Arc Two. Chapter Fifty-Five. Unfortunate Son

Flash had barely enough time to send out a web line before he thudded against the ground. His muscles and bones complained as the symbiote stopped him from hurting himself with the sudden stop but it still hurt. Venom had laid into him and he felt it, he had been toying with him and in making him angry he had paid for it. Flash went to click his mic for assistance and remembered he'd thrown it away and he then realised how stupid he had been.

He lowered himself to the ground and just lay there, gasping for breath and defeated. As his shoulder popped back into place he felt the pain radiate over his entire body. They had been stupid and John was right, they weren't ready and now they were paying for that mistake. He let the pain subside for a minute and then shakily rose to his feet. If Parker was this strong, Eddie would need his help, and with unsteady hands, he began to scale the building.

Spider-Man was trying to keep Huntress down, he had webbed her legs to the roof as she stumbled, and her lower body was entangled. Without mobility, he had begun to punch her, at first on the shoulders and arms but then a few well-placed kidney and liver shots were starting to break through her defences and she was starting to hurt. Her head was still ringing from the large calibre sniper bullet but once she recovered he could be in trouble. As she tried to swing out her claws to slash at the webbing Spider-Man spun and a heavy kick thudded into her ribs, twisting her legs at an awkward angle as she tried to absorb the blow.

Venom glanced over, and with Flash needing time to get back to the roof, he shot webs at Spider-Man who sprang and dodged them, he swung a line and carried himself over the Huntress, slashing at her feet. "Are you okay?" and she nodded,

"Dizzy but unhurt," but Venom knew she was lying. She was favouring her right side, where Spider-Man had laid in a heavy kick and her posture was slumping. He knew she was hurt and was out of the fight.

"Take the bag and go. You have a safe house, stay there, make sure no one follows you," and she grabbed the bag, ripping it free from the roof and swung away into the night.

"S1, P1 has left the area, pursue pursue," John called into his mic, but as Spider-man rose and raised an arm to swing after her, Venom leapt and he narrowly avoided the razors swung at his back.

"It's not nice to hit a lady Spider-man," Venom taunted him.

"Well, if that your idea of a lady you should get out more," and he shot webs at Venom, He simply stuck out a hand and let them wrap around them,

"Now we will really make you pay," and containing the webs on his own hands, he wrapped it around them to make gloves. While she could be grating, nobody insulted Felicia, and he struck while Spider-Man tried to dodge.

It was a disaster, Venom was more powerful than before, he had managed to train, to learn, and the intel was now out of date. John watched as he made Eddie into a punching bag just as he had done to Flash, even Eddies naturally enhanced speed was still slower than Venoms and blow after blow rained on the helpless hero.

"We've done this dance Spider-Man. Why did you think help would make it easier?" Venom taunted him as once more Eddie fell victim to his punishment.

As Flash climbed back up to the rooftop he watched Parker throw Brock around like a kid and he realised what Parker meant, he shot out two web lines and launched himself over. Parker was stronger, faster and meaner than before,

Venom ducked under the leaping slash and laid a punch into his gut as he flew past, catching him with a line and swinging him around into Spider-man. "No more!" as the pair flew back together they both sent out a web line and separated.

Flash dived to catch Venom's feet, but he leapt, landed on him, crushing him to the rooftop and used him as a springboard to leap at Spider-man, driving his fists into Spider-man's stomach. The pair crumpled and lay defeated on the rooftop.

Venom touched his headset, "Are you safe?" he asked Huntress.

"Bruised but no tail, see you tomorrow," and she cut the channel. Felicia was safe and unharmed, that was what mattered.

He stepped to one side as the round embedded itself in the wall. He had long acclimatised himself to his senses and even if he didn't hear the shot he felt the distortion of the airwaves as the bullet sped through it. He snarled at the sniper, fighting one on one was fair, two on one was fair when he had an advantage but a sniper, that was bullshit. He watched as Huntress dealt with Spider-Man only to be laid out by a round from Steel Spider, now it was his turn.

Venom shot a web over to the other building and swung over, finding the sniper's rifle leaning against the rooftop edge and he ducked as Steel swung a blade at him. John was a marine, trained and decorated, if anyone could fight it would be him but Peter had been training. He had fought Felicia as both Peter and Venom and what he was worried about was killing the man. Even the tactical vest wouldn't save him if a heavy enough blow connected, and as Venom dodged and weaved around the knife flashes, he was trying to figure out how to not just squash the man. As the knife flashed in front of his eye line he chopped the Steels wrist, sending him spinning across the roof.

