"That's nonsense! I've already admitted defeat! I yield!" Carnage's expression changed drastically when he heard Venom's words. He quickly shouted towards Robert, trying to prove his sincerity. After all, his plan of disguise had just begun, and he couldn't let it fall apart now.
"Hmm, I understand. Go ahead, improve your strength. But remember, if you lose control again, you'll end up just like him, understood?" Robert didn't pay much attention to Carnage but looked at Venom and spoke calmly.
"Don't worry, Saiyan, I won't let you down!" Venom quickly nodded. With a completely helpless Carnage in front of him, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered—or rather, like a deliciously roasted lamb ready to be eaten—he would agree to anything Robert said.
"No! Don't come any closer!!!" Seeing Venom nodding while grinning and approaching him, Carnage was utterly panicked. He had just been born today and didn't want to die so soon.
"Don't give up on me, Saiyan! I really surrender. My potential is greater than Venom's. I can be more obedient than Venom. If you spare me, I will prove to be of greater value!"
"It doesn't matter. Whether your potential or Venom's is greater, if you devour each other, your potential will be the same, won't it?" Seeing Carnage's terrified expression and sensing the lingering resentment and unwillingness within him, Robert's lips curled up slightly as he smiled at Venom and Carnage.
"Hehe, Saiyan, you're absolutely right. My potential will become even greater after this. The next time I fight the Hulk, I'm sure I'll win!" Venom, hearing Robert's words, couldn't help but feel smug, already a bit too pleased with himself.
"You still want to fight the Hulk? Like last time, where you lost control?" Robert's eyes narrowed at Venom's words, and his aura began to surge, instantly making Venom feel immense pressure and snap him back to his senses.
"No, it's just a friendly spar. I promise I won't lose control again. Even if he bites me, I won't lose control!" The pressure made Venom stop in his tracks and explain himself to Robert, not forgetting to blame the Hulk. After all, Venom felt quite wronged—he wasn't the one who lost control first last time. If the Hulk hadn't bitten him, none of that would have happened.
Of course, the fact that Carnage was born was an unexpected surprise for Venom. Especially since this Carnage had even greater potential and was now about to become his next meal.
"I'll make sure to educate the Hulk. You don't need to worry about that." Robert still saw great potential in the Hulk. However, the Hulk was clearly in need of some discipline. Fortunately, Robert had some experience in educating such brute-force types with low intelligence. It was no different from when King Kong had been disobedient on that primitive island; a few good beatings usually did the trick.
Meanwhile, the Hulk, who had just started eating, suddenly shivered. He looked around in confusion before resuming his meal.
"Then I'll dig in!" With Robert's words, Venom finally began to enjoy his feast on Carnage. In fact, Venom found this meal even more delicious than the Hulk's, except for the constant sound of Carnage's painful and angry curses in his ears. Otherwise, it was no different from a normal meal.
After a while, there was nothing left of Carnage's body. Venom's form seemed to undergo some changes, with faint blood-red streaks appearing on his body. But these streaks quickly faded, as if they were digested, and slowly merged into Venom's black form.
"Whew, luckily he hadn't developed that ability earlier. Otherwise, it would have been a real hassle!" After a moment, Venom opened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
Robert simply looked at Venom without any intention of responding, waiting silently for Venom's next move.
Venom awkwardly scratched his head and began to explain, "Perhaps because he was born from the Hulk, even though they didn't bond for long, he still gained some of the Hulk's abilities, like getting stronger when angry. But because he was just born, his genetic abilities weren't fully developed, so he didn't have much of a chance to show it."
"So, now you can also continuously get stronger as you get angrier, just like the Hulk?" Robert looked at Venom with some anticipation. This confirmed that his decision to let Venom devour Carnage had been the right one, adding another high-level combatant to the Avengers.
"There's no such thing as limitless growth. Maybe that blockhead Hulk doesn't realize there's a limit to anger, but every creature has a mental limit. When you reach a certain level of anger, how much more anger can you muster?" Venom spread his hands helplessly and said softly.
"Actually, Carnage was quite compatible with this ability. Or rather, most evil symbiotes focused on slaughter would be. But for a good symbiote like me, using such an ability doesn't really suit me..."
"Heh." Robert snorted and glanced at Venom, completely unconvinced by his attempt to portray himself as the good guy. After all, Venom had lost control after the Hulk bit him, so pretending to be virtuous now was ridiculous.
Therefore, Robert decided to ignore Venom. With Peter Parker keeping him in check, especially after today's events, Robert was confident that Peter would make sure Venom stayed in line.
Even though Venom had become stronger by devouring Carnage, as long as he stayed with Peter Parker, they would remain equals due to the symbiotic nature of their bond. Venom couldn't completely dominate the body.
