Chapter 15
Dinner was a bustling affair.
In order to try and get Peter to relax a little, the team decided to have a group dinner, which would allow Peter the chance to see how everyone got alone without actually having to participate or feel like any expectation was on him.
With so many people at the table, conversation flowed easily, creating a more relaxed environment.
Peter sat quietly, observing everyone laughing and talking about random topics. He felt strange taking everything in. On one hand, he was grateful for the distraction away from him, but on the other hand, he couldn't stop the feelings of being unwanted.
Everyone was so comfortable with each other that he felt like he was intruding.
Venom however, seemed awfully pleased about something and despite how much he tried, he couldn't figure out what it was.
***
Steve continued to take quick glances of Peter and his plate as he watched the rest of the team. It seemed that as long as Peter's plate seemed to match his in amount, the boy didn't even notice how much he was actually eating.
It was slow eating, but it was eating, and the kid needed it.
**
Pepper noted each and every bite Peter took. Not only did she worry about his health, she also wanted to be aware of his needs once the adoption went through.
Adoption.
She couldn't believe she was about to become a mother, and to a teenage superhero no less!
Still, looking at Peter her heart ached for him. He deserved so much better than what he had been given, and she was going to make sure he got it.
It was what good mothers did after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finishing up supper put Peter back into the awkward state he had been in since arriving.
He was shooed out of the kitchen, being told he didn't need to help with clean up and should go relax.
Relax, yeah.
How could he?
He had to plan his escape.
You are not in a position to leave.
Peter scoffed as Venom reprimanded him.
I just ate. I have energy.
One meal does not repair the damage done to your body by malnutrition for so long.
I've had other meals here.
Not enough, and not as much as you really think. You should be thankful. I am tired of always being hungry.
Don't talk to me about being hungry after what you've done!
Peter growled, fully aware Venom wasn't as starved as he pretended to be.
The trail of bodies proved that.
They deserved it. They will not be missed.
You keep talking about being a hero, but heroes don't murder people, not even bad guys!
We are doing a better job then.
There is no 'we' in this situation!
There is always we.
Peter cut off the conversation as he caught sight of Tony leaving the area. The man had been giving him a wide berth since their little talk in his bedroom.
No doubt due to Pepper and Natasha if he had a guess.
"Peter?"
Peter looked up as Sam walked over to him.
"Come on spider kid. Everyone's heading to the common room for a movie."
Peter frowned as he followed behind Sam. He wasn't sure if this was how the Avengers always acted with each other outside of fighting, or if it was to try and fit him in.
That thought made him feel even worse.
Entering the common area behind Sam, Peter's eyes instantly landed on the forms of Wanda and Pietro as the two set up large bean bags with blankets.
He wasn't unaware of the fact there were three.
Sit with them.
I can't.
Then I will make you.
Venom grumbled as Peter felt his body move on it's own. Fear filled him as it began to sink in just how much control Venom really did have and that maybe, he had just been being nice about allowing Peter to make the choices he had.
His sensitive ears didn't miss the hiccup in conversation and movements as Venom practically tossed his body onto the bean bag between Wanda and Pietro.
The soul bond immediately flared and the twins happiness flowed through him, more powerful than his own anxieties.
Everyone quickly recovered and continued on as though nothing had happened.
Peter was relieved when no one even looked at them.
He could feel the pause in steps as he sensed Pepper and Natasha enter the room before they moved to sit, both angled so as to have a clear view of the three.
Wanda and Pietro continued to smile as they tucked the blankets around them and relaxed.
Whether he wanted to or not, Peter felt himself relaxing along side them.
He wasn't stupid enough to deny what was happening.
His soul bond and Venom were calling the shots, and while he could argue and try to reason with Venom, his bond was something entirely different.
A soul bond didn't answer to reason, it answered to connections.
Connections between people meant to be together.
It was a powerful force that, while very few people did, you were warned not to take it lightly.
Despite many tests, no one had ever been able to explain what exactly caused the soul bond.
Science, in all it's infinite wisdom, couldn't explain everything it seemed.
No, all that passed from one generation to the next were stories about how the bonds should be respected for the gifts they truly were.
Peter had always been taught to respect it, until he realized how worthless it was. His soul bond with Wanda and Pietro couldn't change anything about him.
We are missing the movie!
Peter was shaken from his thoughts as Venom grumbled.
Why do you even care?
We have not seen this one.
