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Chapter 101: Venom
The meteor streaked through the night sky, falling at an angle near the Catholic church. Due to its small size, it didn't create much commotion—only a shallow crater in the ground.
Inside the crater, the meteorite cracked with a soft sound. Oil-black viscous fluid slowly seeped out, circling the crater twice before heading toward the Catholic church.
In the empty, dim Catholic church, Eddie Brock sat on a pew, painfully rubbing his forehead:
"My name is Eddie Brock. I was once a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Now I'm an unemployed vagrant staying at FEAST Center."
"Merciful Heavenly Father, do you know? I once believed in justice, believed in truth."
"I did the right thing, exposing General Ross's evil deeds to the public, but I lost everything in return."
Eddie Brock covered his face, peering through his fingers at the crucifix statue inside the church, voice somewhat trembling:
"They say You pity the suffering, listen to the humble's prayers."
"What about my prayers? Did You hear them? Why do true evildoers sit high above while those practicing justice fall into mud?"
Eddie felt his questioning of faith somewhat inappropriate. He lowered his head, recalling these past days at FEAST Center.
"Martin Li said he could help me, but all he did was have me sit with those foolish homeless and beggars on stupid chairs listening to his stupid platitudes."
"Hatred flows through my body like poison. I need it—it makes me feel still alive."
"But I also fear it... Merciful Heavenly Father, can the church cleanse my hatred?"
The Father on the crucifix didn't respond to any of Eddie Brock's doubts—merely a silent statue.
"I want revenge. Against the Daily Bugle, Betty, JJJ, General Ross, and that anonymous source who made me like this."
"Oh, also Martin Li—this hypocrite who claimed he could help me but broke his word."
"But I'm just an ordinary person. I have no money, no power, no weapons..."
Eddie Brock now hated even Martin Li, considering it another mockery, another hypocrite's lie.
With a soft sound, the church's ajar wooden door cracked open. Night wind rushed inside. The pitch-black fluid from the meteorite flowed across the floor, creeping toward Eddie Brock.
"I can't sleep, can't eat, but everyone who brought me to this state still lives carefree."
Eddie Brock's face twisted.
Falling from future Pulitzer Prize winner to nothing—the massive psychological gap made Eddie Brock's decades-held faith begin crumbling.
He stopped confessing to the Father, instead speaking blasphemy sufficient in medieval times to bind him to a stake:
"If the merciful Father cannot give me justice, then I'm willing to exchange my soul and everything for power to make me strong."
"Any power—whether from the abyss or from hell—as long as it lets me revenge against them, against everyone who abandoned me, mocked me."
Splat!
The viscous black fluid reached Eddie Brock's feet, suddenly leaping onto him.
Originally just a small puddle, but upon contacting Eddie it multiplied like cancer cells, rapidly expanding, growing more abundant, swiftly extending upward from his feet.
Almost instantly, Eddie's entire body except his face was enveloped in black fluid. Jagged fangs grew respectively on his forehead and jaw—like a massive mouth about to devour him.
Eddie Brock looked at the crucifix, ending his prayer with final words:
"This world respects power, not truth. Since they pushed me into darkness, let darkness consume me."
"Amen."
As his words fell, sharp fangs suddenly closed. Eddie Brock disappeared, replaced by Venom—over two meters tall, long tongue dripping saliva hanging from its mouth, appearing like an evil spirit escaped from hell.
"RAAAGH—"
Inhuman, beastly roars erupted from Venom's mouth. It swept away the table before Eddie's former pew, sending it flying toward the crucifix.
Crash—the crucifix and faith shattered to pieces. Venom suddenly leaped through the roof, standing atop the church, roaring skyward.
The roar lasted over a full minute, seemingly releasing Eddie's hatred through sound.
After a while, Venom looked toward Queens' FEAST Center direction.
Currently deep night—Daily Bugle had no staff, General Ross's location unknown, the anonymous informant's identity unclear.
Among multiple hate targets, Venom chose first targeting Martin Li, who should currently be lecturing at FEAST Center.
.....
Remote hacking methods couldn't penetrate SHIELD's internal LAN, couldn't obtain information about that batch of Stark weapons supposedly consumed or used in normal training—whose hands allowed them reaching markets.
Batman decided infiltrating SHIELD, but needed preparations.
Target locked on New York's Adirondack Mountains—Project Pegasus base location. Batman currently analyzed all queryable data about this base.
Including but not limited to public records, water and electricity consumption, SHIELD members' internal work schedules, garbage collection routes, architectural structures, ventilation duct information.
Even all queryable member information within this SHIELD base—Batman analyzed each individually, attempting to understand their behavioral patterns, personality weaknesses before entering, crafting customized strategies.
Beep!
Just as Batman madly mobilized brain cells for his action plan, the computer in City Hall Station suddenly issued an alert.
The alert came from Schulman's micro-tracking device—the guy Batman had dumped in Queens earlier tonight as bait to hook Mr. Negative.
"Previously Schulman mentioned Mr. Negative always maintained 'negative energy state' when meeting him."
"I installed energy detection devices on Schulman's micro-tracker. It's now detecting abnormal energy appearance."
"This means Mr. Negative has appeared. The fish is hooked. Time to reel in the net."
Having confiscated energy weapons from the unreliable trio—modified by Schulman, powered by Mr. Negative—Batman hadn't spent much time last night finding countermeasures after bringing Schulman back.
Currently, hearing the alarm, Batman immediately stopped his work, rushing from the abandoned City Hall Station, using webbing and cape to rapidly close on Queens.
"Mr. Negative, trust me!"
"I was captured by Batman but he's been busy with other matters—I found a chance to escape!"
In a dead-end alley near FEAST Center in Queens, Schulman looked terrified at the black-and-white Mr. Negative:
"I didn't leak any information about you. In fact, I even brought good news!"
Mr. Negative stood before Schulman, his entire body's black-and-white surging negative energy burning like flames.
Watching the terrified Schulman, Mr. Negative chuckled:
"Tell me, what good news?"
"Batman's name is Bruce!"
The Shocker gauntlets had been dismantled by Batman. Currently barehanded, Schulman could only use words to fight for survival chances.
"What good news is that?" Mr. Negative's face showed no expression. "I have no grievances with that guy. He won't seek me, nor will I provoke him."
Mr. Negative's words just ended when his phone suddenly rang untimely.
He frowned, answering, then his expression changed as he looked toward FEAST Center's direction.
Almost simultaneously, Batman—rushing toward Queens—also heard strange disturbances from the listening devices previously installed at FEAST Center.
Chaotic cries for help, terrified screams, furniture crashing sounds mixed with inhuman, beastly roars like evil spirits.
***
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