given time, he'd wear him down. That meant there was only one outcome left. Looter reached to his belt and pulled out a small metallic capsule. Throwing it down, it cracked open with an explosion of smoke and light.

Venom's white splotch eyes narrowed tightly as he tried to shift to another form of vision but by the time he did, he couldn't find Looter. He couldn't see any footprints on the street or detect any currents in the way the smoke was expanding. It was as if he was just gone. Peter exhaled a bit, turning back behind him to find that the other thief had also slipped away. The only consolation was that he hadn't been able to retrieve his backpack full of ill-gotten gains. Spider-Man moved over to the wall and began crawling back up the brick edifice to secure the apartment. He wasn't sure exactly what had drawn the two different cat burglars to the same spot, but it seemed best to inform the apartment owner that their security was badly in need of an upgrade.

****

Few teenagers were enthused about being forced to spend time with their parents, but for Harry Osborn that seemed like an understatement. The sulking teenager was slumped in the back seat, his face set in a deep scowl. Being the trophy son was a burden he'd never born well, but his father's insistence that he choose another color for his hair still stung. The words still echoed in his mind; 'pink is a weak color.' Step one had been to bleach the pink out of it, leaving him with straw colored hair at the moment. Harry had found it harder to find a suit that went with it before settling on a silver number accented with a nice watch, cufflinks and diamond ear studs. If he was trapped in a cage with his dad, it was at least a gilded one.

As the car continued on its commute, Harry started to feel a little odd that his father hadn't noticed his sullen mood. His father typically would have tried to figure out the root cause of his bad mood and fix it, or at the very least insist that he put on a good mask for the public. Instead, he'd just been staring at his phone all night, the light of the screen bottom lighting his angular face and making it look a little more intimidating. The limousine had driven from a press release to a social event and all of that was building to a gala that evening. Norman was dressed in a brand-new suit that showed off the shape of his shoulders and arms. It looked black but if the light hit it just right, a green metallic quality shone into view.

“Was the press release damage control?" Harry asked, breaking the silence. Norman's eyes darted up, almost as if he'd just remembered Harry was there. His eyes were distant, and it took a moment for them to recenter on the here and now.

“What? No…" Norman said, the focus and determination filtering back into his features, “Damage control for what?" Harry hesitated, not sure if lining the failures of their empire would be wise, especially before a big event. Norman saw the gears turning in his son's eyes and he let out a bit of a grunt, “Well, maybe…" he amended, “It's good for the general public to get the general sense of where we're going without overloading them on the specifics." Norman said with more certainty. Harry nodded a little.

“And what's this party for tonight?" he asked. Norman grinned that wicked, sharp, grin.

“To overload our investors with the specifics." he smirked. Despite his ill temper, Harry smiled a little himself. His father always seemed to have a plan. Norman looked down at his phone as if contemplating before he turned it off, returning it to his pocket. Leaning back a little, he sized up his son, “Speaking of which, how is school going? How are your friends? Has anyone caught your eye?" Norman asked. Harry's eyes went so wide he was momentarily afraid they'd roll out of his skull.

“I, uh, I mean… we went over my report card together. School's good." Harry said. He avoided using the word 'fine' which was essentially a dirty word in the Osborn family. It was shorthand for 'meeting minimum expectation' which translated to failure in the business world. As tough as the first question was, the rest was even tougher. It wasn't like he could tell his dad that his best friend was merged with alien goo or that his best friend's on again, off again boyfriend had once turned into a lizard. Harry decided to sit on that question and move on to the tougher question. He shook his head a little, “and I think it's more a matter of me catching someone else's eye." he said. Norman chuckled gently.

“I remember that…" He murmured, “I would tell you to go out there and grab life by the horns, but I know it's changed. The same rulebook that worked for me isn't going to work anymore." Norman said, pursing his lips a little in thought, “I'm not sure the kind of people at the gala tonight are even the kind of people you'd want to bring home, but think of it as an opportunity to put yourself out there. You're brilliant, you're creative, you're talented, you're handsome, and you're one of the most eligible bachelors in the whole city. Don't hide behind a shell of mediocrity. Live in your success and glow as bright as a sun." Norman said. Harry opened his mouth, closed it halfway and then nodded a little.

“Okay dad…" He said, a little surprised by the barrage of compliments. Norman smiled for a few moments, though glancing out of the window his eyes narrowed a little more dangerously. He reached over and pressed the intercom button.

“Barton, pull over for a minute." Norman said. Harry looked up in surprise. They weren't anywhere near their final destination.

“Why are we stopping?" he asked. Norman was already removing his seatbelt as the car pulled up to the curb and parked.

“JJ lives just up the street here. He hasn't stopped by to visit the rest of us recently. I just thought I'd check on him." Norman said. Harry smiled a little more.

“That's really nice." Harry said, astounded that his father would make the time. It seemed their time in space had bonded the group of astronauts more than he even realized. Norman opened the door and stepped out, rising up to his full height as the door slipped shut behind him. The kind, thoughtful face that had been stretched across his features fell away in the blade of shadow between the car door and the streetlight. When he stepped onto the curb he had the face of a man on a mission.

