Brodie
02-27-2003, 07:33 PM
Casey Jones ran across the rooftops in the darkness. His hockey mask was covering his face, dents, scratches and dried blood were riddling the once white mask. His black hair drifted back and forth as he ran, his breathing becoming louder when ever he jumped a gap. He remembered the little junkie’s words all-to-well:
Junkie: There's a new vigiante’ in town... He makes youse look like a pussay.
Casey: You mean Vigilante?
Casey skid to a stop at the edge of the rooftop. It was at the corner of Romita and Eastman that Casey’s eyes ran across the new Anti-Hero... He was big. Big, and covered in black. Casey slid down the rails of the ladder, landing on the trash covered concrete. He lifted his mask to the top of his head, sizing this new addition up. The guy turned around, moving like a Xenomorph from those Alien movies where there was acidy spit and the people never ran fast enough. Fluent. Snake like....Spider like.... Then Casey saw his face... It’s face.
It’s eyes were pure white, and huge, looking like they had been carved into the thing’s face. Teeth the size of Casey’s opened hand jutted out of blood colored gums. A tongue longer than Casey’s torso slithered out of It’s mouth, dripping green and yellow slobber all over the place. It’s breathing was heavy. Raspy. Casey was reminded of Darth Vader in those few seconds he stood there.
Casey: Oh...Jesus....
Casey stumbled back. He’d seen a lot, hanging out and fighting with the Turtles. But this was too much. He’d seen a clan of ninjas that killed, maimed, and destroyed. He’d seen a talking rat. A talking stingray the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’d seen a man covered in blades who hated everyone. Even a Man-Spider. ‘Or was it a Spider-Man?’ Casey thought to himself. And that’s what got him into trouble. It jerked forward, it’s humongous clawed hand wrapped around Casey’s shoulders and neck, slamming him into the side of the brick building. As Casey opened his eyes and tried to adjust, he felt the new cracks and pieces of the wall behind him start to become brittle.
Casey: Ugh......Oh....Ugh...Who....What are you?
It: We...Are VENOM!
Casey: ’Venom’? Like a snake...?
Venom yanked Casey from the wall, slamming him into the sidewalk. Casey’s head started to ache, but he couldn’t feel any blood. Yet. Venom leaned over Casey, his teeth and angled with Casey’s neck, his large eyes directly gazing into Casey’s. Casey looked up. Seeing a reflection of himself in the eyes. How could someone or something be so dark, so empty to have holly eyes like that? How?
Venom: You’ve been on our turf. We don’t like that.
Casey: Your turf?...Wait... “We”... “Our”? You got a mouse in your skin-tight pocket?
Venom: We- Brock and Us. We are the darkness. The night. The eternity. The symbiote.
Casey: Broc--
Venom: You talk too much.
Venom lifted Casey, holding him high into the air. Casey started to lose oxygen. Venom was holding his neck too tight and Casey couldn’t inhale. Casey started to think about all the things that he liked in his life: April, Playboy, Penthouse, The turtles, April, April in Penthouse. The good, important things. He thought of sounds, all the sounds he liked, hated, didn’t feel anything about. Then he wondered what the last sound he would hear might be: Venom’s laughter... His spinal cord being severed, split, snapped, torn from his back? No. None of those. The sounds of a party with screechy, speed metal music. Full blast. Venom loosened his grip, dropping Casey to the sidewalk. Casey gasped, taking as much oxygen as possible. He looked up at Venom. Venom was in pain. The blackness that covered his body started to spaz out of control, lifting from Brock’s form and spinning wildly in the air. It twisted, turned, spun, sunk, and rose. The Music made it crazy.
Venom: ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH! We’ll get you later!
Venom ran. Symbiote between his legs. Casey stood, catching his breath. He gathered his thoughts, his sanity. How could he have been so easily ready for death? He couldn’t think of that now, he needed to finish Venom once and for all. He pulled the mask down over his face, his eyes covered in the shadow of the mask.
Casey: I’ll show you eternity...
