The Roar of the Night

19

As I stopped, feeling like I couldn't take another step, Venom's voice echoed in my mind. **"Why are you stopping, Rex? The puppy needs to be saved."**

I didn't respond immediately. I felt like I couldn't. My heart was beating fast, not because of the physical effort, but because of the storm of emotions that paralyzed me.

**"I can't, Venom... I can't."** The words came out in a whisper full of fear. **"It's not just the puppy, it's what it means... It's... it's like I'm reliving what happened to me when I was little. I couldn't save myself then. What if I can't save him now?"**

There was a brief silence, and for the first time, I felt something new in Venom: doubt.

**"The cub must be saved, Rex... But I feel you, you're scared. What happened?"** Venom's voice, normally cold and distant, sounded strangely sympathetic.

My mind, although trying to turn away from the past, was pulled back to that night. **"It was night... it was raining... I was just a puppy, lost in a dark alley. I didn't know where to go. I walked aimlessly, shivering with cold and fear. People passed by me, but no one looked at me, no one stopped. I felt invisible."**

Venom was silent as I continued speaking, the scene clear in my mind. **"Without realizing it, I ended up on the street, between the cars. The lights blinded me, the sounds overwhelmed me. I was scared... very scared. I thought no one was going to save me."**

Venom could see the memory now. I felt it. **"You were alone..."** he murmured.

**"Yes... or at least that's what I thought."** My eyes were fixed on the puppy, who was looking at me from the platform. It was like I saw my old self reflected in him. **"I thought it was all over... until Alex showed up."**

Venom, curious, pressed further. **"Alex? What did he do?"**

**"Alex stood in the middle of the street... as cars stopped around him. He looked at me with those compassionate eyes and simply said, 'Are you lost?' Then he picked me up and carried me to the sidewalk, where Lucy and his ex-wife were. He saved me."**

Venom pondered silently before speaking again. **"Remember, Rex, you were not alone... because he saved you. Don't forget that."**

Suddenly, I felt a warmth in my chest. I focused back on the pup who was still staring at my face covered by the Venom mask. Instead of freaking out, as he always feared they would, the puppy smiled. He even started licking my feet, without showing the slightest fear.

I knelt down, the weight of my emotions finally finding relief. **"I was never alone,"** I murmured to myself, as the puppy continued to lick me tenderly.

I then remembered the time I saved Alex from Rhino. It had been a chaotic moment, my form and powers destroying the house in the process, but Alex hadn't moved an inch away. Even after everything, he hugged me. He never cared about my appearance, but rather about what was inside me, my heart. And now, he knew he wanted that heart to be that of a hero.

With new determination, I gently picked up the puppy. **"It's time to save him."** I used the power of elasticity to lift us towards the tallest tree, my thoughts clear, my fears fading. I settled on a branch, as I had practiced, just like Spiderman, and carefully placed the cub in my right hand.

With precision and care, I lowered the puppy to the ground, making sure he didn't get dizzy or scared. Upon reaching the ground, the little boy began to run, safe and sound.

Alex and Tom's applause echoed in the distance, but I couldn't quite hear them. Something else was brewing inside me. Without thinking twice, I extended my power again and grabbed Alex with my elastic arm, lifting him up to where I was.

**"What are you doing?"** he asked, surprised.

**"Finish my test,"** I responded with a smile behind the mask. **"End it with someone who always believed in me."**

I held him carefully in my arms, making sure not to hurt him, and slowly lowered myself to the ground. When I finally put it down, I felt a surge of gratitude.

**"Thank you, Alex."** My voice was sincere, charged with emotion.

Alex hugged me tightly. **"I always knew you could do it."**

Tom walked over with a smile and patted me on the back. **"You're ready, Rex."**