The check lands between us with the finality of a judge's gavel. Our date died about twenty minutes ago, but we're only now performing the funeral rites.
"Let me get that," Ellie says, snatching the leather folder before I can reach for it.
"We could split it," I offer.
"I invited you," she replies curtly, sliding her credit card into the folder without even glancing at the total. Her eyes flick up to meet mine, ice-blue and unreadable. "Besides, I make actual money, unlike college freshmen."
The waiter whisks away our check, leaving us in the most awkward silence I've ever experienced. I fidget with my napkin, folding it into increasingly complex shapes while Ellie stares at me like I'm a lab specimen she's considering dissecting.
"So," I start, desperate to salvage something from this trainwreck, "journalism seems like a really interesting…"
"Don't," Ellie cuts me off, her voice flat. "Let's not pretend this is going anywhere."
Well, that's direct. I swallow hard, my pride taking a solid hit, but honestly, I'm almost relieved. This entire evening has been like navigating a minefield while blindfolded and drunk.
The waiter returns with Ellie's card, and we both stand up so quickly our chairs scrape against the floor. Other diners turn to look at us, probably wondering what dramatic breakup they're witnessing. If only they knew we're just two people, one normal guy with weird demon powers and one alien-possessed future supervillain, having the world's most unsuccessful first date.
We step outside into the chilly November air, the restaurant door swinging shut behind us with a cheerful little jingle that feels mockingly out of place. The street is relatively quiet for New York, just a few pedestrians hurrying past with collars turned up against the cold.
Ellie turns to me, her expression softening just a fraction. "Hey, I gotta run. It was nice meeting you."
"Totally," I reply, the word sounding hollow and insincere even to my own ears.
She takes a right without another word, her tall figure quickly disappearing into the night. I turn left, shoulders slumped, and start the long walk back to campus.
I kick a stray pebble and watch it skitter across the sidewalk, disappearing into a storm drain. Damn it. I can't believe how spectacularly I screwed that up. Why did I have to bring up the "living in Spider-Woman's shadow" thing?
As I trudge along, the image of Ellie keeps flashing through my mind, those piercing blue eyes, that confident posture, the way her blonde hair caught the restaurant's dim lighting. She was intimidating as hell, but in the most attractive way possible. Let's be honest, if she'd asked me to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, I'd probably have asked "which side?"
The thought sends an embarrassing shiver down my spine. I've simped for much uglier girls than her. I'm not even ashamed to admit I'd have happily let her step on me if she wanted. Hell, I'd probably have begged her to. I'm pretty sure I would've even worked up the courage to call her mo…
My internal monologue cuts off abruptly as something black and viscous wraps around my ankle. Before I can even process what's happening, I'm yanked upward with dizzying speed, my startled yelp dying in my throat as the ground falls away beneath me.
The world blurs as I'm pulled higher and higher, blood rushing to my head as I dangle upside down over the street. My heart hammers against my ribcage, adrenaline flooding my system so fast I can taste it, metallic and sharp on my tongue.
"What the fu…"
My words are cut short as I'm suddenly swinging through the air, my stomach lurching into my throat. Buildings streak past in a disorienting smear of lights and shadows. I squeeze my eyes shut, certain I'm about to become a sidewalk pancake, when my momentum abruptly changes direction.
I feel myself being pulled upward again, then deposited roughly onto a hard surface. My back hits concrete, knocking the wind from my lungs. When I finally manage to open my eyes, I'm staring up at the night sky, the stars barely visible through New York's light pollution.
"Jesus Christ," I gasp, struggling to sit up. "What…"
The words die in my throat as a figure looms over me, silhouetted against the city lights. Sleek, black, and impossibly fluid, like living darkness given form. A white spider emblem stretches across her chest, distorted and jagged compared to Spider-Woman's clean lines. But it's her face that stops my heart, that elongated jaw filled with needle-sharp teeth, those blank white eyes that somehow still manage to convey emotion.
Venom's massive form towers over me, the alien substance rippling across Ellie's frame like liquid darkness. My heart hammers against my ribs as I stare up at her, terror and awe mingling in my chest. Even transformed into this monstrous creature, I can't help but notice how her athletic frame is still visible beneath the symbiote's embrace, powerful shoulders, the curve of her waist, the muscular definition of her thighs, and, of course, her giant breasts. It's terrifying to behold up close, but somehow, impossibly, still captivating.