Casey ran. His legs kicked and struck out like there was no tomorrow. He ran faster than he ever had in his life. The left knee of his jeans tore out. Casey cursed himself as he ran harder, pushing himself to the brink. He yanked the Goalie hockey stick from his golf bag. He stopped, holding the stick to his chest. He heard someone, a man, talking to himself.
The Voice: But we were close. So close. Oh, so close. If those kid didn’t have that Mudvayne crap we could have killed him...Those damn kids... We could take him now. We’re ok now. Better. We’re at the full strength again....What?....Yeah, that sounds good...bloody...He deserves it... Hm? No, no, we can do it. Yes.
Casey leaned against a wall right outside the alley. It had to be Venom, but it sounded more human now. The host, the symbiote’s host...What was his name? Casey rounded the corner of the alley, trying to get a look at the Host. But he stepped on a can, the crunch filled the alley. The sound made the symbiote freak out, surrounding the Host in the black gel that would soon be oh-so-solid. Venom spun around, the symbiote was just finishing to cover the Host’s face in teeth and black shell. Venom tilted his head, lifting his hand and motioning for Casey to step up. Casey took it as a warm welcome, tightening the grip on his hockey stick.
Casey: You were talking to yourself, Venom.
Venom: We have mental issues...
Casey: Oh, really? I got those! Whatta you got?
Venom snarled, leaping into the air, bringing his arms up, claws aimed at Casey. Casey watched, and pulled one arm back, planting the end of the stick to the dirt alley. Venom came down, Casey shifted his weight, arms on the stick, lifting his legs up, slaming them into Venom’s jaw, full force. Venom slipped back, twisted and stood fully. Easily breaking 8 feet. His jaw was misaligned. Four inches out of place, no doubt. His hand reached up, jerking his jaw back into place, a deafening snap echoed through the alley. Casey stepped back.
Casey: Hey, Jaws-
Venom: Huh?
Casey jumped forward, fast. The hockey stick went into the air, and came down just as quick. Everything happened so fast, Casey could hardly keep up. The end of the stick imbedded itself into Venom’s shoulder, Casey let go. Venom grunted, reaching for the stick, he finally got his hands on it, tearing it from his skin. He held it to his face as Casey got ready to kick it into Venom’s face. But Venom tucked his head back and his mouth jerked forward, like it was disconnected from the rest of his head. He took the end of the goalie’s stick off with his teeth, chewing, grinding, swallowing the leftovers.
Venom: Mmmm...Splinters....
Casey decided there was no going back at this point. He pulled both arms back, pulling two nine iron golf clubs from the golf sack on his back. He spun them between his fingers and threw them forward so the ends landed on Venom’s shoulders. Casey grabbed the grips at the ends at the last second. He pulled each arm out and then thrust them inward to each other. Venom’s head came clean off. Casey grinned under the mask, getting happy too early. As he pulled his clubs back, the symbiote grew another head. He tilted his head and cracked his neck.
Venom: We’ve only just begun.
Casey: Let’s Tango.
Casey leapt forward with his golf clubs, Venom jumped with his clawed hands. They met, tangling in each other, shifting and punching, kicking. Casey let out a whimper and a grunt and everything seemed to stop. His eyes went wide, Venom stopped moving. Casey dropped his clubs, sliding his hands to his stomach. Venom pulled his hand back, pulling his claws from Casey’s stomach. Blood dribbled down Casey’s hands that covered the stab. Venom stepped back and crossed his arms. Casey dropped to his knees, the wound would kill him. Casey lost consciousness, his body dropping to the dirt covered alleyway.
Venom: Too easy.
Voice: You always were simple, Venom...
Venom: Who's there?
Shadows started to move, darkness playing with Venom’s vision.
Venom: Who’s there?!
Voice: You should know, you made me...
Venom: ...Carnage....
A figure appeared behind Venom, red and black, looking like he had come out of a bloody sewer. His eyes cleaner cut than Venom’s. He was smaller too. Muscular, but smaller. He placed a clawed hand on Venom’s shoulder and Venom spun, thrusting his arm up and grabbing Carnage by the neck.
Carnage: He’s right, Whatta we got for’em Johnny?
Venom: No games!
Carnage: Well life is a game, pal. Old buddy ol’ pal! Or else they never woulda’ made that game, ya’ know, the Game Of Life!
