Demons [Eddie Brock] Venom

12. Freeze

                "How about this?" Rory asked, handing Eddie her laptop which featured an employment opportunity. It was freelance journalism, weekly columns. Nothing important, nothing that anyone would double take a look at the name on; but it wasn't readers who disliked Eddie Brock, it was employers. No one dared take him on as an employee since his run in with Carlton Drake.

"Already tried, they hung up on me when I introduced myself. And when I called back the next day with a fake name, they recognized the number. So now they know me as the idiot who called Drake and the Life Foundation out on their unethical methods, and the idiot who lies about who they are to get work." Eddie's shoulders were slumped, he was leaning against the arm of the couch, feet propped up on the cushions.

Rory was in the exact same position on the other side of the couch. She turned her laptop back to herself and continued scrolling. Although she was paying Eddie to help teach her how to fight, essentially acting as a personal trainer, he damn near refused to take it. She had to slip it into his wallet until he finally accepted it.

"Oh, hey!" she exclaimed. "I forgot, but I bought you something."

"Oh?" Eddie looked interested, more interested than scrolling through job postings in the newspaper.

"Yeah, I'm going to flop my laundry, and I'll grab it on my way back." She put her laptop aside and made sure the keys were in her pocket, then quickly left Eddie's apartment. Down four flights of stairs, she reached the level with the coin operated laundry -it was a perk of the building, having on-sight laundry even through she had to pay more than she would have liked. Not having to lug her stuff down to a laundromat was the best thing next to having her own machines.

She opened the washer and yanked out her clothes hastily, then shoved them into the small dryer. She crammed as much as she could in order to do only one load, because she was cheap. As she fed the machine her change and started it, she thought of the gift she bought for Eddie and grinned, then excitedly headed back towards the hall.

The laundry room door was pushed open from the other side and Rory put her hands up to stop it from slamming into her, hastily stepping back at the same time. Her stomach knotted and twisted when she saw she was face to face with Mike, her smile disappearing while his grew.

"Excuse me," she muttered.

"What's the rush? Going back to your boyfriend's?"

"I've got dinner cooking," she said, wondering why she had to lie. Why didn't she just raise her voice and tell him to fuck off? She was terrified of people like him, and she hated herself for it. What was the point in Eddie teaching her anything about fighting if she would freeze up like this?

Worthless.

"He's not here to defend you this time," Mike growled. He was fully blocking the door, and the only way to get through was to sneak past him, and there was no way she was putting herself within arm's reach of this man. Her mind trailed to another time, a similar situation.