"Venom," I manage to croak, my voice barely above a whisper. "I presume?"
The creature tilts her head, those milky eyes somehow conveying curiosity. Her jaw parts, revealing rows of needle-sharp teeth as her impossibly long tongue slithers between them.
"We were listening to you, Shane," she hisses, her voice a disturbing blend of Ellie's familiar tone and something ancient and alien. "At dinner. In the restaurant."
She leans closer, that horrifying face inches from mine. I can smell her breath, strangely sweet and metallic at the same time.
"You know something, don't you?" The words slither from her mouth like living things. "Something about us. About what we are."
I sigh, my mind racing. I need to get out of this. My eyes dart past her shoulder, measuring the distance to the far edge of the rooftop. Fifty feet, maybe? Far enough to burn a little me but not knock me out.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I lie, gathering that electric energy inside me, feeling it build beneath my skin.
I close my eyes, focus on that distant spot, and release the energy.
The familiar electric jolt shoots through me as reality blurs.
POOF
I materialize exactly where I aimed, stumbling slightly as fatigue hits me. But there's no time to recover. I'm already running, sprinting toward the fire escape I can see at the corner of the building. Behind me, I hear Venom's roar of fury echoing across the rooftop.
"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE US, SHANE!"
I see a blur of black to my right, and suddenly, Venom is there, sailing over my head with impossible grace. The sight freezes me in place for a precious second. Her massive form blocks out the night sky as she arcs through the air.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I gasp, my lungs burning with exertion.
My eyes dart frantically across the cityscape, locking onto another rooftop across the street. It's far… Way too far. Easily over two hundred feet away. Venom lands behind me with a predatory growl, and I can feel her closing in, ready to pounce.
No choice. I focus on that distant rooftop with desperate intensity, gathering every ounce of energy I can muster. The electric tingle builds beneath my skin, stronger than ever before, almost painful in its intensity.
I release it all at once, throwing myself across the void between buildings.
The world twists, stretches, compresses, and then I'm collapsing onto rough concrete, my body betraying me completely. My stomach heaves violently but nothing comes up, just dry, painful retches that wrack my entire body. I can't even hold myself upright, crumpling face-first onto the rooftop.
Everything is wrong. My skin feels like it's on fire, drenched in sweat that chills instantly in the night air. Blood gushes from my nose, hot and metallic, pooling beneath my face. My heart thunders in my chest with a terrifying irregularity, too fast, then skipping beats, then racing again, like it might explode or simply stop at any moment.
And impossibly, despite the agony and terror, I'm sporting the most painful erection of my life, straining against my jeans with an urgency that makes no sense given my current situation.
I can barely drag in enough oxygen, each breath a desperate, shallow gasp that does nothing to satisfy my screaming lungs. Spots dance across my vision, darkness creeping in from the edges. I'm going to pass out. Maybe die. I've pushed too far.
"Impressive distance," Venom's voice purrs from directly above me.
My blood runs cold. How? How is she already here?
I manage to roll onto my back, blinking through the blood that's now streaming down my face. Venom towers over me, her massive form silhouetted against the city lights.
I try to teleport again, but my body won't respond. Nothing happens except a pathetic flicker of energy that dies before it can manifest. I'm completely drained, helpless as Venom's massive form looms over me.
"Poor little teleporter," she purrs, crouching beside me. "You've broken yourself."
She reaches down with one clawed hand, pressing it against my chest. I flinch, expecting pain, but instead feel her pause. The blank white eyes of her face widen slightly.
"Your heart," she hisses, head tilting in what seems like concern. "It's... fluttering."
I try to respond but can only manage a weak cough, more blood spattering from my lips. My vision keeps blurring in and out of focus. The pain in my chest intensifies, like someone's crushing my ribcage in a vise.
Venom leans closer, her face inches from mine. Suddenly, her expression shifts.
"We can smell it," she growls, but something's different about her voice, a strange duality emerging. "The power inside you. It's intoxicating."
The symbiote begins to undulate across her body more rapidly, pulsing and writhing like it's responding to something in me. I watch in confused terror as Venom seems to argue with herself, her massive head twitching from side to side.
"What is happening to us?" she snarls, one clawed hand clutching her own head. "This... hunger is different."
