Symbiotic Agent

The drawing depicted a uniquely shaped building, with its height, width, and other dimensions clearly marked. Above the illustration, a string of letters revealed its identity: the Stark Building, one of New York City's iconic landmarks.

Next to the panoramic view of the building, two lines extended from its peak, leading to a detailed diagram of its rooftop. From this depiction, it was evident that Dr. Lizard had installed a massive contraption resembling a piece of laboratory equipment.

Beside the device, the word "Canary" was written in bold, catching Holm's attention. Intrigued, he quickly searched for information about a machine called Canary. His efforts led him to an old report from years ago that provided a detailed description of the device.

The Canary device, as described in the report, was one of Kurt Connors' earlier creations. Its primary function was to disperse a high-concentration aerosol medicine into the atmosphere, forming rain clouds. These clouds would precipitate medicated rain, allowing anyone exposed to it—whether through direct contact or inhalation—to absorb the medicine's effects. Direct contact, however, was noted to be the more effective method.

The invention was originally envisioned as a means to combat plagues or widespread influenza, where its ability to medicate entire populations via rain could be revolutionary. Despite the ambitious concept, the Canary device vanished from public discourse after sparking brief but intense debate. It was never implemented.

"Wait… isn't this the device that appeared in the movie?" Holm suddenly recalled. While some production details differed, the Canary device's function was strikingly similar to what he remembered from the screen.

"Damn! Dr. Lizard is planning something huge!" Holm jumped to his feet, hastily packing the prepared serum into a large bag. He turned to Spider-Woman, who looked puzzled, and exclaimed, "We're out of time! His plan is catastrophic. We have to move now."

He quickly explained his discovery to Spider-Woman, then called Daisy to emphasize the severity of the situation. After relaying the sketches and data he had collected, Holm and Spider-Woman grabbed their bags and started navigating the underground passageways toward the nearest exit.

As they moved, Venom's voice echoed in Holm's mind, laced with frustration.

"That damned giant lizard. If he turns all humans into lizard monsters, I won't have any delicious snacks left to eat. I haven't even tasted everything yet! If I never get to, I'll be so pitiful…"

Holm smirked, understanding that Venom was hinting at something specific. "Alright, alright, stop whining. It's giving me goosebumps. I'll let you have the snacks you want, okay?" he said, exasperated.

"Really?!" Venom's voice perked up. "You can't lie to me! Lying is bad! Even though I'm not human—"

"I won't lie," Holm interrupted firmly. "I owe you for last time when I promised you chocolate and didn't deliver. I'll keep my word this time. But first, you need to pull your weight. We're up against Dr. Lizard soon. Don't screw this up like you did last time."

"I know, I know! That was just an accident!" Venom protested. "It won't happen again!" The symbiote sounded both defensive and determined, clearly recalling the embarrassing incident where a manhole cover had taken it by surprise. Holm had never let him forget it.

Bang!

The sound of a manhole cover being pushed open echoed as Holm and Spider-Woman emerged onto the surface. The night was darker than before, the hours slipping past midnight toward the faintest hint of dawn.

In the eerie stillness, bursts of distant explosions punctuated the air. Holm and Spider-Woman turned toward the city center—Stark Tower loomed in that direction. Beams of light from circling helicopters illuminated the scene, their searchlights slicing through the darkness. At the same time, rapid gunfire rained down from above.

With his enhanced vision, Holm could make out burly lizardmen appearing on nearby rooftops. Using their incredible strength, they leaped onto the hovering helicopters, dragging them into adjacent buildings or storming their cabins to slaughter the crew. Some miscalculated their jumps, landing directly on the spinning rotors, which shredded them into bloody chunks. Even so, their dense bones sometimes shattered the propellers, causing helicopters to lose control and crash into the surrounding infrastructure.

The chaos painted a horrifying picture of the battle raging below. Holm suddenly understood why the authorities had considered using missiles to deal with the situation. It wasn't just the desperation of being woken in the middle of the night—it was the sheer ferocity and madness of these lizardmen.

"Huh… we need to move faster," Spider-Woman said, exhaling sharply. "If we get caught in this mess, it'll be a disaster."

Holm nodded, stretching as he evaluated their best route forward. He briefly considered calling Daisy for aerial support but dismissed the idea. Before he could act, Spider-Woman stepped closer, wrapped an arm around him with practiced ease, and shot a web toward a nearby building.

Holm felt a sudden softness and a faint, pleasant scent as Spider-Woman launched them into the air. The rush of wind and the rapid change in altitude reminded him of a similar experience not long ago.

For someone over six feet tall, being carried by Spider-Woman—who was almost a head shorter—felt undeniably awkward. Yet, he had no time to dwell on it.

"Hold on tight," she called over the wind. "I'm going to pick up speed, and it might get bumpy."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Holm tightened his grip around her waist. Despite the softness and the lingering scent surrounding him, his gaze remained fixed on the approaching Stark Tower. Determination shone in his eyes.

Inside Holm's mind, Venom groaned dramatically. "It's that delicious smell again. I can only sniff it, but I can't eat it. It's torture!"

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