Chapter 3: Learning (1)
In the workshop, Perseus V. Jackson unwrapped his 30th chocolate bar this morning, the crinkle of the foil sounded out in the room. He was seated on a work table with a water bottle by his side, engrossed in the computer screen. The child of Sally delved into his mother's schematics and files. He'd obtained the password from Richard, which was surprisingly simplistic: "password," only spelled backward.
Amidst the plethora of blueprints for armor designs, weapons, and other gadgets, Percy couldn't help but feel a certain thrill. Electric shock sticks, artificial vibranium, and Pym particles—the array of unfinished technologies sprawled before him promised endless possibilities.
"So let me get this straight." Perseus began, continuing to search through the laptop. "You crash landed on Earth, my Earth, via meteorite, from another dimension where actual superheroes and supervillains exist."
'Mhm.' Venom replied, nodding his head.
"And you've been here since the end of World War II, disguising yourself as a black arachnid." He continued.
'Yup.' Venom confirmed with another nod.
"Then you met my mom when she was a kid, bonded with her, became her best friend, got her kicked out of her uncle's house, traveled around the country, came back to New York, and you gave her dangerous knowledge from your world. Am I getting this right?" Percy summarized.
'That sounds about right to me.' The black symbiote confirmed with a shameless grin.
Sighing, Percy, let go of the keyboard. "Well..., that's definitely a lot to unpack there." He retorted, and picking up the bottle, he finished the remaining water before tossing it in the disposal bin.
'Yawn.' The symbiote gave a lazy yawn before saying, 'Yeah, fun times. Anyway, after traveling the country for a few months, we returned to New York. We needed a permanent place to stay. That's when she bought this old factory building from the previous owner.' Venom elaborated.
"I'm assuming since you two wanted to keep this place hush-hush, you built everything by yourselves, right?" Percy inquired as he unwrapped his next chocolate bar.
'Correct, though we had to procure all the materials secretly using fake identities and a very special casino card we got our hands on our trip to L.A. The entire project would have taken a year or two via conventional means, but thanks to yours truly handling all the labor and your mother overseeing the renovations, we finished it in less than half the time.' Venom boasted proudly.
"Sure, Bob the builder." His host rolled his eyes. "But hey, why did mom want to get into science and engineering?" He pondered aloud.
His mother didn't have to go any further. She could've just made herself a nice summer home and left it at that, but instead she put in a lot of work to make all these wonderful things. Knowing that his usually careful and responsible mother did this gave him a whole new perspective on his mother's cool, rebellious streak.
'She simply craved a challenge, and she enjoyed the idea of creating weapons of mass destruction for the fun of it. And boy, was she a natural too. Not as brilliant as Peter or Stark but definitely up there. I'm sure if she wanted, she could've changed the entire world.' Venom remarked.
The image of his mother laughing like an evil mastermind briefly flashed in Percy's head, causing him to stare dumbfoundedly. 'Yup, that's definitely her.'
"So what stopped her?" He asked as he continued looking up Pym Particles and the hero who utilized them, Ant-Man.
'Sally never desired to rule over anyone. Despite her fervent research into these weapons of mass destruction, she remained a pacifist at heart. Plus, she didn't want to bother.' He whispered the last part with a smirk.
Percy smiled ever so briefly. "Hmph, classic Mom." He chuckled before refocusing back on his task. "Richard?"
"Yes, how may I assist you, Master Perseus?" The AI replied promptly.
"Can you access the outside world, or are you restricted to the hideout?" The silver-haired boy inquired, needing information.
"I am programmed to access anything without detection. I can effortlessly hack into government-sanctioned sites as well. The technological security of this era poses no obstacle to myself." Richard declared earnestly, earning himself a snort from the symbiote.
"That's wonderful, because I'm going to need you to do something for me." He stated.
"My assistance is at your disposal, sir. Just say the word."
"Thanks." Percy nodded before continuing, "I want to know about any recent news related to my and my mother's whereabouts." He instructed.
"As you wish, sir. I'll begin immediately." Richard confirmed before falling silent.
'Let me guess, you want to check if the world thinks you're dead.' The symbiote interjected, causing Percy to pause his typing.