****

The narrow door to the apartment complex opened with a faint wheeze. Norman's face was set in grim lines, his suit seeming entirely out of place amid the walls painted with the callous disregard of a landlord doing less than the bare minimum. Norman turned to a slight angle as moved down the long hall, preventing any part of himself from brushing the architecture until he came to a stop in front of the door of John Jonah Jameson the third's apartment. Thinking of his full name caused Norman's face to tighten into a menacing sneer as he thought of the astronaut's father, the current thorn in his side, but he forced himself to focus on why he had come here. There was a greater purpose at work.

A mask of polite regard swept across Osborn's face, the sharp edges melting and softening like butter on a hot summer's day. A hand went up and rapped three times on the door. There was a little scuffling on the other side, an expected burst of surprise and then quiet. Norman took a moment to regard a spider that was making a web at the end of the hall, though his attention soon galvanized when he realized that the bustle inside hadn't amounted to a response of any kind. Norman's mask tightened as the anger beneath began to bubble. He raised his hand and rapped five times this time, the intensity increased as well. Before his fist could hit the door a sixth time, the door lurched open.

The wall of scents and aromas hit Norman before he could even look at JJ, his eyes nearly watering from the overpowering odor of sex and sweat and the mild tang of human blood. Norman was almost caught off guard, though as his senses swirled, something else sprung up inside him like a coiled snake waiting to go off. His eyes dilated sharply, his mouth going wide and narrow at the same time, his ears burning with sudden circulation. Osborn looked up at the face of JJ, or at least the face it had grown into. He wouldn't have been able to recognize him on the street. His immaculate grayish-brown hair was now an unruly shag, sticking up and curling out in wild curves while a beard hugged his rugged face.

“Norman?" JJ asked in surprise.

“Of course it's me. Have you been gone from our team so long that you forgot?" Norman asked, his eyes sweeping across the apartment. It was a maelstrom of empty food cartons, bed sheets and pillows and torn up clothing. There were two other occupants as well, a rather hirsute shirtless Arabic man on the couch with a very dense, bushy beard and a smaller young man in a stained pizza delivery shirt sporting a split mustache and a three-inch goatee, as well as a rather glassy look to his eyes as he leaned against the other.

“I meant… that I didn't expect to see you here." JJ said. Norman's eyebrow arched a little, realizing that JJ's voice had dropped ever so slightly. Norman realized his shoulders and arms seemed bigger too, almost as if he'd been working out every moment since their crash landing. Norman glanced along the hallway, noticing a fine layer of dust on the only other door in the hall. He turned back, meeting eyes directly with JJ.

“You're overdue for a check in. Things are developing at OsCorp. I expect to see you Monday, your choice on when." Norman said. JJ's muscles tightened a bit.

“The mission ended; the Glider was trashed. I don't see-" JJ was cut off as Norman's hand slammed into the door frame, fingers tightening until the painted wood began to groan and then, ever so slowly, crack. Norman hadn't broken eye contact with JJ.

“Normally I'd play coy and spare your guests the details, but I can already tell that whatever happened to you has spread to them." Norman hissed, “The simple truth is that we came back different. As you can imagine that sort of thing hasn't been looked at fondly in the grand history of humanity. It is up to us to ensure our mutual safety, but it is also up to us to harness these abilities for our mutual gain. You were part of our team up there. Are you part of our team down here?" Norman asked. JJ was silent for a long moment before he turned his head, looking back to Ali. Ali gave a gentle nod of his thick, curly black hair. JJ looked back at Norman.

“I'll be there Monday afternoon." he said finally. Norman's smile returned, though it wasn't any less concerning than his scowl had been.

“Good, good…" Norman said, releasing the door frame as he stood up straighter, “I can't wait to catch up and compare notes. It seems we have a lot to share." He dusted off his jacket a little before looking up again, “And if you're able to get yourselves cleaned up, you and your boys are welcome at the mayor's gala. Then again, sometimes it's fun to stay dirty." Norman shrugged before he turned and moved back down the hallway. JJ slowly closed the door, standing there for a long moment. When he turned around to face Ali and Diego, his hazel eyes had turned completely golden, and his ears were already pushing into points.

“Hey, hey, hey. It's okay!" Ali said, springing to feet that were tipped by claws. He moved over and grabbed JJ, their faces coming together into a hairy, beard rimmed kiss of hungry tongues. JJ started to relax, even as a clawed hand sunk into his hair. Ali kissed him deeply, pressing their groins together and grinding a little. JJ broke the kiss with a soft growl. Ali started to pet JJ's beard, gazing into his eyes. “We knew our little paradise would be interrupted at some point…"

“I just didn't want it to be him." JJ said. Ali nodded, taking JJ's hand to lead him back to the couch. JJ sunk down at the far end with Ali in the middle.

“I know you lived modestly so you could save up and not live beyond your means. I also know that meant we didn't have to leave the apartment for months or years aside from getting a few provisions, but even that went a little sideways." Ali smirked.