Eddie had recovered enough, his chest and back ached and his ribs were probably broken, he had run over to Flash who was shaking his head but they were up and now mobile. They watched as Venom backhanded John and they knew that if they were this hurt, John had no chance. They aimed high and swung over, Eddie going for a swinging kick while Flash aimed low, hoping to connect to his legs.

Venom leapt to avoid Flash and let Spider-Man connect, sending him flying across the rooftop. He rolled and crouched holding one hand up waiting for the counter-attack but it never came, Flash was helping John up and Spider-Man had a hold of his ribs, the last punch had probably done a lot more damage than Venom released.

"You lost, even with three you can't beat me," he shouted at them,

"We have to try. You hurt people Venom and you can't get away with this," Spider-man shouted back and John made his way back to his rifle, sliding back the bolt and checking it was loaded.

"Scumbags and crooks Spider-Man. We hunt those who prey on the weak, the places we find are full of rich sleazebags, preying on the poor and unfortunate, smug and smiling knowing there will be no retaliation, we made sure they paid."

"No, in court. You do it in court." and Venom slid right as another round whizzed past his head.

Venom shook his head, "these men see no courts, they built your courts, they control your courts. We cannot reason with someone so blind, so stupid."

Spider-Man had hoped to get Venom talking as Flash edged his way towards him, they had a pincer plan. John would fire and once Venom moved then Spider-Man and Webb could grab and subdue him. Brute strength wouldn't work, so webs and tactics it was. John lifted the rifle and as he fired Venom moved left, where Flash had already shot several web lines, they connected with his arm, sticking it to his side and Spider-Man did the same, following it up with a blow to the head. With his arms stuck to his side, Spider-Man and Flash rained blows down on the captured Venom, hoping to subdue him. As he stumbled with each blow they silently cheered and Flash moved back, attempting to tackle him to the ground, where they could web him down.

"We are VENOM!" he screeched and as his maw spit apart the huge spines rippled out from his body travelling up like razors, slicing through the webs they had both shots. He grabbed Flash and headbutted him, pushing him back and from the corner of his eye, he saw John raise the rifle once more to fire. Venom spun and fired off a gooball, wanting to gum up the rifles muzzle and the web ball thudded into him and he fell backwards, tripping and falling over the edge of the roof. Spider-Man shouted and a web line sped its way towards him, snagging the huge rifle on his front, but as the rifle was pulled out of John's hands he still fell backwards and off the roof.

The crew watched in horror as he fell, and heard the crunch as his head collided with the metal decorative railing at the bottom of the building. Shouting started and EMTs rushed over to him, even as they knew they still worked, securing his neck, making sure he was immobilised.

Venom watched as the pair ran to the edge of the building and with the distraction shot out a web line and swung off without hindrance. Flash collapsed, watching the EMT's wrestle and tend to John, the simple surgery screen no barrier for their view but Eddie was shaking his head, "no, no, no no no no," and he turned and ran, sending out a line and swinging away.

Each one called it, even as the ambulance came and took him to the hospital the EMTs called it and finally after talking to J.J it was official. The arrogant and proud man broke down, John Jameson was pronounced dead and his father wept.

The warehouse was quiet and the quartet watched the news,

"In a statement, today Captain George Stacy has issued an arrest warrant for the person known as Venom. Please be advised that the following contains graphic scenes some viewers may find disturbing"

The camera showed John falling after Venom swung onto the building and attacked them, but missed the crucial part of the fight, the part showing the accident.

"Today, a good man, a hero was lost and not only do our thoughts and prayers go out to the Jamesons but to everyone who has been touched by the tragic loss. The individual known as Venom has proven himself to be no hero, to be no defender of justice, that he contributed to this tragedy and that he is directly responsible for this is accurate. Today not just the NYPD but nationwide, and an arrest warrant for the capture of Venom has been issued, please report any sightings, and please do not attempt to approach him, he is considered armed and very dangerous."

Peter switched off the TV and no one spoke, the mood was quiet, they knew that Peter wasn't responsible that it was an accident but he still blamed himself. He still broke his own code but nothing could be said. No one had the right words to stop him from blaming himself.

Felicia sat, nursing a cup of coffee while Gwen busied herself around her. Once she was back at the warehouse, she slipped out of her symbskin and the rifle round had left a massive bruise down her face, its ugly blackness covering her cheek down to her jaw and up into her scalp. While unhurt the impact point was a broken crater, open and bloody, and while unknown at the time but Felicia had been seriously injured and a larger round would have killed her.

In the end, it was Peter who spoke up, "Well, not sorry." and once Felicia started to laugh the rest joined in. Nobody had guilt over a man who almost killed Felicia.

John, Eddie, and now Flash had attacked him, had attacked Felicia and if anyone showed up here, showed up and took MJ or Gwen then John wouldn't be the last, he would merely be the first.