Marvel - The Blood God

Murals, candlesticks, chandeliers, maids—the perfect aristocratic dining room. But the old butler watched the "bear" devouring his food and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: barbarian.

The "bear" was what the old butler called the burly, long-haired Russian with a scar on his face. He held a knife and fork but stuffed the steak directly into his mouth and drank red wine straight from the bottle. He couldn't be wilder.

The old butler felt his blood pressure rising. In comparison, although the other two at the table weren't exactly elegant, they were at least acceptable.

One was Blade; aside from eating a bit quickly, he was fine. The other was the vampire leader, Maverick Cassain; his steak was a bit unusual—it was covered in hot peppers.

"Although it's a bit odd, it's better than that savage," the old butler thought. He had always wanted to train Ivan to be a noble like the old master, but unfortunately, he had no interest at all. "I'm so rich; can't I live freely?" he would say.

At that moment, the Russian—Ivan Vanko—called out to the butler, "A few more pieces. This beef tastes good. Make it well-done."

The butler reluctantly asked the maid to clear the dishes and bring him a new steak.

Maverick smiled and said, "If you're still hungry, feel free to order more. Our Eastern hospitality ensures guests eat and drink to their heart's content."

Ivan hiccupped and said, "I won't be polite then. You're a good vampire. Others might say nice things when they dine with me, but their eyes are full of disdain and contempt. They treat me like a fool."

"For someone as wealthy as me, there's no need to put on a façade," Maverick laughed. He savored his tender steak and turned to Blade beside him. "Do you know what's the greatest benefit of being the Blood God?"

Blade, still wearing his sunglasses even while eating, replied coolly, "You can control your body freely?"

"That's one. The other is that I can eat whatever I want without worrying about the consequences," Maverick grinned. "For example, I can enjoy spicy food every day without any... unpleasant effects tomorrow."

Ivan laughed loudly, "Eat whatever you want? That's really something. When I was a kid, I dreamed of not eating but just drinking vodka."

Maverick asked, "You drank vodka at such a young age? Didn't your father scold you?"

"Of course not. He was delighted, said I'd finally grown up. Then he'd lock up all the vodka at home, and only if I got good grades would he let me have a few sips."

Ivan shrugged. Maverick and Blade were speechless. Using vodka to motivate a child to study—that's definitely Russian parenting.

Maverick thought for a moment and said, "When you work for me in the future, you can't drink."

Ivan protested, "How can I work without drinking? But can you really save my father?"

"We'll talk about it after dinner," Maverick replied.

Soon, after the three finished their meal, Maverick signaled the butler to clear the table, then asked James from the next room to bring in Anton Vanko, who was on an IV drip.

"Ivan, there are two ways to save your father," Maverick began. "First, turn him into a vampire. He'll recover and live forever."

Before Ivan could speak, Anton weakly said, "I'm not interested in becoming a vampire."

Maverick continued, unfazed, "Second, send him to the best hospital and find the top doctors. He might live a few more years. Technology is advancing rapidly; maybe a breakthrough treatment will come soon."

Ivan asked, "There's no free lunch in this world. What do you want me to do?"

"Use your brilliance to develop various things I need," Maverick said. "For example, the miniaturized Arc Reactor."

"That thing can't be shrunk," Anton said confidently. Ivan agreed, "No one can do it."

Hearing this, Maverick nodded to James. James picked up the remote and turned on the TV. The screen showed footage of Tony Stark's Mark I fighting terrorists.

Maverick said calmly, "You say it's impossible, but Tony Stark did it in a cave with scraps."

"This is impossible." Anton and Ivan were both shocked. They stared intently at the screen. When they confirmed that Tony had indeed miniaturized the Arc Reactor, they both cursed angrily, "The Stark family are thieves."

"Exactly. They're butchers, liars—they have no honor."

Blade looked at the two of them, puzzled. They sounded like sore losers. But who were these two, harboring such hatred for the Stark family?

Ivan shouted, "So he miniaturized the Arc? Give me a little time, and I can do it too."

"Whatever Tony Stark can do, my son can do as well. He's the best." Anton, though frail, flushed with pride. "Ivan, once it's done, build a suit of armor and kill Tony Stark for me."

Ivan declared, "Dad, I'll kill him and avenge the Vanko family."

"These Russians are something else," Maverick thought, feeling a headache coming on. He gestured to James to turn off the TV, then said, "It takes a lot of money to build a suit of armor. Ivan, you have no funds. Even if you miniaturize the Arc Reactor, you'd only be able to create weapons like electric whips to attack Tony."

Ivan chuckled, "Electric whips? Good idea. I'll use electric whips to slice Tony Stark in half."

"Not bad. You have a good chance of success attacking Tony. Even if you fail, once people know you've miniaturized the Arc Reactor, others will come knocking, wanting to work with you," Maverick said. "Then you can use their money and resources to build a real suit of armor, and then face off against Tony.

"Oh, and remember to install an explosive device in the armor. If you can't beat him, take him down with you. In short, even if it costs you your life, kill Tony."

"Great idea. I'll definitely add explosives." Ivan and Anton clapped excitedly. Blade looked at Maverick in disbelief. What was he trying to do—cultivate terrorists?

After their excitement subsided, Maverick turned to Anton, "Mr. Vanko, this all sounds thrilling, but is this really what you want? Your son dies as a terrorist, the Vanko family line ends, and you're remembered infamously."

Ivan scoffed, "If I'm dead, who cares?"