“I didn't mean to walk in on you two, I just… heard noises…" Diego said, his clawed hand already groping the shorts of his uniform where an already inhuman erection was throbbing needlingly.

“It's okay pup, don't worry." JJ said affectionately.

“What I'm saying is, maybe it isn't bad to keep up that income, in case we want to move somewhere upstate or something later." Ali said. JJ thought about it and nodded slowly before he leaned in closer.

“You're so smart, babe." JJ said before he kissed Ali again. The wet, lewd sound of them making out only made Diego groan with arousal before he began trying to slide in beneath their arms, his hips already starting to gyrate with the anticipation of their glorious third act of love making that was doubtless to come.

****

The Mayor's Ball - hosted this year at the newly built Denoma building, seemed to be a spectacle for the sake of spectacle. Search lights raked back and forth across the columns of light drawing attention down. The building itself, with its glass arched ceiling, allowed the ample illumination to create an aurora of light above the venue itself. As if that wasn't enough, nearly every guest was dressed with accents or in entire wardrobes of shiny materials. Camera flashes went off as Norman and Harry moved along the red carpet, Norman showing off his best smile and Harry doing a passable interpretation.

There were questions hurled out about the shuttle accident and Norman's company, someone calling him a space cowboy for lack of a better term. Norman just smiled and waved with a practiced hand, though he felt a little bit of relief as he passed the threshold and stepped inside. Harry came up behind his right shoulder, looking around with genuine interest. Norman paused a moment, While Harry was still a little shorter than most of his classmates, Norman remembered when he wouldn't have been able to see anything from that angle. He really was growing up.

“Norman…" The voice was sensuous, fluid, gentle and yet cloying. Norman looked up to see Frances in a gorgeous blue dress. It had strips and segmentations that seemed almost like bird feathers or fish scales, shimmering with every slight movement. Norman nearly leered, loving the way she filled out the dress.

“Frances, my dear, it is my ultimate pleasure." he said, lifting her hand to kiss it. She smiled, holding eye contact with him for a long moment before she looked up.

“Harry, you look so handsome tonight." she said.

“Thank you." Harry replied a little bashfully. “I, uh, I'm going to go find the drinks. You two have fun." he said before excusing himself through the crowd. Frances smiled as he passed before looking back at Norman.

“What did he mean?"

Steam wafted up from the storm drains and the manhole covers, geysers of vapor marking the hidden world running beneath the city's feet - hidden to most. Green, leathery nostrils flared as they took in the air, a forked tongue darting out to collect even more sensory data before darting back in behind the shield of fangs that lined the creature's muzzle. Large legs walked slowly, clawed toes ever so silently clicking on the cement and the asphalt as a long-tapered tail swung back and forth to counterbalance its broad shoulders and long arms. As the lizard stepped into the light, dozens of ivory spines glistened where they emerged from its head, neck, elbows and tail.

The muzzled face curved into a smile. Kurt simply couldn't help himself. He reached out with both arms, something he most certainly couldn't do as a human, and he started grazing his claws along the brick wall and the line of cars respectively. His claws cut through the cars like butter, slicing quarter panels and setting off alarms. A couple out for a walk emerged from an alley ahead, let out a short scream and darted back down the way they had come. Kurt almost laughed at that. Humans were so limited in their thinking. Perhaps that was why he had been one of the very first to elevate themselves to something more.

“Hey, hey, hey! You're going to increase the insurance rates around here if you keep that up…" A young voice quipped from somewhere behind and above. Everything had worked just as Kurt had expected which meant that either of the responses he had imagined would still be viable. Would he react like an animal and strike out, or would he be civil and act like he knew who had stalked him without even turning around? When it all came down to it, he was here to perform an experiment.

The Lizard spun, tail whipping and arms reaching out at the same time. Sparks erupted from joints on the fire escape, causing it to suddenly lurch sideways. Spider-Man had leapt effortlessly off the surface, landing on the sidewalk behind him. He swept his tail back again like a whip, causing Spider-Man to jump over it before the tail hit the wall with a loud thud.

“Easy there, big guy, I think you're a bit tall for this ride." Spider-Man said. Kurt let out a long growl.

“No thanksssss to your interference." Kurt said. Spider-Man put a hand on his hip.

“Really, the sibilant S? Is that on purpose, or is it really a thing?" He asked. Kurt's leathery brow ridges furrowed.

“Were you this annoying before you got your powers?" Kurt asked.

“I must admit, it did help me come out of my shell a bit." Spider-Man shrugged. Kurt tried not to show his satisfaction. With one question he had confirmed that it was not something he'd had his entire life, meaning either latent onset of a repressed mutation or something triggered by something external like his own change.

“I know the feeling… despite your previous effortssss." Kurt replied.

“I had a feeling that was you in there. Doc, you should know more than anyone the dangers of relapsing. That stuff is too dangerous. It doesn't just change your body; it changes your mind." Spider-Man said, holding out his hands, “Let me help you."

