Creature comforts

“See, Moonbeam?” Wade prompted, gently bouncing Venom in his lap. “Eddie’s fine. He just feels extra tiny right now.”

Venom was deep in thought. He supposed Eddie could’ve been in worse shape. At the same time, he’d be in better shape if Venom was able to get back inside Eddie. His codex was in there somewhere but it was useless without him in there. If the symbiote tried to return, Daddy would surely lose it and pass them off to some strange new caregiver. What if Venom could dupe Daddy? That was what he’d been pondering before Daddy interrupted his train of thought. Before Venom could respond, Steve returned with a fussy baby Tony in his arms and a couple bottles in his hands.

“I figured you’ll need these soon between the two of them,” Steve explained, bouncing Tony once his hands were free. “Jarvis told me their favorites.”

“Dada!” Tony cried, sniffling and clinging to his Daddy.

“It’s okay, Pumpkin,” Steve cooed, rubbing his baby’s back and swaying slowly.

“Thanks, Steve,” Wade responded, setting Eddie’s off to the side and shifting Venom to a better nursing position. “Time to eat, Little One.”

Venom accepted the distraction happily, tuning out Daddy’s conversation with his supposed ‘Uncle Cap.’ Watching Eddie, a seed of jealousy and longing sprouted within the symbiote. Before Earth, his kind was known as the Klyntar. Their origins were a dark story. The very first of his kind was nothing more than a  severed shadow with the ability to mimic other living things. The hive mind they possessed so that their creator could command them as they pleased was an unwanted reminder of what they were created to be- destroyers, death in a vampiric, tendril-like mass. He could remember his own birth. His mother watching over the egg that he hatched out of… His father was off trying to assimilate to a new host and bring one back for him to consume… The worst moment of his early existence was devouring his mother as she held him like he was precious and delicate. His father was torn between proud, since it was in their nature, and disgusted because they were trying to be a better species. Eating your creator and protector wasn’t exactly reassuring to other species.

“It’s okay, Venom,” Wade soothed, rocking his baby in his arms. “Where’d you go, Little Nightlight?”

“Home…” Venom whimpered, surprised at himself for the emotions he was expressing.

“Yeah, we’re still home, Baby,” Wade assured, confused by his charge’s answer.

“No… Klyntar…” Venom murmured snuggling closer to Daddy, who exchanged looks with Uncle Cap.

“I’m gonna take Tony up for a bottle and a nap,” Steve excused himself. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“What’s Klyntar, Sweets?” Wade asked as Steve departed.

“Born there…” Venom explained, clinging to Daddy. “Bad place…”

“I’m sorry, Moonbeam,” Wade acknowledged, continuing to rock his peculiar child. “I want you to know you’re safe now and I won’t let anything get you.”

“They’ll find us…” Venom cried, still running off the chemical and electrical pulses Eddie had running in his system before they separated.

“Who will, Baby?” Wade questioned, patting Venom’s padded rear as he continued to rock.

“The other Klyntar…”

“Well, we have a whole army of people to help keep them away and some very special friends that know all about the different races throughout the galaxy.” Wade reassured, internally freaked out about the new information. He knew there had to be others like Venom, but if they could find Earth, then there’s no telling what would become of the world Venom had grown so fond of. “You still have another nap to take, Sweets. I think we should curl up in the bed beside Eddie’s bassinet for some snuggles.”

Venom didn’t fuss or argue. He didn’t agree. Lost in his own mind and memories, Venom was barely aware of Wade relocating them. He thought about his childhood and all that he had learned about what it took for his species to survive. Was it really worth it? Venom had been uncertain about all that he’d been forced into since awakening from his restorative hibernation until more recently. That Romanov lady was a spitfire like Annie and he loved that, but not in the context that they’d been in. He saw the agent as more of a potential mate than his prefered parental figure. Wade fit the bill perfectly, though Venom wasn’t entirely sure why… Before he could ponder that peculiarity for much longer, he had fallen asleep once more as Wade continued to rub his back and give him little kisses here and there.

~~~~~~~~~~*********~~~~~~~~~~

Venom remembered the one. The one that changed his course in life forever. He had been the average Klyntar like most of the others in the hive. But then they found a planet that was full of species the Klyntar called the Midnight Masochists. The people there were primitive warriors with backwards concepts of attraction and interaction. What was beautiful to most was repulsive to them. Where matters would be settled over discussion or trial or even lesser punishment, disputes were resolved with bloodshed- whether fatal or not. The Klyntar’s presence helped to evoke peace in the people there. They needed their hosts to survive as long as possible. When the threat from what the Midnight Masochists called the “Alpha Planet” arrived, the Klyntar panicked and fell back to their old ways in order to survive until they could find a new hospitable planet. They ravaged their hosts until all the organs were gone- nothing left but flesh and bone.

The only one who stayed beyond was Venom. He felt the bond between his host and himself influencing his actions. The being he inhabited was forced to watch as many were slaughtered, including that being’s own family. It demanded that Venom aid him in his quest for revenge. With Venom’s aid, the host slaughtered its own kind and the invaders alike until the Klyntar’s own mind was corrupted with bloodlust. The symbiotic creature participated in mass murder- beheading hundreds and piling their bodies in the center of the village. That is, until the leader of the invaders from the “Alpha Planet” discovered them. Venom finally fled with the last of his kind, but it was already too late.

The next peaceful beings they inhabited were tormented by the poisoned Klyntar until the hive decided it was time. Venom was exiled in a carefully crafted capsule designed by the most recent wave of hosts. Sent to die, he lost track of time until he was found by being wielding a large object- a hammer- and was kept in captivity on a new planet. It was sometime before he made contact with a new potential host. There was something about the being that made Venom’s being alight with electricity that he hadn’t felt since he bonded with his first host.