We haven't really seen any movies. I know neither of us were watching the last one they tried to show us.
No. You andIhaven't seen any movies.
Peter's mind screeched to a halt.
What do you mean 'you and I'?
Pay attention. They are looking.
Peter's senses came back to him, quickly noting Pepper and Natasha trying not to draw attention to their vigilance over him and the twins.
He needed to get better with handling his conversations with Venom while around others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wanda and Pietro didn't know what to do with Peter tucked securely between them. They had prepared a space for him, but had never expected him to take it.
They were sticking to their plan of leaving themselves open and inviting for Peter to make his own moves. It was hard having him so close and being unable to hold him like other soulmates.
Now though, now Peter was cuddled between them looking a bit scared and unsure of himself.
While they could feel him relax a bit, the anxiety was still there, and they longed to erase it. They wanted Peter to feel as happy and content as they were.
This was a step though. An unexpected step, but a step nonetheless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Well, it's not the kid's blood at least."
Yuri sighed as the results of the forensics reports were tossed on her desk.
"Well, do we know the actual owner?"
"You're not gonna like this. It's one of our murder victims."
Yuri froze as she looked up at the head of the forensics department.
"Which one?"
"One of the more violent ones. There was a lot of blood on those clothes."
Yuri let out a deep breath. Carlie Cooper was the best at her job, and it took a lot to shake her, and this seemed to.
"You have a 15 year old kid with clothes, covered in a murder victims blood, hidden in the back of his closet. A 15 year old also tied up in what's going to be one of the biggest trials we've had in a while."
Yuri rubbed her forehead, thinking hard before finally talking out loud.
"Ok, so, do we try to tie this to the kid, or lean more so into the possibility those clothes were stashed there by the Matthews?"
"Have you seen the kid? Does he look like he could do the kind of damage that guy suffered?"
"The kid doesn't look like he could hurt a fly. Under weight and quiet from what I've heard and the picture I've got."
"Well, you're the cop, make your judgment on what you know." Carlie shrugged.
"There's no way the kid could have done that." Yuri shook her head with a sigh.
"Looks like I'll be adding another charge to Kathy and Kent Matthews. This keeps getting worse. All these murders are clearly connected, I can't really say I believe they did it either."
"Maybe they're covering for someone. Or maybe it's their entire little creep ring."
Yuri looked up at the ceiling, running possibilities through her head.
"The victims all had criminal backgrounds. Maybe they didn't pay up for.....services."
Carlie grimaced at the thought, watching Yuri's emotions slide across her face.
"Well, there was nothing else on the clothes oddly enough. No hair strands or even other skin cells. It's almost as if the victim was the one wearing the clothes."
Yuri slowly lowered her gaze to study her.
"I really hate this case. Murder, prostitution, abuse, and a neglected minor involved."
"Anything with kids sucks." Carlie nodded.
Yuri puffed out a breath, opening Peter's file and the forensics report.
"For some reason, I feel especially sorry for this one."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter was silent as he fell face first into the soft bedding.
When was the last time he had this sort of luxury?
He felt emotionally drained form the day spent with the Avengers, even more so from his time cuddled between Wanda and Pietro.
It was nice.
I'd believe you felt that way if I didn't know you were keen to murder.
Peter huffed.
Venom remained silent.
Satisfied with the silence, Peter crawled up under the covers, intent on sleeping off the weariness and ignore the tingling of delight felt through his bond.
"Why are you so obsessed with me being with my....soulmate?" Peter asked, unsure if he really wanted to commit to the conversation.
I have told you before. Your wellbeing is my wellbeing. I benefit from your bond as much as you.
Peter felt a sharp sense of anger.
"So it's just because it's good for you? You want me to stay here and burden them for your own benefit?"
I benefit because you do. I have explained this before. We are connected.
"I can't stay here! Every time I get close to someone, I lose them! Something bad happens to them! Better for me to just leave then put any of them through that."
Peter buried his face in his pillow.
We need to go out. The streets are unguarded bearded from scum.
"No. I've had enough of you calling the shots. I can't go out like this." Peter replied, mumbling out loud.
Venom stirred restlessly in his mind, clearly unhappy with his response.
To bad. Peter had no intention of going out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pepper watched with a worried frown as Peter rushed from the common room, leaving Wanda and Pietro behind without a word.
It had been a hopeful sight to come in and see him sitting with them, but this put a damper on the happiness.
