After spending the afternoon having sex, while Peter occasionally joined Liv and Felicia to give her a break, Carol finally got her pancakes. She sat and watched him cook, while she made doe eyes at Peter. She admitted to herself that he was handsome, and with the memories that Huntress gave her of him and the warehouse he was actually a good person. In her line of work, the difference between a villain and a hero was the intent.
People like Odin, Thor, and the other Asgardians were seen as heroes but she couldn't count the number of armies or races they had crushed to prove the dominance of their species. Working with the Nova Corps her job sometimes involved killing and she had no problems with that. There were some people in the galaxy that deserved it, some even twice for the things she had seen, so to her, he was a hero, my hero, she thought and giggled at the thought.
She knew it was an emotional high from being bonded, they had all warned her that the initial rush was to ensure compatibility but she didn't care, for the first time in over 10 years she was happy, fed, and the sex had been mind-blowingly good. Good enough that she was considering asking for a transfer back to Earth to monitor the symbiote situation. If that was done from Peter's bedroom, then that was just a burden she was willing to bear.
He knew Huntress was reinforcing her feelings, amplifying them but if there was a nicer guy, one willing to wait for her, well, not just her, she hadn't found him. Although, as he flipped and made pancakes, laughed and joked with Liv and Felicia she wondered just how many women would come back too. Peter had a magnetic personality, you liked him, he was smart, a bit dorky, but funny and, unless you were scumbag, didn't have a malicious bone in his body.
Peter smiled as he put the plate down in front of Carol and she gave him one back, leaving forwards he kissed her on the cheek and she bit her lip and stared at the plate, Liv and Felicia shook their heads and pushed over the syrup and butter for her, while Peter made eggs. They recognised that look, it was the freshly fucked look that only Peter gave them and they were all feeling it.
MJ and Gwen made a sombre appearance and Peter put coffee, eggs and pancakes down in front of the pair as they sat, stoically.
Gwen was staring at her plate of eggs and pancakes as Peter walked back over "shit, It was bad Pete, really bad, a lot of people were infected," she sighed and began to eat, swallowing her bite. "Most are being left to die," she said as she took another bite, "they just can't cope with the amount. It was over a thousand people Pete, how could you?" she said as the tears dripped onto her plate, "how could you?" and her shoulders shook as she broke.
Peter shook his head, "they were already dead Gwen. All of you, ask them, ask them what they do to hosts they aren't compatible with, and then, look at me."
We eat them
We kill them
We cull the weak
We destroy them
Were the four answers they got back, and as they looked at Peter. He took a breath and with as much seriousness he could muster, he answered.
"I let them go, the people and the fragments. You saw Ravage when we took her from you Gwen, in pain and suffering. Harry killed those people, I just let them go," and Gwen nodded but it was still hard to understand, death on that scale was never easy to understand.
She was right though, the one thing he couldn't bring himself to do was to kill them. Commanding the slugs to eat their hosts would have been a simple thing, but he couldn't, even leaving them to just die was weighing on his mind but that would have broken him. Killing to protect his family was one thing, taking so many innocent lives was a completely different matter. He would leave that to the families and the authorities.
The rest of the breakfast was eaten in silence until Gwen headed into her home to grab some of the sugar-free syrup that she normally ate. "Hey, why does my home smell like sex?" Gwen didn't mind but still, they might have tidied up and not left her bed in a mess.
Peter shrugged as she came back out, "I only messed up mine" but it was Felicia and Liv who looked guilty, "uh, Peter's bed was taken so we, um, borrowed yours," Felicia said guilty, knowing full well what they had done.
Gwen sighed, "clean it up please, but why was Peter's bed filled if you were in mine?"
"Carol," Peter said, "and you might as well tell her."
"Carol? Ha! You owe me 20 bucks Liv," who tutted and handed the note over. "What, we all know you well enough Pete, I had 20 bucks you'd pussy out but cave at the last minute so ha, in your face." She said as she waved the twenty at Liv and Felicia.
"Really? You guys bet on that?" and Gwen shrugged,
"Pete, we don't care, really. I mean since Poison was cured I've slept with everyone as many times as time allows. It's not like you're the only bed hopper here. Shit I mean, we could try out for the sex Olympics on how awesome we all are."
