sixthiterationtexts | UN: The Brock Report

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UN: The Brock Report

3 Things

1)I am - so sorry - to the ill fated members of the semi-Donner party that I ended up stuck on the mountain with. Karen and Bobo I dropped the fucking ball because of my jackass of a dad and my weirdly kleptomaniac childhood which! which I got over with the help of a shrink and therapy as an adult because I am not as emotionally stunted as my exES, employer, and everyone else I've ever met seems to think I am. 2) V and I need to burn off some steam. Stark I know you talked about maybe having something for V and I, honestly at this point we'll do anything anybody needs us to do short of robbery, maiming, or eating people as much as Venom might want to. Don't feed him. He's like a Gremlin. A sentient gremlin who probably has it's shit together more then me but he's also like a 5 year old who wants to eat dirt and we can't have that okay? Okay. Please I don't want to wake up tasting dirt again. 3) Something is...wrong. With my wrist band. And with Venom and I. See I should be feeling like shit logically. I know I should. Cause my dad is garbage and makes me want to curl up in a fetal position crying. Instead I feel like I'm about to go two-to-two with a guy on a gotcha interview and I've got real dirt on him that I dug up. Venom feels like he's a bad ass again and wants to fight. It's probably nothing, but I figured I'd ask. Everybody cool?

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OMW

Eddie doesn't respond again, instead he's knocking at his door looking surprisingly forceful standing there. Scratching the back of his head he straightens his hands and smiles.

Then relaxes.

"...Color didn't hit you?"

Foggy answers the door, giving a small smile and then looking confused. "Color didn't hit me? What?"

"Your wristband."

Eddie holds up his hand, expression grim, "...Something's going on with this and it fucked with me. I think it's fucking with Anne too."

His features are grim, "...What concerns me is Venom. He -" His throat contracts and Eddie snarls. It's an animalistic sound. Venom passes over his eyes for a moment before he shakes it off.

"Anne concerns me too. I didn't mean to set her aside. Venom though...do you have water? Food?"

Foggy takes half a step back, letting Eddie and Venom settle things between them briefly. "Okay... Venom, buddy? I know you can hear me fine. We all care about Anne, we're not dismissing her safety. But she's not here and hasn't reached out, so we're going to deal with this situation first, okay? Help you and Eddie, because even if you're not feeling it, neither of you is behaving like you usually do. Something's affecting you, and that's not fair on you two or anyone else."

He steps back a bit more to let the man in. "I have water, but the food is in the kitchen... You know? I reckon we could walk down to my work and get a couple of animal skulls for Venom to chew through. Would that work?"

Your work.

"That'd be fine." Eddie breathes deep, eyes closed before he refocuses, "...Whatever we can do to stave off V deciding to do something "heroic.""

His hands twitch, "...animal skulls sound good. Never get superpowers man." Eddie looks at him haggardly for half a heartbeat, "...It's bullshit. We can pretend they're cows right?"

"They're close enough to cows," Foggy agrees, amicable. "And I never wanted superpowers. Seen what they do. Avengers and stuff. I work with some superpowered individuals in New York, they're clients. I don't envy them. I'm a shallow guy, Eddie, I just want a comfortable life where I don't hurt people."

He tugs gently on Eddie's sleeves, leading him downstairs again, to walk over to his work. "So, the wristband changed. Mine is this same old hunter green as always, but yours is, the same nice dark red that Matt's is. Okay. And that's not what it was. What is it usually?"

"Teal."

It's on the tip of his tongue to talk about Anne and he just sighs, "...So...Matt's willing to charge ahead and not care what anybody else thinks? Totally rely on himself and fuck the rest of it?"

He runs his fingers through his hair, "...The shit I saw up on the mountain made me catatonic. Dad always does. When I came back and started like...letting it go that was weird. Really weird."

Foggy is silent for a moment. Still. "Yeah," he whispers. "That's pretty much Matt in a nutshell."

