Marvel's Venom, starting with a Hydra undercover agent.

"From that day on, she became quiet and withdrawn, never again as cheerful as before..."

As he spoke, George Stacy's eyes welled up with tears. Compared to a few days ago, he did indeed have quite a few more gray hairs at his temples.

"Mr. Clint, if someone close to you were going through this, what would you do?"

"Will you still maintain the same attitude, thinking that Spider-Woman shouldn't be wanted and that we shouldn't be arresting her like this?"

Holm remained silent in the face of George Stacy's question.

After thinking for a moment, he replied seriously, "If Spider-Woman is the culprit behind that child's death, then your actions are justifiable."

"But in my opinion, while Spider-Woman is related to the child's death, she may not be the real culprit."

"Perhaps Spider-Woman has captured your entire attention, causing you to forget some other clues."

"Aren't you surprised that the child suddenly turned into a lizard monster and started attacking people everywhere?"

"And why did a lizard monster suddenly appear on the street today?"

At this point, Holm looked at George Stacy and continued, "Mr. Stacy, in a sense, I am even less able to accept the child's death than you are."

“You may think my current attitude lacks empathy, but in reality, excessive grief and hatred have made you ignore the clues that you should really be paying attention to.”

"Instead of continuing to capture Spider-Woman, I think you should investigate why lizard monsters keep appearing."

Chapter 19, Daisy's Thoughts

Before George Stacy could answer, Holm had already pushed open the door and walked out. He didn't have time to say much to her either, as his Venom was still hungry for food.

A moment later, in a convenience store next to the police station, Holm was sitting in a corner waiting for his instant noodles to cook, while Venom was grinning and happily eating chocolate inside his coat.

Venom was overjoyed to finally get to eat the chocolate he had been longing for. His excited appearance reminded Holm of a husky, although it was a bit dark and ugly, and upon closer inspection, it was also a bit ferocious and terrifying.

"Just so you know, you won't be able to eat if people come later, so hurry up and eat quickly," Holm said to Venom as he opened the instant noodles and stirred them.

"Mmm, I'll be quick, kaba kaba..." Venom said as it stuffed several more pieces of chocolate into its mouth, making its already large and ferocious mouth bulge out.

In fact, Venom only needs to put the chocolate in its mouth and swallow it; it can absorb energy without chewing at all.

It did this at first, but after discovering that chewing actually allowed it to better appreciate the rich flavor of the chocolate, it immediately changed its method of eating it.

"Let's get ready to go back, people are coming." Holm said, swallowing the instant noodles in his mouth, then tapped Venom's head inside his coat.

Upon hearing this, Venom sped up, sending out many tentacles to unpack all the chocolates and stuff them into its mouth.

"Gulp!" The chocolate, rolled into the size of a soccer ball, was swallowed whole by Venom.

The tight timeframe forced it to abandon chewing once again.

After finishing all the chocolate, Venom obediently returned to Holm's body.

Having satisfied its desires, it was no longer as restless as before, contentedly savoring the rich aroma.

"The human who invented chocolate was truly amazing. He must have been no ordinary human, just like you," Venom remarked.

In its view, ordinary humans are weak and inferior creatures. If it weren't for Holm's demands, those humans would be like snacks to it.

Therefore, the person who could invent such delicious chocolate must be just like Holm, who was chosen as its host; they were not ordinary humans, nor were they the kind of weak and inferior beings.

Venom's words made Holm chuckle, but he didn't have time to continue talking to Venom because Daisy had already walked in from the door.

Upon seeing Holm, Daisy sat down next to him.

Although she didn't speak, Holm could see some questions in her eyes, as if she didn't understand why they were meeting here.

"Have you eaten yet? How about some instant noodles? They taste pretty good," Holm said to Daisy, wiping his mouth.

Today, Venom was not only a little hungry, but he also didn't eat much. He first suffered some minor mistreatment and intimidation in the suburban forest, and then had a conversation with Venom at home.

He had bought himself some food when he went out to buy chocolate in the evening, but then he encountered a lizard monster that suddenly appeared, causing him to suffer pain again and even have to go to the police station.

Thinking about it this way, he had a truly fulfilling day, one day better than six.

“No need, I’ve already eaten.” Daisy politely declined Holm’s suggestion at first, and then asked after a moment of hesitation, “We’re here to discuss the new mission, right?”

They had just received new information: because of the lizard monsters that appeared again this afternoon, S.H.I.E.L.D. had asked them to conduct a full investigation into the Lizard Monster Island incident.

After all, the last time a lizard monster appeared at Midtown Middle School, it was their mission.

Holm had no objections to the mission. Although it involved investigating some strange things, it was still better than running around abroad and doing some unethical things.

Before teaming up with Daisy, most of the missions Holm received were of that type.

After teaming up with Daisy, Holm guessed that, perhaps to take care of Daisy, their mission focus had shifted to dealing with some strange things domestically.

For example, the lizard monster incident last time, the meteorite incident this morning, and the lizard monster incident just now.

“Yes.” Holm answered Daisy’s question first, and then continued, “What are your thoughts on the lizard monster incident? Including what happened at school last time, there have been two now.”

"I was right there when that lizard monster incident happened, so I was a witness. I can tell you some details that weren't mentioned in the mission reports or the news."

