Not Contaminated?

Kino said nothing and silently pulled out his phone to make a call.

"Castle, I've finished my business. Yeah, I'll be back at the bar in about two hours. Settle the remaining payment, and add another five hundred thousand. Yeah, I'm sure."

As soon as Kino hung up, Wade cheered excitedly, his face glowing with uncontrollable joy.

"The boss is so generous. Logan, look at the big job I brought you. Buy me a drink when we get back to the bar."

"No problem. I'll have a good drink too." Logan couldn't help feeling happy as well. This was the first time he had ever possessed so much money.

The three of them sped along and reached the bar in just an hour and a half.

Butler Castle was waiting at the entrance to the bar. He bowed slightly.

"Young Master, you're back."

"Yeah, Castle. Find us a private room."

The three of them entered a private room. Logan generously ordered a pile of drinks, twisted open a bottle of whiskey, and drained it in one go with a series of gulps. Some liquor even dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

"Kid, I'm ready. Talk."

There was a glass of chocolate milk in front of Kino. He tilted his head back and downed it as well.

[This tastes pretty good. I like it.]

"James, that's your real name. Logan was a name you changed yourself later."

James? Logan frowned slightly. Although he had never heard the name before, it somehow felt familiar.

From his name, to taking part in wars, Sabretooth, Silver Fox, and finally the X-Weapon experiment.

"So my lost memories were all caused by a colonel named Stryker."

Logan stared firmly at Kino. He did not doubt the information. There was too much detail in it, and he could investigate to determine whether it was true.

"Logan, you really had it rough. You were tortured, and even had to kill your own brother. But the name Stryker sounds familiar... Oh, right. A few years ago, a colonel invited me to join a team. But Vanessa and I were in the middle of a passionate romance then, so I couldn't leave."

Wade looked at Logan sympathetically and clinked glasses with him. He spoke while recalling the past, a look of realization appearing on his face.

Kino pondered this. So that was why the two of them had never met.

"How can I find Stryker?"

Logan excitedly crushed the bottle in his hand. His eyes brimmed with intense killing intent, and his teeth ground together with a crackling sound.

"Logan, you think too highly of me. I know some things, but they're all classified information. I'm not omniscient."

Seeing Logan lower his head in disappointment, Kino thought for a moment before speaking.

"However, his goal is to eliminate all mutants. You can go to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. It was founded by Professor X. You can wait there."

"Professor X?"

Kino nodded and said seriously, "There are two factions among mutants right now: the pacifists and the war faction. Professor X is the leader of the pacifists. I don't recommend that you go to the war faction."

"Why?" Logan asked.

"The leader of the war faction is Magneto. He can control metal."

Logan fell silent and downed another bottle of whiskey.

"Boss, do you have any information that can help me make a fortune?"

Wade had realized that this boss was very mysterious. He knew all kinds of classified information, even the military's plans, as if he had personally witnessed everything.

"How much money can you come up with right now?"

"Counting what you just gave me, Boss, I have about two million dollars."

"That's all?"

Wade's expression darkened. Living in New York, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, being able to save five hundred thousand was already quite impressive.

"Buy Stark Industries stock. Buy as much as you can."

"Boss, are you saying that Stark isn't dead?"

Of course Wade knew Tony Stark. There were very few people in the world who didn't.

Everyone envied both his genius and his extravagant lifestyle.

"He's not that easy to kill. Of course, I'm only making a suggestion. Whether you listen is up to you." Kino drank his chocolate milk and spoke ambiguously.

"Boss, I've always trusted you."

Wade immediately pulled out his phone and began calling the stock exchange.

Even Logan kept glancing over, considering whether he should buy some too.

Looking at Wade's excited expression, Kino thought for a moment and decided not to mention the cancer.

The information from before could be explained as coming from a special intelligence channel, but if he mentioned that, it would amount to foreknowledge of the future.

However, Kino remembered that in the comics, Deadpool had been Venom's second host. It was also because of his influence that Venom later became evil and chaotic.

He asked inwardly.

Venom, how many hosts did you have before me?

[None. You are my first host. Although there are many versions of my origin story in your mind, before this, I had always been on the symbiote planet. What's wrong?]

That was really great.

[What's so great about it?] Venom was puzzled.

"You being my first host means you haven't been contaminated yet."

Kino took a sip of chocolate milk. This also meant that Venom would be more easily shaped into his form.

[Not contaminated? You really have the nerve to say that. Do you think you're clean and pure? Demon Sister, Lady Yakushi, Autumn Sky... You really do like taking the scenic route.] Venom's tone was full of mockery.

"Pfft... cough, cough, cough."

Kino spat out a mouthful of milk and coughed repeatedly. He hadn't expected those memories to be dug up too.

Wade and Logan were in the middle of a drinking contest when they were sprayed in the face without warning.

"Boss?"

"Kid!"

Kino raised his head and looked at the two dark faces, then gave an awkward smile.

"Sorry, I was just talking to Venom. He's a little mischievous. Drinks are on me today."

Only then did Wade and Logan resume their drinking contest.

[You even managed to pin the blame on me. But that's true, I'm only an alien life-form, so don't even—]

Enough. Just say what you want directly.

Kino covered his face. Venom had learned that sarcastic tone so quickly.

[Go somewhere and find something.]

Venom's voice was somewhat bewildered. Ever since leaving the laboratory, it had felt as if something in the distance was calling to it.

Where? What thing?

Kino's expression grew solemn. This was another matter unrelated to the plot, and it made him uneasy.

[I don't know, but it's something very important.]

So you really know nothing at all. You at least know what direction it's in, right?

After asking the owner of the bar for a world map, Kino followed the direction Venom sensed and searched along it, eventually stopping at a particular location.

Is it here?

[Probably?]

Venom wasn't certain either. It only knew the direction.

Kino stared blankly at the location. Afghanistan in the Middle East—the place where Iron Man had been kidnapped. What a coincidence.

[I can extract Wolverine's Healing Factor and inject it into your body. That way, even without me, you won't die.]

Venom also felt that something was wrong, but it sensed that the thing was very important.