Arc Eight. Chapter Two Hundred Thirty-Two. Old Friends

Nakia just shook her head as Peter dragged Cindy into his room. As he pushed her towards the couch she sunk into it and he grabbed two cans of soda from the fridge, knowing Nakia was not allowed one while she was on duty.

Cindy sat and stared at Peter, the drink in her hand moving in circles as she couldn't believe she would run into him of all people,

"What the hell Parker?" she spat "How the fuck did you get on Wakandas radar?" and Peter just laughed,

"Oh hey, Cindy. Symbiote?" and Cindy scowled at him, how did he know about Silk?

"Fuck off, I know you're Venom, and you know I've got a symbiote, so don't play stupid. or did Flash finally knock some sense into you?" and Peter grinned and shook his head.

"Flash and I are," and he tilted his head, "over it. But you. I mean, you could have only gotten one from Flash, so you and Flash huh?" and she slammed the glass down on the table,

"Fuck. Off. Cut the crap and tell me, what do you want?" and Silk prepared herself for the fight,

"Wow, tense much?" and Peter put down his own glass and simply held out his hand, "not a fight, I can tell you that much."

Crossing her arms Cindy shook her head, "not in the mood. You know they've been bugging me, about Silk, about Flash, and yeah, even you. So no, no handshakes, not friendship bracelets. What do you want Peter?"

Peter shrugged, "Webb was hurt, so I healed him, and I already know from experience that hurt symbiotes make more hurt symbiotes. So if he spawned Silk, nice name by the way, and she's not as powerful as she could be, I mean,"

Can you do this?

And Cindy's eyes went wide, "What the hell was that?"

I can talk to you telepathically. Does Silk not talk to you like this?

"No, you stay the fuck away from me." and Cindy backed away.

Peter rolled his eyes, Hi Silk, guess, you're behaving, it's okay though, you have a lot of sisters who want to meet you,

"Stay the fuck out of my head" Cindy yelled at him, and Peter frowned at her, confused.

Silk? Are you okay?

As there was no reply, Peter moved over and she banged on the door once more, evading his grasp,

Silk, calm Cindy down, please. I'm not here to fight.

Something was really wrong, and that wasn't good. Peter sighed, "yeah, Silk knows I'm not here to fight, so stop being so paranoid. I know she's hurt. It's not the first symbiote who couldn't talk, and I can heal her. If you just calm down."

Cindy continued to bang on the door, and Peter frowned in concern. He knew Poison was angry and obstinate when Gwen was first bonded, but this was nothing like that. He could feel her paranoia, her anger, and it was like being next to a Hulk rather than one of the others.

As he tapped into the Mind Stone he let its power connect to his and he touched Cindy on the shoulder, calm Cindy, please, calm down, and he felt her relax, but only slightly.

"I can't host a symbiote, my biology will kill it, but I can fix and improve an already spawned one. If you want Silk to be healed, get a whole bunch of new powers, including telepathy and some neat webbing tricks, and yeah, the offer is still open. We have eight more symbiotes in New York, and they would love to meet you."

"Fuck, eight? You're insane, you know that. Wakanda will be all-" but she stopped, "Wakanda is in on this right, to get me to unbond with Silk and then take her." and Peter sat back down, rubbing his face with his hands,

"What will it take to persuade you? or do I just hold you down and force-feed the knowledge into your stupid thick skull. Wakanda is on this, I'm engaged to Shuri and tomorrow I fight Fisk. Why are you being so paranoid? What the hell have you been doing the past three years?"

"None of your fucking business." she yelled at him, "Hey, I want to leave, Hey" and she banged on the door again.

"Yeah, that's not happening. Mood swings, anger issues, and I bet you eat like a pig as well. Silk is hurt, and no matter how much you don't want this I promise that I would make sure I took responsibility for my actions." and as Venom spread over him he shot out a web and yanked Cindy towards him, "Hard way it is then." as his symbskin leached over her she screamed and was taken by the darkness.

Wow, overdramatic much, I mean, it's just a small dream, what's next gonna blow a rape whistle or show me on the dolly where I touched you,

Fuck you, Parker. I have enough problems.

Peter shrugged, and I'm fixing at least one of them. Silk is your symbiote, she's the most important thing to you, and you are to her. She will die if you unbond, and you'll be back to being good old Cindy Moon again. So shut the hell up and listen to her,

For the first time since they bonded, Cindy could hear Silk as she slept. She knew Hank used some kind of sedative to keep her under control but it dulled her voice.

Hehe, we like the Cindy, we love the Cindy, we like ice cream, we like cotton candy, and the big booms in the dark, we don't like the Eddie as he smells of smoke, but we like the Hope, but we are scared of the Hank

See? She's just dreaming, and you can hear her, she's hurt Cindy, just like Webb was, just like the first ones I produced, because I was hurt, and Flash was hurt. All I'm doing is fixing her, and once that happens you'll be better too.

She could feel the calming aura spread from Peter, in the mental landscape her powers were heightened and she knew he wasn't lying.

Cindy huffed, and she felt the anger slowly fade away,

So, uh, whatcha doing? And as Peter and she sat in a white room she looked around,

My cells are like symbiote stem cells, they're healing her. You, I'm not touching. If you want enhanced then I dunno, speak to T'Challa or whoever brought you here,

Uh, I kinda snuck aboard the jet, they don't really like me, because of the whole devourer thing.

