The Baxter Building's living room feels like a movie set, too perfect, too pristine, like nobody actually lives here. My ass is going numb on this fancy couch that probably costs more than my entire education. I fidget with the edge of my golden mask, trying not to think about the fact that just an hour ago, Ellie liquefied a woman's brain right in front of two of the most respected heroes on the planet.
"If they try to arrest us for killing the Wizard, I'm not going down without a fight," Venom growls beside me, her towering form taking up two-thirds of the couch. The living darkness of her body shifts and flows with each breath, responding to her agitation like a living mood ring.
I barely register her words, too lost in my own thoughts. The adrenaline from the fight has faded, leaving me hollow and strangely contemplative as we wait for Rita and Susan to return from securing the supposed nuclear device.
"Hey," I say suddenly, looking into her adorable those milky eyes.
"What?" Venom asks, tilting her head toward me, those blank white eyes narrowing slightly.
"We haven't been on a date in forever," I blurt out. The thought just materialized in my brain amid all the chaos and death. "Like, a proper date. Dinner, maybe a movie. Normal couple stuff where we're not killing supervillains or dealing with demon transformations."
Venom stares at me for a long moment, the symbiote shifting across her form in what I recognize as confusion. Then, unexpectedly, the alien substance pulls back from her face, revealing Ellie's startled expression underneath.
"That's what you're thinking about right now?" she asks, her blue eyes searching mine. "After everything that just happened?"
"Yeah," I say, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. "I guess my brain just... jumped to something normal for once. After weeks of kidnapping, torture, killing, and demon transformations, I just want something that feels... I don't know, ordinary?"
Ellie's expression softens, and she gets that faraway look in her eyes that I've come to recognize, she's having a conversation with the symbiote. Her lips move slightly, forming silent words as she debates with her other half.
After a moment, a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.
"Of course I'm not saying no," she says, reaching out to touch my face. The symbiote pulses gently beneath her fingertips as she traces my jawline. "I'd never turn down a date with you."
I can't help but grin, warmth spreading through my chest despite the absurdity of discussing date night while waiting for the Fantastic Four to potentially arrest us for murder.
"I know both of you love me," I say, leaning into her touch. The symbiote flows toward my skin, creating a gentle connection between us.
"We really do," she replies, her blue eyes suddenly intense. "More than you know."
"We should do something fun," I suggest, trying to imagine what normal couples do but coming up short.
"I'm down whenever you are, baby," Ellie says, her voice dropping to that husky tone that makes my heart skip.
Before I can respond, the door slides open with a hydraulic hiss. Ellie's face disappears instantly, the symbiote flowing back over her features to form Venom's intimidating visage just as Rita and Susan walk in.
Rita's stretchy form looks unusually rigid as she approaches, a tablet clutched in her elongated fingers. "Good news," she announces, her voice clipped and professional. "I've disarmed the device." She pauses, her eyes meeting mine through my golden mask. "It really was a nuke."
A chill runs down my spine at her words. The Wizard hadn't been bluffing after all.
Susan steps forward, her blonde hair perfectly in place despite the earlier battle. Her gaze shifts between me and Venom, lingering on the latter with unmistakable tension.
"We need to talk about how you killed the Wizard in cold blood," she says, her voice steady but cold.
I sit up straighter, indignation flaring in my chest. "You mean how she killed the repeat villainess who brought an atomic bomb to New York City?" I counter, gesturing toward Rita's tablet. "That Wizard?"
Rita's expression remains neutral, but something in her eyes softens slightly. "We're not upset the Wizard is dead," she states matter-of-factly, adjusting her glasses with an elongated finger. "Though we always prefer less lethal force when possible, there are certainly times when extreme measures are warranted."
Susan's stance doesn't relax. "But you didn't even try to hold back," she says, her eyes locked on Venom. "You went straight for the kill."
Venom rises from the couch in one fluid motion, her massive form towering over Susan as the symbiote undulates across her body. Susan immediately shifts her weight, hands raising slightly as invisible energy gathers around her fingertips.
"Stop!" I jump between them, heart hammering against my ribs. "This is ridiculous. If we were villains, we wouldn't have bothered helping you at all."
Rita nods. "Agreed," she says, placing a restraining hand on Susan's shoulder. "Though after this... reckless display today, I feel even less inclined to give you Molecule Woman's location."
I exhale slowly, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. "That's fair," I admit. "I get it."
