Arc Three. Chapter Eighty-Three. Smells Like Teen Spirit

Venom had carried the girl back to the warehouse while Huntress and Poison stayed behind to deal with the bodies. No one had any idea who they were or what the experiments had been, but one thing they knew was that in Hell's Kitchen leaving 12 bodies for the cops to find would lead them back to someone, and if Fisk was a good businessman, Venom bet it would be someone important. The group also felt they needed something. The fate that had befallen them was cruel and to leave them like that, abandoned and forgotten, was one last insult they couldn't forgive. Even a small token that someone cared was something they deserved.

The girl hadn't spoken since they freed her from the bed. She held on tightly as they all swung back, and as they landed on the roof she dropped down, sniffing and growling.

"Home, like you," was all she said, and as Venom opened the hatch she sprang forwards and down the hatch.

"Shit," as they both looked over they saw she had landed on the warehouse floor without a scratch and was sitting on all fours, sniffing and peering around the warehouse. Venom sighed and shrugged, "she's definitely enhanced," and followed after her, catching himself on a girder to make sure he didn't land on her.

She had already run off, sniffing the air and had headed to Peter's home, pushing the door open and leaping on the bed, wrapping a blanket around herself, taking deep breaths.

"Same formula as Prowler?" he asked but MJ shrugged as the pair let their symbskin slide back. He heard a yell and the girl was stood there, all six claws out and pointing at Liv, ready to attack,

"Hey, ok okay, this is what we look like okay?" and he let his armour slide back over him "see it's me and that's Liv," he pointed over to her. She had heard the roof hatch open and had been waiting in her home for them to come back, hiding when the strange girl had dropped down instead.

She nodded, "Monkey," and the claws slid back in, "that is cool," but he saw the blood dripping. "Shit, did that hurt? Liv, get the kit," and the girl shook her head, showed her hands and she was right, there were no marks on her at all.

"Healing, nice." was all he said. "Uh MJ, can you maybe see if you've got something that'll fit her, I think." Peter was stopped as the girl stripped out of the gown she was wearing and sniffed a few times before standing naked in Peter's home throwing dirty clothing about, eventually grabbing one of Peter's dirty t-shirts and lifting her arms over her head, shimmying into it.

No matter what her age, she was older than she looked. Her skin was a pale coffee colour, small breasts barely an A cup with small darker dots, her crotch was thick with the same dark thick brown hair that cascaded down her back. Peter scowled though and even MJ shook her head as they saw her body. Her arms and legs were covered in cuts, not just from fighting, these were all concentrated in a few areas. She had probably self-harmed, his fists clenched as he thought of the bastards that did this to her, and that if he found Fisk again he would skin him alive.

She started sniffing again, "no, safe, home," was all she said before climbing into Peter's bed and gathering up his blankets into a nest. He could hear her breathing become shallow and after a few seconds, he figured she was asleep. He flicked the light off but left the door open, "we're just outside okay," he said, in case she was just pretending.

Peter made coffee for the three of them and they sat at the breakfast table, staring at their mugs.

"So, even I can guess that MGH is made from humans, enhanced and then drained of a hormone or spinal fluid. It's probably either a safer way to make formula or a stimulant of some kind," he said and Liv nodded and continued his thought,

"If it's adrenal, then a stimulant, spinal means enhancer, dopamine or mood affecting hormones can't be extracted that way so, I agree," and MJ just looked horrified.

"Peter, I, I mean, I know I joined in but is this what is like?" and as she saw the pain in his face, nothing like he'd ever seen before either, and he shook his head.

"No, this is, I mean, it can be bad, but not this, not this," and he had to let go of his cup to stop from crushing it, his hands tightened so much his knuckles went white as he squeezed his fists together. He had never experienced anything like this. Was this what his original fate would have been? Was he part of the same experiments that she was, to be used as some kind of drug factory and then disposed of. His anger rose like bile in his throat.

A hand stroked his thigh, "Peter dear, calm down, we have a target now, with the formula we can track it. You made that tracker for formula right? Well, this is the formula." and Peter remembered, he'd made it to track Curt but Fisk and Prowler had become more of an issue.

"It's in the storeroom where we keep everything else," and he realised he should probably catalogue and organise it, rather than leaving a whole pile of military-grade armour and weapons sat on shelves to gather dust.

"We need to find someone to help her though, she's not safe here and we can't look after someone with possible medical problems, " Peter said flatly, he knew whatever she had gone through was more than any of them could deal with, she needed a therapist, a proper doctor to help with whatever had been done to her, although, he noticed she didn't have the same drip attached to the back of her head, and he wondered if she had removed it and it healed, or if she was there for another reason.

