Arc Three. Chapter Seventy-Five. Lord Of The Jungle

Much like Stark Tower on Fifth Avenue and the Life Incorporated building, the Manhattan Projects were a series of interlocking office buildings. Glass monstrosities that screamed money and bad taste, but the ones who commissioned them were assured that they would only grow in value.

The car ride over had been painfully silent, Aaron webbed into his seat could only direct Huntress as she drove, and Venom slumped in the back seat as the strange trio made their way across New York.

Aaron waved a pass in front of the security gate and ushered the pair in, "uh, we need to check you for weapons," and as Huntress and Venom stared at each other he shook his head, "uh, right, you know you couldn't just I dunno take off the masks?" and as Venom glared at him he shook his head, "never mind, never mind"

Through long the front entrance Aaron inserted a key into the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse. As the tinny and bad elevator music played

"So, Felicia, I hear your dad is missing, any luck?" he asked nervously,

"I don't really want to talk about it Aaron, it wasn't you was it?" she retorted and he shook his head.

"Nah, Tom was a good man, never tied down for one job, but no, no one in the biz touched him. He was just too good to waste you know." Aaron wasn't about to admit to the pair of lunatics that while he had nothing to do with her father's disappearance it was a job they had sent him on that got him captured. There was honour amongst thieves but fuck her, he thought, after that beating he owed her shit.

Felicia wished the bottom of the elevator would open up and drop the man to his death. While she was still looking for her father, she had a life now, friends, lovers, and a place that was her own. He wouldn't understand that, but she would make him.

The elevator dinged, and Aaron led them into a brightly lit office. It was expensive but sparsely decorated, a single glass table sat at the window end and they could see the back of a huge, much larger than normal leather chair facing away from them.

"I hope you have good news Aaron," a voice rumbled from a large leather chair.

"No sir, no I don't. I have two guests for you."

As the chair turned the giant man stood, his muscles bulging under the jacket that framed his massive body. Venom looked over and he figured the man must be 7ft tall and the same in width. A shiny bald head glinting under the bright LED lights topped off a fat face, betraying the man's true stature. Venom knew from the way the suit creased and sat that he was all muscle, if there was any fat on him it was fake or just skin.

"I'm disappointed Aaron, but you and I will talk later. I'm a businessman, so what are your terms, I assume you're here as you bested my man" and the giant pointed a finger briefly at Aaron. "And Bullseye?" and Venom had to resist the urge to laugh, but keeping his end of the deal,

"Dead." and the man shifted,

"A lot of people will be upset with that, Venom, but he won't be missed."

Venom shook his head, he really didn't care. "Our terms are simple, lay low, stop dealing in the more dangerous stuff, and we'll leave you alone." Venom stated.

"Dangerous stuff? Guns, drugs, personal services. All these could be classed as dangerous, so what are your real terms? You give me nothing, and want everything. A business isn't run like that. What did you offer Aaron to betray me?"

"His life." Huntress stated, "one fight, he won, we walked, we won, he brought us here. We gave Bullseye the same deal but he refused, so now he's dead."

"Hmm, street rules, I like that. So same deal, well, I win, you walk. You walk so far away that if I see a kid in a black suit he vanishes. You and your girlfriend here move from New York. You win and I walk, I'll sell my interests to you and leave. I'm not an unreasonable man, Venom. A business can be rebuilt, a life, however, you only have one of those,'' and strangely the man looked at the single picture on his desk, while Venom couldn't see who it was, he recognised the slight expression of pain as it flashed over the giant's face.

"Fine, you vs me. Huntress already beat your man, so you and me. Take all the time you need." and Venom stretched, feeling his joints and muscles loosen. Bullseye had been a stark reminder that he wasn't all powerful, and he needed a win to get some of his confidence back.

"Oh, I'm fine," and the man took off his jacket, shirt, and he had on a vest underneath and thick suspenders held up his tailored white trousers. Venom noted that he had thick black hair over his shoulders and down his arms, stopping just before it reached his hands.

"No gouging eyes, no groin shots. Proper street rules, anything else goes till one of us gives up and can't fight anymore." The giant said.

"Uh one thing, how do we know you'll keep your word, I mean, I don't even know who you are," Venom asked before they started.

"Hmm, then a trade, Aaron, phone, you too girlie." and Huntress stared at him,

"Girlie?' Are all mobsters sexist?"

Wilson shook his head, "and what? You're calling me twinkle toes, so?"

Aaron pointed his phone and Huntress did the same.

"My name is Wilson Fisk and I am the crime boss operating out of Hell's Kitchen. I swear that if I lose this fight then Venom and his associate will take over. If I win then Venom and associate leave New York"

He looked over at Venom, "your turn."

Venom shook his head, "she's the boss," and even Huntress looked at him, well, it's true, this is your show. Black Cats, tending the streets, I'm the muscle here, You're the boss.

Huntress laughed and shook her head, Don't you forget it, oh and you owe me. bed later, and you'll find out exactly who the boss is.

Felicia let her symbarmour slide back,

"My name is Felicia Hardy, and I am the Boss of the Black Cats. I swear that if I lose this fight that myself and Venom will leave New York, never to return. If I win then Wilson Fisk will leave and never return." As Huntress slid back over her she spoke, "satisfied?"

Wilson looked at Aaron, "Tom's kid? sure, yes," and he shook his head. He was fine with who she was, it was her age that bothered him.

Venom instantly hated the pair, they were young, yes but life wasn't a picnic. He hated being looked down on and he would show them just who was in charge here.

Wilson and Venom stood a few meters apart and they nodded to each other. Wilson brought up his fist in a boxer's stance while Venom had a looser style.

