Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Everyone was ready for their night out but MJ and Gwen both had to head home one last time to finish up.

"I'll be ten minutes tops," Gwen promised MJ.  Gwen gave Peter a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll make sure she's okay," before they headed off.

As both MJ and Gwen lived in Forest Hills, not too far from where Peter lived, they split a cab to finish moving. Once they were done, they would meet Peter at a burger place not far from the warehouse.

The thought of spending time with some people without all the crap of school seemed like a good idea.

With the lecture from George fresh in his mind, and the fact he knew there would be more, Peter needed something to take his mind off it. Gwen had quietly whispered that, as long as they were quiet, there would be more later.

The fresh summer air, coupled with a nice breeze from the coast made the short walk to the diner quiet and relaxing. Something Peter needed.

So when he walked into the burger place and saw Flash, his mood plummeted.

The bar itself was one of those gastropubs the US had imported from over the water. A polished mahogany bar with individual booths for the more intimate diner. A good selection of American and traditional British pub food. All with a huge selection of microbrews and more commercial beers that lined the back wall.

Served by neatly uniformed staff, wearing a more conservative shirt and trousers combo with smart waistcoats. They hustled the floor with trays stacked with plates laden with food.

He took a deep breath, smelling the inviting aroma of cooked beef and onions. It didn't matter that Flash was here, he wasn't going to let it spoil the night.

As he walked to their table, he could see Flash's face contort in a smug grin.

What the hell is that for? Peter thought to himself.

Flash just smirked and pulled MJ closer to himself. He slid an arm around her waist and clasped her hand with his.  Even as he did though, she struggled to scoot away. He snorted and gave her a  slightly annoyed look but he kept his hand on hers as Peter approached

"Oh hey, Guys, Gwen not here no?" Peter asked, "I thought she was with you?"

"I was talking to her father. Seems MJ is renting some shithole from a scam artist. We got to talking and as luck had it, MJ turned up."

MJ hoped that she'd sent Peter a message to warn him. She'd walked in to return her keys and let her dad know she was leaving and Flash was there, and he refused to leave her alone.

Peter slid into the booth and flicked through the stack of booklets to find a menu. "You know, I didn't think you'd come Flash, MJ had to tell you I'd be here. So what the deal huh?" Peter didn't even bother to make eye contact, ignoring Flash for the menu.

"Well, MJ is my girlfriend, so I have to make sure she's okay. Plus her dad was kinda worried too." Flash sat up straight, posturing before Peter.

Peter flicked through the menu, ignoring Flash, and as he flicked to the last page, he set it down and smiled at MJ.

"You know, I think I'll have the cheese stacker burger with chilli fries but first."

Peter leaned forwards, grabbing Flash by the shoulders. He lifted him up and pulled him over the table with ease.

"Listen here, shithead. This isn't high school. So if I took you outside and fucked you with a lamppost there would be nothing you could do about it. You're here because MJ hasn't said you should leave. Shut the hell up, be a good boy and I won't make the last fight look like a parade."

Peter whispered so MJ couldn't hear. He sat Flash back down and dusted off his shoulders, smoothing out his shirt.

"But let's wait till Gwen gets here before we order."

Flash was surprised. Parker had just lifted him out of his seat. Not just pulling him across to his side of the table but with an iron steel grip actually lifted him up. He knew Parker had been taking classes and working at a warehouse but when did he get so strong?

He shrank back down into the seat next to MJ.

Parker was right, if anything happened this wasn't high school. He was sure he could call the cops, but with their history, and the fact his dad had settled the lawsuit, it wouldn't go well for him.

He had originally come to gloat. To lord it over Parker that he was dating his high school friend and that he had found a much better place for her to stay. Seeing Peter looking not just happy but now strong as well hit Flash like a rock.

He knew that MJ hadn't said anything as she had already made up her mind. She was back in his corner again, and Flash clenched a fist under that table. His father had warned him she was fickle, warned him he wasn't doing enough to let her know he was the boss. Now he was paying for it.

If it was just Parker, Flash thought, what could he do really?

Now the cold hard reality was very clear to him. There was a lot Parker could do, and it seemed there was nothing Flash could do to stop him.

MJ stared at the pair of them. Peter's whisper wasn't so much of a whisper to her but the threat was clear. this wasn't high school and it seemed that Peter had finally grown up. She just hoped that it wasn't all a bluff.

She hoped that his price that she was safe in the warehouse wasn't just false bravado. But she felt he was being truthful. Even the look on Flash's face told her he was worried.

"Well, while we wait for Gwen, I'm getting a drink. You want anything MJ?" Peter asked. Flash scowled and pointed to the open beer he had in front of him, not that Peter had offered him.

MJ just shook her head, she had a coke and as Peter remembered he felt a little guilty. Her father was an alcoholic so she didn't drink. He shrugged and made his way towards the bar area.

The woman tending the bar pointed to a sign behind her and Peter laughed. "Eighteen and over only, yeah.” He knew he looked young, so he found his ID and handed it over.

"You do samplers? It's my first time with microbrews so I've no idea what I'll like," he asked, trying to sound as undorky as possible. Aunt May had no beer in the house so he'd never had anything alcoholic to drink before.

"Sure, we've got," and she listed what seemed to Peter like a hundred different brew types. Peter realised that he had no clue when it came to alcohol, and dorky or not he would have to ask.