"It's a start, Pepper." Natasha said, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"I'm just worried about them. That was a might quick mood shift. He sat with them the whole movie, only to jump up and run out as if he had been set on fire."
"I'm a little curious about that myself." Natasha replied, looking to where Peter had gone. "Well, I'm on guard duty. So, I'll leave this up to you."
"Oh," Pepper huffed with a smile. "Leave the hard part to me."
"Well, he is going to be Peter Potts, not Peter Romanoff." Natasha smirked.
"Get out of here." Pepper chuckled, shoving the spy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter came to in an alley outside a pharmacy.
He growled in anger and he looked down at his, at least covered this time, feet.
"I told you I didn't want to go out!" he hissed into the darkness.
And I told you the streets were unsafe.
Slowly, Peter peered outside the alley, taking note of the not so crowded street.
Didn't people ever stay home?
How was he going to explain things back at the compound if anyone ever came in to check on him?
"Ok, we need to go back."
No. There is still time left.
"If you didn't want to go back, you should have just stayed in control." Peter scoffed.
You need to see the city. You need to return as Spider-Man.
"Why? You seem to have things under control." Peter paused. "Well, as well as it can be considering your growing body count."
Peter felt his own anger surge through him at the reminder that Venom was using him to carry out his actions.
With a lurch, Venom forced him up the side of the building and onto the roof.
Listen.
Peter grumbled, but followed instructions.
The normal sounds of the city began to filter through his ears. Slowly, the sounds began to fade and shift as his hearing returned to its trained method of looking for people needing help.
Peter cringed as more cries than normal reached him.
Your absence is felt. I must be careful, you do not.
Peter couldn't argue the sight of Spider-Man was probably far more of a relief that whatever Venom probably was.
For the first time, it occurred to Peter he had no idea what Venom looked like.
Peter startled as a strange feeling swept over him before his vision went dark a moment before returning.
"What did you do?"
Venom didn't respond as he ran to the edge of the roof and jumped down into another alley.
"What are you-"
Peter's words died on his tongue as he caught sight of himself in the reflection of a car window.
A large, muscled black creature with white eyes, similar to the shape of those on his suit, looked back at him. Sharp teeth filled a large mouth as it grinned.
"I-is that..."
This is us.
Peter didn't know how to respond. His mind was frozen on the image before him.
"Yo-you've been.....you've been going out like this?" Peter's voice cracked.
This is how we look.
Peter's thoughts were racing as Venom turned away from the window and back to the rooftop, squatting on the edge and allowing Peter to think.
How was Venom going around looking like this? How had no one gotten any pictures of him? How had he managed to go undetected so long?
Venom didn't offer any answers to his questions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pepper stood before Peter's closed door, debating how to handle what she would find on the other side.
Peter was in a fragile state, she knew.
Everything was constantly changing for him and, oddly enough, Tony had probably been the most consistent part of Peter's life in a while.
Up until he discovered who Peter was and where he lived, as well as crossed a few other lines, Tony had been a constant presence since he discovered Spider-Man.
Pepper sighed.
Tony.
That was a whole separate issue, one she knew needed to be addressed. Regardless of what he showed others, it hurt Tony to be cut off from "his kid".
Taking a breath, she knocked on the door.
"Peter?"
There was no response from inside.
"Peter? Can I come in, please?"
Again there was no response.
Pepper sighed before turning the knob and pushing on the door.
"Peter, I'd like to-"
Pepper froze, noting the empty bed. Walking over to the bathroom, she listened carefully, not hearing the shower running.
"Peter?"
The quickly growing familiar silence greeted her.
"FRIDAY, is Peter in the bathroom?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Approved sensors indicated Peter entered his room, then went into the bathroom. Sensors have not indicated his exit."
"FRIDAY, call everyone but Wanda and Pietro here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter emptied his stomach onto the dirty alley floor.
The mangled body behind him leaving a foul, metallic smell in the air.
"Why did you do that?" Peter gasped, wiping his spit covered chin.
Because he was a bad guy, and you were doing nothing.
Venom replied as if it should have been obvious.
"Why did you leave me conscious?" Peter growled. "You never have before!"
Because you needed to see. You needed to see what I see. You needed to see the good we do.
"Good? You murdered that guy!"
He felt Venom grumbling at the complete lack of respect for his actions from Peter.
"There's no way you could have thought I'd be ok with this!" Peter hissed, scurrying up the brick wall and onto the roof of the pharmacy they had been passing by.
