I'm the Last One That You'll Ever Remember
Chapter 212: Anti-Venom
The trip to California for Gerard’s birthday was an extravagant one thanks to Margo Iero procuring them two first class tickets. They didn’t have to go through the inconvenience of waiting in line, being seated in confined spaces and having to wait to be served. They got all paid services, and when they departed the airport to head to their hotel, it too was one of the most ritzy ones in the area paid in full by Frank Iero Sr. Though the parents couldn’t attend Gerard’s birthday surprise, they wanted to make his trip the best they could for him on his special day.
When it came to Comic-Con, the couple's first two days there were beyond awesome! At Gerard’s persistence they went as Batman and Robin, and on the second day they sauntered through the doors as members of the X-Men, Gambit and Wolverine. The expensively detailed costumes were provided for by Frank’s parents of course after Frank did his own ingenious investigation into what Gerard would want them as a couple to dress up as within the far-flung superhero universe. Out of all his husband’s superhero pairings, Frank went with the easiest to access and fashion on the days of Comic-Con.
Now when it came to the whereabouts of Michael Way, Frank never heard a word from him since their late phone call inviting him out to California. The anxiety he had towards Michael when extending the invitation to him had dissipated long before they flew out for Gerard’s birthday trip. Frank had grown accustomed to the idea that Michael was going to be there too. But when he hadn’t heard word from him, Frank began to doubt he would make an appearance.
And that wasn’t going to be a good thing.
Having prepared himself for this moment, Frank was ready to go. In fact, he had begun to look forward to Michael’s debut. The look on his husband’s face would be well worth going through with his plan to invite his brother to surprise him on his birthday. Only that didn’t look like it would happen now, and it bummed Frank out.
Until Frank received a text message on his phone the third day of Comic-Con.
The back and forth had started when Frank had sat up to read Michael’s query as to what they were wearing for the convention that particular day. Frank had notified him that they would be going as some of the different types of Venoms in the Marvel universe. Michael then let him know that he would finally be making his presentation at the convention that very day. Tapping hastily away on his phone back to him, Frank asked him for a location to where he’d be exactly, and what character he’d be portraying as. Michael assured him that he wouldn’t need to be doing any looking, that he’d be one to find them and that Gerard would have to figure it out on his own who he is once they crossed paths. Frank had no idea what he meant by that, but couldn’t get any further answers from Michael. He’d stop messaging him. Having no choice, Frank had to shrug it off, push it into the back of his mind, and get his Venom costume on.
Coming back towards the Comic-Con convention Day 3, hand-in-hand and dressed as Venoms, the couple were hindered in their quest when a man dressed as the Anti-Venom suddenly stepped into their paths and deposited a firm hand on Gerard’s arm.
Provoked by this stranger’s audacious touch, Gerard, disguised as the original Venom, forcibly shrugged the hand off of him and snapped. “HEY! Keep your hands to yourself, man, o-!”
The Anti-Venom chuckled behind his mask at Gerard, cutting him off by his merriment.
If Gerard had been overly pissed then, he wouldn’t have distinguished the laughter behind the Anti-Venom mask. Still, his brother’s voice didn’t deter him from surrendering Frank’s hand to grab two fistfuls of his little brother’s tight suit to jerk him closer. Against clenched teeth, Gerard growled at his delighted little brother. “Michael, what the FUCK are you doing here!?”
“GERARD!” Frank gasped from behind his red Carnage mask. Rounding his husband, he solidly slapped his hand onto his bicep to get him to release the Anti-Venom. “What the hell are you doing!? Let this man go, right now! People are watching us!”
Not missing a beat and already having the time of his life in California, Michael laughed in his brother’s face. “I was invited, you dumbass!”
It was then that Frank caught onto who the Anti-Venom truly was under his mask and why his husband had suddenly gone homicidal. Michael Way had finally shown up and it was in the fully reverse Venom of his own brother.
“You think I’m that stupid to believe a lie like that!?” Gerard laughed harshly at his brother’s deceitful claim. Giving Michael another brutal shake, he began to interrogate him for answers as to WHY he was there on HIS birthday at Comic-Con IN California. “Now tell me! WHO the fuck told you we were here!? And WHAT are your intentions!?”
“I DID, GERARD!” Frank exclaimed, releasing his hold on his steel-like husband’s arm and stepping back just in case. He wasn’t sure inviting Michael was a good idea anymore. Gerard looked like he was a centimeter close from smashing his own baby brother into a bloody pulp! Frank had no idea how everything escalated so damn quickly before he could catch up with it. “I’m the one who invited him!”
Gerard’s head snapped in his husband’s direction so fast it made his Venom mask all the more eerie and hustled the younger of the two to jump back further because of it. Freeing his brother, Gerard turned to fully face Frank, his tone much softer now than it was before directed at Michael. “YOU invited HIM? But why? W-What’s this all about, baby?”
My god, this would be a prolonged confession if Frank had to tell Gerard everything in full!
