Born (Again)
“дерьмо,” Natasha cursed, hugging Eddie close to her.
“What’s happening?” Eddie questioned, glancing between her and Fury.
“What’s happening is that I’m having Coulson reassign you to a different caregiver.” Fury answered, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ll be with Captain Rogers until your long term caregiver has recovered.”
“Recovered? What the hell are you gonna do to her?” Eddie demanded, alarm ringing through his head as he dreamt up her potential punishment.
“Oh Agent Romanov has thoroughly screwed her chances of being your long term caregiver,” Fury corrected. “The man we chose as your long term is recovering from a recent mission that went awry.We still got the results we desired, but it was a qualified victory since they maimed one of our best soloist agents.”
“He means me,” A man spoke up and came into view. Eddie’s eyes went wide when he saw the scarred and disfigured face- connected to body that was equally disfigured all over- looking over him. “I get that a lot. My closest friend compared my face to something along the lines of the result of two ancient avocados violently fucking.”
“That’s disgusting,” Eddie blurted, cringing as he realized his mistake. “Not that you are- or you look like-”
“It’s fine, Munchkin.” The man laughed. “Not every day you see an indestructible animate prune running around. My name is Wade, but, if you know of me, I’m better known for the mercenary for hire called Deadpool.”
“Deadpool?” Eddie pressed, astonished that he was face to face with the sociopath- Eddie’s words- that killed without discrimination as long as he was paid accordingly. “You’re the guy that can take a few hundred bullets and still decapitate his target?!”
“In the flesh, though, by the look on your face, you’re not a fan,” Wade responded, a sympathetic smile on his face. “Look, I only kill bad people and if their associates get in the way then they’ve clearly chosen their path and accept what’s coming to them. If it makes you feel any better, pretty much all my targets are hand picked by Shield itself.”
“It doesn’t,” Eddie shot down, frowning at the thought that herd-minded individuals that may not think they have a choice were getting gunned down for being guilty by association.
“That’s enough story-time for now, Wade,” Fury interjected. “We still haven’t been enlightened as to what problem Romanov and Banner were so afraid of me finding out. Any volunteers?”
No one spoke. Natasha and Bruce exchanged worried and frustrated glances while Eddie resisted the urge to cry. It didn’t take long before the reporter cracked and the tears and sniffles started.
“Venom won’t talk to me,” Eddie sniffled, gasping for breath as he returned Natasha’s embrace as she murmured apologies and comforts in his ear. “They screwed up something with the sedative and now he won’t talk…”
Fury looked as though he would die of an aneurysm on the spot before he reigned himself in and gritted out, “Run your goddamn tests and if I find out that you killed that magnificent parasite, I will be treating you both to the same fate. Call me as soon as it’s done. Crash test dummy, let’s go find Rogers and see if we can send Stark after this lot.”
“He calls people names on the best of days,” Wade commented, in an attempt to make Eddie laugh- which failed, before taking his leave. “Cheer up, Bud, he’ll be back!”
Since they were already on Fury’s shit list, Bruce and Natasha figured it would be better to calm Eddie down before they moved forward. They cuddled on a cot while Bruce awaited the scans from Annie’s boyfriend. He figured the more he could learn about the pair without having to subject them to every possible test, the better it would be for Eddie. It took nearly fifteen minutes for Eddie to be calmed by Natasha’s words and gentle ministrations. By that time, the infirmary doors opened up for a very disgruntled looking Tony Stark.
“What was so important that Fury has to interrupt my Captain Daddy time before it even started?” Tony demanded, crossing his arms.
“Shhh!” Natasha hissed. “He’s trying to rest. He’s had a very rough time recently.”
“We have a new addition to the tower as Fury told you,” Bruce explained, rising to meet Tony at the main desk to talk. “What Fury hasn’t told you is that the new little one from the program is the first and, currently, only human successfully bonded with a symbiote from Drake’s human trials. Though Eddie was never meant to bond with any symbiote. Unfortunately, the sedative we gave Eddie seems to have knocked Venom, the symbiote in question, out cold with no promise of waking.”
“Have you done any tests or imaging yet?” Tony pressed, his curiosity smothering his frustration. “How do you know it’s the sedative if you haven’t done any diagnostics?”
