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     It was a rainy morning, the clouds tearing up on the villain's bedroom window. The natural melody was covered by the sound of the flames swallowing the logs in the fireplace, causing warmth to embrace Venom's exposed torso. He woke up, and stood there, on the mattress, unmoving. He expected the other half of the Victorian style bed to be empty, the way it was every morning, but he was wrong.

     When he opened his eyes, he let out a soft, inaudible awed gasp.

      Staring back at him was a beauty, emanating darkness through her every flawless feature. She was watching him through matching empty eyes, the light of the fireplace reflecting in them. Her legs were long and slender, beautiful in the fragility of their elegance, her voluminous body covered in pure black, the shade of black you'd only meet in nightmares surrounding a blood red hourglass on her abdomen.

     She was a Black Widow Spider.

     Venom sighed dreamily, swiftly extending his hand on the mattress, inviting her politely. Her 8 legs moved in a perfect ballet as she stepped on his palm, her darkness standing in strong contrast with the villain's snow white skin. Venom closed his eyes and fought a shiver as she wondered up and down his torso, her ghost like touch tickling him teasingly. He tried his best not to flinch, knowing too well from past experiences what sudden moves caused venomous spiders to do.

     He loved the feeling of them walking on him, as odd as that might seem. It was because they were just so unpredictable, any second managing to completely change their path yet maintain the delicacy in their movement. And there was also the adrenaline of knowing that at any moment they could just decide to bite, making it a life and death situation...

     Carefully standing up, he exited the bedroom and went for the stairs leading to the attic, the spider calmly making her way up his back. As he entered the dark room, he pouted slightly at the sight. Inside the many jars placed on the 12 feet table lied dead spiders, a sight the villain predicted.

     He used to have a hobby of collecting them, bringing the spiders in the attic and watching their life styles. He used to name them, pair different species, watch them as they fought, as they ate... Now they were all dead, of course, 9 years having passed since he last saw them.

     With a sigh, he slowly walked along the table, eyeing each one decomposing arthropod. He carefully sat down on the boss chair, pulling a jar towards him. It contained what used to be his favourite spider, from the Hobo Spider species.

     "Hello, Johnny." he murmured, leaning the jar so the dead spider would lie on the table. The Black Widow then walked down Venom's arm and onto the table, approaching 'Johnny' curiously. The villain watched as she poked him with a superior air, then walked away, not interested. The villain understood- he wouldn't be too excited about eating a decade old dead body himself.

     Venom watched as the Black Widow walked on the table, around each jar, her pace proud and victorious as she watched the other dead spiders. It made the villain smile as he tilted his head.

     "I will name you...." he murmured, rubbing his jaw. "Venóm."

     That same morning, Klaus entered the crime department of the police station, looking around for Josh. The moment he spotted him next to the coffee machine, he approached, his mouth in a thin line as he repeated the words he planned on speaking. He patted the detective on the shoulder, eyes moving on the ground the moment he turned around.

     "Klaus, you are not allowed here." his friend deadpanned, much to his surprise.

     "Excuse me?" the hero asked incredulously, mind instantly emptying, his prepared speech sneaking somewhere under the carpet. "What do you mean?"

     "Well, you don't work here. You were never employed in the first place. We just let you in because you were helping us with most cases, and so being an unofficial detective yourself. But now that's not the case anymore, because instead of helping us find this serial criminal, you keep insisting on an innocent man -Venom- so your presence is useless here."

     "Josh what the hell! You'll kick me out for suspecting someone while you don't even have a guess?"

     "I do have a guess." Josh clarified, sipping from his coffee. "Ian Klein. The cannibal. You haven't even considered him, despite knowing he was freed from the mental hospital not long before Venom, he still lives in this town and, quite frankly, used to enjoy eating people!"

     "Josh... You could just tell me, you don't have to freaking kick me out! What the hell!" the hero spat, realisation hitting him as he studied the coldness in his friend's eyes. "Is this about yesterday?"

     Josh scoffed, turning to watch the rain pour on the wall sized window of the office.

     "I'm sorry, you know I can't... you know I can't help it." the hero murmured, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black jeans.

     "That's exactly it, Klaus. It's just... forget it. If you agree to focus on the actual killer, you're allowed to keep coming here. I need you to come with me at Ian's place and identify his emotions so we know he won't be lying when questioned. Don't you dare hide anything from me in order to keep the Venom suspicion up, Klaus."

     The hero blinked slowly, nodding obediently, eyes moving to the ground. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his friend turn around, and then Josh patted him on the shoulder and walked away. With a sigh, he followed him.