Opting against it, Frank culminated everything into three whispered words while anxiously fidgeting with his fingers. “Uh…h-happy Birthday, Gee?”
Seeing that Frank might need a bit of rescuing against his naturally terrorizing brother, Michael inserted himself into their private conversation. “C’mon, Gee, it’s a fucking birthday gift from your husband! Don’t fuck it up and throw it back into the man’s face! Embrace it! I sure as hell am.”
“My…birthday gift? I don’t understand.” Gerard echoed, his brain unable to interpret what exactly had been formulated behind his back for him. He imagined it was a hard pill to swallow because this was his brother and his husband that were in cahoots with each other. The two people he wanted most in the same room together, were now at Comic-Con with him for his birthday. But that couldn’t be! Frank despised his brother! Or at least what his brother represented as the leader of the Killjoys.
Jesus Christ, Gerard needed a moment to process everything that had befallen around him. Starting with the mastermind behind it all, his husband.
“You, stay put!” Gerard ordered his brother with a finger indicating the very spot his brother stood on. Taking a tender hold of his husband’s arm, Gerard led his short lover away so they could discuss this more privately. He wanted to hear the truth from his man, no one else. As soon as he deemed they were far enough away from his meddlesome brother, Gerard turned Frank to face him and began his interrogation. “Baby, tell me what the hell is going on here. Is what Mikey said true, or is this one of his manipulating tricks to force us to deal with his interfering presence on my birthday? Cause if it is you just say the words and I’ll make him pay for upsetting you!”
As romantic as Frank found Gerard’s words to be, he didn’t want to hash things out like this. There was something already intruding and it was the creepy masks they had on. Pointing to his own Carnage one, Frank asked. “Can I take this off first before we go any further?”
“Why?” Gerard inquired, finding his husband’s mask to be super cool. They may not have the most outstanding costumes at Comic-Con so far but they were leagues away from the cheap Halloween ones you find in stores. “I can hear you just fine with it if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Because you’re scaring me now that you’re mad and wearing that creepy Venom mask!” Frank lamented like a baby beneath the red material. “Seriously, can we just take them off for a minute?”
“Yeah, of course!” Gerard complied immediately, whipping his Venom mask off and revealing his handsome and innocuous face. With his own eyes he watched his husband visibly relax before him, and it too lifted what idling temper he had left in him from his brother’s unforeseen arrival. Reaching out, he took both of his husband’s hands in his own. “Frankie, look. I’m not upset with you or anything, okay? I just…I just need to know why Mikey is truly here. Typically I trust the guy, but since getting involved with you, I’m not so sure what he says is legitimate or not, you know? So tell me what’s happened? Did Mikey trick you into ‘inviting’ him here, or did he threaten you or our kids in some kind of fucked up way?”
When it came to Comic-Con, the couple's first two days there were beyond awesome! At Gerard’s persistence they went as Batman and Robin, and on the second day they sauntered through the doors as members of the X-Men, Gambit and Wolverine. The expensively detailed costumes were provided for by Frank’s parents of course after Frank did his own ingenious investigation into what Gerard would want them as a couple to dress up as within the far-flung superhero universe. Out of all his husband’s superhero pairings, Frank went with the easiest to access and fashion on the days of Comic-Con.
Now when it came to the whereabouts of Michael Way, Frank never heard a word from him since their late phone call inviting him out to California. The anxiety he had towards Michael when extending the invitation to him had dissipated long before they flew out for Gerard’s birthday trip. Frank had grown accustomed to the idea that Michael was going to be there too. But when he hadn’t heard word from him, Frank began to doubt he would make an appearance.
And that wasn’t going to be a good thing.
Having prepared himself for this moment, Frank was ready to go. In fact, he had begun to look forward to Michael’s debut. The look on his husband’s face would be well worth going through with his plan to invite his brother to surprise him on his birthday. Only that didn’t look like it would happen now, and it bummed Frank out.
Until Frank received a text message on his phone the third day of Comic-Con.
The back and forth had started when Frank had sat up to read Michael’s query as to what they were wearing for the convention that particular day. Frank had notified him that they would be going as some of the different types of Venoms in the Marvel universe. Michael then let him know that he would finally be making his presentation at the convention that very day. Tapping hastily away on his phone back to him, Frank asked him for a location to where he’d be exactly, and what character he’d be portraying as. Michael assured him that he wouldn’t need to be doing any looking, that he’d be one to find them and that Gerard would have to figure it out on his own who he is once they crossed paths. Frank had no idea what he meant by that, but couldn’t get any further answers from Michael. He’d stop messaging him. Having no choice, Frank had to shrug it off, push it into the back of his mind, and get his Venom costume on.
Coming back towards the Comic-Con convention Day 3, hand-in-hand and dressed as Venoms, the couple were hindered in their quest when a man dressed as the Anti-Venom suddenly stepped into their paths and deposited a firm hand on Gerard’s arm.
