Chapter 264: Sorry, They Offered Too Much Money
A few minutes later...
"Power from another dimension?" After listening to the masked man's detailed explanation, Eddie finally had a basic understanding of this so-called Shadow Mask.
Silas had explained that the mask originated from a different dimension, even spinning a tall tale to go along with it.
In that world, legend had it that thousands of years ago, nine generals sacrificed their lives to defeat an evil Demon King. God, moved by their courage, transformed their spirits into nine Shadow Masks. Only a true warrior could wear one. And if the owners of all nine masks ever gathered, they could release the Ultimate Light!
Silas fabricated this noble origin story for the sole purpose of fooling Eddie completely. He knew that if Eddie thought the mask was evil, he would never put it on. Dealing with Venom was stressful enough; he wouldn't willingly sign up for another parasitic burden.
"Is this for real?" Eddie wasn't stupid. He felt a prickle of suspicion; he could smell a potential trap.
"Believe it or not, the choice is yours, Eddie. I only approached you because I saw you were a suitable successor. If you aren't willing, I won't force you." Silas acted completely indifferent, reaching out as if to take the mask back.
Eddie snatched it away first. "Wait! Can I think about it? Also... there's the big guy inside me, Venom..."
"I understand. Take your time. When you decide, just put it on. As for Venom, don't worry—he won't stop you. Right, Venom?" Silas's voice held a clear, underlying threat. Don't interfere, or else.
Venom understood perfectly. He wasn't an idiot; Silas had made his point quite clear. He chose to stay quiet, watching Eddie like one might watch a fool—a fool who had been successfully conned.
"So, how do we get back?" Eddie looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere.
"Let's go." Silas brought Eddie back to San Francisco, successfully finishing the recruitment.
Eddie was the first Shadow General Silas had personally appeared to recruit; the others hadn't received such VIP treatment. Most had to figure out their powers step-by-step, whereas Eddie was being set up for a "peak performance" debut.
After sending Eddie off, Silas smiled. "A Symbiote and a Shadow General... I really want to see what kind of transformation occurs."
The mask he gave Eddie belonged to Carbo, the General of the Crab Shadow tribe. In Jackie Chan Adventures, the mask was torn in half by Jade and Valmont, resulting in only half-sized ninjas. But Silas's masks were whole, and the Crab Shadow Legion was formidable.
"Let's see what's left..." Silas pulled out his remaining inventory. He had four masks left.
His current roster included: Jenny (Mini Khan), John (Razor Khan), Underworld Mike (Squid Khan), and soon, Eddie (Crab Khan). The mask of Midori (Sumo Khan) was still waiting for a "lucky" find.
Meanwhile, things were heating up at S.H.I.E.L.D.. Steve Rogers, Captain America, was being hunted. Down in southern Mexico, a strange phenomenon had appeared—a localized spatial anomaly where objects would fall, hit the ground, and then fall from the sky again in an endless loop.
The Shadow Legion had reported this to Silas and offered to lock the area down. Recognizing the events of Thor: The Dark World, Silas stopped them. He merely stationed a few ninjas there to report any developments.
"The Aether... the Reality Stone." Silas didn't plan to interfere with that yet. His eyes were on the Mind Stone.
On the Streets of San Francisco
Eddie walked aimlessly, clutching the Shadow Mask. Should he wear it?
"Eddie, food is approaching," Venom warned, snapping Eddie out of his daze.
Eddie tightened his grip on the mask and picked up his pace. But the police weren't giving up.
"If I wear this mask, will the police never be able to catch me?" Eddie thought about the "dimensional travel" Silas had mentioned.
"Stop overthinking, Eddie. With me around, they'll never catch you." Venom didn't believe a bunch of tiny humans could capture a symbiote.
"Give it a rest, Venom. Your weaknesses are too obvious. Fire and noise. If the cops figure that out, you're done for," Eddie countered.
The only reason they were still free was that the police didn't know how to hurt them. If that secret got out, they'd be in a world of hurt.
"Hmph. As long as you and I don't talk, who will know?" Venom didn't think Peter or Silas would be bored enough to leak his weaknesses.
"True." Eddie exhaled. Venom was his only insurance policy right now. "Wait..." Eddie stopped dead. "There is someone else who knows. Dr. Skirth."
"That smelly woman? Let's just go back and eat her," Venom suggested.
"No. She wouldn't tell them." Eddie reasoned that if she knew they were fugitives and still took them in, she was on their side.
But then, Eddie walked past a utility pole. Plastered on it was a fresh bounty poster with his face. The reward: $1,000,000.
"Oh no..." Eddie realized the situation had escalated.
One million dollars! The government was desperate. For that much money, loyalty was a luxury few could afford. He knew Dr. Skirth would talk.
Dora Skirth's Apartment
"I don't know who this 'Eddie' is," Dora said firmly. She had decided to keep the secret.
"Miss Skirth, we'd appreciate your cooperation. Security footage shows Eddie Brock entering this building and coming to your floor," the detective said, staring her down.
Dora shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."
"Very well. But if you do hear from him, let us know. The bounty is one million dollars." The detective stood up, looking disappointed, and prepared to leave.
"Wait! What did you say?" Dora gasped.
"I said if you have news, let us know."
"No, the money... did you say a million dollars?" Dora asked, her voice trembling.
The detective nodded. "Yes. One million for information leading to a capture. But it has to be substantial. We don't hand out million-dollar checks for nothing."
Dora hesitated for a long moment. Eddie... Eddie... we only just met. I have a life to live, too.
The simple truth was: they offered too much money.
Dora reached into her bag, pulled out the symbiote files, and looked at the officer. "I want to speak to your superior."
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!