"Okay, those all sound, uh, great. How about something to go with a burger, 'cause those were words but anything more was beyond me."

The woman's eye twinkled as he made fun of himself. His ID said he was over eighteen and the little show earlier as he lifted that asshole up had impressed her. She had worked bar long enough to recognise an abuser and someone who'd stand up for their friend.

He also had a sense of humour, scoring more points. She was tired of beer snobs. The ones who either ordered the most obscure thing they had or complained they didn't have some fancy unknown brew.

She poured Peter a pale light ale and as he took a sip he shook his head, pulling a face.

"Uh, no. Is all beer like that?" He asked and she nodded, "then no, sorry. Anything sweeter? That's, that's just too bitter for me."

“Try a cider then, crisp and sweet, depending on what one you try. Pick a few and I can pour you some to try.” 

Peter smiled as she explained. “Always nice to get an expert's opinion.” 

She gave him what might have been an actual smile. Peter's experience with women was Gwen and then none, so if she was being nice or flirting, he had no clue.

"It should be sweet and go down smooth," she said. She handed him back his ID and a napkin with her number on it, "like a few things here."

"Hey Pete, hitting on the bar staff huh? Can't leave you alone for two minutes, can I?" Gwen winked at the server before standing next to him.

A hint of disappointment flashed over the server's face. She could appreciate his girlfriend though. She was stunning.

Damn cute couples, she thought as Peter selected a home-brewed Candy Apple Cider. It was being trialled for Halloween and so far had been popular.

She was about to take the undrunk beer away when Gwen shook her head, "Athisons pale?" The cute and knowledgeable server nodded. "Did you order this and then not like it, Pete?" He nodded so Gwen shrugged and took it. "Saves wasting it." She winked at the server as she lifted the napkin, showing she had seen the number, "the ale too."

Peter handed over his card and dropped a five-dollar into the tip jar. "Thanks." He lifted his own drink when the server placed a hand on his.

She leaned forwards. "Tell your friend if she wants him gone to give her glass to me with the beermat and nod. I'll make sure she's okay."

"Thank you," and he made his way to the table where MJ and Flash were having a heated discussion.

Peter already knew what the argument was about. He could hear it of course but it wasn't the argument that surprised him, it was the topic.

Flash wasn't happy about MJ living so close to Peter, that he was afraid of their history.

Peter shook his head, so what if they grew up together, it was ten years ago. Being a jealous asshole about it wouldn't win him any favours with MJ. That battle was already lost. Telling her she couldn't had gotten him shown the door rather than her backing down. MJ had enough of overbearing assholes living with her father. Flash knew that, so acting like this was just stupid.

It explained a lot though. If Flash was willing to act like this in public, Peter hated to think how he treated her in private. He added that to the things he despised Flash for.

Now MJ had moved in he would make sure that Flash knew he wasn't welcome, and speak to MJ about her dad. If she didn't want him there, he would be given the same warning.

Knowing he'd only add fuel to an already lit fire, he decided to let the situation defuse. He handed his drink to Gwen.

“I'll be in the toilet, text me in five minutes if it's still bad but get Flash to leave. He's going to blame me, so it's better if I'm not there. and if he acts out, the server said she'd deal with it." Peter passed on her instructions.

Gwen nodded and looked over at the pair. MJ looked like she was ready to cry and Flash looked like he was ready to hit someone.

And I, Gwen thought to herself, am going to kill him. Gwen had a plan involving MJ, Pete, some shots and hopefully a lack of clothing, and Flash was fucking it up.

The lecture Flash was giving MJ hadn't lessened and Gwen had taken out her phone. She was tapping a message to Peter that she was about to get Flash thrown out when the doors to the diner swung open dramatically.

Gwen frowned as a weird cosplay boiler-suit guy came in. Behind him, a huge muscle freak in a grey bodysuit motioned for her to drop her phone. She glared at him and he clenched a fist menacingly and slammed it into his other one.

⁂

It wasn't how he expected the night to go, 

"Come out for a drink, we'll get together, have a few laughs…," he sighed to himself. 

He was watching his phone count down for five minutes and sitting on the toilet was boring. It wasn't till he heard the screams that he realised he'd missed the noise of the bar disappearing.

Opening the door of the toilet a crack he couldn't see past the wall, but he could hear just fine.

"Miss Nakatani. If you would be so kind as to hand over your card and the passcode we can leave you and these fine people to their meals. No fuss," and adding an edge to the voice, "and no violence."

It was a modulated synthetic voice, someone punk robber wearing a kid’s Halloween mask.

“Hey, ain’t that Stacy’s kid?” he heard one of them say, and his blood froze.

Sliding the door back gently, Peter felt the anger in his chest rise. While he couldn't see who it was, he knew that Gwen and MJ were out there and he needed to do something. Threatening Gwen was a huge mistake, stupid mask or not.

He hoped Flash was stupid enough to try something, and get himself hurt in the process. He doubted it though. Flash wasn't as brave without his friends. He wasn't Felicia, who would have tried to hit whoever threatened Gwen with the table.

Looking around he noticed that the bathroom window was narrow and locked. Letting the Venom symbskin swarm over him he pushed and the whole thing came away from the wall. Sliding himself out, it was time for Venom to save the day.