"No, no, no. I am not a monster. You can call me Venom, or you can call me Ren. To be precise, I am a Symbiote.
And now that I am with you, you should feel lucky. I can grant you superhuman strength and turn you into a Superman," Ren declared proudly.
"Symbiote?" Natasha raised an eyebrow. "What Symbiote? Sounds more like a parasite."
From a human perspective, there wasn't much difference. The only distinction was that this "parasite" happened to grant terrifying power.
"I'll go to your grandma's parasite! I'm a Symbiote. I'm Venom! Don't you dare compare me to some low-level parasite. Comparing me to that trash—are you stupid?" Ren exploded immediately.
To him, "parasite" was practically an insult on the level of bastard.
Natasha looked at the furious, sharp-toothed creature and suddenly felt that things were becoming… interesting.
Despite the grotesque appearance, his temper made him almost amusing.
"By the way, there's nothing special about my body. Why don't you come out? I could recommend someone else for you. I feel like you two would match. Both dark and ugly—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
The mental image was unbearable.
"Do you think that after I finally managed to enter your body, I would just leave?" Ren stared at her as if she were mentally deficient.
Natasha sighed. "What would it take for you to leave?"
"Give up that fantasy. I'm not leaving. You should feel honored that I chose you." His tone was outrageously arrogant.
"Honored?" Natasha's lips twitched. "Who would feel honored to be parasitized?"
"You're the damn parasite. I'm a Symbiote! Believe me, I can eat you." His mouth stretched wide in threat.
Natasha remained unmoved.
If you could eat me, would you still be talking?
Seeing no reaction, Ren retracted his maw and said casually, "Life is like rape. If you can't resist, learn to enjoy it."
Natasha blinked in surprise.
"You know quite a lot."
"Nonsense. As an intelligent life-form, automatically absorbing a planet's knowledge is basic ability. Calm down first. Then we'll talk."
His grotesque face dissolved back into black liquid. Her right arm returned to normal control.
Natasha rubbed her temples.
The broken phone.
The torn-off bathroom door.
This wasn't a dream.
A monster had moved into her body—and had no intention of leaving.
Since she couldn't remove him… she would adapt.
He had intelligence. That meant communication.
He granted strength. That meant utility.
If handled properly, he could become a weapon in her hand.
After a moment of thought, she spoke calmly.
"Alright. I've calmed down. You're right. You won't leave, and I can't force you. So we'll need to understand each other. Why me? And what exactly do you plan to do?"
Black liquid flowed again, forming a familiar fanged face.
"Simple introduction. My species is called Venom." Ren paused. "On your planet, individuals have names. Mine is Ren."
Natasha frowned slightly. "We're in the United States. Why not choose an English name?"
"Because it's short and easy to remember. Two syllables. Your names are too long. Annoying." Ren replied without hesitation.
Natasha mentally noted that.
Afraid of trouble.
Was it the Symbiote race—or just Ren?
"You and I are in a symbiotic relationship," Ren continued.
"You don't need to worry about me harming you. You've already felt the benefits. I can enhance your physical abilities and even become your battle suit. Together, we'll be stronger than anyone."
Natasha remained composed.
"What about side effects? There's no such thing as free power."
"Of course there is one."
"What?"
"I need to eat."
Her eyes sharpened. "And your food?"
"Phenethylamine."
Natasha stiffened.
Phenethylamine was secreted by the human brain.
"You eat people."
Ren rolled his eyes—though technically, they were always rolled.
"What are you thinking? Human brains taste terrible. Bloody, messy, disgusting. Not even close to chocolate."
Natasha didn't relax.
She wasn't naïve enough to accept that explanation at face value.
Ren clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Imagine this. In front of you is a freshly chopped pig's head, hair still on it. You're told to eat it raw. Next to it is a plate of chocolate balls. Which do you pick?"
"Chocolate," Natasha answered instantly.
"Exactly. To me, human brains are that pig head. If better sources exist, why would I eat garbage? As a Symbiote, I have standards.
And what benefit would eating people bring me? Being hunted by S.H.I.E.L.D.? By superheroes? Just for low-grade food? Not worth it."
Natasha studied him carefully.
Logical.
Practical.
Self-interested—but not reckless.
She exhaled slowly.
"In this day and age… even monsters are this sensible?"
If every threat could be reasoned with like this, her job would be far easier.