"Yeah, though I don't like the thought of it, if everyone thinks I'm dead, it could make navigating through the pantheon a bit easier, but there's only one problem with that logic." Percy grumbled the last part in annoyance.
'The King of the Dead, you mean?' Venom asked, receiving a nod.
"He is very troublesome in our situation. When he notices that I'm not in his realm with mom, he'll definitely tell his brother about it." Percy clicked his tongue frustratedly.
This was not a good sign for the silver-haired demigod. If his other uncle knows, and he will know, then how was the demigod supposed to navigate through this pantheon without getting noticed? This was a plan set for disaster from the start.
'I can see why you're worried, but I wouldn't let that bother you.' Venom told him, prompting a perplexed look to sprout from his host face.
"What do you mean?" Percy questioned, turning to face the mirror in the room.
Venom chuckled a bit. 'Do you honestly believe gods are a cooperative bunch?' The symbiote raised a brow before scoffing. 'Please, these immortals are constantly distrustful of each other, even toward their own families. Poseidon wouldn't stop complaining about them.'
That actually made sense. Out of all the dysfunctional families out there in the world, the Greek pantheon definitely took first place in the category. Always wronging each other one way or another, it was a miracle the world made it this far without toppling with the gods during their usual screw-ups.
Resting his fingers under his chin, Percy sighed in relief. "So my other uncle won't be ratting me out to Olympus any time soon."
'Maybe, or maybe not.' Venom shrugged. 'I don't know him all that well, but I can say this Hades is not Zeus' servant. Those three are kings among their kind, equal in power if you remove the fact that the Lord of the Sky can strip a god of their everything.' The symbiote explained.
Percy snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it, his wife once instigated a riot against him. They took away his lightning bolt, and he got tied up too." He smirked in amusement, imagining how powerless the King of the Gods was during that moment.
'Yup, sadly, it didn't last long. The bastard got set free and got his payback against your father by using that technique. He did the same with Apollo and chained his wife or something.' He finished.
Grumbling, Percy said, "Why do you have to ruin my fun like that?" He raised a brow at the symbiote, who grinned. "On another note, I need to ask you something about my demigod side?"
'You don't even have to ask. My knowledge is at your disposal, kiddo. Shoot.' Venom replied with a smile.
"Since other demigods are out there and there are monsters hunting us daily, does that also mean there is a place where only demigods live?" He asked, once again surprising and impressing the symbiote.
'Yes, there does exist a special community for your kind. It's a summer camp called Camp Half-Blood. The 'half-blood' part, you already know why.' He pointed at his host, who nodded.
'That camp is home to many demigods who are either transported there by their mortal parents or who find their own way there by its staff.' The symbiote explained solemnly, which caught his host's attention, but he didn't address it.
'It happened while you were at school. Someone knocked on our door one day while I was in the middle of massaging your mother to alleviate the stress that's been building up at work. Your mother was very upset that day when she had to go out to see who it was.' He smirked slyly.
"Why was she so upset?" Percy asked, not understanding why his mother would get so upset over a simple massage.
The black symbiote merely gave a go-happy smile as he scratched his check with a finger. 'Oh nothing you need to worry your little head about.' Was all he said, to which his host narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Coughing in his hand, he continued, 'Anyways, imagine our surprise when we met the esteemed centaur, Chiron at our doorstep.' Venom then stopped, waiting for Percy's reaction.
Just as the symbiote expected, Percy immediately stood up from his chair. "No way, that guy—the one who trained him!"
'The very same. He came to speak with your mother about bringing you to camp. She refused him, and he politely left before giving her the address on a card in case she changed her mimd. We haven't heard from him since.' Venom concluded.
"I see." The silver-haired child's mind then thought about something that enraged him. "Does that mean—"
Before his host was about to ask if it was the centaurs' fault that the King of the Gods found out about them, Venom cut off, 'It's far too early to jump to conclusions, Percy.'
Unclenching his fist, Percy gave a low growl before saying, "Ok, so where is the place?"
'It's not an exact address. The guy just gave her a card that read, 'North Shore of Long Island.' It also mentioned a Half-Blood Hill.'