Carnage laughed. His laughter was dark, cruel, scary. It scared even Venom. Venom wouldn’t let Carnage see that though. Venom had trusted Carnage before, and ended up close to dead. It ate Venom alive inside that he became careless and left a bit of himself behind to make Carnage. Carnage glanced over Venom’s shoulder.
Carnage: Who’s the babe?
Venom: “Babe”?
Carnage: The kid. Lil’ Gretski. Jason lookin’ bugger. Who is it?
Venom: No one you need to worry about...
Carnage slipped from venom’s grip slinking over to Casey’s body. Casey’s breathing was getting slower, the bleeding was getting worse. Carnage held out a hand, the symbiote left it’s host and spun itself around Casey.
Venom: NO!
Carnage: Hahahahahahahahaha....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Venom lunged at Carnage but it was too late, Where Carnage had stood only stood Kletus Kasady. The symbiote twisted tightly around Casey Jones’ body. Venom brought his fist down onto Kasady’s body hard, Kasady flew back and into a wall, bouncing back off the brick wall to the ground, laughing still. Kasady stopped laughing when Venom turned to him. But a new laughter arose behind him. Venom turned, and a thin, lanky figure stood. Crimson and black in color. Spikes on the elbows and knees, his face blank, the form of the hockey mask still there. The eyes grew, demonic looking. The thin breathing gaps broke apart, forming black, drool covered teeth. It was Casey. Or it was. It lifted it’s arm and showed it’s claws. Sharper, longer, scarier than Venom or Carnage could even imagine.
It: You can call me Havok, Venom. Or God, when you scream in agony....
Venom: .....
Havok: Don’t like the look? Don’t worry, you won’t be able to see it much longer, I plan to cut out your eyes, Brock.
Venom: What?
Havok: I know what the symbiote knows. It’s like a grapevine, Eddie. Your symbiote kknows everything about you, that symbiote knows this symbiote and this symbiote knows me. Gossip. Deal with it.
Venom growled, slobber dripping from the sides of his mouth. Havok jumped forward, his arms mutating into blades, like axes. He swung, jerked, and sliced. Venom tried to block, but his hands were still in the way. They were. Havok sliced them off, they dropped and melted to a black puddle. Venom brought his arms back and new clawed fingers formed. His grin got wider. Fear made him stronger. But deep down inside the fear was getting to him. Havok’s hands broke through the bladed shell. He grabbed Venom by the shoulders and pulled him close to his face. The symbiote unraveling, his mouth opened and Casey stuck his head out from inside , symbiote unraveling from all around his head.
Casey: Help...Me...
Venom: Wha...?
Casey: Get this shi-ugh...offa me!
The symbiote swallowed Casey again, punching Venom, sending him through a wall. Venom had to help Casey, just to save himself. As Havok stepped through the hole in the wall, dusk drifting from the broken drywall. His feet crushed the bricks and stray pieces of drywall.
Venom looked around frantically for something, anything to make noise. As Havok reached for Venom, Venom jerked his arm back, webbing shooting from his hand, slipping around a bullhorn that stood on a sports trophy case. Venom whipped the bullhorn down and slammed his thumb onto the button as Havok edged closer. The sound triggered both sets of symbiote to go crazy, it peeled from Casey’s skin, clinging to Casey’s back. He stumbled back and landed on the floor next to the 4 foot speakers. As the symbiote started to cover Casey again, Eddie grabbed a remote. He pressed a few buttons, the TV turned on. He grabbed the next remote from the coffee table. Pressing buttons, the VCR turned on and off. He grabbed the last remote as Havok started to get up. Eddie slammed his fist onto the remote, the stereo system turned on, the room exploded with sound. The tv static became louder, and the symbiote was thrown from Casey’s body. Casey let out a grunt and dropped to the floor, breathing heavily. Eddie closed his eyes, catching his own breath. It was over. Brock glanced across the room at Casey, who was lifting off his mask.
Eddie: How’s your stomach?
Casey: ..F-...It’s fine...How?
Eddie: The symbiote.