     "There's this art exposition on Friday." Josh spoke as he entered the elevator, Klaus short on his tracks. "There will be important men there, so your presence is required for their safety." he continued, to which Klaus nodded, pressing the ground floor button. "Also, Venom is going to be there."

     The hero's finger froze on the button as he shot his friend a dumfounded look. "The exposition needed pianists, so I sent Venom one of their announcement flyers. He happened to agree on going."

     "Are you kidding me, Josh? You just told me minutes ago to focus on the case and not Venom, and you do the exact opposite! You hypocrite!" the hero complained incredulously.

     "Wow, Klaus. Could you be any more of an arrogant? This is the man's chance of doing something productive, his chance to integrate in this society! You know what, forget it. Just make sure to be there."

     With a sigh, the hero crossed his arms and glared at the closing doors of the elevator. "Why do you even care about him and his integration in society." he murmured, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

     "Well you know what happened yesterday. That man attacked Venom, and there must be plenty more wanting him dead. If he attends these actions, the exposition for example, in time, people might come around to accept him. He'd been in a mental hospital, after all, so he should now be socially acceptable, but people have yet to believe that."

     "So tell me again, why do you care?"

     "As I said, Klaus, people want Venom dead. And I don't think he's going to willingly let them make a bonfire with him instead of logs. Just like yesterday, he would defend himself, which is completely understandable. But I saw that man's child crying, Klaus. Do you expect me to just brush that off and let more people get injured while trying to attack Venom?"

     Klaus didn't comment.

------

     The detective knocked on the door, on which a board with the name 'Klein' hanged loosely by a nail pinning it's corner. They were in the apartment complex including the ex-cannibal's apartment, about to check on him. The door opened, revealing a tall, scrawny looking man. His clothes were dirty and overworn, his hair looking like some animal crawled in it and died. Under his widened eyes stood red dark circles, the only colour present on his pale white face.

     "Hello, I am detective Harlem Josh and this is Klaus Swartz. We are here to interrogate you." the detective clarified, nose twitching at the smell coming from inside the apartment.

     "Interrogate? But... I've already been interrogated." the man whispered shakily from behind the barely opened door.

     "Yes, by cop Edward Jonathan who, among others, had died this past month. That is why we are here to question you now. May we come in?" he asked, hand already pushing the door open. The man gulped, stepping back hesitantly.

     His nervousness was so obvious Klaus's powers weren't even required in order to sense it. The hero frowned deeply as the strong smell hit him. It was definitely more than the man's lack of hygiene.

     The man gestured them to sit on a couch, but they kindly refused after seeing its state. "Okay, so! Could you tell us what you've been doing since you were released?" Josh asked, while Klaus glared around the apartment, the scent still unsettling him. He could feel the muscles of his left arm twitching in the pace of Ian's heartbeat, signalising his fear.

     "I've been doing... nothing." he murmured, scratching his head. As his arm raised, a wave of stanch swapped away the other, distracting the hero's nostrils from their initial purpose.

     "You have no job? What have you been living off of then?" Josh asked.

     "...My neighbours bring me leftovers..."

     "He's lying." interrupted Klaus, talking for the first time since they arrived.

     He stepped towards a room, frowning as the smell got stronger. He heard rushed steps behind him when he grabbed the doorknob. "Klaus!" Josh yelled, before something hit the back of the hero's head with a loud noise of shattering. In his dizziness, Klaus barely managed to make out the shape of a broken lamp on the floor. He turned around, but the movement made him stumble back into the door and support his whole weight on it, which caused it to open, sending him to the ground, next to a bed. He blinked a couple of times, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness. The moment they did, though, he regretted it, because as he turned his head to the right, he was met with the sight of the smell source.

     Staring back at him, under the bed, stood the decomposing body of a woman. She was naked, half of her face bitten off as well as many other parts of her. She was staring at the hero through lifeless, agonized eyes, her arm extended as if trying to reach for the hero, in need of help.

     Josh took out his gun and hit Ian in the temple violently, taking out his phone as the cannibal collapsed. He dialled the number of one of his co-workers while he walked into the room the hero fell in. "Yeah, Ian Klein is the killer. We're in his apartment, send someone. There's also a dead body here." he spoke as he knelt next to Klaus. He then closed the phone and gently helped him on his feet.

     The hero groaned, rubbing his head as he sat down on the mattress.

     "I would honestly advise you not to sit on that." Josh murmured, to which Klaus quickly jumped back on his feet as realisation hit him. The gesture made him even dizzier, causing him to stumble a bit. Josh wrapped an arm around his waist and leaded him to the living room, where he placed him on the ground and leaned his back against the wall. Brushing the hair out of Klaus's eyes, he then spoke. "Told you he was the killer! You're paying." He was referring to their habit of always going out for a drink or many after a solved case, the one to have suspected right in the first place having their drinks payed by the other.

