The Cemetery.
It was early the next morning when Carlo Reed was sitting next to his motorbike outside the shed. Carlo was busy fixing something on his bike after last night's fight with Venom.

Carlo was smoking a cigarette. He wiped his hands off with a cloth as Carter Slade walked up to him.

Carlo-''Is our host awake yet?''

Carlo took a drag of his cigarette and looked at Slade.

Slade-''Not yet. Been out cold since last night.''

Slade walked up to Carlo and stood on the other side of the bike facing Carlo.

Slade-''You ok, Kiddo?''

Carlo-''Guess I gotta be, Uncle Slade.''

Slade-''I understand.''

Carlo-''Did you know?''

Slade-''No. But I had a feeling.''

Carlo-''And you never told me?''

Slade-''I wasn't too sure myself, Kiddo.''

Carlo sighed.

Slade-''There's no point in starting a fire if there's nothing to burn.''

Carlo nodded as he understood what Slade meant.

Carlo-''Oh, dammit.''

Slade-''What is it?''

Carlo-''My Crew & Barbed Wire in Houston. They gotta be wondering where the hell I am.''

Carlo took out his phone.

Carlo-''I'll be right back.''

Slade-''Ok.''

Carlo walked off and then Slade heard a noise.

Slade-''Must be awake.''

Slade walked inside and saw the host awake on the bed.

Slade-''Good morning.''

Venom's host looked up at Slade.

Venom's host is Michelle Shaw!

Michelle-''Who are you? Where am I?''

Slade-''You're safe here. Don't gotta worry about a thing, sweetheart.''

Michelle sat up straight on the bed.

Venom-''I know this guy. He was on that horse last night.''

Michelle-''You're the guy that was on the horse last night. You changed and so did your horse.''

Slade-''That's right. Horse's name is Banshee.''

Carlo quietly stood outside the room by the doorway so Michelle couldn't see him.

Michelle-''You change into a....Ghost Rider.''

Slade-''I do. How do you know it's called a Ghost Rider?''

Michelle-''Cause that's what he called himself.''

Slade-''Who called himself that?''

Michelle-''Carlo.''

Carlo was shocked and wondered how she knew it was him.

Slade-''Wait, you know that Carlo is the Ghost Rider?''

Michelle-''Yeah....I do.''

Slade-''How?''

Michelle-''I saw him change in front of me when he saw Venom at the carnival.''

Carlo remembered.

Slade-''Oh, I see. You saw it through Venom's eyes.''

Michelle nodded.

Slade-''If you knew it was Carlo, then why did you fight him that night at the carnival?''

Michelle-''We didn't want to fight him. We ran off, but he came after us. We just needed to slow him down.''

Slade-''And what about last night?''

Michelle-''*Sighs sadly* We were just trying to slow him down again to get away. I would never let Venom hurt Carlo. I love him.''

Carlo smiled hearing Michelle say those words.

Michelle-''You believe me, don't you?''

Michelle sighed.

Michelle-''What am I asking? Of course you wouldn't. We just met.''

Slade-''You would be surprised what I believe, sweetheart.''

Michelle looked at Slade sadly.

Michelle-''Is Carlo ok?''

Slade-''Carlo's fine. He has healing abilities just like your symbiote does for you.''

Michelle-''Oh, thank goodness. *sighs in relief* Is Carlo here?''

Slade-''He's waiting for you outside if you wanna talk to him.''

Michelle-''Why are you helping me?''

Slade-''Cause I know you're not a bad person. And my boy loves you.''

Michelle smiled.

Slade-''Look, however you ended up with this Venom creature is your business, but you owe an explanation to Carlo.''

Michelle-''I know I do.''

Slade-''Smart girl.''

They smiled.

Michelle-''What is your name? If you don't mind me asking.''

Slade-''Carter Slade, darling.''

Michelle-''Nice to meet you.''

Slade smiled and nodded.

Slade-''I'll tell Carlo you're awake.''

Michelle-''Thank you.''

They smiled.

Slade stepped out of the room and looked at Carlo. Slade gestured to Carlo to follow him and they headed outside.

Carlo-''How is she doing, Uncle Slade?''

Slade-''Well, she seems fine. She's just confused about how she's going to explain everything to you.''

Carlo-''I'm not the only one who deserves an explanation, Uncle Slade. I owe her one too.''

Slade nodded and looked over Carlo's shoulder. Carlo turned around and he saw Michelle step outside.

Slade-''Go talk to her, Kiddo.''

Slade walked off as Carlo smiled at him.

Carlo & Michelle slowly walked up to each other. They hugged each other tightly as they were very emotional because this moment was extremely overwhelming for both of them.

Carlo-''Hey.''

Michelle-''Hey.''

They slowly pulled away from their embrace.

Carlo-''Sorry about the baggy clothes. It was all I had to dress you in after your jacket, T-shirt and jeans got burned.''

Michelle-''It's fine. You know I love baggy clothing. I'm always a tomboy.''

They smiled.

Carlo-''Wanna go for a walk? We have a lot to talk about.''

Michelle-''True. I'd love to take a walk.''

Carlo-''Come on.''

Carlo took Michelle's hand and they started walking through the cemetery together.

Carlo-''Which of us should go first?''

Michelle-''Maybe the one who has had their new ability the longest.''

Carlo-''True. How long have you had Venom?''

Michelle-''Two & a half years.''

Carlo-''Wow.''

Michelle-''How long have you been a Ghost Rider?''

Carlo-''Two & a half years too. But....''

Carlo sighed.

Michelle-''What is it?''

Carlo-''This Ghost Rider thing actually started when I was 18.''

Michelle-''Really? But-''

Carlo-''We were together in college for 4 years after it started.''

Michelle-''I-I'm confused.''

Carlo-''Let's sit down. I'll start from the beginning.''

