Marvel - The Blood God

"Bruce."

Betty pulled Banner back, and he came to his senses, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Dr. Banner. I have to meet with a senator soon, so I'll get straight to the point," Maverick said. "If you're willing to stay with the Osborn Group, I can protect you. If not, I won't force you. You can leave anytime, but you know what will happen if you do."

"Aside from being hunted down, what else could happen?" Banner said bitterly. He hesitated before asking, "What do I need to do to join your Osborn Group?"

Maverick replied seriously, "You need to be studied."

"What?"

Banner was stunned. Maverick then laughed. "Just kidding, Dr. Banner. You have seven PhDs; I'm sure you can find something to do. Of course, it's not entirely wrong to say you'll be researched, but you'll be the one researching yourself. You can use the resources of the Osborn Group to study the Hulk."

"Mr. Green, I can study with you." Dr. Stern chimed in. "I've agreed to join the Osborn Group, and Maverick will fully support my research on artificial blood and vampire genetics."

Either of those breakthroughs would be enough to change the world.

Banner was a bit moved. "I'll think about it."

"Take your time; no rush. Here, I can guarantee your safety," Maverick said with a smile. "Also, I won't restrict your use of phones or computers. You can do whatever you want. If you want to see someone, you can invite them here."

"Thank you," Banner said gratefully.

"You're welcome."

Maverick waved his hand, then seemed to remember something. "By the way, Dr. Banner, you're quite the celebrity now. Many lawyers have expressed interest in helping you sue the military for compensation."

"Celebrity?"

Banner was puzzled. Betty seemed to realize something and asked, "Maverick, did you publicize his story?"

"Yes, but I didn't reveal your name or appearance, Dr. Banner. All the news refers to you as 'Mr. Green' and 'the Hulk,'" Maverick explained. "This is beneficial for your current situation. At least the military won't dare to arrest you openly. Whether you want to come forward or not is up to you."

"No, I have to stay away from crowds as much as possible; otherwise, there could be disaster at any moment," Banner said with a wry smile. "I won't appear in public until the Hulk is eliminated."

Maverick said, "Dr. Banner, actually, you don't need to eliminate the Hulk. The Hulk is you. He shares your emotions; otherwise, he wouldn't have tried so hard to protect Betty."

Banner frowned. "But he's uncontrollable. You've seen his destructive power."

"That's only because you haven't controlled him," Maverick replied. "He's like a newborn child. If you keep him locked away, he'll naturally be angry when he comes out. If you let him out every once in a while, let Betty guide him..."

"That won't work. The Hulk will hurt Betty." Banner interrupted excitedly before Maverick could finish. "The Hulk must be eliminated; he shouldn't exist."

"If he wasn't born, you'd be dead."

"I'd rather die." Banner shouted, his eyes flashing a hint of green. Betty's expression changed, and she hurriedly comforted him, "Bruce, breathe... breathe..."

Realizing his mistake, Banner quickly used his breathing techniques to lower his heartbeat. After a moment, he exhaled and apologized to Maverick, "I'm sorry, but the Hulk shouldn't exist."

"If you keep thinking like this, the Hulk will only get angrier, and sooner or later, he'll replace you," Maverick sighed. "Get some rest. Dr. Stern, please talk to Dr. Banner more, see if there's anything you can do to help him."

"Alright, I was hoping to chat more with 'Mr. Green' anyway," Dr. Stern said.

"If you need anything, make a list and give it to the staff," Maverick said. He nodded to Betty and turned to leave.

"Banner's attitude is a bit troublesome," Maverick thought as he walked out of the room, frowning slightly. Just then, his phone rang. It was Lilith, informing him that Senator Stern had arrived.

In the Osborn Group's office, Maverick shook hands with Senator Stern, smiling. "Senator, we meet again."

"Indeed, Maverick. The military and Congress are in a hurry," Senator Stern laughed. "The military has tentatively agreed to purchase the War Abomination, but they're requesting a few aides to join your team."

"That's fine, but the core secrets of the War Abomination won't be disclosed to them," Maverick said.

"Naturally," Senator Stern nodded in satisfaction. "By the way, General Ross has been dismissed and is facing a military court."

Maverick knew this was a gesture of goodwill from the military. He smiled. "Well-deserved."

Of course, he wasn't naive enough to think the military had let go of their vigilance against the Council of Blood. But that wasn't a big issue; in a few months, the aliens would arrive.

"He certainly deserves it. People are protesting him outside the White House." Senator Stern chuckled. "Maverick, the military asked me to inquire: What would it take for you to hand over Dr. Banner? His blood is very important."

"Dr. Banner is not a commodity. If the military wants him, they can send someone to persuade him. If he wants to leave, he can leave anytime," Maverick said. "But he has a bit of a temper. Don't provoke him; I don't want to rebuild the Osborn Building."

"Don't worry, we know how terrifying he is," Senator Stern laughed. "By the way, Maverick, Congressman Malick is hosting a banquet this weekend. Are you interested in attending?"

"Malick from the World Security Council? I'll be there," Maverick said, a bit surprised. If he remembered correctly, Gideon Malick was a high-ranking member of Hydra. Did Hydra want to recruit him?

"See you then." Senator Stern shook hands with Maverick and left. He was eager to test out his new car—a very low-key antique model.

"Hydra?" Maverick stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes narrowed. There were many factions within Hydra. The one infiltrated into S.H.I.E.L.D. was untouchable for now, but perhaps Gideon Malick could be useful. After all, their downfall came much later.

Moreover, the god they worshipped was quite interesting.

The Malick family was a prominent political dynasty in the United States, dating back to the nation's founding and wielding significant influence.

