Marvel - The Blood God

Max's ability to absorb electricity not only drew the attention of nearby citizens, who began taking pictures, but also caught the eye of the police. Panicked, he accidentally damaged a car with a burst of lightning. The frightened officers drew their guns and pointed them at Max.

Growing increasingly anxious, Max raised his hands to explain. Just then, he noticed that all the screens around him displayed his image. Unable to contain himself—always craving attention—he laughed aloud.

To the police, Max's smile appeared menacing, prompting them to consider shooting to subdue this "monster."

If the officers opened fire, things would become irreversible. At that critical moment, the walkie-talkie on Sheriff Macy's belt crackled to life.

An older voice, belonging to the police chief, came through the radio: "Everyone, stay calm. Lower your weapons. Sheriff Macy, turn on the loudspeaker—someone wants to talk to that, uh, individual."

The officers exchanged puzzled glances. Sheriff Macy hesitated but then signaled everyone to stand down. He turned on the loudspeaker, and a voice echoed from the speakers: "Max, is that you?"

"It's me, Mr. Maverick, it's me." Max shouted excitedly upon hearing Maverick's voice. In his excitement, electricity crackled over his body, nearly setting a nearby officer ablaze.

Maverick asked, "Max, what's going on with you? I heard you were dead and rushed back from a meeting, but now I see you on the news—you've turned into, well, an electric man?"

"I don't know what happened. I fell into an electric eel tank and ended up like this. Mr. Maverick, please help me." Max pleaded, overflowing with gratitude. It was rare for someone so important to care about him.

Maverick thought for a moment and then said, "Max, it's not safe for you to stay in a crowded place right now. Meet me at the Hell's Kitchen pier, and we'll talk more."

"Meet you?" Max asked nervously. "Mr. Maverick, am I dangerous to you like this?"

"Don't worry, I know you won't hurt me," Maverick replied with a reassuring smile.

Max was deeply moved; how could Mr. Maverick trust him so much?

After Maverick ended the call, the police chief ordered, "Find a truck and take this gentleman there."

Sheriff Macy lowered his head and complained into the walkie-talkie, "Chief, he destroyed a car and is very dangerous. We should detain him."

"Are you sure you can apprehend him?" the chief retorted. "I don't want to collect bodies. As for the damaged property, someone will compensate for it. Just bring him over, and be polite."

"Yes, Chief," Sheriff Macy replied reluctantly. Internally, he cursed, "Damn rich man."

It was clear that Mr. Maverick had influenced the chief, but the chief wasn't wrong. They might not be able to handle this "monster." In that case, sending him away was the best option.

The police began to disperse the surrounding crowd and found a truck to transport Max. They used a truck instead of a police car because Max emitted electricity, making a police car too dangerous—even with insulated seats and cushions, a truck was safer.

Max didn't resist. After all, Mr. Maverick was clearly trying to help him. Besides, although he was a bit of an introvert, he wasn't a bad person.

Due to numerous online posts about the incident in the square, news spread quickly. In his study, Norman Osborn clenched his fist excitedly: "Hell's Kitchen pier. Maverick, I'll send you to hell."

There was a pier in Hell's Kitchen that originally belonged to the Rand Corporation. When Maverick took over the Rand Corporation, he acquired it, so this pier now belonged to him.

Under the bright lights, Maverick sat on a chair by the sea, quietly waiting for Max to arrive. Beside him were Natasha and Mercury, along with ten heavily armed guards.

After some time, a truck arrived, and Max jumped out of the back. He was excited to see Maverick and almost lost control of his electrical powers.

"Stay calm," Maverick smiled, signaling Natasha to handle the approaching police. He then pointed to the seat next to him and said to Max, "Come here, let's have a good talk."

"Yes, Mr. Maverick." Max approached carefully, sat beside him, and asked hopefully, "Mr. Maverick, can you help me turn back to normal?"

"I'm not a scientist, so I can't make any promises. But I can get you the best hospitals and the finest doctors," Maverick replied. "However, in my opinion, you might not be able to return to your previous state. Your very nature has changed."

