4/14 Instance: No Turning Back

[tears~fall~like~glass]

timeline: current


Venom: "Your....assistance...has been appreciated...", Eddie cackled behind his dark, chitin-like mask, hollow eyes scowling down at the battered and bruised officer, gripped by the scruff of his neck by the taller, leaner figure. Like some ungodly beast, sweeping coat hiding the origin point of hundreds of tendrils sliding against the surfaces around them.

Venom: The precinct office was in tatters, having been turned upside down during Eddie's frantic search for information. But he had it now. Everything he needed to find his target. Whether from information in the papers he'd procured, or from whispers and confessions from the cultist he'd interrogated.

Venom: But there was no blood on his hands - no deaths, at least - and this would stay the same until he found Kraven. Found his nemesis and tore him to pieces before his God, and whatever foul oblivion he'd cast Cassandra St. Commons into. That much was affirmed. That much was promised.

Venom: "Goodnight, Officer.", he muttered coolly, casting the young man in his hand aside, tendrils retreating as he did so. As if giving in wholly, the officer passed out. That made six today.

Misty: Despite having gone home to her rarely used apartment for the night, Misty had only showered, picked up the set of comics she needed to finish reading, and a few files relevant to the cannibal cases before heading back to the station. She'd decided there was no way she'd be able to sleep, and, if she wasn't sleeping, she may as well be getting work done.

Misty: The door creaked, as it usually did, when she pulled it open, and she stepped inside the building, making sure she hadn't dropped anything. When she looked up, she came to a halt just inside the doorway, taking in the wreckage.

Venom: The stranger approaching the door had triggered Eddie's senses before the door had been opened. Sliding the files he'd acquired for his search, he slid them into his coat, body warping around them to protect them as he slipped out of sight.

Misty: Peering around, Misty slowly approached the reception desk and took a deep breath when she caught sight of the officer slumped over in his chair. She carefully set the things in her arms down and moved around the counter to the man, checking for a pulse. Relieved he was alive, she reached up to call for back-up and medical assistance, straightening.

Misty: As she moved back around the desk, she drew her weapon and tried to move as silently as possible, starting down the hall.

Venom: Catching a glimpse of the woman unknowingly seeking him, Eddie couldn't help but let out a chilling cackle, stealthily crossing to another small room and remaining out of sight.

Misty: The laughter echoed through the darkened halls, making it difficult to pinpoint a specific location, however she continued down the hall. Out of the corner of her eye, she could've sworn she saw a shadow dart from one room to another and swiftly turned. Nothing.

Venom: "'Will you walk into my parlour?', said the Spider to the Fly...", came the twisted voice of Eddie from seemingly everywhere and nowhere specific at once, "'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy'...."

Misty: Misty's eyes narrowed, and she slowly turned in a circle, trying to decipher the voice's origin. Despite the inhuman distortion, she was able to recognize the undertones and called out, "Eddie?"

Venom: As if he'd simply appeared, he was looming over her, no more than half a meter away. His unreadable masked face contrasted by his narrowing eyes peering down. The smile behind his mask was audible: "How ever did you guess?"

Misty: She turned as his form appeared and took a stumbling step back, gun trained on him. Despite her anxiety, she plastered on a smile of her own, offering in answer, "You make it easy."

Venom: Ignoring the gun pointed at his chest, Eddie stepped forward, pressing his body against the barrel, "Then you know what I do. What I'm capable of.", leaning down, his eyes narrowed on her, "Stand. Aside."

Misty: Misty looked from the gun pressed to his chest to his face, keeping her expression passive as she ignored the order. Instead, she asked, "What are you here for, Venom?"

Venom: His first reaction was to laugh, his second to raise his hand and gently curl it around one of hers, "I am here for information. See, I'm looking for someone important.", his grip increased slightly, "You gonna pull that trigger, Mercedes Knight?"

Misty: "What information on who?" she asked as she stood her ground. Her finger moved from the side of the gun to the trigger as he grasped her hand, making her add, "Are you going to make me, Edward Brock?"

