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"So, does nobody miss me?"
Seeing the danger had passed, Venom poked his head out.
The moment Venom's shiny black head emerged, Dennis and Winnie let out squeals of delight.
"Venom!"
The two little ones abandoned Vic almost instantly, scrambling like agile little monkeys.
One climbed deftly up Vic's body toward Venom.
The other leaped straight from the top of Vic's head, latching precisely onto Venom's constantly shifting black symbiotic mass.
"Big swing! Big swing!"
Dennis and Winnie chanted in unison, their small faces full of anticipation.
Venom let out a low, rumbling laugh that sounded like sandpaper rubbing together.
Two thick black tentacles split off instantly. With surprising care yet dizzying speed, one wrapped around Dennis and the other cradled Winnie. Then, with a whoosh, he began to spin them at high speed.
He swung them around like two happy little tops, creating a thrilling "human swing."
The children's excited screams and laughter instantly filled the quad.
Mixed with Venom's unique, inhuman laughter, it created a bizarre yet strangely harmonious symphony.
The parents nearby, who had been making polite conversation, stared dumbfounded, champagne glasses nearly slipping from their hands.
A few of the more conservative parents even subconsciously pulled their own children behind them.
Wednesday and Enid's eyes widened slightly. Seeing that massive, terrifying black monster playing with the two children with such incredible gentleness and patience, a look of disbelief crossed their faces.
Vic shrugged, his tone laced with a hint of sour envy.
"Clearly, when it comes to winning over children, Mr. Venom is inherently gifted. He leaves me in the dust."
"Hey! Has the party started already? Looks like we're just in time!"
A voice full of energy cut in.
Everyone turned to see a man with a mop of fluffy red curly hair matching Dennis's, striding over with a bright, easygoing grin.
Ignoring the slightly eerie atmosphere, he spread his arms wide and gave Vic a solid, brotherly bear hug.
"Johnny!" Vic hugged him back, thumping him on the back. "Long time no see, brother!"
Johnny released Vic, excitedly looking around at the gothic and supernatural mix of the Nevermore campus, his eyes sparkling.
"Whoa! Dude! This place is so cool! Spooky, mysterious, monsters everywhere... feels even more interesting than our hotel!"
Mavis facepalmed nearby.
"Oh, Johnny, watch your words. If Dad hears you talking about his beloved Hotel Transylvania like that, he'll start nagging you again."
Wednesday's gaze flicked between Johnny's conspicuous red hair and the red hair of Dennis, who was giggling on Venom's tentacle. She delivered an expressionless, venomous critique:
"Obvious and overwhelming genetic expression. This man's genes are as aggressive as a stubborn visual virus."
Johnny seemed to completely miss the mockery, instead proudly ruffling his own curls.
"Thanks for the compliment! I think my son takes after me too—handsome as heck!"
He turned to look at his son, who was having the time of his life, and had a sudden idea:
"Hey, what do you guys think? When Dennis grows up, how about he comes to school here? Feels like it suits him perfectly!"
Dennis, still swinging on Venom's tentacle, cheered immediately.
"Yay! Yay! I can go to school with Godfather Vic! And play with Venom every day!"
Winnie, hanging on the other side, kicked her little legs excitedly.
"Dennis! I can go to school with you! I can protect you!"
Vic watched Winnie giggling on Venom's tentacle, and a smile that was a mix of cunning and delight suddenly appeared on his face.
"What violation of school rules—or perhaps federal law—is brewing in that head of yours?"
Wednesday narrowed her eyes keenly. She knew Vic too well now; his thought process never took the normal path.
"Ever since the Rave'N, when we made the Sheriff's department lose face completely—"
Vic curled his lip, his tone disdainful.
"Our already fragile cooperation with those bureaucrats is totally broken. They still haven't given us the DNA analysis report on that Hyde claw."
"The investigation is at a complete standstill. So—"
He snapped his fingers, his eyes gleaming with a maniacal light.
