Owner	Pose
Green Goblin	Even before his life became the focal point of so many conspiracy theories and infamous events, Norman Osborn always kept a number of projects and laboratories off the books. With the Pentagon looking over OsCorp's shoulder back in it's weapon-development days, the man always found it valuable to keep certain employees and sites from being included in company reports - the land leased by an unrelated third party, the payroll all handled through shell companies (of which he had, and still utilizes, many). In one such laboratory in Brooklyn, Norman has one of his allies working around-the-clock on spreading his tendrils of control into the Municipal Government computer systems. In another such lab, various technologies - all kept compartmentalized from the other - to improve his various weaponry. And in one, far more SPECIALIZED laboratory, a creaturee from another planet is being studied in great secrecy and security. 'The Green Gobbler' is a well-known vegetarian restaurant in the upscale neighbourhood of Greenwich Village. It's well-reviewed, generally has a waiting list, and turns a tidy profit for it's owners - who have been set up in the location simply so Norman Osborn has some place nobody would EVER think of looking for a secret facility. The alleyway behind the restaurant is deserted minus some half-full dumpsters and assorted garbage stirring in the wind. A long alley, leading to the rear entrance (directly into the kitchen) - the door is propped open. In the shadows, a figure is leaned against the door frame, watching ahead for the approach he's expecting at present. Hopefully Carl is on-time, Norman is not one to stand around waiting for those he deems to be his 'lesser'.
Phage	It isn't as hard as it looks. Since almost all of the time is surveillance, waiting around in a car with nothing to do but wait to see if there was a few fleeting moments to make it all worthwhile... any operative, even a rookie can push through it. Those used to the routine can even stay competantly alert long past the snacks are exhausted and when every weapon's been took apart, cleaned and reassembled, every battery checked and every bit of small or cabin fevered talk has been exhausted. If the operative's lucky enough to have a partner on the job that is. Still. Carl'd be lying if he wasn't eager to see what his second silent partner could do. Maybe there's nothing to do it's playing the past words equivalent of a hunch... but, when you've been him for as long as he has you exist on knowing people, places and situations all better than they know themselves. Fortunately his hunch is backed up by, objectively, alien or no, on paper or word or in person, the best natural talent he's came across in his entire career. It is time. Shapes swirl on the wall opposite, fluid fabric flows back and Carl Mach becomes visible to... what Carl'd desribe as 'one of the people the world turns for'. It's a trick. Spies play it all the time. Be early. Then be earlier. Just in case. The amount of op's botched 'cause some drunk driver crashed their car into the discreet meeting spot and the one shot of contact is lost is too painful to recount. Or so he's told. He would not let that happen. Especially now. He nods and says, simply, "Mr Osborn. Sir."
Green Goblin	Glancing quickly at his Hugo Boss watch (one can't beat the Germans for matters of precision - after all), Norman makes a mental note that the man is punctual, if nothing else. He doesn't utter a word in the open as Carl makes himself visible - Osborn is used to such tricks from symbiotes (particularly after his recent run-ins with Venom, who seems to LOVE a dramatic entrance - as well as Carl's extensive history as a security operative... a bit of pre-surviellance is to be expected). He greets the man with a wide grin; he always enjoys a pointless display of power - it's part of what drives his daily agenda, after all. Not uttering a word out in the open, he instead ushers Carl inside with a beckoning finger, shutting the door firmly behind them (there is a hydraulic *hiss*, almost as if the door were sealing itself shut behind them - another sign this is more than just the kitchen exit of an upscale Vegan restaurant. In fact, there ARE no cooks in the kitchen - instead, a series of automated robotic devices shred lettuce, skin carrots, peel potatoes, and assemble dishes that are shoved out to the 'pick-up area' between the kitchen and dining room, where it is taken by a human waiter and carried out to the patrons. There is no view from the back of the restaurant to the front, and it's clear it's all been organized in a way that allows no front-of-house staff to come back into the rear. The door between the two is heavily locked and chained from the kitchen side, and every so often a tray of half-eaten food is slid back through a small slot into the kitchen, where another automaton dumps the remaining food and begins to clean the plate and cutlery. Who the hell knows how much all of this cost? For Norman Osborn, the secrecy seems to be worth whatever start-up costs this entire, automated kitchen may have cost - hell, it's entirely possible he stole half this equipment from one of his competitors. "Mr. Mach, the man of the hour himself," says Osborn with a laugh - obvious that he only ever considers HIMSELF the 'man of the hour', the whole city (soon the whole world) set to revolve around HIS wants and HIS desires. He doesn't make any mention of the numerous robots in the kitchen area - instead calmly walking through a flurry of metal arms and chopping blades to a row of meat freezers against the far wall. Picking the second from the left, he reaches up his wrist and taps something on the side of his watch. The doors to the meat locker open, the back wall opening up in-synch and revealing a long, twisted stairway downwards. "I hope you don't mind a bit of a walk? It's a few floors down," he says, his green eyes shining with a certain manic energy to them. Jesus, Norm, take your pills.
