Symbiote Squad

Symbiote squad
Issue 1:

Philadelphia
Shot on a rooftop

Narration box: "I've been a lot of things in my life. A bully. A soldier. An Avenger. Hell, I was even a guardian of the galaxy for a bit. But I'm home now. I'm Flash Thompson, Agent Venom.

Full page of Agent Venom standing on the rooftop, looking over the city.

After being inspired by my biggest hero, Spider-Man, I joined the army where I got my legs blown off. Uncle Sam decided to give me a second chance with project rebirth, and hooked me up to one of Spidey's most powerful foes, the Venom symbiote. It was a rough relationship at first, but we've bonded in more ways than one. I put the government work behind me and am my own hero now, working alone-"
Mania: "Flash, are we gonna actually do something, or just stand on this rooftop all night?"

Panel opens up and we see Mania sitting on the edge of the roof.

Narration box: "Well, mostly alone. That's Andi Benton, aka Mania. She's a recent graduate from the school I used to work for. After a psychopath murdered her dad, I managed to protect her, but accidentally gave her a part of the symbiote in the process, and also passed on a hellmark I used to have. I still blame myself, so I take care of her now, though she's more capable than I give her credit for."
Flash: "Remember Mania, don't use real names while we're on patrol. It's part of the whole secret identity thing. You never can be too careful."
Mania: "Oh come on-"

Zoom in on a different rooftop, where a shadowy figure watches them from afar

Mania: "-who's gonna see us up here?"

A piercing scream is suddenly heard.
AAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!

Flash: "Well, there's the action you were waiting for."
Mania: "Finally!"

Both swing down towards the streets
Two thugs have a woman cornered in an alley, one with a knife, one with a gun. The woman is cowering on the ground.

Thug 1: "Scream all ya want lady. Ain't nobody comin to help ya."
Thug 2: "S'right. And even if there were, they wouldn't want to deal with two scary guys like us, heh heh"
Flash (off panel): "I dunno,"

Thug two turns to see Agent Venom with a mouth full of tongue and teeth

Flash: "You don't look so scary to me"

The thug unloads his gun into agent venom, but he just absorbs the bullets, and then head butts him unconscious

Thug 1: "Huh?"

Starts to turn around, but mania drops in between him and the girl.

Mania: "Get out of here lady."

The thug yells and runs at her with a knife. She catches his arm on the downward strike, and slams him into the wall, causing him to drop the knife which she catches with a tendril.

Mania: "So you want to hurt someone? Let's see how you like it."

She stabs him with the knife causing him to scream in pain. She reaches her hand out towards his face and tendrils snake into his mouth and eyes, and he's barely able to whimper out "please...stop..."

Mania: "That's right. I hope you feel that!"

Mania looks more and more monstrous and a pentagram appears on her chest. The man is starting to convulse, and Agent Venom approaches her.

Flash: "Mania, that's enough. Mania!"

Mania comes to her senses and lets go of the thug who's passed out from pain.

Mania: "I'm sorry! It's just getting so hard to control again!"
Flash: "I know. It's the hellmark. We're gonna have to deal with this sooner than later, there's no more ignoring it. And to do that, I think we'll have to go to where it was branded to me. Las Vegas."

As Flash is saying this, a red face and yellow eyes are coming out of the shadows from behind Flash.

Eddie: "Leaving so soon Flash?"
Narration box: My symbiote reacts harshly to the sound of that voice

Flash whips around and pulls his pistols out.

Flash: "Eddie Brock?!"

Large two page splash page showing the states of Eddie's life as Venom, Anti-Venom, and Toxin.

Narration box: Eddie Brock. The original Venom. He's incredibly unstable, and used to have a huge grudge against Spider-Man. We've crossed paths with before, first as Anti-Venom, and then like he is now, bonded to the Toxin symbiote. Him being here can only mean trouble.
Eddie: "You and I both know those guns are useless against me."
Flash: "What the hell are you doing here Eddie?"
Eddie: "Don't you remember? I told you I'd be keeping an eye on you. And if you were ever to lose control, Toxin and I are gonna be there ones to put you down."
Flash: "Mania and I just stopped a crime. We have things plenty under control."
Eddie glances over at Mania who is standing over the unconscious thug.
Eddie: "Sure didn't look that way to me."

