Huntress watched as the pair stood, close enough that it seemed they were teamed together, as the police kept them in their sights.

“You're kidding me?” Goblin yelled laughing, “toy guns? I recognise those Hammer Tech peashooters. Tsk Tsk George, should have gone for Stark tech,” and raising an arm laughed as he fired at the officers.

Lizard had had enough and bolted, this wasn't his fight, and whoever this giant green monster was he smelled funny and fought dirty. He had come up for freshness and the food but instead had been attacked and hurt. He wanted to go back to sleep but the Conners fought him and made him stay in control, a rarity as the Conners usually cursed him and called him names.

Lizard could smell the madness on the plated one, the stench of failed formula was always in their nest and the Lizard knew it when he smelt it. It was unbearable and all he wanted was to eat a few of the scurrying treats around their home and sleep again, let the Conner worry about the smell, let the Connor do the boring work while he slept.

“Stand Down!” The Policeman with the megaphone said again, and the officers raised their weapons in response. Goblin laughed and raised his wrist launcher, it whirred and clicked.

Lizard dived to one side and the officers opened fire. The supermarket had been emptied once the fighting began and this time, they made sure they were in the clear. Round tinged off the Goblin's armour and Lizard ran on four limbs and jumped up onto a fire escape. As he was an unknown right now and had only been fighting Goblin they kept a wary eye but continued to concentrate their fire on Goblin. 

A small group of officers moved around, keeping the unknown creature in their sights. While it seemed he was more interested in escape, and their orders were to contain and capture Norman, they were not about to let a possible hostile get the drop on them.

“Switch to AP” the order was shouted and drums were ejected and a series of clicks were heard as a new red labelled magazine was loaded.

This time when the firing began fewer tings and more thunks were heard and the Goblin armour dented under the fire of the police. He staggered back as the combined fire from the new ammo was more effective against the Gobin armour.

Huntress felt a small tap on the back of her head and looking up saw a black hand waving down at her, she climbed up onto the roof and Venom was there, keeping low and out of sight. While the police were concentrating on Goblin it would only take one officer to spot him and they could split their fire.

“Can you follow Lizard?” he asked and she tapped twice on his hand as a yes, “then do that, I’ll keep an eye on Goblin. Liv, how does it look from your end? Noone spotted me or Huntress yet have they?”

“No dear, you're clear, but there are TV vans keeping an eye on Curt, he’s not moving so far but give him time. He’ll probably wait until Goblin does something big and then bolt." Venom wished they had some kind of tracker, they could tag Lizard and stay together, but they needed him and he had promised Liv a fix for her legs. At least he hadn't attacked the police or civilians. The last thing they needed was to have to hunt another super-powered monster.

“Venom, be careful okay, if my dad’s there, I don't want him to spot you, please.“ Gwen came on the line, and Venom shook his head.

“It's fine, we’re just watching, for now. I'm not joining in unless he looks like he’s getting away." Venom was keeping an eye on the action, Goblin was darting back and forth, trying to avoid the armour piercing rounds but the police kept concentrating their fire. Behind a barricade Peter spotted an officer loading a grenade gun, he nudged Huntress and pointed at the man. “When he fires, head after Lizard," and she tapped his hand in agreement.

“You have one last chance to surrender Norman. We are authorised to use lethal force against any enemy combatant who is in possession of military-grade hardware. This is your one and only warning. Stand down or we will open fire.” The officer said through their loudhailer.

"Bah, your toys are nothing," Goblin yelled back, “we have an Easter treat for you and the kids,” and the wrist launcher on his left arm spun around and a green-tipped missile poked its head out.

“Last one, everything's on sale, all must go,” Goblin shouted, and laughed as the missile streaked towards the officers. George Stacy lowered the loudhailer and lifted the visor of his helmet as he watched helplessly as the missile tore through the barricade.

The barricades did nothing to protect his men, and George watched as the missile exploded into a green cloud of energy, vaporising a circle not only where his men once were but in the pavement as well, Norman laughing and opening fire on the remaining officers.

Heavy rounds pinged off blast barriers, designed to stop bombs and George saw the grenade launcher, its handle cut clearly by the Goblins missile and he took a chance, dived, rolled and grabbed it, bringing it to bear and pulling the trigger.

With a whump the grenade hit and exploded against the Goblin's armour, throwing him back into the store. George fired again, hitting him in the chest, and blowing him back even further. He motioned to his men, who followed him into the store, holding their machine guns tight.

Goblin was sitting in a freezer, its lights and display smashed and sparking as his armour tinked and cooled after being hit twice. The front was all smashed and scorched.

“Naughty naughty, don't you know tricks are for kids,” he laughed and pointed the wrist launcher at the officers again. This time it clicked and spun, whirring as the last of the rounds had been ejected outside. “Oh, how disappointing,” and Goblin hoisted himself up on complaining and creaking joints, as he crushed the freeze under him.

