“Yeah I remember her Pete, but why are you all flustered?” and as Gwen felt for their connection she realised he was actually nervous. Thinking back he was always like that around his guidance teacher, and it clicked,

“Oh my god, you’ve got a crush on her,” and she laughed, “our indomitable Venom is getting all upset cause his girlfriend is here,” and she laughed as he tried not to go red,

“No one picked on you when-” but Peter stopped as the group of Betty, Bruce, Blonsky, and Ross all stared at him.

“So, Mr Parker does have human emotions, and here was me thinking that Venom was some kind of boogeyman,” Ross said while trying snorting and at least Betty and Bruce had the decency to look embarrassed for him. Blonsky on the other hand just took out his phone and snapped a pic of the flustered Peter.

“Perfect, now it couldn’t get, whoah fuckin ‘ell.” and even he stood slack-jawed as Ororo Munro walked in.

At over 6 feet tall she was a goddess. In a grey suit, and black heels she was immaculate, and her long silver hair hung around her face and shoulders like moonlight. She worked out and her slim figure and shapely legs were highlighted by the perfectly tailored and well-fitting suit. Ross coughed, “Miss, don't mind him, he’s an idiot.” and as he looked at Peter who was also staring, “they both are it seems,” and he motioned for the group to leave.

“It is good to see you, Peter,” Ororo said with a bright smile, “but not under these circumstances.” and Peter shrugged,

“Well, I did leave school unexpectedly,” but Ororo shook her head,

“I am here from Charles.” and she saw Peter visibly tense,

“Then you have five minutes to explain, and if I hear anything bad about Laura then this won't be a happy ending.”

Ororo raised her hands, “Laura? No, I am here about something else, who is Laura?”

“Wait, now I'm confused. You do mean Xavier right? Bald, a bit of an asshole, likes to use his powers to kidnap little girls.” and it was Ororos turn to tense.

“I do, but you are mistaken, Charles would never do such a thing.” and Peter laughed,

“Sure. Ask him then, why do me and four others have gaps in our memories, or you know I could tell you that he came and took a girl under my protection without asking. He used his powers and took her. No polite conversation, no making sure she was actually in danger. He took her. So no, screw him.” and even in his anger, he placed a cup in front of her.

“Right, coffee?” and she shook her head, 

“Tea?” she asked, and he scowled and shook his, “it is fine, I learned long ago that most Americans drink coffee only, so I have some in my purse. A cup of hot water please.” and opening up the very expensive looking purse, she pulled out a small grey bag from a plastic sleeve. Peter shrugged and filled a cup with hot water from the water heater, placing it in front of Ororo and moving over the sugar and creamer.

“So, then if this isn't about Laura, then what?” Peter might like Ororo, might even be willing to cut her some slack over being an associate of Charles, but an interrogation or some other made up and equally pointless slight was going to make this conversation end badly,

“Do you know about Wakanda?” and it took a turn Peter had not expected,

“Uh, you mean, we look like crap but are actually a sci-fi wet dream Wakanda?” 

Ororo laughed a deep throaty laugh, and feeling the familiar itch, Peter moved over and hit the air-con, sending a draft throughout the warehouse, “uh ignore that, it uh, helps keep the place cool.”

“Yes Peter, I know what air conditioning is,” and Peter scratched the back of his head while grinning, “but as to Wakanda. They have several instances of encountering the creature you possess, none of them good. I want assurances that this Venom is not hostile, not a threat to the people of New York or the Earth. Can you do that?” and she peered at him over the rim of her cup as she took a sip, “The news, or what I have heard, has not painted your exploits in a good light.”

“Wait, the symbiotes? That's it?” Peter was surprised, not that Wakanda knew about them but that they were keeping track of them as well. “Wait, are they spying on us? I mean, uh, not that we do anything bad here, just, it's weird.”

Ororo tilted her head, “I am not aware that they are spying on anyone Peter, Why? What exactly do you mean by that?” and Peter went bright red at her teasing. She knew that four women living with one man under the same roof, even if they all had separate houses meant a variety of embarrassing situations could occur, especially ones Peter might not want anyone to know about. Ororo relaxed, he was still the same as she remembered him.

“However Peter,” Ororo put down her cup, “the creatures are dangerous, an alien that can threaten the population is not something we can allow to roam free.”

Peter sat for a moment before the anger bubbled up inside. He was tired of being pushed by people who never asked, just demanded. “Wait, what? No, screw you. Teacher or not, do you give that lecture to new mutants? tell them their powers are dangerous and if they don't behave you’ll what? Kill us? Send soldiers after us to contain and capture us.” Peter had stood up and taken a step back from the table. “You need to leave. Tell Wakanda to butt out. We’ll leave them alone if they leave us alone, but they don’t rule this planet, they don’t get a say in how I or anyone else bonded lives their lives.”