"What? I can't go back?" Max became agitated, and a bolt of electricity shot uncontrollably toward Maverick. Max was shocked but couldn't stop it. To his surprise, Maverick casually waved his hand, and the lightning dissipated in the air.

Max asked incredulously, "Mr. Maverick, you?"

Maverick said calmly, "I'm a vampire, Max. I have some special abilities."

"A vampire?" Max's eyes widened. "Vampires really exist?"

"Of course they do. Except for Natasha, everyone here is a vampire," Maverick smiled. "Why, do you want to stay away from a monster like me?"

"Of course not, Mr. Maverick. You're my friend; I wouldn't leave you." Max waved his hands frantically. Then, thinking of his own situation, he said wryly, "I'm a monster now too."

"You don't have to be so disheartened. Even if you can't be cured, you still have three paths you can choose," Maverick said, patting Max on the shoulder.

"Three paths? What are they?" Max asked with surprise, and Natasha, who had sent the police away, also listened attentively.

"First, you can become a supervillain," Maverick said. "Like the Green Goblin, with your abilities now, you could become a notorious criminal, but your name would be known everywhere."

"A villain? No, I'm not a bad person." Max shook his head vigorously. Although the fame was tempting, he really didn't want to be a bad guy.

"Second, you could join S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent," Maverick continued, giving a brief introduction to S.H.I.E.L.D. Natasha couldn't help but glance at him—since when was he so considerate?

Max was intrigued. He asked, "An agent? Like 007?"

"Not quite. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a spy organization that likes to keep everything hidden. If you become their agent, no one will know about you, and your existence might even be erased," Maverick explained. "Also, the people in S.H.I.E.L.D. are paranoid control freaks, so you'll definitely be monitored and watched closely. There's a one-eyed man who will keep an eye on you, even when you're in the bathroom.

"Of course, it's not without benefits. You'll make significant contributions to the world and become a noble person."

"But no one would know about the contributions I made. I'm not interested," Max shook his head. He didn't want to be a villain, but he also didn't want to be an unknown hero.

"In that case, only the third path remains," Maverick said, standing up. "Become a superhero."

Max was stunned. He asked, "A superhero? Like my friend Spider-Man?"

"Yes, a superhero like Spider-Man—fight evil, save the innocent, and be admired by the public," Maverick replied. "Actually, I've always had an idea to cultivate a superhero celebrity. I think you might be suitable."

"Superhero celebrity?" Max stood up excitedly.

"Yes, manage superheroes like celebrities, and then make money by merchandising," Maverick explained. "If you become famous enough, you might even sell the rights to make movies about you. But this is just an idea; I haven't implemented it yet."

"Mr. Maverick, I think this could work," Max said eagerly. A superhero and a celebrity—that was his dream. Everyone's eyes would be on him, just like Spider-Man and Iron Man.

If he could really achieve that, turning into a "monster" wouldn't be so bad. He wouldn't even need to turn on the lights every night.

"Don't rush. I'll look into it for you first. You should also think about which path you want to take next. I'll support you in anything except becoming a supervillain," Maverick patted Max on the shoulder. Max was very grateful; Mr. Maverick was really good to him, and he would definitely repay him in the future.

Natasha looked at Max speechlessly. He was so easy to convince. It seemed S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't be able to recruit him away from Maverick.

"Alright, we'll discuss the rest later. First, I need to help you get revenge," Maverick said.

"Revenge? What revenge?" Max asked, puzzled.

"The reason you 'died' wasn't an accident; someone set you up," Maverick explained. "That person is the Green Goblin, who killed you and McCann. He should be here soon."

"The Green Goblin? He made me like this?" Max was furious, and arcs of electricity crackled around him. Maverick suppressed the electrical surges with his aura and said, "Don't get excited. I'll help you get revenge. Just watch from the side."

"Mr. Maverick, I can help." Max insisted.