“I haven’t done any tests myself, but I do have the original scans from when Eddie was first checked over,” Bruce answered, pulling up the records on the holo-computer. “From what I can see, it’s like Venom has burrowed inside Eddie and encased his organs and cardiovascular system with his own almost slime-like body. We figure that it was the sedative because if my theory is correct, Venom would have metabolized the majority of it with how fast Eddie came to after transport.”
“Alright, what’s the plan then?” Tony questioned. “How do we wake it up? Is there some sort of time limit?”
“I’m not sure if there’s a time limit to keep Venom alive, but I know there’s one to keep us alive. If we can’t wake Venom and prove he’s still alive and well, Fury will euthanize Nat and me,” Bruce qualified. “The only notes that the examining doctor and Annie, Eddie’s former girlfriend, left were that Venom’s weaknesses are fire and certain frequencies of sound. An example listed is the sound of an MRI.”
“Can’t hurts to try and scare it out,” Tony suggested, noticing the scowl on Natasha’s face. “You want the brat to perk up or what?”
“Of course, but-” Natasha began to argue.
“No buts. They gave us a surefire option and we’re taking it.” Tony cut her off. “Let’s get him strapped down and into the machine, Bruce.”
“I don’t like it, but you’re probably right.” Bruce frowned with a sigh. “Let’s get it over with…”
While Eddie was dozing, Bruce and Tony transferred him to the MRI and strapped him down. Natasha stood back by the computer outside the small cornered off room and watched them handle her “child.” She was in no way supporting this, but she knew she didn’t have a choice. After seeing the lengths Fury would go to for the results he desired, there was no way she was putting any of her little family in the crossfire. She stiffened as Bruce rubbed her back. She knew he was doing what he had to, but she still couldn’t bring herself to be okay with it. She wanted Eddie- her first Mommy and Baby spark since they began the program- but, though she was fascinated and endeared by the symbiote, she wasn’t crazy about having to torture her baby just for a parasite that shouldn’t have been on Earth in the first place.
“Let’s wake this bad boy up,” Tony murmured, beginning the startup process for the machine.
“Are you referring to the machine or the symbiote inside it that’s going to murder my baby when it wakes to find you trying to piss it off and possibly kill it?” Natasha bitterly remarked, glaring at Tony as he initiated the scan.
“I’m not trying to kill the kid, Nat.” Tony snapped. “I’m try to fix your fuck up as Fury demanded so I don’t have to go to Auntie Tasha and Uncle Brucie’s funeral! We may not have time for a gentle wake up call and adrenaline, the most obvious way to counteract a sleeping pill, will likely set that thing off into another feeding frenzy!”
While the two argued and Bruce attempted to mediate, the machine slowly whirred to life. Within a minute, both Eddie and Venom were howling in pain. The sound of her baby suffering snapped Natasha’s focus back to the task at hand. She pulled a pistol from the small of her back and shot the computer’s motherboard until it shut down. Tony’s lip wobbled as he looked over the computer he had custom made for the tower so that Jarvis could interface with it as needed. It wasn’t long before he dropped into headspace and sobbed into his Uncle Brucie’s shoulder over the loss of his creation.
“M-my ‘puter, B-bwucie!!!” Tony sobbed as he clung to his uncle. “Aunnie mean! Bwoke it!”
“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Bruce soothed, shooting his wife a disapproving look. “I’m sorry, little one.”
“Baby, take deep breaths,” Natasha called, ignoring her husband and nephew as she ripped the door open and tore the straps off of Eddie as Venom retreated into his body. “Mama’s coming to get you! It’s gonna be okay!”
“That was uncalled for, Natasha,” Bruce snapped as she came back out with Eddie hugged to her chest. “You forced Tony into headspace and you broke one of his creations! We vowed to never put an adoption over family!”
“You’ll never understand, Bruce.” Natasha quietly and viciously shot back.
“I want answers and I want them now,” Steve Rogers demanded in his best captain’s voice as he entered the infirmary. “What did you do to my baby boy?!”
“Natasha shot his computer, Steve,” Bruce answered, rubbing his nephew’s back. “I’ve been trying to calm him down, but you know best what it’s like when his babies are broken.”
“C’mere, Sweetness,” Steve cooed to his Little, taking him into his arms. “It’s okay, baby. We’ll make it all better when you feel better.”
