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Norton Fester loved that small library. It was not crowded, barely a five minutes walk from the Science Museum, and one of the few places he knew where he could go to play chess, thanks to the small room where a few tabletop games were left for the library users to freely play with, provided they kept their voices low so not to disturb the people in the adjacent reading room. Usually he could always find someone willing to have a match with him there.
That day however both the chess sets were already taken. A couple of old ladies were having a match, while a guy had taken the other set and was apparently playing against himself. Norton sighed, then he moved closer to the table, curious about the lone player. He peered at his game.
The man was quite big. Broad shoulders, thick biceps bulging under the sleeves of the tight-fitted jacket he was wearing. He also wore gloves. He had short blond hair and a beard, and there was something familiar about him, but Norton couldn't quite put his finger on what that was. Overall he was quite handsome. He caught himself checking the stranger out and coughed, bringing his attention back to the game. He raised an eyebrow.
The guy was playing in a... peculiar manner. When he moved the black, he picked up the piece and immediately set it down, clearly self-assured about the move. With the white pieces however, his gloved hand hovered over them, wavering back and forth. He picked one up then put it back down, then he moved another quickly and just as fast placed it back in its previous position. When he finally set on a move he still kept his fingers on the piece for a few seconds before deciding to let it go.
Norton blinked. Maybe the man was testing some new strategy...? It didn't seem to work very well however, since the black was in clear advantage anyway, and about to close over the white king...
-
how did you do it?! how did you win again?
You let me capture both your knights, and didn't pay attention to what I was doing with the rooks.
i hate this game, eddie the Symbiote grumbled into his mind. let's play it again!
Eddie chuckled, and started setting the pieces back in position. He had begun teaching chess to the Symbiote just a few days ago, and his Other had taken to the task seriously, forbidding itself from taking hints from Eddie's brain as they played, equally frustrated and entertained by the challenges the game presented.
“Excuse me...” someone said. Eddie looked up, raising his eyebrows in surprise as he recognized the man who was standing next to him. He felt the Symbiote frowning, a little embarrassed that it had been so focused on the game not to notice the presence of this familiar individual.
The Looter, in civilian clothes this time, smiled at him, clearly unaware of who he was looking at. “I don't mean to bother, but may I entice you to play a match with me?”
Before Eddie could reply the Symbiote started wiggling excitedly in the back of his brain.
let me play against him, eddie
...are you sure, darling?
yes! i learnt well, there is no way we are going to lose i promise
All right, if you'd like that so much.
Eddie grinned, showing just a little teeth, and gestured to Norton to sit down at the table. “Be my guest. Black or white?”
“I issued the challenge, you should pick the color.”
white
They finished setting the pieces, then Eddie relaxed and let his Other guide his own hand as they started playing.
The Symbiote played slower than usual, pondering every move. Norton played on the defensive, trying to gauge his opponent's style and strategy. As soon as he seemed to think he was starting to get it, some unexpected move deviating from the pattern made him reconsider.
The Symbiote captured a pawn, then another. Then it lost one, but kept itself from reacting impulsively. Eddie had to stop himself before nodding in appreciation, and just sent an encouraging push through their bond.
Minutes passed by, and captured pieces crowded the side of the board, and still it wasn't clear who had the upper hand.
Then Norton left his Queen exposed, in what was a clear attempt at baiting his opponent. Eddie almost scoffed. What a ridiculous, obvious move...
He watched as his hand picked the white Queen and proceeded to capture the black one. The Symbiote emitted a pleasured vibration down his spine, happy at having captured the important piece. Eddie felt his jaw go slack.
A few embarrassed seconds passed by, and then Norton captured the white Queen with his Bishop, putting the white King in check with the same move.
Eddie could feel the Symbiote staring at the board through his eyes, speechless, trying to reconstruct the moves that ended them in that situation. It moved a Knight to protect the King, but now it was only a matter of time, and soon enough Norton had checkmated them. Confusion rippled through Eddie's mind
...what... how...
...I told you, you need to always look at the bigger picture.
The Symbiote was bristling, and Eddie had to cover his mouth with one hand, to stop himself from laughing. The Looter was regarding him with curiosity.
“Looks like you made a fool of u—me,” Eddie said. “That was a rookie mistake.” His amusement only annoyed the Symbiote even more, and it looked at their opponent with daggers into its mind-eyes.
“Ah, well, happens even to the best players.” Norton said jovially, then he glanced at the clock on the wall, and stood up. “I would love to have a rematch but I must hurry. Maybe another day?”
Eddie gave him a slight nod.
“Maybe.”
-
Norton left the library and headed towards the Science Museum, with a new spring in his step. The victory had put him in a good mood.
He had planned to take advantage of the inauguration of the Museum's new wing to hide in the building, so to have all the time to break into the storage rooms. A few meteor fragments had been recently taken off the permanent exhibit and put into storage.
He tut-tutted at the thought. Such precious, precious things, destined to languish into boxes, gathering dust. That would not do.
The Looter smiled. He felt confident that was going to be a lucky night.
-
A few hours later, with his back slammed against the wall, a clawed hand wrapped around his throat, and a monstrous maw full of razor-sharp teeth snarling mere inches away from his face, Norton found himself reconsidering the previous assessment about any luck he might have left.
“We thought you'd have learnt your lesson by now, Fester.”
Venom growled, the deep sound reverberating off the walls. Norton's knees had gone weak, and only Venom's hand around his neck was keeping him upright.
The unfortunate thief had already survived a few encounters like this... and yet, like every other time, he found himself staring, both frightened and mesmerized, at Venom's tongue as it lolled past the crescent of fangs. And like every other previous time he started begging.
“...please don't eat me, please don't eat me...”
Venom relented the hold on his throat and backed a little.
“...for the umpteenth time, Fester, we are not going to eat anybody,” Venom said, sounding somehow frustrated. He narrowed his eyes. “No, you're going to prison. You will have all the time you want to play chess, there.”
“Oh thank God—wait, what?” Norton blinked in confusion.
Then Venom roared , right into his face. Norton's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
-
Venom caught the Looter's limp body, and unceremoniously hauled it onto his shoulder. As he started making his way out of the Museum, the Symbiote stirred into Venom's mingled consciousness.
eddie, are we really bringing him to jail?
You aren't suggesting we let a habitual thief go so we can have a rematch with him, are you?
...how am i going to beat him in the game next time, otherwise?
Eddie rolled his eyes under their shared ones, but still he considered.
eddie, i think this time we really scared him. And, thought in a lower tone did i told you what i learnt about second chances, in space?
“You might have, my love...” Eddie sighed. There were way worse people than Norton Fester around, that much was true.
Second chances, uh?
“I guess we can leave him be and see if this time the lesson sticks. But just so you know, if he wins again you're not allowed to change your mind and ask we send him to jail after all.”
what if he cheats?
Darling.
just kidding .