Spiderman: Venom

Sandman didn't wait long and took the first move, ambushing Venom as soon as he opened the door. A massive stone fist flew towards him, slamming into his jaw with a loud crack.

Venom rubbed his chin and hissed angrily. He crouched low before springing forward, wrapping his arms around Sandman's waist. Lifting him off the ground, he slammed him down hard. Sitting on top of him, Venom pinned him in place and rained punches on Sandman's face. He knew there had to be a breaking point for Sandman—nobody could be entirely indestructible. Peter held onto the hope that nobody could be truly invulnerable.

"Guess you're not as clever as you think," Sandman mocked as he endured each hit. Venom bristled at the insult; he had just gotten straight A+'s on his exams and wasn't about to let it slide.

"I'm not the one with rocks for brains," Venom shot back, leaning away. He unleashed a blast of sticky tar webbing—the same kind he had used at the restaurant—at Sandman.

Sandman shielded his face as he slipped backward, escaping from under Venom. Venom watched closely as the sand encased in the tar web clumped together into a ball, rolling along Sandman's arm and down into his hand.

"Thanks," Sandman said with a smirk before slamming the hardened web-and-sand mass into Venom. "Like I said, not so smart."

Venom had to admit he hadn't seen that coming. He gave Sandman credit for being resourceful but docked him points for recklessness.

The gritty web ball gave Venom a clear target. He shot out normal webs, attaching one to Sandman's arm. Leaning back, Venom swung Sandman off his feet.

The alley was just wide enough for Venom to swing Sandman around like a wrecking ball. Grinning, Venom waited for Sandman's feet to graze the wall before releasing him, watching him hurtle through the air and crash into the brickwork.

Sandman let out a pained "oof" as he collided with the wall. The impact fractured the bricks, scattering sand everywhere. With a grunt, Sandman pulled the sand back into his body, along with fragments of the broken bricks.

"I'm made of sand, you idiot. That won't work," Sandman scoffed, letting the tar ball fall off him. "And that web crap won't work again." Rising to his feet, he shaped his hands into massive clubs. "Now it's my turn."

Venom dodged under a swing. Sandman was strong but slow. Venom needed heat or water to deal with him, but neither was available in the narrow alley.

If he made it to the street, he might find a fire hydrant. On the rooftop, a water tower could be an option. The question was: would Sandman follow?

Venom's thoughts were interrupted as another sand-arm swung toward him. He dodged easily and decided to take the opportunity. Springing forward, he leapt from one side of the alley to the other, scaling the building to reach the roof.

Sandman snorted derisively at Venom retreating. Stretching his body upward, he climbed the fire escape to pursue Venom onto the rooftops.

"I thought you were tough, Venom. Running away?" Sandman sneered as Venom perched on the opposite edge of the roof.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt—something you should consider."

"I'm a lot of things, but a killer? Nah, that ain't me." Sandman shook himself after climbing. Using his sand abilities to reshape his body still felt unnatural. He hated the coarse, irritating sensation that came with it—it got everywhere.

"You're still a scumbag who attacked an innocent woman. So what if your ribs got broken? You deserved it." Venom realized he needed a strategy to defeat Sandman. Without a way to replenish his symbskin, he was vulnerable to Sandman's relentless strength.

"That money was for my daughter!" Sandman roared. "If Osborn hadn't taken her in, she would've died. And you? You're gonna pay for that." He smashed his fists together and advanced toward Venom.

One of Sandman's fists struck Venom's side, but Venom caught the other.

"Go ahead, try that goo crap again. I dare you," Sandman jeered.

Venom suspected Sandman might have a countermeasure ready, but he wasn't the only one adapting.

"You can't hurt me, flesh bag," Sandman laughed as Venom threw a punch.

Venom's fist went straight through Sandman's sandy torso. Laughing, Sandman grabbed Venom's arm and slammed him into the roof, enjoying himself.

"You're not gonna win. I'm better than you." He swung another punch, but Venom rolled aside and fired a web.

The web latched onto the building's edge, and Venom yanked himself forward, kicking Sandman with both feet. As his torso collided with Sandman, Venom wrapped his arms around him in a tight bearhug, pulling him up and covering him in sand.

"My daughter almost died because of you. I'm a freak because of you!" Sandman shouted, encasing Venom in a cocoon of sand. He pummeled Venom's face repeatedly. "I hate you! I hate you!" Each blow made Venom dizzier and weaker.

Trapped in Sandman's crushing grip, Venom knew he had to escape. Acid to dissolve Sandman had been an idea, but he hadn't brought any. Turning him into glass with heat wasn't viable either—it required temperatures he couldn't produce. Water was the only solution, but he couldn't reach the rooftop water tower.

Venom clicked his tongue in frustration. He didn't need gallons of water; he had a suit made of sticky material. It was time to improvise.

Thickening his symbskin into a thin outer layer with a sticky liquid inside, Venom pushed back against Sandman's grip. He flexed and slipped backward through Sandman's arms, leaving behind a sack of symbskin goo.

The sack burst as Venom struck it, spilling over Sandman like a suffocating blanket. As Sandman struggled to shake it off, Venom fired two webs at his feet, pinning him to the rooftop.

Ock had been right—Venom had underestimated Sandman and paid for it. Sand was manageable until you faced a walking pile of it trying to peel your skin off. Venom had used a clever trick to win this time, but next time, he'd need better preparation.

Sandman thrashed, trying to free himself, but Venom reinforced the webbing on his arms. Trapped and unable to move, Sandman glared at him.

"Now, you will answer us, or we'll make you a permanent statue."