Peter sighed, Even after I fixed that mess. I'll speak to T'Challa and get Wakanda off your back.

Just like that, really? And it was Cindy's turn to sigh, Guess you landed on your feet huh? So uh, heard from anyone in the old gang? And Peter laughed,

Really?

And she nodded, Philly's great but, you know, I'm at least curious,

Right, want to see or want to talk?

See? You mean, your memories and stuff, no thanks, the stink of loser is bad enough on Eddie.

Peter pursed his lips, fine, so, Gwen and Felicia are a couple now, MJ got that movie, so we don't see her as much, and me, well, I get bossed around by my head scientist Liv.

Cindy laughed, always a dork Parker, and that'll never change,

Oh yeah, and I'm in a relationship with them all, Gwen, MJ, Felicia, Liv, Carol, Wanda, Natasha, Laura, and now Shuri. One big huge family, plus you know, I saved the world a couple of times, no biggy.

Get the fuck out, Cindy exclaimed, you? Stupid dorky bullied annoying Parker saved the world?

I was at Shield HQ, Ultron, Hydra, bomb threat, drug baron, so yeah, Venom, Dusk, and he whispered, Monkey, all me. So suck it, queen bitch.

Cindy growled, don't fucking call me that. It had been her nickname in high school, whispered by those jealous of her looks and brains.

Or what, gonna cry at me? So, what's like been like for the upwardly mobile Cindy Moon,

Shit, we saved Philly from Fisk, Hank makes these cool gadgets and uh, and she shook her head, Silk doesn't like him, but I needed him okay

Peter frowned, what? And she shook her head, don't make me push Cindy, what are you hiding.

Cindy let her control slip and Peter was slung into a memory, of Silk, a writhing mass of tentacles in Hanks lab as he took samples and eventually sedated the mad symbiote,

As he pushed further he saw the symbiote lose control and Aaron, bleeding and torn apart as Silk ripped at his insides, hissing as Spider-Man and a group of people he didn't recognise stared on in horror.

It was tough okay, it might have been roses and candy for you but yeah, so Silk was angry, so I was angry, so we might have killed someone, messily and Hank, he made a tonic, to make her sleep, and still give me access to her powers, and she rubbed an arm, but I never hurt her, never once hurt her.

You know, I'm about to be the advocate of symbiote rights, and if I ask her and she wants to move, I'll find a host for her, regardless of what you want.

No, please, I love her, it hurt me, but she was uncontrollable, always wanting to kill, always wanting to eat and Cindy paused, always wanting to hurt, to maim, please.

For the first time in years, Cindy felt a sense of peace wash over her as whatever Peter was doing began to take hold. She felt Silk calm down, and finally relax. As she broke down, a dam of emotions broke and quietly she wept, for the pain and suffering she had caused, for the deaths she had caused and finally, because the one person she cared most about was no longer in pain.

We will not leave you, Cindy, we love you, and we are thankful Peter, but we need guidance.

Do you want to come to New York and meet the others?

We do, we wish to meet our sisters, to test ourselves, the Cindy is strong but she needs help as we do.

We won't treat you like Hank, but we do have a bonded scientist who will want to check on you, okay? Her name is Liv, and she hosts Octave. You don't need to be afraid, we just want to make sure you are okay.

We know Peter, we feel it from you and wish to see for ourselves. Cindy, can we?

Cindy laughed, sure sure, uh you know though, Eddie can't go back to New York, because of the John thing.

Peter laughed, oh we had our lawyers take care of that, it was all a plot to get to me, JJ might have a bug up his ass about it but just ignore him, so you and Eddie yeah?

Cindy shook her head, don't even Parker, don't fucking even.

Cindy, I'm only making conversation, I mean, damn, I wasn't lying, Gwen and Fel, Liv are open, as it Nat, MJ goes back and forth, I don't really care what you like or who, just, you know, wondering if a pissed off girlfriend slash boyfriend will show up and give me crap, it has happened. But I also don't want you to give me shit for it as well, you're welcome to stay for a while but remember it's my home, so, no complaining.

Shit Parker, I'm not moving in, a few days right?

Peter shook his head, yeah, and I've heard that before too.

As the world spun and Cindy and Peter found themselves back in the simple room Cindy frowned for a moment and then stared at Peter. She stretched and Silk writhed around her, morphing into different clothes and armours. Cindy smiled as she ran a hand over the symbiote, rubbing a small corner of her top against her cheek, "I said no memories though, so why-" and Cindy's eyes opened wide in shock.

"Wait, You were serious. All eight? You mean you've got eight girlfriends and you're marrying the fucking princess of Wakanda?" and Peter laughed as he nodded, "Fuck, maybe visiting is a bad idea. You still live with your Aunt right?"

"I own a converted warehouse. Thirteen homes in total and we have a bathhouse, not a bathroom but an actual bathhouse."

Cindy just stared at him, "I share a bathroom with four others. Visit? I might just move in."

Nakia stared at the pair, if this was his effect on women she was seriously reconsidering becoming his guard.