"I've decided not to play their inefficient, traditional detective game anymore. I'm going to... activate cheat mode."
"Cheat mode?"
Wednesday raised an eyebrow at the gaming terminology, but given the context, she understood the implication of "unfair advantage."
"Watch closely, honey."
Vic threw her an exaggerated wink, brimming with confidence.
"Let me show you the fundamental difference between a regular player and a Pay-to-Win... uh, I mean, a cheater."
With that, he turned and carefully "plucked" the little werewolf girl Winnie off Venom's swinging tentacle. He set her on the ground, then crouched down to be at eye level with her.
"Hey, my dear little wolf nose."
Vic looked at Winnie with a smile, his tone coaxing.
"Mind doing your Uncle Vic a small favor? A favor that only your very special little nose can handle."
Winnie blinked her clear, large eyes—inherited from her wolf lineage. Her little eyebrows quirked up cleverly, looking both innocent and sly.
She extended her small hand, rubbing her thumb and index finger together skillfully in the universal gesture for "show me the money."
"Of course, my dear Uncle Vic~"
She said in her sweet, milky voice, but her eyes held the shrewdness of a tiny merchant.
"But that depends on the specifics of the 'small favor' and... well... you know."
Vic burst out laughing.
"Ha! You little rascal! You don't work for free, do you? Alright, alright!"
Vic reached into Venom's body and pulled out an incredibly ornate crown that flashed with dizzying brilliance in the sunlight!
The crown was densely studded with countless perfectly cut diamonds and colorful gems. The craftsmanship was exquisite, radiating an aura of ancient nobility.
"Whoa!" Winnie's eyes instantly went round as saucers, like two sparkling glass beads, her little mouth forming an 'O'.
Even Wednesday, who wasn't particularly interested in shiny things, found her gaze drawn to the dazzling crown for a split second.
"The Queen of England's crown?"
Enid, who knew a bit about jewelry, recognized it and sucked in a cold breath.
"That... that craftsmanship is amazing! Is it a museum-grade replica? It looks completely real!"
Winnie's reaction was far more direct.
She carefully took the heavy crown, barely glancing at the glittering gems. Instead, she leaned in close.
Winnie twitched her exceptionally sensitive little nose, carefully sniffing the faint, lingering traces of age and scent hidden in the gold, the metal joints, and the crevices between the gems.
A few seconds later, she jerked her head up, eyes wide with disbelief and awe:
"Cool! It's real! It's the actual one! It still smells like Queen Victoria's hair oil! Uncle Vic, you're amazing! How did you get this?!"
Vic immediately put on an expression of extreme pain, as if a chunk of his flesh had been cut off. He clutched his chest dramatically:
"Don't ask! For this, I traded a whole case of limited edition, out-of-print, money-can't-buy super deluxe chocolate with a bunch of noisy little yellow guys in blue overalls! I couldn't understand a word they said, but their tech skills were off the charts! My heart is still bleeding!"
Vic recovered his smiling expression and said to Winnie:
"Now, it's yours, little princess. So, payment made in advance—can you help me with that 'small favor'?"
Winnie hugged the crown, which was several sizes too big for her head, tightly. Her face was flushed with excitement as she nodded vigorously.
"Of course! Tell me, Uncle Vic! What do you want me to smell? Even if you want me to track a scent from a hundred years ago, I'll give it a try!"
Vic carefully took a sealed transparent evidence bag from his pocket. Inside was a small, twisted, grotesque dark yellow claw—
The crucial evidence left behind by the Hyde monster.
"Here, smell this." He took the claw out and held it to Winnie's nose.
"Then, find the person who has the most similar, strongest... 'scent' to this claw. I believe this will be a piece of cake for you, my dear Super Nose."
Winnie puffed out her little chest confidently. Hugging the crown, she brought her nose close to the Hyde claw and took a deep, professional inhale.
Her tiny figure contrasted with the gravity of the task in a strangely adorable way.