I Woke Up in the Marvel Universe, But All the Heroes Are Women?-Chapter 76: Cookie

The scent of vanilla and sugar fills the underground bunker, transforming our steel-walled hideout into something almost homey. The simple act of sliding cookie dough onto a baking sheet feels surprisingly normal after everything that's happened.
I arrange the last pre-cut snowman on the tray and slide it into the oven, setting the timer according to the package instructions. When I turn around, I catch Ellie leaning against the doorframe, her blue eyes locked on me with an intensity that makes my skin flush hot.
"What?" I ask, wiping my hands on a dish towel.
Her lips curl into that confident smirk that always makes my heart skip. "Nothing," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "You just look good in the kitchen."
I can't help but laugh, the sound bouncing off the metal walls of our temporary home. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I don't know how to cook," I admit, gesturing toward the oven.
"You're cooking right now," she points out, pushing away from the doorframe and sauntering toward me with predatory grace.
"I put premade dough in the oven and set a timer," I counter, rolling my eyes even as I feel a smile tugging at my lips. It feels good to banter like this.
Ellie shrugs, stopping just inches away from me. The symbiote ripples just beneath her skin, responding to her emotions as she looks down at me. "Still..." she says, her voice dropping to that lower register that always makes my stomach flip, "it's hot to see you in the kitchen."
Her fingers hook into the belt loops of my jeans, pulling me closer until our bodies press together. I tilt my head back to meet her gaze, feeling small but not fragile in her presence. With Ellie, being the shorter one never feels like a weakness, it feels like fitting perfectly into a space made just for me.
"You're ridiculous," I murmur, but I can't keep the affection from my voice.
Ellie's fingers trail up from my belt loops to rest on my hips, her thumbs making small circles that send shivers up my spine. She leans down, bringing her face closer to mine.
"I know it's a bit sexist," she says, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "but seeing you like this makes me picture you as my perfect little trad husband someday."
A wild, feral grin spreads across my face before I can stop it. My heart hammers against my ribs as I process her words, the casual way she's imagining a future with me.
"So you can see us getting married, huh?" I ask, my voice carrying a teasing lilt even as something warm blooms in my chest. The idea of belonging to Ellie permanently, of having her as my wife, sends a rush of emotions through me I'm not prepared for.
Her cheeks flush pink, a rare sigh latelyt that makes her look younger, almost vulnerable.
"I mean..." she starts, then stops, seeming caught off guard by her own admission.
I'm about to respond when a piercing alarm cuts through the bunker, red emergency lights flashing along the ceiling. My stomach drops as adrenaline surges through my system.
Ellie's body convulses violently, her back arching as the symbiote erupts across her skin in chaotic waves. The calm conversation about our future shatters as she clutches her head and lets out a blood-curdling scream that echoes through the bunker's metal walls.
"Ellie!" I shout, abandoning the kitchen towel as I sprint toward her. The black substance of the symbiote writhes across her body like it's in pain, coiling and uncoiling in frenzied patterns I've never seen before.
I reach for her just as Masters bursts into the room, her expression alert but controlled. She takes one look at Ellie and immediately pivots toward the control panel near the door.
"It's just Spider-Woman!" Masters calls over her shoulder, fingers flying across the keypad. "She set off the motion detectors. I just saw her on the security feeds."
The symbiote completely engulfs Ellie now, transforming her into the monstrous form of Venom. Her jaw elongates into that familiar maw of razor-sharp teeth, her body growing larger, more imposing as she thrashes against some unseen force.
Masters glances back, her eyes widening at the sight of Venom's violent transformation. She punches in a final code and the blaring alarm cuts off abruptly, the red emergency lights fading back to normal.
Without hesitating, I rush to Venom's side, reaching up to cradle that massive, terrifying face between my hands. The symbiote feels alive beneath my touch, pulsing and warm, nothing like the cold monster others see. Those blank white eyes lock with mine, narrowing slightly as I hold her steady.
"Are you okay?" I ask softly, my thumbs gently stroking the living darkness of her cheeks.
The symbiote recedes slightly around her face, revealing Ellie's blue eyes beneath as she nods. "All good," she says, her voice returning to normal as the rest of her body remains encased in the rippling blackness. She speaks as casually as if nothing happened, as if she hadn't just been writhing in pain seconds ago.
"I'm sorry that happened," I tell her, still holding her face, my own expression tight with concern.
Ellie shakes her head slightly within my grasp. "It's not your fault," she replies, the symbiote stabilizing around her, no longer thrashing but flowing in smooth, controlled patterns.
The heavy metal door to the bunker slides open with a pneumatic hiss. Spider-Woman stands in the doorway, her maroon symbiote rippling across her form in agitated waves.
"Hey," she says simply, stepping into the room.
Masters leans against the control panel, arms crossed. "Spidey," she acknowledges with a curt nod.
"Hey Spider-Woman," I offer, finally dropping my hands from Venom's face, though I stay close to her side.
Venom says nothing, her massive form tensing visibly at Spider-Woman's presence.
Spider-Woman strides into the bunker. The maroon symbiote shifts constantly across her body, never settling, always in motion. As the door slides closed behind her, she turns to face us, her eye visors wide with urgency.
"I found Norma," she announces without preamble.
"Where?" The question bursts from my lips before I can even process my thoughts completely.
At that exact moment, another high-pitched beeping cuts through the tension. Both symbiotes react instantly, Venom's massive form recoils while Carnage ripples across Spider-Woman's body like a crimson wave.
"Oh fuck, the cookies!"