But Anton fell silent. As a father, he didn't want his son to die, especially not in a way that would extinguish the Vanko lineage.

"I can offer you another path," Maverick suggested. "I'll help you become shareholders in a reputable company. With your genius, you can surpass Tony Stark and show the world you're superior to the Stark family."

"Isn't that just working for you?" Ivan sneered. "That's a coward's revenge, not mine."

Maverick smiled, "By choosing this path, you'll become respectable billionaires. The Vanko name will gain worldwide recognition and admiration. And when you have children in the future, they'll be proud of the Vanko legacy."

Ivan curled his lip, clearly uninterested. A man like him didn't care about having children.

But Anton was moved. He felt immense guilt for not giving Ivan a better life and for making him a criminal.

Anton took a deep breath and asked, "Why would you be so generous, making us shareholders? I've seen people like you. Once they've used us, they discard us."

"You underestimate your own brilliance. Talents like you are treasures. Only fools would use and discard you," Maverick assured him. "I don't just want you to miniaturize the Arc Reactor. I want you to continue developing technologies, maybe even help us reach other planets."

Ivan laughed skeptically, "Colonize other planets? You're thinking centuries ahead. That's not happening anytime soon."

Maverick smiled, "What's a few hundred years? I'm immortal."

Ivan was speechless. This guy could indeed wait centuries.

Anton exhaled deeply, "I'll seriously consider your proposal. Also, please help me prepare to become a vampire."

Ivan was stunned, quickly protesting, "Dad."

"Ivan, the person I've wronged most in my life is you. Let me make it up to you," Anton said remorsefully. Becoming a vampire would make him a hostage, ensuring Ivan's cooperation.

Ivan knelt beside his father, "Dad, I don't need a respectable life. I just want you to be healthy."

Anton clasped Ivan's hand, "You need it, the Vanko family needs it, and your future children will need it even more."

Ivan fell silent; he couldn't bear to disappoint his father.

Maverick watched quietly, nodding inwardly. Ivan was a lone wolf with deep hatred for the Stark family. If it were just him, Maverick wouldn't bother, knowing he'd never truly be loyal. He didn't want another loose cannon.

But with Anton, things were different. In this world, only love can overcome hatred—a father's love for his son, a son's love for his father.

"Mr. Vanko, Ivan, take your time to consider. Trust in my promise and in your own wisdom," Maverick said, signaling James to escort them back.

After they left, Blade, who had observed everything, asked, "Are these two worth your effort?"

"A genius second only to Tony? Absolutely worth it," Maverick replied. "In fact, Ivan's intellect might rival Tony's, but his education and exposure to advanced tech aren't on par. Overall, he's a notch below Tony."

"Family makes a difference," Blade noted. Then he asked, "Do you really plan to take vampires to another planet?"

"Depends on the circumstances. If humans can accept vampires, I'll stay. If not, I'll lead the vampires to another world, benefiting both sides," Maverick explained. "But first, we need artificial blood. Without solving that, vampires will always depend on humans and be seen as villains."

"You've got a big heart," Blade remarked.

"For both vampires and humans," Maverick said, sipping his tea. Then he asked, "Why haven't you been home lately, working overtime at the precinct every day? People are complaining you're overworking them."

Blade sighed, looking troubled, "Whistler and my mother have gotten together."

Maverick nearly choked on his drink. "How is that possible? Didn't you say they argued all the time? And doesn't Whistler despise vampires?"

"Beats me. They argued and argued, then ended up together. It's driving me crazy." Blade grumbled. "I see him as a friend, and now he wants to be my stepfather?"

"I didn't expect old Whistler to have it in him." Maverick chuckled mischievously. Before Blade could get angry, he added, "Alright, take a day off and do something for me."

Blade asked, "What is it?"

"I've hired a hematologist named Dr. Karen Jensen. Help me welcome her and introduce her to the world of vampires," Maverick said with a smile. "Blade, she's a beauty. Don't miss the opportunity."

Blade scoffed, "I'm not that kind of guy."

The next day, Blade met Dr. Karen Jensen. His heart skipped a beat like never before. Only one thought filled his mind: "She's stunning."

"Tony, Stark Industries' stock has dropped over fifty points. Are you sure you want to stay in the basement and not address it?" Pepper asked helplessly.

While munching on pizza, Tony replied, "It's not a big deal. I'll handle it. I'm Tony Stark."

Tony was confident that once he announced the Arc Reactor, the stock would soar. But now wasn't the time. He was busy designing the Mark II with Ethan. The Mark I was too crude; he needed to create the perfect suit of armor.

Just then, Obadiah Stane arrived with bad news. "Since your incident, someone has been massively shorting Stark Industries."

"Who?" Tony and Pepper immediately became alert. This sounded like the mastermind behind everything.

Obadiah said, "From my investigation, it's the Council of Blood. They're also aggressively buying up Stark Industries' shares."

"The Council of Blood?" Tony and Pepper were stunned. That was Maverick's group. How could this be? Tony and Ethan had escaped thanks to his help.

"Yes, the Council of Blood," Obadiah continued, misinterpreting their surprise. "It's understandable you haven't heard of them. It's a group established by vampires recently. Not long ago, they acquired Rand Enterprises' medical division at a rock-bottom price, halving Rand's market value."

Tony asked incredulously, "Vampires? Obi, is that a metaphor?"

"No, the head of the Council of Blood is a real vampire," Obadiah explained. "Vampires do exist. Many in high places are aware. They used to keep a low profile, but ever since the mysterious Blood God took over, they've become more active."

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