Phage	"Very impressive. Even against most facilites I've never been to that don't exist... of course" Mach says. He took in the details of the kitchen but with different eyes to most. The yellow tinted lenses he looks through let him catch all the visual orchestral score of the machines in action, zooming in and out to take the most detail on the tight angle all so the single casual sweep he takes is anything but. He is too institutionalised to see it from any other perspective though. Concealed access, possible other dynamic entry points. Drones easily capable of offensive military units as well as functional food prep-ers. Redoubled perspective, he suspects, for the front, so people, without thinking, forget that the kitchen even really happens... For a man who made and converted facilities for a living, focussing on keeping supers out... it's a job he'd be proud of. The corridors that followed allow for the professional amount of small talk. "Far from minding, Sir." Again, experience makes the capital clear, "After the amount of time standing still I've been a walk's like finding out the enemy's bought a cheap generator and gave themselves a power cut." It happens. More than you'd think. Rounding down the second flight of stairs and into another corridor Mach doesn't muse on Osborn's more manic edge. For two main reasons. First is he's seen people pumped up as nature intended and very not and everywhere in between. It's kinda background now. Second is Mach isn't prone to emotional reasoning. He drops an ammo crate on his foot? He's gonna swear like only someone who's been as many places as he has can. He's not gonna kick the crate for something he did. One reason Phage chose him. The final flight and corridor makes it harder for him to keep the same steady pace. It's hard fighting the instinct to speed up so, to destract himself he says, "I seen the broacasts about your candidacy. You're polling well. I'll be sure to swing a block of votes your way." Then, letting the man of the hour take the lead, Mach follows on in past the final door to...
Green Goblin	"Hah!" - corrupt businessman, mass murderer and greasy aspiring politician, Norman Osborn still enjoys a joke every now and again, responding to Carl's initial statement. But that's all he says as he silently follows his guest down the stairwell - perhaps a certain professional paranoia, wanting to keep the security expert in front of him as they descend the three floors into the laboratory. "I'm pleased to hear it," he responds to the promise of additional votes, "I have full faith the people will see the WISDOM of electing Norman Virgil Osborn..." he says, referring to himself in third person with a tone of odd confidence - almost as if he viewed the outcome as already decided in his favour; no doubt there are numerous schemes Carl isn't aware of to 'help' Osborn in the campaign, and certainly he can't expect the candidate to speak further. Pleasantries are all well and good, but Norman doesn't allow such talk to progress beyond idle chit-chat. They're both here on other business. Once they reach three stories down, there is an opening in the stairwell - and although the stairs down seem to continue for quite a ways, Norman ushers them through this exit - and into a low-ceilinged, almost claustrophobic laboratory. Just tall enough to fit some of the larger, 9 or 10-foot tinted glass boxes along each wall. The laboratory is little more than a single corridor, stainless-steel fixtures and the occasional table space for microscopes and various tool... but the majority of room is taken up with the tinted glass of the display cases... with no light presently illuminating from inside, it is impossible to see into.. but Carl's own symbiote enhanced senses are likely going all kinds of crazy at the moment. There's life in here... and it's not from this planet. "Nanomachines," Norm says suddenly, breaking his silence as he begins to laugh, calming himself suddenly as he straightens his tie. Staring Carl in the eye, he continues, "Lex Luthor, for all his successes, was always a very myopic individual. Very narrow-minded in spite of his genius. Oh, certainly, he could see into the future in many ways. His work in the fields of machinery, nanotech... groundbreaking, even -I- must admit. But, like the man himself, his work betrays a STUNNING lack of understanding for how LIFE ITSELF functions - how organic life is connected, how it functions in a given environment, the bonds that give life meaning. With an intimate understanding of another creature's physiology, you know how to harm it, how to heal it, using nothing but the organism's own natural processes itself, to make whatever changes one wishes, to destroy, or to improve, as necessary," he says, pausing as he rubs his chin thoughtfully, staring into the distance for a moment. He could just as easily have been talking about the OZ Serum, the super soldier project that turned him into the 'man' he is today. Indeed, Osborn has always had a certain flair for organic chemistry, whereas his business rival Lex Luthor far eclipsed him in futurist technology. In THIS situation, though, THIS application of knowledge.. Norm has the upper hand. And he's eager to enjoy the opportunity to show up Luthor, even if the man himself isn't here. "Now, if you're ready to see one of my more... long-term projects? I think the results may be of particular interest, especially relating to YOUR case..."