“Like you helped my son? Nearly destroying his relationship? Like you helped his friends? Nearly costing them their sports scholarships?" The Lizard asked, taking a step forward, letting out a growl that reverberated from his very large chest cavity. Spider-Man kept the backwards pace, effortlessly stepping down off a curb without looking.

“If the scholarships are built on lies, they'll carry that weight into college, and it will chase them like a shadow they can never shake. They can bounce back from this, and so can you." Spider-Man said. The Lizard slowed to a stop, muscles tensing a little. He raised his arm, lowered it, raised it again.

“You can… help me?" He asked. Spider-Man nodded, stopping and then moving forward again.

“I can, I can. I've got something that'll clear all that junk out of your system and get you back to normal with time to spare for a hearty midnight breakfast at-" Spider-Man stopped mid-word, doubling back nearly in half as a clawed fist closed right where his throat had been. It had been an incredible feat of flexibility, but when his legs got swept out by the Lizard's, he should have fallen flat. Tendrils of black rubbery slime shot out, hitting the ground to spiral him out and over, allowing him to cartwheel back to his feet in the street.

A soft puff and whistle of air was the only warning that the Lizard had somehow ejected some of the bony spikes from his arm, sending them directly at Spider-Man. Even with Spider-Man's enhanced senses and the symbiote's hyper-awareness there was simply only so much they could do in such a short period of time. The symbiote felt the tips of the spikes penetrate the outer centimeter of its surface before it hardened beneath, preventing them from reaching the host's skin. The front seam of the mask split to reveal fangs in growling anger, the teardrop shaped eyes smearing out to white splotches.

“That's it, show me your teeth!" The Lizard growled. Venom lunged suddenly, bringing an uppercut up into the beast's jaw. Kurt grunted, feeling his skull impacted with a force far exceeding the upper limits of human capacity. The first hit had landed so solidly that it was an utter shock for a second, a third, a fourth. Spider-Man had changed tactics completely. No quips, no diplomacy, no mercy. Rings of light were forming at the edge of Kurt's awareness. He was taking damage, but he was learning so much. It also meant that Spider-Man had voluntarily put himself within range.

Again, the Lizard's fist shot out, not to punch, but to grab at Spider-Man's throat again. He started to squeeze and clench and tighten his grip. It should have been enough to splinter a tree-limb but the coating over his flesh was becoming rigid and inflexible like some sort of adaptive armor. More than that, it seemed to be flowing upwards, prying his hand apart. Just as his fingers started to get pried free, the Lizard brought his maw down and clamped down onto the superhero's shoulder. Venom howled out in a combination of shock and rage, but the Lizard merely hissed around his prey.

That forked tongue flecked across the black rubbery coating before the tips pressed into the small glands at the top of his mouth. Spider-Man's suit tasted… alien, synthetic and organic at the same time. Chlorine and saline and - stars suddenly spun across the Lizard's vision as he stumbled backward, his entire world spinning. He most certainly had a concussion and, as his tongue soon confirmed, he was now missing several fangs. They would grow back easy enough but whatever Spider-Man had become, it was clearly far more powerful than any of them had assumed.

“We can't keep doing this…" Spider-Man said, reaching up to rub at his shoulder as his mask seemed to revert back to its previous version, looking as if it had been made as a costume instead of formed out of whatever adaptive and clearly semi-organic material it truly was. Spider-Man held out his hand, flexing his fingers into an unusual position. A sticky translucent white web shot out and snapped back, bringing a syringe into his hand. He lunged forward and the Lizard growled, reaching over to rip a car door off a sedan before hurtling it at Spider-Man. He tucked in tight, feet breaking through the glass of the window as it passed before he landed in front of the Lizard and slammed the syringe into his chest, depressing the plunger. The Lizard backhanded him, sending him into the interior of the now doorless car.

The Lizard turned sharply, slamming his tail into the car to send it spiraling into the road. With Spider-Man clearly dazed, Kurt leaned down to pick up his discarded bone spikes and two of his fangs. With luck some sort of evidence had been left behind that he could use… assuming he got back to his lab in one piece. He could already feel his senses numbing and his heart rate slowing. The Spider-Brat had been right about having something that would clear it out of his system. The Lizard broke into a sprint, heading down the streets as his scales started sloughing off to reveal flesh beneath.

Peter winced inside his mask as he heard cars starting to honk at the obstruction he now occupied. He sat up in the passenger seat, braced his feet in the wheel well and held out his arms to shoot out two webs. Reeling himself in almost like a fisherman, he tugged the car back to the curb and out of traffic. There was little doubt that the insurance rates would be going up around here, and the sheer damage inflicted in just the last few moments of the fight made him rethink the nagging impulse to create some sort of Spider-Mobile if it was just going to be torn up. Peter slipped out of the car and stood up, looking around, feeling a little guilty. Another broken fire escape, a torn-up car… He might have won on a technicality, but he hadn't put the Lizard out of business nearly as long as he hoped. What was worse, Peter felt a nagging dread wondering if Billy knew his dad was mutating himself again.