"We'll see what we can do regarding this summer camp later. Right now, let's check in with Richard and then get to work." He decided, and the two exchanged nods before leaving the room.
"Richard, you found anything?" Percy asked as he made his way through the hallway.
"I have, sir." Richard replied through the speaker. "If you'd like to view the information I found, then I suggest you turn the television on to channel twelve. If not, I shall relay it to you instead."
"Don't waste your breath." Percy retorted and went to the living room.
"I am incapable of losing oxygen, sir." The AI stated, prompting Percy to suppress a snort.
Now in the living room, the silver-haired child sat on the couch before picking up the remote. Turning the TV on, he flips through channels till he reaches number twelve. He wasn't surprised to see a headshot of him and his mother. Despite Venom's objections, Percy remained resolute and kept his eyes on the screen.
The screen showed a blonde reporter wearing a green jacket. She also gave off stuck up prom queen vibes.
"It has been two days since the local librarian of the Manhattan Public Library and aspiring author Sally V. Jackson, along with her eight-year-old son Perseus V. Jackson, has been reported missing. The NYPD is continuing their search for the missing mother and son, but as of yet, have not been able to find a trace of their whereabouts. Here are some words from people who claim to know the Jacksons." The news anchor lady reported, showing blurred faces of people Percy recognized.
"Hello, you're a neighbor of the Jacksons. Tell us in your opinion what kind of people they are."
"Yeah, I know the Jacksons. The mother is alright, real beaute too, but her son's a total troublemaker." Percy's apartment super said before closing the door on the reporter.
'Last I checked, you tried to scam my mother off a couple hundred from our rent.' Percy thought, remembering how he caught him and pointed it out to his mother one morning. The guy has never liked him since.
The camera then shifted to the next person. "That kid's all kinds of messed up. The way he looks at you with those awful eyes, uhg, no thank you." Another neighbor commented. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did something to his mother."
The reason why the man behaved like this was because Percy once punched him in the nads for staring at his mother's ass one day while they were returning from getting groceries.
Just as Percy was about to turn off the TV, thinking he had heard enough, he saw the next person. It was Miss Gravon, the elderly woman who lives right next door to them. She was also the woman who babysat him when he was younger.
"Ma'am, what is your opinion on the Jacksons? Many are saying that her son is a problem child. Do you agree?" The reporter asked, getting a frown from the elderly woman.
"Don't believe those things those idiots are saying about the Jacksons. I've known Sally for a very long time and have babysat her son more times than I can count. That boy would never think about hurting his mother. A bit rough around the edges and a real smartass, sure, but he's a good egg." The elderly woman told the reporter.
Miss Gravon then looked at the camera before saying, "Sally, Percy, I'm looking after your home so please come back safe and sound."
'Aww, you heard what she said, you sweet little innocent boy.' Venom cooed, earning himself an eye roll from his host.
"Miss Gravon." He shook his head with a sigh. "Thank you, ma'am, but I can't come back. Not any time soonz sorry." He then turned the TV off.
"Thank you, Richard. Make sure to keep me updated on anything else you find relating to me and mom or anything out of the ordinary in general." Percy instructed.
"Will do, sir." Richard replied.
Standing up, Percy stretched his arms in the air. "Let's go and see what I can do." He then headed back to the bedroom to change into workout gear.
The workout gear, another creation of his mother's and an original at that, was unlike the traditional ones. The gear was lightweight, breathable, and easy to move in. It could be adjusted to fit the wearer perfectly, no matter their size, eliminating the need for Percy to wear women's gear. It was a black color with a white lining, and for aesthetic purposes, it had a white line running from the bottom left side up to his heart right next to a small V.
"How do I look?" His host asked as he checked himself in the mirror.
'Like a champ, now let's get started. There are so many things I want to teach you.' The symbiote urged eagerly in excitement.
"Alright, you don't have to nag." Percy chuckled and left the room for the indoor gym, eager to explore his newfound capabilities.
...
