Rose quickly grasped Venom's forearm and sent a wave of flames traveling up his arm to his face scorching his scaly skin in the process.

Venom screeched as he recoiled and pulled his arm back from the opening in the roof of the van.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know that would happen!" Rose said as she peeked her head up through the opening.

"Rose don't apologize to the psycho! He's trying to eat us!" Lily yelled as she pulled on her arm.

"I think he fell off! I don't see him anywhe-" suddenly Rose was interrupted by Venom's iron grip now clasped around her throat.

"You girl, are the only person I've met besides Plague who makes me feel fear. Fear that my powers aren't the best. That I'm not the pinnacle of evolution. I'll just have to fix that." Venom said as he slowly pulled Rose from the inside of the van by her throat.

"No! Let her go you monster!" Mia screamed as she hung on for dear life on the now ruined couch.

Travis looked in the vans side mirror and felt his heart drop. His skin flushed and he felt sick to his stomach as he watched Rose squirm in Venoms grip.

"Watch where your driving Travis!" Lily screamed as she took hold of the steering wheel. She snapped Travis back to reality just in time to see he was barreling towards a brick wall. He swerved and just barely missed grinding the side of the van against the wall.

It sent sparks up and illuminated the murderous look in Venom's eyes all the better.

"Lily take control of the wheel." Travis said as he phased his hands through the roof of the van.

Lily panicked and grabbed hold with both hands causing the van to swerve.

"What how your driving kid! I can't aim if I can't stay on this fucking thing!" He heard Sarah scream.

"Where are you going?!" Lily asked as she shakily held onto the wheel.

"Up. I'm gonna fight this punk. Make sure we don't crash." Travis said as he pulled himself up and through the roof of the van.

"I don't know how to drive!" Lily said as she stretched into the driver's seat. She stretched her hand around Mia pulling her into the front seat beside her.

As he passed through the metal frame of the van, the first thing Travis felt was the rush of the wind around him.

The second was absolute terror as he watched as Rose was limp in Venom's hand. He smiled as she stared into the night sky resting her head against his hand.

"I can't get a clean shot at him! I don't want to hit Rose!" Sarah screamed against the rush of wind.

Travis noticed that venom was using her as a human shield against Sarah's bullets.

It made him sick to the stomach.

"That's enough! Pick on someone your own size you overgrown lizard!" Travis screamed as he ran at Venom.

Venom laughed heartily, it was cold and it lacked any sense of real humor.

"You want to fight me? The sniveling child in the gym wants to risk his life for some insignificant woman? Why after all you are such a coward." Venom said as he tightened his grip.

Rose gasped and her hands twitched weakly.

"Shut up!" Travis screamed as he phased through Rose and landed a punch directly to Venom's jaw, causing him to lose his footing and grip.

Rose fell, gasping for air, and landed on the roof of the van with a thud. She slowly began to slide off the side and completely disappeared over the side.

"Nooo!" Travis screamed as he lunged after her catching her hand right before she disappeared forever.

Travis struggled and groaned as he felt the weight of his friend as she dangled over the precipice.

He could feel his grip loosening and had an idea.

"Rose you are really not gonna like this." Travis said as he phased his hand into hers. He could feel her pulse and his heart skipped a beat.

"Well I'll admit, you do through a mean punch for a coward!" Venom yelled as he kicked Travis in the ribs.

Travis cried out and tightened his grab on the van.

"Get the fuck off my van!" Sarah screamed as she unloaded her magazine.

She landed every bullet, hitting Venom in his bare chest. He didn't react at all as he continued to lay blows into Travis' side. He cackled as Travis cried out.

"When will you learn, you're nothing! Not even worth my teeth! I'm going to keep pummeling you until you let go, that'll teach you." Venom said as he laid blow after blow into Travis. As he hung on for dear life he felt his body ache in protest.

"Let go! Why are you letting yourself be beaten to death over a woman. Just let go!"

"Oh, I understand now. You love her, don't you? You're letting your love for her outweigh your own survival!" Venom said he grabbed his side and bellowed out in laughter.

"What a ridiculous idea! You fool! You're going to die for her, only for her to be eaten by me!" Venom wiped away a tear from his eye and smiled at Travis.

"Travis?" Rose said weakly. Travis turned to face her to see tears in her eyes.

"Hey don't cry, Rose. Don't worry about me, this guy here is nothing. I'll beat him without even breaking a sweat." Travis said weakly smiling at Rose. He groaned as his armed began to shake.

She stared into his eyes and Travis felt all the pain in his stomach he had mingle with butterflies.

"Now die for me, lover boy." Venom yelled as he dug his claws into Travis' leg.

Travis screamed in agony as Venom pulled him up by his calf. Blood dripping down his leg reached his face as his eyes fluttered.

"Let him go!" Sarah yelled as he threw her gun at Venom. It bounced harmlessly off as he laughed her.

"All out of bullets? What a shame!" Bellowed Venom as he pulled Rose up and examine the conjoined hands.

"What a waste of marvelous power, to be given to such a waste of a human is horrible. Let me fix that." Venom said as he collected acid in his mouth.

"Noooooooooooo!" Screamed Mia as the whole world seemed to shake and crumble under the weight of her voice.

The ground beneath the van cracked and broke apart as it shook causing the van to get caught and flung everyone off the roof.