****

It had been Harry's late mother's wish that he not lose himself in the power, prestige and wealth that his father had amassed in his upbringing. Sometimes Harry wasn't sure how well he had fulfilled that wish. Standing at a banquet put on by the mayor of the city, dressed in finery and being paraded before some of the most influential members of the city… It wasn't until Harry was staring at one of the banquet tables loaded down with food that Harry started to remember what grounded him. He couldn't even identify a quarter of the dishes, and he'd take a good street taco or boba tea over some of the offerings. There was even a bit of repellant curiosity at just how gooey some of the dishes looked.

“Before you say anything, I swear it isn't cat food." A pleasant voice said. Harry turned, seeing a young man a little older than himself, his well-coiffed hair matching his pantone black suit. His coffee-colored skin was complemented by onyx earrings. His smile was broad and friendly, and his eyes looked like sap one might get frozen in.

“Well, this is a fancy feast…" Harry said, trying to think of a joke that would have made Peter groan. The other young man chuckled at that brightly.

“Forgive me if I intruded, but you looked a little…" He trailed off. Harry shook his head.

“No, I'm out of my depths for sure…" he said, pointing as one bleached eyebrow arched, “Caviar?" he asked. The other nodded.

“Yes, and this…" he gestured to the bowl of pâté with shredded bits of meat in a strange gravy, “is essentially the world's most expensive tuna salad." he added. Harry shook his head a little.

“If people don't know what it is, how much of it goes to waste?" Harry asked. The other's eyes glittered a little more at that.

“Uncommon thoughts at such a party, but good ones. The wait staff take their fill, leftovers. There's also a program to distribute it before it goes bad. One of the mayor's brighter ideas. I'm Felix, by the way, Felix Hardy." he said, offering a hand. Harry reached out and took it, giving it a respectable shake.

“Harry Osborn." Harry replied. Felix looked even more intrigued.

“Your father is Norman Osborn?" Felix asked. Harry nodded.

“Not a lot of family resemblance, I'll admit." Harry said. Felix shook his head.

“It's not that, I just… hope you're holding up well with all the press he's been getting." Felix said. Harry looked at Felix for a moment with more appraisal.

“Felix…. Hardy… You work for the Daily Bugle?" he asked.

“You have a very good memory." Felix said with a laugh, reaching to start dishing himself up some of the pate and crackers.

“You wrote an article on the Vacuum Energy Exchange before it went live… Synergistic Energies, the Scylla and Charybdis of modern times…" Harry said in thought. Felix winced a little.

“I guess I had to put my degree to use." he replied.

“It was a good article. I'm surprised more people didn't reference it when the VEX shut down." Harry said. Felix considered commenting that the VEX had, in fact, imploded, but he thought better of it. Harry didn't seem to notice and continued, “And you've been weathering your own press… I heard that the Bugle's headquarters was attacked. Was anyone hurt?" Harry asked. This perked Felix's ears up a little as he raised his head.

“Thankfully no. Jonah was fearless against the monster that came for us, made sure to draw his attention and let the others get out." Felix said.

“And what about you?" Harry asked, deciding he'd at least try some caviar. Felix shrugged a little.

“I always seem to land on my feet." he shrugged.

****

Despite the lab's best design to keep a sterile field, a fine layer of dust had begun to settle after some time of disuse. The keypad affixed to the outer door chirped and beeped as a code was entered, then a louder chirp complaining that it was not correct. A half-human, half-lizard growl of frustration came as the code was entered again. This time the door hissed open. Stepping inside, Kurt reached out with a gnarled, curled, semi-desiccated leathery hand to flick on the light switch. The lights flickered and then snapped to life, illuminating the painfully narrow walkway, the curved wood receptionist desk and the Octavius Industries logo situated neatly above a smaller OsCorp logo.

Kurt used his human hand to close the door behind him before he stalked forward, making his way to a closet situated behind the receptionist's desk. Thankfully there had been a spare lab coat. While a little large for him, it at least preserved his modesty after turning back into a human again. He adjusted it a little, clasping it shut before he headed into the space that had once been reserved for his esteemed peer, Doctor Otto Octavius. Sniffing a little, Kurt wrinkled his semi-human nose at the aroma of stale coffee and faded perfume.

He could feel his senses dulling by the moment as whatever Spider-Man had injected him with circulated through his system. No doubt the twerp had gone right to his own lab to destroy what supplies of mutagenic vapor he had in stock. Thankfully Kurt had gotten more careful after the first time… but no, his mission took precedent. Doctor Octavius' unused lab provided the anonymity and immediacy he required. Kurt nearly dropped his various samples onto the counter, setting them down before he grunted. Clenching his eyes, a dry, raspy tearing sound came as the withered husk of his lizard arm fell away, leaving him with one human arm on the other side. He'd barely made it in time.

It didn't take long for the systems to boot up, recognizing Doctor Connors' login through the shared network. Kurt navigated around with limited ease, preparing augurs and chemical baths and slides. Spider-Man's new suit had been shockingly resilient, but even so he had to have come away with something. As moments trailed into minutes and minutes turned into hours, he'd gotten a battery of tests running by the time he realized there was no more he could do but wait. Exhaling a long, wearied sigh, Kurt headed over to clear out the very neglected coffee pot.