"No, I think she should stay here. I can watch her, as long as she's not too boisterous. If we take her anywhere we risk exposing ourselves again. How many of these labs exist within New York? How many have they taken? We can't risk it Peter." and clenching his jaw at the thought of more, he nodded at Liv and swallowed his anger back down.

They all stiffened as they heard her creep out of the home and walk over to Peter, sitting on his lap and wrapping herself around him once more.

"Uh, do you have a name? I'm Peter, this is Liv and MJ," introducing them again,

"Laura," she said as she snuggled into him.

"Uh, we do have more chairs you know," and she shook her head.

Peter shrugged his shoulders, "uh guys?"

Liv shook her head, "well Mr pheromone, what do you expect. If she's enhanced with Prowler formula you probable smell safe."

"Uh, doesn't that only, you know," hoping Liv wasn't about to say he was about to get leapt on by a stranger.

Liv sighed and shook her head, "again, smartest dumb guy, vanilla when your happy, pepper when your mad, cinnamon when your," and she winked, "and blood when your angry, I've never been near when your sad though, MJ?"

MJ thought for a moment, "hmm, citrus I think, Peter gets mad more often than sad."

Peter looked shocked, "really?"

"Uh, why do you think we all sit on your lap and run our hands through your hair?" MJ said, and at that Laura raised a hand and ran it through his hair and sniffed her hand and after nodding he began to pet him. Making sure to coat both hands, rubbing them on herself.

"Thanks MJ," he said sarcastically, as she manhandled him.

MJ and Liv stifled laughs at the sight, while she wasn't small, she was still smaller than Peter but he seemed to be willing to suffer the indignity for her sake.

They sat drinking their coffee, Laura had sniffed Peter's cup but pulled a face, and MJ had gotten some of the juice that Gwen kept to placate Poison from the fridge. It was a mix of various fruit juices and was sweet and refreshing, something that Poison loved and it was one thing Gwen figured out long ago that she could drink without issue.

Laura grabbed the glass with both hands and gulped it down, "Hey, it's okay, there's a lot, take your time okay," and she nodded and took smaller drinks.

"Got her tamed," Liv joked but Laura growled at her and pointed a hand, the blade sliding out between her fingers, dripping blood on the table.

"Hey, no, Liv was joking," Peter scolded her and she curled up further into his chest, hiding her face from him.

"Laura, no, everyone here is good, okay, no stabbing." Peter said, really unsure of how exactly to deal with the clingy but obviously temper prone enhanced girl.

"Actually Peter, I have an idea about that, Laura, dear, look here for a moment." and Liv held out her blanket, "take it, it's fine."

Reaching forwards Laura snatched the blanket and stared at it. "Now, smell it" and as she held it to her face, she sniffed and nodded.

"Remember dear, we have our own smell. Whatever her powers are she'll trust us more if we smell good. So MJ, same, although make sure you get Muse to be friendly, we don't know what effect a musk will have on her."

"Then we need to wait, cause I'm so angry right now, scared, and angry, Peter, we can't take her to the hospital, we can't go to the cops or anyone, and tell them what? We rescued a kid from a human crack den. Can you please take care of her and please don't ask questions."

"Not a kid, 21," and the trio looked at her, she was older than both Peter and MJ, who'd yet to have birthdays.

"Welp, that makes her sitting in my lap a lot less creepy for certain," Peter remarked, and MJ laughed while Liv smiled and shook her head.

"Really Peter, at a time like this?" and he looked into Livs eyes and down at Laura. It was only then that Liv realised all she had on was a T-shirt and while it was too big for her it didn't cover very much of her ass or legs. She frowned though as she spotted that her legs were covered in scars and that she had patches of what looked like chemical burns on her thighs.

"Right, Laura, as much as Peter appreciates the hugs, we need to get you cleaned and into some clothes. So come on, shower time. Now do you need help or are you capable of doing that on your own? And MJ dear, some clothes, I think I've got some spare things in my dresser. Unopened panties that should fit her, as well as a few old tops, we're open here dear but you will not be bare arsed and dirty. Come on, chop-chop." and Liv took charge. She wanted to give Laura a quick physical examination, find out exactly how far the scars and sadly, the abuse that caused them went.

While Oscorp experimented with formula this was the first that she had met one of its surviving victims. Most had died after prolonged exposure but Laura had lived, and then been experimented on. What confused Liv was that the lab Harry had set up never had a girl matching Laura's description, and sadly she would know, being its main researcher for so long.

Even as she growled at her, Liv just growled back and Laura was dragged to Liv's home by MJ. She had an open shower room and with more space, the three of them could make sure that Laura was washed properly, and the extra hands might be needed. Reluctant she still followed and gave Peter pleading eyes, hoping he'd rescue her but he shrugged and pursing his lips, shook his head.

"Monkey," was all she said flatly at his betrayal. Liv followed her into her home and the shower could be heard starting moments later.