Arc Four. Chapter One Hundred Thirteen. Boots On The Ground
MJ stood and stared at the pair. These two might know her secret but they seemed like the biggest morons she could find in the state of New York, and she wasn't sure if she was even in any danger.
"You see, we're Asgardian, and we need to apologise for wiping out your planet. It was an accident, totally not my fault," Thor explained and even Loki was rubbing her hand over her face, as he stammered and blundered through the apology.
Loki shook her head, "what my brother means. We know you're a Klyntar and our father sent us here to explain the mistake we made. To apologise and to make things right." she said, and MJ was still just as confused,
"Right, uh look. I'll pay the tab okay. Just, yeah. Just head back to your spaceship okay, and I'm sure your little green friends will pick you up." and MJ backed away, wanting to leave but unwilling to turn her back on the crazy couple.
"Spaceship? No, the rainbow bridge brought us here, and Heimdall isn't green, I don't know, he's kind of a chocolate colour." Thor said.
"Brother, stop, she doesn't believe us. Miss, look I'm sorry but we are telling the truth. You have a creature, yes? Bonded to you, that speaks and gives you abilities?" and MJ's eyes narrowed, Muse was now ready to pounce if need be.
Loki raised her hands. "No, no, we're not here to fight. That's the Klyntar we were talking about. It's an alien species, brought to Earth," and MJ still balled her fists
"Oh look you stupid snot monster. We're sorry we blew up your stupid planet but can you please forgive us so we can go home," Thor was losing patience with the woman, and her damn Klyntar.
"Uh, brother?" Loki asked as a convoy of armed troops appeared. At each corner of a block, one truck stopped and ten soldiers got out as the rest of the convoy continued down the street, each truck eventually covering the avenue.
"Did you betray us?" Thor roared and held out his hand as if waiting for something, "oh yes, I forgot." and put his hand back down, looking embarrassed.
"People of New York. Staten Island is now under Martial Law, Please return home and await further orders." was broadcast from the top of a van, its message set on repeat.
Any sensible invading force would have understood that asking New Yorkers to do anything was an exercise in futility, and it wasn't until the first soldier held up a rifle and fired into the air that anyone even paid them any attention.
In the distance, a strange ripple spread across the sky and the island was covered in a domed energy field.
"You have a shield generator?" Thor asked, but MJ shrugged as she was just as confused as they were. Staring at the sky in horror as the shimmering dome blanketed the sky, and the soldiers begin to order people around, waving their guns at them.
The unlucky few that resisted weren't killed. Instead, the soldiers fired at them with a stun rifle, and then, as large glass barrels were brought out from the trucks Thor, Loki, and MJ watched in shock, as a black slug was fished out and attached itself to the neck of a hapless pedestrian. The person twitched once and then lay still before standing, their body covering itself in the same strange armour the soldiers were wearing.
"I knew it, it's a damn invasion," and Thor swung a fist at MJ. Muse, unamused by this sidestepped and he smacked into a wall with an oof.
"What makes you think I've got anything to do with this?" she yelled, "shit, Pete, hurry the fuck up," and she looked up, hoping he was on his way.
Venom checked his phone, after he received the distress call from MJ, he checked her location and then all five began to make their way over. Liv and the rest were all in full combat mode, as Huntress had been training them and they knew to expect Harry's Anti-Venom. They had fashioned shields from the scrap Peter had around the warehouse. The small darts were designed for symbskin, not sheet metal, and even with full-body tower shields strapped to their backs, the group made good time heading over the river. As this was an emergency, and with Carol and Shields backing no one gave any mind to suiting up during the day. MJ was in trouble and that was all that mattered.
Staten Island was in a panic. Soldiers tasered and held down pedestrians while implanting them and while most stood up as the black armour covered them, some twitched and then crumpled. With each death the soldiers injected the body with a chemical and watched as it dissolved, adding more to the already panicked crowd.
Several fights had broken out, and as Venom and everyone sped at full speed towards the diner they watched as a huge energy dome began to slide down behind them like a rainbow curtain. "It's a shield generator, we need to hurry,'' Carol sped forwards, trying to pinpoint the centre of the shield. It was the Life Foundation building, a fountain of lights and colours erupting from its roof and spreading downwards towards the water.
They could feel the energy as it slammed into the ground behind them, Staten Island was in chaos, and as soldiers came towards them, they watched as Carol blasted them with beams of light.
"We need to find MJ." Venom shouted as he checked his phone. Whatever the energy shield was, it had cut all signals off and other than her location being near the diner where she worked, he had no idea where MJ was.
"Carol, head to MJ and protect her from the Asgardians. You three, come with me. Harry's behind this and we need to get to the Life Foundation building and stop him.'' Venom ordered, this wasn't time for arguing. If Harry was taking over, and Venom knew he had the symbiotes to do it, then he needed to be stopped.