He doesn't quite manage to hide the raw pain in his voice. "He never means to hurt anyone. He cares. But his conviction is stronger than any concern from others. And he never relies on anyone. He's been let down too often to do that."

It's a little connection sparking in his mind about colors and personalities.

"This way, it's basically around the corner."

Eddie falls into step behind him, "You care about him."

It's disconcerting because he sees the man he could be. If he'd approached the life foundation out of conviction instead of a desire for attention. If he actually gave into that little voice that told him to do the right thing instead of being...what did that kid say that one time? performative.

He did care though.

He wasn't performative.

"See I'm a realist. but I know myself. On the mountain? I saw my dad beat the shit out of me after I stole from some neighborhood kids. My dad renders me catatonic."

He doesn't say anything. Just gesturing over himself.

"I love him." Foggy shrugs. "I've loved him for years. He's part of my family. I was all the family he had for a long time."

Foggy glances at Eddie. "I- am so sorry. There is never any reason for a parent to raise a hand to a child. For anyone to raise a hand to a child."

"If for any reason Carl Brock shows up...I won't kill him because that would be wrong. And I don't think I could. Still, Observers? Please don't have me make that choice."

He speaks the last part to the sky before shaking his head at Foggy, "Anne was like that for me. Family. She didn't deserve what I did to her. Christ I need to get out more."

His nostrils flare, "...He takes care of you too right?"

Foggy slips his hands into his coat pockets. He isn't going to hash over this again with Eddie, he has said his piece.

"From what little you just said... I get why you're messed up, even if I don't condone some of the stuff you did. And here? Matt's blind. He can barely take care of himself."

"Yeah."

Damn. Eddie blinks, "...I'm sorry I didn't know." he always did this, putting his foot in shit that he shouldn't have done and especially after...

His feet stop, clearly thinking over things before he shakes it off, "...Stick my foot in my mouth too much for comfort."

That and his own family issues.

"How'd you and he meet?"

"It's fine, you weren't to know. You haven't met him and I hadn't told you. Don't worry about it." He genuinely isn't worried about it. And he's deflected the question entirely.

"Mm? Oh, well, there's a screw up in college housing. First day and instead of getting a room to himself, Matt got me. I awkwardly half hit on him, him, with his rosary hanging around his neck and just out of the orphanage, I didn't even mean to do it, but somehow we ended up best friends within about a week. For all his frustrating bullshit, he is one of the smartest, sweetest, most generous and dedicated people you'll ever meet."

"He sounds like a decent guy." Eddie sighs, "...This whole mood thing is throwing me for a loop. I'm sorry if I seem...I dunno. Fucked up? I'm really worried about Anne though I..."

He sighs, "...Get ready to not condone some shit that I've done but I went to see Anne. She's acting like me."

"He is." Just not a good friend at times. "It's okay, it's not your fault. This is being done to you, not by you."

Foggy has no problem with Eddie going to see Anne. They were talking about getting married at one point, it would be surprising if they didn't check in after something like that mountain event. "How like you?"

"Needy and desperate. Tired and constantly y'know..." He gestures, "Aware of shit. We ended up sleeping together and I feel awful. Like...manipulating somebody you know? She wanted it but I just feel like she was so...needing to be taken care of..."

He frowns and wraps his arms around his chest, "...She's so strong normally. Fuck seeing her on the other side of that made me...made me think."

Foggy shows nothing. No shock, or surprise or- anything. He just nods slightly, listening. "Neither of you is in your right mind, I think. You two are going to have to work out between you how you feel about that when you're both not... loopy from external forces. About responsibility and blame if either of you want to go that way."

But... it is sort of horrifying. To think of Anne being indecisive and lost. He'll check on her once he's sorted out Eddie as best he can. "Eddie, you might feel like you're far more in control because your trauma isn't crippling you at the moment. But you're no less compromised, okay?" He lays a hand on Eddie's arm. "This isn't your fault, or her fault, it's the fault of whoever or whatever is forcibly changing your brain and emotions. But... do you want to talk about what it made you think?"

