Come on! I'm not afraid of him!
The symbiote's voice boomed in Peter's mind with theatrical bravado. A black tendril snaked out from his back, snagged a desk chair, and pulled it over, manipulating Peter's body to sit down.
Who do you think I am? Venom roared internally. After escaping that monster, there is no one on this planet I fear!
"Who was he?" Peter asked, his interest piqued. It was the first time Venom had ever volunteered anything about its past.
You want to know? Venom's voice shifted, becoming a conspiratorial whisper, dripping with a strange mix of temptation and an almost giddy joy that Peter couldn't quite place. You really want to know about me?
"Of course," Peter said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We're partners now."
Partners! Venom shrieked with delight, a wave of triumphant glee washing through their bond. Take that, Deadpool! Go find your mangy wolf-man! Spider-Man is mine!
After a moment of private celebration, Venom began its tale. "It all happened just a few days ago. I was ignorant then, just a lost soul wandering the cosmos with a few good friends. Then those motherless Chitauri attacked our ship, and we had to flee to this mudball of a planet."
Peter mentally filtered out the profanity.
"And then I met… him," Venom's voice grew sharp, laced with a genuine tremor of fear. "That terrible guy! He imprisoned me in a laboratory, a horrible place filled with dangerous weapons and humming machines! He used the most terrible things on me!" it wailed with mock tears in its voice. "Finally, he stuffed me into some awful machine with a big, red… thing… and shot me into the sky!"
Peter tilted his head. The story sounded vaguely familiar. "A big red thing… a lab full of advanced and dangerous weapons…"
"And they were clearly very rich," Venom added. "You could tell from the quality of the equipment."
A single face popped into Peter's mind. "You're not talking about Mr. Stark, are you?" he guessed. "He can be a little… intense."
I don't care who it was! Venom declared, its confidence returning. Look at this shabby place you live in! I can guarantee that man will never set foot in here as long as he lives. I'm finally free!
It was shouting now, a jubilant, primal scream of liberation inside Peter's skull. To hell with that monster! You and I, we were made for each other!
To be honest, Venom despised the man who had captured it. Not just for the defeat, but for the humiliation. That man had a traitor symbiote of his own, one that had revealed their kind's weakness to sonics, leading to an agonizing period of torture. Even now, Venom hadn't connected the dots—that the man and the traitor symbiote, Overkill, were one and the same. Add to that the breach of trust, the confinement in a sealed canister, the threats of fire… the list of crimes was endless. Most importantly, the man knew its secrets.
But that was all in the past. Now, it had found the perfect host, and it would never have to see that terrifying figure again. The future was going to be wonderful.
Hurry, hurry! Introduce me to your cousin! Venom urged, practically vibrating with anticipation. I want to see if he's as delicious as you are!
Just then, a voice drifted up from downstairs, followed by Aunt May calling out, "Peter's in his room!"
"They're back!" Peter said.
I feel it! Venom's senses flared. Your spider-sense is giving me a special feeling! My whole body is tingling! Oh, yes, I'm going to like him! It was so excited it could barely contain itself.
Two sets of footsteps climbed the stairs. The door opened. Ben Parker walked in.
Venom's world shattered.
The symbiote's consciousness went from exuberant joy to silent, abject terror in a nanosecond. Its two large, white eyes, which had been wide with excitement, now bulged with a fear so profound they nearly popped out of Peter's back. Its triumphant internal monologue came to a screeching, grinding halt.
Not you! WHY IS IT ALWAYS YOU?!
The fleeting tingle it had felt wasn't excitement; it was the primal call of the spider-sense, a danger signal it hadn't yet learned to interpret. Now, it understood. Defeated, Venom oozed off Peter's body and pooled on the floor like a puddle of spilt motor oil, a quivering mass of broken dreams.
The three boys stared at the scene, utterly baffled.
Harry spoke first. "Peter, why is there a pile of oil on your floor? That's going to attract mold."