Stepping in, Percy took in the impressive sight of the gym, marveling at the array of equipment available to him. Unlike the other rooms, which were a respectable 800 square feet each, with the exception of the workshop, storage, and energy chamber, the gym was a whopping 4,000 square feet, more than enough room to hold a ton of equipment with room to spare. The walls had mirrors. To the left was a set of dumbbells ranging from 1 to 125 lbs to even, dear lord, 345 lbs! There are a multitude of different treadmills at the very end, with a large TV on the wall for entertainment.
Bench presses, leg presses, weight machines, punching bags—all those stood on the right. The remaining space was for the combat zone in the middle and a nice little yoga spot with a mat with a big bouncy ball.
In the middle was a pillar, and at the bottom was a circular soft bench to sit down on. All in all, it was an impressive private gym.
Finding a spot on the bench, he turned his attention to Venom, eager to begin their training.
"Where do you want to start?" Percy asked, glancing at the mirror.
'With what I can and can't do.' Venom began, launching into an explanation of his extensive skill set. 'Symbiote is the general term, but our race has a name. We are Klyntar. We are an alien race that can attach ourselves to other species for survival. That's called symbiosis.'
'When we are bonded to a host, we can envelope our host's body from head to toe in a liquid coated bio-suit. Using their body mass as the blueprint, we enhance their original abilities further, strength, stamina, endurance all of it is increased. We can keep them after we disconnect from our hosts and add that to the next host. It's our races most definable trait.' He said, getting his host thinking if he could do the same, and if he did, who would he have as a host?
Percy mentally shrugged at the idea. It wasn't like he was in a rush to find a host any time soon. "So, what can you do?" He asked, and Venom grinned.
'So glad you asked. For one, I'm incredibly strong.' He flexed his dark biceps, his veins bulging madly. 'I got these from a previous host of mine, a hero with the powers of a spider, Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man. Thanks to him, I can lift up to 75 or so tons at my best (140,000 lbs), with 150 under extrems situation (300,000 lbs).'
'Next is my toughness. I've taken attacks from high-caliber bullets as well as blows from other super-powered individuals. Trust me when I say I can take a hit, hehe.' He chortled, remembering a fight he had against a red-armored berserker.
"What's so funny?" His host asked.
'Oh nothing, just remembering a fight. Let's move on. I have superhuman stamina, which means I can go on unhindered without any sort of rest whatsoever. Water or toxic gases also don't affect me. I also can shapeshift into my very own humanoid form that can last for 12 hours a day.'
"You can make yourself a human form, that's pretty cool." His host complimented.
'Yeah it's pretty dope.' Venom nodded. 'But at the moment, I can't do that for your own safety. It's like what happened when you first got here. I show you someday though.' He told.
'Next, I can make myself invisible, which can last as long as I want it to, useful for espionage. I can also crawl on walls—'
*SNORT.*
Venom paused with a raised brow. 'Is something funny, Perseus?' He inquired with a smile.
"Nothing. You're just really milking this whole spider theme—snort, hehe. It's so silly." Percy chuckled under his breath.
Venom rolled his eyes. 'I can crawl on walls using my hands, feet, or both. I can also deliver a toxic bite with my teeth. It can do a lot of damage to a human, but I don't know about monsters. That's something we'll need to test out. Now onto my all-time favorites, the spidey-sense—don't!' The symbiote pointed at Percy, preempting his reaction.
The demigod maintained his usual poker face, but the black symbiote wasn't fooled. He had been watching this kid all his life and could easily sense his amusement at the thought of his dark spider theme.
Sighing with a shake of his head, Venom resumed. 'The spidey-sense is something I never thought I would have in the past, but life is full of surprises. It is a special precognitive ability that detects danger before it happens. Coupled with my natural extrasensory abilities, it makes it seem like time has stopped. Pending on the danger, it can seem like it lasts a while until a plan of action to deal with it is thought up. It also gives me a comprehensive understanding of my surroundings.'
"Is that what warned you and Mom that night?" Venom nodded, and Percy suddenly felt a sense of gratitude towards Spider-Man for wielding such a powerful ability.
'Next is my accelerated healing factor. I can heal from the most severe of wounds. Stab me in the heart, I'll live. Slash off my head, I'll live.' Venom continued boastfully. 'If you rip me in half, I'll live. If you kill 99% of me and only leave 1% left, you know what'll happen?' He looked at Percy for the answer.
