Chapter 202: Why Are You So Skilled? (Part 1)

"Hey? Annie, it's Eddie, Eddie Brock. Don't hang up—give me three minutes. I need to tell you something very important."

"Yesterday, I was attacked by two unidentified assassins and am now on the run. Evidence suggests these killers may be connected to Dr. Drake, the CEO of Life Foundation, whom I previously interviewed."

"These two assassins belong to a mysterious organization called the Hand. Someone investigating the Hand rescued me and told me the Hand and Life Foundation may be plotting something major."

"The reason I'm calling you is to ask for your help—I need more information about Drake."

"I know I should apologize—I shouldn't have stolen data from your computer. But things have gone too far now. They've sent assassins after me. If I don't resolve this, I'll never have peace again."

"So I hope you can give me any information you have. Don't answer right away—protect yourself. Goodbye."

Eddie hung up the phone, staring blankly at it. After a few seconds of frozen stillness, he covered his eyes and said: "Oh my God! How could I speak to Annie like that?? She'll think I'm insane…"

"What was I even saying? I told him my name was Eddie Brock…" Eddie took a deep breath. "Who did I think I was? An FBI agent?"

"Clearly, you have no idea how women think." Venom's voice echoed in Eddie's mind. Eddie opened his mouth to retort—then his phone rang. Annie's anxious voice came through:

"Eddie, are you okay? Are you really being hunted? Where are you right now? Hello? Answer me—you should call the police…"

"Calling the police won't help, Annie. The police can't touch Hand assassins. Their last partner was Kingpin—the man who controls the entire East Coast crime empire. They've targeted me now. I have to disappear for a while…"

"Wait! Eddie!" Annie's voice crackled from the phone, laced with disbelief. "Eddie, if your voice hadn't been the same, I'd swear it wasn't you. You've never spoken to me this calmly before."

"Listen, I know Life Foundation isn't a righteous organization. They hired me to handle legal disputes tied to human experiments. But you say they sent assassins after you? That's hard to believe. Still—if it's true, you need to hide immediately."

Annie, no doubt an elite lawyer, spoke with urgency yet clarity: "I know Drake isn't a good man. But my boss ordered me to defend him. That's how the legal profession works—we don't judge our clients' morals."

"But personally, I'd love to punch him in the face. And my anger before? That was because you violated my privacy—and did it without even talking to me. I'm mad because you didn't trust me. You acted recklessly, impulsively…"

"Annie, I'm running out of time. We'll deal with this between us later."

Annie fell silent for a moment, sighed, then said: "The Life Foundation researcher I'm in contact with, Dora, is indecisive. When we talked privately, she complained that her boss is cold-hearted and only cares about profit."

"She once hinted she wanted to quit working for Drake. I can give you her contact info. She might have the information you need."

Hearing no response from the other end, Annie asked: "Eddie, are you alright? Eddie! Answer me… are you in danger?"

"No, I'm fine." After a pause, Eddie's voice came through, low and heavy. "When I've cleared these troubles, I'll deal with us. If I'm still alive by then."

The dial tone buzzed in the phone. Annie took a deep breath, tossed the phone onto the bed, and leaned sideways against the headboard, pressing her palms over her eyes in pain.

"Eddie, if only you'd been this calm sooner," Annie whispered.

After hanging up, Eddie also exhaled sharply, muttering to himself: "She gave me useful info so easily… what the hell were we even fighting about before?"

"Why do you think she was so angry before? You don't think she broke up with you because she supported Drake, do you?"

Eddie opened his mouth to reply, but Venom spoke inside his mind: "You got dumped because you deserved it. Clearly, she just wanted you to explain—to calm down, talk to her, tell her why you did it. But you said nothing."

Just as Eddie opened his mouth to argue, his phone vibrated. A text from Annie arrived: Dora's contact information.

That night, outside an apartment in Manhattan, Dora rummaged through her purse for her keycard. At the end of the alley, a black figure stood. The streetlight cast a long shadow before him—a blade of darkness slicing across the alley wall.

"What the hell is this?" Eddie looked down at his palm. A black gauntlet covered his hand. He turned his head and saw his reflection in the apartment window.