Peter frowned but thought about it and nodded, "yeah, fair enough"
Gwen continued, "and as long as nobody breaks the no outsiders rule, it's fine, enhanced or not we don't know if you are completely immune to every disease Mr Parker, so while we can agree on some people, stow it in your pants Mr."
"Wait, why am I getting told off for sleeping with Carol, when you lot all bet on it and they messed up your bed?" Peter complained.
"Woman's prerogative, just cause you're the only cock on the block doesn't mean you get to have a big head," Liv said this time but everyone, Carol included nodded
"It's not like I plan these things," he whispered into his coffee.
"We know dear, that's why you're being told. You're not the only one with enhanced hearing remember," and Peter stuck his tongue out at her.
"Okay, but before we go, uh, Huntress, I don't think you should go with Carol, I think you should take Ravage." and Carol frowned
Why? was all she said.
"You're not a Klyntar, you're a whatever I am," and the symbiote spilled out over Carol, forming a separate head at her shoulder
But we wish to see the stars, we wish to visit the universe, and Peter sighed.
"And you can, I'm not stopping you from leaving, but not as the ambassador to the Klyntar. If anyone finds out it could start a war we can't win. You're one of us, not one of them." and the symbiote blew a raspberry at Peter and the group looked at Carol,
"What? I felt bad as they can't talk, so I've been teaching her how to make noises. She, uh, just likes that one the most." and while Liv and Gwen tried not to laugh, Felicia looked unamused that Carol was already teaching Huntress bad habits.
We still wish to go,
"And ask Thor or Loki to host you then," and she blew another raspberry,
We will stay, but you must promise us that we can visit the stars one day, and Peter nodded.
"Visit outer space? oh hell yeah, but uh, once we know the Asgardians won't vaporise us on sight okay?" and Huntress huffed and swarmed from Carol, and Ravage swept from Felicia and over her, Carol shuddered and Felicia stuck out a hand which Huntress grabbed onto,
"You know, for someone who likes to fight, you seemed to be taking an awful lot of dick yesterday," and Carol laughed as the symbiote slid back into Felicia's body.
"Ravage feels different. Oh shit, yeah, Huntress was all about you five but Ravage, shit, Osborn was fucking insane," and Carol shuddered again, the memories of being torn apart and experimented on bringing back some of the more unpleasant Kree memories.
"But now, we need to head to central park to meet Thor and Loki. If anyone wants to say goodbye to Carol before she leaves, now's the time to do it." And the four women looked at one another.
While Carol had been a help during the invasion, only Peter and MJ had spent any time with her and as they shrugged Peter took her by the hand and smiled "intergalactic booty call huh?" and as Carol laughed he swept her around and dipping her into a kiss, letting the sweet taste of the pancakes into his mouth,
Gwen tutted, "never kissed me like that" but Felicia batted her arm.
The trio of women opted to stay at the warehouse while Peter and Carol suited up and Carol flew them out. Fury had been told she was leaving and after the debriefing Carol had sat though she didn't feel the need to endure the man anymore, preferring to stay in the warm embrace of Peter, even if she was only carrying him as they flew.
As the pair landed in the park, Thor threw up his arms, smiling brightly. "Friend Carol and the Venom, so glad to see you," he boomed and Peter shook his head.
Loki batted his arm, "it's secret brother, don't go shouting out things like that in public," and Thor looked dejected.
"Sorry Venom, I mean Peter." and Loki shook his head,
"Did you persuade the Klyntar that we meant no harm Peter?" and he nodded,
"You need to make sure the Earth remains protected though. Carol told me there are species with a grudge and some might come here."
Thor nodded, "once we inform my father that the Klyntar are safe and happy on Earth he will extend a warm hand to make sure they stay that way, but uh, we might need some promises you stay on Earth."
Peter shook Thor's hand, "not a problem, Earth doesn't have a great space program anyway, and I'll keep them in line. I promise no symbiote will leave earth, well other than Carol here."
Loki raised an eyebrow, "You mean?" and Carol nodded.
