4469/Venom: Recruitment

Venom: Recruitment
Date of Scene:	17 May 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Venom joins The Light as an agent
Cast of Characters:	Lex Luthor, Venom

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Lex Luthor has posed:
The world has changed, but stays the same. Government squabble over petty territory and resources. Technological progress suffers over copyright and hoarding. SHIELD and its' minions, along with the 'superheroes', keep the world stagnant and the world under 'control'. Meanwhile, Gothams crime rate continues. New York remains a battleground of superpowers, and alien threats constantly threaten Earth... with the UN squabbling over who gets the 'prestige' of being the first responders. Earth is a chaotic mess.

But a new group of means and resources has emerged. They call themselves The Light, and have sent a messenger with an invitation; an address, along with a phrase "For those who want to see our world prosper."

The address is to a storefront along the shoreline Gotham. Seemingly abandoned, the back room has a few chairs, along with a home theater setup. Both look new.

Venom has posed:
Venom arrives in human guise, having travelled on foot to the storefront through the city. The face of Eddie Brock still comes in handy, even if that man as an individual no longer exists as long as the symbiote remains fused, a faceless man in a sea of equally faceless masses. Venom finds their way through the storefront's front room before locating the back room door. Venom opens the door and enters, taking in the room for a moment, waiting for their liason.

Lex Luthor has posed:
There's no one in the storefront; all the better to maintain the illusion of the building being defunct. Of course, the back room having a brand new theater setup does nothing to help that notion... but there are no windows back here, and squatters come into these buildings all the time. Since the equipment is new, it's likely an agent came around here to set it all up as well.

The camera in front of the monitor centers on Venom when the creature walks in. Once the invitation is confirmed to have been taken, the monitor turns on... and a white "L1" appears on the monitor against a blue background. The voice uses advanced distortion, making it impossible to tell if it's even a man or a woman. "Good afternoon, Venom. There have been rumors you had resurfaced recently, and I'm glad to see my sources did not lie to me."

The voice continues, "Please, sit if you'd like. I had the chairs brought around for you."

Venom has posed:
Venom smiles, the human facade not lasting very long. While they do not transform entirely, or even permanently, Venom seems to deem it necessary to "prove" their identity. The mouth of Eddie Brock opens wide, long, sharp teeth taking the place of previously deceptively looking human teeth. Venom's long tongue even makes a brief appearance. It sways a bit before shrinking back into the creatures gaping maw, which then closes, restoring the human guise.

However Venom makes no effort to disguise their voice, which most of the time sounds as if both Eddie and the symbiote are speaking at once, the latter's voice shrill and gutteral. At other times Eddie's voice, disturbingly, cannot be heard at all, perhaps alluding to the possibility that Eddie is the lesser personality here if one were inclined to speculate, "We could not refuse such a kind invitation." Venom sits as directed.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"I had scanners built into the doorway in front, no need for that... but feel free to shift if you like." L1 notes to Venom, before there is a pause. "I am L1, of the organization referred to as The Light. We're new to the global scene... but we have considerable resources and power, and I'm interested in finding agents who share our vision of a world without stagnation. Free of disease, poverty, and those who would stifle progress. Those who would be our hands and feet on the global stage as we build towards a better future for humanity. Sometimes, this will involve diplomacy. Other times, research."

A few seconds later, "sometimes, hard and brutal violence against our enemies. You've always had an interest in helping our world improve by removing those who claim to protect it, am I correct?" The voice asks.

Venom has posed:
Venom grins, "We understand.. we will keep the face of Eddie Brock for the time being." After a brief pause Venom continues, "A world without stagnation. Free of disease, poverty, and.. villains?" How Venom chooses to interpret 'those who would stifle progress' isn't surprising if one knows them, "It is true that we've been doing our own cleanup of the city's streets. We instill terror in the hearts of villains and we purge the world of heroes who do more harm than good, those who cannot stomach dealing out justice.. the right way. We have seen the so called heroes of this planet many times, and we have fought them when they have called US villain.. we who would devour every last perpetrator of crime and chaos. We would make this world safe. We are hindered at every turn."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"The nations of this world are too shortsighted and will do anything to keep power. It'll take a concentrated effort to break that hold on our planet." L1 notes, before a drawer is ejected from the box in front of Venom, "the flash drive in this contains the software necessary to keep in contact with the Light, and a small stipend for your own activities and resources. When we make our next move, you will be contacted. Do you have any questions so far?"

Venom has posed:
Venom takes the flash drive and places it inside of their pants pocket, "We don't like to overthink a good thing. It sounds like we have similar goals and.. methods. That is all we need to know. We will be eagerly waiting for the next contact. We have thugs to kill until then."