Phage	It's a lot to take in. Phage isn't, like it describes it as, the progenitor, but it can sense energy, biomass, maybe constituent matter... it is uncertain. However it is reassured by Mach's earlier team talk with it. If needs be it can assume the lead role in the conversation and discuss science. Mach'd rather not as... well... unless Osborn's as passionate about all this as Phage is... boring a new powerful ally to sleep isn't a GREAT impression to leave. Phage, listening in, using Mach's senses is impressed. It, so far, likes this one. The theory is sound. Electromechanical entities are irrelevant to it. It'd be like a virus with an immunocompromised system... the mutations could phase quickly enough so the immune system, at it's stronger points, repairs some damage done and, when weaker, would allow the virus to run rampant whilst, at any point, too much dust would be kicked up by a battle to detect the real threat. Mach smiles a little, since Phage, for all the kidding on between them is the expert here. So, if it thinks the science is legit... can only be a good thing. Mach nods and says, "I would. Anything that furthers fixing this is top priority for me." The strain on using singulars was hard today. "Also, for the record, my other does tell me it agrees entirely with your hypothesis. I'll admit, you're both on a level in a field I'm not specialised in. I just have to sound competant at anything I need to and meet the objectives. But, Mr Biochemistry-Set wanted to pass on its compliments." He gestures to be lead on to the reveal.
Green Goblin	"I appreciate the compliment," Norman says smugly - he's always been something of a brilliant, unorthodox mind in the field or organic chemistry, and although his fortune mainly came from his weapons prototypes for the Pentagon - his TRUE passion was always exploring changes on a more genetic level... "1-amino-2-phenylethane. A monoaminergic neuromodulator, found in the Central Nervous System of human beings but ALSO present many other places in nature..." he says, almost as if to himself, as he leads Carl down a corridor of black-glassed display cases - the tint preventing either man from seeing inside without any lighting from inside the case. Carl can likely already feel it - several small, barely active samples... and one, older, healthier. "Venom disappeared from this city in 2022... Before he did, however, I managed to secure a... sample, shall we say. Something I could explore, in my years out of the public eye. I've LONG been fascinated with the original creature, from the moment I first saw it fight that blasted wall-crawling vigilante..." he says, closing his eyes tightly and shaking his head to focus past the whispers of KILLPARKERKILLPARKERKILLPARKER that are always heard when discussing the Spider, "I've had some time with this, a sample of the ORIGINAL symbiote, and I've made some progress," he trails off, almost absent-mindedly pressing a button on the largest, tinted case in the lab. A light within it goes on, illuminating the inside - bare metal except for a large, slithering, spreading black mass. As soon as the light comes on inside the terrarium, the creature practically attacks the glass, attempting to latch onto Norm and the other individual. There's a screech, muted but heard even through the thick, shatter-proof tinted material of the case. "When I first... heh... 'received' this sample, it was little bigger than than a pencil's eraser. Now, as you can see..." he says, green eyes glinting as he shows his teeth in a foreboding grin, "big, healthy, and still GROWING. Keep in mind this is a sample from a first-generation symbiote.. I wanted to discuss some of the.. problems we've encountered, before we move on to YOUR sample," he says. But before he says more, he quiets himself, staring between Carl and the encased symbiote, still writing and slithering across the glass. It's almost pulsating with energy and a desire to feed - it seems... uncontrollable, in it's current form. But it's alive, healthy, and has obviously been growing.