Brazenly Venom let Fisk hit him with a light jab, the man's bulk hiding a quick arm and as the jabs thudded into not just his chest but his jaw and ribs, Venom felt some respect for the man. He was a normal man, and yet he hit just as hard as Poison did when they were sparred. Hard enough when Fisk threw out another hook to his jaw, Venom leant back and thudded a right into Fisk's ribs.

It was like hitting a rock. He had been right, the man was all muscle and he probably had less fat on him than Venom did, but it didn't matter, rocks broke and crumbled, Venom just needed to apply enough pressure.

Fisk dodged and weaved as Venom tried to hit him but the man despite his size was an experienced fighter and rang circles around the lesser man. Every now and again he forced Venom back with a series of blows, his longer reach driving Venom back and away from him.

As Venom tried to close in, Fisk grinned and stepped to one side to avoid a jab, he grabbed Venom around the waist, lifted them both up and slammed him on the floor, which groaned in complaint. Venom felt the world spin and sat upon him Fisk drove a fist into his face again and again.

Even Venom's armoured skin creaked as the heavier man rained down blow after blow. Venom felt his face armour soften with the blows and had had enough, he lifted with his waist, the one set of muscles that probably got the most exercise and lifted Fisk into the air, the bigger man tipping and Venom bucked him off.

Venom looked at him, "anything goes?" and as Fisk nodded Venom thickened the plated over his body, allowing the harness to extend and the four limbs waved menacingly around his back

"Fuck me," Aaron exclaimed, "you're the multi-limbed, no wait huh?" but Venom wasn't in the mood to answer.

One limb would dart out and as Fisk moved to avoid it he would head straight into another, Peter had taken lessons from Liv on the use and control of multi limbs and Fisk was the punching bag for Venom's anger at being bested by Bullseye.

"Enough!" Fisk yelled and the man swelled and grew, the hair on his body thickening and he fell on his knuckles, thick black hair covering his body and a line of lighter silver hair spreading up his back. Deep yellow eyes and vicious fangs now sat on his face, "Silverback, neat name huh, you all have one so why not me?" he howled and charged at Venom, knocking him flying and then beating his chest charged over again, thumping both heavy fists down on Venom's chest.

Venom felt each heavy blow like a thunder of pain that echoed through his chest, his ribs and bones were fine but each blow made it harder for him to gain breath, and he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. Fisk was now just as fast as him and he even wondered if he was as strong.

Rolling to one side as Silverback charged again he attempted a leg sweep and Fisk grabbed his leg, smashing his elbow into the joint and Venom roared in pain. His leg was crooked and it popped as Venom straightened it back up. Tentatively putting it down, he winced as pain shot into his knee and rolled away again as Silverback charged once more.

"Give it up Venom, you won't win, you're not fast enough, not strong enough, and not good enough," Silverback taunted him, and seeing the look on Huntress's face she knew he might be in trouble.

"Good enough? One punch and you think I'm not good enough? Try again short and hairy, you'll see who's good enough," and as Silverback roared and charged him Venom lifted himself up using two arms, webbed onto Silverbacks legs as he charged past and yanked them out from under him. "I don't need a leg when I've got 7 more" and two arms grabbed Silverbacks wrists while Venom laid punch after punch with the other two into his ribs, coating him with a layer of webbing to hold him down.

Fisk endured the beating and tried his best to lift himself up, as the webbing held the floor ripped up as his fangs grew longer and his face wrinkled up, his arms bulged even more as more and more formula pumped around his system

"Shit, we had three vials," Aaron muttered under his breath but Venom never heard him as Silverback roared and raged against his webbing. He tore off the patches on his skin and threw them against a wall.

Thumping his bloody fists against his chest he charged once more and Venom sidestepped to avoid him. Silverback reached out with a dinner plate sized fist and grabbed on the limbs supporting Venom and swung himself around, feet first into his chest. As the limbs had anchored them down the pair went tumbling together and Venom landed on top, smashing a thick fist into the deformed face of Fisk, he had had enough of this, tired of being hurt he lost control and let his maw split open, his massive tongue sliding over the shark-like teeth.

He would make him pay, not just for the women, but for the drugs, the pain, the misery he spread like a disease around New York, and finally for Bullseye. For the mess he made, for the building he destroyed, all to get to him. He laid the blame right at Fisk's feet, and now he would return the favour.

Four limbs each thudding into Silverback left the giant man with no escape, two battered against his ribs and his arms while Venom pounded on his face and enhanced or not the effect was apparent. The snapping of bone could be heard and Silverback was left a bloody and mangled mess on the floor, Venom hoisted himself upon two limbs and roared. A limb slipped back, and as his symbskin slid over it, it formed a massive spike and hovered behind him, poised to strike at the unconscious Fisk.

Aaron moved and stood over Wilson, "Please, we'll leave, just please, don't," and he held up both hands in surrender, blood leaked from Wilson's bruised and battered face and his arms were bent at an unnatural angle.

Venom huffed and snarled at the man but Huntress ran a hand over his chest, "you won, Venom, you won, calm please, calm," and he took her hand in his and rubbed it over his cheek. Venom slid back and Peter stood there, "you will leave, sign over everything, we've got cash and you'll take it."

He just wondered how he was going to explain to everyone why he was broke again, maybe he'd let Felicia explain, after all, it was her he spent it on.

Peter motioned and when offered grabbed the phone from Aaron and deleted the single video he had taken of Felicia, throwing it back at him, "and this time, if you fucking double-cross us I'll rip out your spine and fucking beat him to death with it."