"You can't control yourself yet. We'll talk about it later," Maverick waved his hand. At that moment, a green object emitting black smoke was rapidly approaching from the sky. Maverick signaled Natasha to take Max to the back to watch, while he, Mercury, and the ten guards stood waiting.

It was the Green Goblin, riding his glider. He shouted resentfully from the sky, "Maverick, your time has come."

"Green Goblin, it's you who will die," Maverick sneered. "By the way, your glider isn't very environmentally friendly. You should take a lesson from Iron Man."

"Die." The Green Goblin was furious. A mini-missile emerged from under his glider and shot toward Maverick at high speed.

At the same time, eight figures suddenly appeared from behind containers at the dock, each throwing a grenade into the air. The grenades exploded, releasing intense ultraviolet light that momentarily blinded the vampires.

Ultraviolet grenades—something Maverick had tried and failed to develop before. The Green Goblin had succeeded and was using them against vampires, hoping to interfere with Maverick's ability to dodge the missile.

"A bit creative," Maverick closed his eyes immediately. With a wave of his hand, a faint red light enveloped the missile. The missile made a half-circle in the air and shot back toward the Green Goblin.

The Green Goblin's expression changed. He quickly activated the machine guns on his glider, blasting the missile in mid-air. Flames blossomed like fireworks.

By this time, the ultraviolet light had faded, and the Green Goblin was surprised to see that neither Mercury nor the others were dead, though their eyes were red and swollen, and they were visibly uncomfortable.

Produced by Tony Stark—always a masterpiece.

"What's going on? Aren't ordinary vampires afraid of ultraviolet light?" The Green Goblin was puzzled. With a wave of his hand, the eight figures picked up assault rifles and opened fire. He also aimed his machine guns at Maverick.

"For the Council of Blood, eliminate them." Mercury drew her katana and dashed toward the eight figures with ghost-like speed. The bullets couldn't touch her; in fact, if she wanted, she could slice the bullets in half.

Five of the ten guards charged with Mercury, while the other five grabbed submachine guns and fired at the attackers, forcing them to take cover.

The guards were quite excited; they finally had a chance to prove themselves.

While the guards dealt with the reinforcements, Maverick faced the Green Goblin. He formed a red energy shield to block the machine gun bullets and quickly advanced toward the Green Goblin.

As the Green Goblin retreated, he threw three pumpkin bombs at Maverick. Maverick waved his hand, and a faint red light sent the pumpkin bombs back at the Green Goblin, who had to detonate them prematurely.

Bang. Bang. Bang. The explosion waves from the pumpkin bombs caused the Green Goblin to wobble in the air. When he regained control, he realized he had lost sight of Maverick.

Just as the Green Goblin was searching for Maverick, there was a loud crack behind him. Before he could dodge, he was struck in the back by Maverick's glowing fist, screaming as he fell from his glider.

Before the Green Goblin hit the ground, Maverick appeared beside him again and delivered a kick that sent him flying like a rag doll. He crashed into a container and fell inside.

Maverick's figure flashed, and when he reappeared, he was inside the container. He was greeted by three high-speed spinning blades.

Maverick smirked disdainfully. With a flick of his finger, three blood-red arrows pierced through the blades. The Green Goblin seized the opportunity to get up from the ground and swung a punch at Maverick, enduring his pain.

Maverick grabbed the Green Goblin's wrist and threw him over his shoulder, smashing him to the ground.

Dazed from the impact, the Green Goblin tried to recover, but Maverick stomped on his chest with a glowing red foot. Even with the protection of his armor and enhanced physique, his ribs broke on the spot, piercing into his internal organs.

The Green Goblin screamed, spitting out blood mixed with fragments of his organs.

Maverick raised his hand, lifting the Green Goblin into the air, then pinned him against the metal wall of the container. Sneering, he said, "Norman, you're so weak. I didn't even use ten percent of my strength."

The Green Goblin had been glaring at Maverick with hatred, but upon hearing his name, he was shocked. "You know who I am?"

"Anyone with eyes can see," Maverick replied, removing the Green Goblin's helmet. "Only the common folk would think the Green Goblin is Dr. Storm."

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