"He's not oil," Peter corrected, sighing. "He's Venom. The suit I was wearing." He looked from the puddle to Ben. "Do you two… know each other?"
"Who else do you think shot him into space?" Ben asked dryly.
The realization hit Peter like a physical blow. The "terrible guy," the "monster"… it had been Ben all along.
"So… what's wrong with him?" Ben asked, looking down at the quivering symbiote with disdain.
"Maybe his dream is shattered," Peter guessed, shaking his head. He ignored the puddle, which silently and morosely slunk back onto his body, retracting into the form of a simple black shirt. Seeing it calm down, the three friends began to chat amongst themselves.
"Is Uncle Norman not coming tonight?" Peter asked.
Everyone was gathered at the Parker house for a simple reason: it was Thanksgiving. Though Ben had no particular fondness for overcooked turkey, a holiday was a holiday, and he wouldn't miss a family gathering. Besides, he had an important task to accomplish tonight.
He was going to inject Uncle Ben and Aunt May with the perfected Super Soldier Serum. Its greatest benefit wasn't strength, but its ability to dramatically slow the aging process. He had hesitated after Felicia's injection, concerned that her subsequent personality shift was a side effect. But after Norman had taken a dose with no ill effects, Ben had re-examined his data. He could find no flaw in the serum itself and could only conclude that Felicia's transformation was tied to the awakening of the Black Cat totem's power within her.
The technology was mature. It was time. It was also time to finally tell his aunt and uncle the truth about everything. The secrecy couldn't last forever.
"No, he's busy as hell," Harry said with a shake of his head. "I'm starting to miss the days when he was just running Oscorp." Despite his complaints, it was clear Harry was enjoying his new role as chairman. Under his leadership, the Osborn Group was stable and prosperous.
Soon, it was time for dinner. The three of them went downstairs and joined their family at the table. The meal was warm and lively, full of catching up and shared laughter. They all expressed their regret that Norman couldn't make it. In the past year, their lives had changed so drastically that these moments of simple normalcy felt more precious than ever. The family decided they needed a vacation, and Ben mentioned he had an old RV, a classic model he'd been restoring, perfect for a road trip.
"You've got real class, Ben!" Ben, Sr. beamed, his eyes lighting up. "I can already picture myself in a Hawaiian shirt, cruising down the highway."
"You guys have weird taste," Peter commented. "Besides, it's almost Christmas."
"Never you mind!" Ben, Sr. retorted. "Summer vacation, then. We'll drive that car across America."
The plan was set. Ben, Sr. even playfully told Ben to work hard and try to bring both Felicia and Mary Jane along.
After the plates were cleared, Ben's expression turned serious. He placed three small vials filled with a glowing, light-blue liquid on the table.
"Dad," he began. "You've heard of the Super Soldier Serum, right?"
"Of course!" His dad's cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by shock. He grew up on stories of Captain America. "Don't tell me that's what's in these vials."
His face paled. He glanced around nervously, as if spies might be lurking in the shadows. He grabbed Ben's hand, his voice a panicked whisper. "Ben, put that away! Now!"
He knew Primus Technologies was powerful, but he never dreamed they could replicate something so legendary and dangerous. A part of him was bursting with pride for his son, but it was overshadowed by a tidal wave of fear. A treasure like that would attract the greediest, most dangerous people in the world.
"Don't worry, it's not dangerous anymore," Ben said calmly.
"Anyway, kids," Ben, Sr. said, his gaze sweeping over Ben, Peter, and Harry. He lowered his voice, his expression grave. "If those three vials are the real deal, I want you three to take them. And you never, ever let anyone else know you have this."
May nodded in solemn agreement. In their eyes, it was the only logical choice. Harry was already the Neo Green Goblin, and Ben and Peter deserved the power to protect themselves.
Ben gently removed his uncle's hand from his arm, a soft, reassuring smile on his face. "These three vials do need to be used," he agreed. "But you're the ones who will be using them."