————

The shaking came to a stop just as Travis regained consciousness. He looked up from his position on the floor to see the world around him torn to shreds. What used to be a city block now laid in sinkholes and cracked earth. He looks in front of him to see rose rubbing her head.

He sighed in relief and tried to raise himself up. His head pulsed with immense pain and he clutched his head.

"Here let me help you up." Rose said as she grabbed hold of Travis with her free hand.

"Thank you, Rose. Taking a beating really tires you out." Travis said as he winced in pain. He looked down at his leg to see a stream of blood run down his calf. He leaned against Rose as he clutched his leg.

"Take it easy Travis. Your hurt real bad, we all are." Rose said hoarsely.

Travis looked around to see Lily stretched out on a leaning tree carrying Mia in her hands.

"I told you I couldn't drive! That's not my fault!" Lily yelled as she swung in the tree.

Travis chuckled as he leaned on Rose and felt his side. He felt around and groaned, definitely a broken rib or two.

"Where's Sarah?" He asked getting his balance back. He turned to rose when she didn't respond to see her pointing, pale in the face, to one of the holes in the floor. He turned to face it to see Venom slowly crawling out. He was missing an arm and it looked like it was slowing him down.

"Thought you had seen the last of me huh? Thought you could get away from the perfect being? No one escapes me. No one!" Venom weakly said as he got to his feet. He teetered a bit and he bled profusely from his wound.

He winced and turned to his arm missing. Without skipping a beat he covered the wound in spit instantly cauterizing it. As he screeched out in pain he lost his balance and rested against a ruined light post.

"Give it up man! Your beat. Your missing an arm and can barely see straight." Travis yelled.

Venom weakly laughed and shuffled slowly towards them.

"Me, the perfect being, give up and submit to mere children? Ludicrous! I'll kill you all here and deliver that child without any further delays."

"Can you fight?" Travis said turning to Rose.

She smiled and nodded conjuring a small flame in her hand.

"No, the fuck you won't asshole!" Sarah yelled.

A loud crack rang out followed by silence.

Travis jaw dropped as he saw Sarah with a broken bat in her hands as she stood triumphant beside Venom.

Without another word, he fell to the floor leaving everyone stunned.

"I told him to get off my van but noooooo. Men never listen do they?" Sarah said as she dropped the van and made her way over to Travis.

"I think it's okay to unstick your hand from mine. You don't have to hold it anymore." Rose said quietly.

"I did. I just liked the feeling of your hand in mine. Sorry." Travis said as he slowly let go of Rose's hand.

"I liked it too. I felt safe while holding it."  She said quietly her face flushing.

"I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment but can someone take the time out of their day to help me down!" Lily yelled as the tree shook.

"I got you, kid! Just don't be a bitch about it. No? Ok, not the time for puns." Sarah said as she ran towards Lily.

————

Once situated they all stood in front of the wreckage of the van. Travis scratched at the makeshift bandages on his wound and winced. It was the best he could do with limited resources but he felt bad taking Sarah's jacket. He turned to face Venom's body to see it where he had left it, bound in jumper cables and unconscious.

"Are we going to talk about what the actual fuck just happened?" Sarah said as she rubbed her arms. She shivered and kicked the van causing a headlight to fall out.

She groaned and sat on a pile of rubble on the ground.

"Yeah who was that guy?" Lily asked as she held a sleeping Mia in her arms.

"That was Venom. He doesn't like us much." Travis said as he winced from the pain in his side.

"The guy from the school attack?  Why was he downtown, and why did  he blow up that comic book store?" Lily asked confused

"I don't know, but it's just our luck that we were there when it happened. No rest for the wicked I guess." Travis said as he struggled to sit down.

"You look really bad man. We need to get you some meds and fast." Lily said as she poked his side.

"I'll be fine. We just need to find out what caused that tremor, not that I'm complaining it did save us."

"It was me." Mia said as she patted Sarah's head.

They all turned to her.

"It makes sense, I mean she has to have something she can do. It would explain why they want her so bad, if she can do this much damage when she's this young, imagine when she grows and gets better control." Rose said hoarsely as she rubbed her throat.

"I hate to say it but it might just be safer to leave town and not come back. It would mean our lives are over but if we can save millions for it I would do it in a heartbeat." Rose said as she brushed a strand of Mia's hair aside.

"She can't leave." Sarah said solemnly.

They all turned to her in surprise.

"Look, I don't know why it happens but every time she gets near the edge of town she's gets violently sick and has to be rushed to a hospital." Sarah said gesturing wildly.

"That was the reason why Lucas never left this shit hole town."

"This town has a blockbuster how is it a shit hole." Travis said seriously.

"Then how useful can she be to them if she can't even leave town? I don't understand." Rose said ignoring Travis.

The sound of radio static broke the silence and sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Incoming to your position. I repeat remain at you're position and secure target."

Travis turned to face venom to see him smiling holding a radio in his hands.

"Checkmate." He whispered as he dropped the radio limply and slumped in his seat.

"Who did he call?! Grab the radio! Hide Mia!" Travis yelled as he winced and fell over.

From above came the sound of beating wings and suddenly the cries of Mia.

Travis turned to see lily lying on the ground and what looked like a giant bird carrying Mia, fly away into the night sky.