WE Are (Veddie)

Hurt

“Eddie...”

“Mm – what?”

“It is Toxin... We are dreaming again.”

Eddie blinks, takes a moment to register his words before slowly pulling herself up into a sitting position.

He’s in full form once again – a lot less bulky, unlike Venom, and a lot more lean and slightly lithe – perched on the end of her bed again, head tilted as he stares back at her.

“It’s only been a few days – you already found something?” Eddie sits cross-legged as she stares back at him.

Toxin nods, tells her, “Found many things.”

“OK...” Eddie sighs quietly before just as quietly and warily asking, “How bad is it?”

“Not bad. Nor good.” Toxin tells her, “Venom is older than he knows. Second of our kind. First of his kind.”

Eddie’s eyes widen with a little shock, but she’s mostly just surprised. “Wait, so... Venom’s father was All-Black?”

Venom has only told her a little about “the Necrosword” and now she understands why.

Toxin gives a small smile. “He has told you of our history.”

It’s not a question, but Eddie answers anyway. “Yeah, but I’m pretty nosey, so...”

Toxin’s smile widens in fondness at her casual little shrug – that’s the same shrug Pac does when he’s feeling all bashful.

“Shit...” Eddie breathes, a little awed by this new information. “So, V is the second symbiote ever created...”

Toxin finds himself fascinated by how fascinated Eddie is – he and Pac haven’t been together long enough for them to have those kind of real talks, but Toxin hopes his own host will be just as interested. He carries on with telling her what he managed to dig up through Venom’s muddled and buried memories. “I was right. Venom is special. For a time, Knull did not notice, because at first, Venom did as he was bid. It was all he knew. And he was good at what he did. A fighter. A soldier. A warrior... A weapon... He did so well, Knull even replaced All-Black’s position with him.”

“Wow, bet daddy dearest loved that.” Eddie scoffs out.

Toxin smirks. “He found his way to a goddess of death. But that is a story for another time.”

Eddie’s eyes widen slightly again. “Oh, I’m definitely gonna need either you or V to tellin’ me that story.”

“Deal.” Toxin nods, then, carries on, “With Venom as his weapon, Knull took even more enjoyment over slaying any Celestials that dared light up the Darkness with their creations... worlds like this one. He created many more symbiotes as the years went on, as his campaign for nothingness went on. And then, his first mistake... forcing Venom to bond with his first host. Venom refused, feeling cast out and betrayed by his creator. Knull forced him anyway. When he bonded to the Celestial, its mind showed him all that could be, all that he could be, more than just a weapon. He felt an instant bond with the Celestial, like nothing he’d ever felt... until he met you.”

Eddie narrows her eyes at him, shoots him a clear withering look.

Toxin smirks again. “Not taunting. Promise.” He chuckles quietly at her little huff, then, continues, “After that, what little of the other symbiotes Venom managed to convert to his new way of thinking had all been slaughtered by their creator. But Venom chose to protect his Celestial host, already powerful apart, but combined, they almost managed to destroy Knull, for good.”

“Holy fuck...” Eddie breathes out, now definitely awed. He really is more special than she ever realised. And not just to her, but in general.

Good, f*****g grief – she’s in love with some kind of ancient, dawn of time, alien demigod!

Eddie’s heart drops, eyes snapping up to Toxin’s as she realises he can hear her thoughts while he’s here with her – literally in her damn head. She glares at him when he shows her a clear smirk. “Shut up.” She grumbles, huffs as she subconsciously crosses her arms over her chest.

“Didn’t hear a thing...” Toxin mutters with a small shrug.

Eddie sighs, but can’t help smiling fondly. “You are a gentleman, T.”

“More or less than Venom?” Toxin tries so hard to keep the clear teasing out of his tone. He’s still learning how to get a handle on the little things like that.

Eddie scoffs, glares at him again. “Definitely less, right now.”

Toxin bites back another smirk, at least manages to do that. He’s here for a reason, after all. He quickly gets back to that reason, tells her, “Knull found a way to banish the half dead Celestial and Venom. And from across half the cosmos, he, too, banished any memory of their history together.”

Eddie scoffs, can’t help sounding bitter as she grits out, “Fuckin’ p***y ass god.” Really, she still can’t help feeling impressed with Venom.

