After the massive tongue lashing Wanda had given her father over responsible use of his powers, something Peter felt that he must have given her plenty of times, the rest of the flight was quiet. Erik may have shot Peter several scathing glances but as he examined the metal bar the best he could, Peter just ignored him.
It was several hours later that the intercom squealed again, waking Peter from a small nap he had taken.
"Erik, we're coming to the coordinates you gave us, can you come to the cockpit please," Natasha asked over the PA and Erik, roused from his own sleep, ran a hand over his face, straightened his hair and stretched before heading into the cockpit.
It was only when Nat came back from the cockpit that Peter put the bar down and looked over at her,
"Erik says the island can only be reached by him, and that he'll pilot it from here," she shrugged, "not my problem."
The plane juddered a few times and even as Peter looked concerned at the weather outside he saw that they were coming into land on an island, "My geography must be a bit rusty. I didn't think there was an island here?" and Nat leaned over him and stared out the window,
"There isn't."
With a sharp stop, sending Nat into Peter's hands in a wholly inappropriate way, Erik strode from the cockpit
"If you don't mind, we're here," and as Nat winked at Peter, she extracted herself from his hands
"And where is here exactly?" Peter asked as he undid his seatbelt and stretched, standing and grabbing the bar.
"Genosha, and once you leave you'll forget it existed, so don't worry about security."
Natasha frowned and shrugged, Neither of them had heard of Genosha, and given that she had been piloting and knew they were maybe less than 100 kilometres from the eastern seaboard, there was no island there.
While Peter felt a small buzz in his mind, Nat stared into space. "You're shielded?" and Peter nodded, "oh, then you need to stay here while uh, we get introduced, that's what she said." and Peter sighed,
fucking telepaths, he thought to himself, he at least made sure nobody minded before sending his thought to another.
Peter waited as Pietro, Wanda, Erik and finally, Natasha left the plane. He had expected some kind of trap, that once outside, Erik would crush the plane into a ball, but after waiting for an hour he was greeted by a rather strange looking short man, thick green skin and heavily mutated hands stuck out from beneath a thick fisherman's overcoat as he opened the door to the plane.
"Selene has given permission for you to visit the island, but it comes with a warning Venom, behave or else." and Peter shrugged.
"Don't be a bunch of assholes then," and pushed past him and out into the fresh air.
Taking a deep breath Peter tasted the saltiness of the sea air and the faint hint of wood smoke from somewhere. As he stood at the top of the exit ramp Peter could see several stone cottages in the distance, the smoke rising lazily from chimneys. In stark contrast, there seemed to be a small block of grouped high rises, 5 stories tall and concrete, their light grey walls a blight in the sea of green trees surrounding them.
Peter watched as a single woman approached him, tall, dark brown skin with thick black hair, tied up on a ponytail. She had on a simple tan dress, and she walked with the confidence of someone used to having their orders followed.
As he watched her, he noticed that she was invisible to his telepathic senses, even the small buzzing he got from the others was missing, the telepath, he figured.
"No further Venom, I am here to make sure you are not a threat to my island and its people." She stood before him and he could feel the power radiating from her, even at the top of the ramp he felt it, whoever that was was not someone to be messed with.
"Then why let me off the plane? Or just another power play? You 'mutants' seem to like those. Stand there, letting me know where my place is, letting me know you can crush me, so crush me or get off my back, cause it's tiring and cliche."
Peter walked down the ramp and stood in front of her and she shifted ever so slightly, tensing up for a confrontation,
The woman stood, eyeing him up, staring as if to look through his soul before bursting out laughing.
"My name is Selene Gallio, and may I call you Peter?" and he nodded, she smiled. "I see why Erik likes you, and the others. You know I am over 200 years old, with powers that would make you piss your pants and yet you stand there, unafraid, and as you said 'wait for me to crush you' and yet, I am actually impressed. I can't feel your mind but the power you radiate is amazing." and she walked around him, taking him in. "May I touch you?" and he shrugged, and as her fingers touched his symbskin they were transported to a new mindscape.
"Oh, not this again, what is it with you guys and imaginary dimensions?"
"Well, for one, we may talk freely, even on the island Charles has influence and second, I like handsome young men, and after seeing exactly what you and Wanda did in hers, well," Selene's clothes rippled and she was stood naked before Peter, her toned slim body showing years of training, reminding him of Nats, with just as many scars. Where Natasha was larger in the chest department, Selene was smaller with large dark chocolate nipples, and Peter let his eyes wander over her. She was beautiful, and like most others, she knew exactly what buttons to push to get a rise from him.