With a sigh and an unimpressed expression, Percy replied in a dry tone. "Gee, I don't know, you'll live."
The symbiote snapped a finger at him. 'Exactly. It's very handy, so powerful it can prolong your lifespan for centuries, but even you didn't have it, I won't be doing that for you.'
"Why not? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Wouldn't you do that for mom, or is it because she isn't a Klyntar like me?" Percy's naivety showed.
'Immortality can be a curse no matter it's variations. The immortality I gave to another of my previous hosts, Eddie Brock, is the not so good kind. It prolonged his life to a faux immortality to assist us in our greatest battle, but he still aged in his human way during. Very slowly, he began to crumble from the inside out. He was suffering because he couldn't die, and I didn't want to let him.' Venom's voice trembled with emotion.
It was evident that this was a deeply emotional memory for the black symbiote. Percy couldn't imagine watching his loved ones slowly deteriorate, unable to die in a battle that seemed almost never-ending. It made him wonder what he would do if he were in that situation.
"I bet you two gave them hell." Percy said, and a smile appeared on Venom's face.
'Oh, you've got no idea.' He grinned. 'I'll make sure to tell you about it some other day.'
"So, what's next?" Percy asked, prompting Venom to resume his lecture.
'Well, there's my telepathic resistance. That one is self-explanatory.' He scratched his head. 'After that is organic webbing. I can shoot out strong webs out of my palms that can hold about 125 pounds of pressure per square inch, so they're extremely durable, but these don't last forever and will dissolve in an hour. Using too much can overwhelm me.'
Percy snorted, covering his mouth. "Seriously, what's with you and spiders?"
'Hey, they are spectacular, amazing, and simply marvelous creatures.' Venom spoke in matter-of-fact tone. 'Admit it, you think so too.'
At that, Percy couldn't deny that there was some truth to it, though he wouldn't admit it.
"Hmm, maybe, so what's after that? It better be something more original." Percy remarked, and the symbiote grinned in response.
'Well, Mr. Original, I do have something really neat. It's called constituent-matter creation, constituent-matter manipulation, and inorganic matter manipulation. You see my black skin?' Venom rhetorically asked, and Percy nodded.
'I am able to control my biomass.' Venom then formed a black blade out of his arm. 'With enough biomass at my disposal, I can do whatever I want, though I'm not as good as others of my kind. As for inorganic matter manipulation, I can upgrade non-living things like cars, weapons, and anything else that's non-living, enhancing them.' He grinned, and his host smirked at the implications of this ability.
'I also have this body storage thing that I can do. I can stuff anything inside me for storage, and it's endless space, but to use that would mean I have to get out, so that's a no-go too.' Venom made an X shape with his arms.
'Last but not least is my most destructive ability, but before I get into that, I should mention that on occasion, I have become, let's just say, 'kind of hangry,' a side effect of my using my host emotions to trigger more strength while in battle. It's pretty bad, but with you, it's different. It probably has something to do with your symbiote and mystical biology. With you, I feel calmer.' He said, and Percy wondered just what his symbiote abilities are to help rid Venom of his intense bloodlust.
"So I calmed your incessant hunger. I can only imagine how bad it is." Percy commented, getting Venom to chuckle nervously.
Coughing, he said, 'Moving on, this dangerous power is called Carnage-Mode, and it is a last resort. It boost's my strength and power to insaney high degrees, but at the cost of my sanity. When it happens, I can't stop until everything I see is wiped from the face of the earth.' He explained, and Percy became very curious.
"Sounds to me like that form turns you into a real juggernaut." Percy remarked, receiving am agreeing nod.
'It's pretty awful, yeah, and I don't even know its full destructive capabilities. I only used it a handful of times.' Venom replied.
"As useful as that power sounds, let's make sure to avoid using it. I don't think it'll be good for our health to go on a genocidal rage anytime soon." Percy remarked.
The symbiote crossed his fingers. 'Here's hoping, but before we go further, there's something I want to clarify, kiddo. I'm not invincible. Symbiotes have weaknesses, weaknesses that you most likely inherited, weaknesses your enemies won't skip a beat to capitalize on.' Venom warned.
