In Eddie's world there was no such thing as the Chesapeake Ripper, so he had little awareness of it when he jumped into the new dimension. Most of his time was spent learning about Superheroes. He was vaguely aware that his job as an Investigative Reporter was still in play and that at one point he had been following the Ripper, but he was always one step behind a pretty lady named Freddie. Eddie tried really hard to remember Freddie or any of his writings, but he couldn't. Venom was very aware of how frantic Eddie was becoming as he paced around the home that he apparently lived in according to his license.
Eddie
“What”
Stop worrying about how we got here, I'm hungry and since we aren't on the run
"As far as we know"
We can go find a nice meal
"Maybe later. This calendar says I have a meeting with someone name Hannibal Lecter about a story regarding Will Graham." Venom huffed loudly in Eddie's brain. Not much was known about the Ripper except that Will, the man Hannibal wanted to discuss, was wrongfully accused of being him. From what Eddie could tell from his own notes, there was a high probability that the FBI had already solved it then. This could mean any number of things. Eddie in any dimension could realize that. The first was that the Chesapeake Ripper was someone that the FBI was already aware of. This would match up with Will Graham being released and also being framed in the first place. Who better to frame renowned profiler Will Graham than someone close to him at the FBI. The second meaning was that the FBI had no idea where the Ripper was despite knowing the culprit.
Isn't Will Graham deceased?
Eddie looked over at where Venom had pointed with a small spindle. Will Graham missing. Wife implores the FBI to search for him further. The article was sad. It outlined Will Graham's tragic rise and fall and freedom, but that he refused to comment on the Ripper case after he was released. There were points about his marriage and how he loved his dogs. All that the FBI would comment on was that the chances were that the Ripper finally got to him and that soon they would find his body mutilated in the same way as the others. His wife did not like that and was trying to raise awareness. Eddie looked at the photo of Will Graham in the last place he had been seen on camera. There was someone else there, but Eddie couldn't figure out who it was. His phone buzzed with a reminder text that thankfully had the address.
We should go or we will be late and that would mean we have to stay longer which means I won't get to eat a person until late tonight
"Is that all you can think about?" Eddie asked. Venom was right though, they should leave. After finding his way back home with the few possessions he had, Eddie figured he should just cancel everything until he figured out what was going on. That was the rational part of him. The less rational part of him, the bit that made him a decent reporter, told him to just keep moving through his life in this dimension. If anything it would make a good story. So that's what they did. Venom and Eddie went out in their car. They owned a car in this dimension much to Eddie's disappointment. Venom tried not to convey his excitement at not constantly having to save Eddie from dying on his Motorcycle, but he was failing and his joy permeated through Eddie's chest. Eddie was sad he didn't have his cool bike, but Venom's feelings of security made his heart happy so he let it go as the drove to the outskirts of town. They pulled up to a large house almost embedded in the side of a cliff. it was still being built. Eddie wondered why Hannibal would chose such an odd place to live especially after living in the East for so long. He chalked it up to Hannibal wanting to escape the ties that bound him being the accused Ripper's therapist. He knocked sharply on the door. Hannibal Lecter in all of his buttoned up glory opened the door with a curious half a smile. It was almost plastic; a painted on fallacy.
"Eddie Brock?" He seemed almost surprised, his voice stiff.
"Hannibal Lecter? It's a pleasure to meet you, I've read a lot of your work,"
"Yes thank you, come in please. May I take your coat?"
This man smells weird. Something is wrong here. Venom told Eddie.
This man smells odd. Something is wrong here. Hannibal thought to himself.
"Sure, thanks," Eddie said shrugging off his leather jacket and letting the good doctor hang it on a coat rack, "What did you want to discuss with me today?"
"Of course, let us eat first. I serve all of my guests." The suave killer said with charm. Eddie shrugged and followed.
"Can our meeting be on the record? I know you probably have gotten this before, but I am a reporter so I would not be doing my job if I didn't ask."
"For now I will permit the conversation to being on the record. Sit, sit. I have just seared a Beef Lung, I hope you aren't a vegetarian. You don't strike me as one."
What's that supposed to mean?
"Oh me and this body? Certainly we are not," Eddie replied taking a sip of water from the nice crystal glass before him. Hannibal smiled a sinister sort of smile that put Venom on edge. Eddie, despite his observation skills, missed it. Maybe it was just a feeling Venom could read. The pair sat across from each other. Hannibal set down three plates. Eddie looked over to the side and noticed another plate sitting there covered with a shiny silver cover.