Their banquets were always a magnet for the upper class, and everyone was honored to receive an invitation—except Maverick.

"This is so boring. I knew I shouldn't have come. That jerk Stern stood me up," Maverick thought unhappily as he stood in a corner. He was too young, and since he hadn't publicized his identity, no one approached him.

A few society ladies were intrigued by his mysterious aura, but Maverick wasn't interested in them.

"Hello, Mr. Cassain. I'm Stephanie Malick," a beautiful woman in white approached, extending her hand. Nearby guests were surprised; Gideon Malick's daughter was initiating a conversation with this young man?

Those without a certain level of status weren't even aware of who Maverick Cassain was.

Maverick shook her hand, smiling. "Miss Malick, hello."

Stephanie smiled. "Mr. Cassain, are you enjoying the banquet?"

"I wasn't at first, but now that you're here, I am," Maverick replied with a grin.

Stephanie chuckled, covering her mouth. They chatted for a while, and then she suddenly asked, "Mr. Cassain, what do you think about God?"

"God?" Maverick glanced at her. "People worship God because of what they desire. In that sense, I am a god."

Stephanie was surprised. "How so?"

"I can grant power, wealth, immortality, even superpowers," Maverick said confidently. "Tell me, doesn't that make me a god?"

"It seems so. No wonder you're called the Blood God," Stephanie mused. She then asked, "Do you believe there are real gods in this world?"

Maverick shook his head. "Gods are just beings more powerful than us. If I went back to ancient times, I'd be the deity countless people worshipped."

Stephanie frowned—not because Maverick was arrogant, but because what he said made sense.

Of course, this wasn't enough to shake her faith. "Mr. Cassain, you're quite confident. My father would like to meet you. Are you available?"

Maverick smiled. "If Mr. Malick wants to see me, I have to be available. Just like if you wanted to ask me out."

"You're funny, Mr. Cassain. But if you have time, we could go out together," Stephanie replied with a smile.

She led Maverick to the study, where Gideon Malick, his hair white with age, was waiting.

After some brief pleasantries, Congressman Malick got to the point. "Mr. Cassain, does the Osborn Group plan to develop aerospace technology?"

"Yes. The Osborn Group intends to complete its first spacecraft within twenty years," Maverick replied confidently.

Congressman Malick was surprised. "You can complete it within twenty years?"

"Absolutely. Mr. Vanko at the Osborn Group is a true genius. In twenty years, he'll definitely create a spaceship," Maverick said. "Humans shouldn't limit themselves to Earth. The universe is vast; the stars and the sea await our conquest."

"I couldn't agree more," Congressman Malick nodded enthusiastically. "Mr. Cassain, the Malick family looks forward to the Osborn Group's spacecraft."

"If you don't see a spaceship in twenty years, I'll give you the Osborn Group," Maverick laughed.

Congressman Malick laughed as well. The implication was clear: as long as the Osborn Group fully developed space technology, the Malick family would advocate for them and even provide assistance.

Given the Malick family's status, this commitment was significant.

And the reason for this promise wasn't because he saw Maverick as a potential son-in-law, but because the god they worshipped—the Hive—was on another planet, and they needed a spacecraft to bring him back.

Gideon Malick's Hydra faction had one primary goal: to bring their god back.

Maverick shook hands with Congressman Malick, but inwardly he sneered. "God? When I crush your so-called god in front of you, you'll realize gods are nothing."

In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Although General Ross had been sent to a military court, protests continued. People wanted the military to promise not to repeat such actions in the future, and the military hadn't agreed to compensate for the destruction of that street.

The military didn't want to pay compensation and had been haggling with merchants, trying to drag the Watchmen Company and the city government into sharing the burden. But Maverick and the city government had no interest in helping the military.

Maverick was wealthy, but that didn't mean he'd waste money. As for the city government, they were trying to raise $500 million and weren't keen on filling the military's financial hole.

"Mr. Cassain is truly remarkable. He's revitalized the Osborn Group in just a few months. If Mr. Osborn were alive, he'd be very pleased."

At night, Spider-Man hung upside down from a sign, reading newspapers. He turned to the "Daily Bugle," and as usual, it was criticizing him again.

Unhappily, Spider-Man flipped to another newspaper, which featured Electro and others. The "Daily Bugle" didn't dare to criticize them openly, fearing legal action from the Watchmen Company.

"Maybe I should join the Watchmen Company too," Spider-Man mused. "Maverick is a nice guy. He even invited me to be a sparring partner and to join the Osborn Group. Thanks to that job, I can afford tuition, and I've met the lovely Gwen and the charming Felicia. They're both amazing."

Just as the conflicted Spider-Man was debating whether to choose Gwen or Felicia, a sleazy laugh echoed from nearby. "Hey, little girl, wanna have some fun with us?"

"Sounds like trouble."

Spider-Man quickly stuck the newspaper to the sign and swung toward the source of the sound. In a short time, he saw a little girl dressed in purple being led into an alley by a group of thugs.

He swung over to intervene, but to his surprise, the screams of men echoed from the alley. When he arrived, he found all the thugs sprawled on the ground. The little girl was rummaging through their pockets with a short stick, collecting wallets.

"What's going on?"

Spider-Man was stunned. In all his time as a hero, he'd never seen anything like this—a young girl taking down a group of thugs?

The girl in purple jumped when she heard him. Seeing it was Spider-Man, she relaxed and shouted, "Spider-Man, these are my spoils. You can't take them."

Spider-Man asked in amazement, "Spoils? Spider-Man doesn't take loot from kids. Did you... take down all these guys?"

"Of course. They're so weak, preying on children," she said matter-of-factly. "And they're so poor—no money, even their watches are fake. I should've gone after some gang members instead."

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