“Guess we do this the old fashioned way,” and as he unclipped the wrist launchers, he twisted the gauntlet the other way and a large blade sprang free from it. The smaller blades he had used to fight Huntress were for doors, this one was for walls, and it glinted menacingly under the sparking and flickering lights.

The officers continued firing, hoping to drive the Goblin back but he was relentless.

“Venom, please, please help my dad,” Gwen begged over the line and taking a deep breath Venom sent out a web line and swung down and into the supermarket.

Goblin was making short work of the officers, thankfully uncaring if they were dead or not and most seemed to be just injured, no blood pools and once taken out they had enough sense to move away.

Standing on the edge of the roof, Venom shot out a line to the markets sign, swung down and flipped over through the smashed doors. Driving both feet into Goblins chest, he spun in midair and stood over the policeman Goblin was about to attack.

“Get them out of here,” he yelled at the ones still standing, even as they pointed their guns at him as well. “Assholes” was all he said as he parried a blow from Goblin and kicked his legs out from under him.

Webbing him down he yelled again, “go, I've got this” and after looking at George, he nodded and they began to evacuate. Goblin roared as he ripped the webbing from his armour and charged Venom. 

He was big and fast but Venom was used to fighting someone much faster and as Goblin swung widely Venom just dodged and weaved, pulling shelves down on him, even grabbing tins from shelves and hurling them at the visor. Anyone watching would think the pair had gone mad, Goblin slashing widely while Venom threw pudding and milk. He had learned his webbing wasn't infinite and if there was a substitute on hand, why not?

Venom was trying to get Goblin sticky enough, wet enough that he would be forced to take the helmet off, the Mark Two they had liberated from Aaron showed the helmet, once offline, was a hindrance. Venom was trying to exploit that and remove Norman's last advantage.

“This is your fault, George. Letting Venom and Spider-Man destroy my perfect drones. I see it now, you two are working together, you two conspired with Harry to set me up, to ruin me and make me a joke. You stabbed me in the back,” he yelled, “let me return the favour.” 

As the last officer was helped from the trashed supermarket Goblin laughed, “not so fast Georgy boy,” and pointing the wrist blade it shot free and George, pushing the officer he was carrying out the way, Venom dived but Liv had been right, the blade passed through Venoms hand and impaled George through the chest.

“NO!” Venom heard Gwen yell through his headset and then sounds of fighting. “Shit, Peter. Gwen has left, I think she’s on her way to you. Please, stop Goblin before she gets there, please,” and Venom snarled. He might not have liked the man, but being hurt by this walking shitbag, upsetting Gwen, made his blood boil.

Calling on his reserves Venom pumped himself up and roared at Goblin,

“Aw, kebabs are no longer available,” Goblin laughed, “you’ll just have to settle for ground beef,” and he launched himself at Venom who caught him and slammed him into the ground.

“I prefer my meat tenderised,” he shot back and thudded a fist into the side of the armour. He had Liv talk him through the design process and while the armour was thicker at the front it was considerably weaker at the sides where the armour needed to flex. Even a genius like Osborn couldn't ignore physics and with each punch, the armour began to buckle.

One hand held Goblin by the throat and the other pounded him in the face, Venom knew that the only way to release the armour was from the inside and he just needed to make it uncomfortable for Norman to stay in there. Lifting him up he slammed him back into the floor of the supermarket, over and over until it cracked. Remembering last time he stopped and flipped him over, trying to pry the armour shell open at the back.

"V, Curt is on the move, following now,” Huntress spoke and he commed back twice in acknowledgement.

“Venom, Hands up, move away from Osborn,” an officer, with his gun, drawn spoke. They had regrouped and set up a new barricade, all 10 of the uninjured officers were pointing grenade launchers at him and he shook his head “I'm trying to help, assholes,” he yelled, “make sure Stacy is okay,” and he slammed Norman into the floor again as he tried to push himself up.

“Venom, we repeat, stand down, Unhand Goblin and move away until you can be secured.” The officer repeated and Venom shook his head.

“Dad!” he heard, and Gwen ducked past the officers and straight to her father. Paramedics were working on securing the blade, still stuck in George's chest. Goblin saw his chance and fired off his last usable weapon. Thermite anti-missile flares whizzed and whined from the front of his armour, exploding against Venom's chest and face and as he was blasted back and into a shelf, he was stunned by the sudden flurry of hot chaff and noise.

Venom’s vision cleared and he could only watch in horror as the Goblin, swatting away grenades, ran towards Gwen and her father. Pulling the blade free he swung it back and then towards Gwen's exposed neck. Her father’s blood spraying over her as she watched in slow motion.

He had to watch as Gwen closed her eyes, knowing nothing would stop the blade from taking her head, even Poison wasn't that strong, and as the blade tinged off something she opened one eye and took a glance.

A symbskin sword blocked its path, held in place by a large, black, well-armoured symbiote.

“You killed my dad fuckface,” and as Agent Webb brought the blade around, he slashed at the front of Gobin's armour, and then brought his foot round and kicked him backwards, “and I'm gonna gut you for it.”

~

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