As Sandman seemed ready to talk, Venom sighed in relief. He had no more tar webbing and was almost spent. If the fight had lasted any longer, he would've had to retreat.

This was a hard-earned lesson: his resources were limited. He could slowly restore his armor by eating, but no villain would pause a fight for a snack. Once his base was secured, he would have to address this weakness.

Dissatisfied with the answer, Venom slashed his claws through Sandman's arm, scattering its granules. Sandman cried out each time, the pain evident. Despite his silicon-based form, he could still feel it. Every grain was a piece of him, and as they scattered, it felt like countless tiny needles pricking him.

Venom hoped that as Sandman's mass diminished, it would bring him closer to his defeat. It was impossible for a single grain to contain his consciousness; there had to be a vulnerable core of sand within his body.

"So, what do you want, then? I ain't interested, and I got nothing for you. I'm the muscle, not the brains—you need Ock."

"Where's Electro?" Venom demanded first, but Sandman merely shrugged.

"If he's not here, I don't know. Ask Ock—she's the one in charge. Go ask her," Sandman yelled back. Venom exhaled in frustration. He had hoped Sandman knew, but even if he didn't, Venom would question Felicia later. The situation felt too much like a setup to be random.

"What did you steal, and why?" Venom pressed.

"That? What's it matter? It's long gone—Ock took it weeks ago."

Venom slashed through Sandman's arm again and webbed the detached piece away from him. He placed his claw dangerously close to Sandman's throat. "I won't repeat myself."

Sandman felt a deep ache in his core. His body was nearly drained of sand, and holding himself together was becoming increasingly difficult. Venom wasn't bluffing.

"Alright, alright! It was a chip! Ock needed it for something her boss was working on. That's all I know. It's about the size of a deck of cards, in some kind of case—that's it! I swear! Man, I'm just muscle. Please—I've got a daughter. She's got no one else!" Sandman was desperate. Venom was inches away from ending him, but all Sandman could think about was keeping his daughter safe. Osborn had promised to help her. "Please, man, I'm begging you!"

"We are merciful—unless we see you again. Tell Ock we're coming for her." Venom stood tall over Sandman, then spotted a tall mast in the distance. He shot a web line toward it. "You've been warned, Sandman."

With that, Venom leapt into the air, swung forward, and disappeared from Sandman's sight.

Sandman let out a long sigh of relief. "Holy shit, that was terrifying. Doc, you still here? Or do I gotta clean this crap off by myself?" he called out, waiting.

When no response came, Sandman realized she had fled the moment the fight began. "Great. Just great," he muttered angrily, starting the slow process of scraping the sticky tar from his sandy body. It was going to take time, but he could manage.

Unbeknownst to Sandman, a hidden figure had been observing and recording the entire battle. The figure snapped photos and jotted down notes about the potential weaknesses of this new foe. By his own admission, Sandman had been part of the group that trashed the diner after robbing the bank.

Spider-Man had captured everything. With his new job, he had invested in a high-definition camera, which was already proving to be worth every penny. Ensuring his camera was safely stored, he approached the scene.

"Oh, great. Another one? What the hell do you want?" Sandman growled at the new spider-themed figure. "What? Copying the guy in black? Can't come up with your own thing?"

"First off, he copied me. Second, thanks to your confession, I think you'll be spending quite a bit of time in jail. Sandman, right?" Spider-Man flipped open a phone.

"Yes, this is Spider-Man. I have the criminal Sandman webbed to a roof at—" He leaned over to check the name of a nearby store. "—Madison and Jones. Yeah, on Sand Lane. That's right. No, he's not going anywhere. Thanks, officer." Snapping the phone shut, Spider-Man took a few more photos of Sandman before pausing.

"Hey, you up for an interview? If you're helpful, maybe I can get you a better deal," Spider-Man offered.

"Get lost, man. It's bad enough I'm stuck in Venom's gunk without listening to your crap." Sandman scanned the area, spotting the same water tower Venom had noticed. Maybe water could help him clean off the sticky mess faster. He had absorbed enough sand from the ground to try. Anything was better than waiting around for the cops.

Taking a deep breath, Sandman shot his arm toward the tower as fast as he could. Spider-Man jumped back, firing two webs in response. They were weak compared to Venom's but showed some effort.

Sandman's grasp found the tower's lower support beam. Though weakened, his sand powers still made him far stronger than a human. With all his might, he pulled the tower down onto himself and the costumed hero.

Thousands of gallons of water poured from the collapsing structure.

The torrent freed Sandman from the rooftop but carried him away in a semi-cohesive form. Loose shingles and debris from the roof slid along with the water. It didn't matter—he was free and could retreat. Revenge would come later.

Spider-Man stared in shock as the massive wave of water surged toward him. Before he could shoot a web, it slammed into him, smashing him against the roof's edge. The current swept him up, cascading over the building's side and into the street below.

The flood swept people, cars, and debris along the road. The water tower continued to gush, and Spider-Man had no idea where the shut-off valve was.

Amid the chaos, Sandman rolled himself away, still partially coated in the tar, and slipped into the sewers.

Clinging to the side of the building, Spider-Man resisted the rushing water. His enhanced grip held firm, but the force of the current was agonizing.

Soon, the sound of approaching sirens reached his ears. Thankfully, emergency services would deal with the mess Sandman had left behind.

Spider-Man's waterlogged suit squelched as he staggered down an alley. Bruised and battered by the flood, he lacked the strength to web-swing across rooftops. Even worse, the water had soaked his camera.

Dripping wet and thoroughly defeated, Spider-Man limped home, muttering curses aimed at both Venom and Sandman.