Ororo shook her head, saddened by his reaction, “Peter, you do not want to fight Wakanda. They are only looking out for the world, for you and anyone bonded against their will. This won't be a fight you can win. and yes, we do give that speech to our new students. You do not hand a loaded gun to a toddler, nor do you allow someone who cannot control their powers to walk around freely. The school is for training, not confinement”

“You know, I’m going to hate myself for this after, and maybe you will too.” Peter turned off the AC and let his anger fill the room like a cloud. 

“Threaten me again and you will regret your mistake, I have done nothing wrong and you people still fucking come here and provoke me! Get the hell out my home!” and as the pheromone began to affect Ororo she felt herself shake at the sight of him. He was no longer a scared student of hers, he was a monster, and she had been taught how to deal with monsters.

She stood, lightning crackling around her and as the winds wiped her hair she blew the cloud of musk away and then a bolt of lightning struck him, Venom roared as his armour slid over him, diverting and blackening the ground around his feet.

“Electricity was the first thing I learned to deal with,” and he thickened his form once more. Now standing over her he split his maw and roared. “You threaten us? My family? You tell that fucking Prince he brought this on himself,” and as he wound up a punch, a hand touched him gently on the shoulder. As he turned and saw Liv there, 

“Please Peter?” and as she looked up, Peter remembered Natasha was upstairs, still recovering, and a fight in the warehouse could hurt her further, and that Miss Munroe was not his enemy, not really.

As he relaxed, he shook his head, “sorry Liv,” and he took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. He pressed it to his forehead, closing his eyes and slowly letting out a breath.

“Peter, go and calm down. I will talk to Miss Munroe here.” and nodding, his armour became normal clothing once more and he shook his head as he climbed the stairs and went into his home. Liv could hear him muttering under his breath and as she looked over at Ororo she shook her head in disappointment.

“I think you should leave. Whatever you have heard, the report, the deaths. Peter might not be a hero in the press, but he is not a cold-blooded killer either. He would risk his life for any of us, and he has. Someone is telling you lies about him.”

Storm tutted, “and I am to believe that when this?” and she motioned to the devastation,

“I believe that was you, dear. Peter only reacted when you threatened him and us. So, what was that? A test? to see if he was a monster or just plain stupidity?” Liv asked as she sat down, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Peter is on edge as someone we all care about was hurt during the Hydra attack, and you thought it was a good idea to antagonise him?”

“A test he failed, that was not a person.” Storm retorted, keeping the power bubbling under the surface in case she needed it.

“Failed? Peter risked everything time and time again. A bomb, an invasion, an evil robot, Stark, Hydra. Why are you insistent on pinning all that on him? He has his faults but who doesn’t?”

Storm still stood, ready for a fight, ”And what of the people he has hurt? What of the man he killed?”

Liv shook her head, “J.J has a lot to answer for.” and she sighed, “Peter never killed that man. Secondly, so what if he did? He shot an unarmed woman in the head. Do you want to see the damage? I have. They took pictures and as a doctor, I can tell you right now that if that was anyone else, even one of Peter's other friends, even one of your friends, she would have died. Can you survive a bullet to the head?” and as Ororo stepped back she crossed her arms but looked down and shook her head. “I didn’t think so. Peter was right, there is no reasoning with you. You came here to justify his behaviour to yourself, and to whatever master you serve. You should just leave.” and Liv pointed at the door, “I won’t ask twice, Miss Monroe.”

“And if I want to take Peter with me, to make him answer for his crimes?” and it was Liv who brushed herself off. 

“Then I will make you leave. There are hurt and injured people in this warehouse Miss Munroe, but I am more than capable and willing to do what I need to defend my home while he protects them.” As she spoke the harness arms extended out of the back of her coat. “We are tired of agencies with no right to interfere coming here and dictating terms. Tell your boss, whichever one you answer too, that next time there will be no talking.”

Ororo shook her head, “no, I will go, but I will be back.” and with her power lifted herself off the ground, “and you will not stop me,” and wind blasted the door open and she flew out.

As Liv watched her leave she found Peter watching from his balcony.  She shook her head and sighed “Sorry dear, we seem to be attracting the wrong crowd today,” and without a word, Peter went back inside.

As she flew away, Ororo was confused. She had been told by Charles that Peter had attacked and killed a man, and then by T’Challa that the creatures were mad, driven insane by a lust to consume and destroy. As she had sat and watched both Liv and Peter she saw a young man in pain as his friend lay hurt, and an older woman very much in love. Both were willing to defend their home from an aggressive invader. 

While it had been an act, Ororo would never have actually used violence against the group. And even with the small amount of power she used on him, she felt dirty and disgusted with herself. They had reacted with restraint, and if she hadn’t done anything she felt she would have been sitting drinking more tea as they chatted. It was a normal powered household and there were no signs of militancy or the threats she had been told about. Not only that but she felt Charles and T’Challa both owed her an explanation. Whoever, and whatever Peter had become, it was not a callous murderer.

A game was being played, a game she refused to be a part of but she knew that neither T’Challa nor Charles was being completely honest with her. Whatever was going on here. She would get to the bottom of it, even if it split her own family apart.

~

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