As he spoke, Holm told Daisy about the roadblock lizard that had broken his ribs and lumbar vertebrae, giving him a profound experience of extreme pain.

As Daisy listened to Holm's story, she scribbled in a small notebook, seemingly recording what she considered to be key points and clues.

Looking into her pure brown eyes, Holm couldn't help but wonder how she ended up becoming a secret agent.

Amidst a jumble of thoughts, Holm stopped speaking after a moment.

He picked up his cup, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then waited for Daisy to finish organizing her thoughts.

After a few minutes, Daisy stopped writing and drawing in her notebook.

She looked up, placed the notebook in the middle, and then began to explain her thoughts to Holm.

"The situation at the school is clearer now. The syringe found in Peter Parker's bag, along with other clues, proves that he injected himself with a special drug and then turned into a crazed lizard monster."

"After our secret autopsy and investigation, we found that his death was also closely related to that special drug. It is likely that the drug was not perfect enough, which caused him to die suddenly from cardiac arrest."

"As for Spider-Woman, who is currently wanted by the police, her battle with Peter Parker only accelerated the effects of the drug, bringing the ending forward..."

"Based on the current clues, these two lizard monsters are likely affected by the same drug, but the drug used on the lizard monster this evening was more effective than the one used on Peter Parker."

"He was still alive and quite active when our people went to check on him in the evening; he showed no signs of fatigue from the battle..."

“We can start our investigation from the sewer where he appeared today. New York’s sewer system is complex and extensive, so I don’t think it was an accident that he appeared there.”

......

Chapter 20, Secret Mission

Daisy's analysis was comprehensive and her thinking was very clear. Holm thought that if she didn't become a secret agent, she would be a good private investigator.

So when Daisy finished speaking and looked at him with wide eyes, he smiled and clapped his hands gently to show his appreciation.

"Your thinking is very clear, and your analysis of the current situation is also very accurate. Even I couldn't have done better."

Hearing Holm's generous praise, Daisy, whose expression was usually aloof and serious, was unusually a little embarrassed.

Although it was a little embarrassing to admit, she was actually quite proud of herself.

Holm, in particular, would never have said such things before, so the fact that he sincerely praised her today shows that she had indeed done a good job.

This was the first time Holm had ever seen Daisy with such a rich range of expressions. Especially since he was used to her aloof style, her slightly blushing appearance made her even more adorable.

After appreciating the contrast in his partner's demeanor, Holm continued, "Before we take any concrete action, there are some things we need to investigate and verify, such as the general layout of New York's underground, and whether any other informed individuals can provide clues..."

"Once we have this information, we can begin to take action."

Upon hearing Holm's arrangements, Daisy nodded seriously and switched back to her focused work demeanor.

Seeing Daisy's expression, Holm pondered for a moment before continuing, "I'm going on a secret mission for the next three days, so I'll have to leave the preparations I just mentioned to you."

"Three days should be enough time to do these preparations. We can start taking action once I get back."

Daisy was taken aback by Holm's words, then nodded without asking any further questions.

After all, it's already been said to be a secret mission. If I could tell her, what would I call a secret?

......

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Holm, wearing sunglasses and carrying a backpack, walked towards the Hersinia slum.

The difference between the bustling city and the dilapidated and dirty place is striking, but in reality, they are not far apart; in fact, they are separated by only a wall.

"It's really hot in here, no wonder everyone's dressed so lightly. But the smell is really unpleasant," Venom said to Holm, hiding behind his thin jacket and watching the people coming and going.

People in the slums all dress in roughly the same style, using the same cheap fabrics, the same poor tailoring, and the same sweat and unpleasant smells.

"He got here in such a short time, this guy is fast enough." Holm squinted at the cluster of low buildings on the hillside and sighed softly.

Venom shifted to the other side under his jacket to continue observing, while saying, "That guy probably ran away as soon as he left your house."

"Yeah, I didn't even have time to go back and deal with the scene. And yet I imagined so much." Holm looked at the notebook in his hand, shook his head and laughed as he walked away.

He guessed that Nathan Landis had already prepared to flee here, but was intercepted by him just before he was about to leave.

Although the counterattack delayed him a little, it did not affect the overall plan.

I wonder if Nathan Landis will be surprised to see him reappear, the person he killed standing alive in front of him again, like a vengeful ghost that has come from afar to claim his life.

Thinking of this, Holm also curled up the corners of his mouth, took out a piece of slightly melted chocolate and stuffed it into his mouth.

......

As dusk fell, layers of thick, swirling clouds enveloped the setting sun, creating a beautiful sunset that stretched across the entire sky.

Nathan Landis walked out of the factory with the bustling workers around him, gazing absently at the distant sunset, lost in thought.

“Hey Tim, come grab a drink with us!” A short man with a beard said, putting his arm around Nathan Landis’s shoulder.

"Will received a hefty bonus today; we must make him cash out his bet from last time."

"Oh right, I forgot you weren't here yet, but it's okay, he'll like you."

The short man had his arm around Nathan Landis's shoulder, and Nathan Landis could even smell the sour odor emanating from him.

He frowned almost imperceptibly, but still responded to the shorter man with familiar ease.

Although he had only been there for two days, he had already established very good relationships with these small groups.

The short man was the most active person in the factory. As long as you got along well with him, it was easy to integrate into the community.