"Natasha, there's a mission I need you to carry out." Nick Fury called Black Widow's private phone.
"Nick, you know I'm on vacation right now. I'm not a robot." Natasha's lazy voice drifted through the line.
"I'm sorry to disturb your vacation, but a highly dangerous individual specifically requested you." Nick Fury sounded faintly helpless.
"Oh? Tell me about it." Natasha's tone sharpened with interest.
"Hell's Kitchen. I'm sure you know the place. A drug dealer suddenly killed his boss and then casually took out his partner…" Nick Fury hadn't finished when Natasha interrupted him.
"Director Fury, you know this kind of thing should be handled by the police, not S.H.I.E.L.D.."
"Just let me finish." Fury sighed. "This guy didn't just kill his boss and partner. In one week, he eliminated more than twenty drug kingpins.
They all had heavy security, yet they still died. According to our intel, there's an 80% chance he's a superpowered individual."
"Superpowered individual?" Natasha immediately understood why Fury had called her.
"That's right. Although he's killed many people, they were all scumbags who deserved it. If possible, I want you to persuade him to join S.H.I.E.L.D.
That plan also needs to begin implementation." His last words were vague, but Natasha knew exactly which plan he meant.
"I'll handle it." Natasha stretched, rose from her beach chair, and walked back into the hotel to change into her tight-fitting suit.
Outside an abandoned factory in Hell's Kitchen, more than twenty police cars surrounded the area. Officers stood ready, guns drawn.
A policeman holding a megaphone shouted, "Johnson, you are surrounded! Put down your weapon and release the hostages inside the factory. You can't escape!"
"Shut up! Has Natasha arrived yet?! You have half an hour left. There are three hostages inside. If she doesn't show up in thirty minutes, I'll kill one every ten minutes!"
The terrified voice from inside sounded nothing like a ruthless killer who had taken over thirty lives.
The officers exchanged uneasy glances.
They had no idea who Black Widow was and could only report upward. Whether she would come was uncertain.
If this wasn't resolved today, the media would tear the department apart by tomorrow morning.
"Chief, what do we do?" a young officer asked.
"How should I know? Call and push them again." The overweight police chief wiped sweat from his brow.
Truthfully, although the man inside had killed many people, they were all notorious criminals. He hadn't attacked the police directly.
And bullets hadn't worked on him.
They didn't want to push him too hard.
"Ma'am, you can't go in there. It's too dangerous!"
"A simple introduction. My name is Natasha Romanoff. And if I'm not mistaken, the man inside is looking for me." Natasha gave a faint smile.
Without waiting for permission, she stepped past the blockade and walked calmly into the factory.
Ren watched the alluring woman approach, graceful and captivating, and felt excitement surge through him.
Finally.
He could get rid of this rough male host.
Possessing a man—how could that compare to possessing a woman?
Ren had transmigrated into this world suddenly and unfortunately. One moment he had been alive. The next, he had become a puddle of black liquid.
The despair he felt at that moment was unimaginable.
It didn't take long to understand his situation.
He had transmigrated as Venom.
And not just any Venom. Compared to the original, his abilities seemed even stronger.
He could replicate genes and enhance them. He possessed nearly all the chaotic powers of the Symbiote race.
After drifting through Earth's orbit for over a month, he finally seized an opportunity—hitching a ride aboard an aerospace craft back to Earth.
The first human he encountered became his host.
Unfortunately, that host turned out to be a drug addict and a low-level gangster from Hell's Kitchen.
After taking control, Ren searched for information about this world.
As expected—it was the Marvel Universe.
Judging by images of the world's richest man, Tony Stark, it was clearly the movie universe.
The face matched perfectly.
From there, Ren used his unfortunate host to eliminate drug traffickers throughout Hell's Kitchen, which led to the current standoff.
Two months had passed.
And now, finally, he had found a truly excellent host.
Ren knew how dangerous the Marvel Universe was.
As a Symbiote, he wanted to become the most powerful one of them all.
What's the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish?
If he wanted opportunity, S.H.I.E.L.D. was the perfect platform.
As for being dissected and studied? He wasn't worried.
He could simply split off a small portion of himself for Nick Fury to analyze and see what they could figure out.
But his request for Natasha wasn't random.
Before transmigrating, he had been an ordinary man who liked beautiful women.
Now, though genderless as a Symbiote, his mindset remained male.
How much better would it be to possess a woman?
Why stick with a man?
At the very least, he could feast his eyes.
"My Lord, the person you asked for is here. Please leave my body quickly." Johnson whispered nervously, staring at Natasha as she approached.
"Don't rush. It's not time yet." Ren carefully observed her.
Exactly like in the movies.
Even without traditional eyes, he could see her clearly. The Symbiote's perception defied explanation.
Though excited, Ren didn't let it cloud his judgment.
He had only one chance to possess Natasha.
If he failed, he would truly lose everything.
Natasha stepped into the factory and frowned at Johnson's visibly agitated expression.
Why was he so excited to see her?
In an instant, countless possibilities ran through her mind.
Had he encountered her before? Recognized her name somehow? Called her here for some twisted final thrill?
Her gaze immediately turned colder.