Nearly there.

Oh my God where did you come from Foggy? Eddie tilts his head at him, raising an eyebrow. Neither of us fucking deserve you. Holy crap if Anne's into him he's proving that he's extra worthy. Or hell that this Matt Murdock guy'd be worthy. Or-

"...I know I'm a fuck up." Eddie stuck his hands in his pockets, "I mean if what happened with Anne didn't prove that, the place I went to before I met Venom was dark. No job, no fiancee, I felt like I'd taken a huge step backward after clawing my way to the point where I could get all those things. And I hurt people and even if..."

"When you claw your way forward you learn exactly what the fuck brought you there you know? The shit my dad did - authority figures that do that? It dulls you to your own impact on people but I always was able to pride myself on how I was never that guy. Anne wanted it, she held me and she kissed me and I'd like to think she feels good about it but I know she wasn't. I know it."

He sighed, "You know before here? Venom was like We're going to get her back and I said to him I don't think so. We've got our own shit to deal with and the fact we got thrown together...I just feel bad. If I were to ever, and I mean ever win her back I'd want to be a ...a partner and an equal but I know I'm not going to."

Eddie exhales, "...Holy shit that felt good."

Foggy is quiet and lets Eddie get it all out.

Eddie... isn't as unaware as Foggy feared. He knows he's a screwed up and he's taking active steps to try and be less of a screw up, which is something.

"Okay, it's good that you want to be in a relationship as an equal and recognise that you might never be able to do that. That's... a really hard thing to realise and to decide to do what's right by those you care for. Which isn't to say you couldn't be in a relationship, but maybe something conventional wouldn't work for you, not least of all because you have an alien symbiote in you. So, go you! That's a hella mature realisation."

The other thing is more important and needs a bit more space to discuss. "You 'know' she 'wasn't' what? I need you to explain that out a bit for me."

"She wasn't herself."

He sighs, "I know. She wouldn't get back with me like that. I just wanted to take care of her. I should have kept my hands to myself."

He sighed, "...I never asked for any of this. And you shouldn't have to just...y'know. Listen. I mean I'm grateful. He'll you're a good guy. Just...what I told you was a lot."

"You aren't yourself either. If you're aware of it, she probably is as well. You both might have made a bad decision, but it was a decision you made together, under the influence."

He can't say she won't feel betrayed. He doesn't know how she'll feel and he doesn't know how he would feel.

"I offered to listen and talk with you. It's not like you took me hostage to be your therapist. I'm a friend and friends help each other, even if that's just listening."

He's a good man. Listen to him and stop being needy.

"...I honestly wanted to be a superhero when I grew up." Eddie looks down at his feet, "...I dunno if I would have done that if I knew it was gonna be so...lonely."

That realization is rather sobering but he leans back a heartbeat, his eyes glossing over with Venom before he shakes it off.

"...Butchershop. Food. How'd you know how to butcher stuff? Like, lawyers do that in New York now? Not surprised but..."

"I know a few vigilantes. It's not a choice I'd want to make. Your loved ones will worry. And if you try and walk away from them, you'll hurt them terribly. You might think it's better, but really, it's their choice to make, not yours. Just because they don't agree doesn't mean they don't understand your concerns for them. Their concerns are probably twice as strong, but they'll be there anyway if you let them."

He snorts and lets them into the butcher's. "Family business. I was the bitter disappointment who refused to take over from dad and instead went to college and into law."

He studied the shop and sniffed - visibly aware of the creatures in various states of preparation around him. Despite every inclination he had his mouth watered and he swallowed it down with a loud gulp.

"So when Venom bonded with me apparently that comes with certain benefits that are...weird. Like...raw meat doesn't bother me anymore. Too much of it does-"

Pussy.

"But not in regular doses. There's other stuff but if this gets too werewolf-y feel free to run away screaming."

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CW: mention of child abuse

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