Capítulo 35: Chapter 35
Venom scanned the chaotic scene before him.
Two men stood out amidst the tension. The first was entirely encased in a thick, military-grade containment suit, complete with a large backpack. His voice crackled harshly through the speaker embedded in his helmet as he spoke.
The second man, in heavy gray armor, had a helmet designed to leave his mouth exposed. Clearly enamored with the Rhino aesthetic, the helmet even featured a stylized horn protruding from the front.
This man was a giant, towering over both the containment-suited individual and the frightened woman standing nearby. He loomed beside Gwen, clenching his fists threateningly as she and the others huddled in terror.
"Here's the deal. Hand over the key and the code, and we'll be on our way," the man in the containment suit barked, his tone sharp and commanding. "Otherwise, I'll let Rhino here turn this into a very short and painful day for you."
Rhino smirked, adding, "Yeah, and it's not gonna be pretty. After you, these kids are next."
Venom snarled, his fury rising as Rhino once again targeted his friends. He could already envision the brute's smug, brutish face—just the sort of thug Venom relished crushing to blow off steam.
Quickly surveying the diner, Venom's eyes locked onto an empty booth. Launching himself upward with a flick of his web, he swung through the shattered window, using the momentum to propel himself inside.
Glass cascaded around Gwen and MJ as Venom's feet struck Rhino head-on, sending the hulking armored figure crashing across the diner. He collided with the bar, which splintered under the impact but somehow remained standing—reinforced, no doubt. Rhino crumpled to the floor, motionless.
One down, Venom thought, turning his attention to the second foe.
The containment-suited man froze for a moment, clearly shocked. "Impressive. Marko mentioned a big guy in black, but he failed to mention the spider emblem on your chest. You're Venom, aren't you?"
A sharp whir filled the air as two massive mechanical arms unfolded from the backpack. The arms ended in wicked, three-pronged pincers, snapping menacingly.
"You're just a distraction," the man declared coldly. Without warning, he struck the woman before him with a backhanded blow, sending her collapsing to the floor. One mechanical arm lunged toward Venom, who ducked just in time to avoid the second arm sweeping in from the other side.
"This is Ock. We've got resistance at the diner. Proceed with Plan B," Ock growled into a concealed communicator. "No, stay on task and finish the job."
The mechanical arms lunged again, but Venom sidestepped the attack and quickly coated the pincers in webbing, attempting to jam their movements.
I need to draw him outside. There's no room to fight in here, Venom thought grimly.
Shooting two web lines at Ock, Venom watched as the mechanical arms immediately intercepted them. Seizing the opportunity, Venom yanked hard, dragging Ock out of the diner and into the street. Twisting his grip, Venom swung Ock through the air before leaping forward to deliver a devastating punch.
Ock managed to break free just in time, but the impact still sent both of them tumbling across the pavement.
"That actually hurt," Ock snarled, his voice thick with anger as his mechanical arms shot forward like spears.
Venom evaded the first two strikes, but two more caught him off guard—one clamped down on his arm, the other on his leg. With a tremendous swing, Ock hurled Venom into a parked car, the vehicle crumpling under the impact. Venom coughed, the taste of bile and cider filling his throat.
Pain coursed through him, but it only fueled his rage. Rising to his feet, Venom unleashed a roar as Ock balanced on his mechanical arms, lifting himself off the ground. Venom ripped the car door from the wreckage and hurled it at Ock.
"Pathetic," Ock scoffed, dodging easily. But his confidence faltered when the door suddenly swung back, yanked by one of Venom's webs, slamming into him from behind.
Idiot, Ock cursed internally, struggling to regain his balance. I'm no fighter. I can't win this.
Before Venom could capitalize, a massive gray figure blindsided him.
"Forget about me?" Rhino bellowed, pinning Venom to the ground. Straddling him, Rhino rained down heavy punches onto Venom's sides with relentless ferocity.
Ock's communicator clicked.
"Doc, we've got the code and the password. Beginning the vault run now," a voice reported. The two-team strategy was unfolding as planned; while both the key and code would have been ideal, either was sufficient.