"We've also reported this incident to SHIELD," Rita continues, her gaze shifting between me and Venom. "Though it seems they were already keeping track of both of you."
A cold weight settles in my stomach. Of course SHIELD is watching us. After everything with Norma.
"That makes sense," I sigh, suddenly exhausted.
Venom's hand finds my shoulder, her touch surprisingly gentle despite those deadly claws. I lean into her strength, grateful for the support as we turn to leave.
"Skip Step," Susan calls, her voice softer now. "Can we talk to you alone for a moment?"
A deep growl rumbles from Venom's chest, vibrating through my bones. Her claws flex against my shoulder.
"Relax," I murmur, turning to face her. "They're not going to hurt me."
Those blank white eyes narrow to dangerous slits as she stares down the two heroes. For a moment, I think she might refuse, might insist on staying by my side. Then, with a reluctant nod, she releases me.
"Fine," she says, her dual-layered voice carrying a clear warning.
I watch as Venom stalks from the room. The door slides shut behind her.
The atmosphere shifts as soon as Ellie leaves. Susan's shoulders relax slightly, and Rita leans against the wall. The sudden quiet feels heavy, loaded with unspoken tension.
"What is it?" I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral despite the anxiety crawling up my spine. "I should probably get back to her soon. She gets... protective."
Susan takes a step toward me, her blue eyes filling with with what looks disturbingly like pity. "Skip Step, being in the Fantastic Four means Rita and I have seen many things in our time. Many types of people, many kinds of relationships..." She pauses, exchanging a glance with her wife. "And even many types of monsters."
My stomach tightens at her words, a creeping sense of dread building as Susan moves closer.
"That thing you're dating," she says, her voice dropping to almost a whisper, "it's dangerous beyond what you can comprehend."
Something snaps inside me. The patronizing tone, the judgment in her eyes, it ignites a fury I didn't know was simmering beneath the surface.
"That thing?" I spit the word back at her, my voice rising with each syllable. "That thing is my girlfriend! She's saved my life more times than I can count! And don't you already have your own Thing!"
Susan takes a step back, startled by my vehemence. Rita straightens from the wall, her analytical gaze sharpening as she studies my reaction.
"Skip Step, we're simply concerned," Susan tries again, her voice softening in that way adults use when talking to children they think are being unreasonable.
"You don't know her," I cut in, my fists clenching at my sides. The golden energy stirs beneath my skin, responding to my anger. "You don't know either of them."
Rita's eyes drop to my crotch, her scientific curiosity overtaking her social graces. "I notice you've maintained arousal since your horns manifested during the battle," she observes, her tone clinical. "Is sexual stimulation the catalyst for your metamorphic abilities? Does the physiological response create a feedback loop that powers your transformative state?"
I blink, momentarily thrown by the abrupt change in conversation. "Oh shit, uhh, thats kind of part of it, I guess? I don't know, though." I admit, glancing down at hard on without a hint of embarrassment. After everything I've been through, a physical reaction to my powers seems trivial. "It's more complicated than that, though."
"Rita!" Susan hisses, shooting her wife a scandalized look. "You can't just ask a man about that!"
Rita shrugs, unrepentant. "It's a valid scientific inquiry."
"And the alien suit your girlfriend wears," she continues, undeterred, "SHIELD informed us that the symbiote appears to assume control of its host periodically. It has unknown extraterrestrial origins and potentially dangerous psychological effects. Why would you willingly associate yourself with such an entity?"
My jaw clenches. "SHIELD doesn't know what I know about her," I say firmly.
"Listen," Susan interjects, her voice gentler now, "we've seen more than our fair share of men with powers get taken advantage of. Manipulated. Hurt. Even assaulted. We just don't want to see it happen again."
The implication that I'm being manipulated or taken advantage of by Ellie hits a nerve I didn't even know was exposed.
"Do not get in the way of my relationship," I say, my voice dropping to a dangerous register I barely recognize.
Susan's eyes widen slightly. "Is that a threat, Skip Step?" There's a warning in her tone, the kind that reminds me she's been doing this hero thing a lot longer than I have.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling the golden energy recede as I calm myself.
"No," I say, looking up to meet her gaze directly through my mask. "It's not a threat. I'm just... I'm in love with her. Both of them."
The words hang in the air between us, simple but powerful.
I turn toward the door, suddenly exhausted by all of it, the fighting, the killing, the judgments. "Thank you for your time." I say over my shoulder.
Without waiting for a response, I walk out, leaving the Fantastic Four and their concerns behind me.