Mania gets mad and comes up to Brock, pointing a finger into his face.

Mania: "Hey, from what I've heard you've done lots worse than this! Who are you to judge me?"
Eddie: "Because I know from experience what that thing does to you. Tell me girl, can you name one good thing that's happened to you since him and that black demon have entered your life?"

Mania angrily looks away, unable to come up with a good answer.

Eddie: "That's what I thought."
Flash: "Don't you think I know that? If it wasn't for me, her dad would probably still be alive! It's my fault! But I'm trying my best to make things right!"

Mania places a hand on Flash's shoulder

Mania: "Flash, I don't blame you. You know that."
Flash: "I know Andi. I know."
Eddie: "As long as she's wearing that thing, she'll never be safe."
Flash: "Look Eddie, the symbiote is the least of her problems. She's got an actual demon trying to corrupt her with a hellmark. I'm trying my best to fix it, so if you're not gonna help, stay out of our way!"

Eddie is silent for a moment, seeming to think about what he said.

Eddie: "Alright, you've convinced me. When do we start?"
Flash: "Wait, what? No, I didn't mean-"
Eddie: "What kind of man of faith would I be if I didn't help purge a demon? My mind is made up. I'm coming with you."
Narration box: Every part of me is telling me this is a bad idea, and the symbiote feels the same. But I don't have a lot of options, and could use all the help I can get.
Flash: "Fine. But don't make me regret this."
Mania: "Well I'm so glad everyone kiss and made up so fast, but how are the three of us supposed to get to Vegas on such notice?"
Flash: "Don't worry-"

Flash pulls his phone out and scrolls through his avengers contacts, stopping on Valkyrie.

Flash: "-I've got a friend."

Later, in Las Vegas
A flying horse comes in for a landing on top of a building. Mania, Flash, and Valkyrie are riding it with Eddie trailing behind holding onto a web line attached to the horse. It lands and everyone starts to dismount.

Eddie: "Next time, I get a seat on the horse."
Flash: "Hey Valk, thanks. And sorry I haven't talked in awhile. I was kind of in space. It was a whole thing."
Valkyrie: "There's no need for apologies Thompson. Although, thou could always make it up to me-"

She leans in to whisper to him

Valkyrie: "-in my chambers."

And then she kisses him on the cheek, and then mounts her horse

Valkyrie: "Til we next meet!"

Her horse flies off and Flash watches her go. Eddie comes to stand beside him.

Eddie: "Not bad Thompson. Not bad at all."
Flash: "Shut up Brock."
Mania: "So, what now Coach?"
Flash: "To be honest, I was hoping you would know."
Mania: "What?"
Flash: "I, uh, figured the hellmark being closer to its origin would let you, I dunno, sense something."
Mania: "You're telling me we came all the way out here on a hunch?! You didn't actually have a real plan?! I can barely control this thing, what makes you think I'd be able to sense something?"
Flash: "I just thought-"
Eddie: "She may not sense something, but I do."

Both Mania and Flash turn to look at Eddie.

Both: "Huh?"
Eddie: "Follow me."

Before either of them can stop him, Eddie jumps off the building. They quickly swing after him.

Flash: "Eddie, wait! This doesn't make any sense! Why would YOU sense something?"
Eddie: "The Toxin symbiote. It's trying to feel something. It was here before, but can't remember what happened."
Flash: "But Eddie, that had nothing to do with the hellmark! Where are you taking us?"

The three of them finally land outside an alleyway.

Eddie "Sometimes Flash-"

Eddie turns into the alley to reveal a strange red cocoon of tendrils

Eddie: "-You just gotta have faith."
Mania: "What. The hell. Is that?"
Flash: "Nothing good."

Eddie continues walking towards it, and starts reaching out his hand towards it.

Eddie: "It feels so familiar. Like an old friend. Calling to Us."
Flash: "Hold on, "US"? Eddie, that's your symbiote talking, wait!"

But before Flash can stop him, Eddie touches the cocoon, and the Toxin symbiote suddenly comes alive, ripping itself violently off of Eddie, and jumping absorbing itself into the cocoon. Eddie falls to the ground, clearly weak from the sudden separation.

Mania: "Uh, what was THAT?"
Flash : "Like I said-"

A clawed black and red hand rips out of the cocoon.

Flash: "Nothing good."
NEXT: THE RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL TOXIN