Carol shook her head, "no, I go with you."
Venom retracting his symbskin, "no, please, if they're as powerful as you say, please, save her." and Carol saw the love and concern in his eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Okay, okay. Where?"
"There's a diner on 24th street, old fashioned place, like the paintings, can't miss it. Shout Muse and she'll know. Uh though, if she doesn't believe you, tell her thanksgiving was the best night of my life," Peter said with a grin,
"I don't even want to know," Carol said, shaking her head and flying off.
"Right, let's go kick Harry's fucking ass for him," Peter said and Venom slid back over him, expanding and forming his more heavily armoured form.
As the group passed each of the armoured trucks they were attacked, Venom was positive that Harry knew they were coming as the darts of Anti-venom pinged off him. Huntress was invisible, going high and stunning soldiers from behind while Gwen stayed beside Liv, their shields overlapping and keeping them safe. While they had been training, neither of them were totally fight-worthy and wanted to keep themselves safe until they faced Harry.
Even with the pair behind shields, nothing stopped Venom and Huntress from taking out each group,
"What the hell are those?" Huntress asked as she came to one of the thick glass barrels. Venom shrugged and opened the top of it, inside were small black slug creatures, and sticking his hand in to grab one they all swam away to the bottom.
"Whatever they are, they don't like you," and Venom had a thought.
"Didn't Harry say symbiote fragments? What if these slugs are symbiotes, but not a whole one? Hand me that gun," and Huntress handed Venom one of the dart rifles the soldiers were armed with. Crushing the magazine he let the Anti-Venom drip into the barrel and the slugs writhed and tried to escape, leaping up and out of the water before melting into a puddle of goo on the sidewalk.
"He's infecting the population. Carol said one Klyntar escaped, what if it's not Flash? what if Harry has it and it's rebuilding?"
"You think Harry has a symbiote?" Huntress asked and Venom shrugged.
"Really, we won't know until we get there," he said
"We do know he was experimenting on them, and with the formula, we should expect any of those things," Ravage injected, and as she was the leading expert on what the douchebag had been up to
Venom nodded, "so, be prepared for anything. Shit, I bet Goblin's still alive too," he said jokingly but the group froze and stared at him.
"What?" he asked and Huntress batted his arm,
"What happened to fucking jinxing it?" she said annoyed, and he shrugged,
"So, like last time, if he is, I owe you," he said laughing.
"Uh Venom dear, there are four of us this time, so you owe all of us," and the group walked on, discussing what exactly to ask of him once they knew they'd be proven right.
Venom shook his head, "bet he's not though," he muttered under his breath.
Over at 24th Street, Muse was defending Loki and Thor from the symbiote soldiers as they began to round up the civilians from stores and off the street. Huntress had shown her some basic moves and the men in black seemed to be relatively slow to respond, relying on their guns to fire and then move in to subdue any target.
With Peter's help, he had shown them how to ground electricity and she was fending off tasers, darts, and anti-venom shots with a trash can lid, while the pair made a makeshift barricade from dumpsters and trash bags.
"Brother, we need some help, I don't have my magic and you're useless without your hammer," Loki said, concerned. One symbiote against so many would fall eventually, and she did not relish becoming a host for the creatures.
"I know, I know, but we apologized and I still didn't get my hammer back," Thor said in frustration, as he moved another dumpster from the alley and blocked off more of the path.
Muse heard someone shout and as she looked up a streak of bright light flew overhead.
"Down here," she shouted and as Thor looked up,
"Nova Corp sister, we're saved," he laughed.
"You know they're here for us, don't you? To stop us," she said shaking her head. If the Nova Corp were here it was to sanction the pair, not save them.
"Nah, I'm famous. They'll save us first at least, uh, won't they?"
Carol landed, "Sorry, don't have time. Venom sent me to save you, said about thanksgiving and you'd know what that meant." as Carol was talking a group of soldiers advanced on them and she turned, blasted them with her photon beams and then turned back,
"And you two, uh? Aren't you a man Loki?." she asked confused by the raven-haired beauty before her,
"It's complicated," was all Loki said, shaking her head.
"Right, I don't care. Look I spoke to Venom, and I'm to keep you safe, so let's get somewhere more defensible and then-" but Carol was interrupted,
"Oh, I'm afraid it's way too late for that sparky," came a deep rumbling voice. From a truck a giant red monster appeared, laughing as the symbskin rippled over his face, transforming its already misshapen form into a rictus grin. He was huge, a giant in deep blood red armour covering a massive frame, thick with muscle and massive hands, each ending in huge razor-sharp talons.
"I figured I would find one of the pests taking out our troops, not four of you. If you don't want to die, leave the bug to me."
"Bug?" Carol asked, "really? What are you, a fucking caveman?"
"Harry tells me the symbiotes like to name themselves. You can call me Gargoyle, but I prefer Red Goblin."