What if: Venom - Let There Be Carnage (english)

Chapter 5: Old Acquaintance

Venom sat comfortably on the couch and ate one bar of chocolate after another. The torn packaging was already piling up on the floor.

»We really need to clean up here«, Eddie's voice sounded in Venom's head.

The Klyntar looked around. It looked really bad, but he didn't feel like it.

»Without me.« He grinned and pulled back so that Eddie appeared and was now sitting on the couch.

»That's out of the question. We'll do this together. After all, you live here too!« he immediately snapped at him.

»If we have to...« Venom grumbled in his thoughts.

While they were giving their apartment a new shine, they divided up their work. They threw away the packaging, vacuumed everywhere and put the furniture back in its place. When they weren't at each other's throats, they were a good team.

When they were finally finished, Eddie prepared tater-tots at Venom's request, which he put in the oven, lost in thought.

His cell phone rang. The ringtone made him jump slightly.

»Anne is calling!« Venom shouted.

That was extremely unexpected for Eddie. She hadn't contacted him since the events last year, even though he had tried to reach her many times.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and answered.

»Be nice to her.« Eddie wanted to say something in response, but Anne was already answering on the other side.

»Hi, Eddie.«

A slightly nervous »Heeey« was the answer.

»I'm really sorry I didn't call you back sooner. I think... I just needed some distance from the whole alien-biting-people's-heads-off thing. Whatever. I have some news and I thought it would be nice if we could meet up?«

»Yes!« Venom shouted excitedly in his head. Eddie was briefly annoyed. Venom just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

But he immediately felt a pinch in his stomach area, which meant that he was reading his thoughts again. »Uh, yes, of course,« he replied quickly.

»Uh, yes, of course,« he replied quickly.

»Is it possible to meet up tonight?«

Eddie felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. He was so relieved that she wanted to meet up. She hadn't been in touch for so long that he was starting to worry.

»Yes, of course. At your place then?« Eddie asked with audible joy in his voice.

»Yes, sure. Then around eight?«

»Perfect. See you later.«

»Yes, bye.«

Anne hung up, but Eddie was still holding his cell phone to his ear and only slowly lowering it. He could hardly believe it.

»Finally.«

Venom's joy was so strong that Eddie could feel it too, who himself had a smile on his face. But the joy didn't last long as his gaze wandered to the muted television. The images were clear: barrier tape, blue lights, and emergency paramedics could be seen. It was more reminiscent of a war zone than a city.

The police were running frantically back and forth in the background, trying to push the curious onlookers back.

Cletus couldn't have sent a clearer signal. That was pure murderous intent.

Eddie took the remote control and paused the image. He went closer and looked at it with a doubtful look.

»Something's not right... Look at that. No human being can cause that much destruction... Not even we would be capable of that.« Doubt resonated in his voice.

»Do you think it was someone else?«

Eddie shook his head.

»No. Who else would be considered apart from him. But if he's capable of such destruction, no one is safe from him.«

Eddie was referring to Alex and Venom didn't miss that either.

»If there's an emergency, she can call us.«

Eddie continued to stare at the TV.

»But then it will be too late. He seems to be completely out of control. Look at the carnage. Who knows what he'll do next and if he finds her? He won't stop at her.«

Eddie had a bad feeling. Something just wasn't right. How had Kasady managed to escape from prison?

He started racking his brains and considering his next steps.

»Do you want to bring her here?« Venom finally asked.

»That would probably be the best option, but how would we know where she is?«

»I know where!«

Eddie stared into the air in surprise.

»How is that?«

»She put your card right next to her hotel key card«, he countered, much to Eddie's astonishment.

»Wow, V. You always surprise me«, he said, shaking his head with a grin.

»Okay, then I'll just cancel Anne and we can go«, Eddie said as he took out his cell phone.

But before he could even unlock it, a black tentacle that Venom had quickly manifested from Eddie's body ripped it out of his hand and held it up.

»Absolutely not. She hasn't been in touch for months and finally wanted to meet you today. I'll get Alex and you go to Anne«, he said firmly.

»How are you going to do that?« Eddie tried to jump, but Venom already had his feet glued to the ground.

»You'll see«, the Klyntar replied with a grin in his voice.

He let Eddie run to the window and look out. Venom pressed his cell phone back into his hand and before Eddie could react, he came out of his chest. Venom dropped down and crawled inconspicuously to one of the passers-by. The man wanted to let out a scream, but Venom already had him under his control. Eddie watched the whole procedure in disbelief and could hardly believe what had just happened.

Venom looked up briefly at the window where Eddie was still standing and continued walking.

»Damn!« Eddie said quietly.

He watched Venom go, but that didn't help. He turned around and turned away from the window. He decided to make his way to Anne, even though he would have preferred to run after his friend. But finding Venom would be difficult. After all, he hadn't told him where the hotel was. And besides, it was Venom who had put this crazy plan into action. If he ran after him now, he could expect a long argument later.

He just hoped that nothing went wrong. After all, Venom needed a host to survive and he wasn't exactly the kind of person you wanted to run into at night.

Cletus was extremely pleased with himself. He finally felt free again after all the years he had spent sitting in this cell.

»But we're not finished yet«, a dark voice growled in his head.

»What else do you have in mind?«

This being was extremely strange, it spoke to him in his thoughts, but he liked it. With it, he was invincible.

»We have to kill the thing that created me. Only then will we be invincible.«

»Agreed, but first I want you to help me track down someone and find my daughter.«

»Deal.«