     "I thought you were mad at me for pushing you around a little yesterday." murmured the hero, the corner of his lips rising in a tired smile.

     "Well I am, but that won't make me pass the free beers! I haven't won in, like... ages." Josh scoffed, to which they both laughed. Reaching a hand to Klaus's head, he moved his hair around, exposing the bleeding crack. "That looks bad... Want me to kiss it better?" he teased.

     The hero scoffed, vaguely hearing the sounds of police cars coming from outside. "Something's not right... this was too easy."

     "Said the one with the bleeding head." murmured back the detective, to which the hero sighed.

     "I dislike you."

     "I dislike you too."

     That Friday, a few hours before the art exposition, Venom's house embraced a sound it hadn't done in a long, long time. Every spider web shook as the noise echoed between the scraped walls.

     Laughter.

     The villain was laughing like there was no tomorrow as he sat on his chair in the kitchen, arm clasping his stomach, eyes tearing up as the gripped the newspaper. His cheeks hurt while his lungs ached for the air he couldn't breathe in gasps. Every time his eyes would land on the article's title, another roar of uncontrollable laughter would escape.

                                                              Serial Killer Busted

Ian Klein, a man that was released from the Megan Mental Hospital a month ago, was found guilty of the deaths of Billy Clarkson, Edward Jonathan, Zack Jonathan, Emma Viola and Helen Ashton. In the morning of 16th of July, detective Josh Harlem and hero Klaus Swartz visited his apartment in order to interrogate him. After searching the apartment, Helen's dead body was found under the cannibal's bed, who was then brought to the police station. He willingly admitted to having killed the 5 victims and he then asked to be sent to the mental hospital once again, in want to get rid of his insanity.

     Venom could only laugh... Karma seemed to love him. What were the chances of a cannibal lying about having killed Venom's victims, just in order to be given mental help?

     "Oh, the humanity!" he exclaimed, shaking his head in amusement. "Silly, silly humanity." he sighed, occasionally giggling. He then looked at the clock on the wall, realising it would be time for him to leave towards the exposition. He stood up, head dizzy after the lack of air caused by his little outburst, and made his way to the living room. He walked to his piano and traced his white gloved fingers on its dusted lid, silently apologising for being about to play another piano in a few hours.

     He walked towards the door, and just as he placed his hand on the doorknob, someone knocked. He opened the door curiously, blinking slowly when he saw Klaus and Josh.

     The hero couldn't help but gulp at the sight. Venom's cheeks were red, a small smile he must have forgotten about on his lips, head tilted in curiosity. Klaus's attention was stolen from the sign of emotion, though, his eyes trailing down the man's body instead. He was wearing an old fashioned suit, his hands covered in immaculate white gloves matching the shirt beneath the long black tailcoat. His dark circles, shining fangs and costume made him look like he belonged to another realm, as if he belonged to some gothic fairytale. He was a beautiful man, and Klaus was not hesitant to admit it to himself. He would never dare to voice his thoughts, though.

     "Greetings." Venom spoke in his German accent, making the hero look away from his perfection. "To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you?"

     "Well, Klaus insisted that we drove you to the exposition since we all have the same destination. Wouldn't want your fancy dress shoes dirtied by the mud in this wet forest." Josh spoke ironically, the glare on Klaus's face accentuating the false statement of his words.

     "Thank you, my hero! I appreciate it." Venom nodded, exiting the house before locking the door. As they went down the porch's stairs, he spoke. "Also, congratulations on solving the serial killer case, you two. I read the newspaper just minutes ago."

     "Thanks! And I apologise in name of my friend for what happened yesterday." Josh spoke, clearing his throat knowingly, but the hero chose to ignore his signal. No way he was apologising after how Venom attempted to manipulate his mind.

     "It's all forgiven..." he replied casually as they approached the hero's car. Klaus grumpily made his way to the back door, opening it for the vampire, who offered a grin in return before he swiftly climbed in. The hero then entered the driver's seat, ignoring the teasing look Josh shot him.

     "What's up with the suit..." Klaus murmured as he started his black Volkswagen Passat car, driving on the fading path leading out the woods. "All you miss is a top hat and a monocle."

     Venom chuckled. "Are you one of those persons that cover their kinds gestures under layers of sarcasm just to keep their tough attitude?" he asked calmly, adjusting his tie proudly. Klaus moved his eyes to the rear view mirror to meet the man's intelligent eyes looking at him daringly. With a shake of his head, he moved his eyes back on the road.

