I follow people that do not wanna be followed

Who: Anne and Eddie (and possibly Dylan Brock Eddie's apparent son.) and Venom.
What?: Reckonings. realities. Eddie confronts that his partner of so many years isn't telling the whole truth. After 12 years of being bonded to an alien symbiote and having your DNA forcibly altered there's no other way to get it out.
Warnings: These are not happy people period. Possible mentions of death.


[he's been here before.

Not here, on this townhouse. It's a new townhouse and Eddie is fucking terrified of being discovered. Christ she has flowers on the porch and a cat oozes it's way out of the darkness. He's been here before because he feels weak and shaky. It feels like half of him is gone, but when your other half has been lying to you effectively sometimes you have to make the decisions...

And there's something else. Someone else, a pre-teen kid sleeping on his couch. Carl Brock's in the wind which is just as well because if "Edward Brock: Convicted Serial Killer" made the evening news this wouldn't go over well and he has to know.

Standing on the porch staring down at the cat who stares right back he cradles something close. The symbiote - his symbiote - his partner, his friend, hell his lover (and he wasn't proud of that at all) who had apparently been lying to him this whole time.

He'd had a life, or at least tried to make amends and after one of the worst fights against Carnage (their son, no matter how weird that felt.) A woman had been to see him in prison, she'd been there to help him and when he'd gotten out the two of them had fallen into bed together and supposedly that's where Dylan came from.

His son. Not theirs.

The creature in the container twitches and looks at him with a pair of eyes before Eddie coughs into his hand and presses his hand to the door frame. He's felt this weak before, but this is worse. The thing in the tube is dying and he has to find Dylan's mother and...

and what?

It's not important Eddie what's important is what's coming Eddie please please-]

Shut the fuck up.

[The symbiote isn't connected to him but he fancied he could hear the thing's voice even as he leaned against the doorframe and pressed a hand to the wood.]

Shut up. Just...Just shut up.

[Two knocks and the doorbell for good measure. According to the Doctor's at the Life Foundation Reborn (and what the fuck was that?) his heart was atrophied but they could fix it and it was...

He didn't want to go. He wanted to help Dylan but just in case...

Whoever happens to open the door to the San Francisco townhouse will see a man in a faded gray hoodie with a massive tube underneath one arm. He's sporting an unkempt heavy beard and despite looking strong - is pale and shaky out in the dark.

A light rain begins to fall.]

[It’s a strange shift. There’s no gore, there’s no mystery or darkness. The vision lights up like something out of Disney. There’s a collection of kids, a girl in overalls and a boy in a shirt with a monster truck on it. The little girl has a stuffed cat. It's orange, well loved. She's burying it's nose in the grass. There’s also a slightly chubby towheaded boy in a shirt emblazoned with a superhero logo - something unusual. unreadable. There’s a silk child’s cape wrapped around his shoulders as he jogs up to the other kids.

Outside of the vision, Eddie has frozen. I forgot about the stupid cape. The sudden well of emotion makes Venom spasm inside of him and Eddie’s eyes open wide. His skin starts to glisten with sweat.]

Is it...is it hot...in here? Or is it just us…

[The little boy in the cape strides up to the kids. Who wants to play superheroes?

Nobody wants to play with you baby Brock. Go away. the monster truck boy has a monster truck. The towheaded boy’s face falls and stupid bitch baby brock. Your sister says you still wet the bed and cry for your mom at night.

Leave him alone Peter. The little girl is hugging a stuffed cat doll, We're okay eddie. Maybe later? the little girl twists on the grass and make spurring noises, Who’s a good kitty? Who’s a good kitty? she mimes the thing meowing and Eddie drags a furious hand over his face before running off...And disappearing behind the bushes. It happens quick. Peter’s back is turned and a hang shoots out from the bushes and grabs the truck. The little girl starts yelling and pointing. There’s an ice cream truck playing a tune - unreal, ethereal - pulling down the lane. Eddie’s eyes peer out from the bushes, and he grabs the cat toy and tucks it away.]

...just us.

It’s just us.

[They return with ice cream and Maria is the first to drop hers on the concrete, Mr. Kitty?! the little girl is crying, big brown eyes Peter where’s Mr. Kitty?! Where is he! Oh Peter!...

Shut up Maria! I’m looking for my truck! the little boy is going through the bushes. Finding nothing.

Eddie is just about to emerge out of the bushes. The cape blowing in the breeze. He’s got the cat under one arm and the truck under the other and then-

The voice of god. Edward James Brock! You thief! You dirty little thief!

The little boy’s eyes go wide. There’s nothing human in them. He’s a deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck. His father - a balding mustached man - appears like a massive shadow blotting out the sun.

You little thief! Carl Brock backhands the little boy and knocks him to the grass with an audible crack, I can’t believe you! I found the box of toys Edward. A box of toys under your bed and-did you take these from them?! Carl points at the truck and cat, still clutched tightly in his hands.

Carl Brock jerks the cape off his neck and Eddie yelps like a kicked puppy. The boy tries to get to his feet again, bleeding from his nose. Carl lifts the truck and cat out from under Eddie’s arms. He clings to them.

“Daddy no!”

His big round eyes are filled with tears. He tries to meet the other children’s gaze, “I’m-I’m-I’m”

He doesn’t say sorry. The two children look horrified and disgusted. The image fades. Venom fades back in. His host is broken.]