"We need a Klyntar voice in the stars, and with me as host, few will try anything, so she's safe,"
"Good, good," Thor said looking slightly worried, taking a step away from Carol. "Good" and Peter laughed to himself. Thor grabbed the webbed and manacled Goblin, The group had just stuck him on the roof and sedated him, making sure he was well secured before ignoring him.
Peter wished he took a symbiote containment cell from Life Foundation but it was too late after the fact. Webbing, magic, plus a very healthy dose of threats seemed to have worked, and Thor simply picked him up and slung him over his shoulder as they waited.
Peter and Carol kissed one last time and Peter handed her the backpack, filled mainly with food and, more importantly to Carol, coffee.
"Take care," Peter said as they kissed and hugged, "and come home soon."
As Thor called to Heimdal to open a rainbow bridge Carol had one last thought as they vanished into the void,
"home, I like that."
Back at the warehouse, the mood was quiet once more. Peter stared into space until Liv came over. "Dear, there is one thing I would like though. While at first, I was a bit hesitant. I um, would like another symbiote. Could you?" and Peter frowned
"Honestly, I have no idea," but taking Liv in his arms he felt the urge and kissed her, the sticky sweet rose in his mouth and Liv grasped his head with her hands, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, unlike Gwen the symbiote offspring quickly spread over her, it was black like him but the white spider was iridescent and small lines of light played over the shiny material.
"Oh yes, oh god yes, We are Octave and we love you my precious. And this time, we will not wait to be satisfied." and a newly birthed and hungry symbiote pounced, dragging Peter to the floor, straddling and kissing him all over.
Over the course of a week, Shield began the slow and messy clean up of the failed takeover.
Staring at the pile of reports, Fury rubbed his head as the death count was tallied. Made easier by a lot of bodies, it was estimated that out of the half a million people on Staten Island there were over two thousand casualties. What was worse was the victims weren't dead. While callous, death was easy. These people were walking corpses. Whatever Harry Osborn had done to them left them functional, alive but unresponsive to any stimulus. 'The Lost' the media dubbed them and their sheer number brought the emergency services in New York to a grinding halt. Nobody knew what to do with them, other than sticking them in a bed and feed them using an IV, and it was mainly being left to the families to decide. Those with no insurance or no family were being moved to a facility where, much to Fury's dismay, they were barely cared for and most would die within weeks.
While most of them were the symbiote soldiers Harry had created, a fair chunk of civilians was amongst the count, and the World Security Council had gone, as Fury called it, 'apeshit' over it.
Contracts were being redrawn, military funding was being redirected away from private companies and into those controlled by the WSC itself. There were even calls to enact a new set of laws, The New York Accords. Requiring all super-powered individuals and, with the emergence of the symbiotes, aliens to register themselves with the WSC. The top brass was not happy and their ire and anger were being spread over each government department. There was even a call to start a new agency, one specifically suited to deal with extraterrestrial threats but Fury knew it was bullshit. Another grab for power from people who had no clue what a real threat was.
Venom and the rest of his team had withdrawn before Shield agents got there. There were several unidentifiable bodies but thankfully Parker was thoughtful enough to identify them. Harry Osborn, missing international thief Thomas Hardy, and finally serial killer and supposedly executed, Cletus Cassidy were the three names that leapt out at him. Peter had destroyed the spawning tanks and all hostile symbiotes had been taken care of, and after the week of delicate forensics, he was proven right.
Parker had even wiped all computer systems clean, all the research Harry had been doing, the formula research, the cloning, and the symbiotes were all gone. Fury didn't buy Parker's explanation and knew he had the backups. Thankfully Carol stepped in and quoted a whole bunch of intergalactic laws in front of them. Real or not, the very real threat of a huge alien fleet turning up to protect a very endangered species was made clear. Plus with Thor and Loki making a case for Asgardian diplomatic channels being opened as well, it gave him the nice neat bow he needed to get the WSC to shut the hell up.
Nick Fury read the after mission report, filed by Carol Danvers and the one handed in by Peter Parker.
Carols was full of facts, reports on army strength, armament, deployment tactics, civilian casualties, and finally a statement on Gobin and his strange hammer.