Her blank eyes fix on me again, but now her massive tongue slithers out, tasting the air between us. I realize with horrified fascination that the same energy that affected Spider-Woman must be affecting Venom too, only amplified by my current state.
"We want..." she growls, her body lowering over mine. "We need..."
The symbiote ripples across her form as she presses me flat against the rooftop. Despite my critical condition, my body responds to her proximity, that painful erection throbbing with renewed intensity. I can barely breathe, each shallow gasp bringing less and less oxygen.
"Can't... breathe," I manage to wheeze out.
Venom doesn't seem to care. Her massive hands tear at my jacket, ripping it away like tissue paper. My shirt follows, shredded by those terrible claws, the cool night air hitting my exposed chest. I should be terrified. I am terrified, but there's something else mingling with the fear now, something primal and overwhelming.
"What are you doing?" I gasp as she continues tearing away my clothes.
Venom suddenly jerks back, her massive head tilting at an odd angle. "What the fuck do you mean, he's dying?" she snarls, those blank white eyes widening.
My vision swims as I try to focus on her face, realizing she's not talking to me but to the symbiote itself. I can't hear the other side of their conversation, just Ellie's increasingly agitated responses.
"I don't care what you sense," she growls, her claws still methodically shredding my jeans to ribbons. "We need him."
I should be fighting, screaming, doing something, anything, but my body won't respond. The pain in my chest intensifies, each heartbeat feeling like it might be my last. Blood continues to stream from my nose, pooling beneath my head in a warm, sticky puddle.
"Then we'll fix him while I fuck him," Venom declares, her voice shifting to something more distinctly Ellie's.
The symbiote bubbles over her body, peeling back from her skin like black water receding from shore. I catch glimpses of tanned flesh, powerful muscles, the curve of her breasts as the alien substance pulls away, leaving her nearly naked. Only thin tendrils remain, wrapping around her like some obscene lingerie, accentuating rather than hiding her incredible physique.
My dying brain still manages to register how gorgeous she is, all lean muscle and dangerous curves. The contrast between her golden skin and the inky blackness of the symbiote is hypnotic.
Before I can process what's happening, dark coils shoot out from her body, wrapping around my wrists and pinning them above my head. The symbiote spreads beneath me like a living mattress, surprisingly warm against my bare skin.
"Don't fight it," Ellie whispers, her voice almost gentle now.
Another tendril forms from the mass, thicker than the others, snaking toward my face. I try to turn away, but lack the strength. The tendril forces its way between my lips, pushing deep into my throat in one smooth motion.
I gag reflexively, panic surging through me despite my weakened state. "What is it doing to me?" I try to ask around the intrusion, the words coming out garbled and desperate.
Ellie straddles me completely now, positioning herself above my exposed cock. She shifts around her hips, clearing a path as she slowly sinks down onto me.
We both moan as she takes me fully inside her, her sound one of pleasure, mine a confused mixture of ecstasy and terror. The heat of her is overwhelming, impossibly tight and slick.
Ellie leans down, her face hovering inches from mine. The symbiote has receded completely from her head, revealing flushed cheeks and wild eyes. Her pupils are blown so wide I can barely see the blue iris around them.
"It's healing your heart," she whispers, her voice husky with desire. "We can feel it... mending the damage."
I gasp as she rolls her hips, sending electric waves of pleasure through my pain-wracked body. The symbiote tendril in my throat pulses rhythmically, and bizarrely, each pulse seems to ease the crushing pain in my chest.
Ellie arches her back and begins to ride me in earnest, her powerful thighs flexing as she lifts and lowers herself. The expression on her face is primal, almost possessed.
Something strange happens as she moves on top of me. My own desire amplifies, not just physical lust but a desperate, aching need for connection that surges through me like a tidal wave. It's more than arousal, it's hunger, pure and overwhelming.
I feel something coiling around my heart, literally, tendrils of the symbiote have worked their way inside me, wrapping around the damaged muscle. It should be terrifying, but each gentle squeeze brings relief instead of pain. The irregular flutter steadies, growing stronger with each beat.
My vision clears as blood flow normalizes, the world coming back into sharp focus. Ellie looks down at me, her expression a bizarre mixture of lust and scientific fascination.
