Brokered Information

“Welcome home, Hard!” Velia exclaimed, throwing her arms around her brother in a tight hug. True to his word, he had returned early. This was an event that almost never happened. She was so excited

“Look what I got for you,” Hardin said, holding out a neatly wrapped present. Velia’s eyes lit up as she tore it open, gasping with delight at the matching purple sneakers inside.

“These are exactly the ones I wanted! Thank you so much, brother!” she beamed, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and hugging him again.

“Go back to your game,” Hardin said with a smile. “I’ll whip something up for lunch.”

As he turned to the kitchen, his eyes caught a black card on her desk. His smile faded, replaced by a look of alarm. “Where did you get this?” he asked sharply, picking up the card.

“A, um, friend came to me,” Velia explained innocently. “He was wounded, so I treated him.”

Hardin’s heart raced as he saw the initials ‘XD’ engraved on the card. His stomach sank. “This is bad,” he murmured, his voice filled with panic.

“What’s wrong?” Velia asked, watching all the color drain from his face.

“There’s no time to explain,” he said urgently, grabbing her hand. “We need to leave now.”

He ripped open the back door but before they could take another step, the sound of loud engines outside made them freeze. A fleet of cars and motorcycles surrounded their home.

“Ah, Antonio Argento’s children,” a voice called mockingly. Pedro stepped out, a smug grin plastered on his face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Don’t come any closer,” Hardin warned, pushing Velia behind him to shield her. His hand reached for a concealed gun, which made Velia gasp in shock. She'd never seen her brother carry a weapon.

Pedro smirked. “Get them,” he ordered.

Chaos erupted. Hardin fought fiercely, but he was quickly overwhelmed by Pedro’s men.

“You put up a good fight,” Pedro taunted, his grin widening. “But it wasn’t enough.”

“What do you want from us?” Hardin demanded, trying to pull his arms out of the men's vice-like grips, his voice laced with anger.

Velia clung to her brother, trembling. It all felt like a nightmare she couldn’t wake from. She didn't understand what was going on. Who were these men and what did they want from them? They were nobody.

Pedro waved dismissively. “Get them in the car.”

As Pedro’s men grabbed the siblings, another line of motorcycles arrived. Venom climbed off the lead bike, the wolf skull smiling chillingly in the bright sunlight. Venom's cold gaze skimmed over Velia and Hardin before locking onto Pedro.

Pedro’s smirk faltered. “Venom…” he stammered, his confidence wavering.

Venom’s lips curled into a chilling smile. “What were you planning to do with them?” His voice was low and dangerous.

Pedro swallowed hard, fear flashing in his eyes. “I don't think you'll care once you hear what I have to tell you,” he said quickly.

Venom’s expression didn’t waver. “Speak.”

Pedro stepped closer, whispering something in Venom’s ear. Venom’s frown deepened as his gaze shifted to the two siblings.

Turning to Velia, he asked coldly, “Who was your father?”

Velia hesitated, her voice trembling. "He was a doctor. I told you…"

"What was his name?" Venom's voice was barely more than a growl.

Tears gathered in Velia's eyes. This was not the warm, grateful man who's wounds she treated. Why did he care what her dad's name was? “Dr. Antonio Argento,” she finally replied.

Venom’s eyes narrowed, memories of a dark past surfacing.

“Your death is postponed,” Venom said to Pedro, his tone laced with menace. He turned to his men. “Take them. We’re leaving.”

Hardin and Velia were yanked away from Pedro's men and forced onto the back of two of Venom's men's bikes. Before Velia could process what was happening, Venom’s convoy was driving away.

Pedro stood watching, a sly grin creeping back onto his face. “This isn’t over,” he murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with sinister intent.

 

***

 

 

Venom's frown deepened as he rode and the haunting images replayed in his mind. He hated remembering those memories, yet they clung to him like shadows, tormenting him with relentless nightmares every night. His chest heaved with anger, his wolf pacing restlessly just under his skin.

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO

A ten-year-old Venom walked home from school, a wide smile on his face. He had earned the highest grade in class and couldn’t wait to share the news with his parents. They would be so proud—and he was sure they'd finally get him the bicycle they'd promised.

Clutching an ice cream cone in his hand, he walked faster as he thought about giving it to his baby brother, only a year old and the center of his world. Life was perfect. As he approached his house, Venom noticed a crowd gathered outside. His smile faltered.

Confused, he ducked into a corner, peering at the scene from a safe distance. Among the group, he recognized one familiar face: Dr. Antonio Argento, his father’s friend who had visited their home a couple of times. A man wearing a mask, likely the leader, spoke to his parents.

Venom couldn’t hear the conversation from where he hid, but the tension was unmistakable. His little brother was suddenly dragged forward, and Venom’s heart sank as he saw a needle plunge into the toddler’s arm. His brother’s cries pierced the air before he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Marco!" their mother screamed, rushing toward her son. But before she could reach him, a gunshot rang out. She fell to the ground, blood pooling around her head. Venom clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a scream, tears streaming down his face.

Trembling, he fumbled with his schoolbag and began recording the horrific scene on his phone. His father, enraged by the loss of his wife and son, struggled against the men restraining him. But Dr. Antonio stepped forward, injecting him with an unknown substance. Venom’s eyes widened in horror as his father’s skin began to peel, blood dripping from his ears, mouth, and nose.

Even in his final moments, his father's thoughts were with his son. He locked eyes with young Venom, mouthing the words: "Run, Xavier. Run." And he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, tears blurring his vision as the sounds of chaos faded behind him.