C 32

After Anton finished speaking, the living room fell into a deep, unsettling silence. It was as if the very air had thickened, leaving Eddie, Annie, and Lewis all holding their breath.

"He's here," Anton announced calmly.

"He's here? Where?" Eddie's head whipped around, scanning the room.

Anton replied with a hint of amusement, "Right in front of you."

"No way!" Eddie, Annie, and Lewis shared the same stunned expression. Their minds tried to process Anton's words, their initial confusion slowly morphing into shock. They finally stared at him, wide-eyed, trying to grasp the unbelievable claim he'd just made.

"Are you… Batman?" Annie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a scream.

"How could you be Batman?" Eddie exclaimed, nearly leaping from his seat.

Lewis wasn't quite as vocal as the others, but his expression showed his surprise. Though he had read a lot of wild theories online, it seemed utterly surreal now to even consider that Anton could be the man behind the mask.

Anton couldn't help but chuckle at their reactions. He leaned back, glancing at each of them in turn before answering, "Why can't I be Batman?"

"It's not… impossible," Eddie stammered, still in shock.

"But it is," Annie insisted, her eyes narrowing. "You can't be serious."

Anton's face shifted from amused to serious. "Batman's identity is a secret, and if it's possible, I'd like it to stay that way. To be honest, the whole 'Batman' thing is a burden. What I'd really rather be doing is sitting back and inheriting my grandfather's billions."

Eddie was visibly moved. He replayed their interactions in his mind and realized Anton might have even taken on the role of Batman because of him. A sudden wave of gratitude washed over him, and he knew he could trust Anton completely. With a friend like this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of security he hadn't felt in a long time.

Venom's voice echoed in Eddie's mind, breaking the moment: "He really cares about you. This must be… love, right? Eddie, I think I like your boss."

"Shut up!" Eddie blurted, his face reddening.

Anton, Annie, and Lewis all turned to look at Eddie, each of them slightly confused by his outburst.

Eddie rubbed the back of his neck, realizing how it must have looked. "No, no, it's not what you think," he said hastily. "It's Venom. He… uh… has his own opinions."

"We understand," Annie said, rolling her eyes. But she looked curious. "Still, I want to know—what did Venom just say?"

The following day, Anton headed to Stark Industries' San Francisco branch to pick up some weapons he had ordered, including sonic devices and flamethrowers tailored specifically to counter the symbiotes. 

Meanwhile, Eddie and his team had disguised themselves and were gathering information around the Life Foundation's headquarters, as well as its experimental base, located near the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Life Foundation's massive rocket project had attracted a lot of attention, both for its scale and its budget. Carlton Drake, the head of the foundation, had poured billions into this ambitious project. But as Anton and his friends knew, something darker lay beneath its shiny facade.

As Eddie studied the rocket base from a distance, Venom's voice suddenly broke his concentration. "Riot has arrived in San Francisco."

Eddie's eyes widened in surprise. "What? How do you know?"

"I saw it," Venom replied, his tone tense. "It's happening right in front of us."

Eddie focused his gaze on the base, and sure enough, he saw Carlton Drake emerge from one of the buildings. A cold realization hit him—Drake had bonded with Riot.

In that instant, Eddie's phone rang. It was Annie.

"Eddie, we just found out that Drake restarted the rocket launch. Something's wrong—he's become Riot's host!" Annie's voice was frantic.

"I know, I just saw him," Eddie replied, his voice barely above a whisper. As he spoke, he felt a sudden, piercing gaze settle on him. He looked up sharply, his heart pounding, to see Drake's eyes locked onto his position.

Drake, walking through the rocket base with his usual air of arrogance, turned to one of his security officers. "Prepare to launch immediately. I'll be piloting the rocket myself. We don't need the final checks—I want it launched now."

He stopped, narrowing his eyes as he stared toward Eddie's hiding spot.

"Venom," he muttered, a malicious grin forming on his face.

"Terry, get everyone armed and in position. Lock down the entire area, especially that section of the forest," Drake ordered his security chief.

The security chief nodded, though he looked somewhat surprised. "Understood, sir."

Without warning, Drake's body morphed. In a powerful leap, he launched himself high into the air, landing in the dense forest where Eddie was waiting. His transformation was complete—he was now Riot, a monstrous, towering figure with razor-sharp fangs and gleaming, malevolent eyes.

"Venom," he sneered, his massive arm morphing into a deadly axe. "Join me, and we'll take this world for ourselves."

"No," Venom's voice echoed firmly through Eddie. "I won't let you destroy this world."

"Pathetic!" Riot's face twisted with disdain. With a roar, he lunged forward, swinging his massive weaponized arm directly at Eddie.

Meanwhile, Anton was driving back from Stark Industries with a trunk full of sonic devices and flamethrowers. He hadn't yet realized that Eddie was already facing off against Riot. The weapons had been made in record time, thanks to Stark Industries' resources and Anton's willingness to pay a hefty premium for urgent delivery.

As he drove, his phone rang, and he answered to hear Annie on the other end.

"Anton, you need to hurry! Eddie's in trouble. Drake has bonded with Riot."

Anton's expression darkened. "Don't worry, I'll be there as fast as I can. And listen, don't come near the area. It's too dangerous."

After hanging up, he looked at his GPS and adjusted his route, steering his car off the main road.

Once he found an isolated spot, he brought the vehicle to a stop, glancing around to ensure there were no onlookers. Then, with a smirk, he thought to himself, Time to upgrade my ride.

….

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