“There’s someone inside!”
“I see him!”
The moment Steve shouted, Charlie Parker immediately fired a web at the figure trapped inside the writhing black mass.
“AAARGH!!”
Peter Parker let out a scream of agony.
His struggles became increasingly violent, but the Venom symbiote clung tightly to his body, refusing to let him escape.
“Turn the sonic emitter up to maximum!” Charlie gritted out as he pulled with all his strength.
At the same time, Steve hurled his shield forward.
It slammed into the black mass…
But did almost nothing.
“It’s already at maximum!”
Sweat dripped from Natasha’s forehead.
She had never seen such a horrifying creature.
Quickly adjusting the ultrasonic device, she pushed it to its limit.
Venom’s shrieks became even more ear-piercing.
“SKREEEE!!”
BOOM!!
The black symbiote suddenly slammed into the cave wall.
Chunks of rock rained down from above.
The ultrasonic device was smashed to pieces.
Taking advantage of the moment, Venom instantly rewrapped itself around Peter Parker before transforming into a flowing black mass and shooting out of the cave.
“He got away.”
Steve picked up his shield and took a deep breath.
“What exactly is that thing?”
Natasha wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“It looks like something straight out of a movie…”
“An alien monster.”
“It is an alien lifeform,” Charlie answered.
He didn’t elaborate further.
Instead, he turned to Natasha.
“Build several more sonic emitters.”
“If that thing comes back, we’ll need them.”
Natasha nodded.
“Understood.”
She glanced toward the cave entrance.
“What about the people outside?”
Steve lifted his shield.
“If they attack us…”
“I’ll deal with them.”
He had already surveyed the camp.
As long as they blew up the Ten Rings’ ammunition depot, the organization would have more than enough problems to keep them occupied.
Soon, the three reached the end of the tunnel.
The steel door slowly opened.
Inside…
Tony Stark’s battered body came into view.
“Stark!”
The familiar face left Steve frozen.
His weathered expression became incredibly complicated.
Since the final battle…
It had been seventy years since he’d last seen that face.
He hurried over.
The horrifying wounds covering Tony’s body made his heart skip a beat.
Unable to bear the sight, Steve instinctively turned his head away.
He knew this Tony wasn’t the same man he’d fought beside…
But seeing him reduced to this state still filled him with pain.
“They did this to him…”
Natasha’s eyes were full of pity.
She reached out to touch Tony…
Only to stop halfway.
“He must be suffering so much.”
Steve took a deep breath.
“Yeah.”
“Am I really going to watch Tony die in front of me…”
“…again?”
At that moment…
Yinsen, whose eyes had long since gone dull with despair, slowly walked over.
“There’s no saving him.”
“Look at his back.”
Three minutes later…
Steve and Natasha’s expressions had become incredibly grim.
Charlie looked at them.
“There’s really nothing the Avengers can do?”
Natasha shook her head.
“No.”
“We’re not doctors.”
“And we don’t have the equipment needed for surgery.”
Yinsen sighed.
“That devil…”
“…never intended to let him survive.”
Charlie glanced at the time.
After a moment of silence, he shook his head.
“Looks like there’s only one option left.”
“We have to find the symbiote.”
With that, he turned and sprinted out of the cave.
He hadn’t wanted to resort to this method unless absolutely necessary.
But now…
He had no choice.
Unfortunately…
For the rest of the remaining time, Venom Parker had completely vanished.
The mission…
Failed.
[You have been eliminated.
Revival unavailable.
Reward: +0.2 tons Strength.]
[Remaining Restarts: 5.
Restart?]
Ninth Revival Round!
Following the original plan…
The trio eliminated Lizard Parker first.
Then Norman.
Inside the cave…
The ultrasonic emitters released another barrage of high-frequency sound waves.
Venom shrieked and fled.
BOOOOOOM!!
At that exact moment…
The Ten Rings’ ammunition depot exploded.
A violent shockwave swept across the camp.
The deafening blast forced Venom back into the cave.
“Don’t let him escape!”
Charlie roared as webs shot toward Peter Parker inside the black symbiote.
Behind him…
Steve and Natasha had no idea why Charlie was so determined to capture Venom.
Even so…
They trusted him completely.
BOOM!!
Steve charged through the camp with his shield, detonating one cache of explosives after another.
Natasha tossed another sonic emitter directly into the writhing symbiote.
The black mass twisted violently.
“SKREEEE!!”
“NO!!”
“HE’S MINE!!”
Venom roared as it desperately dragged Peter Parker away.
Snap!
Charlie’s webbing finally broke.
Venom seized the opportunity, dragging Peter free before bursting through the encirclement.
Seeing the attempt fail…
Charlie didn’t hesitate.
Restart.
[Remaining Restarts: 4.
Restart?]
Restart!
Tenth Revival Round.
“Don’t let him get away!”
BOOOOM!!
This time…
The sonic emitters completely blanketed the cave.
The explosion sealed the entrance shut.
“NO!!”
“HE’S MINE!!”
Watching Venom desperately pull Peter Parker away…
Charlie gritted his teeth.
Then—
To Steve and Natasha’s horror…
He threw himself straight at the monster.
“Little Spider!”
“Watch out!”
“Kehahaha!”
“You’re mine too!”
Venom laughed wickedly.
The black symbiote expanded into an enormous web, instantly swallowing Charlie whole.
At that moment…
Charlie felt himself sinking into an icy, suffocating darkness.
The strange black substance invaded his body.
It spread through every nerve.
Countless violent, chaotic thoughts flooded his mind.
Suddenly…
Venom seemed to notice something.
The writhing symbiote violently spat Charlie back out.
“Hahaha!”
“I know what you’re trying to do now.”
“And I won’t let you succeed.”
After laughing triumphantly…
Venom smashed through the blocked cave entrance and disappeared into the night.
Charlie lay on the ground, looking completely helpless.
He hadn’t expected the symbiote to inherit fragments of its host’s memories while possessing them.
A miscalculation.
Again!
[Remaining Restarts: 3.
Restart?]
Restart!
Eleventh Revival Round.
This time…
Charlie charged straight at Venom while carrying a bundle of explosives.
Within seconds…
The symbiote invaded his body.
Just before Venom realized what Charlie was planning…
He detonated the explosives.
BOOOOOOM!!
The point-blank explosion forcibly separated Charlie from the symbiote.
Venom Parker smashed through the cave entrance and escaped once again.
Meanwhile…
The blast hurled Charlie into the stone wall.
“Cough!”
He crashed down before spitting out a mouthful of black blood.
Steve rushed over immediately.
“Charlie!”
“Are you okay?”
“I…”
Before Charlie could finish speaking…
His body suddenly convulsed violently.
The symbiote cells left inside him began regenerating at an unbelievable speed.
Then…
An eerie black liquid seeped through his skin.
It rapidly spread across his nanotech suit.
The silver armor was quickly dyed into a sleek black-and-gold color.
At that moment…
Charlie could feel every injury caused by the explosion rapidly healing.
Enhanced by the symbiote…
He felt stronger than ever before.
He had succeeded.
Using himself as bait…
Charlie had finally obtained symbiote cells.
But…
That had never been his real objective.
His true goal…
Was to make sure Tony Stark obtained those symbiote cells as well.
(End of Chapter)