Eddie stood up, walking out of the room, back into the alley. He left Casey behind, he would leave soon enough. Eddie slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His boot stepped into a black puddle. The goop slid up his boot and around his leg. Eddie disappeared into the darkness and shadows.
The End
Junkie: There's a new vigiante’ in town... He makes youse look like a pussay.
Casey: You mean Vigilante?
Casey skid to a stop at the edge of the rooftop. It was at the corner of Romita and Eastman that Casey’s eyes ran across the new Anti-Hero... He was big. Big, and covered in black. Casey slid down the rails of the ladder, landing on the trash covered concrete. He lifted his mask to the top of his head, sizing this new addition up. The guy turned around, moving like a Xenomorph from those Alien movies where there was acidy spit and the people never ran fast enough. Fluent. Snake like....Spider like.... Then Casey saw his face... It’s face.
It’s eyes were pure white, and huge, looking like they had been carved into the thing’s face. Teeth the size of Casey’s opened hand jutted out of blood colored gums. A tongue longer than Casey’s torso slithered out of It’s mouth, dripping green and yellow slobber all over the place. It’s breathing was heavy. Raspy. Casey was reminded of Darth Vader in those few seconds he stood there.
Casey: Oh...Jesus....
Casey stumbled back. He’d seen a lot, hanging out and fighting with the Turtles. But this was too much. He’d seen a clan of ninjas that killed, maimed, and destroyed. He’d seen a talking rat. A talking stingray the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’d seen a man covered in blades who hated everyone. Even a Man-Spider. ‘Or was it a Spider-Man?’ Casey thought to himself. And that’s what got him into trouble. It jerked forward, it’s humongous clawed hand wrapped around Casey’s shoulders and neck, slamming him into the side of the brick building. As Casey opened his eyes and tried to adjust, he felt the new cracks and pieces of the wall behind him start to become brittle.
Casey: Ugh......Oh....Ugh...Who....What are you?
It: We...Are VENOM!
Casey: ’Venom’? Like a snake...?
Venom yanked Casey from the wall, slamming him into the sidewalk. Casey’s head started to ache, but he couldn’t feel any blood. Yet. Venom leaned over Casey, his teeth and angled with Casey’s neck, his large eyes directly gazing into Casey’s. Casey looked up. Seeing a reflection of himself in the eyes. How could someone or something be so dark, so empty to have holly eyes like that? How?
Venom: You’ve been on our turf. We don’t like that.
Casey: Your turf?...Wait... “We”... “Our”? You got a mouse in your skin-tight pocket?
Venom: We- Brock and Us. We are the darkness. The night. The eternity. The symbiote.
Casey: Broc--
Venom: You talk too much.
Venom lifted Casey, holding him high into the air. Casey started to lose oxygen. Venom was holding his neck too tight and Casey couldn’t inhale. Casey started to think about all the things that he liked in his life: April, Playboy, Penthouse, The turtles, April, April in Penthouse. The good, important things. He thought of sounds, all the sounds he liked, hated, didn’t feel anything about. Then he wondered what the last sound he would hear might be: Venom’s laughter... His spinal cord being severed, split, snapped, torn from his back? No. None of those. The sounds of a party with screechy, speed metal music. Full blast. Venom loosened his grip, dropping Casey to the sidewalk. Casey gasped, taking as much oxygen as possible. He looked up at Venom. Venom was in pain. The blackness that covered his body started to spaz out of control, lifting from Brock’s form and spinning wildly in the air. It twisted, turned, spun, sunk, and rose. The Music made it crazy.
Venom: ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH! We’ll get you later!
Venom ran. Symbiote between his legs. Casey stood, catching his breath. He gathered his thoughts, his sanity. How could he have been so easily ready for death? He couldn’t think of that now, he needed to finish Venom once and for all. He pulled the mask down over his face, his eyes covered in the shadow of the mask.
Casey: I’ll show you eternity...
Casey ran. His legs kicked and struck out like there was no tomorrow. He ran faster than he ever had in his life. The left knee of his jeans tore out. Casey cursed himself as he ran harder, pushing himself to the brink. He yanked the Goalie hockey stick from his golf bag. He stopped, holding the stick to his chest. He heard someone, a man, talking to himself.