Ock double-tapped his communicator to confirm. He couldn't afford to lose focus now. This black monstrosity was a serious threat—hesitation could mean disaster.
As if sensing Ock's thoughts, Venom roared, throwing Rhino off with an explosive burst of strength. Rising, his frame swelled, his muscles thickened, and his black mask stretched open, revealing a horrifying maw lined with jagged teeth.
"We are VENOM!" he growled, gripping a car behind him. With a tremendous effort, he hoisted the vehicle and slammed it onto Rhino.
"Is that all you've got?" Rhino sneered, rising to his feet and wiping blood from his lip. "You want power? Nobody's stronger than Rhino."
When the car came down again, Rhino countered with a punch, reducing it to a pile of mangled scrap. Venom was left holding only the car's trunk.
"Really? That's it?" Venom taunted, tilting his head mockingly.
Rhino cracked his knuckles and advanced. Grinning wickedly, Venom swung the trunk at Rhino, sending him crashing into another vehicle.
Shaking off the daze, Rhino smirked. "Two can play at that game." He grabbed the crushed car behind him and hurled it at Venom.
Catching the flying car by its undercarriage, Venom spun and launched it back at Rhino, turning their battle into a twisted game of catch.
Realizing this wasn't working, Rhino abandoned the car and charged forward. With a thunderous roar, he collided with Venom, who retaliated by hammering his fists into Rhino's back.
Ock observed from a safe distance, analyzing the brawl. The raw power on display was staggering. He tapped his helmet.
"Once the vault is open, regroup at my location."
Time was running out. If this dragged on, the authorities—or worse, the military—would arrive. This was supposed to be a quick operation: strike fast, intimidate, and escape cleanly.
"ETA one minute. Vault penetrated. Securing the package," came the confirmation through his communicator. Ock needed to stall for time. Monitoring the police scanners, he felt a flicker of relief—there was no mention of the diner. At least that situation remained contained. He had no more than five minutes, and his mind raced to devise a plan.
"Rhino, fall back. Keep him at bay. Reinforcements are en route," Ock commanded.
Rhino grunted in acknowledgment, his attention locked on Venom as he began to withdraw.
"We don't think so," Venom snarled, stepping forward menacingly.
Ock's mechanical arms sprang into action, whipping toward Venom. They lashed and twisted with erratic precision, forcing Venom to retreat and keeping him away from Rhino.
If Venom attempted to jump over them, Rhino would catch him mid-air and drag him back down. Rhino avoided engaging directly, retreating strategically within the reach of Ock's robotic limbs.
Venom was undeniably powerful, fast, and relentless—but he was alone. Together, Ock and Rhino could contain him long enough for the rest of their team to extract the contents of the vault. Time was critical; they couldn't afford to waste it on a prolonged brawl with this monstrous adversary.
Is he one of the escapees—or something far more peculiar? Ock wondered, intrigued. I'd love to uncover the secret beneath that suit.
Growing impatient with their evasive maneuvers, Venom leapt into the air, shooting webs at Ock's mechanical arms in an attempt to disable one.
But as he soared, a sudden, intense pain ripped through his back. His muscles locked up as electricity coursed through his body, stunning and paralyzing him.
Venom realized too late that he had been too focused on Ock and Rhino to notice two attackers creeping up behind him. He had been outmaneuvered—and now he knew it had been a trap.
Through the haze of pain, he discerned the figures. Both wore armored suits. One sported a tan helmet framing a weathered, rugged face, while the other donned a skull cap sparking with electricity, his skin glowing faintly blue.
Ock surged forward, using his mechanical limbs to incapacitate Venom. The arms coiled tightly around the writhing creature, testing the limits of the harness, but it held firm.
"Don't just stand there—help me!" Ock barked. Rhino saw the strain in the metallic joints as Venom's muscles bulged, fighting the restraints.
Venom struggled, but the arms' grip was unyielding. He cursed himself for not noticing the ambush sooner.
Venom's symbiote armor had proven nearly impenetrable—until now. The electric shock had bypassed it completely. Another problem he hadn't accounted for.
