SPIDER-MAN: MARK LEE

4

Due to my melancholy state, I ended up on the roof of the building. It was a stereotypical resolution often mentioned when someone was experiencing excessive sadness or stress.

I slowly walked towards the edge of the rooftop, placing my hands on the sturdy cement barrier. Carefully, I lifted my legs over the barrier and sat down, my palms pressing against the cement. As I closed my eyes, I became acutely aware of my surroundings. The cool breeze gently caressed my skin, and I could hear the bustling noises from the roads below, even from this lofty height. Everything up here exuded tranquility. From the twinkling stars in the night sky to the vibrant lights on the streets, the panoramic view from the roof was truly breathtaking.

Tranquil. That was all I needed.

"Miss... You don't have to do this."

I detected the presence of someone else through my peripheral vision.

It was Venom.

He was crouching on the concrete barrier, a short distance away from me, with a slightly slouched posture.

I felt my whole body tremor in reaction. It took some time for me to comprehend the present situation. Why on earth was Venom here? In due course, I understood that it was an innocent situation, and I exhaled deeply before calming and stabilizing my breathing by placing my hand on my chest.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I'm gonna have to ask you to return to the rooftop with caution, miss."

Did he genuinely believe that I was about to commit suicide? I furrowed my eyebrows, embarrassed by the misinterpretation. "Uh... I'm not gonna jump."

His mask's eyes slightly expanded as he realized. "Oh."

There was a period of silence that occurred, and it was uncomfortable. I turned my focus away from him and instead, kept my eyes on the road beneath us. The presence of the vigilante intensified the beating of my heart. This was expected. After all, this wasn't a normal situation to happen. "Aren't you supposed to be down there? Doing you know... rescues or something?"

Venom let out a sigh of relief before settling into the seat beside me. He mimicked my posture by placing his arms on his knees as he gazed at the illuminated city. His actions clearly indicated his desire to stay, but I wasn't sure how to feel about that. "I just did. Taking a short break wouldn't cause any harm." Clarified Venom.

The voice was unfamiliar to me, but I couldn't ignore the fact that his deep and husky voice made me feel nervous. And by nervous, I meant I had a fluttery feeling in my stomach.

I simply nodded and decided to remain silent.
I had a dislike towards being in the presence of others, especially when it involved one of the well-known vigilantes. It had nothing to do with lack of trust, but rather a feeling of unease and awkwardness.

I could just sense his eyes on me, yet I chose not to meet them. "You're being granted the opportunity to be in the company of Queens' famous vigilante, and you're quiet." Venom remarked, tilting his head and crossing his strong arms.

"What am I supposed to say?" I stuttered, continuing to avoid eye contact.

I could sense that he was smiling behind the mask he had on. "A thank you would do. I did save you earlier this morning."

I was taken aback by what he said. That caused my pupils to dilate, as I was surprised by his remarkable memory. I had always assumed that they never remembered the people they rescue, considering the large number of individuals they save on a daily basis. "Yeah, of course. Thank you." I expressed my gratitude, although it may have sounded forced, but Venom disregarded it.

Intrigued, I glanced at him and noticed the peacefulness he exuded just by sitting there. This piqued my curiosity further. "So... Where is your friend, Spiderman?"

"Spiderman? Ah, he's most likely just going about his personal life. I gave him my word that I would cover tonight's patrol." He clarified, displaying such a relaxed and amicable demeanor, as if we were already familiar with each other.

Even though I made a commitment to not theorize that Mark Lee was Spiderman, I couldn't help but have lingering doubts about it. It was a persistent thought that I couldn't shake off. Moreover, with Venom accompanying me, I took advantage of this situation to thoroughly search for clues.

"You guys know each other?"

"We are acquainted, although our relationship is not on a personal level. Our knowledge of each other is solely based on our duty. We do this for the benefit and well-being of Queens."

"Oh, so you know how he looks?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, what does he look like?"

Venom grinned and turned his attention from the streets to me. "Now why would I say that to you?" His voice carried a subtle hint of teasing. "All I'm gonna say is, he's a good looking boy."

Scouring was futile. There was no use in theorizing that Mark Lee was Spiderman, so I abandoned the idea completely.

With a sigh of defeat, I simply dismissed it and tried to appreciate the peaceful scenery and the moment, with stars overhead and the familiarity of Queens surrounding both Venom and me. I would've never imagined that I would be spending part of my evening with Venom on the rooftop of my father's workplace. It was unbelievable.

"Look Juliane, I didn't come here to take a break. I need to ask you something."

For a brief moment, my mind faltered and my eyes took in brightness like a flashlight being suddenly poured at me, and that causes me to momentarily freeze as my mind processed the situation. Following a surge of chills, I finally found my voice. "W- What? How do you know my name?"

Venom shook his head, emphasizing the lack of importance to my question. "That doesn't matter. You just need to hear me out, and you need to promise not to tell anyone about this." The expressionless face of his mask showed how genuinely serious he was being. "We believe your father's business have something to do with the upcoming-"

Thud.

My head quickly turned to see who was entering the rooftop, and when I did, I made eye contact with my father. "Dad," I whispered.

I then shifted my gaze to the side but realized Venom wasn't there anymore. "What..." I wondered to myself and glanced down at the busy city, but Venom was nowhere to be found.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing there? Come on, let's head home."