There was no use washing the pot. After so many weeks it was a biological specimen of its own. He tossed it into the garbage chute and rooted around in the cupboards until he found a sealed replacement pot, filter, and coffee. There was a subtle pleasure in the small things as it started to percolate, though it was one more task that would take time, leaving Kurt to his thoughts instead. Leaning against the wall, Kurt looked around, imagining his old friend in his prime. Otto had been full of such confidence and bravado, and yet that had never tempered his brilliant mind. He'd reached out into the very fabric of the universe until it had reached back out.

A slight whir came from one of the machines powering down, then a series of noises announcing tests had completed, though some with errors. Kurt moved over and brought up the results, squinting a little. He'd have to stock this lab a little better, with a copy of his prescription glasses for instance. As he tried to focus his vision, Kurt gasped as something on the screen moved. Several of the tests had failed because the samples had tried to escape… Other tests confirmed that the samples were organic, but the materials that made up the cell walls - if they could be called cell walls - were unknown. All the answers defied description, and yet the conclusion was inescapable. Spider-Man's new suit wasn't just a suit. It was a living thing that was working in coordination with the vigilante. It… was a symbiont.

****

Their thunder had been as constant as the ocean, swelling and breaking across the infinite horizons as massive nebulae of clouds rolled into one another. The blue mists that had coalesced around the transit corridors in the sky like so much condensation had gradually dissipated, leaving instead vast banks of orange clouds, glowing as if illuminated by the mercury lights of an old city. Old city barely scratched the surface in reference to the ruins. The structures rose up like plateaus and mesas amid the barren rock, looking as if they had been carved or molded out of the stone. It had been an entire city sculpted like potter's clay… It had been a treasure trove of knowledge, and a prison.

A fresh crack of thunder rumbled so loud that pebbles shook and vibrated across the parched ground, dancing and skittering along cracks that formed perfect hexagons in the dust and the dirt. The vibrations traveled up the well-worn shoes, through calloused feet, leathery skin, and weary bone. Black canvas-like material covered the figure's form as he moved, continuing his pace. His broad shoulders were hunched, his arms hanging at his sides, and yet something was moving beneath the cloak - slithering, shifting uneasily.

The orange light abated slightly, a blue hue swirling in, casting an almost purple light across what little face peered out from the hood. Eyes were obscured by large, circular glasses that were nearly opaque black. Likewise, the man's mouth had disappeared behind the bushy, unkempt beard that framed that lantern jaw. He spoke nothing, though his eyebrows rose and fell in animation with his thoughts as they unspooled. Facts and figures, numbers and calculations, and then finally the repeating mantra that echoed through his mind, his bane, the thorn that stabbed so deeply into his side. His parched lips curved into a frown.

“Peter Perez…." He murmured, voice horse. His cloak fell back as four metallic, tentacle-like appendages snapped out into view. Three were tipped by triangle-like flaps and gleaming ocular eyes, the fourth still ended abruptly in jagged edges where the tip had been frozen and snapped off. Otto stopped where he was, blinking a little. He reached up to rub his temples, the glasses slowly draining to transparent. The tentacles drooped and retracted, pulling back into his cloak.

“Why…" Otto murmured, “Why now? Why here?" he whispered. It was true that he often thought of Peter and what the prodigy had done to him, but after devouring everything he could at his off-world lab, he'd set off into the ruins to try and find another arc. He'd faced off against creatures and monsters that defied description. He'd also found an annex of the arcane that taught him new sciences and physics… but why had he thought of Peter at that moment? Why had he felt the need to defend himself? Why…."

Otto reached up slowly, reaching back behind his head. His fingers brushed the small capsule that held the living water that kept him alive in such a hostile environment, but just below that he brushed the metallic housing of his secondary core processor. It regulated his tentacles, at least as much as it could, but it also networked with his systems… systems that he could faintly detect again. Raising his head, Otto looked up toward one of the ruins nearest him. About three stories up he could make out the long segmented vertical rectangles of a balcony hall like the one where he'd confronted Peter, like the one where he'd been knocked out of the transit corridor. He'd been so focused on moving forward that he had been about to pass his true escape.

A grin, manic and potent, crossed Otto's face as his glasses went dark again. He moved forward, picking up speed, approaching the edge of the ruins before he pushed off. Before his arc could bring him crashing back down, his arms snapped out, stabbing into the rock. He ascended rapidly, tearing into it, moving up and up and up before he squeezed through one of the openings and into the hallway. Landing on his feet, he stretched up and dusted himself off as best he could. While his glasses appeared opaque on the outside, he saw a glitchy but definitive wireframe image of the ruins he'd stepped into. The power was out, and the wall sconces were dark, but the telltale shape of the molten obsidian arcs was clear at one end… though at the other was something a little unique. In fact, he'd only seen two of them in the vast forgotten city. It was an altar.

