blue knees | eddie brock / venom

-nine-

A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to all the people reading, voting, and commenting. I didn't expect such positive feedback so damn fast. Thank you :)

Eddie exhaled a shaky breath, clearing his throat. Everyone looked to him and he nodded. "Yeah." He started, "he's the guy that got into the whole mess with symbiotes and shit." He looked at everyone, taking in their expressions before continuing.

"He had a symbiote too. Called itself Riot. Long story short, both Drake and Riot burned in a fire after Venom and I were fighting them to the death. Sounds dramatic but..." Eddie shrugged, "at least we won."

"Before he had the symbiote in him though, he tested it on multiple people- even before venom got to me. He didn't care how many died- he didn't care how many were hurt. Didn't care who they were. He had the motive to find a perfect match- 'a host' he would say.  When I went to go save my friend, like i was telling you guys, venom found his perfect host." Eddie paused.

"Me. I don't know when or how Drake got his symbiote, but someone must've passed it down to him. I think that's how it works."

"What happens when someone passes it to someone else? What happens to person passing it down?" Bruce asked.

Eddie frowned slightly, "Maria, the girl who was my friend, the girl who passed venom down to me... she went lifeless. She fell to the ground. She died." He said, mournfully. "So I think that's what would happen to someone who passes down a symbiote."

"Because they weren't the perfect host. They were too weak." Bruce said in understanding. Eddie nodded. "I'm sorry about your friend." Nat spoke.

Eddie shrugged, "Didn't know her all that well." He said. "Doesn't mean it don't hurt." Sam responded, not too bothered by Eddie as he thought he would be. Eddie nodded, "Yeah, guess so."

"Alright! So the plan- we'll have Clint be on watch along with Natasha." Tony started, "Bruce, you wait with Eddie somewhere by the building- we'll tell you when to come help out. Wanda, Nico, Sam, Steve and I will split in groups of two, meaning one of us will have to be alone. I'll take on that job." He said.

"I call Nico." Wanda said childishly. "Great- So Sam and Steve, Nat and Clint, Eddie and Bruce, Nico and Wanda and me, alone." Tony confirmed, writing it down as he spoke.

"Nico and Wanda go first because they can open the door without much noise- Nico can sense if people are nearby and then we'll search. I'll be hovering in the air in case anyone tries to get out through the roof."

"Are you sure it's safe for Nico to do this without learning what her new powers are? Without learning how to control them?" Clint asked, glancing at Nico.

Tony shrugged, "I suppose not. Wanda- do you think you can help her fast?" He asked. Wanda looked at Nico, "I can try."

Nico smiles, nodding at Wanda in appreciation. "What do we do once we have Bucky?" Nico asked, a little worried.

"We'll send him off to Waka-" Tony starts, "actually, we'll all be going to Wakanda." Steve said, stepping through the door. "I think the team deserves a little vacation."  He smiled.

"Am I apart of the team?" Eddie whispered to Nico, very quietly that even Nico, with her advanced hearing, could barely catch it. She smiled, nodding.

"You are now." She responds. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you all that lunch is done. it's set up in the dining room." Steve spoke, and then he looked to Nico. "Nico- can you uh... stay just for a little? I would like to speak with you." Steve asked, glancing at the ground then to her again.

Nico nodded, albeit suspiciously. Eddie glances at Steve and then at Nico, leaving the room with the rest.

"So.. Eddie, right?" Sam asked, Eddie nodded as Clint and Sam look him up and down. He chuckled nervously, "Yeah."

"Nervous, Buddy?" Tony asked, patting his back a little too hard.

"Guys, lay off." Bruce chuckled. "How's if feel to be apart of a team now?" Bruce asked.

"I'm apart of the avengers?" Eddie asked for the second time that day. "Right after you sign the papers once we get back home, Fury will bring them and meet you himself." Natasha said, smiling slightly. She glanced at Bruce, then she looked to the floor.

They had unspoken feelings about each other, the whole team seemed to know except for those two.

"Fury?" Eddie asked, "I keep hearing about this guy, but I don't know who he is." He added.

"Fury was the head of shield before it was compromised, now he just keeps an eye on these little shits and the lovely ladies of the team." Wanda smiled, nodding at Natasha.

"And uh.. what's Wakanda?" Eddie asked. "You'll see." Natasha responded.

"Now- lets go take a look at what Capsicle made." Tony rubs his hands together and heads off to the dining table.

"Aww yeah!" Sam cheered, sitting down.

"Lasagna..? Isn't that kind of a dinner food?" Eddie asked Bruce quietly. Bruce shrugged, "at least we're being fed good food." He said.

Eddie nodded, agreeing. They all sat down and dug into their lasagna, not bothering to wait for Steve and Nico.

"So- what's up, crappy cappy?" Nico asked, smirking. Steve chuckled quietly at his old nickname.

"I wanted to see how you were. Especially after Loki left and with this new power that you can't even control.. must be tough." Steve said, sympathetically.

Nico shrugged, hiding her emotions. It was her forte. "I'll survive, I always do." She flashed a faux smile.

"You're strong, Neon." Steve used her nickname, smiling as she smiled. Besides Bucky and Wade, Steve was like the brother she never had.

"Thank you, Stevie."
Nico smiled, giving him a hug and then pulling back.  "What did you make?" She asked.

Steve smiled, "your favourite." He said. "Plasagna??" She asked in excitement. Steve nodded, "I still don't get why you call it that." He chuckled.

Nico shrugged, "it was a typo." She responded as they walked slowly to the dining room. "Out loud?" Steve asked.

Nico shrugged, "I guess." She said, sticking her tongue out as Eddie looked at her when they entered the room.

"Ne-yo!" Sam called, as she sat in one of the empty chairs, "birdie." Nico responded.

Sam rolled his eyes at the name and decided not to speak.

"Ne-yo.. I like it." Tony thought. "Yeah, you know what tony? I was just thinking of a great nickname for you." Nico starts, grinning.

"Toenail."

The entire table, minus Tony and Nico, erupted in laughter. Nico grinned in accomplishment, looking at her teammates.

Tony huffed, rolling his eyes and stuffed a few pieces of lasagna in his mouth. Once the laughter died down, Steve asked what the plan was.

Clint swallowed his last piece of lasagna and started to speak, "so we divided the team in twos, minus tony because he wanted to be alone, I guess." He said.

"So cap is with Sam, Nico is with Wanda, I'm with Nat, and Bruce is with Eddie." He explained, "we're all gonna split up, Wanda and Nico first because they can open the door and then we'll all spread out with our partners." He said.

Steve nodded, "and once we get bucky, we'll hopefully knock him out and bring him to Wakanda." Steve said.

"When should we go in there?" Nico asked. "I would say as soon as possible but I don't want anything to happen with your new powers again." Steve responds.

"I'll train today and tomorrow so we can go in two days." Nico responded. "I don't know if that's enough, Nico." Steve responds wearily. "We can't take any chances."

"Eh- I'll be fine."