"Who is this for?" He inquired.
"Oh, I like to provide an extra meal in all my dinners for whatever friend may unexpectedly stop by. Hospitality is the greatest disguise."
"Disguise for what?"
"Disguise for the fact that I really do not like talking to other people." Hannibal seemed to grin, but he was truly sincere in his comment. Eddie became uneasy.
"Oh, then are you sure you want to talk to me?"
"Of course. I am a scholar of crime literature and your articles and exposes are always quite remarkable. The one you wrote about how Will Graham must be innocent of the crimes put against him before anyone else did. Splendid show of observational skills." Hannibal replied genuinely, "Please eat while it is still warm."
Eddie obliged and took a bite of his food. it tasted familiar although he was almost positive he had never eaten many beef organs before.
Eddie
Eddie chewed a bit slower. It was really really familiar almost like...no.
It's human.
No.
I can taste it. It's human. The man has served us people! I like him! Venom crowed joyously. Eddie kept chewing, his eyes never lifting from his plate. He did not stop eating. For one, it would have tipped Hannibal off to the fact that he knew what he was eating, and two, Venom liked eating people and Eddie like when Venom was happy.
Hannibal looked curiously at the reporter before him. His face read remarkably easily. He knew something was off with the meat; his face was not one of enjoyment. How he knew, however, was a mystery. Cannibalism was an incredibly rare taboo for people to try, so why had this tired reporter from San Francisco eaten human lungs before?
"You said something about Will Graham," Eddie said with a low cautious voice, "Do you have any information on his whereabouts?"
"Some,"
"Some that you could tell me?"
"Sure," Hannibal smiled. His plan was about to hit a roadblock, but he was in for a penny in for a pound.
Someone else is here.
"Hello Mr. Brock. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance finally," A voice from behind Eddie arose from almost nowhere. A chill ran down his spine as the figure moved to sit behind him. Will Graham, alive and well and scarring on his face. He looked healthier than Eddie had seen him in any of the pictures in his home.
"Mr. Graham," Eddie choked a bit on the lung.
"My my, be careful when you chew. You wouldn't want to accidentally eat your own tongue now would you?" Will laughed and reached over to Hannibal and grabbed his hand.
If we eat our tongue we can just grow a new one can't we?
"No," Eddie responded.
No to my question of no to Will Graham's question?
"Both" he whispered. Hannibal cocked his head to the side. Both. What could both mean? Does he want to eat his tongue and also not? Is he trying to trick us. He clearly understands the situation now.
"Eddie Brock," Hannibal said softly as his rubbed Will's hand with his thumb, "Do you have someone in your life that you would do anything for, even kill?"
"Yes," Eddie said without thinking. Hannibal smiled.
"I am glad you got to experience that in your lifetime," Will said letting go of Hannibal's hand and walking to stand behind Eddie.
Eddie something is wrong
"I think that it's high time to be going," Eddie says leaning forward. Will grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back to the chair. Eddie suddenly noticed a knife at his throat.
"You are going to taste wonderfully in the soup," Will whispered in Eddie's ear.
"Hold on," Hannibal rose a hand up and wandered to Will's side, "Eddie, how did you know you were eating a human being earlier?"
Eddie looked up to the cannibals and said nothing. Will was dumbstruck for a brief moment, but regained his composure with just one of Hannibal's hands being placed at his back.
"I didn't,"
Can we eat them, they are bad guys aren't they?
"No, we can't eat them," Eddie muttered nervously. Both the cannibals looked down at him with confusion.
Why not?
"Because...you know what I'm not sure why we can't eat them,"
"I'll give you one," Hannibal said quickly, "Tell your symbiotic friend to come out and speak to me."
Now that caught everyone off guard.
What do we do?
Eddie sat there not responding.
Fine, I'll deal with it.
Venom wormed his head out of Eddie's shoulder and peered down at Hannibal from above. He was tired of Will and Hannibal staring down at Eddie like a caramel apple at a fair, it was their turn to be the prey.
"What the-"
"What is your name?"
"We are Venom," He hissed. Hannibal nodded.
"How long have you and Eddie been partnered?"
"Not terribly long," Eddie whispered, his throat still pressed against Will's blade.
"Longer than either of us expected. We are a perfect match for each other,"
"I see, and are you ever separated?"