Phage	Mach looks at the contents of the case, slightly impassive, more as Phage is throwing more information at him than he really can comprehend at this speed. After a while he turns to Mr Osborn and says, "This..." Then there's a response he didn't expect. Phage, reformats itself to a smoothened 'black suit' form of itself, covering the host's body and turning his head away from Norman and back to the case. the flickering flared eyes stare at the contents of the case, the jawed maw running from ear to ear, if it had any like this, opens and growls, rapidly raising to a screech. Forcing the semi-symbiote to recoil. If Phage had a nose to wrinkle in disgust it would. It turns back to the unbonded human and speaks. "We are the Phage symbiote. Bonded to Carl Mach. I... was told to apologise for the sudden reaction. However that..." Still smooth fingers point at the case, "... was in grave error. I... protect the host. Advances by another will not occur. I... have listened also. You have questions. If answers exist I... will provde them. Mach's impressed. It even took time to ask for the go before taking action. It worked out by itself to not do the full plates and whistles and blades for the sake of appearances. It's a fast study. Hopefully it'll find some charms to back up the answers it's gonna give to Mr Osborn. Still. Mach's sure, although new to many things, Phage has the natural talent to deal with this. Hold a conversation. Let's face it... only guy it seems to enjoy screwing with at any given time is him...
Green Goblin	Norman was watching for something like this - though he has had YEARS to research the Venom symbiote, viewed interactions between the original and the next-generation creatures has been rare indeed. He's been keeping this healthy symbiote and the other, damaged samples as seperate as possible - for fear of further harming the younger symbiotes in some unknown way. There's still SO much for Norman to learn about these creatures, he can't help but regard Phage with interest, eyes shining brighter as he watches every little shift in the symbiote suit. He seems to take the whole thing in stride, casually moving back into his smug scientific exposition, eager to share his results - perhaps MORE eager to share them with Phage than Carl himself. "You must know yourself, 'Phage'. Phenethylamine. Present in things like chocolate, human brains, high-protein plant foods, even eggs," Norman begins, placing his hands behind his back and grabbing one wrist - rocking almost imperceptably back and forth on the heels of his feet as he locks his shining green eyes onto Carl, keenly watching for a reaction, "I'm sure you know, also the primary source of nutrition for the symbiote. It helps it grow. It's abscence causes hunger in the creature. By itself, this knowledge does us little good." "We've known since Venom's first defeat that sonic waves have a strong effect, particularly on the first-generation symbiotes... what fewer know is, the application of these waves isn't JUST a way to harm the symbiote. No, it's SO much more..." he says, putting one hand against the glass, the black, oozing symbiote within immediately moving it's position to try and latch onto Norman's hand, through the thick material between them. "It's a way, in low doses over time, to stimulate the creature. To promote not just a reaction of pain, but one of GROWTH and RESISTANCE, as well. Again, this information by itself does nothing." Moving his hands from behind his back, Norman interlocks his fingers in front of his face, "TOGETHER, these two principles have allowed me to take what was a weakened, dying sample of the ORIGINAL symbiote... and turn it into THIS," he says, moving his hand off the glass and tapping on it twice, causing an angry response from the alien symbiote within. "Now, we've had something of a problem as well. Something that makes me slightly hesitant to begin work on YOU." His right hand wanders over to another button on the case - not pressing it quite yet, just hovering over the button, giving the symbiote a moment to take in this information - no doubt the creature knows it's own physiology, so he hardly expects as much surprise as Carl might show. Still, it's progress - even if there ARE apparent, unspoken problems...
Green Goblin	Norman quickly adds, "I was HOPING, in fact, you might shed some light on the exact... NATURE, of the host/symbiote relationship."