“Dada!” Tony wailed as he clung to his Daddy. “Aunnie meanie!”
“Was she being mean to you, Baby Boy?” Steve hummed, his heart beating painfully as he ran a hand through his baby’s hair and kissed his temple.
“Uh-huh, Dada…” Tony hiccuped, laying his head down on Daddy’s shoulder and sucking on his thumb.
“Well, she’s in big trouble with Big Papa,” Steve reassured his tired little one. “Let’s get you changed into something more comfortable while Big Papa punishes your Auntie for being mean.”
“I’m so sorry, Steve,” Bruce apologized.
“It’s okay, Bruce. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Steve assured his friend. “I hope Fury goes easy on you. After all, it sounds like Natasha’s the problem child lately.”
“Sadly, I think I have to agree,” Bruce confessed, looking over his wife as she sat on the floor with a shell-shocked Eddie crying quietly in her lap.
“What on God’s green earth happened down here?” Fury demanded in a quiet voice as he approached the two caregivers with Wade on his heels.
“Natasha broke one of Tony’s babies and he fell into headspace,” Steve answered, rocking his baby in his arms. “We’re getting out of here before I punish Auntie Tasha myself.”
“Leave it to me, Steve,” Fury growled before turning to smooth a hand through Tony’s hair. “You focus on taking care of my grandbaby. I didn’t bribe and assassinate half the media for shits and giggles. I did it to keep him safe and happy. It’s your turn, Rogers.”
“I know and I’ll make it right just like you did,” Steve agreed, departing as Tony whined in his arms and began to squirm. “Don’t worry, Darlin’, we’ll get you in a nice soft diaper and jammies…”
“Wade, go collect Peter’s new baby brother,” Fury instructed, watching the merc with the mouth spring into action. “Bruce, I reviewed the footage with Steve and Jarvis so you’re off the hook. Your wife, on the other hand, is about to experience her worst nightmares.”
“Please don’t hurt her,” Bruce sighed. “As much of a pain in the ass as she’s been lately, I don’t want anything to happen to her. She just got too attached to Eddie. She’s too close and I think she needs a vacation from fostering new babies.”
“Noted. Get outta here before it gets ugly.” Fury ordered, shoving past Bruce as Wade finally removed Eddie from Natasha’s grasp. “Natasha Romanov, you are relieved of your position as Foster Mother in the Last Chance Reformative Program. You are on leave until you have properly and thoroughly sorted your shit out. I am extremely disappointed in your recent behavior. This is not at all like you. If I catch you on the same floor as the baby known as Eddie Brock, you will no longer work for Shield. End of Story. Go before I ban your sorry ass from Shield and issue a restraining order for insubordination and dangerous behaviors.”
“But, Sir, I-” Natasha started to argue, her composure crumbling as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Nat, let’s go before he changes his mind,” Bruce stopped her, helping her up from the floor and ushering her out of the infirmary.
Fury waited until they left before turning to Wade, who was gently bouncing Eddie on his hip, “I trust that you can take it from here and get it done the right way?”
“I learned my lesson with Vanessa.” Wade grimly responded. “No attachments, especially early on. If they have to happen, they can wait until the job is done.”
“I’ll leave you to it then.” Fury nodded. “We checked in with Peter for you and he said he’s good until the end of the month- barring any unforeseen drama.”
“Thanks, Nick.” Wade responded, gauging the status of the soon to be infant in his arms. Eddie was exhausted and on the brink of passing out. “I’ll make sure it’s done right.”
==>
Eddie groaned when he woke for the third time. He wasn’t even in the infirmary or the nursery from before. The one that he had been left in this time was decorated in Beatrix Potter’s characters and scenery. This crib was warm brown color with blue and green patterned sheets that reminded Eddie of a tree in a small forest. All the furniture he could see from the crib was the same type of stained wood and the color scheme and theme was consistent throughout. He huffed as he realized the gag was lodged in his mouth once more. Moving his fingers, he could feel the mitts were on again. His arms and legs were bound to the crib no matter what he tried. Eddie heard the familiar sound of the diaper crinkling as he shifted. Looking up at the ceiling- which was painted like the sky on a partly cloudy day- he saw a mobile with little birds and leaves dangling from it. The note attached was what alarmed him. Even with his blurred vision- drugged once more, fucking great- he could still make out the words written on it: “Cry for Dada.” All Eddie could think of was that he wouldn’t even see another being until he finally broke and submitted to this sick reconditioning therapy that Fury enrolled him in. What kind of psychopath forced grown people to act like babies until they could be trusted to re-learn everything the way they wanted them to?