Provoked by this stranger’s audacious touch, Gerard, disguised as the original Venom, forcibly shrugged the hand off of him and snapped. “HEY! Keep your hands to yourself, man, o-!”
The Anti-Venom chuckled behind his mask at Gerard, cutting him off by his merriment.
If Gerard had been overly pissed then, he wouldn’t have distinguished the laughter behind the Anti-Venom mask. Still, his brother’s voice didn’t deter him from surrendering Frank’s hand to grab two fistfuls of his little brother’s tight suit to jerk him closer. Against clenched teeth, Gerard growled at his delighted little brother. “Michael, what the FUCK are you doing here!?”
“GERARD!” Frank gasped from behind his red Carnage mask. Rounding his husband, he solidly slapped his hand onto his bicep to get him to release the Anti-Venom. “What the hell are you doing!? Let this man go, right now! People are watching us!”
Not missing a beat and already having the time of his life in California, Michael laughed in his brother’s face. “I was invited, you dumbass!”
It was then that Frank caught onto who the Anti-Venom truly was under his mask and why his husband had suddenly gone homicidal. Michael Way had finally shown up and it was in the fully reverse Venom of his own brother.
“You think I’m that stupid to believe a lie like that!?” Gerard laughed harshly at his brother’s deceitful claim. Giving Michael another brutal shake, he began to interrogate him for answers as to WHY he was there on HIS birthday at Comic-Con IN California. “Now tell me! WHO the fuck told you we were here!? And WHAT are your intentions!?”
“I DID, GERARD!” Frank exclaimed, releasing his hold on his steel-like husband’s arm and stepping back just in case. He wasn’t sure inviting Michael was a good idea anymore. Gerard looked like he was a centimeter close from smashing his own baby brother into a bloody pulp! Frank had no idea how everything escalated so damn quickly before he could catch up with it. “I’m the one who invited him!”
Gerard’s head snapped in his husband’s direction so fast it made his Venom mask all the more eerie and hustled the younger of the two to jump back further because of it. Freeing his brother, Gerard turned to fully face Frank, his tone much softer now than it was before directed at Michael. “YOU invited HIM? But why? W-What’s this all about, baby?”
My god, this would be a prolonged confession if Frank had to tell Gerard everything in full!
Opting against it, Frank culminated everything into three whispered words while anxiously fidgeting with his fingers. “Uh…h-happy Birthday, Gee?”
Seeing that Frank might need a bit of rescuing against his naturally terrorizing brother, Michael inserted himself into their private conversation. “C’mon, Gee, it’s a fucking birthday gift from your husband! Don’t fuck it up and throw it back into the man’s face! Embrace it! I sure as hell am.”
“My…birthday gift? I don’t understand.” Gerard echoed, his brain unable to interpret what exactly had been formulated behind his back for him. He imagined it was a hard pill to swallow because this was his brother and his husband that were in cahoots with each other. The two people he wanted most in the same room together, were now at Comic-Con with him for his birthday. But that couldn’t be! Frank despised his brother! Or at least what his brother represented as the leader of the Killjoys.
Jesus Christ, Gerard needed a moment to process everything that had befallen around him. Starting with the mastermind behind it all, his husband.
“You, stay put!” Gerard ordered his brother with a finger indicating the very spot his brother stood on. Taking a tender hold of his husband’s arm, Gerard led his short lover away so they could discuss this more privately. He wanted to hear the truth from his man, no one else. As soon as he deemed they were far enough away from his meddlesome brother, Gerard turned Frank to face him and began his interrogation. “Baby, tell me what the hell is going on here. Is what Mikey said true, or is this one of his manipulating tricks to force us to deal with his interfering presence on my birthday? Cause if it is you just say the words and I’ll make him pay for upsetting you!”
As romantic as Frank found Gerard’s words to be, he didn’t want to hash things out like this. There was something already intruding and it was the creepy masks they had on. Pointing to his own Carnage one, Frank asked. “Can I take this off first before we go any further?”
“Why?” Gerard inquired, finding his husband’s mask to be super cool. They may not have the most outstanding costumes at Comic-Con so far but they were leagues away from the cheap Halloween ones you find in stores. “I can hear you just fine with it if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Because you’re scaring me now that you’re mad and wearing that creepy Venom mask!” Frank lamented like a baby beneath the red material. “Seriously, can we just take them off for a minute?”
“Yeah, of course!” Gerard complied immediately, whipping his Venom mask off and revealing his handsome and innocuous face. With his own eyes he watched his husband visibly relax before him, and it too lifted what idling temper he had left in him from his brother’s unforeseen arrival. Reaching out, he took both of his husband’s hands in his own. “Frankie, look. I’m not upset with you or anything, okay? I just…I just need to know why Mikey is truly here. Typically I trust the guy, but since getting involved with you, I’m not so sure what he says is legitimate or not, you know? So tell me what’s happened? Did Mikey trick you into ‘inviting’ him here, or did he threaten you or our kids in some kind of fucked up way?”