As much time as Otto had spent in the ruins, even before his banishment, he'd only scratched the surface on the beings that had once lived here. They were ancient, timeless, advanced, and extinct. Their sciences were enviable, but they also had a spiritual side. Otto walked up to the altar, slowing a bit as he saw four glinting silver jewels embedded in the stone. He looked at the carved, hand wrought version of the immense elder being that had swum through the clouds and reached out to those keen minds that passed through its midst. Much like Otto, the being had long tendrils and tentacles. The altar statue had them all curving and curling around a four-pointed purple jewel. Otto paused, looking at it, watching the energy and starlight pool and swirl inside the stone.

“I know you're out there…" Otto called out. His upper two tentacles rose, the tips flaring and contracting as if they were snakes ready to snap. The mists outside shifted ever so slightly before four immense silvery eyes opened, yawning from the darkness. Somewhere below long tendrils and tentacles of its own shifted.

“You have known that since you first arrived…" The sentiment was conveyed not in words but in thoughts and impulses that weren't quite his own. Otto looked up at the immense creature. They had not been allies, nor adversaries… though if it hadn't struck out at Peter on his trip through the transit corridor, Otto wouldn't have been banished all this time.

“What is this?" Otto asked, inclining his head to indicate the altar. The creature continued to float and shift, undulating in the immeasurable gulf across the ruins.

“It is the crystallization of the nexus…" the being confessed. Otto felt a mild irritation building. He'd once told Peter that this ancient one sought out intellect, but it also had a tendency to communicate in statements that carried a double meaning.

“I came to this spot because I can feel one of the arcs is back online. Why is this calling out to me too?" Otto asked. He had always been blunt, but it seemed his time in the ruins had made him even shorter.

“There is a threat in your world… Creatures that the guardians fought to imprison. They sweep out across realities as a blight, parasites to sentience. What you seek most lives at the heart of that threat." The ancient one murmured, carrying not only the words but impressing on Otto a sense of concern and urgency.

“And this stone?" Otto asked, reaching out to take it from the clutches of the statue. He inhaled a bit, feeling a power passing through him. The lights on the ends of his tentacles flared, the arms flexing and curling in turn.

“This is the space between the strings of the web, the void, the negative space. It is the barrier between what is and what could be. That… harnesses the power of the realities beyond, to reshape and bend it towards better possibilities." The ancient one said. Otto's tired, grizzled face started to curve into a slow smile though his unkempt, bushy beard obscured his lips.

“I've read about these in the other ruins… A webstone, a magic artifact that can alter history… It's real?" Otto asked. The most imperceptible shift came to the ancient one's ballast, tipping its axis forward. “I can go home, but more than that, I can twist things to my benefit?" Otto asked. The four silver eyes floating in the darkness narrowed somewhat.

“The webstone will bend reality toward a better outcome. If you are part of that, it will be to your benefit… If you use it incorrectly, the universe itself will grant you your downfall." The ancient one murmured. Otto looked from the ancient one down to the webstone and back. He held up a hand as if to wave.

“I'd like to say it's been great. What I'll say instead is that it's been real." Otto said, turning. He strode across the long hallway, hearing his steps echo on the stone for what he prayed would be the last time. He passed the dark wall sconces, the carved columns that made up the balcony like opening, approaching the curved, melted obsidian arcs that jutted out from the walls. They were just like the ones Peter had broken, just like the ones he'd come and gone through for months when working on the VEX system. Deciding to test the malleability of the webstone, Otto focused his thoughts on the systems ahead of him. There was a deep, resounding shudder somewhere deep in the mesa. The sconces around him started to flicker and snap to life. A moment later the black obsidian began to grow brighter, warmer and lighter until the edges were gleaming like molten copper.

Otto Octavius stepped onto the recessed hexagon that sat between the arcs. The bright light caused the lenses of his circular glasses to grow opaque, blotting out his eyes. He felt a pressure closing in around him, surrounding his body, an absence of air and an increase of pressure before he disappeared in a loud pop. The disturbance kicked up a swirl of dust that sailed out into the timeless mists. The ancient one lingered a long moment, watching eddies and currents and the echoes of what was to come. It saw afterimages of Otto wandering the ruins and before images of the next traveler that would come. The hunter, the derelict guardian, the mirror and the blade. The ancient one would have smiled if it had a mouth. Instead, it turned, banking into the clouds, propelling itself forward like a great floating squid to disappear into the ether.

****

While it had taken some money and a fair amount of effort, the bedroom window that had once given Peter so much grief now opened and closed with precision accuracy and silence. Peter eased the window up just enough to slip in, glancing back over his shoulder to see the first silver hues of the coming sunrise creeping up in the East. Peter yawned a bit, Venom mimicking the expression with a fang lined mouth that split open from the mask before obediently retracting in sticky tendrils of black rubbery goo. The similar sensation spiraled up Peter's legs as the symbiote condensed and shrank back into something akin to a sleep shirt.

