The night had wrapped New York in its usual darkness, but this time, it wasn't just the gloom or the heavy clouds in the sky that weighed on Peter Parker's heart. There was a message on his phone-one carrying a direct threat. Mary Jane was being held hostage, in danger, and the location was set in a remote place.
Peter stood by the window in his apartment, staring at the screen in silence while his heart pounded hard. Behind him, Jennifer Walters stood anxiously, watching her friend, who looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Peter, what are you planning to do?" Jennifer asked in a low voice, unable to hide her concern.
Peter turned to her, his eyes holding a determination she had never seen before. "Get ready, Jennifer. I'll need all your strength there. We'll meet at the coordinates, but I need to go now to prepare a special suit."
Jennifer nodded but couldn't shake the feeling that Peter was hiding something. "Be careful. Don't let anger control you."
Peter left the apartment without another word. He knew exactly what he had to do, but the means to achieve it were something he had promised himself to bury in the past.
---
Scene Change
Under the clouded sky, the rain poured heavily as if trying to wash the city of its sins. Droplets slid down the surface of an old, abandoned building where Peter Parker now stood. He wore a long coat, soaked from the rain, but even the cold of the night wasn't enough to extinguish the fire burning inside him.
He stood for a moment, staring at the worn-out wooden door before him. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open with his hand, the creaking sound echoing through the place. He stepped inside, where darkness reigned supreme.
Pulling a small flashlight from his pocket, he lit his way through the house. The wooden floor creaked under his steps, and the walls bore the clear marks of time. But none of that mattered to him. He knew exactly where he was going.
Reaching a distant corner, he found a small metal door on the floor. Peter knelt, pulled out a special key from his pocket, and inserted it into the lock. With the slow grinding sound of metal unlocking, he lifted the door, revealing a staircase leading downward.
---
Peter descended slowly, his footsteps echoing through the narrow passage. The dim light of his flashlight revealed walls covered in rusted pipes and exposed wires. When he reached the bottom, he found himself in front of another metal door, this one equipped with an advanced electronic system.
Peter muttered to himself, "I can't believe I'm back here... but I have no choice."
For Peter, this was the best option. He had already hung up the red and blue suit and had no intention of returning to it anytime soon.
He didn't know who the enemy waiting for him was, and he preferred not to risk Mary Jane's safety the way he had with Gwen.
Pressing a keypad beside the door, he entered a secret code. The door opened, revealing a small room filled with complex equipment. In the center, there was a glass container holding a solid black substance, surrounded by intricate cooling tubes.
Peter stood before the container, gazing at the black mass as if it were a sleeping creature. Memories flooded his mind like a torrent-the days he had spent with this entity, the power he had felt, the price he had paid, and the fear that had driven him to abandon it.
"I never thought I'd come back to you..." Peter whispered.
Moving toward the control panel, he entered a few commands. The cooling system shut down, and fog began to cover the container as the black substance inside started to move slowly, as if awakening from a long slumber.
Carefully, Peter opened the container, and a strange scent filled the room. The black liquid began to ooze out, moving slowly toward his outstretched hand.
As soon as the liquid touched his skin, Peter felt something both familiar and foreign, as if a current of power was surging through his veins. The substance crawled up his arm, covering his body piece by piece, until the black suit was nearly complete.
When the liquid neared his face, it hesitated for a moment. Peter's expression changed-there was anger, pain, and unmistakable determination. A faint whisper echoed in his ear, a voice he recognized all too well, but with a sinister undertone.
"I knew you would need me, Peter."
"I'm not coming back to you because I want to. This is an emergency."
"Oh, you always have excuses, Parker. 'An emergency.' 'Saving a life.' But we both know the truth... you need me."
"This is temporary. I use you to save her, then I put you back in this prison. Nothing more."
"Temporary? Have you forgotten what it means to be together? We're stronger, faster, unstoppable. Why fight it?"
"Because I know you too well. You crave control."
"Control? Peter, you need me. You know it. No matter how much you deny it, you always come back to me in the end."
This time, Venom's voice roared in his head, sending a sharp pain through his skull-one that faded just as quickly as it came.
"I won't let you take control this time. I set the terms."
"Terms? We are one now, Peter. Terms mean nothing. But don't worry, I'll help you... in my way."
"We'll see if you can actually help me, Venom."
"We won't fail you... partner."
Peter didn't respond. He closed his eyes and let the substance envelop his face completely, finishing the transformation. When he opened them again, they no longer held the features of the man he once was. A massive white spider emblem had now formed across his chest.
---
Peter emerged from the hideout into the dark street under the heavy rain. Everything around him felt eerily silent, as if the world itself was waiting for his next move. He lifted his face toward the stormy sky, letting the rain slide over the black suit, which seemed to merge with him completely.
"Mary Jane..." he murmured, his words heavy with meaning. "I'm coming."
Then, he took off, swinging between the buildings with unnatural speed and agility, leaving behind the rain-drenched streets as he moved forward.
He felt power. He felt rage.
Rage toward everyone who had put him in this situation.
"If Mary Jane is still married to me, then why did she tell me she was married to Paul... that bastard Paul?"
.
⟐ ⟐ ⟐⟐ ⟐ ⟐
END OF CHAPTER
______________________________
Here we are, almost in the middle of the events.