Venom

TWENTY SIX: Among the Innocent

"Is he talking to you now?" Eddie asked. Maisie shook her head slightly, but continued staring off into space. Eddie grabbed her shoulders tightly and shook her, making her dizzy. "Get out of her head!"

"I don't think that's working..." Maisie admitted shakily. Eddie let go of her.

"Sorry," he replied. "Venom forced me to do that."

"I figured," Maisie remarked with a smirk.

What the hell's that supposed to mean?!

"It means 'shut up Venom,'" Eddie quickly said with a smile.

Don't talk to me like that!

"I'll talk to you however I want, Parasite!" Eddie argued.

Call me that one more time and I'll eat your liver!

"You'll just die too, ya know! How many times do we have to go over this?!" Eddie shouted with an annoyed glare. Maisie giggled.

Soon, Maisie and Elise were both discharged from the hospital. Elise insisted on taking Maisie with her, but Eddie quickly refused, explaining that "they wouldn't have had to spend a week in the hospital if she hadn't wrecked the friggin' car." So, Maisie and Elise both went home with Eddie.

"How many people do you intend to bring back to your apartment, Eddie? I don't think your crappy little apartment can handle many more guests" Mrs. Chen asked. Maisie hugged Mrs. Chen, who gave her a cookie to nibble on and patted her head.

"...You were the one who gave me the apartment..." Eddie reminded Mrs. Chen.

"Exactly. I gave you that one for a reason," Mrs. Chen responded with a slight playful smile.

After ten minutes of talking to Mrs. Chen and allowing Maisie to play with the cash register, Eddie, Maisie, and Elise finally went up to Eddie's apartment.

"What a....lively...living space," Elise stated as she looked around Eddie's small and messy apartment.

"Shut up or I'll make you less lively," Venom threatened, temporarily taking over Eddie and scaring the crap out of Elise. Maisie just giggled and hugged Venom, who picked her up and held her protectively away from Elise.

"Daddy!" Maisie exclaimed as she jumped into Venom's arms.

"Y-You're not scared?" Elise asked.

"Of course not! He's one of my daddies!" Maisie said with a wide grin.

"...Do you not see him?!" Elise questioned, pointing at the giant that was currently holding a toddler sized girl. Maisie gave Elise an annoyed glare and didn't answer her question. Venom put Maisie down, and she went ran off to play with dolls on the fire escape.

"You will not take my child!" Venom shouted.

"You can't threaten me into not doing my job, sir! I'm sorry, but it isn't your choice!" Elise argued.

"But shouldn't it be hers?!" Venom pointed out. Elise shook her head.

"She's too young and naive to make those kinds of decisions on her own," Elise responded.

"She's super smart!" Venom yelled.

"She's seven years old..." Elise pointed out with a bored and annoyed expression. There was silence for a solid ten seconds.

"...She's a super smart seven year old," Venom added. Eddie mentally facepalmed.

Real smart answer, Parasite...

"Shut up, Eddie," Venom responded. "I'm handling this."

No you're not.

"Yes I am. Shut up," Venom repeated.

"Look, sir. I know this is upsetting, but you have to understand that she isn't safe here," Elise pointed out.

"What part of this place is not safe?" Venom asked. Then, the sprinklers and fire alarm went off.

"$#!7!" The neighbor yelled angrily.

"I think that sums up my answer," Elise replied.

"Yay! It's raining inside!" Maisie exclaimed, rushing back into the apartment and playing in the water.

You are such a disgraceful child.

"Shut up before I remove you and throw you out the window, you stupid servant," Maisie retorted.

I'm not anyone's servant!

"I'm so proud of our child. Aren't you proud, Eddie?" Venom asked with sparkles in his eyes.

Yes...very....

"Please. Let me take her," Elise begged.

"Don't interrupt family bonding! And we're not giving her up without a fight!" Venom shouted. Elise sighed.

"Fine. Then you'll get your fight," she stated. Then, Venom and Eddie were hit with a tranquilizer dart and Maisie had a gas mask put over her nose and mouth so that the fumes would knock her out.