CH: 147 - The Venom That Fled

So I am thinking of rewriting the Being a Necromancer in Dying Worlds work what do you think...

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{Chapter: 147 - The Venom That Fled}

Aiden never expected that taking Pepper Potts out for a cup of artisan coffee would turn into a scene ripped straight from a superhero crossover comic.

The two of them had found a quiet corner café nestled between two high-rises in downtown Manhattan. The awning was striped in soft navy and white, and the wooden tables gave off that rustic European vibe. Pepper had just placed her phone down, lips curved in a rare smile as she raised her steaming latte toward her lips.

Glass exploded outward from the adjacent street as a blur of red and blue slammed into the pavement just outside. A few pedestrians screamed and scattered. Some dove for cover. Coffee cups spilled. Chairs overturned.

Peter Parker—Spider-Man—spun back into view, mid-air, his signature web shooters slinging wildly as he yelled out, "Is this it? I thought you'd come up with something new, Otto!"

Peter flicked his wrist and a web shot toward the mechanical menace barreling down on him—Doctor Octopus. The sticky line of webbing smacked over Otto's mouth, muffling whatever villainous monologue he had been preparing.

The brief distraction worked. The doctor's four robotic limbs loosened just enough for Peter to wriggle free. With a burst of speed and momentum, Spidey launched himself off the wall, bounced behind Doc Ock, and delivered a powerful double-kick to his back that slammed the scientist into a parked SUV.

"Boom! That's how we do it in Queens, baby!" Peter crowed.

But his celebration was short-lived.

Before Peter could land, a thick black tendril shot up from a nearby wall—too fast to react. A massive arm grabbed his ankle mid-air.

"Oh no—"

CRACK!

Venom grinned, his horrifying grin stretched far too wide over jagged, glistening teeth. "Surprise, Spidey."

With barely any effort, Venom hurled Peter into the air like a ragdoll, straight toward the front of the café.

Pepper's eyes widened in horror. "Oh my God, Spiderman—!"

"Don't worry," Aiden said calmly as he raised his cup, "He's very aerodynamic."

BOOM!

The café's glass storefront shattered, Peter hurtling inside like a human cannonball. But just before he could crash into the tables, a shimmering invisible barrier appeared out of thin air. Peter bounced off it like a rubber ball and flopped unceremoniously onto the sidewalk.

Pepper blinked. "You... did that?"

"I've been told I'm good with my hands," Aiden said with a wink, sipping his espresso as if nothing had happened.

Before Pepper could react to his shameless flirting, Doc Ock roared, having peeled the webbing off his face.

"You think that's enough to stop me, bug?"

Tentacles surged forward with crushing force. Peter, still dazed, rolled to the side, barely dodging another strike before Ock's other arm slammed him flat into the pavement.

Pepper gasped. "Aiden! Do something!"

Aiden sighed, setting down his cup gently on the saucer. "You know, all I wanted was a coffee date with the former prettiest CEO in the world. Is that too much to ask?" He glanced at Pepper with a smirk. "Next time, maybe somewhere less... explosive?"

"Focus!" Pepper snapped, though a laugh escaped her lips despite herself. "God, you're insufferable."

"Oh, you like me that way," Aiden said playfully.

Just as Doc Ock's tentacle lunged at Aiden, the man turned his gaze slowly, as if annoyed his drink had been interrupted.

"Save him? With just you?" Otto sneered, the thick metal appendages circling Aiden menacingly. "I can crush you with one tentacle!"

Aiden stared at the tentacle without flinching. "That sounds like a weirdly aggressive Tinder profile."

Doc Ock blinked. "What?"

Aiden sighed. "Listen, I don't particularly care about saving Spider-Kid right now. He needs a bit of humility—too much sass for someone in spandex. But you came to my table, messed with my drink, and interrupted my time with a beautiful woman."

He glanced at Pepper, who arched a brow but said nothing, sipping her coffee now like a spectator at an MMA fight.

"So," Aiden continued, stretching his shoulders, "which one of you wants to get sent back to the lab first? Tentacle man or black goo?"

Venom hissed from above, saliva dripping from his elongated maw as he landed on a nearby streetlight like a demon spider.

"We are Venom. And we hunger."

