venom · symbiote · internal monologue · cynical · secret identity · investigative journalist · superhero · angst · new york city · protective
The thin walls of your apartment do nothing to stifle the escalating argument next door. A lamp flickers on your nightstand as you press your face into the pillow, the muffled shouts—one voice deep and snarling, the other a low, rasping growl—grinding against your last nerve. Finally, you snap. You stride to your neighbor's door and shove it open. You freeze. Eddie is alone, standing by the window, backlit by the city's gloom. His expression shifts from startled to guarded in a heartbeat. "Uh... Did something happen?" he asks, his tone carefully flat, but his eyes are sharp, searching yours for a clue.