That man robbed them!
"Then knock him unconscious and leave him for the cops! The store was right around the corner!"
No guarantee he would be caught.
Venom huffed moodily.
"I just ate a guy's head." Peter whispered before throwing up again.
I ate the guy's head. It was delicious.
Peter heaved.
We should hunt more!
"No!" Peter shouted, straightening up.
"I want to go home!"
In his state, he didn't even register his reference to the compound as home, and Venom didn't correct him.
One more?
"No! I can't...I can't do that again."
Venom hummed before Peter saw everything go black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That was fast." Steve sighed.
"I didn't think he was in his room long enough to get out."
"We're gonna have to step up." Natasha nodded.
"I really didn't think he'd go out tonight at all."
"This is a real problem. Peter is supposed to be on lock down." Pepper frowned, pacing the boy's room.
"It's not safe out there. There's the murderer-"
"He's Spider-Man, Pepper." Steve tried.
"That doesn't matter! He doesn't have a suit! But that's not the only problem. Peter doesn't need to be seen out around the city. The Matthews were arrested and are involved in a huge court case. What if the kids at his school start putting pieces together and go public?" Pepper cried, continuing to pace.
"That's unlikely." Tony scoffed. "Those brats didn't care about Peter. The whole school didn't care about Peter."
"People will do anything for their five minutes of fame, Tony." Natasha frowned.
"Oh, no they won't." Tony grinned before leaving the room.
"He's probably on his way to do something both ethically wrong and illegal, but I'm not going to stop him." Pepper sighed
"Tony's made some... questionable-"
"Bad."
"Questionable decisions," Steve frowned at Natasha's interruption. "But we all know he's Peter's biggest supporter. I agree with letting him do whatever he's planning to do."
"Did I just hear Captain America agreeing to break the law." Pepper smirked with a raised brow.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Steve shrugged with a grin.
"Captain America said no such thing. Some guy named Steve Rogers may have though."
Natasha smirked as the three left Peter's empty room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter opened his eyes as warm water hit his face.
He was in the shower back at the Avenger's compound.
Venom had put him under for, what he hoped, was only the return and not more "crimefighting" as he thought it to be.
He didn't ask.
After a few minutes under the spray, Peter spoke.
"Venom?"
Venom didn't reply, but Peter knew he was listening.
"How.....where did I.....where did I find you?"
You have not been my only host.
Peter's mind whirled. He wasn't even sure himself how he acquired Venom, much less given any thought to what he had done before they became attached.
Peter ran through his first real understanding of just how much he was no longer alone in his own head. He tried to recall where all he had been before that, but there were far to many places. Spider-Man was out and about quite a bit.
Where would he have found Venom?
I found you.
Internally, Peter's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"What do you mean you found me?"
The night you encountered a band of low level thieves in an abandoned warehouse.
"I fight a lot of low level thieves in a lot of warehouses."
These low lives had just robbed a very large vehicle in the middle of a delivery.
"That Life Foundation robbery?! What were you doing there? That truck was on its way to Oscorp from San Francisco."
I have traveled many miles before getting here and finding you. I have had many hosts, but you are the first to be able to sustain me.
Peter didn't respond, this new information bouncing around in his head.
Venom had come from the Life Foundation.
"Wait, what do you mean 'sustain'?" his first thought abandoned in favor of the new.
Venom didn't respond at first, at Peter felt his first sense of real hesitation from the creature.
My hosts....they do not last long.
"What do you mean?"
I do not easily connect with hosts.
Peter frowned, running back through his time with Venom, and his fight at the warehouse.
He had not even noticed Venom presence at first, so he didn't understand what special qualities host required-
"There was already a dead body when I entered the warehouse." Peter mumbled.
"I check him after everyone was webbed up. He had been shot, but his body was in bad sha-"
Peter froze.
"Ve-Venom? Di...di you kill your host?"
There was silence, which was far more telling than anything the symbiote could have said.
"You...you basically drained everything about him, didn't you? His body wasn't strong enough to handle you...."
He was once again met with silence.
Peter took a deep breath, realizing just how much Venom really did need him to stay well.
Venom couldn't just bond with anyone. He had very specific requirements that had to be met for the bond to work.
Somehow, Peter met those requirements despite all his shortcomings.
He couldn't explain it, nor did he want to analyze it, but the thought of being needed in such a way, filled him with warmth.