"Electro, give him another dose! Ock, toss him toward that Prius," Rhino yelled, pointing to a parked car.
Ock hoisted Venom, his harness groaning under the strain, and hurled him at the vehicle.
The impact jolted Venom back to his senses. Shaking his head, he spotted Ock and prepared to attack again, only to feel the crackling arc of lightning searing through him. Agony exploded in his nerves as the electricity leapt to nearby cars, setting off alarms that filled the air with piercing noise.
Steam rose from Venom's body as Electro allowed the voltage to subside.
"Take that, freak," Electro sneered. Before Venom could recover, Rhino delivered a crushing kick, sending him hurtling back toward Ock.
Ock grabbed Venom by the foot and repeatedly slammed him into the pavement. The concrete fractured with each impact, and darkness began to cloud Venom's vision.
"I have an idea. Bring him," Ock said, slamming Venom down one final time before gesturing toward the diner. "Marko, this the guy?"
"It's Sandman now. And yeah, that's him," Marko replied.
"Good. Have fun. Electro, grab the package. Let's move. Rhino, you staying?" Ock asked, already suspecting the answer. He knew Rhino's pride wouldn't let him walk away.
"I'm staying. Got some payback to dish out," Rhino said, cracking his knuckles into meaty fists.
Ock smirked. "Suit yourself. Oh, and get his mask off. Let these fine people see who their 'hero' really is."
Rhino grinned. "On it, boss. Won't take long."
Ock and Electro headed toward a van across from the bank. Checking the police scanner, Ock noted that officers were already on the way. The car alarms had drawn their attention. Still, if Rhino and Sandman were captured, there'd be no evidence tying them to the heist.
Back at the diner, Sandman restrained Venom while Rhino used him as a punching bag. Blow after blow landed on Venom's torso, each one more brutal than the last.
The electricity had weakened Venom enough for Sandman to immobilize him. He wasn't even processing the punches—it was all just pain.
Yet something in that overwhelming agony snapped Venom back into focus. Blood filled his mouth as he coughed, and through half-shut eyes, he saw Rhino tearing into the symbiote armor on his chest.
With a grotesque rip, Rhino tore the white spider emblem free and hurled it into the diner. "Here's your 'hero,'" he mocked. Panicked screams erupted as the patrons recoiled from the oozing mass.
The pain cleared Venom's mind. He felt no rage, only a cold, calculated hatred. Looking toward Gwen and the others at the shattered window, he realized his mistake. He wasn't a brawler—he was a strategist.
Sandman taunted, cheering as Rhino pummeled Venom. But Venom, summoning his strength, thickened the armor over his chest and forehead. Rhino's blows became less effective.
Venom smashed his head backward, dazing Sandman, then forward, shattering the horn on Rhino's helmet.
"Oh no, lost your horn? Shame," Venom quipped, his voice dripping with mockery.
Using his webs, Venom bound Sandman in tar-like tendrils. Sandman writhed, trying to free himself, but the adhesive held fast.
"Yes, we are Venom," he growled, "and you are nothing." With a powerful blow, Venom sent Rhino reeling.
As Sandman screamed at the patrons to move, Rhino body-slammed Venom into the diner. Glass and debris scattered as Venom crashed through the door.
Venom's focus shifted to Gwen and the others, still frozen in place. "Run, you idiots!" he shouted, pulling himself up as Rhino loomed in the doorway.
Before Venom could act, Sandman wrapped a glass-laden arm around him. The shards sliced deep, exposing muscle and bone beneath the torn symbiote. Venom cried out in pain as the black substance rushed to cover the wound.
"You'll regret that," Venom snarled, flipping to the ceiling as Rhino charged. The hulking brute smashed through a support beam, sending the entire diner into chaos.
As the ceiling began to collapse, the screams started.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
StoryWanderer
StoryWanderer Thanks for reading. If you want to support me and read up to 14 chapters ahead you can go to my p@treon pa treon.com/StoryWanderer. I would really appreciate it. The new +18 chapter is also there now.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder