Stairs in the Dark

Chapter One

Peter swung wildly from web to web, whipping around buildings and spinning past street signs.

"I'm not too late," he muttered. "He's looking for me, and now I just have to hope that he hasn't gotten too far ahead..." his eyes whipped around, trying to spot what he was searching for. He gripped Mr. Fantastic's sonic blaster with his free hand.

Then, on the corner, he saw an old building with the windows busted in.

"Bingo."

Peter didn't stop to think before he swung in feet first, landing in a crouch on the glass-covered floor. The building looked abandoned, like something the city should have knocked down years ago, with stained walls and portions of its floor falling in.

He looked around, on edge for any movement or sound.

But there was no time to react between the time when the back of his neck prickled in warning and when something slammed into his back, careening him into the brick wall. The blaster went flying, his teeth rattled in his skull, and his head spun.

"Welcome to my neighborhood, Spider-Man ," a voice hissed and spat, and when Peter's vision cleared he saw the menacing black form standing over him, mouth white and gaping. "Would you be... could you be... my neighbor ?" A red tongue slithered through the air, and Peter narrowly avoided his next blow by rolling out of the way.

His heart was racing. God, this guy was obviously even more insane than he thought. Or was it the alien controlling him who was crazy? Either way, the guy was dangerous. Peter hoped his plan would work. He just needed the blaster... but it had fallen through one of the holes in the floor.

Damn it. Time to get chatty -- he needed to distract this guy and get past him.

"Who are you?" he said, inching closer to the hole in the floor.

The creature grinned. "I am Venom."

"Yeah, I'm not stupid. I've heard that much. But I'm also not talking to you. I'm talking to whatever poor soul you've infected."

The bright eyes narrowed, and Venom paced slowly back and forth in front of him. "Well, Spider-Man , we are not different. We are we."

"You're crazy, is what you are," Peter shot back, still slowly moving towards the sonic gun. "And whatever you've got planned is ending right here."

"That's right," Venom said, his face twisting insanely. "Because you're ending here."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Peter said shortly, finally twisting to slide through the hole and down to the floor below.

The blaster was right there!

He reached out, grabbed it -- and found himself pinned to the wall by one massive black hand.

The breath was knocked out of Peter's lungs as he took in Venom's face, the tongue hovering uncomfortably close to his mask. He struggled, but Venom just pushed back harder, his grip on Peter's neck increasing.

"Stop your squirming," Venom snarled.

"Whoever's in there," Peter said desperately. The gun was in his hands, and he'd use it if he had to. But if he could save one more person, he might as well try. "Come on, just snap out of it! Fight it!"

"There is no fighting," Venom said, squeezing harder. Peter used his free hand to try and pry himself free, choking on breath. "We will show you."

Peter's eyes widened as Venom's face began to move -- to part, and there was something underneath... another face!

He paused in shock, breath coming short. But that was... "Eddie Brock!" he gasped.