Phage	Phage, given free reign to take it from here, seamless and silent, listens but portrayys all the external charm, charisma, personality and expression of a brick wall. It is listening. The time to speak will come later. It also, despite all the 'jokes' and 'showing off' the host describes it to have, has no sense of tact. It points at the case. "That is not the progenitor." It states. Hold on... this may be a bumpy ride. "The structure of the cellular form is a mono-archetype. Each component of constituent matter can be reconfigured to the needs of the host. The energy... is what makes each alive. A complex submolecular waveform, a pattern formed from irregular phase in the structure of each essential building block of each tom of each cell... otherwise undetectable from one symbiote... to the other... so even if another searched every last cell of this constituent matter it could not be found..." Phage, with a little nudge from it's partner stops pointing. "If it was the progenitor it would not have recoiled with such pitiful weakness. You are correct, catalysation of the constant reformatting is achieved with such a compound. Differing energy waveforms can cause an effect on different symbiotes or, even, different pairings. This pairing could be entirely different to had I... bonded with another." Phage pauses. It learned this from the host. He pauses to verify understanding. It is a fast study. Satisfied understanding has been achieved so far... it continues. "Sonic waveforms likely disrupt the input and output carries between symbiote and host. The shock of being attacked in every component of existance is also transferred as it is experienced. Enough exposure could waste a viable host. Further again will break down the essential cohesion. I... would cease." It doesn't seem bothered by this. As it is irrelevant. "That is stimulated biomass and constituent matter. Stripped and lacking encoding from its behavior... alive but not sentient. Sufficient encoding to function but not live. Also it has not had symbiosis with another. For an extended period. The effect of that has been death or dormancy. I... suspect it is in a transient state between the two. A non-dead." Mach can sense it. Not only is Phage having fun... it just tried to improvise a joke. He swears to all that there is it didn't get a sense of humor from him. At least he hopes not. It flickers a look at the button then at Norman. "Demonstrate." It doesn't seem concerned with the other samples. Or what's been done with them. It doesn't care. The host and his development are all that is relevant.
Green Goblin	Norman listens carefully to the symbiote's words - it's far more intellectual, more erudite than his experiences with the Venom symbiote, even the ones he's had most recently. Whether it has to do with the Phage symbiote being more advanced, or with the relative sly subtleness of Carl Mach vs. the brute strength and anger of Eddie Brock, who can say? It's part of why he's brought Carl here; he was hoping to provoke a reaction from Phage, give himself a chance to study the creature in close. It's a fair bet everything happening between the two is being recorded from numerous angles. Finally, as the symbiote finishes speaking, Norm nods. "You're right, it's grown, it's alive, but it remains unevolved. It's proven to be far more emotional, more feral and instinctual than any fully-grown symbiote SHOULD be," says Norman, responding to Phage's comments on the nature of the encased sample, "and what's more - it WON'T bond. It just FEEDS." "Watch closely," Norman says, pressing the button his finger has been hovering over. Suddenly, a back wall in the case opens up - revealing a man in a suit tied to a chair, in an adjoining cell. He's shouting, though the words aren't heard due to the distance and the thick glass between them. Almost immediately, the symbiote picks up on the sensations of fresh prey within it's new, expanded confines. Oozing across the floor with blinding speed, it launches itself into the air and attaches to the chest of the unfortunate individual - as to the man's identity, Norm gives no hint; whether a nosey journalist, troublesome employee, or just an unfortunate passerby... the idea of the man's life being at all valuable is obviously not one Norm entertains. Within a few minutes, the symbiote has fully engulfed the man - and rather than bonding with him, has begun to devour the hapless prisoner instead. Thrashing against his restraints, Norman quietly comments to Phage as he watches the symbiote continue to feed on the man, "I don't know if this is a result of the process we've undertaken, whether this splinter of the original symbiote still considers Venom's host to be it's own, or if all the human test subjects have simply been... unsuitable." By the time he's finished speaking, the black symbiote - slightly larger and noticeably more healthy, has re-attached itself to the glass between it and Norman/Carl. The back wall of the case has closed just as a number of incinerators visibly begin heating up - no doubt removing any DNA evidence of the gruesome murder that just took place, all to show the drawbacks of Norm's 'research' on the symbiote. "Hardly useable, in THIS state. This is why I was hoping you might help me understand what makes a symbiote CHOOSE it's host.."