~~~~~~~~~~***********~~~~~~~~~~

Venom awoke with a start. NO. No, no, no. That wasn’t right.

“Goodness sakes, Baby Inks,” Wade cooed, groggily inquiring as he adjusted his hold on Venom. “What’s the matter? Did you have another bad dream?”

“No.” Venom breathed, squinting his eyes at his guardian and putting his hand to the mercenaries heart, semi-permeating the clothes and skin encasing the organ.

“What’s going on, Little Nightlight?” Wade pressed, a bit startled as Venom pulled his inky hand back out of his chest.

“You abandoned me.” Venom accused, pulling away from Wade. “You left me to die!”

“What…?” Wade pressed, confused by the leaps that were occurring.

“Years ago, you left me to rot in a glass tube. You left me be the artifact of the man with the hammer of white hot light!” Venom spat. “I was imprisoned until Riot found me! He put me through hell to prove my allegiance to my kind and used me to scout out our next long term meal. It is all your fault! Eddie would never be here if it weren’t for you!”

Wade thought about Venom’s words for a moment. Something was striking him as familiar… The man with the hammer of white hot light… A glass tube… A black substance… Oh, Fuck. The symbiote was right. Wade had found the one that eventually became his adoptive child years ago. He had been trying to find a better material for his suit after having the latest one torn to shreds. Thor had been on Earth and had suggested that Wade look into the substance he had been trying to find a purpose for. As soon as the mercenary made contact with the the inky black substance through the glass, he knew something was off and that it wasn’t something he should do. He was very mentally unstable and something told him that having a living creature as a suit was recipe for a miniature apocalypse. So Wade had denied the offer to take it and never went back. The mercenary’s chest ached and his expression became pained as the realization dawned on him.

“Venom, I am so sorry.” Wade apologized, tears falling down his face for the first time since he lost Vanessa. “I didn’t know what you were or your story. I wasn’t stable enough to take you in without doing more damage than repairs. I’ve been through some shit and I was afraid of what could’ve happened if things didn’t go the way I intended.”

“Fuck you, Mercenary.” Venom growled, attempting to rise from the bed and instead finding himself on his hands and knees on the floor.

“Venom, please!” Wade pleaded, rushing to help the symbiote. “Let me make it up to you!”

Venom pinned Wade with an icy glare as he coolly dismissed the man, “Make it up to me? I was twice sent to die by my own kind and one of those times could have been prevented by you. Eddie would still be healthy and with Annie if you hadn’t left me to be captured by Riot. They never would have found Asgard, which would mean no Earth and no strife for Eddie. My discovery led the others to allowing themselves to get caught by the humans so that we could invade. If the humans never found us, Annie never would have worked for the man who aided the arrival of my kind and Eddie never would have lost everything to that man. There is no redemption, no salvation, for a creature with such blatant disregard as you. Have a nice life.”

“What?! Where are you going?!” Wade demanded a little too loudly as Venom relaxed his form and disappeared into the nearest vent like ink into a vacuum. “Oh, Eddie, baby, I’m so sorry! Daddy’s sorry, Pumpkin!”

As Wade attempted to soothe his remaining charge, an alarm sounded throughout the building. Jarvis announced a full lockdown- no one in or out. Unfortunately for Wade, Fury was already in the building. Wade cursed internally as the alarm faded out and Jarvis announced the building was fully locked down. Rocking Eddie in the bassinet, he let the tears fall as he breathed apologies to his crying child and awaited his fate. If he was lucky, there would be not mercy from Hurricane Fury and Steve, who had knack for sweet and sensitive babies and was far more deserving of the little miracles, would take Eddie in and give Wade's babies a better life than he could. He couldn't live through another loss and after what Venom had been through and said, there was no forgiveness to be had.