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Chapter 525: Origin Story (1)

Eddie Brock, the host of Venom, was fired from the newspaper due to the Life Foundation incident, which led him to hit rock bottom in Hell's Kitchen. However, he later returned to the newspaper and even became the editor-in-chief due to events related to the Immortal Factor.

But because of Venom's presence, Eddie didn't have a choice to move back to his upscale apartment. He settled in Hell's Kitchen instead.

Eddie and Matt had worked together during the Life Foundation incident, and they had a favorable impression of each other.

After all, Matt wasn't a brute, he thought before he acted, and Eddie, with Venom attached, was also a planner. The two of them would discuss strategies when they had time, and soon became good friends.

Eddie rented a house on the outskirts of Hell's Kitchen, in a much better location than Matt's stronghold. So, Matt would often come over and eventually, they decided to become roommates.

Now, Eddie and Matt were both the kind of people who didn't talk much, and they got along fairly well. But don't forget, there was a third presence in their house: Venom, living inside Eddie's body.

"You have no idea how annoying he is!" Matt, who came to visit in the hospital room, placed his briefcase to the side, adjusted his suit collar, and began to complain to Schiller.

"That blob of rotten goo often fights Eddie for magazines when he's on the toilet. They can argue in my bathroom for a full 20 minutes!"

"Eddie's the editor-in-chief. He starts work at 10 AM every morning and has his own means of transportation. I'm just a regular lawyer. I start work at 8:30 AM and have to practically cross the whole of Brooklyn. Every morning, I have to use the restroom at the restaurant downstairs..."

"Just arguing wouldn't be so bad, but they end up fighting. The black goo from Venom will clog my toilet. After I get home at 10 PM, I have to find someone to fix the toilet!"

Matt sighed deeply and continued, "Just yesterday, not only did he clog my toilet, he clogged the entire apartment building's sewage system. All the neighbors were asking me what happened..."

"Do you know the kind of eye contact they give me? Damn, how could I produce a ton of shit overnight?"

Schiller couldn't hold back his laughter and chuckled. Matt's expression turned even worse. He continued, "And don't even ask about his grudge with those symbiotes. Every few days, there's a brawl right here in Hell's Kitchen, making a mess of the peace."

"You know how ugly they look, like they have the words 'I'm an alien' written on their faces. Even though the people in Hell's Kitchen have a higher acceptance level than the average person, it doesn't mean they can tolerate these monsters running amok overhead."

"Many people have taken pictures and posted them online. While most of the comments are about how well they've Photoshopped the pictures, it has caused panic among a small portion of the population. After all, even if they're thieves and robbers, they're still human. But that group of symbiotes, you can tell at a glance they're not part of humanity, and they look downright fearsome."

"Schiller?... Schiller!" Matt suddenly called out, as he noticed Schiller, lying on the bed, was getting lost in thought. Schiller shook his head lightly and then looked at him, saying, "Oh, I'm listening... What are you planning to do?"

However, Matt didn't continue talking. He stood up, adjusted the bed, and looked down at Schiller. "I'm sorry, I'm used to venting these things to you..."

He glanced around the hospital room, saying, "It's not your duty to ease our worries. You're a patient now; you should rest."

Matt turned and bent down to tidy the flowers he had brought. In just a short time, Schiller's eyelids drooped slightly. Matt looked concerned, but soon Schiller rubbed his eyes, smiled, and said:

"Now, you and Peter are S.H.I.E.L.D. employees. I can get Nick to reimburse your medical expenses. I'm actually glad you two can stay a little longer. The look on the one-eyed pirate's face when he sees the reimbursement bill will be quite something."

Matt also smiled. After chatting for a few more minutes, Matt said, "I need to prepare for tomorrow's court session in the afternoon. I'll come see you another day."

After he finished speaking, he picked up his briefcase and left. However, as he walked out of the hospital room, his expression turned serious. He didn't head back to his law firm, but took a detour to the Avengers base.

Just as he arrived at the base, he bumped into Steve on his way out. Steve noticed that Matt's expression didn't seem quite right. He knew Matt had visited Schiller earlier. He said with some helplessness:

"You're not going to be like Tony and argue with Schiller too, are you? He's a patient now. Even if he has different opinions, everyone has their own views on these matters. Arguing won't lead to any conclusion..."

"Tony? He visited Schiller too? Did they argue?"

"It wouldn't be called arguing. Thinking of this matter, Steve also felt helpless. He briefly explained what Schiller and Stark were quarreling about, but unexpectedly, Matt didn't join the conversation. He just said with some annoyance:

"Seriously, doesn't Tony know that Schiller is a patient? Moreover, he just experienced death and rebirth. Even for a normal person, going through such an experience would affect their mental state, and they wouldn't handle stress well..."

Steve furrowed his brows. He asked, "What do you mean? Is there something wrong with Schiller?"

"I think he's somewhat fatigued, to be precise, it's like he's having narcolepsy. While I was talking with him, he kept falling asleep. You know, that's not common..."

"Normally, he's wide awake by 5 or 6 in the morning. He can even lecture Peter and Pikachu for over two hours about staying up all night playing games. But now..."

