In the early morning, light snow fell in New York, adding a touch of romance to this major economic city.
Today was also the annual Christmas, with Christmas trees decorating the streets everywhere, and holiday songs drifting over the avenues and alleys.
"Vincent, Merry Christmas!"
"Senior, good morning."
Two youthful beauties of different styles, one wearing a red reindeer hat and the other shaking a delicate Christmas silver bell on her wrist, were both small gifts Vincent had bought in advance yesterday. They appeared side-by-side, treading on the snow-covered streets, undoubtedly becoming the most beautiful sight on the pedestrian street.
"Merry Christmas, good morning." Vincent, carrying his schoolbag, waved in response while yawning uncontrollably from exhaustion. Inside his backpack, Flerken Xiao Huang was also sound asleep on a pile of clothes.
"Vincent, what did you do last night?" Gwen asked curiously, looking at Vincent's obvious dark circles under his eyes.
Vincent rubbed his somewhat messy black hair and replied weakly, "I was forced to save the world."
"Liar!" Gwen spat out, annoyed.
Vincent shrugged; he knew Gwen would take that as a joke.
"Didn't you sleep well?" Kara asked softly.
"Yeah." Vincent nodded, following Kara's words, "I'm not very used to hotel beds."
Vincent himself was someone who was sensitive to beds; if he suddenly switched beds, he would indeed have trouble sleeping.
Well, except for his aunt's bed.
Moreover, he hadn't slept in a bed at all last night; he had slept in a tree like a stray cat, so it would have been hard not to be tired.
Fortunately, the Symbiote ability had already expired, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to meet Gwen and the others in human form right now.
Vincent sighed inwardly, 'Is it easy for him?'
After Vincent met up with Gwen and Kara, the three continued to browse the morning market. After a simple lunch, they embarked on their return journey to Washington...
On the train carriage leaving New York, Gwen and Kara flipped through their phones and newspapers, beginning to learn about the scattered information regarding what happened in New York City last night.
"Iron Man was eaten alive? Scary!"
"What was that gray-green liquid monster? So disgusting!"
The two girls' discussion was initially somewhat normal, but it quickly went off-topic—
"Wow, the Black Cat is so cute! I really want to hug it!"
"It's so powerful!"
Seeing Gwen and Kara not only unafraid but actually liking the Black Cat, Vincent blinked and said, "I think that cat looks a bit like Xiao Huang."
"Hmm?!"
Upon hearing this, Gwen and Kara both looked at the orange cat sleeping on Vincent's lap. In fact, the moment they first saw the Black Cat, they felt it indeed resembled Xiao Huang, whom Vincent carried with him.
However, after hearing Vincent mention it first, they instead felt that Xiao Huang and the Black Cat were very different.
Whether it was appearance, fur color, or even aura, there were clear distinctions. In particular, the Black Cat's existence, as reported in the news, brought a subtle sense of threat to Kara herself, but the current Xiao Huang, in her opinion, even if it was a special alien creature, was far from a threat.
Seeing Kara shake her head, Gwen smiled and countered, "Xiao Huang is not like that Black Cat."
"You're right." Vincent nodded in agreement, secretly relieved.
This hurdle was also passed.
"But looking at that Black Cat, why do I have a strange sense of familiarity?" Gwen muttered, puzzled.
"Me too." Kara smoothed her platinum-blonde hair, which shimmered in the sunlight, a hint of confusion flashing in her beautiful eyes: "It's like I've seen it somewhere."
Is this the legendary female sixth sense?
"How could you have seen it? It's so dangerous and terrifying, it even ate Iron Man." Vincent quickly played dumb and steered the conversation elsewhere.
No matter what.
Following the topic of the Superheroes Silver-Haired Goddess that exploded across the internet, after today, the mysterious creature Black Cat will also become a nightmare for many people!
For example, a certain billionaire playboy would occasionally wake up in a fright from his dreams, dreaming that he was once again swallowed into an unknown space.
This also led to Stark Industries working overnight to produce a strategic weapon, eventually codenamed the "Anti-Black Flash (Black Cat) Armor," which came into existence...
Washington.
After parting ways with Gwen and Kara at the station, Officer George, who came to pick Gwen up, gave Vincent a meaningful look as he drove away.
Vincent pretended not to see him.
After seeing Kara off in a taxi, the sky outside had already darkened, and countless neon lights blurred their glow under the falling snow.
Christmas Eve was approaching.
Vincent thought for a moment, then, with his schoolbag, he didn't head home but set off for another part of the city.
Washington, Potomac River.
The bustling commercial streets nearby were imbued with the festive atmosphere, making the snow-covered woods by the river and bridge seem somewhat desolate.
Vincent arrived here and, seeing the perfect figure sitting on a wooden bench by the river, couldn't help but quicken his pace.
"Aunt."
"You're back?" The woman elegantly seated on the wooden bench turned her head, her exquisitely beautiful face serene yet gentle, her gem-like clear eyes reflecting the young man's figure.
Vincent's heart leaped violently, and he smiled, nodding, "I'm back. I made you wait."
The two had no appointment, no contact, but came here with perfect understanding.
After all, this was where they first met, and the time was exactly Christmas Eve sixteen years ago.
Sixteen years ago today.
A demigod utterly disillusioned with the human world, and a reincarnated person who had just arrived in this world, the two lonely souls became family who would spend their years together.
"Sit down and talk." Diana blinked.
Vincent put down his schoolbag, preparing to sit on the wooden bench next to his aunt.
His aunt suddenly opened her arms forward: "The chair outside is cold."
"You're treating me like a child again..."
Although Vincent said this, his body was very honest, and he sat on those long, slender, and elastic legs.
Who could resist the "true fragrance" mode?
Diana asked softly, "That Black Cat that appeared in New York, was that you?"
"Yes."
Vincent nodded and recounted in detail the accidental encounter with the Symbiote Venom, the resulting three-in-one state, and the hunting of Symbiotes.
"So that's how it is." Diana mused, looking at Xiao Huang, who was still asleep in the schoolbag, and pondered, "Unless absolutely necessary, don't easily enter such an uncontrollable state again."
"I know." Vincent agreed deeply; the complex thoughts and extreme temperament that emerged under the three-in-one state were far more twisted and terrifying than when Venom was parasitic alone.
However.
This would also mean that he could not borrow the power of the future revived Symbiote Venom. After all, once Venom possessed him, he would again be forced into the three-in-one mode.
Until this problem was resolved, Vincent could not, through the Lord of the Retinue, again borrow the Flerken's physical abilities.
"I have an idea." His aunt's voice suddenly came from behind his ear.
"What idea?" Vincent asked.
"Come home with me." Diana said.
"Aunt, what are you saying? Of course, I can only go home with you." Vincent was confused: "Where else could I go on Christmas?"
"I'm not talking about the home here in Washington." Diana took a light breath and said seriously, "Come back to my hometown with me once."
Hometown?
Vincent was stunned.