His host's eyes widened in shock. "Hard to believe someone as strong as you can have weaknesses, but it's better I know now rather than later, so what are they?"
'Klyntar are naturally weak to both fire and lightning. I can manage more si with lightning than fire, but the hotter the flame, the worse. You'll probably be okay since your dad is Poseidon, but we can't be sure until we test that. Finally, there's sound. More specifically, sonic waves. High frequency sounds will immensely hurt me. I've grown a certain tolerance over the years, but if I get enough of them, I'll be forcefully removed from your body, so it's best you never reveal these weaknesses, understand?' He looked at Perseus gravely, giving him a moment to process the weight of this.
Deep down, the symbiote hoped no one would figure these out. It was hard enough for him to deal with the pain, but Percy was still a child, and even if he's mentally more mature, pain still hurts, especially for children.
Clapping his hands together, the black symbiote said, 'Now onto figuring out what you can do with using what I explained about myself as a basis.'
'I'll also make sure to bring out your symbiote side someday soon too.'
"Wait, you sealed my symbiote side?" Percy questioned.
'Not sealed per se, more like left dormant.' Venom clarified. 'Your mother didn't want to risk you going on a rampage and terrorizing the neighborhood.' He spoke, sending his host a look as if the child would, given the chance.
Perseus shrugged. "They would've deserved it if they messed with us."
'Maybe, but remember what your mother said: 'With great power comes great responsibility.' Venom reminded him, and Percy nodded glumly.
"I used to always think mom said those words to keep me from hurting people. I never thought it carried that much weight. Where'd she learn them?" Percy inquired.
'These words were told by Spider-Man's uncle, Ben Parker, right before he died. The meaning of these words isn't just that anyone is capable of being corrupted by power, but if you have the ability to do something, make sure you do it for the good of others.'
'Your mother wanted you to be the best person you can be, using the greatest hero she can think of as an example.' Venom explained with a thoughtful smile before sighing regretfully.
'That being said, we might not have the luxury to live by those words like your mother wished. In fact, we'll have to get our hands dirty to survive against the relentless gods.' Venom looked at his host sadly.
The black symbiote's words instantly resonated with Percy, causing him to think more about his predicament. From the stories his mother read to him, a hero was always in life-threatening danger, faced with having to make the toughest decisions.
Just what sort of choices would he, Perseus V. Jackson, have to make in order to survive?
'I know, it's frustrating, kiddo, but as long as you don't forget yourself, you'll be alright.' He gave his host a kind smile.
"Ok." Percy replied, feeling a bit more at ease.
'Happy to help. Moving on, being kept a secret from you all these years was really punishing. I remember one time I tried to reveal myself to you when you were five, and Sally used her perfume and a lighter to make a makeshift flamethrower on me. Hahahaha!' Venom recalled, slapping his knee as he remembered a certain sofa on fire.
'That's why we had to get a new couch.' Perseus thought idly.
'Alright, that's enough screwing around. Before I awaken your birthright, I want to see what you can currently do without them, so we'll go through some intense excersizes.'
"Now give me as many pushups as you possibly can, chop, chop.' He told Percy, to which the child dropped to the ground and got started.
Venom began counting. '1, 2, 3, 4...'
...
'998, 999, and 1000. Alright, alright, you can stop now. I can't even count that high.' The symbiote ended the exercise, and Percy plopped to the sweat-covered floor, groaning.
'We'll take a short break and do something else, ok. Oh yeah, before I forget, ask Rich for some water.' Venom instructed.
Not bothering to ask how the AI was going to bring it to him, Percy nodded and flipped himself on his side. "Richard, WATER!" He yelled.
"Right away." The butler replied.
A minute later, the door opened, and out came the Iron Man armor holding a water bottle. The robot made its way to Percy, where it took a knee and held the water for him. "Your water, sir." The AI's voice came through the robot.
Grateful, Percy didn't question how the AI servant was operating the machine and took the bottle from the metal hand. "Thanks." He pushed himself up.
