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[the-tangle-web]

“Where are you going?”

A low growl.

The red symbiote turned his head slowly over his shoulder, white eyes pale and teeth bared in a forever smile. He saw a flash of his tongue as he licked his teeth before reaching his claws against the ceiling, digging into the wood and leaving marks with a skkt… crack

Anthony stood still, wearing Gabe’s sweatshirt. He wore if for the past few hours and Gabe hasn’t yelled at him to take it off.

He hasn’t for days.

And he hasn’t stopped Gareth from picking at his bandages.

Anthony had to do that.

They moved out of that damn sewer and into a safe house Murdock dragged them to. Jen has been near them ever since. And Jen hasn’t let Anthony outside alone for the last few months.

She argues he has to go back to the tower. That she should tell someone, at least Rogers. Steve was worried as hell. Fury was pissed, apparently even Tony was trying to get full access of surveillance in the city to try and locate him.

But Anthony refused. He didn’t want to go back. Not yet.

Jen still had to tell someone, so she told Bruce the whole story.

And, despite himself, Bruce agreed to not say a word of where he was. But he did tell everyone at the tower that Anthony was safe, but not where he was.

And that would give him a bit of privacy.

Anthony swallowed the lump in his throat and stuck his chin outward, looking up at the symbiote.

“Where are you going?” He asked, more firm this time.

Carnage narrowed his eyes, a heave of his shoulders and a slight downward tilt of his head.

“To fix things.”

“Without me?”

Carnage turned his head back around, “Yes. Without you.”

Anthony clenched his fists to his sides, “You’re a fucking hypocrite-“

“We are not in the mood for this conversation again.”

Carnage snarled, his claws closing in around the wood until it splintered.

Anthony stopped.

Another beat of silence.

“Gareth said his brother isn’t picking up.”

“We know.”

“We need you, man-“

Carnage shook his head, “Stop it-“

Anthony took a step forward and felt his vision get blurry, “You don’t tell us shit anymore- we don’t see you anymore- I haven’t seen Gabe in forever!” He shouted, “I haven’t seen you sleep, I haven’t seen you do anything but come in and out of that door- and sometimes, you’re gone for days!”

Carnage reared his head back and let out a roar, “STOP IT!”

The symbiote snapped, his head turning over his shoulder and the claw gripping the wooden boards over his head splintered and broke, landing on the ground in between the two as he swung his hand around and turned his body, baring his teeth with in arch in his assumed brow.

Anthony stepped back.

Silence.

“You will go back to the tower! You will take off that suit and when it’s night, you’re going to sleep! You won’t fight, you won’t kill, you won’t hurt yourself, you won’t die!”

. . .

“You will stay alive! Both of you! All of you- and you won’t follow us!”

. . .

The door was torn off its hinges. It was fucking cold.

Anthony felt a pair of arms wrap around his middle and messy black hair over his shoulders. He felt Gareth pressed his face against the divot in his back between his shoulders.

It was a little less cold.

But not warm enough.