SPIDER-MAN: MARK LEE

12

𝟭𝟮: 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦
𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙆 𝙇𝙀𝙀'𝙎 𝙋𝙊𝙑

After another day of stoping crimes in Queens, alongside Venom, we found ourselves debriefing on top of a building. This was how we always ended the day with. Surprisingly, we finished pretty earlier this time. It was merely almost 12 in the morning. With an exhausted heave, I pulled off my mask. I could feel a dalliance of wind gusted warmly, as if it played the games of dreamy childhood summers. "Woo! Another day done." I turned over to glance at my comrade with a satisfied, yet tired smile. "Good job Venom. I think we excelled it today."

The suit of Venom's mask dissolved away, revealing his charming face. Sometimes I would stare at him and envy his face. If I had that face, perhaps Gwen Stacy would notice me.

"Odd isn't it?" Venom inquired without looking at me, his focus solely on the glimmering lights of the city. "These crimes we take care of, are pretty... easy. We haven't had big and serious cases for a very long time."

I nodded my head, completely agreeing to Venom's statement. "That's true. It's so easy it feels like, it only requires one to take care of it. Like a solo duty. But I'm quite glad. Big cases, like we did last time were pretty tough. It's so hard to manage the Spiderman life, and my other life. You know?"

Venom finally turned to connect eyes with me. "That's true... our other lives, sometimes I forget about that."

It felt odd. The fact that I've known Venom ever since I was in my Freshman year, yet still had no clue what his real name was, felt quite saddening. We really took it serious, when we promised to merely stay as business buddies. Throughout those years I've spent with him as Spiderman, I grew fond of him. He was a nice guy. I wanted to get to know him better. Sometimes we would talk about personal issues or funny stories that occurred in our private life to each other, but that was it. Nothing else. I didn't know him personally, he didn't know me personally either. Though I knew someday we would, and I was patient about it.

"Anyways," Venom broke the silence, the dark goo of his Symbiote crawled up his neck. His mask was back. "I gotta go check up on someone."

I smiled suggestively at him.

I could sense him rolling his eyes behind that mask he wore. "It's not like that."

I snickered and crossed my arms, one of my brows cocking up in suspicion. "Oh really? Who is this girl huh? Just tell me about her dude. You got yourself a girlfriend, haven't you?"

Venom merely shook his head, not amused by my prodding. "She's not my girlfriend. She's just... someone."

It was always funny to tease Venom, so whenever I had the opportunity to do it, I did. "Oh yeah? She's just someone? Is she some random citizen you saved, and fell for? And you're stalking her? Dude that's a bit creepy, don't you think?"

Venom was not having this conversation. For him, it felt like I was pushing his buttons. "I'm not stalking her... I'm keeping her safe"

I smiled. "That's pretty cute man."

Venom stiffened, as though flushed about my commentary. He briskly shifted his gaze away from me before speaking. "It's not like that..." He mumbled. "I think this girl is in danger, and she's not aware of it."

As I realised that this wasn't just Venom's lovey-dovey crush, my teasing smile disappeared on my lips. I took a moment to ponder a response. "Shouldn't you tell her then?"

"I did." Venom said, with a pause. "But this danger she's, I assume subjected to, isn't a normal one. I think it could fall under one of those big cases."