VENOM 🕷 CHANGLIX

11

After officially meeting Felix's mom, he met his dad. He was an easygoing man. Changbin got along with him great. They played pool together one weekend and when Changbin turned twenty-one he took him out for drinks. Felix was kind of pissed because he wasn't allowed anything. At least, not until they got home and Changbin presented him a bottle of wine. That was a pretty fun time. Drunk Felix was a lot clingier than Changbin had thought he'd be. He was still adorable.

And now, a week after his birthday, he was working at The Life Foundation, doing his usual weekend shift with Jisung, who was endlessly talking about how cute Minho was. He'd learned more about the two. He was actually a lot more similar to Minho than he'd expected. They both had abusive fathers, though Minho's seemed to be a bit more lenient on so-called punishments. That didn't change the fact that they'd both been abused.

He met Jeongin, too. He was cute like Jisung had said. He had daddy issues as well, with the addition of an absent mother. As much as a fool Changbin's mother was, he couldn't imagine growing up without her. She wasn't perfect by any means, but she'd at least welcomed him home and accepted his tears. It was hard to believe someone could feel so unfamiliar to the person that had given birth to them. It happened, though. That was the sad reality.

"Are you still off the whole hero thing?" Jisung asked.

Changbin shrugged as a response. Jisung probably knew now why Changbin didn't love them. It was the same reason Minho hadn't. For some reason Minho changed his mind after meeting Jisung. He didn't understand that. "Changbin, Jisung, follow me," their superior said as he entered the room.

The two put their clipboards down and did as asked. Changbin had a bad feeling when he saw the guy type into a keypad at the scientist only section of the facility.

"I smell danger," Venom said.

"Are we running or fighting?" Changbin whispered, not really caring if Jisung heard. Obviously that wasn't a time to hide Venom. There was a good chance they were only asking the psychology major to tag along so it didn't seem supicious. Changbin knew better than that.

"Running would be the best plan," Venom told him.

Changbin stopped and turned around, only for him to see the door they'd entered shut down. Venom could always break through it. Then again, a part of Changbin was curious as to what they were doing behind locked doors. He turned back around and started walking again, Jisung staring at him in confusion.

"Looks like we're fighting today," Changbin added quietly.

"Who are you talking to?" Jisung questioned.

"A friend of mine."

"Are you schizophrenic or something?"

Changbin snorted. Was that better or worse than a parasitic alien leeching off of your body? "Something like that."

"Does Felix know?"

"Yup."

Changbin's eyes narrowed as they passed by rooms with empty beds. As they got furthur down the halls, he noticed children inside of them. Sick children. His blood started boiling. Were they using children as test subjects? Knowing what Venom had told him, it wouldn't surprise him if they told hospitals they had a cure for cancer and were treating them. What about their parents?