Matt continued, "It's almost noon, and he's still drowsy. This is completely abnormal."

Steve was wearing a coat and carrying a slightly worn handbag, appearing ready to leave. Matt asked, "Where are you headed?"

"I was just going to check on him." Steve placed one hand on his hip, turned his body slightly, and said, "I'm quite sure I won't be like Tony and get into a debate with Schiller. I just want to comfort him a bit."

"Before you talked to Tony, did you mention that he might have some childhood traumas? But now it seems that some of his mental illnesses might be relapsing. I think you better go observe him."

"Don't worry." Steve patted Matt on the shoulder and then left the base. Watching him walk away, Matt shook his head and entered the room.

When Steve arrived at the hospital room where Schiller was staying, a nurse had just walked out. Steve was about to push the door open, but the nurse stopped him, saying, "Are you sure your appointment time is correct? The patient is asleep now."

Steve glanced at his watch. It was already past 1 PM. He was quite certain that Schiller had never been in the habit of taking afternoon naps. Whether in the small clinic in Hell's Kitchen or at the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, at this time, Schiller should either be eating or just finished eating and taking a walk.

"Did he have lunch?" Steve asked.

The nurse shook her head and said, "He didn't even have breakfast. He seems to have no appetite. I was about to check the medication dosage with the attending doctor to see if it might be medication-related..."

Steve's brows furrowed even more. He knew that real calming medication didn't have much effect on Schiller. He shouldn't have adverse reactions to the normal dosage of medication meant for regular people.

The fact that Schiller hadn't eaten on time was quite alarming. Steve had always felt that Schiller wasn't quite like a typical U.S. person; he had high standards when it came to food. He insisted on preparing his meals personally, never ate fast food, never ordered takeout, and would even frown at the sight of a pizza box.

With these thoughts in mind, Steve nodded at the nurse. He gently pushed open the door and walked in. As expected, Schiller was sleeping on the bed, and he seemed to be in a deep sleep.

Steve's brows twisted nearly into knots because he noticed that although Schiller was sound asleep, his sleep wasn't peaceful. His brows were furrowed, and it seemed like he was mumbling something.

Steve sat down next to him, and the atmosphere in the room froze for a moment. Schiller, who was asleep, didn't notice. However, when Loki pushed the door open and saw the scene, the words he was about to say got caught in his throat.

Loki today wasn't wearing his usual formal attire. Instead, he was dressed in Asgardian traditional clothing. What stood out even more was that he was carrying a common Earth messenger bag.

"Uh, good afternoon, Steve. Are you here to visit too?" Loki extended his hand in greeting. However, Steve, unusually, didn't extend his hand back. He just turned his head to acknowledge Loki with a nod before turning his worried gaze back to Schiller.

Loki walked over to the opposite side of the bed and cast a glance at the sleeping Schiller. He then looked at Steve, whose face was full of concern, and he quickly understood the situation.

Loki wiped his face, adopting a mournful expression, and then said, "Actually, I'm sorry I arrived late..."

"You know how it was in the battle for succession. The conflicts between Thor and me were escalating. I was imprisoned by him in an Earth prison. I didn't understand what was happening on Earth, so I couldn't be of any help..."

Loki wore an expression of guilt as he continued, "Schiller is my friend too, and seeing him in this state, I also feel a responsibility."

Steve raised his head to look at Loki. The guilt in Loki's eye contact didn't seem feigned. In fact, Steve knew that in terms of relationships, those from the Radiance Alliance were closer to Schiller.

Especially Schiller, Loki, and Strange, the three giants of the Sanctum Sanctorum. If Schiller's relationship with Stark was innocent friendship and with Peter was more of a mentor-student connection, then Schiller's relationships with Loki and Strange could be described as an interest community. Beyond friendship, there was also a professional collaboration, which led to a deeper understanding of each other.

Since Loki had said so, it seemed that Schiller's mental state must be seriously deteriorating.

Just as Loki finished speaking, Schiller's eyelids twitched, and shortly after, he opened his eyes somewhat dazedly. He took a deep breath, sat up, and his expression seemed somewhat melancholic.

He glanced to the side at Loki and then turned his head to look at Steve on the other side. Before Steve could say anything, Schiller spoke to him, "Could you step out for a moment, please? I need to talk to Loki about something."

Steve's face registered shock. He had never heard Schiller use such a blunt tone with him. However, Schiller kept his gaze on him and then pointed to the door.

But what shocked Steve even more was when Schiller turned his head, seeming somewhat irritable, and said to Loki, "Why did you come now? Did the two of you plan this?!"

"Hold on..." Steve stood up and said, "Don't get angry. I'll leave now."

In order not to disturb Schiller, Steve immediately got up and left. He didn't even exchange a few words with Schiller. Once Steve had finally left and was out of earshot for any conversation, Schiller hammered the pillow in frustration and then said:

"It's like a stone in the toilet, stinking and hard!"

He looked up at Loki with some annoyance and said, "Are you an idiot? You actually collided with the conscience of the Avengers, Captain America. You're afraid he doesn't know that I sleep every day just so I can make telemarketing calls and annoy people?"

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