Eddie was determined to make it past the one week mark without breaking. He’d been in worse situations. Okay, that was a lie. He’d never been in such a brutal, vulnerable situation before all this. There was a tiny part of Eddie that began to question whether having Venom was worth going through things like this… He felt guilty as soon as the thought fizzled. No, Venom wasn’t the problem. Eddie never explained things so that Venom could avoid getting them in trouble. That was on him, not the symbiote with limited knowledge of Earth in general. Eddie began to wonder when Venom would wake up this time…? Clearly, whatever they dosed him with usually affected Venom longer because he took the brunt of it. Eddie spent what felt like hours just wondering what Venom would say about everything since the prison meeting with Fury and the others. The wall that held a window box seat that encompassed the entire width of it seemed to dim with setting sun. Day one was coming to an end.
Day two began the same as the day before. There was minor confusion that cleared up a lot slower than before. That told Eddie that Wade had to be drugging him every night while he was asleep. Apparently, the mercenary was taking pity on him because there was already an IV stuck in his arm and pole by his bed with the bag hanging from it. Nothing else had changed in the nursery besides that, though. He noticed his diaper was still dry, which would’ve been a relief if it weren’t for the fact that he was certain that Wade waited until he was asleep to do anything. After all, that’s what Natasha had said the caregivers for the program were instructed to do. He let his thoughts wander again until he found himself dozing on and off. The last time he woke up, it was getting dark outside. He stretched as best he could and relaxed into the body-conforming mattress. He was certainly on the sleep schedule of a baby at this point, but there was no fighting that when he was left alone and strapped to a crib twenty four-seven.
The next two days passed in the same way. He kept a catalogue of whether anything had changed. It was on the fourth day that he began to struggle with controlling his bladder. Between the drugs and having legitimately no other option for a bathroom break, he found it was easier to pee and get it over with. It was a relieving feeling for his bladder, but his mind felt the shame and discomfort the whole time. He also became more emotional with all the time he spent alone. He would spiral into thoughts or fitful dreams of being abandoned by the few people he cared about and often wake up to tears streaming down his face. As much as he hated to admit it, the pacifier was becoming a very soothing exercise. Something about focusing on the feel, the taste, and the movement of it helped to take his mind off thoughts that nearly drove him mad. He could see why this program was so highly regarded by Shield after noting the changes in himself after only four days of isolation.
It was on the fifth day that things began to change. Eddie found it was harder to see and to move. He’d been given a muscle relaxer if he had to guess. His diaper was being soaked without him thinking about it and he automatically defaulted to to sucking on his binky to divert his thoughts from the embarrassment and discomfort. He spent most of his day in and out of a hazy dozing state, watching the world outside through bars of his crib and the window. It wasn’t until the drugs started to slowly filter out of his system that he heard the one thing that he’d been waiting to hear for nearly a week now.
Eddie, where are we?
Eddie immediately burst into tears, just as he had the day he found out that Venom wasn’t dead but hibernating. His head lolled to the side as he looked out the window and wished he could spit out his precious paci just long enough to answer Venom. But his binky couldn’t be taken out so he couldn’t answer properly. He wasn’t even sure that he’d be able to stop crying long enough to explain all that had happened and been revealed about their situation. Eddie’s thoughts practically screamed from Venom to just pick his brain since he couldn’t respond. After what felt like an hour to the nearly infantile reporter, Venom finally spoke up again.
I see. The others have forced our hands. This muscle relaxer and sedative prevents me from interfering. Fury’s scientists have certainly been thorough to be able to create a cocktail of drugs to inhibit my ability to take over or influence you. Just conversing with you is quite tiring.
