After receiving intelligence from Spider-Woman, Eugene "Flash" Thompson—the new S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit and host to a symbiote—gave up his football practice for the next few days to begin a meticulous search and investigation.
"If the fact that this guy named... Cletus survived was deliberately concealed, and he lived to become the host for a new symbiote, then why?"
[I don't know either, but it's very likely that more than just the five of us came to Earth originally.]
The arrival of the symbiote dragon Grendel on Earth occurred during the Viking Age, nearly two thousand years ago. Looking back now, it wasn't impossible that other symbiotes who worshipped Knull had attempted to reach Earth during the intervening years. Thus, the five of them might not actually be the only symbiotes on the planet.
But if that were the case, the potential number of symbiotes on Earth was a complete unknown. Although Klyntar had long been dedicated to erasing Knull's existence from history and actively exiling those who fell under his influence, the unique nature of the symbiote hive mind meant that while they could fool outsiders, there was no point in trying to deceive the local symbiotes of Klyntar.
Ever since Knull was sealed, every newborn symbiote knew of his existence. This meant that in every generation, individuals would emerge who were corrupted by Knull, and any of them could have come to Earth.
It was just that Riot and the others were the ones who actually managed to undo Grendel's seal. Then, the consciousness of Grendel and Knull had been consumed by Peter and Venom; now, Knull's consciousness was roughly split, half within Venom and half within Peter.
Presumably.
[I smell blood again.]
"Alright then, let's go see what's happening."
A mass of viscous black liquid "seeped" out from the wall, then leaped down beneath an overpass. This was an alleyway in Harlem, shielded by the bridge above, making it a classic, hard-to-observe dead end.
Whether it was a stroke of good luck or bad, Flash and his partner didn't find the hunting symbiote. Instead, they stumbled upon a different criminal act. A man lay dying on the ground, apparently the victim of an assault.
Flash immediately hurried over to check his condition, but Venom quickly reported some... very unpleasant news.
[This man is a drug peddler. He clearly reeks of addictive substances; there was likely a dispute during a transaction.]
After a cold analysis, Venom added: [I'm not sure if he can be saved, but even if he is, he probably won't change his ways.]
"Then what should we do? Oh right, take him to Mr. Negative or the Little Spider. Their current abilities should be able to eliminate drug addiction."
[My point is, he's a seller, not just a user... Back across the ocean, he's the type who would be executed hundreds of times over.]
"Then we should amend the law before executing him."
As Flash spoke, he picked the man up. He wasn't sure where Spider-Man was, but fortunately, he knew exactly where Mr. Negative's F.E.A.S.T. center was located, so he quickly rushed toward it.
(Warning: The following section contains content that may cause physical discomfort)
As for Carnage—or rather, Cletus and Carnage—they were currently having dinner.
Dressed in a formal suit, Cletus stood in the dining room of an apartment. He lit a pair of candles on the dining table, turned off the lights, and walked to his seat.
Before him was a beautifully prepared gourmet meal: perfectly seared steaks and organs. He poured a glass of red wine for himself and for Carnage, then drizzled lemon juice over the meat, added a sprig of fennel, and set the napkin and cutlery. After a formal gesture inviting his partner to start first, he pulled out his chair and sat down.
"Did you know? In the East, especially in Southeast Asia, raw monkey brains are considered a delicacy. They savor them just as you are savoring yours now."
Smiling, Cletus used a fork to steady the meat, then began to slice it with deliberate slowness.
"They secure the monkey to a cart-like serving apparatus and wheel it before the diners. Then, they have the chef slice open the monkey's skull..."
Unfortunately, the walls of the entire room were covered by the crimson symbiote streaked with an eerie black; no scream could penetrate the barrier.
"I... I don't understand, but it's comfortable."
Cletus listened as Carnage emitted a harsh, piercing sound. It had only just learned to speak and wasn't yet proficient, but Cletus simply continued to smile, listening patiently until it finished. He thought for a moment, chuckled, and stuffed a cut piece of meat into his mouth, chewing thoroughly before swallowing.
He picked up a napkin to dab his mouth, then smiled as he replied.
"Why do biological organisms eat? The essence of the question is survival. Any life form needs to survive; they need energy, so they kill one another and eat one another. But humans, on this foundation... evolved. People are always debating what makes humans different from animals. Some say brain capacity, some say tools, some say language."
"But if you ask me—it's enjoyment."
"Enjoyment is the most crucial thing that distinguishes humans from animals! Animals eat to survive, but humans can create all sorts of 'obstacles' to survival for the sake of it. We seek stronger sensory stimulation; we pursue better flavors and seasonings. We explore the differences between rare, medium-rare, medium-well, and charred. And that's just in eating."
"We evolved away our body hair because we found that wearing animal skins protected us better, yet we began to pursue the magnificence of clothing. We use language for better communication, yet we enjoy beautiful music. We created writing to record events, yet we use poetry to intoxicate ourselves."
Cletus became so engrossed in his speech that he forgot to eat. He gave an apologetic smile, set down his knife and fork, and looked sincerely at the symbiote before him.
"This is why I hope you can be like me, and enjoy food with elegance."
"Go, go prove that we are superior."
Cletus's mouth pulled back into a wide, happy grin.
"Exactly."
"But while humans have improved everything for the sake of enjoyment, they have improved almost nothing regarding one thing—slaughter. Slaughter to seize resources, slaughter for self-preservation, slaughter to prove authority—this has remained virtually unchanged for thousands, tens of thousands of years!"
Cletus's tone became rhythmic and mournful.
"If we cannot enjoy the slaughter, how are we to ever truly shed our bestial nature?"
"So, my love, let us enjoy the slaughter together."
At this point, Cletus picked up his knife and fork once more.
"But first, let us enjoy the food provided by our inferiors."
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi