Marvel: Rise of Venom

CH-28: A Practice Run and An Early Gift

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The first snow had just fallen yesterday, blanketing the garden in white and shrouding the view of the Eiffel Tower in fog.

I stood in the falling snow, my breath ragged and visible in the air. Beside me was Felicia, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously as she locked her gaze on the mansion's entrance, mirroring my focus. Her hair, tied in a ponytail, danced in the breeze.

Fox stood behind us, the only one dressed for winter with his warm clothes. Felicia and I, on the other hand, were in our gym attire.

A chill ran down my spine, and my ears perked up. Pressing my bare feet against the wet surface, I prepared to launch myself forward at the old man's signal.

"Go!"

And with that command, I propelled myself forward, rushing towards the house. Felicia followed closely behind, maintaining a cordial distance.

We reached the back entrance and swiftly turned, though I nearly slipped. Felicia used my misstep to gain some distance.

We raced through the old building, the wooden floors making it challenging for both of us, but it didn't slow us down.

As we reached the narrow passage leading to the kitchen, Felicia closed in, just a few steps behind me. I pushed myself further and looked at the dining table in the middle.

Felicia smirked, seeing an opportunity to overtake me. She planted her feet on the tiled floor and pressed her fist on the table, gracefully cartwheeling over it. Meanwhile, I chose not to exert that effort and smoothly slid under the table.

I quickly regained my footing as Felicia did the same.

"Show off." I smirked, making a sharp turn towards the stairs leading to the upper floor.

"It's called style." She retorted, climbing up.

Reaching the first floor, we stood side by side, locking eyes for a moment before restarting the race.

Through each room we ran, with Felicia taking the lead in some and me in others. Finally, we arrived at the entrance to the attic. Our eyes were drawn to the obsidian-painted, life-size lockers in the center.

Before the practice race began Fox had given us decoders. I rushed forward with mine in hand and placed it on the digital screen of the metal box. Felicia joined me seconds later.

The decoders worked through the codes one by one as we caught our breaths. However, our vigilance remained intact, with both of us glancing at each other's decoders as they revealed the password one digit at a time.

I got the code first, followed by Felicia a second later. The lockers hissed, and their mechanisms began turning. The doors opened slowly, and we reached inside, retrieving the item within.

A pirate sword.

Felicia immediately rolled back, putting some distance between us. Our swords pointed at each other, our gazes narrowed with determination, and a heavy silence enveloped the attic.

We both waited, searching for a weak spot or an opportunity to strike.

She slowly loosened her grip, leaving her left side vulnerable, but I knew it was a trap and didn't engage.

Calmly, I took a step forward and crossed my sword against hers, giving her the advantage. She deflected my blade to the side and swiftly pressed forward.

I changed my grip, deflecting her weapon and using her momentum against her, pushing her back against the lockers.

I moved forward to attack, seeing her back wide open. But she suddenly brought down her sword, facing me head-on.