Venom was pathetic. Completely worthless.
To Carnage, Venom did not even qualify to be considered part of their kind.
Still, Venom had summoned them into this new world. That alone pleased Carnage enough to let Venom live a little longer.
Beside him, Howler spoke up.
"That useless Venom should have received the message by now. Did something happen to it?"
Cruel light flashed in Carnage's eyes.
"Forget about it. For now, enjoy the chaos."
The symbiotes burst into wild, unrestrained laughter.
To them, this world was paradise.
It didn't take long for the symbiotes to appear in the streets of New York, leaving destruction in their wake.
Peter Parker naturally encountered these strange creatures.
Each symbiote possessed tremendous strength and frightening regenerative abilities, creating more trouble for Spider-Man than he had ever faced.
But that was merely the beginning.
Once they discovered Spider-Man's presence, Carnage immediately fixed his attention on him.
He didn't know how Spider-Man had gained such power, but one thing was obvious. This was a perfect host.
If Carnage bonded with Spider-Man, no one in this world would be able to threaten him again.
In the Parker household, everything had been quiet since Peter's identity was revealed. Nolan Locke had installed a full defensive system in their home, though it had never needed to activate.
Threatening family was always a tempting strategy.
But everyone knew one thing. Family was Spider-Man's bottom line.
And not many dared cross that line.
Great power brought responsibility, but it also brought fear.
"May, is the turkey ready?"
Ben Parker called out excitedly.
It was Halloween, one of the most important holidays of the year.
May smiled as she answered.
"Almost. Maybe we should invite Nolan to join us for dinner."
Ben sighed helplessly.
"Peter already asked him. But apparently Nolan is working on something extremely important."
"So hardworking. Not even a holiday break."
They spoke with warmth and satisfaction.
For them, life was peaceful and fulfilling.
Then suddenly, a heavy thud struck the roof.
Both froze.
A dark silhouette crawled over the window.
A second later, glass shattered violently.
Carnage burst inside.
His grotesque mouth twisted into a monstrous grin as he looked at the two terrified humans.
He was ready to seize Spider-Man's closest family.
But before he could strike, a large web dropped from above, covering his head.
The Parkers ran.
Carnage clawed irritably at the webbing, tearing it apart within seconds.
By then, the Parkers had already fled out the door.
Although Nolan's system had defense features, it did not include deadly weaponry. This was not Nolan's refusal, but the Parkers' request. They did not want their home turned into an armory.
As Carnage became entangled with the house's internal defenses, Peter's watch suddenly began beeping urgently.
The moment he heard the sound, Peter threw a web over the two car thieves he was fighting, binding them instantly, and raced toward home.
That alarm only activated under one condition.
Uncle Ben and Aunt May were in danger.
Carnage grew angrier by the second.
The house's defense mechanisms irritated him, but he eventually forced his way out.
Ahead of him, the two Parkers were running for their lives.
Carnage only grinned.
He did not want to kill them.
He wanted Spider-Man.
So he simply chased, keeping the Parkers in sight, waiting for his real prey.
Moments later, Peter arrived.
He saw Carnage and charged without hesitation.
He thought he could take the creature down with his own strength.
He was wrong.
The monster moved with impossible speed and overwhelming power.
In less than a second, Peter was slammed into the ground and sent flying.
Impossible.
Peter stared in disbelief.
He had always been confident in his strength.
But this creature shattered that confidence instantly.
Peter stopped trying to overpower him. With his spider-sense guiding him, he relied on speed and instinct instead of brute force.
Only then did the fight become even remotely balanced.
Peter barely kept up. Carnage only grew more excited.
This was the battle he wanted. This was the host he craved.
If he could control Spider-Man, he would be unstoppable.
He could hardly wait.
The clash between them echoed through the streets. Carnage was the strongest enemy Peter had ever faced.
Without spider-sense, he would have already lost.
Even with it, the tide was turning.
Peter began losing ground.
He was forced to fall back.
Suddenly, gunshots exploded from a distance.
A barrage of coordinated fire rained down on Carnage.
Several bullets struck his body.
Peter looked toward the source.
The NYPD had arrived.
They weren't fond of Spider-Man, but when faced with a monster and a hero, they knew which side to support.
Everyone assumed the monster must be dead.
Carnage let out a shrill scream and lunged into the officers.
Within seconds, several were down. His power was overwhelming.
Only the barrage of gunfire forced him to retreat unwillingly.
Silence filled the devastated street.
No one spoke.
Where had that monster come from? How could something so powerful exist? Even Spider-Man couldn't stop it.
Some believed the nightmare was over.
They were wrong.
This was only the beginning.
In the days that followed, Carnage and several other symbiotes caused havoc across the city.
They were extremely powerful, and ordinary weapons barely affected them.
During these clashes, people discovered the truth.
These creatures were extraterrestrial lifeforms.
The revelation shocked government officials.
No one had expected their first contact with aliens to be with something so dangerous.
For the first time, the military felt pressure.
Even deploying soldiers and armored units failed to stop the symbiotes.
Spider-Man was only one person.
And these creatures were strong, numerous, and united.
Every battle pushed Peter to his limits.
Eventually, Peter went to Nolan.
"Mr. Locke, do you know anything about these symbiotes?"
"Of course."
Nolan nodded calmly.
These creatures were his creation.
And their hosts had all been selected by him. Every one of those individuals had been scum, handpicked by Nolan himself.
Everything that had happened was within the calculations of Red Queen and the Skynet system.
Since their arrival, every step had unfolded exactly as Nolan expected.
Otherwise, the symbiotes wouldn't just be causing destruction. They would already be slaughtering civilians.
"These symbiotes are too dangerous. Mr. Locke, do you know how to stop them?"
Peter looked at him with genuine desperation.
To him, Nolan was someone who always had an answer.
Nolan smiled.
"They may look troublesome, but they're actually not that hard to deal with."
Not hard?
Peter stared at him as if he had misheard.
He had been fighting for his life for days.
How could they not be hard?
Nolan continued.
"I've studied them. They are organisms that bond with hosts, and their power is formidable. They can even abandon their hosts if necessary. But they are few in number. And despite their strength, a single missile could kill them."
Peter gave a bitter laugh.
"Mr. Locke, those monsters appear in the middle of New York. No one can fire missiles in the city."
"You're missing the point."
Nolan waved dismissively.
"Missiles are simply the most straightforward method. Their biggest advantage is mobility. Tanks can't maneuver in the city, and you alone can't handle all of them. But…"
Nolan tapped the desk lightly.
"Locke Industries has a product that can deal with them easily. The military purchased plenty, but they haven't made the connection yet."
Peter's eyes brightened.
Locke Industries had a weapon capable of defeating the symbiotes?
That was exactly what they needed.
"But I'm only a company owner. To deal with creatures like this, the military needs to deploy large numbers of weapons. I can't order that myself."
Nolan smiled.
The Terminator units were built for exactly this scenario.
Powerful, durable, unpossessable, and capable of carrying heavy weaponry.
To the Terminators, symbiotes were barely an inconvenience.
He simply couldn't say that part aloud.
Spider-Man, however, could spread the right message.
After Peter left, Nolan exhaled softly.
It was time.
"Red Queen."
Her upgraded holographic projection appeared beside him.
"Sir."
"Prepare everything. We're going home."
Nolan lifted a small spherical device into his hand.
This sphere was the key to opening the multiverse.