The Scoop
‘I know this looks bad, but I promise it’s not what you think!’
Eddie can’t believe he’s in this situation. Seriously. One good deed and he winds up looking like a pedophilic child abuser out to kidnap an innocent child. Sure, Dante’s smiling happily, but Eddie knows that won’t be enough to convince this woman he’s innocent.
His hasty attempt to appease her hasn’t gone well considering he’s now looking down the barrel of a sleek glock.
‘Get away from my son!’
‘Woah, woah, woah,’ Eddie hisses, ‘where the hell did you get a gun?’
Wrong question.
Immediately those golden brown eyes are practically flaring with murderous intent.
‘I said, get away from my kid’.
Eddie knows that Venom has sensed the strong tension in the air and he feels the alien shift just under the surface of his skin, ready to protect him should this crazy woman actually fire the gun. He’s about ready to attempt a disarm when Dante’s childish tones cut straight through the tension.
‘Geez mum, calm down! Eddie didn’t hurt me, he was helping me’.
The tension in his neighbour’s stance decreases ever so slightly and those eyes flick away for a moment to assess her son.
‘Explain’.
Dante shoots Eddie an apologetic smile before crossing to strand directly between the two adults.
‘I was waiting for you like usual but some boys from my school dragged me into an alley and were beating me up. Eddie scared them off and offered to put something cold on my eye until you got home. I swear, it’s not what you think’.
Owl-eyed, Eddie watches as that damned gun is finally tucked away into a familiar black belt, and feels the tension in the air finally disperse.
‘Is that what really happened?’
‘Y-Yes,’ Eddie stammered, still a little confused.
Understandably when one suddenly had a crazy woman point a gun at their face it could take some time to register how on earth the situation had gotten so bad. Honestly, Eddie can’t blame her though. If he came home to find his kid missing and found him in some random guy’s apartment he’d probably jump to conclusions too.
A sigh wrent the silence in the room before a hand was stuck out to him invitingly.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. Thank you for helping my son’.
With the danger gone, Eddie could finally get his first look at his new neighbour. With the strength of her voice and the addition of her gun Eddie had honestly expected someone tall and intimidatingly built, but the woman before him must have been one of the shortest women he’d ever met.
Standing only up to Eddie’s shoulders, his neighbour’s deep golden eyes bore into his own with an intensity and intelligence that made up for her smaller size. Her lithe, muscular build and rumpled police uniform certainly added to her image.
But perhaps the most glaring part of her appearance was the metal hand that reached towards him awaiting a shake.
Quickly, Eddie averted his eyes in the hopes she hadn’t noticed the staring, but by the hardening of her expression it was clear she’d noticed. To avoid adding any more to the tension he reached out and shook her hand, praying his expression wouldn’t give away how strange it was to shake a cold, lifeless hand.
‘It was no trouble,’ he replied, ‘Dante seems like a good kid’.
‘I’m the best,’ Dante chimed in helpfully, seemingly unaware of the awkwardness of their situation.
‘Hardly the most modest,’ his neighbour drily inserted.
Despite himself, Eddie found himself letting out a surprised bark of laughter that had those golden eyes once more shooting to scrutinise him. This time the silence lasted long enough for Dante to notice, and the boy was quick to tug on the sleeve of his mother’s dark police jacket.
‘I’m kinda hungry. Can we have some dinner, mum?’
Eddie could have hugged Dante in that moment.
Yes, get out of here so I can die of embarrassment in peace.
‘Of course Dante,’ she murmured, before giving Eddie one final look. ‘Thank you, once again, for all of your help. We must be going’.
She turned, linking her hand in her son’s, and moved to exit the apartment, until Dante tugged their joined appendages urgently.
‘Wait, mum, you never told Eddie your name. That’s rude! We’re going to be neighbours’.
Turning with a swish of her raven locks, his neighbour faced him a final time.
‘It’s Jameson. Jaia Jameson’.
The door shut between them and Eddie could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Well, that was a terrible impression.
Gee, V, you think?
…Yes, I do think so.
Sarcasm, V. Sarcasm.
A moment later his brain finally caught up with him and he let out a soft curse.
I’m an antihero with a policewoman living across from me. Just great…
By the next day Eddie had tried his best to forget about just how much he was screwing up his life. He pushed away all thoughts about how ironic it was that he’d messed up the first chance of adult friendship he’d had in a long time after wanting it for so long.
Some might argue he still had a chance to resolve things, but Eddie wouldn’t agree.