The Voice: But we were close. So close. Oh, so close. If those kid didn’t have that Mudvayne crap we could have killed him...Those damn kids... We could take him now. We’re ok now. Better. We’re at the full strength again....What?....Yeah, that sounds good...bloody...He deserves it... Hm? No, no, we can do it. Yes.
Casey leaned against a wall right outside the alley. It had to be Venom, but it sounded more human now. The host, the symbiote’s host...What was his name? Casey rounded the corner of the alley, trying to get a look at the Host. But he stepped on a can, the crunch filled the alley. The sound made the symbiote freak out, surrounding the Host in the black gel that would soon be oh-so-solid. Venom spun around, the symbiote was just finishing to cover the Host’s face in teeth and black shell. Venom tilted his head, lifting his hand and motioning for Casey to step up. Casey took it as a warm welcome, tightening the grip on his hockey stick.
Casey: You were talking to yourself, Venom.
Venom: We have mental issues...
Casey: Oh, really? I got those! Whatta you got?
Venom snarled, leaping into the air, bringing his arms up, claws aimed at Casey. Casey watched, and pulled one arm back, planting the end of the stick to the dirt alley. Venom came down, Casey shifted his weight, arms on the stick, lifting his legs up, slaming them into Venom’s jaw, full force. Venom slipped back, twisted and stood fully. Easily breaking 8 feet. His jaw was misaligned. Four inches out of place, no doubt. His hand reached up, jerking his jaw back into place, a deafening snap echoed through the alley. Casey stepped back.
Casey: Hey, Jaws-
Venom: Huh?
Casey jumped forward, fast. The hockey stick went into the air, and came down just as quick. Everything happened so fast, Casey could hardly keep up. The end of the stick imbedded itself into Venom’s shoulder, Casey let go. Venom grunted, reaching for the stick, he finally got his hands on it, tearing it from his skin. He held it to his face as Casey got ready to kick it into Venom’s face. But Venom tucked his head back and his mouth jerked forward, like it was disconnected from the rest of his head. He took the end of the goalie’s stick off with his teeth, chewing, grinding, swallowing the leftovers.
Venom: Mmmm...Splinters....
Casey decided there was no going back at this point. He pulled both arms back, pulling two nine iron golf clubs from the golf sack on his back. He spun them between his fingers and threw them forward so the ends landed on Venom’s shoulders. Casey grabbed the grips at the ends at the last second. He pulled each arm out and then thrust them inward to each other. Venom’s head came clean off. Casey grinned under the mask, getting happy too early. As he pulled his clubs back, the symbiote grew another head. He tilted his head and cracked his neck.
Venom: We’ve only just begun.
Casey: Let’s Tango.
Casey leapt forward with his golf clubs, Venom jumped with his clawed hands. They met, tangling in each other, shifting and punching, kicking. Casey let out a whimper and a grunt and everything seemed to stop. His eyes went wide, Venom stopped moving. Casey dropped his clubs, sliding his hands to his stomach. Venom pulled his hand back, pulling his claws from Casey’s stomach. Blood dribbled down Casey’s hands that covered the stab. Venom stepped back and crossed his arms. Casey dropped to his knees, the wound would kill him. Casey lost consciousness, his body dropping to the dirt covered alleyway.
Venom: Too easy.
Voice: You always were simple, Venom...
Venom: Who's there?
Shadows started to move, darkness playing with Venom’s vision.
Venom: Who’s there?!
Voice: You should know, you made me...
Venom: ...Carnage....
A figure appeared behind Venom, red and black, looking like he had come out of a bloody sewer. His eyes cleaner cut than Venom’s. He was smaller too. Muscular, but smaller. He placed a clawed hand on Venom’s shoulder and Venom spun, thrusting his arm up and grabbing Carnage by the neck.
Carnage: He’s right, Whatta we got for’em Johnny?
Venom: No games!
Carnage: Well life is a game, pal. Old buddy ol’ pal! Or else they never woulda’ made that game, ya’ know, the Game Of Life!