Venom: "Edward Brock is dead....", his dark figure responded, laughing a little dryly, "I'm looking for Kraven...one of the leaders of this 'Cult of Galactus'...certainly a key player."

Venom: His hand tensed a little, "W-we...", he stammered, "I have a history with him. And because of his wrongs, I'm going to kill him."

Misty: Misty kept her finger light on the trigger, careful not to respond to his hand tensing, picking up the brief change in speech. Shaking her head, she replied, "History or not, I can't let you go with the intent to kill someone, especially not the head of this Galactus cult."

Misty: After an inaudible breath, she continued, "I also can't release you, knowing you've taken information relating to the case. How many people did you go through to get it? What, specifically, did you take?"

Venom: Eddie shrugged slightly, "Nothing you'll miss. Likely hide-outs triangulated from other information, scripts of interrogations, a video URL for the internet, I recall...", he scoffed, "I intend to give it all back. Once I'm done."

Misty: "Or you can give it all back now, and I'll come up with a reason as to why the entire building looks like a tornado blew through it when my back-up arrives."

Venom: That surprised him somewhat, his grip loosening, "W-....what?"

Misty: "I won't shoot you in the chest or attempt to detain you as long as you give me the evidence back," Misty said, slowly and carefully. While she wasn't entirely comfortable cutting him loose, this was better than him running off. "I can help you, Eddie, but only if you let me..."

Venom: His arm started to tremble as he honestly considered it, "...n-no. No you can't. Nobody can."

Misty: Nodding, she attempted to assure him, "I can, and I will, but we don't have a lot of time."

Venom: "I promised her....that I would do this.", his grip tightened again, "I promised Cassie I would do this! I can't...I WON'T let him escape. Kraven must die.",

Misty: "He won't escape, Eddie," Misty insisted, wanting to cringe as his voice distorted once more, "We can find him and lock him up. He could be brought to justice. You just need to let me help."

Venom: "I AM JUSTICE!!!", other hand grasping her throat, Eddie roared, voice a contorted mockery of humanity, "I WILL AVENGE CASSANDRA! I WILL KILL HIM!"

Misty: As his hand flew toward her, Misty fired her handgun, mentally cursing the fact it'd come to that, if only for the paperwork she was going to have to fill out. The shot went wide as he squeezed her neck, causing her to gasp for a breath.

Venom: "You don't understand. You CAN'T. She...s-she NEEDS ME TO DO THIS. HE MUST DIE...",

Misty: "You're right," she forced out, trying to aim another shot, "I don't."

Venom: Mind filled with images of Cassandra's broken body all over again, Eddie's tormented rage took control again. His strength easily higher than that of Misty's own. he slammed her into a wall, disarming her with ease and choking her with his other hand, "I don't care what happens to me...all I care about is her. All I care about is making him suffer for what he's done...I have the power, I ALONE bear the responsibility..."

Venom: His grip tightened again, "I-I'm sorry, Misty...but I can't let you stand in my way."

Misty: With him gripping her neck even more tightly than before, Misty couldn't even choke out a response, one hand coming up to grasp at his hand while she futilely opened fire on him with the gun in the other one.

Venom: One of the bullets glanced his face, leaving a gash across the organic mask. A smile tore its war across it, baring savage teeth in a demented smile, "Sleep well, Misty...", he mocked with a maniacal cackle, opening his maw wide and breathing out a low, threatening growl.

Misty: His face was terrifying, and it was the last thing Misty saw as her vision faded to black, gun slipping from her fingers, clattering to the ground as her form went limp in his grasp.

Venom: Safe in the knowledge she was out like a light, Eddie relinquished the force in his grip, maw re-stitching itself shut as he took the time to place Misty down gently. It wasn't her who was the target, after all. He'd only hurt the others because they stood in his way.

Venom: He hesitated as he stepped away, looking back once at his senior officer and friend. Was this what it had come to? Was he really alright with it? For a moment, he was uncertain. But only for a moment.

Venom: This was the only way. For her. He promised. Turning, he departed. No turning back...