Carnage

Ronan winced in pain as he dug the dirt below him with his bandaged fingers. 

One hand to be exact, as the other rested in a sling.

He'd dug fairly deep despite him being at death's door. His fingers that had torn, their skin peeled off for the same reason stung.

But Ronan continued.

The sun had risen completely and the number of students and adults out had increased. 

However, only by one or two as it was a Saturday morning and almost everyone had stayed up late for the bonfire.

With his back turned to the mansion, he continued digging until…

'Finally.'

Ronan pulled out a small vial of light blue and white pills, popping the cap as he wasted no time in tossing one in his mouth and swallowing.

His mouth was filled with a sweet taste as if he were eating the delicacy of a five-star restaurant.

A rush of dopamine flooded his mind as a sense of satisfaction eased Ronan's muscles as if a ton had been lifted off each shoulder.

However, it was clear this wasn't the case a few seconds later.

He had enhanced senses, that included taste as well. 

His taste buds were bombarded with a bitter sensation, a horrible aftertaste following that made him cringe in disgust as if he'd ingested a mouthful of dirty swamp water.

'The addiction is giving the illusion that it tastes far better than it is.'

Perhaps if he wasn't hypersensitive he wouldn't mind this, but his senses made it so he couldn't even enjoy this much.

Not that he was supposed to.

[You have ingested MGH. Your effects shall be reset.]

As he witnessed this message, a sudden thought occurred to Ronan.

'How exactly are the Inheritors faking being a Mutant?'

It seemed plausible for some of them to be Mutants, however, he highly doubted they all were.

'Wait a minute, if a Legend is a Mutant, does the Inheritor become one too?'

He'd long realised Alexander had Cyclops of the X-Men as a Legend.

However, there was nothing to indicate he didn't simply have a perk that gave him Energy Projection abilities.

'Whatever they're doing, I wouldn't mind knowing as well.'

Ronan thought, staring at the vial and seeing he only had a little less than a dozen pills left.

He thought of eating one a day despite the effects lasting for two days just in case something happened and he couldn't get to his pills in time.

However, he soon realised this was most likely the addiction in him talking. 

He could ignore the violent tendencies and addiction for the most part, however, he decided he'd rather not give them any more power by becoming a druggie.

'Well, not any more than I am now.'

Additionally, constantly keeping the pills on him was out of the question. 

With Ororo constantly eyeing him like a hawk, it was too risky. 

Putting the vial back into the pit, Ronan shifted his gaze to an item beside it.

Something he was eager to possess.

'A sample of the Carnage Symbiote.'

He thought, seeing the cylinder container housing the red and black goo that grew relentless every time he neared it.

'I don't think I'm bonded with it yet. Maybe because it's a sample that it doesn't have the mass and intelligence to fully coat me and bond.'

He was sure the System would have mentioned something if he'd bonded with a symbiote.

The reason he, and SHIELD, called it a sample is because this was a small piece that separated from the carnage symbiote while fighting Spider-Man.

This was the reason Spider-Man was coming from Stark Tower that first day Ronan had arrived.

To give this to Tony, so that the latter may transport it to SHIELD during the monthly transport.

'Well, not only this.'

Ronan thought, looking into the distance, quite far from the mansion.

However, with time, this "Offspring" of Carnage would soon grow to be its own symbiote, if it didn't conjoin back with its original that is.

Because of this, Ronan thought it would be a good addition to his arsenal.

His body was currently a joke, as proven a few minutes ago.

With the disadvantages of being a human, he had to find a way to make up for his shortcomings.

But not only that.

'I plan to add my personal touch to the Carnage Symbiote.'

Meanwhile, in the distance…

'What's he doing?'

Ororo asked herself, in light and informal clothing as she stared into the distance, seeing Ronan crouched over, seeming as though he was fiddling with something.

Curiosity and a hint of suspicion filling her mind, Ororo walked forward slowly, her footsteps quickening as she went.

She moved closer and closer to the boy, unknowingly silencing her footsteps the best she could and halting her breathing so she couldn't be heard.