     Klaus's eyes followed Venom's movements as he made his way through the crowd to the deck where a piano stood. The hero was leaning on a wall, arms crossed, his friend Josh standing next to him, sipping from a glass of wine. Klaus scoffed as the vampire flung the tail of his coat back in a cartoon like movement before sitting down on the piano's chair.

     At the sight of the villain on the small stage, the people in the gallery gathered in a crowd in front of the deck, whispering as they waited for him to start playing. The hero sighed, rolling his eyes. "Since when is Venom an exhibit?" he murmured. Josh nudged him, shaking his head in annoyance. Klaus shrugged, glaring at the people around him. He had a fair amount of alcohol in his system, causing his mind to welcome thoughts he would usually try to swap away.

     His eyes jumped from person to person as he silently criticized each one of them. The way they held their glasses so delicately, pinkie fingers raised in formality. The polite words creating meaningless conversations, the fake smiles behind which glares of jealousy hid, the expensive suits and jewellery they wore as to underline their 'superiority'...

     Klaus disliked people.

     As his eyes landed on what held the said peoples' attention, his glare darkened. What he hated more than these people were the ones that had nothing to be hated for. In that case, Venom. Sitting there unfazed by all the looks darted his way as he popped his gloved knuckles... The ghost of a smirk on his face as he placed his fingers on the claps, messing around with the crowd's patience as he let them sink in anticipation...

[[[play video at the right side of the page]]]

     The moment Venom started playing, though, the hero's frown softened into a questioning look, his lips parting in awe. His reaction was nothing compared to the others', who straight up froze. Everyone in the gallery lost track of time and thought, their minds emptying as they welcomed the sounds entering their soul. Watching what they once considered to be a villain, they couldn't help but forget about the man's dark past and focus on his present beauty.

     After he stopped playing the first melody, the crowd erupted in loud claps, and some of it parted, moving around to admire the exhibits. But Klaus didn't move. He just studied Venom as he played the next song as if to himself, the sounds of chattering and whispers faded from his attention. But by the half of the second melody, the hero noticed some changes in the villain's attitude.

     His once expressionless face slowly turned unsettled, which the hero realised by the hint of a frown on his forehead. His chapped lips were forming a thin line, his Adam's apple rising as he dryly gulped. His shoulders stopped moving with the song, instead turning rigid. His hands started shaking, as well as the lower lip he tried to hide, but it didn't affect his perfect performance, which was what fooled the other people into being oblivious to his behaviour.

     As he played the third melody, the villain was covering his shaky exhales under the notes he pressed rougher than necessary, while trying his best to empty his mind from the flashbacks that kept fighting their way in. The people didn't notice, of course, but he knew one of them did, since he could feel Klaus's hard gaze on him.

     Klaus flinched as the villain abruptly ended the melody, the claps of the people bringing him out of his daze. With that, the villain was done for the night, the next pianist taking his place as he left. The hero watched as Venom went to a waiter, took the two wine bottles on his tray and left towards the elevator in a rush. Klaus ran after him, ignoring Josh's questions, but he didn't make it on time. The doors of the lift closed long before he reached it.

     He watched the numbers above the doors lighten one by one, eyes widening more and more with each floor passing. He gulped when it stopped at the roof floor.

     Not wanting to wait for the elevator to come back, he took the stairs, running as fast as he managed, occasionally stumbling in his close to drunk state. He didn't question his deciding, he just ran with the purpose of saving a man he considered to have wished dead up until then. 

     He didn't know how long it took to reach the last floor, but he knew he had to hurry. As he reached it, he went for the door leading outside and slammed it open, stumbling out as he gasped for air. Looking ahead of him, he froze.

     No one was there. The only things ahead of him were two wine bottles, one of them emptied, standing on the edge of the roof.

     .... Maybe he should have taken the elevator...

------

So I was writing like there was no tomorrow, and then I was like 'holly molly this thing is getting waaaay too long.' Seriously, it was like... huge. So I pretty much decided to cut some of it and end this chapter with a cliffhanger! Heuehuehueheu :}

Don't hate me Q_Q 

XD Anyway. Oh, just to clear  things out, this is totally not the ending :)) the book is far from ending. Just throwing that out there :'3 sooo yah.

Also, I would like to thank vkgoeswild (psh, like she would ever read this) for being such an amazing pianist and for having such great taste in music :D It's the second time I'm choosing one of her performances for a chapter :3 she's amazing. check out her channel :o 

Oh, and I have only reread this chapter a few times, so if there's anything wrong or confusing or misspelled in this please let me know? D: I feel bad, it's like I'm putting you to do the work for me but I just wanted to post this asap because I don't like you keep you waiting :c

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