Parkers read like a school report, summed up in, "we punched them till they stopped fighting back," and he rubbed his head as the headache began. Parker was still a loose cannon. No formal training, and once the Shield agents turned up and started to grab back the tech they'd 'liberated' from Life Incorporated, he realised how much of a headache it actually was.
Parker had two suits of trashed Gobin armour, the glider, and a whole bunch of stolen lab equipment. When the agents moved to remove them they found several pissed off Symbiote hosts, as well as two Asgardians, and a supposed Shield agent, Captain Marvel, stopping them. The agents did what any good agent should do, they ignored them, radioed for orders, and then left it up to their superiors.
It made its way all the way up the chain of command until it landed on his desk and now, it was his headache to deal with.
Thor and Loki had refused to hand back the Tesseract, arguing that the Earth was incapable of defending such a powerful artefact, and with the fact that twice now two governments had used it to mass-produce weapons, Fury had to agree.
While it was ultimately up to the World Security Council there was very little they could do to stop them. Thor and Loki both proved more than a match for any security team Shield had. It was now just one less thing to worry about in the future, he even wondered if he would get them to take that damn cat as well.
As he read and typed out his final report, Fury's recommendation to the council was in two parts.
First, that as long as Peter Parker kept to himself, that the machinery he liberated was his. The two suits had been stripped of military tech and were just scrap now. The technicians that looked them over doubted they could even get them to move without them exploding or just falling apart and after the remaining Gobin ammo had been confiscated. The rest, well it was high-end lad equipment but nothing major, a mass spectrometer wasn't going to kill half of New York, and once Olivia Octavius had given her statement Fury had the warrant lifted properly and just brushed it all to one side. A chemical sequencer capable of analysing protein strands over a few days wasn't going to make any difference if it sat in a warehouse with a bunch of kids.
There was also the issue of proving they actually took it, which was more of a headache than Fury needed and he just brushed it to one side, making a note to take a deduction from Parker's pay for his brazenness.
The second however was what was giving him the headache. With the four women all reported as Symbiotes, and Peter himself as the source, Fury wanted to throw them all in the Fridge. That was a problem. As Carol pointed out, under galactic law, they were a protected species and he didn't have the right. The whole Asgardian situation was because they broke several treaties and Goblin was being taken to stand trial on Nova Prime, where the Earth's situation would be decided.
If the Nova Corp decided to interfere, then the Earth would be visited by a huge armada of troops, soldiers, and scientists, all with one goal in mind. Keeping the Klyntar on the planet. If they didn't then nothing would happen, a patroller might turn up once in a while to make sure they hadn't turned the Earth into a raving pool of symbiote slaves but Carol doubted it would happen a second time. She even gave Fury an assurance that the patroller would probably be her, as she was from this sector of space.
That was the problem though, right now the WSC was using the situation to force anyone with super or enhanced abilities to register as such, even if it was a handful of people they wanted them under control. Osborn had been bad enough but once his son started and then Venom and company joined in, they saw them as more than a threat, they saw them as an asset to exploit.
And therein lay the problem, as Carol explained, as Peter and the rest were protected by intergalactic law. If the WSC did something stupid, no Fury corrected himself, when the WSC did something stupid, then Peter was within his rights to call in a big ass fleet of trigger happy alien soldiers to blast their way across the planet. No matter how he worded that, the answer from the WSC was the same, 'until they get here, we don't care.'
Which was why Fury, at 11 am, was nursing a glass of very fine scotch as he read his last report.
Thor and Loki taking the cube was a blow to several weapon projects. The lack of cooperation from Parker over symbiote research and formula research was a problem the WSC refused to budge on, but as he had the backing of one of the most dangerous people on Earth, there was nothing they could do.
Of course, the WSC were up his ass about that as well, stating he needed to get the Avengers initiative up and running but that maybe a more homegrown approach was necessary and that a new list had been handed down to him. Carol and Parker were both unsurprisingly missing. Instead, the team was headed by Steve Rogers and included Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton, and Tony Stark. Natasha was a maybe, she'd dropped enough hints at teaming with Parker that he'd considered it. He'd made some inquiries and had thought about recruiting Spider-man or Agent Webb to the team, they were both a good fit and being untrained he could mould them into perfect agents.