It wasn't long before she approached the boy who was only a few feet away, marching before him only to see…

"Huff…huff…huff."

She stared at the boy, out of breath, blowing into his hands for warmth as he turned upon her arrival.

"Ms Monroe, I didn't hear you coming. Is everything alright?"

Ronan asked, turning his head and rising to his feet.

"Ronan…um, no…"

Ororo fumbled on her words, blinking as countless thoughts ran through her mind.

"Oh, by the way, I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to thank you yesterday." 

Ronan stepped closer as Ororo was taken aback, words spilling out from her mouth unconsciously.

"For what?"

However, Ronan showed no reaction to this ridiculous question, keeping his blank expression as he spoke.

"You were the first person to help me despite not knowing if you could trust me. You tried your best and were quick to make me feel safe and welcome."

Ororo's eyes slowly widened as Ronan continued to speak.

"It's a little hard for me to talk about what I've been through, so please don't take any offence to it. However, I'll try my best to be more open and cherish this opportunity given to me."

Ronan bowed deeply, facing the ground.

"For that, I will forever be thankful."

Ronan finished. 

However, a few seconds passed as silence prevailed.

'What's wrong…'

However, before Ronan could finish his thought, a noise came from the person he was speaking to as he glanced upward, only to see Ororo, her hand covering her eyes and the lower half of her face contorted in discomfort.

'What…the hell is wrong with me?'

Ororo thought, holding back the urge to cry.

She appreciated the gratitude, but it was what it reminded her of that made her feel this way.

Charles Xavier was the greatest person she knew, and he'd trusted her to be a benefactor for these troubled mutants.

In some way, she'd helped every single person in that school, so they'd grown attached to her while she developed a mother-like tendency to protect them all.

So when someone mysterious with a past like Ronan's appeared, her paranoia and fear for her children caused her to forget something important.

'He's exactly the type of person I'm supposed to be helping.'

Yet she'd spent all last night and this morning trying to incriminate him.

She knew some of them had committed worse acts than him, yet she strived to help them.

So why was it any different this time?

"Are you okay, Ms Monroe?"

Ronan asked, causing her to breathe in, turning as she regained her composure and wiped the tears.

She was disappointed in herself. Ashamed. 

All the pride she had in knowing she was making a difference in the world suddenly vanished.

But she'd rather resign her position in the school than make the same mistake twice.

"Ororo."

Ronan watched Ororo turn as she smiled widely. 

Not only that, Ronan recognised this smile as the same one she had before Xavier had revealed his past.

"Please, call me Ororo. And thank you, you have no idea how much that means."

Ororo grabbed Ronan's shoulder as they began to walk toward the school.

"Now, have I told you about Hank's pancakes?"

"No." Ronan shook his head.

"Oh, you're missing out. Usually, the kids go to the canteen for the three meals, but you get special staff privileges since you're with me." 

Ororo nudged him with a smile.

However, he was hardly paying attention as he was preoccupied with his own thoughts.

'Hm, have I always been such a perfect liar? Anyway, this should buy me some time. Hopefully long enough till I'm done here but I doubt it.'

Ronan doubted he cleared all her suspicion of him. Though in that moment she believed she was wrong, he knew she'd never lose that 'What if…' in her gut.

But this didn't bother him.

After all, he wouldn't have done what he did if he wanted everyone to like him.

"And after breakfast, you'll officially start your training with the Professor to learn to control your powers."

This was something Ronan's ears perked to as it caused him to turn his attention to where he once dug.

'That's right…'

SHIELD's assessment of Symbiotes was that the host usually somehow affected its personality to be more like theirs.

However, Carnage, once an offspring of Venom, bonded with Cledus Cassidy.

A psychopath so mad it resonated deep into the symbiotes' being.

So much so that future hosts see the opposite effect happening on them, their personality being the one that changes due to the madness of Carnage.

Similar to Ronan when he killed Natasha with it.

Luckily, it was a sample at the moment so its intelligence wasn't the best, therefore, he could withstand it.

It was also for this reason that it was going to be a lot easier for Ronan to do what he was about to do soon.

'Carnage, I will break your mind and make you…submit.'