They may have resolved their miscommunication over Dante, but with how Eddie had obnoxiously stared at his neighbour’s clearly traumatic disability? Yeah…their situation wasn’t great. And that didn’t even take into account their different methods of dealing with crime.
Why do I ruin things so easily?
Because you’re a human disaster, Eddie.
Really? Thanks, V.
You’re welcome.
Sarcasm, V. Once again, I was being sarcastic.
Well, it’s true.
Eddie couldn’t exactly deny that. It was true, he was a human disaster. With a sigh he shouldered his bag of reporting gear and tugged a grey scarf around his neck to fight off as much of the biting cold as possible.
Exiting his apartment, he noticed with relief that there was no one else in the hall and he could avoid another awkward discussion for at least one day. A pang of regret did strike in his heart as he recalled his easy conversation with Dante, and the boy’s simple delight in his company. That kid was special, Eddie could feel it, but now he’d probably never see him again.
Really, Eddie? Pining for the company of a child?
Oh come on, V. If you didn’t like him at least a little you’d have protested.
Eddie couldn’t help but grin fondly as Venom ceased to reply and instead curled up in his chest like a disgruntled cat. He knew that relationships were vastly distant on his symbiote’s planet, but Venom had been adapting in the last few months. The two of them were closer now than they’d ever been. And maybe now Venom would consider growing closer to other humans?
These thoughts kept his mind off of the chill of the winter winds and the snow which crunched beneath his boots as he traversed the New York streets. Amongst the crowds making their way to work Eddie appeared to be just a regular man rather than an outsider.
Soon the city hall came into view, with its marble columns and imposing gothic design. Surrounding the steps was a crowd of reporters checking camera equipment and taking out worn notebooks to catch the best quotes. A barricade manned by police kept them at a distance, but Eddie was already spotting the perfect place to stand to get the best angle possible.
Among the swath of reporters he blended in perfectly, and readied his equipment to catch the mayor’s speech. Today, months after their Chief of Police retired to spend more time with his children, they would have their new Chief. It was said that many names had duked it out for the position, and until today no official announcement had been made.
Knowing some of the names in the running, Eddie made certain to get the contract for this scoop, intrigued to see exactly which ‘all American boy’ got the job.
Eric Chalmers, Michael Warring, and Simon Jacobs were all perfect candidates in the eyes of the public. Officers with bleach-white teeth, winning personalities, football careers, and spotless police records. But to Eddie, their fight for the title had a deeper meaning. Whoever won would be in a position that held the most danger for his nighttime activities. He knew it wasn’t just his own anti-hero position in danger, vigilantes like Daredevil and Spiderman also took a lot of hate from the police department.
This choice could affect all their lives.
As he pondered the enormity of the impending announcement, he found himself shooting out a leg to steady himself when a figure stumbled into his side, almost pushing him into the snow. Considering Venom hadn’t appeared to protect him it was likely nothing, so Eddie made certain to moderate his tone when he called out,
‘Hey, careful! You’ll hurt someone moving like that in this crowd’.
A surprisingly young face darted up to meet him, cheeks pink from the cold, and mouth open in a pant.
‘Sorry! Did I miss the speech?’
‘No,’ Eddie assured with a light chuckle at the panic in the boy’s expression, ‘it hasn’t even started’.
‘Oh thank heavens,’ the boy gasped, his brown curls bobbing as he let out a deep sigh of relief, ‘My boss, Mr. Jameson, said I absolutely had to be here to take pictures. He said his daughter was somehow involved in the proceedings.’
Eddie gave a sympathetic wince, he knew exactly how hellish a boss could be when family was involved.
‘Well, good luck to you, kid.’
The boy seemed about to reply in the like before the tapping of a microphone had everyone’s gazes snapping up to take in the mayor standing at the temporary podium, looking as pompously dressed as ever.
Eddie readied his camera as the mayor cleared his throat and began to speak,
‘I know that many of you will appreciate that Officer Stacey has made the choice to prioritise his family in the coming years, and we wish him well as he resumes more regular duties. After much deliberation, and the recommendations of several of our city’s finest, they have voted unanimously to appoint as our city’s new Chief of Police, Jaia Jameson.’
Cameras shuttered around him and his fellow reporters were calling out questions uproarously, shocked by the unexpected choice, but Eddie stood still, his mouth gaping wide in surprise. Stepping out from the building and making her way to the podium as a familiar small, but intimidating figure.
No way. This is not happening.
How the hell was Eddie supposed to moonlight as Venom when the new Chief of Police just moved in next door?
Our neighbour just became much more interesting.