If the New York accords were going to be signed, and Fury already knew they were, several teams were being earmarked, even the Military had started their own. The Thunderbolts, headed by General Ross. had gone after Banner for recruitment. Fury had almost choked on his drink when he heard that Ross had personally apologised to get him on his team.
The world was changing. and Fury felt that sometimes change would be a good thing but this was bringing a lot of hurt to a lot of people, not that the WSC cared. They wanted their pie and were refusing to share.
Fury looked over the list and decided. If Shield was to prosper it needed a team as well, he doubted he could persuade Spider-Man to come back and Flash had made it clear he wasn't going near Parker for any money in the world. His only choice was to have a team led by Venom, but as he rubbed his forehead and leaned back in his chair, letting the ice-cold glass rest against his head, he wondered who else?
Carol would probably say yes, as would Thor, but both were heading off-world. He knew the women of the warehouse were hosts as well, so one of them would be perfect as well, but a team that sleeps together fighting together as well can cause problems. No, he needed new blood, new talent, and he needed them to be loyal to Shield. In fact, as Shield seemed to be heading more and more into the WSC's pocket, he needed a team that was loyal to him, or at least willing to work a little off the books. For that Venom was perfect, now he just needed a few more.
Natasha would have been perfect, but it was apparent that Venom wasn't too enamoured with the woman after her little stunt. Maybe though, he could just ask her to be nice, and send them on a mission or two together. If they spent time alone, it might just solve their little issue, or they would screw again and it would fix itself. Fury sighed and held the glass against his forehead, the headache was coming back.
Liv Octavious had been mentioned a few times, but she had no training, but then again, neither did Parker. Her technical expertise would make her an asset to any team, and he made a note to get a full report on her done.
Fury could only think of two agents that would be willing to walk a grey area. Phil Coulson, who'd been Fury's right-hand man since the invasion and knew when to keep his mouth closed and his eyes open, and Sharon Carter, Peggy's niece.
She'd been tasked with keeping an eye on Steve Rogers, a task she was constantly complaining about. She didn't mind making sure the man was adjusting comfortably, she was just bored. Steve wasn't exactly the most adventurous man in the world and tailing him around New York as he visited museums and art galleries weren't her idea of a great assignment.
A knock at his door brought Fury back from his musing and hitting the door buzzer in strode a very angry looking Natasha.
"What the hell is this?" she slammed a file down on his table and Fury shrugged and frowned as he put down his glass.
Flicking open the file, it was Natasha's new assignment, to take over watching Steve and to begin prep for the Avengers initiative.
"It's your new assignment, and?" Fury knew exactly where this was going, so he grabbed another glass from the bottom drawer and put a finger of scotch into it, sliding the glass over to Natasha.
"It's bullshit. Captain America and Tony Stark? Clint I can understand, but me? I do wetwork, shit jobs nobody else takes, not superhero stuff," and eyeing the glass, she grabbed it and downed it in one mouthful as Fury raised an eyebrow and shook his head
"That was 20 years old," but Natasha waved a hand at him,
"I don't care, this," and she stabbed a finger down on the desk at the report, "this I care about. I'm not working with the apple pie squad. I know you're making a different team, one with Venom, I want that."
"Well, Parker was pretty mad at you after the incident. So, get him on side and not only will I approve, I'll let you lead it," and Fury smirked, "If you can get him back on side."
Natasha undid her suit a bit and pulled out a second file, "that's being arranged" and handed it over to Fury.
"You stole my mail?" he asked and she frowned and shrugged.
"Should have better security," she said and took his glass, draining it and crunching the ice between her teeth.
Fury shook his head and opened the envelope. It was an invitation for Fury and Natasha to attend a demonstration of the new Stacy Formula. Natasha handed over a letter of her own, contents the same but asking if she was willing to be its first recipient.
"I guess you already replied for me?" Fury asked, feeling the headache coming back stronger this time and snatched back his glass, opened the drawer and poured both himself and Natasha another drink.
"Of course, so don't be late," she replied, slugging back the second glass to Fury's dismay and leaving.
Fury looked at the bottom drawer again, and taking the bag of ice cubes from its compartment placed it on his forehead while resting the glass on his chest. He realised it was going to be one of those weeks.
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