It had been a long night, longer than any Peter had endured in a while… The petty thieves he'd faced off just after sunset had seemed almost quaint compared to fighting the Lizard later on. He'd headed over to the OsCorp tower and found some more of the KP-112 that had been freshly synthesized, but Peter had a feeling the doctor was hiding it in multiple places. That, combined with the fact that his rival had disappeared somewhere to lick his wounds didn't fill him with a lot of confidence. Still, there was only so much a superhero could do on his own. Peter reached to pull the blanket back on his bed when he froze, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck and along his arms stand on end.

The prickling tingle that jolted through his synapses was potent, closing in around him like a pressure until he had to squint his eyes. Peter reached up, clutching at his temples, feeling something coming like a wave. A hot, wet ripple came as Venom snapped out, spreading all around him as quickly as possible. The black slime sealed him in protectively, not even taking the time to add the warped spider-symbol or the white splotch eyes. A wave of purple light swept through the wall of the apartment, passing through his dresser and closet, his backpack and bed, but the energy fizzled and crackled as it passed over the symbiote's surface before the wave crashed back together and continued unabated across the rest of the city.

A heavy thump came as Peter fell to one knee, reeling. His head was still throbbing and there was the coppery flavor of blood tinging his mouth. Had he bitten his tongue? Had he burst a blood vessel somewhere? Peter opened his eyes, but he couldn't see. He opened his mouth but the air didn't move. For the first time since bonding with Venom, he felt claustrophobic. He reached up to try and tug and pull at the suit. After a moment's resistance, it pulled back and constricted again. The movements were sluggish, depleted, almost lethargic. Peter reached up, resting a hand on his own chest, or rather, on where the Venomized version of his symbol would have been.

Peter was about to ask Venom if they were alright, but he heard a thump and a clatter in the kitchen. Glancing over at the clock, it was a little too soon for his dad to be home. Had his enemies finally tracked him down? Had they tried to do something to weaken him so they could win? Whatever had happened had taken a lot of energy out of Venom… but Peter couldn't just wait. He slowly pushed himself up and cracked the bedroom door, peering out uncertainly. The first thing to hit him was not a sight or a sound, but instead smell; freshly cooked sausage, melted cheese, green onion?

Step by step, Peter moved out slowly until he froze, seeing a large, looming figure in the kitchen. Broad shoulders, shaggy black hair, a lantern jaw now framed by a thick, bushy beard. The apartment lights glinted off the frame of the glasses, but also on the metallic tentacles extending from his back. Otto Octavius was making hearty breakfast omelets with his hands while one of the tentacles poured coffee from the coffee pot and another depressed the lever to the toaster.

“Peter, my boy…" Otto said, turning his head to glance at the young man, “Good morning." he said, his smile broad. Peter couldn't move. He always knew that Otto could have eventually figured out a way home, but as time had passed he'd struggled with the weight that he very likely had killed him. Now he was here, in the apartment, acting as if nothing had happened. Peter's utter shock broke as he heard the front door click and shift. The door creaked a little as it eased open, admitting Hugo Perez.

“Dad!" Peter called out, his voice tinged with fear and concern. Hugo's eyes widened a little in surprise as he set his things down, moving into the kitchen. His hair was still in the ponytail he wore for work, the silver highlights streaking into the black.

“What is it, Mijo? I didn't break up you two conspiring about anything, did I?" Hugo asked with a light chuckle. He moved to caress Peter's cheek with his thumb affectionately before he moved over to Otto, leaning in to give him a kiss as if the tentacles extending from the man's back were the most normal thing in the world. Otto murmured, reaching up, holding Hugo's head there for a moment as their lips brushed and worked for several moments. Hugo murmured a little in surprise at how passionate the kiss was. Peter was, once again, frozen in shock. Otto let out a slow exhalation as they finally broke the embrace.

“Hugo, my love, you have no idea how much I've missed that." Otto said softly. Hugo chuckled a little.

“I know they've got me working long hours at the factory, but if you miss me that much, I might have to put in for some time off." Hugo said. Otto reached out to take Hugo's hand, holding it in his.

“You are the most thoughtful, affectionate, most perfect husband a man could ever have." Otto said. Peter's Pacific blue eyes widened sharply before he drew his focus to their hands - hands that were adorned with handsome, well designed metallic wedding bands. When Peter realized how dry his mouth was he forced his lips to close.

“I'm going to give you two a minute… and I should put on pants." Peter murmured, heading back to his bedroom. Once inside, he reached out to slowly close the door behind him before he leaned back against it and slowly began sinking to the floor, his knees rising up before him. He wrapped his arms around them, squeezing them, trying to understand what had happened.

Otto hadn't just come back from the other side… He'd come back and everything around them had changed. That had to have been what the energy wave was, but somehow Venom had protected him from it at the cost of his own energy? But what did that mean? Did Otto think that he was now his son? That they'd never had their battle? What if Otto remembered that he'd been betrayed? Peter looked down at his chest, seeing the faintly shiny black skin that hugged it like some sort of activewear material.

“C'mon buddy, I need you… We need to be careful." Peter whispered. There was a slight shifting, a caress against his chest, but it was almost as if Venom was dormant at the moment. It wasn't until that moment that he realized what it truly meant to be alone again.