Imagination

At this moment, Eddie wore a black suit of armor. The entire suit was pitch-black, lined with soft inner padding, armored with thin outer plating, and trailed a cloak behind him.

His head was fully encased in mechanical armor. On his chest was a bat-like emblem, surrounded by web-like lines.

Admittedly, the armor looked incredibly cool—fluid lines, futuristic mechanical joints, eerie yet gothic patterns. Eddie thought wearing it to save the world was absolutely awesome. The only problem was…

"But what's with these ears?" Eddie asked Venom.

The helmet completely enclosed Eddie's head, making him look like a robot—except this robot had two sharp, pointed ears.

"That's the point," Venom said firmly. "With these ears, you'll never die. Because you're the Bat… Venom-Man."

"Venom-Man? That name sounds way too evil… Alright, what's the plan now?"

"If you don't know what to do, look at the emblem on your chest. Follow your instinct. It'll give you the answer."

Ten minutes later, Dora fumbled with her key to unlock her apartment door. Behind her, she heard movement. She turned—and a tall black shadow stood in the hallway's darkness.

Dora opened her mouth to scream—when the black shadow appeared behind her, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Don't make a sound. Let's go inside."

He pulled her into her apartment. The door shut. Dora collapsed onto the floor, trembling. Eddie's mechanical helmet retracted. He said to her: "You know me—I'm the reporter who punched Drake in the face during his interview a few days ago. My name's Eddie, Eddie Brock."

Dora's eyes widened. She pushed herself up, gripping the sofa back. "You… you really are that Brock. But…"

Eddie's voice was low. "Because I exposed Drake's vile human experiments, I'm now in trouble. He's teamed up with another evil organization—their assassins are hunting me."

Dora adjusted her glasses, stood straight, and said: "Actually, I was planning to find you. I didn't expect you to come to me first."

"Why were you looking for me?"

Dora sighed. Now that she realized he wasn't a kidnapper, she relaxed slightly. She pointed behind him at the wall. "Press the switch there. Turn on the lights. Thanks."

Only then did Eddie realize the apartment had no lights—but he could see perfectly. When had he gained night vision?

He turned and flipped the switch. The sudden brightness made him shield his eyes with his arm. He realized he was sensitive to light now.

Dora sat on the sofa. Eddie remained standing in the corner. She turned to him. "I don't have much to offer a guest, but at least sit down and have some water?"

She awkwardly wiped her hands on her pants. "I don't have many friends. No one comes over often. Sorry for the poor hospitality."

Eddie shook his head silently. Dora turned back, gripping the sofa back, and looked at him. "You're nothing like I imagined. I thought you'd be… you know… more… righteous."

"You can just say I'm impulsive."

"No, that's not what I meant. Honestly, I think you did the right thing. That punch was satisfying."

"You seem to dislike your boss."

Dora bit her lip. Her expression was complex. She turned away, facing the wall. "I don't know how to put it. As a boss, he's actually decent—he pays me very well."

"But he's not a good man. He's evil. You have no idea what he does in his lab…"

"I'd like to hear about that."

Dora bit her lip, hesitating. Then Eddie's voice came: "You don't need to worry. If I had even a shred of sympathy for Drake's actions, I wouldn't have risked my career by punching him in front of everyone."

Dora seemed to understand. She sighed. "He's conducting human experiments. Cruel, inhuman ones."

"What kind of experiments?"

"You've heard of the Immortality Factor, right?"

"I've heard many people mention it."

"Drake is extracting the Immortality Factor from an unknown creature."

"But I heard it's extracted from vampires."

"Normally, yes. But vampires are tightly controlled. The few that exist are held by Stark or Osborn. Life Foundation can't get any."

Dora adjusted her glasses again. "But Drake saw the massive profit potential in the Immortality Factor. He wanted a share."

"Life Foundation and Osborn are competitors. Both are biotech developers. Osborn won't hand over precious vampire specimens."

"But I heard Life Foundation created an Immortality Factor serum."

"Correct. But that serum wasn't extracted from vampires. It came from another alien species."

"What species?"

Dora turned back to Eddie. "I can't describe it. But I can take you to see it."