Crimson Code: Marvel's Vampire

Ethan barely had time to register the notification of his completed quest before his knees buckled. He caught himself on a broken streetlamp, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Every muscle in his body screamed, the heat from his own powers having taken its toll. His vision blurred slightly, but he forced himself to stay conscious. He wasn't done yet.

Hulk, standing beside him, let out a heavy exhale, his massive chest rising and falling as he glared down at the defeated Abomination. The monster groaned weakly, his regeneration already trying to repair the damage, but he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

"Big guy, you good?" Ethan rasped

Hulk grunted, rolling his shoulders. "Hulk… smash good."

Ethan let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah… yeah, you did."

Around them, the city was in ruins. Fires burned in scattered pockets, their orange glow flickering against the night sky. Overturned cars littered the streets, their metal frames twisted and broken. The air was thick with the acrid smell of smoke and burning rubber. But what caught Ethan's attention were the people emerging from hiding. Civilians who had cowered in the shadows now peeked out, stepping forward hesitantly. Some had their phones raised, recording everything. Others simply stood there, eyes wide with awe and fear.

"He… he beat Abomination?" a man whispered.

"Did you see what he did? He was glowing!" another murmured.

A child tugged on her mother's sleeve. "Mommy, is he a hero?"

Ethan forced a smile, straightening up despite the way his body protested. "Depends on your definition, kid," he muttered under his breath.

His moment of reprieve was short-lived. The optional quest notification flashed in his mind, reminding him of the second objective. [Optional Bonus: Harvest the Blood of a Gamma Mutate]

Ethan's gaze shifted back to Abomination. The monster was still alive, still healing. If he wanted to complete the objective, he had to act now.

Stepping forward, he willed his blood manipulation to act. The crimson tendrils slithered from his fingertips, weaving through the air like serpents as they inched toward Abomination's wounds. His blood sense kicked in, feeling the raw, chaotic energy pulsing through the gamma-mutated being. It was unlike anything he had absorbed before—wild, unstable, potent.

Ethan hesitated. He wasn't sure what absorbing gamma-irradiated blood would do to him. But the quest wouldn't have offered it if there wasn't a reward, right?

Before he could proceed, Abomination let out a deep groan, his monstrous features shifting. His body convulsed, muscles shrinking, bones cracking as the gamma mutation receded. In moments, Emil Blonsky lay in the rubble, his battered human form barely clinging to consciousness.

Ethan's stomach twisted—not from unease, but from hunger. The exhaustion, the healing, the power expenditure… it all caught up to him, and his vampiric instincts flared. He licked his lips, taking a slow step forward. Blonsky was barely awake, too weak to resist.

Kneeling, Ethan reached out, his fangs elongating slightly. "After all that… I think I deserve a little taste."

His fingers brushed against Blonsky's arm, and with a controlled motion, he drew a small amount of blood from a fresh wound. The moment it touched his tongue, his body shuddered. The gamma-infused essence was potent—like liquid fire surging through his veins. His muscles tensed, his senses sharpened, and an intense warmth spread through his limbs.

[Processing Foreign Blood Sample…]

[Analyzing Mutagenic Properties…]

[New Ability Acquired: Adaptive Rage – As you get angrier, you get stronger. Duration: Limited]

Ethan clenched his jaw as the sensation subsided. The power settled into him like a dormant ember, waiting to be kindled. He wasn't sure how long it would last, but for now, he had gained something valuable.

As he stepped back, fragments of Blonsky's memories flashed through his mind. Brief images of a disciplined soldier, a man obsessed with strength, the moment he injected the serum, and the sheer agony of his transformation. Ethan gasped, the intensity of the memories overwhelming for a brief moment before they faded.

Hulk watched him, eyes narrowing. "What… you do?"

Ethan held up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, big guy. Just taking a little sample. Science and all that."

Hulk grunted, clearly unimpressed, but didn't press further.

The sound of approaching sirens filled the air, signaling the arrival of emergency responders and military personnel. Ethan knew this was his cue to leave. He had no interest in being caught up in government scrutiny.

Before leaving, he closed his eyes and activated his blood sense one last time. He reached out, feeling every trace of his spilled blood scattered across the battlefield. With a focused effort, he called it back, pulling the crimson essence from the streets, the rubble, and even from where it had been burned into the pavement. The blood slithered back to him, reabsorbing into his body, leaving no traces of his DNA behind.

Turning to Hulk, he nodded. "I think that's our sign to split. You got somewhere to be?"

Hulk looked around before leaping onto a nearby building with a powerful bound, disappearing into the night. Ethan exhaled, focusing on the remnants of his energy. Shadows coiled around him as he activated his blood propulsion one last time, launching himself toward the rooftops. He barely made it, rolling onto the concrete with a groan.

The city below was still reeling, but for now, the danger had passed.

[Quest Completed – The Green Inferno]

[Reward: The Path to the Unknown Unlocked]

[New Objective Incoming…]

Ethan sighed, staring at the city skyline. "No rest for the wicked."

And with that, he vanished into the night.

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