Chapter 263: Do You Want a Mask?
Venom surged over Eddie's body in a flash. Bullets slammed into his chest, only to be squeezed out by the shifting black mass and clatter harmlessly onto the pavement.
"Monster!" the Captain turned, his instincts screaming at him to flee.
But he wasn't fast enough. Venom leaped ahead of him, snatching the Captain up by his vest. Flicking out his long, wet tongue, Venom hissed, "Do you know which part of the body I like to eat most?"
The other officers froze, guns leveled but fingers hesitating on the triggers. Their Captain was in the creature's grasp; a stray bullet now would mean the end of their careers—and their friend.
"What kind of monster are you..." the Captain gasped, staring into the abyss of Venom's white eyes. He felt the cold touch of death.
"I am Venom!" the creature roared. In one swift motion, he bit down on the Captain's head and crunched.
"Delicious food." Venom savored the flavor; to a symbiote, human brains were a delicacy, rich in the phenylethylamine they craved.
"Run! Get out of here!" the remaining officers yelled, scrambling out of the alley. If bullets couldn't touch this thing, they were nothing but walking snacks.
Venom prepared to give chase, but a familiar scent hit him. He stopped, sniffing the air. "Come out! I can smell you."
"How's life been since you left Peter, Venom?" A figure appeared above the alley, sitting casually on the edge of the rooftop, legs swinging back and forth. It was Silas.
"It feels amazing," Venom replied, looking up. Despite his bravado, a flicker of fear stirred within him. He wasn't sure he could escape if Silas decided to get serious.
"Glad to hear it. You know, Peter was heartbroken. He really thought you'd kicked the bucket." Silas hopped down, landing silently. With a wave of his hand, a dozen Shadow Ninjas emerged from the walls, sealing the alleyway completely.
"What do you want?" Venom tensed. Being surrounded by Silas's personal army was never a good sign. Was Silas here to finish him off?
"Relax, Venom." Silas gestured to a ninja who stepped forward, holding a wooden mask on a silk cushion.
Silas picked it up. "I'm just here to run an experiment. I want to see if a theory of mine actually works."
"What kind of experiment?" Venom was wary. He knew Silas kept a collection of his symbiote kin in a dark dimension for "inhumane research." He had no desire to join them.
"This is a Shadow Mask," Silas explained. "It has a simple function: whoever wears it gains immediate superhuman strength and the ability to command the Shadow Legion—these guys here." He glanced at the ninjas standing guard.
Venom tilted his head. Why was Silas telling him this? He didn't need a mask; he was already a powerhouse.
"I know you don't need it. But Eddie does. Right, Eddie?" Silas snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a high-pitched 4,000Hz frequency tore through the air.
"Aaaargh!" Venom shrieked in agony, retreating into Eddie's body. Just as the symbiote was about to be forcibly ejected, Silas cut the sound.
Snap!
Eddie collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. He pushed himself up with trembling hands, looking at Silas with confusion. "Who... who are you?"
"You probably don't know me, but Venom certainly does." Silas studied Eddie with genuine interest. The man's physiology was a much better match for Venom than Peter's had been. The synchronization levels were off the charts; no wonder the symbiote was refusing to leave.
"Venom knows you?" Eddie looked down at his own chest. "Hey? Is this a friend of yours?"
Venom didn't answer. He was busy nursing a massive "headache" from that 4,000Hz blast and needed a moment to reconsider his life choices.
"He's tired. He's taking a nap. That means it's just you and me for a chat." Silas turned and opened a swirling portal to the Shadow Kingdom. "Step inside."
"Uh..." Eddie stared at the black, oily void. It looked disgusting. "Do I really have to go in there?"
Silas didn't wait. He stepped through the portal and vanished.
"Is he just gone?" Eddie muttered.
Venom's voice barked in his head. "Stop talking and get in there!"
"Whoa—okay!" Eddie jumped and scrambled through the portal.
The Shadow Kingdom
Eddie stepped out and gasped. He was no longer in a grimy alleyway. He was standing in a vast, open plain under a brilliant blue sky with fluffy white clouds. A gentle breeze ruffled the grass.
"Where are we?" Eddie spun around. "We were just in an alley! How are we in a field?"
Silas was already seated at a table that hadn't been there a second ago, with an empty chair waiting for Eddie. "Take a seat, Eddie."
Eddie sat down, his eyes darting around like a curious child. "What was that black hole? How did we get here?"
Eddie pulled out his phone, trying to get a GPS lock. When the map finally loaded, his jaw dropped. "What the... f***!"
He stared at the screen. "I walked through a wall and now I'm in... Norway?!"
"What's the big deal? What's a 'Norway'?" Venom asked, unimpressed.
"It's over seven thousand kilometers from San Francisco! How did you do that?" Eddie stared at the masked stranger. He desperately wanted to see the face behind the mask.
"Seven thousand kilometers? Is that far?" Venom clearly didn't understand human geography.
Eddie ignored the symbiote and focused on Silas. He wanted to know if this was some elaborate prank or something much more dangerous.
"Does it feel far?" Silas smiled behind his mask. "Would you like to have this power for yourself, Eddie? I can give it to you."
"Of course it's—wait, what? You want to give it to me?" Eddie thought he had misheard.
"You heard me. You can have the power to travel anywhere in the world, instantly. All you have to do is wear this mask." Silas pushed the Shadow Mask across the table.
Eddie picked it up cautiously. It felt like ordinary wood, but it hummed with a strange energy. "Is this like... a high-tech remote control for portals?"
"A remote control? Haha, no. It's a relic that grants you the power of the Shadows." Silas flicked his wrist.
A dozen ninjas materialized around them, bowing deeply to Silas. Several more stepped forward carrying silver platters piled high with steaming, delicious food.
"With this mask, not only can you step through any shadow to reach any corner of the globe, but you can also command the Shadow Legion. They are perfectly loyal." Silas signaled, and the ninjas performed a synchronized series of backflips as a demonstration.
"I don't get it," Eddie muttered. He could wrap his head around an alien symbiote, but magical masks and shadow ninjas were a bit much.
Silas nodded. It made sense; Eddie was a civilian. He couldn't be expected to understand the metaphysics of the Shadow Kingdom overnight.
"Let me put it simply, Eddie..."
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