Michelle-''Ok.''

Carlo & Michelle sat on a concrete bench.

Carlo-''Ok, you remember when my brother was ill?''

Michelle-''Yeah. He was in the hospital for months. We visited him as much as we could.''

Carlo-''Yeah. And you recall how he made a sudden recovery and he was 100% better right before he died?''

Michelle-''Yes.''

Carlo-''Well, he made that sudden recovery because....I made a deal.''

Michelle-''What deal?''

Carlo-''A deal with The Devil.''

Michelle-''Oh....''

Carlo-''He offered me a deal to take away my brother's illness. All I had to do was....sign a contract. But I didn't know I was selling my soul to him.''

Michelle nodded as she understood.

Carlo-''It worked. He got better the very next day and everything was great. Until....''

Michelle-''I know.''

Michelle squeezed Carlo's hand.

Carlo-''Well *clears throat* after my brother passed, I realised that it was all a trap. The Devil played with my emotions and I signed a contract that I had no clue what it was really about.''

Michelle-''Carlo, you were 18 and you wanted to save your brother who was only 16 at the time. Anyone in your situation would've done the same thing.''

Carlo-''Really?''

Michelle-''A person would do anything to save their family. Trust me, you did it from your heart.''

Carlo smiled sadly.

Carlo-''I'm sorry, Mick. I should've told you sooner.''

Michelle-''You have nothing to apologise for.''

They smiled sadly at each other.

Carlo-''Well, I never became Ghost Rider until over 2 years ago.''

Michelle-''Why only then?''

Carlo-''The Devil only needed me from that moment. His son, Blackheart, decided to defy him. So, he changed me into a Ghost Rider and I had to kill Blackheart.''

Michelle-''Are you stuck as a Ghost Rider?''

Carlo-''Mostly. I always get the chance to give up this power, but....I refuse every time.''

Michelle smiled.

Carlo-''What?''

Michelle-''You refuse so that someone else doesn't sell their soul for the right or wrong reasons.''

Carlo smiled.

Carlo-''You know me so well, Mick.''

Michelle-''I do.''

They laughed a little.

Carlo-''Well, that's pretty much it. You have any questions?''

Michelle-''Can you transform at any time?''

Carlo-''At first, I could only change at night whenever I was around evil people or supernatural beings.''

Michelle nodded.

Carlo-''But after some time, I was able to control it more. Now, I can change at any time and my strength is more powerful. Plus, check this out.''

Carlo raised his hand up and did this.

Michelle-''Wow. You're a walking lighter.''

Carlo laughed!

Carlo-''I guess I am.''

Michelle giggled.

Carlo-''So, what's your story? How did you and Venom get together?''

Carlo asked as Slade walked over to them with Banshee by his side.

Slade-''I'd like to know too. If you don't mind, darling.''

Michelle-''Not at all. But first, check this out.''

Carlo & Slade looked at each other before looking at Michelle again.

Michelle-''Venom.''

Venom's head came out of Michelle's shoulder & arm and Venom looked at Carlo like this.

Carlo-''Whoa.''

Venom-''Hello, Matchstick.''

Slade-''Well, damn. And here I thought I have seen it all.''

Michelle smiled.

Carlo-''Wow. This is cool.''

Venom-''I am Venom.''

Carlo-''Nice to meet you. I'm Carlo Reed.''

Venom-''So, this is the guy that makes your heart race every time you're near him, Mick?''

Michelle-''Oh, my-''

Michelle blushed as Carlo smiled.

Michelle-''Venom, *clears throat* Carlo & Slade want to know how you & I met.''

Venom-''Simple. I needed a host and she was there.''

Slade-''Where exactly?''

Michelle-''Barbed Wire's recording studio is in L.A and we live there. One day, I was with my dad, Ian Shaw, at his auto repair shop to help him out for the week.''

Venom-''I had snuck out of my glass tube from the lab when it got cracked. I went into a dog on the street and ran into the repair shop and saw her.''

Michelle-''I was laying under a car on a skateboard when I felt something on my ankle under my overalls. But when I checked, nothing was there.''

Carlo-''That was Venom going into your body?''

Venom-''Yes.''

Michelle-''Man, I felt sick for a couple of days.''

Carlo-''Why?''

Slade-''She was adjusting to the symbiosis.''

Michelle-''Yeah. Since then, Venom & I have been taking care of criminals wherever we go.''

Venom-''There'd be a lot less criminals if you'd just let me eat them.''

Michelle-''Venom, we talked about this a hundred times. You are not eating humans anymore!''

Venom-''But I get hungry!''

Michelle-''I said "No"!''

Venom-''Fine!''

Carlo & Slade chuckled.

Carlo-''You two always argue like this?''

Michelle & Venom-''Sometimes.''

Carlo smiled.

Michelle-''But he listens to me as long as I feed him chocolates.''

Carlo-''Good to know.''

They chuckled.

Michelle-''You have any questions?''

Carlo-''No. I'm pretty caught up with Venom's abilities from our fights.''

Slade-''Speaking of fights, when is the next one?''

Michelle-''Wherever The Devil is.''

Slade-''You'll never find him here. He can't step foot here.''

Michelle-''Good.''

Venom-''Where can we find him?''

Carlo-''You don't have to. He'll find you.''

Slade-''Why are you fighting him, darling?''

Michelle-''He wants Venom.''

Carlo-''The Devil wants a symbiote?''

Venom-''Yes. And we don't know why.''

Michelle-''And because Venom is with me....that makes me his target too.''

Slade-''What would The Devil possibly want with a symbiote?''

Carlo-''Whatever the reason, it's not good, Uncle Slade.''

Slade nodded.

Carlo, Slade, Michelle & Venom knew that they needed to find The Devil and figure out why he wants Venom.