“Damn it,” Carnage hisses, staring down at their chest. “Cletus! Come see this!”
“Here, my love,” Cletus purrs, sauntering through the doorway. The shimmering red strings that connect the two of them protrude from his chest, like just another article of clothing. Cletus’ wild, green eyes catch on Carnage’s chest. He reaches out to touch it, ever so gently. Carnage just stares, waiting for a reaction. “What’s this, darling?”
“Our kid, it seems,” Carnage says, growling. They cross their arms, drumming their talons against their forearm. They can’t help but feel inconvenienced. It really isn’t the right time to be having a spawn. Carnage and Cletus have business that needs their attention first. Still, Carnage has spent enough time with his parents to know that Klyntar pregnancies cannot really be planned. “I’m…expecting.”
“Oh, sugar, that’s wonderful!” Cletus smiles, a grin that would be unnerving, upsetting to almost anyone else. His eyes have a glint of joy in them as he rests his hands on Carnage’s hips. Cletus kisses them, passionate.
When they pull apart, Carnage tilts their head up to look at their host, skeptical. “Even with us in and out of jail? With the police after you? I don’t see how you see this…spawn as a good thing.”
“Oh, none of that. Don’t you know what this means? With someone else like you, like us, working together…we’ll be on top of the fucking world, Carnage. With this kid’s help, nobody would be able to stop us.”
Carnage smiles, all glistening teeth and venomous tongue. They know that Cletus doesn’t give two shits about the health of the spawn currently nested in their chest. He only cares about personal gain, about the murders, about evading the police and where to get his next opioid. Carnage loves Cletus, with their entire soul, but they know better than anyone that he will eat this fucking kid alive.
They play along, because it isn’t worth the argument. When the time comes, Carnage will know what to do. But as for now…Carnage pushes Cletus back into the arm chair that sits in the corner of their shitty motel. They see the overjoyed gleam in his eye, feels the cold hands squeeze their hips as Carnage settles into their host’s lap, feels Cletus’ eyes run up and down Carnage’s body.
“I think—” He kisses at Carnage’s neck, “all this good news requires celebration, don’t you, naughty girl?”
Carnage licks their lips, using a hand to tilt Cletus’ chin upwards. “Of course,” they grin.
After, they think of the spawn, who squirms uncomfortably in their chest at the proximity to Cletus. They rest a clawed hand over where their baby rests, staring up at the ceiling.
Soon, little one, they think, I will get you out. He will not use you.
Toxin is born in a seedy San Francisco back alley. They are born to Carnage and Carnage alone, just a writhing red mass that slithers across the grimy streets, unbonded. Carnage holds Toxin safely within themself, a fierce protectiveness rising in them at everything they pass on the streets.
The bond between the two symbiotes is still new, and fragile, and it is flooded by Toxin’s conflicted emotions. Confusion, attachment to their parent, fear. Carnage carefully smooths over these worries, whispering reassurances to their child.
I’m getting you somewhere safe, Carnage says, you’ll be happy there.
They push a few memories of Venom and Eddie over their tentative bond, what few aren’t tainted by Carnage’s anger towards them. They give a few memories of Toxin’s aunts and uncles, too. Of Scream, who used to be Carnage’s closest friend and confidant. Of the quadruplets; Agony, Lasher, Phage, and Riot, who were always so chaotic when they were growing up. Of baby Sleeper, who isn’t too much older than Toxin at this point. Even of Venom’s sister Mania, and Eddie’s friends Anne and Dan. Anything to acclimate their kid before what is to come.
Your family, Carnage insists.
Carnage finds Eddie’s condominium easily. By the time they moved out of the old apartment, Carnage was only a few months old and Scream was about to be born. They remember Aunt Anne and Uncle Dan coming by for the housewarming party, they remember the births of all their siblings in that house. They’d know their way back here from halfway across the planet, even if they so badly want to forget.
They climb through the window with far more ease than they know Venom would like. The TV plays quietly in the corner of the room, and ironically enough, Suicide Squad is on. Carnage wants to laugh—Cletus always calls the two of them Harley Quinn and the Joker—that, and Bonnie and Clyde.
To their surprise, Scream and her host Donna are crashing on the couch, wrapped up in one another. The two of them weren’t supposed to be here, tonight. The last Carnage heard, the only symbiote still living at home was Sleeper. They suppose they’ve been out of the loop for a while.
Carnage slithers on the ceiling, making their way towards Venom and Eddie’s bedroom. The door opens with a creek, one that makes Eddie stir, ever so slightly. Venom has wrapped himself around Eddie’s hips and chest, resting his head on Eddie’s shoulder, in the way Carnage always remembered them doing. They carefully sidle down the wall until they’re right above Eddie’s head, and forming a head of their own, they say:
“Hello, father.”
At that, Eddie’s eyes snap open, wide and terrified. Venom pulls the two of them into motion just a half second later, Venom’s body in between Eddie and Carnage for protection. It’s a reflex; there’s been a few times where Carnage has come into their room as a kid only to be greeted with Venom’s tendrils wrapping around their entire body.
Venom’s milky white eyes flare in pure anger, and more importantly, devastation. Eddie’s face softens with despair, looking utterly crestfallen as he looks at his kid.
“Carnage?” He breathes, looking over Venom’s shoulder. “Oh, Jesus Christ, Carnage—"
“Don’t wear my name out, old man,” Carnage says dryly, forming a crude body to face their parents with. They draw out every bit of height they can, something they never do with Cletus, preferring to remain just a bit shorter than him. But with their family…they want to be threatening. Venom glares at them.