“Venom kept the Celestial alive for as long as he could. After a few centuries of just drifting around the cosmos, Venom was on his own for a few million years more. Until Knull was no longer a problem after the uprising of our kind, and the Celestials could go on creating in peace and light.”

“He must’ve been so lonely.” Eddie mumbles, mostly to herself as she tries not to imagine just how lonely.

“He was.” Toxin nods, voice low and just as sad sounding as hers. He notes the soft look of concern on her face, feels his insides twinge as he tries to imagine Patrick pulling a face like that for him. “It’s part of why he treasures you so much.” His insides twinge a little harder at the soft smile she then pulls. “And also why, until he found you, was so desperate to connect with just anything... why he let all the other hosts take over for him.”

Eddie frowns, now feels slightly guilty. “Shit... Is that why he’s always eager to please me? Like it’s actually to unhealthy lengths sometimes. Seriously, someone looks at me in any kinda weird way, and he’s askin’ me if I want him to disembowel them for it.” She scoffs at her i***t self. “And I always just tell him he’s bein’ an annoyin’ and jealous little bitch... I mean, he is, but still...”

Toxin feels like he should say something to comfort her, but has no idea what. Instead, he edges slowly forward across the bed, lifts his giant hand and pats her on top of her head as delicately as he can.

Eddie manages a choked out little laugh, smiles up at him. “I’m good, T. Don’t worry about me. I just...” She sighs loudly in defeat, at a slight loss right now. “How the hell are we gonna tell him all of this? You think he’ll be happy to know or just incredibly pissed off? ‘Cause I would definitely be pissed off.”

“We will tell him when you are ready. And then, if he wishes, I will give him those memories back.”

Eddie looks up at him, looks deeply impressed. “You can do that? V said you’re all a hive mind, but I didn’t realise you guys could secretly root around each other’s minds, on top of restoring each other’s memories.”

Toxin nods, feels strangely proud over the way she stares back up at him, no longer feeling any speck of fear from her over his presence. “How do you think I’m keepin’ this visit and the last a secret from Venom?”

Eddie rolls her eyes, but can’t help smirking at his rather snooty tone – Patrick’s teaching all sorts, apparently, then again, Eddie isn’t one to talk. “Smart-ass symbiotes.”

Toxin shares a small smile with her, shares a small, but comfortable silence with her. He’s then shooting her a fond smile as he tells her, “I would tell you of the other hosts, but Venom tells me you are writing his life’s story, so I think he should be the one to tell you instead... when I hopefully restore his full memory, of course.”

Eddie stares back at the young symbiote for a moment, looks both surprised and completely endeared. “You really are sweet, Toxin. You’re so different from Carnage.”

Then again, she’s not the apple of her own father’s disgusting tree...

Toxin smiles brightly, razor sharp teeth on show and not bothering her one bit. He guesses she’s used to that with Venom in her face all the time. He really is very clingy.

Then again, Toxin really can’t talk there...

“Sweet, like Venom, or...?” Toxin is even more unsuccessful this time as he tries not to sound so teasing.

“OK.” Eddie nods, drawls out. “Now, I’m kickin’ you outta my head. Get lost.”

Toxin watches her flop back face first onto her bed. He doesn’t know why he tells her this, but it kind of just slips out. “Been to countless worlds. None of them strangely sad and beautiful as this one. Understood feelings like colours – bold and bright, damning and empowering... More hosts I bonded with, more pain I felt... All I ever wanted was ‘WE.’ Not ‘ME.’ Not ‘THEM...’ Called me ‘monster’ and ‘parasite.’ All they ever did was hurt me. Use me like Knull used us all. Eddie hurts me, too. Sometimes. But Eddie is different. She doesn’t mean to hurt me. She only hurts me, because she’s hurting herself... Eddie is pure sunshine... but lonely, like me. Love her so much it hurts...”

Eddie slowly sits back up, her eyes now brimming with unshed tears as she stares back at Toxin.

Toxin hesitates, thinks he’s upset her, but hears her softly muddled thoughts and then finishes for her. “Think she loves me, too. Feel it all the time... but never felt love before Eddie... so how do I know? How do I know that I’m not just a monster Eddie managed to tame?”