As the symbiote begins to flow back across Ellie's body, it keeps her face exposed, those wild eyes still locked with mine. The black tendrils around my wrists tighten, pulling me closer to her despite my helpless position beneath her. My heart, now beating with renewed strength, hammers against my ribs as she leans down toward me.
Her lips crash against mine without warning. The kiss is hungry, desperate, consuming. My lips part instinctively, and I find myself kissing her back with equal fervor.
Our tongues meet, and it's like completing an electric circuit. A jolt of pure sensation courses through my entire body. I moan into her mouth as she deepens the kiss, her tongue exploring mine with the same possessive intensity that guides her hips as they continue to rock against me.
It's as though we were designed for each other, two broken pieces finally finding their match. The symbiote pulses around us both, creating a bizarre connection that transcends the physical. I can almost feel Ellie's emotions, her hunger, her curiosity, her desperate need to consume and possess.
"What is this?" I gasp when she finally breaks the kiss, both of us breathing hard.
"We don't know," she whispers, her voice trembling slightly. "But we want more."
The rhythm of her hips suddenly changes, faster, more desperate. Her breathing becomes ragged as she grips my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin. The symbiote pulses around us, creating patterns of darkness and light across her golden skin that mesmerize me even through my haze of pleasure.
"Oh god, Shane," she moans, her voice rising in pitch.
Her movements become frantic, wild. The symbiote covering her body starts to vibrate, emitting a high-pitched sound that borders between pleasure and pain. Ellie throws her head back, her spine arching impossibly as her inner muscles clench around me with supernatural strength.
"YESSS!" she screams, her entire body shuddering violently. Her eyes roll back, showing only whites as ecstasy claims her completely. The symbiote joins her climax, its alien shriek harmonizing with her human cries in a frightening chorus of pleasure.
The dual sensation, her body gripping me like a vise while the symbiote sends electrical pulses through my nervous system, pushes me over the edge. My back arches off the rooftop as I explode inside her, wave after wave of pleasure crashing through me with an intensity that whites out my vision. I'm pouring everything I have into her, my entire being emptying into her waiting depths.
"That's it, Shane," she hisses through clenched teeth, grinding down to milk every last drop from me. "Give us everything."
I can't speak, can't think. I can only feel as my body surrenders completely to her. The symbiote coils tighter around my heart, not threateningly but almost... protectively. The sensation extends the pleasure beyond what should be humanly possible, stretching seconds into eternities.
When my head finally clears, I feel the symbiote pull away from my throat. There's an odd sensation as it withdraws, almost like reluctance, as if it doesn't want to leave me. The absence feels strange, like losing something I never knew I needed.
Ellie collapses on my chest, her breathing heavy and ragged. I'm panting too, but unlike before, it's purely from exertion rather than oxygen deprivation or heart failure. My lungs work normally now, filling and emptying without the crushing pain.
I feel something cool and slick against my face. Ellie's running the symbiote across my cheeks and under my nose like a napkin.
"Sorry about the blood," she murmurs, her voice softer than I've ever heard it. "Your nose was practically a faucet, but it's all good now." She pauses, the black substance retreating back into her skin. "And we saved your life too, so you're welcome for that."
I stare up at her in complete awe. "Thanks," I manage, the word woefully inadequate for what just happened.
Ellie laughs, but it's different now, lighter, almost relieved. The wild hunger that consumed her eyes has vanished completely. Looking inward, I realize that overwhelming desire I felt has likewise disappeared, leaving only a pleasant afterglow and lingering confusion.
She pushes herself up, surveying my naked body with a clinical detachment that feels almost comical after what we just did. A sigh escapes her lips as she shakes her head.
"I'll take you home," she announces, the symbiote flowing across her body to form actual clothes, a tight black t-shirt, and jeans that materialize out of nothing. "Can't let a man walk back to his dorm without clothes, can I?"
I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. "Oh, so you're a gentlewoman after all?"
"Don't push it," she warns, but there's no real threat in her voice. The symbiote extends from her hand, forming a simple black shirt and pants that she tosses at me. "These will dissolve in about an hour, so let's get you back before you end up naked in public."
I pull on the symbiote-clothes, marveling at how they feel against my skin, cool and slick but somehow comfortable, like wearing liquid silk. They fit perfectly, as if tailored specifically for me.
"Stop looking and come on." She barks but theres's no real bite behind it.