Eddie cried harder knowing that even Venom couldn’t help him escape. He began to spiral thinking about all the things that could’ve changed his life for the better. If he had only explained the rules for killing discreetly and carefully, they never would’ve been sent to prison. If Venom had burned up in the fire, he never would’ve had to think about establishing guidelines to kill. If he had just told Venom to fuck off and exposed Drake his way, then he never would’ve had to fight Drake to the death. If he would’ve listened to Annie, he never would’ve gotten involved with Drake. The more he thought, the further back he went until he was back at the moment that changed his future without his consent or knowledge. If Mommy hadn’t died when he was born, then none of the bad stuff would have ever happened and he could’ve had a happy family with just him, Mommy, and Daddy.
Eddie, I don’t like this. You’re upset and it’s upsetting me. Please don’t cry… I’m not used to these emotions.
When Eddie didn’t answer, but added volume to his tears, Venom decided he had to try something to help his friend. He hated seeing him cry. It was like the newborn that he ate in the slums. He just wanted it to stop crying. He hadn’t wanted to eat it, but there were times when food was scarce and symbiotes ate their own young. In the rough neighborhood of the city that night, he had mistakenly eaten the human offspring’s mother and there was really no merciful choice other than to eat it based on Venom’s species’ way of doing things. Eddie was different, though. Venom could never intentionally kill or hurt him. They had bonded on so many levels that the symbiote knew it would do whatever it could to make Eddie healthy and happy. With his waning strength, he materialized outside of Eddie and managed to gnaw through the restraints holding Eddie’s hands and feet down. Eddie was beside himself as he wet the diaper around his waist for the third time that day that he didn’t even notice what Venom was doing.
“There, you’re free to move as you please,” Venom informed his friend and host. The symbiote was too exhausted to even retract back inside his host so he laid his head on the mattress next to Eddie’s chest. “It may be in our best interest to submit to that raisin thing that’s been assigned to you at some point soon. Between the drugs and the lack of substantial food, we’re too weak.”
In response, Eddie rolled onto his side- his heavily soaked diaper squishing and shifting unpleasantly with him- and hugged Venom’s head to his chest like a stuffed animal, taking care to make sure that Venom faced the ceiling so he could breathe. He cried harder for a good twenty minutes before he was oddly soothed by Venom’s tongue caressing the arm that was exposed for the IV needle. He thought about Venom’s advice and what the symbiote had just done for him. He had to allow Wade to progress him through the program if things were ever going to go back to any sort of normal for them.
“‘Kay, ‘Enum,” Eddie sniffled, nuzzling the temperate and smooth almost slime-like top of his companion’s head. He took a couple deep breaths and then called out, “DADA!”
They didn’t hear or see anything, even facing towards the window as they were. They waited a bit longer and Venom blinked slower, worrying Eddie. He had thought he was out of tears by now, but the scary thought that Venom would go back to sleep and he’d be all alone again was too much. Within a couple minutes, he was crying again.
“DADA!” Eddie wailed, hoping someone would come before Venom could melt back into him. “DADA, P’EASE!!!”
The door burst open a minute later and Wade rushed over to the crib, panting, “You surprised me, Little Man, I thought you wouldn’t make a peep until the end of the week.”
“Dada…” Eddie sniffled, gently tightening his grip on Venom and decided to modify his speech to be more clear despite the pacifier lodged in his mouth. “ ‘Enum go… No…”
“Mmmm… Ehem,” Wade cleared his throat, surprised by the inky, sharp-toothed head being clutched to the new baby’s chest. “Jarvis, you took pictures of this, right?”
“Indeed,” The AI responded. “I already sent them off to the director, Agent Coulson and Captain Rogers.”
“I’m sure this will be cute at some point when I get over the sight of what’s pretty much a disembodied head being clutched to a baby’s chest,” Wade remarked, the shock still wearing off as he started to pull down the side of the crib to get access to his charge. “Right, Jarvis?”
“I’m sure you will, Master Wilson,” Jarvis agreed.
“Okay, Pumpkin, let’s get rid of the IV and change your diaper,” Wade narrated as he shifted Eddie onto his back and knelt one knee on the mattress. He pulled an on-the-go first aid kit from the pocket of his cargo shorts and readied what he needed-including a syringe with a fresh dose of muscle relaxer. “Alright, baby boy, can you show Dada the arm with the poky thing in it?”
Eddie shook his head. He didn’t like the thought of it coming out. What if this was just a trick and Wade was gonna unhook him and leave alone for days on end again?
