🕷 The Scarlet Spider 🕷

«Chapter Ten» Terribly Worse

     Peter bombed me with questions as soon as my mom left to get dinner.
     "What happened in there? And isn't your mom up the wall about the explosion? And why did you leave? And why do you keep talking to yourself?!"
I face planted on the table, "Look, I know you've got a lot of questions, but can we just enjoy not being killed? I'm hungry!"
     Peter chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. But you owe me an explanation after this."
My mom ran back into the dining room, coughing, "Uh, let's go out, okay? Maybe Chinese?"
Peter and I exchanged a glance, "Yeah, that'd be great." I replied.
***
     After waiting ten years to get into the restaurant, Peter, mom and I finally got a seat by the window.
"So, how was school today, boys?" mom asked, looking at her menu.
Peter and I exchanged glances, "Oh yeah, it was great, Mrs. Stone. Totally learned a lot."
Like how not to bring bombs into school. Phantom snickered.
     Mom chuckled, "When I was your age I could have cared less for school. I'm proud of you two taking it seriously."
     I coughed into my napkin, "Mhm, yup."
     Peter looked like he was about to pop, "I'll be right back."
     He got up and made his way to the bathroom.
Mom looked out the window and sighed happily, "It's good to have some quality time with you, Sparrow. I feel like you've been a little distant."
Is she on to us? Phantom asked.
     "I hope not," I muttered, then smiled at mom, "Well, now you have our- I mean, my undivided attention."
     Mom smiled, "Well- " Pretty much after the first word, I sort of spaced off.
     Peter came back and sat in the booth next to me, "Hey, what're you talking about?"
     "Oh, just about my work and this guy named Hunter who asked me out on a date," Mom said happily.
     That got my attention.
     "Wait, what?" I picked my head up off of my hand, "Did you except?!"
     "Of course! I told you he is a very nice man," mom grinned dreamily, "Last night was very fun . . . dinner, a romantic evening on his balcony . . . "
     My eyes widened, "Okay! Details not required!!" My lungs sort of deflated after that, "You know, I'm not very hungry anymore."
     Peter looked like he was getting smashed by a garbage truck, "Yeah . . . uh, I think Sparrow and I still have an after class to get to! Isn't that right?"
     I nodded hurriedly, "Yup. So- yeah, you know. Bye."
     Peter and I got up and left without another word. Goes to say that mom was to busy day dreaming about her new boyfriend.
     "Man, that has to suck," Peter mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.
     "You think?" I sighed, "I can't believe she didn't tell me sooner. This is freaking nuts!"
     Uh, Sparrow? I'm getting some really weird feeling- like other symbiotes close by. Phantom whispered, like someone was listening to us.
     I stopped, "Peter, there's something following us."
     Peter bumped into me, "What? How do you know? And what's following us?"
"Just a feeling," I said, just as Phantom screeched, Venom! Venom!
I grabbed Peter and we both tumbled into an ally. I smashed into a bag of trash while Peter rolled headfirst into a trash can.
     "What the- " Peter cursed into the trash can and yanked his head out, "What was that for?!"
     I picked out a banana peal from my hair and grimaced, "Sorry. It's just- "
"Phantom. We meet assss a family again," a familiar voice hissed.
Peter and I whirled around to face four figures. One of them a recognized to be Venom, Spidey's worst enemy. And mine, other than Kaine. Then there were three others I couldn't identify.

One thing I could say about them, they were big, and scary.
     Peter almost hit the wall, "Wha- who- where- what the heck are you guys?!"
     "I think I'm seeing triple Venoms," I said.
     Phantom almost squeaked, B-brothers. Oh this is so bad. We're so dead.
     The bigger white Venom-thing stepped forward, its hand reaching out to us like a handshake, "Anti-Venom. My name isss Anti-Venom."
I was almost tempted to shake his hand.
     The red and black one looked about ready to shred Peter and I to bits. Catching my glance, Anti-Venom turned to his other comrades, "This is Carnage and this is Toxin."
     He pointed to the black and red one, then the greenish red one. I was torn from attacking them or shaking all of their hands and introducing myself.
     Peter pointed to each of them, "Why aren't you trying to kill us? You're bad guys. Bad guys try to kill the good guys."
Anti-Venom looked between the others, "We have seen Kaine the Hunter. You fought him along our brethren, Phantom. We- wanted to ask for your help to defeat him."
I traded glances with Peter, "But, the school blew up. Kaine was in that explosion! Not even you guys could've survived that. Oh, and another thing. How the heck do you know us?"
     "Sssmell. You stink of Phantom." Toxin grunted.
Oh, thanks so much. Phantom grumbled.
"Kaine is still alive," Anti-Venom hissed, his eyes watching Peter and I, "We saw him. But he was in human form."
"Great. He's a shape shifter to now." I threw my hands up.
Peter watched the conversation, "So, what? How are we supposed to help each other?"
     Carnage growled threateningly, "Help each other from Kaine. Then get back to killing."
      Phantom sighed, Carnage. My closest brother. Be careful around him, he'll kill you without a second thought.
     I looked at the four symbiotes in front of me. Either I was completely through the wall crazy, or I was an over helpful person. Maybe help them, or don't? What the heck did I do when four super villains ask for help? Because Spidey had fought these guys and he had almost died.
     "Yeah, I don't know," Peter said, looking at me strangely, "Can we talk about this? Like- meet tonight on top of the library or something?"
     Anti-Venom looked like he swallowed a lemon, "Yes. But no longer. With Kaine on the lose, all of us are in danger. Especially you, Sparrow. You have already been marked along with Phantom."
     "Kaine bad. He kills." Toxin grunted.
     "Yeah, well you guys kill too," I muttered, "Well, we'll see you guys later."
     The brothers literally melted away.
     Peter turned to me, "Okay, you have some major explaining to do. Who's Phantom? What's the mark? And why are you in danger??"
     I sighed. This is gonna be a long night.

(Hope you guys are enjoying this. I can say that I'm enjoying writing this, so yeah! Like or not, I don't care, (Okay, yeah I do care.) aaaaaaand comment!)

-The Flash