Chapter 408: Arrogant Venom
Gabriel looked at the towering Venom before him with a look of pure indifference. "Is that so? Our battle isn't over yet."
"No matter how much you struggle, you are just a squirming little insect in front of me. You'll never flip the script," Venom snarled, revealing his rows of glistening white teeth.
Boom!
In that split second, Gabriel moved!
Green beams of light shot out from his palms, instantly coiling around Venom's body like a constriction of emerald pythons.
"If this is all you've got, you're definitely no match for me!" Venom didn't look worried at all. In fact, he looked relaxed. He was certain that with one burst of strength, he could snap these bindings like thread.
"Are you sure?" Gabriel responded by firing ten more beams.
"Uh..." Inside, Eddie applied a bit of pressure and found the bindings wouldn't budge. "Okay, Venom, break free soon or we're going to look like idiots."
"I know that! Don't you see me trying?!" Venom hissed back at Eddie internally.
"How does it feel now?" Gabriel unfurled his wings and gave them a powerful flap, hovering high in the air.
"Nngh!" Venom strained his muscles, but the light beams acted like high-tension bungee cords; the more he expanded, the more they stretched without snapping.
"Well, now you're definitely paying the price for your arrogance," Eddie said helplessly. This was always the case with Venom; ever since he gained the Shadow General's power, he underestimated every single opponent.
"Hmph~ It's not like I can't escape. I just need to shrink back down and we can slip out," Venom sneered.
"Good point. Then why haven't you done it yet?" Eddie's eyes lit up. Maybe Venom was smarter than he looked.
Hearing Eddie's excitement, Venom flatly refused. "I won't. If I do that, it means we lost."
"Who cares about winning and losing at a time like this?! Besides, Gabriel is all the way up there; he won't know how you got out." Eddie was speechless. Venom was literally suffering just to save face. This wasn't losing; it was strategy!
"Trust my strength, Eddie." Venom lunged with power again, only for the beams to snap him back into place.
In the air, Gabriel finally made his move. "Since you seem stuck, let me help you!"
A long beam of light lanced down, instantly shackling Venom's ankles.
"Let's play Human Pendulum!" Gabriel's wings beat furiously, hauling the heavy Venom into the sky.
"I'm a little... afraid of heights!" Eddie screamed. Venom continued to struggle in mid-air, but he was powerless. After reaching a certain altitude, Gabriel dived, swinging Venom toward the ground with immense momentum.
BOOM!
Falling from a thousand meters, Venom slammed directly into the villa's swimming pool, sending a massive geyser of water into the air. At that height, the water offered zero cushioning; it was like hitting a concrete slab.
Fortunately, Venom's durability was top-tier. He gasped for air, looking up at the hovering Gabriel. "You brat!"
"Thick-skinned, aren't you?" Gabriel wasn't surprised. Even if he fell from that height, he wouldn't die—though his wings would be ruined.
"Venom, are you okay?" Eddie, safely encased, asked.
"Don't worry. This impact is nothing to me." Venom tried raw strength again, but the light beams remained intact.
"Consider that payback for earlier," Gabriel waved at the pool and flew back into the villa.
"Don't run! Wait for me!" Venom tried to take a step but was immediately tripped by the ankle bindings, face-planting into the water.
"I can't watch this anymore." Eddie closed his eyes and telepathically contacted the Shadow Ninjas in the Shadow Kingdom.
A Claw Ninja emerged from the shadows and used its massive pincers to snip the light beams. Snap! With a burst of force, the light disintegrated into sparks.
"We are Shadow Generals. Calling for backup isn't cheating, right Venom?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah, exactly." Venom straightened his back. He'd use that exact excuse if Gabriel asked.
With Venom finally calmed down, Eddie let out a sigh of relief. If Venom had continued his tantrum, Eddie's head would have exploded from the stress.
"This time, I'm going to kick his ass for real." Venom crouched low.
Boom!
Venom launched himself like a cannonball, crashing through the villa's walls. Inside, furniture was overturned and debris littered the floor. Gabriel was already sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, waiting for him.
"What took you so long?" Gabriel smiled.
"Hmph~ I was giving you a head start," Venom grumbled.
"Uh-huh. Well, thank you then." Gabriel had already reverted to his human form.
"Why did you change back? Come on! Keep fighting!" Venom wanted to reclaim his dignity.
"Sorry, I concede," Gabriel said. He wasn't stupid. As he was now, he couldn't beat Venom in a war of attrition. He was a high-speed assassin; Venom was a tank. Unless Venom stood perfectly still to take multiple hits of crowd control again, Gabriel could hardly hurt him.
"What?! You're giving up?" Venom frowned. Logically, he had won, so why didn't he feel happy?
"Sigh~ Venom, don't underestimate people next time. Just like Jenny—you never know what kind of power someone is hiding." Eddie took back control of the body, and Venom retreated to the corner of his mind to sulk.
"Your strength is impressive," Eddie told Gabriel.
"Thanks. But you don't need to tell me that; I already knew," Gabriel accepted the praise grandly. Eddie realized then that Gabriel was also an egomaniac, just a smarter one.
"Alright, let's get down to business. Why are you really here?" Gabriel asked.
"Since you are a Shadow General, have you awakened any memories about our origins?" Eddie inquired.
"No. I just know I'm a General." Gabriel had thought he was the only one. Now that Eddie had shown up, he realized he wasn't unique.
"There are nine Shadow Generals in total. You are one of them," Eddie explained.
"Nine? That many?" Gabriel was surprised.
"Is nine a lot? Compared to the global population, nine is practically nothing," Eddie shook his head.
"Fair point." Gabriel nodded, feeling a bit better. To be one of nine out of seven billion people was quite the stroke of luck.
"Actually, the main reason I'm here is a mission from our leader," Eddie explained. At that moment, a Bat Ninja appeared carrying two cups of coffee, serving them to Eddie and Gabriel.
"Thanks." Eddie took a sip.
Gabriel stirred his coffee. "So, you want me to join you?"
"Precisely. Because you are one of us," Eddie said.
"A Shadow General organization..." Gabriel set his coffee down and stood up. "If it's for the Generals, I'm in."
"Great. Then let's go meet the boss." Eddie was relieved. Rei had been clear: if the target refused, kill him and take the mask back. The Shadow Army didn't need Gabriel specifically; it just needed someone to wear the mask.
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