"What are you guys discussing?" Robert asked as he left the training room and noticed Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and Bucky Barnes talking about something. Curious, he walked over.
Robert knew something troublesome must have come up, otherwise, Tony Stark wouldn't be chatting with Steve and Bucky.
In the Avengers, if Tony was talking with the two centennial buddies, it was likely about official matters. If he was talking with Morbius or the Martian Manhunter, it would be research-related. And if Robert was called into the conversation or if everyone was summoned, it was because of a major event.
Official matters weren't Robert's favorite, but he would still listen and help out if needed.
"It's the same old issue..." Steve shrugged when he saw Robert come in and explained, "It's about Spider-Man bringing Bruce Banner back. Nick Fury has been dragging his feet, demanding that we release their 'special research personnel,' claiming Bruce Banner belongs to them and that we can't just take him."
"That's from ages ago! The Hulk's body has already been completed. It's almost the new year, and they're still on about this? Don't they take Christmas off?" Robert raised an eyebrow, chuckling.
"But come to think of it, SHIELD doesn't seem to have many competent people left. Even though you two have half-retired into desk jobs, if you geared up, I bet you could sweep through SHIELD!"
"It's not that simple. SHIELD has quite a few super soldiers now. This isn't our era anymore. We've become somewhat outdated in this new age..." Steve sighed, feeling somewhat resigned. Bucky Barnes still looked middle-aged thanks to being frozen, but Steve, who had lived through it all from World War II to the present, was truly feeling his age.
Though this revived Steve had more connections, prestige, and even public influence, he was struggling in combat.
It wasn't that Steve's abilities had declined, but rather that the times had changed. There were just too many strong individuals now. Even though Steve had a strong spirit and could trade blows with anyone, winning was becoming increasingly difficult.
"I believe in you," Robert encouraged, knowing that even now, Steve was one of the few men he considered a true warrior. Most other super soldiers didn't qualify, including Bucky, because they lacked the same pure heart.
"Let's get back to the Bruce Banner issue," Steve shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it. "If it were just Nick Fury and SHIELD, it wouldn't be too much of a problem. We've ignored them long enough that it's become routine. But now he's brought the matter to General Ross in the military..."
"From Tony's intel, Bruce Banner originally worked in a lab under General Ross. The subsequent plans to capture the Hulk were also executed by Ross. They even have a so-called Gamma Corps project..."
"So what?" Robert raised an eyebrow, confused. "We've dealt with worse threats before. How are these two agencies giving you trouble?"
"It's different now. Before, we were completely outside the official channels, but now we've been somewhat integrated. You could say we're part of the system. So, with the persistent complaints from these agencies, we can't just ignore them," Steve explained.
"Especially since we're not in the wrong. We were busy creating the Hulk's body before, but now that Bruce Banner and the Hulk are separated, Bruce can appear publicly to clarify his position. I want to see how they justify restricting someone's freedom!"
"Oh, I see. So you're planning to take Bruce Banner to confront them, right? Which means the Hulk will have an alibi?" Robert's eyes glinted as he pieced it together, a smile forming on his lips.
"The Hulk has an alibi? But hasn't he separated from Bruce Banner? Wait... SHIELD and General Ross don't know that yet!" Bucky Barnes blurted out, realizing the situation, while Tony Stark's eyes lit up as he looked at Robert.
"This is the location of General Ross's base. Why don't you take the Hulk for a visit?" Tony gr
inned as he sent the coordinates to Robert, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "We need to handle this officially, but we also need to teach them a lesson. And they need to come out of it licking their wounds! Let's give them something to cry about on both fronts!"
"Alright! I'll handle it!" Steve nodded after a moment of silence. He had been dealing with SHIELD and General Ross's harassment for a while now, and even though he was fed up, he was also cautious as he turned to Robert with a warning.
"I know the Hulk has issues with his intelligence, but promise me, it's okay to break some buildings or take on a few Gamma soldiers, but you absolutely cannot let the Hulk harm ordinary soldiers or even some super soldiers!"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!" Robert nodded with a smile, already forming a plan in his mind. Now it was time to whip the Hulk into shape.
Soon, the next day arrived, and Tony Stark and Steve Rogers took Bruce Banner to the official meeting venue, while Robert flew with the Hulk towards General Ross's military base.
"Do you remember what I told you yesterday?" Robert asked impatiently as he looked at the Hulk, who was struggling within a telekinetic hold beside him.
"Hulk... can't remember..." The Hulk's face and body still bore the marks of punches, and he replied in a pitiful voice after hearing Robert's question.
"Then just follow my voice. If you dare disobey me, you know what will happen!" Robert rolled his eyes, clearly frustrated.
Robert hadn't expected the Hulk to have an even lower IQ than King Kong. The Hulk couldn't even remember some of the simplest instructions, even after Robert had pummeled him into submission...
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