Uncapping the bottle cap, Percy splashed the water over his head. To his surprise, he began to feel energy coursing through him again. He didn't feel so tired anymore, and all his aches were gone.
"Woh!?... I feel as fresh as a daisy!" He exclaimed, getting up.
"Is something the matter?" Richard asked.
"I'm fine. You can head back to work now, but bring me some more water." Percy requested.
"Will do." The AI replied, bowing, and left the room.
'I see you figured out one of your abilities, and it looks like a good one at that. Congratulations.' Venom appeared in the mirror, impressed.
"This is one of the demigod abilities I inherited from him. At least it's useful. What's next?" He asked.
'Well, we know you have the stamina to spare. Let's see how strong you are physically, and what better way to do that than with the bench press, leg press, and pulldown? We'll start off with the leg press. Tell Rich to set it to 500 lbs when he comes back with the water.' Venom instructed, and Percy made himself comfortable on the equipment.
A moment later, Richard came back with a tray of water bottles labeled "Dansi Waters."
"Richard, put the water down and set this to 500 for me." Percy ordered. The AI did and left.
The number on the leg press went from zero to 500, and Percy began his strength workout.
...
The half-human, half-symbiote child completed all three exercises flawlessly in those two hours. Venom was greatly impressed, rating his host's strength to be a third of a hero by the name of Captain America. It was astounding, especially considering Percy was only eight. The Klyntar wouldn't be surprised if he surpassed Steve Rogers when he reached his early teens, and that was only the dregs of his power.
Percy could now be seen taking another break, with Richard standing by with a towel.
"Phew, phew, that was killer. I've never exerted myself so much before." He breathed heavily.
'You did good, kiddo. I've accurately surmised that you can lift up to 600 pounds. That's one hundred less than Eddie as an adult. Nice job.' Venom praised his host as he took the towel.
Wiping his face, Percy replied. "Yeah, but it's not enough. I need to get stronger." His eyes flared with determination.
'Love the determination, but you must also exercise patience. If you're not and just hurry to the end goal, you can easily miss some valuable opportunities.' Venom advised, and Percy absorbed his words like a sponge.
"Got it. Anything more you want me to do?" He took a sip of his water.
'We've done enough for today. We'll pick up on what we did tomorrow. You should get some rest and grab a snack on your way out.' He suggested. Percy nodded and left to get some food.
...
The sun set outside as the goddess of the hunt rode her chariot across the night sky, bringing in the moon. Our young hero slept soundly in the safety of the hideout.
Deep within his mind, the Venom-Symbiote was lost in his own thoughts, or more accurately, his host's thoughts.
The demigod's mental landscape appeared as a land dyed completely in silver. Trees, grass, clouds, and even flowers were all silver in color. There was no sun, only a completely black, starless sky.
"His strength is impressive. I'm glad the idea of giving him high muscle density bore fruit. Unfortunately, it's not enough. If I'm going to help Perseus, I must awaken his symbiotie side. If not, then our future endeavors will be the death of him. Hah, so much to do." Venom mused as he followed the path of a bright silver current until he reached a lone crystal-blue pond in a forest.
The pond was the only other source of color in this world, besides the symbiote, that wasn't silver. It was clear, blue, and fresher than anything money could buy. This represented all of Percy's power that he inherited from his father. Not that it was small, mind you. It was simply overshadowed by his host's individual style.
"I could increase it to match his father's power and turn him into a god, but if I do, then there's no going back. He'll most likely start a fight he can't win. We'll have to tread carefully before doing anything major. Sorry, Perseus." Venom apologized from the depths of his host's mind before walking away.
The black symbiote continued to walk until he reached a nice beach where the sand was silver and the water, contrary to expectations, was silver but brighter in color, almost white with how it gleamed majestically, as if it were the embodiment of light itself.
The tides rolled in hard, crashing against the rocks and appearing to be the most serene thing in the world.
"It's almost time to wake you up, hehe." Venom stated with an evil chuckle. "Those scumbags definitely won't see this coming. Hehehe, HAHAHA!!!" The symbiote laughed maniacally.
...
..
.
(A/N: I wouldn't want to be Olympus right now.)