"Not for long,"
"And why is that?" Hannibal moved out of the living room and beckoned Will, Eddie, and Venom to follow him. He entered a study where a large sofa sat. Will hopped onto the table and Hannibal sat in the chair behind the desk. Hannibal pointed to the sofa and Eddie found himself sitting down.
"Because we need each other,"
"But rarely are we separated,"
"Does that feel like a burden on you Eddie?" Hannibal asked.
"Sometimes. It's still strange to not have any thoughts to yourself. Everything I think is something that this alien can read,"
"Don't be snippy,"
"I'm not being snippy you parasite,"
"I AM NOT A PARASITE!" Venom boomed. Will's eyebrows rose. Hannibal's face remained the same.
"Would things be different if you were not as deeply in love with each other as you are?"
Venom shook his head quickly. He knew this response for he had pondered it the entire time he was split from Eddie. Eddie sat there a bit confused.
"I'm not...we're not... I mean I know that we...I," The sweaty man stuttered.
"Hmm...It seems as though you two have a lot that you need to work out. Why don't we schedule a time next week to talk about some of these things. I hope you don't mind that I have had my license revoked. You see, murders do not help your career." He chuckled.
"You're telling me," Eddie whispered.
"Ah, you'll have to tell me about that then some other time. How about next Thursday evening at around 5, I will serve something that may appeal to the darker sides of you."
"Brains!"
"Brains?" Hannibal questioned.
"He needs a chemical in brains. If you could kill someone evil that would really take a burden off of me,"
"Sounds like a plan, Will?" Hannibal asked towards the man wearing plaid with his mouth quite agape.
"Good plan. I have been following this sketchy CEO for a while. I think he would make a nice meal, but he keeps disappearing. He runs the Life Foundation? Have you heard of it? What was his name?"
"Maybe stay away from that guy,"
"Dangerous. Almost as dangerous as us,"
"Almost," Eddie smiled at Venom and Hannibal could swear that the creature smiled back. Eddie, however, could feel Venom's pride and it made him calm and happy.
"Alright then friends, next week. I shall see you here promptly at 5 pm." Hannibal lightly guided Eddie and Venom to the door.
"I had a pleasant time thank you for stopping by," Hannibal smiled and shut the door. Eddie walked down to his car and drove away. He was a block from home when he stopped to pull over.
"Wait a minute." He took a second to collect himself, "What did we just do?"
"I think we are getting couple's counselling from a cannibal,"
"Two cannibals. One is already bad enough, but two?"
"You're also a cannibal Eddie," Venom explained. Eddie was about two seconds from freaking out so Venom drove them home. Back at the Cliffside home the pair of cannibals were discussing over the remainder of their dinner what had transpired.
"What is he?"
"As far as I can tell with the research I have, he is a sort of symbiotic creature. I think that he isn't from here though. He smelled off because of the symbiote, but to be honest I've smelled that before. What struck me as odd was that he smelled of somewhere I feel as though I've been before, but cannot picture. Not to mention that if he was a reporter who was as worth his salt as I posit him to be, he would have realized I was the Ripper a long time ago. In fact, Eddie Brock did know I was the Ripper about two days ago when I killed him and served his lungs up on a plate."
"You didn't say anything? I thought we were meeting him to kill him together?"
"It was going to be a surprise, but what was truly surprising was a dead man showing up on my front stoop as though nothing had happened."
"And now you've decided to counsel them? Become curious of a new monster have you?" Will teased eating his last bite.
"Jealous?"
"Perhaps,"
"You know nothing will be as beautiful as your designs, so do not worry about the atrocity of that space bound slug. It is merely curiosity as well as preservation. If I am correct that thing could eat us in about two bites each and I would never risk letting your precious face be marred by anything more," Hannibal said reaching up and caressing Will's scars.
Eddie's half finished meal sat cold on the plate beside them. Hannibal was not a fan of left overs; reheating ruined food, however with Eddie and Venom it may be different. A predator should eat whenever possible and although he'd rather give natural order to the creature and let him hunt himself, he could tell that the beast was already tamed. The love between the monster and the man had given birth to a tragically beautiful love story and a monster of a new kind. Hannibal smiled and looked at Will who had fallen asleep on the couch in view of the kitchen. There they were in their new home on the side of a cliff. An homage to their falling. Falling into love. Hannibal had also fallen in love with a man and in doing so the monster and the man created a more terrifying monster.