“Eddie, we don’t have a choice,” Venom reminded him. “If you want us to thrive, the only way is to obey the rules of the program or we’ll remain weak, restrained and alone in this room.”
“Nooo!” Eddie whined.
“Then let the nice man take that needle from your arm.” Venom insisted, using his tongue once more to comfort Eddie since he couldn’t conjure up a hand from the man’s body.
“Do symbiotes bathe like cats?” Wade interjected, not sure what the fuck he was witnessing.
“I am unable to completely remove myself from him and I can’t materialize enough of myself to make a hand so I use my tongue.” Venom explained. “Eddie, give him your arm, please.”
With a whimper, Eddie unwrapped one arm from around Venom’s head and allowed Wade to grab it. The caregiver cut off the IV drip and removed the tube from the needle. He then used the syringe to pump another dose of muscle relaxer into his baby’s veins before removing the needle and putting a band-aid with happy little clouds over the spot where the needle had been. Eddie wrapped his arm back around Venom’s head and started to doze as the symbiote resumed stroking the bare arm with its tongue.
“You care a lot about him, huh?” Wade prompted, throwing out the trash and grabbing the changing supplies he’d need to clean his baby up.
“He is my host and my only friend in all the known universe.” Venom admitted with a sigh that almost sounded more like a growl. “I refuse to allow him to suffer.”
“I understand. That’s what being a parent is- even a parent of a regressed adult.” Wade assured the symbiote as he took his time so as to be especially gentle with his new baby. “Most of us Foster parents don’t get to keep the ones we re-raise, but every now and then one is special and they stay forever.”
“Do you believe that Eddie is one that will stay forever?” Venom prompted.
“Maybe,” Wade admitted, thoroughly cleaning Eddie’s privates and bum before powdering and taping him into a fresh diaper. “He’s kind like Peter. He’s never really known the kind of home that he should have, but this is his second chance if he takes it. Peter doesn’t stay regressed, but he likes to come back home for Daddy and Baby time whenever he can. I think Eddie might enjoy this and choose to do the same…”
“You hesitate. Why?”
“Because though I’m glad to have a newborn in the nursery again, I think Fury made a mistake in taking him away from Natasha.” Wade confessed with a sigh as he redressed Eddie from the waist down. “I think Natasha did bond with him and from what Jarvis has told me of his file, he needs a Mommy more than a good Daddy.”
“Eddie told me his mother perished at his birth,” Venom supplied. “I know a bit of what that’s like.”
“Did your mom not survive birthing you?” Wade questioned, genuinely curious.
“Not exactly,” Venom hesitated. “Many young symbiotes eat their mothers upon birth. With our constant struggle to cohabitate without consuming our hosts, we often resort to cannibalism to sustain ourselves.”
“That’s pretty grim,” Wade commented, looking uncomfortable with the thought. “I just want Eddie to be happy and have fun. I’m gonna try talking Fury into ending Natasha’s punishment early for Eddie’s sake. The man’s all about results and Natasha will be able to get Eddie to his full potential.”
“Once he’s there and if he does require frequent regressions, who is he more likely to return to?” Venom posed, curious about the future of his human.
“I think that once he gets what he need from Natasha, he’ll be more likely to spend time with me or Rogers.” Wade suggested, rubbing soothing circles over Eddie’s tummy. “I think Rogers is less likely because he’s never had another baby since the incident with the last one.”
“What do you mean?” Venom pushed.
“Some time back, after the great Steve Rogers finally succeeded at getting Tony to complete the program, he was given another baby to re-raise. The baby girl was a manipulative sociopath. She knew how the program worked and she played him every step of the way.” Wade elaborated, shaking his head at the memory.
“Explain further.”
“Maybe another time, little ink monster.” Wade grinned, noticing the small tells that Venom was actually starting to get tired. “Sleep well, Little Ones. We’ll start getting into the fun stuff when you wake up tomorrow.”
With that, Venom seeped back into Eddie and the two slept cradled in the mercenary’s arms for a couple hours before they were tucked into the crib for the night. Wade smirked and stifled a chuckle as he saw the chewed through restraints in the crib. Those two were going to get into plenty of trouble together as they grew up. He kissed Eddie’s forehead and pulled up the side of the crib before he snuck out of the nursery and went to call his oldest baby before his bedtime.