Phage	Phage considers. It then consults the host. There is still some confusion. It speaks. "There are many answers. To begin with constants. The... stimulation has caused not just disruption but corruption to the symbiotic bond. A form of carcinogenesis, bonded yet not to itself. It is parasitic. Not symbiotic. The bond betweenthe host and I... is beneficial to both. I... passively and actively augment all that is the host. Particularly dominant traits." The host provides energy and procures biomass." It pauses then corrects. "I... have watched cooking shows. To provide metaphor. Biomass is the food as it is eaten. Consituent matter is it digested, stored within the body. It cannot do this. It can only consume and, with it bonded to itself, feeds off it's own electrochemical neural responses to remain in a state of half existance." "Further constants. I... am different to other symbiotes. What makes a compatible host is a differential to others. This host has an abundance of energy it does not... engage in to a degree exhibited by other potentials. As such it was optimum. We discussed matters before bonding and I... was persuaded it would be able to live with such an arrangement indefinitely. The host is a mental and physical optimum, prime, example of the species. I... gestated, was optimised for, this world and its hosts. So it will be a more successful bond with the same. The progenitor... although an alpha of the race we are told we came from was not. With a lack of viable hosts I... could bond with a largely incompatible host to achieve symbiosis, to live, and locate a better match." It pauses, the jawed maw moving, it choosing its words best for accuracy. "What makes a host viable or optimum is dependant upon the needs of each symbiote. Some details can be determined in advance... others can be speculated... others can only be discovered after the fact. This is the end of constants." Phage IS a fast study taking it's next line out of Mach's playbook. "Context is necessary. What is your objective? In addition why is it functional symbiosis is required? That is a tumor. A mass of cells that, in many respects, is akin to functional matter but... when examined deeper is a precursor to the waste of any viable host." "That consumption is a process I perform. Biomass to constituent matter. However I can also develop the same from the host overconsuming food in the standard process. It is slower but, I... have been told, is less complex in certain respects." It stares, the flickering periphery of its eyes gone. Two, now yellow, cut ovals, almost glowing, waiting, expecting, stare at Norman Osborn. It speaks once more. "The questions have been set. Context is required. Irrelevancy will be the only result otherwise." It's curious, still stating fact, but it won't lie or guess. As it doesn't care.
Green Goblin	Norman Osborn is noting every word down in his rather impressive, though fractured and unhinged, mind - even though the entire exchange is being recorded. A conversation with a lucid, intelligent symbiote is a rare occurence indeed - and he intends to learn everything he can from replaying Phage's words, applying the logic to his current samples. He's attempted to hold discussions with the Venom symbiote in the past, but has always found that creature crude and almost thoughtless in it's actions. THIS one, however... could be very useful. Breaking out into a grin, Norman leans forward and blows a heavy breath on the glass of the display case - a white fog covering the material. He reaches out with his right hand and draws a circle, then two dots, and a smile - the prototypical 70s smiley-face written in the fog of his own breath. "Fascinating," he says - and for a moment, that's his only response, as he stares at the black, feral symbiote through the eyes his own little doodle. Finally, his eyes turn back to Phage and re-focus, as if seeing him for the very first time. Clearly, for a moment there, Norm was off in another world. "Tell me; second-generation symbiotes have, in the past, displayed a heightened resistance to usual weaknesses. Sonic waves and fire, particularly. Is this true in your case, as well?" With one hand, he reaches out and presses down on the same button that lit up the encased symbiote, returning it to complete darkness. "You're interested in repairing yourself. You seem to have a very common bond with Mr. Mach. I believe, if you're willing to undergo some testing, I may be able to make some progress... where the great Lex Luthor could not," he once again breaks out into a smug grin, wishing he were able to tell Luthor of his success in this matter. Ah well, when all his plans are completed, perhaps he'll pay the head of LexCorp a visit as well...
Green Goblin	Almost as an afterthought, Norman drags his palm across the now-darkened glass of the healthy symbiote's terrarium. "Night night..." he whispers, almost as if soothing a baby.