"You know it is rude to compare a woman to someone else while she is coming onto you?" and as she smiled and her eyes sparkled Peter shook his head
"Like stripping and offering yourself to someone?"
She shrugged, gave him a seductive smile and ran her hand over his chest. As she moved closer, he could smell a sweet perfume and her hands moved down his chest and he gently gripped them before they reached his zipper.
"I guess you figured this was the best way to get what you want? So just ask, I'm not doing this." Selene had taken what she thought was his weakness, and while she was attractive, the lesson Nat had been pushing onto him was finally starting to stick.
Selene tutted and her clothes slithered back up her body, "A shame, but no matter. Wanda is my student, I taught her to control her powers, to harness her magic and from her, I saw your little escapade. From Natasha, I saw your file, four women, plus her and then an 'incident' with Wanda. Do I need to lock you up Mr Parker, or are you going to behave while here?"
Peter sighed, "I produce a pheromone, so yeah, in small spaces I can be a danger, and as for reading minds? Nat was pushing it, that's not nice Selene. Unless you give me a reason to be a dick here, then no. What do I care about a group hiding on an island in the ocean? I didn't even know it was here until half an hour ago."
"And Charles Xavier?"
"Why is everyone so intent on protecting him? He's an asshole. He took a girl-" and she nodded but interrupted him.
"I have heard what you told Natasha, and I am not protecting him, I am trying to protect you. Charles Xavier is more powerful than you could-" but she stopped, her voice gone and as she clawed at her throat she saw that Peter was growing.
He towered over her and the anger rolled off him like a storm. As he grew, a thick black oil coated him and the creature called Venom stood before her and the white spider motif on his chest was almost glowing.
"I. DON'T. CARE!" Venom said, unleashing the Mind Stone's power. "I'm through playing these fucking games" and the world shattered around them.
"I'll be on the plane" Peter stated and walked back up the ramp, leaving Selene gasping for breath as she collapsed on the ground.
The green-skinned mutant rushed over and she waved him away, staring intently as Peter walked away from her. "Toad, find refreshments for Mr Parker and if he desires, have him brought to his friends." Toad hesitated but she raised an eyebrow at him and he frowned but nodded, scurrying away before leaping down the path, copying his amphibian namesake.
Selene felt the residual psychic shock flow through her, and as she took its power into herself, she had to restrain a small moan. Her power thrummed as it touched his and as she stood and brushed the dust from her dress. Smiling, she rubbed her throat. Oh yes, he'll do, she thought to herself. He'll do nicely.
Out of sight Toad fumbled in his pocket and took out his phone, dialling a number for a pizza place it clicked twice and then he hung up, dialled again, this time dry cleaning, it was answered,
"Report." was all the voice said,
"Selenes, found a new one, Venom." Toad answered in a hushed voice as he hopped down the road to the settlement. "More powerful than the reports let on, enough to knock Selene on her ass."
"Anything else?"
"No Sir," and the call disconnected.
At the other end, a handsome and very visibly upset man hung up his phone. He grimaced and huffed as he swallowed his anger.
"Sebastion, darling, I can feel that from over here. Do be a dear and calm down," a very beautiful blonde woman said as she flicked through the morning paper.
"Selene has a new pawn, Emma. Venom." Sebastian spat at her and she raised an eyebrow
"The same costumed vigilante that took out Oscorp and then vanished, how fascinating," and as she folded the morning paper she handed it over to Sebastian, "and still a wanted fugitive it seems, she must really be desperate."
The headline was the usual J.J rant. Now focusing on Huntress as well as Venom, he was spewing vitriol about the crime rates in Hell's Kitchen, and while they were lower it was pushing the rates up in the rest of New York.
Sebastian shook his head, "no, he's more than we realised, Toad said he knocked Selene on her ass. I don't like it, not one bit Emma. Open an invite to the Club for him, see if his woman will join too. If not, well, remove them from the board."
"Just me darling? I don't think so," and he sighed and shook his head,
"Then take Azazel and Sabretooth. If you need more then we need to rethink your position as Queen." and Emma tutted,
"My position is more than earned, and you know it. It never hurts to be cautious, especially with one of Selene's toys, and especially if he took on a whole army. You know you can never be too careful." and Shaw had to agree there.
As Emma stood she took out her phone, dialling a number. "Four Seasons? This is Emma Frost, usual suite please, and this time make sure the maid can clean, I found dust on a shelf and that simply won't do"
As Sebastion ignored Emma to focus more on the newspaper he tapped on his computer, calling up earlier articles on this costumed hero. If Selene was interested in him, there would be more than just what was in the reports and as he sent out message after message, a picture of the man and his habits grew, and Sebastian knew he wanted him, and his power.