Carnage laughed. His laughter was dark, cruel, scary. It scared even Venom. Venom wouldn’t let Carnage see that though. Venom had trusted Carnage before, and ended up close to dead. It ate Venom alive inside that he became careless and left a bit of himself behind to make Carnage. Carnage glanced over Venom’s shoulder.
Carnage: Who’s the babe?
Venom: “Babe”?
Carnage: The kid. Lil’ Gretski. Jason lookin’ bugger. Who is it?
Venom: No one you need to worry about...
Carnage slipped from venom’s grip slinking over to Casey’s body. Casey’s breathing was getting slower, the bleeding was getting worse. Carnage held out a hand, the symbiote left it’s host and spun itself around Casey.
Venom: NO!
Carnage: Hahahahahahahahaha....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Venom lunged at Carnage but it was too late, Where Carnage had stood only stood Kletus Kasady. The symbiote twisted tightly around Casey Jones’ body. Venom brought his fist down onto Kasady’s body hard, Kasady flew back and into a wall, bouncing back off the brick wall to the ground, laughing still. Kasady stopped laughing when Venom turned to him. But a new laughter arose behind him. Venom turned, and a thin, lanky figure stood. Crimson and black in color. Spikes on the elbows and knees, his face blank, the form of the hockey mask still there. The eyes grew, demonic looking. The thin breathing gaps broke apart, forming black, drool covered teeth. It was Casey. Or it was. It lifted it’s arm and showed it’s claws. Sharper, longer, scarier than Venom or Carnage could even imagine.
It: You can call me Havok, Venom. Or God, when you scream in agony....
Venom: .....
Havok: Don’t like the look? Don’t worry, you won’t be able to see it much longer, I plan to cut out your eyes, Brock.
Venom: What?
Havok: I know what the symbiote knows. It’s like a grapevine, Eddie. Your symbiote kknows everything about you, that symbiote knows this symbiote and this symbiote knows me. Gossip. Deal with it.
Venom growled, slobber dripping from the sides of his mouth. Havok jumped forward, his arms mutating into blades, like axes. He swung, jerked, and sliced. Venom tried to block, but his hands were still in the way. They were. Havok sliced them off, they dropped and melted to a black puddle. Venom brought his arms back and new clawed fingers formed. His grin got wider. Fear made him stronger. But deep down inside the fear was getting to him. Havok’s hands broke through the bladed shell. He grabbed Venom by the shoulders and pulled him close to his face. The symbiote unraveling, his mouth opened and Casey stuck his head out from inside , symbiote unraveling from all around his head.
Casey: Help...Me...
Venom: Wha...?
Casey: Get this shi-ugh...offa me!
The symbiote swallowed Casey again, punching Venom, sending him through a wall. Venom had to help Casey, just to save himself. As Havok stepped through the hole in the wall, dusk drifting from the broken drywall. His feet crushed the bricks and stray pieces of drywall.
Venom looked around frantically for something, anything to make noise. As Havok reached for Venom, Venom jerked his arm back, webbing shooting from his hand, slipping around a bullhorn that stood on a sports trophy case. Venom whipped the bullhorn down and slammed his thumb onto the button as Havok edged closer. The sound triggered both sets of symbiote to go crazy, it peeled from Casey’s skin, clinging to Casey’s back. He stumbled back and landed on the floor next to the 4 foot speakers. As the symbiote started to cover Casey again, Eddie grabbed a remote. He pressed a few buttons, the TV turned on. He grabbed the next remote from the coffee table. Pressing buttons, the VCR turned on and off. He grabbed the last remote as Havok started to get up. Eddie slammed his fist onto the remote, the stereo system turned on, the room exploded with sound. The tv static became louder, and the symbiote was thrown from Casey’s body. Casey let out a grunt and dropped to the floor, breathing heavily. Eddie closed his eyes, catching his own breath. It was over. Brock glanced across the room at Casey, who was lifting off his mask.
Eddie: How’s your stomach?
Casey: ..F-...It’s fine...How?
Eddie: The symbiote.
Eddie stood up, walking out of the room, back into the alley. He left Casey behind, he would leave soon enough. Eddie slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His boot stepped into a black puddle. The goop slid up his boot and around his leg. Eddie disappeared into the darkness and shadows.
The End