Arc Three. Chapter Eighty-Seven. Less Stalking More Talking

MJ balled her fists as she made her way back to the warehouse, she was sick of the assholes in the movie business and wanted nothing more than to punch that smug-looking asshole right in his stupid smug-looking face. She got enough of actual movie producers hinting that if she fucked them or their friends she would get parts but for Tony frickin Stark of all people to be doing it made her blood boil. What was worse, she couldn't even tell Peter. He idolised the man but more than that, he'd probably go and actually punch him, a lot. With Venom currently a wanted fugitive, the last thing they needed was more drama. So standing outside, taking a deep breath MJ calmed down and put on a brave face for the group.

As she unlocked the door the group was patiently waiting for her at the breakfast table and seeing the dejected look on her face, slid one box to the side and slid out another. MJ guessed the first said congratulations, and yup, this one said too bad. "Thanks, guys."

"I didn't get it, not even close, it was, bad, really bad." she lamented and Peter slid a slice of chocolate cake over to her and rubbed her on the back.

"There is always next time," and MJ nodded as she lifted the fork and sighed, taking a huge bite of the cake.

As the group ate and chatted, MJ's phone went, and staring at it, a strange mix of emotions crossed her face, "I'll be right back," and MJ went into her home.

"Hello?" she asked, the number was her agent, but she had expected a termination letter not a phone call.

"MJ, I know you seemed upset. First, I had nothing to do with what happened, I really didn't know," her agent explained, "and secondly, Miss Potts personally called here to apologize and if you are still interested, the part is yours then you can head to Stark Tower any time today and meet with her."

Keeping her cool, "I'll be there, if Miss Potts calls again, give her my number," and MJ hung up. It was fine if this had been the first time but it wasn't, innocent or not MJ was considering getting either a new agent or just quitting. While Muse was a sweetheart, she knew one day she was going to break someone's jaw if she heard another sex joke made at her expense.

"Right," She said to herself and headed back to the breakfast table. "So, seems I got the part, and Tony and Pepper Potts want to meet with me, hopefully, to apologise." and Peter nodded and smiled, before frowning,

"wait, apologise for what?" he asked but MJ just shook her head.

"Tell you later, but, uh, sorry guys but I gotta go," and taking a smear of icing from the top of the cake, ran it over Peters's lips and licked it off him, turning and giving an equally large kiss to Gwen, "and Gwen can get hers later if she behaves," she said with a wink and headed back out again.

"Uh, not chocolate cake though" and she gave Felicia a look, who bit her lip and hid the smirk on her face.

"Right, so if MJ did get the part and we already ate both cakes we need more. I need a walk," and Gwen shook her head. MJ's kiss had lit a fire and while Liv was willing, she was unable but Felicia was always both and Peter just shrugged as Gwen morphed her clothing into a more suitable set of clothing for the outdoors. Poison was happily purring with the cake she had just eaten and Gwen knew from experience that sex right now would be too much.

"If you don't mind dear, I'll like some fresh air as well," Liv asked, wheeling herself away from the table, "be a dear and come help me change will you." Liv normally wore thin, lighter clothing in the warehouse that was easier to stay comfortable in rather than thicker clothing, using a blanket if she was cold. Gwen and Liv headed into her home while Peter and Felica just stared at each other, the fire burning, but manners told them they should wait and so Felicia stalked over to him and sat on his lap, softly kissing him while his hands explored her body.

To them, the pair were only gone moments, while it would have been longer and once Gwen and Liv gave air kisses to the pair and exited out into the colder spring air Felicia found herself hoisted up and moved on the chair, Peter taking a slice of the cake, smeared it over her bare chest and stomach as her symbskin slid back to reveal her voluptuous breasts. As he licked his fingers clean, Felica ran her hands over his hair as he began to devour both the cake and her.

"So what are your plans now dear?" Liv asked Gwen as she wheeled her along the cold spring streets.

"Oh I dunno, with college and the cream I'm feeling pretty busy, to be honest, yeah, the internship was great but not with college as well." Gwen had to admit to herself that even living in the warehouse with her non-inclusion rule was still pretty stressful. Peter's outings as Venom having to wind down as he was a fugitive was a good thing for her. Poison worrying made her own anxiety spike, and she found herself crying a few times when she got some alone time.

"I know dear, even I finished my degree before working, and let's be honest, you're not exactly great at hiding things. If you ever need to talk, you know you can come find me, please?" Liv said, looking backwards and up at Gwen, patting her hand. "I know how bad stress can be." and Gwen laughed,

"Yeah, it gets explosively bad," and Liv rolled her eyes

"I did apologise for that dear." and she shook her head,

"Oh, don't go nuclear Liv, I know you're offering a hand, well, arm. Maybe a tentacle?" and Gwen snorted at her own joke while Liv, smiling gave a quiet laugh. Peter must have the patience of an angel, she thought as Gwen poked fun at her, but it was still nice that she had been accepted into the group.