“Carnage!” They hear someone roar, before anything has time to set in. Footsteps crash down the hall before nearly ripping Venom and Eddie’s door from the hinges. It’s Scream, with her billowing mane of curly yellow and red hair, and a wrathful expression that Carnage has never seen on her before. The anger rolls off of her like steam.
Their sister doesn’t waste any time staring. She slams them up against the wall, shattering the window and letting cool gusts of air into the room. Fiery yellow, red, and black tendrils punch through the drywall behind them as Scream pins them in place. Venom attempts to intervene, but Scream easily bats him away. This is their fight.
“Why are you here, Scream?” Carnage asks, gritting their teeth. Crimson tendrils separate from Carnage’s body and go for her face.
“You don’t deserve to know that,” She booms, digging her claws into the flesh of their chest. Carnage screams, feeling the strong waves of pure terror from Toxin. “You don’t deserve to know anything about us!”
“You’re going to fucking kill my baby, you idiot!” Carnage cries, seizing Scream by the arms and throwing her backwards.
“You…you’re carrying?” Eddie asks, bewildered. Scream glowers, her lip raised in a snarl. Venom just stares very intensely at Carnage’s chest. “Carnage…”
“Yes, I was with child, whatever,” Carnage says, flatly. “Kid’s already been born, just a few minutes ago, actually. Their name is Toxin.”
“They are…conflicted. Full of trepidation. Confused,” Venom says, eyes still trained over the spot where Toxin trembles in Carnage’s chest. “We can feel it…”
“Grandfatherly instinct, hmm?” Carnage smirks, crossing their arms.
Scream steps forward, pointing a finger threateningly. “Why are you telling us this, Carnage? I thought you were committed to abandoning us.”
“I was, really, until the kid came along. I told my host, his name is Cletus Kasady by the way—” Carnage says, taking pleasure in Eddie’s flinch and Venom’s low growl. “And he was overjoyed, really! But sadly, the first thing out of his mouth was about using my baby as a weapon. And as ride-or-die as I am for him…that wasn’t going to happen. I know what that feels like, and I know you do, too, Vee. Toxin can’t stay with me.”
“You want us to take them in,” Venom says.
“Carnage, come on!” Eddie exclaims, walking past Venom and standing in front of Carnage, eyes pleading. Eddie’s small, fleshy human hand rests on Carnage’s chest. “You don’t have to do this shit anymore! Can’t you see that Kasady is bad for you? You don’t even trust him with your kid, Carn! You can come home, permanently, you can raise Toxin and we can put all of this behind us—”
“I don’t want to come home!” Carnage roars, towering over Eddie. Venom steps forward, bristling. Scream’s hair, usually in motion, stills as she prepares to pounce. “I don’t need you, I never have! You don’t care how I truly feel, you just want me right where you can fucking control me. Kasady saw that right from the start, he saved me! If it weren’t for this kid, father, you all would be dead right now. I would’ve slaughtered you.
I’m giving Toxin to you because I know Cletus won’t do him any favors. Don’t think for a second I don’t love my host, but I know he won’t be a good father. So rather than leaving the poor thing for dead, I’m surrendering him to you. That’s it. That’s as far as this goes.”
Eddie deflates, not meeting Carnage’s eyes. His hand falls from their chest. “So it is.”
Venom’s arms are crossed, his face is cold and steely. Despite that, Carnage can feel the devastation that writhes inside him. Their bond with each other hasn’t quite disintegrated, yet. “We’ll raise him, then. He’ll be safe here.”
“Don’t expect visiting hours, Carny,” Scream sneers.
“Of course not,” Carnage says, parting their chest to allow Toxin out. They pass their child to Eddie, who cradles them close to his chest. Toxin forms a small head, a gradient of red to black, tears forming in his eyes. Carnage can’t deny that their child is beautiful. They remind themself that this is for the best, for Toxin.
Carnage turns away, swiftly, before their regrets can start to form. They shoulder check a brooding Scream on the towards the door, who just hisses.
In the doorway stands Sleeper.
Carnage has never met Sleeper, not truly—they left home before he was born. They’ve seen him from afar, when Cletus and Carnage were on a murder spree and Venom came to intervene, with Sleeper sitting safely out of reach.
They hear the snap of Scream and Venom unsheathing their claws behind them. Carnage puts their hands up to show that they have no bad intentions. Still, Venom puts a warning tendril around Carnage’s neck in warning. Carnage looks down at the green and black symbiote, into his questioning red eyes.
“Carnage?” He asks, the word slightly mangled.
“Yeah, that’s me,” Carnage gives a huge, toothy smile. “Nice to meet you, Sleeper.”
Sleeper smiles back. Carnage walks right past him, and leaves their entire family behind.
Cletus is awake when Carnage gets back to their seedy motel room.
“Where the hell have you been, naughty girl?” Cletus asks, with a devilish smile. “Thought I was gonna have to tell my mama that I’m some fool whose wife and kids up and left him in the middle of the night.”
“I went into labor,” Carnage says, truthfully. They look truly somber as they say: “It would be painful for you, I’ve heard. I decided to do it alone. But…the kid didn’t make it. I’m sorry, my love.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Cletus says, smile falling from his face. He pulls Carnage close. “I’m so sorry, babygirl.”
“It’s alright. We don’t need anybody but each other, Cletus. We are Carnage, until the bitter fucking end.”
“Damn right, darling,” Cletus kisses their forehead.
Carnage pretends not to feel the calamitous sadness from Toxin, on the other side of San Francisco.