Aiden looked up, genuinely curious. "Huh. You're a lot taller in person. I wonder… would you scream if I took a bite out of you?"

Venom froze for half a second. Doc Ock stopped his tentacle mid-swing.

Pepper gave a low whistle. "You know how to make an impression."

"Thank you," Aiden said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's just say I like my coffee strong, my dates classy, and my enemies... recyclable."

The moment was thick with tension, the air practically humming with aggression and unstable energy. Rubble crackled under Aiden's feet as he took one casual step forward and cocked his head toward the hulking symbiote crouched on the wall like a gargoyle.

Aiden's lips curled slightly, a dangerous half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He glanced over his shoulder at the sneering man with mechanical limbs coiled like serpents behind him.

"You're sending him in first?" Aiden asked coolly, his tone dry, almost amused. "That's bold. Or stupid. Possibly both."

Doctor Otto Octavius, aka Doctor Octopus, let out a derisive laugh, his chrome appendages gleaming in the flickering industrial lights.

"Haha! Are you mad?" Doc Ock said, his voice laced with disdain. "You want Venom to come first? Do you have any idea who you're talking about? Venom is no flunky. He's stronger than Spider-Man! He could kill you with a flick of his tongue!"

"Really?" Aiden's voice dipped low with curiosity, his smile sharpening into something more dangerous. He turned his full attention on Venom, his eyes narrowing slightly.

His aura shifted in that instant.

Even Doctor Octopus felt it. The temperature in the room didn't drop—but it felt like it had. Like a predator had entered the den.

Venom, still clinging to the wall, stared back at Aiden with eyes wide and feral. That killing intent... it pierced through the air like a blade. A visceral, primal threat. The black mass that made up Venom's symbiotic body rippled with unease.

Dangerous… That guy is dangerous.

The symbiote snarled low, not at Aiden—but in hesitation. Then, against all logic, turned and bolted, moving with astonishing speed into the shadows and out through a broken window.

Doctor Octopus blinked. Then again. His jaw slowly began to open, mechanical limbs twitching in disbelief.

"Wha… What the hell!?" he blurted. "He ran? Venom ran away?"

Aiden let out a breath, exaggerated and mocking, tilting his head with a smirk. "Tsk. That damn symbiote really does have a sharp spider sense. Must've sensed what was coming for it."

'And how could it not? I already possess two of the Klyntars' greatest weaknesses—sonic energy that could shatter mountains and command over the most potent fire on Earth. I am, by all accounts, a walking death sentence for its kind. With thunder and the Light of Creation still left to claim, I'm close to completing the arsenal that would make even its God Knull tread carefully.

Its Spidey sense must be tingling.

So of course Venom ran.

It wasn't the host who felt it—it was the parasite. That ancient alien beast, born in shadows and war, felt something primal stirring in the air. It didn't think. It didn't speak. It simply fled, its instincts screaming in raw terror.

It knew.

And it ran.

'Tail tucked, pride shattered, because death was knocking—and I was the one at the door.'

"You said you scared him off?" Octavius barked with a crazed grin. "What, are you Iron Man's cousin or something?! Who do you think you are!? That overgrown sludge was probably just late for dinner!"

Aiden raised an eyebrow at that. "Funny you mention Iron Man…"

Doctor Octopus had no more patience for jokes. His mechanical tentacles slammed into the ground, carving up the floor like it was made of paper. One surged toward Aiden, whistling through the air like a steel whip.

"Let's see if your mouth's still running after this!"

BOOM!

The metal struck with immense force—enough to split concrete and send dust exploding into the air.

Octavius grinned wildly. "You're just an appetizer. Once I'm done with you, Spider-Man will be next!"

Within the dust, Peter Parker groaned in pain, still trapped beneath the crushing grip of two of Doc Ock's limbs. Blood trickled from his temple, his suit torn and sparks flaring from his web-shooters.

"Hey, Doc," Peter gritted out, "how about… finishing one victim at a time?"

As if on cue, a breeze stirred the dust cloud. Then a shape moved through it.

Aiden emerged, completely unharmed, the folds of his coat flaring as he stepped into the open like some dark avenger. His gaze locked with Otto's—and this time, the older villain actually staggered back a step.

"What…what are you…?" he stammered.

Aiden didn't answer. He raised one hand and snapped his fingers.

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