The pair continued to chat until they reached the small convenience store they bought most of their groceries from, the larger store too far away, and right now they were unable to afford a car. So it was this or pay a large delivery fee. "Oh be a dear and grab some noodles, Peter is making spaghetti again and we ran out," Liv called across an aisle. Gwen wandered while Liv browsed the magazines. While the store was happy to see her, its smaller isles were cramped and Liv felt claustrophobic as the large produce filled shelves towered over her. Instead, she would pick two or three magazines to read while Gwen shopped and then pay for them once she was done.

Gwen happily walked around the store, putting items in the basket and ignoring Poisons yelling over the candy and bakery section,

Sugar sugar yum yum, she yelled, no fair no fair, give treaty treats, as Gwen ignored her and walked into the dried goods section.

Shush baby, there will be treats later, she scolded her, and Poison huffed in her mind

no fair, she said one last time before going quiet again.

Gwen shook her head at the tiresome symbiotes behaviour and added spaghetti and other noodles to the basket. Peter made a decent enough sauce and with practice, it was getting better. With a realization, she headed to the cheese section and added in some grated cheddar, the store too small for Italian cheeses unless she wanted to pay a small fortune for something she seriously doubted was Italian.

A strange man, clean, tall and scruffy in tattered clothes stared at her, one arm was missing and as she tried to ignore him she did the creepiest thing, he sniffed and Gwen raised an eyebrow, great, weirdo day today, and shaking her head she moved off to another aisle. Thankfully they needed more than just pasta and moving wasn't going to be too suspicious, oh shit, she thought as the man followed and sniffed again.

"You? Why do you smell different?" he asked her, his accent strange as if he was trying to talk through malformed teeth. "Why do you call to him," and he winced, doubling over in pain, "run, oh please, run," and he cried out in pain.

Yeah, fuck that, Gwen thought and she bolted to the checkout. "Uh, there's a tweaker or something having a fit back there," but she was interrupted as the aisle behind her exploded and a huge green scaled monster erupted from the scattered produce.

"You, give us your flesh, yes," hissed the giant Lizard, baring its fangs at her, "we need your flesh," and it swiped a claw at her.

Gwen had been training with Felicia and Peter and she swung the basket around, catching the claw and spinning the monster round, "run," she yelled at the store clerk, only to see his back leaving through the employee door. Shit, Liv, she thought and knowing full well she couldn't depend on Poison she sprang backwards, "Liv, we've got a problem"

"I can see that dear, it's Curt. Can you fight?" Liv yelled back, hurriedly wheeling herself towards the exit.

"I can but if he hits me, Poison will probably get me killed,'' Gwen shouted back, ducking and dodging the large thick claws of Lizard as he tried to grab for her.

"Then run, don't mind me, dear. It's, it's better you save yourself, Peter would-" Liv began but Gwen yelled,

"Pete would fucking kill me, so shut the fuck up," and Gwen grabbed her wheelchair, and lifting Liv from it, threw it at Lizard. As Lizard looked at the chair strangely and then ripped it apart, Gwen had already barrelled out the door, wrapping Liv in the blanket she was using, "Fuck," Gwen swore. She had been right, when she smashed through the glass, Poison began to complain and the pain shooting through her was crippling, no, she thought, we have to save Liv, no treats ever again if we don't, she chided Poison.

It became a game of cat and mouse, Gwen was strong enough to carry Liv, hoisting her up and using webs to glue her to Poison but Lizard was fast and relentless. They ran, it was all Gwen could do, and thankfully she didn't trigger any traffic camera as she bolted through the streets with a giant green monster chasing her.

She couldn't even get to her phone, it was trapped between Liv and her, and with having to concentrate on keeping one eye on the sidewalk and one eye on Lizard she didn't want Liv to squirm to try and reach it.

"Rough bit," Gwen said as she vaulted the chain-link fence surrounding the warehouse, and as they bolted towards the emergency door she yelled, "Fucking help," hoping Peter and Felicia weren't too occupied to hear them. She stood at the door, hoping they would open it but as nothing happened she cursed them both. Lizard wasn't as kind and ripped a large part of the fence in two, hissing and advancing on the pair.

"Sorry Liv," Gwen said and dropping her slightly fumbled for her keys. Liv, on the other hand, had started to bang on the door, hitting the buzzer several times and as Gwen got her key into the lock, the door swung open and the pair were dragged inside. Venom had grabbed them and pulled them back further into the warehouse, away from whatever was chasing them. Huntress stood, pacing in front of the pair, ready to defend them

Lizard leapt after them hissing and taking in the room around him. He could see his prey, the strange-smelling one who could solve his problem, and now, as he tasted the air around him, he paused.

It wasn't just sex, he could taste the thick pheromone mixture, of both a man and a woman there was more. A new cloud of darkness spread across the room and as he watched two new prey advanced on him. The larger black one, anger rolled off him like a cloud and he gulped, not that the smaller dark grey one was better, her hatred was not comparable but still, the part of his brain that knew it had messed up was now screaming and crying in terror.

As he watched the pair grow and move towards him, the Lizard did the only sensible thing it could.

It ran.