Marvel - The Blood God

"Go back and fire the supervisor who approved these people."

Maverick exclaimed angrily, "Black Widow is from the Kazakhstan family? Seems like S.H.I.E.L.D. still has many secrets within the vampire ranks."

Natalie Rushman, the alias of Black Widow Natasha—names can deceive, but photos don't.

Mercury was startled. "Is there something wrong with her?"

Maverick sneered. "Black Widow, top agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.—think there's a problem?"

"What? Black Widow? You mean the famous Black Widow from the underworld?"

Mercury was shocked, and her eyes turned cold. "I'll go kill her. I knew S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't leave us alone."

Maverick set down his laptop. "No, hire her as a secretary."

Mercury was puzzled. "Blood God, why recruit her when you know she's the Black Widow?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. won't stop monitoring us. Instead of letting them keep sending agents, it's better to choose someone we know. As for that supervisor, don't deal with him for now. After a while, find an excuse to arrest and interrogate him."

"Isn't it too dangerous? That's the Black Widow," Mercury said. "It's one thing to gather information, but what if she tries to assassinate you?"

"Don't worry, if anyone dies, it won't be me." Maverick smiled confidently. "I've got hundreds of lives. Do you think I'm joking?"

Hearing this, Mercury could only agree. She thought of something and suggested, "Blood God, do you want to test Ms. Carter with this? She must know that woman is the Black Widow."

"I made an agreement with Carter: she won't tell me anything related to S.H.I.E.L.D., and I won't use her to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Maverick shook his head. "Mercury, don't overthink it. We need Carter now."

"Yes, Blood God," Mercury said, bowing her head reluctantly. But she didn't give up the idea of defeating Carter. That woman is too powerful. If she doesn't fall, purebloods have no future.

Maverick knew this but didn't stop it, because he needed both sides to keep each other in check.

That day, Frank was in a good mood until he opened the envelope Maverick had given him in his study. After just a few glances, his blood boiled.

It's not that Frank was overreacting, but the information in those documents was truly appalling.

Some insiders in the U.S. military were smuggling drugs from the Middle East into the country. To avoid detection, they hollowed out the bodies of fallen soldiers and hid the drugs inside—because no one would examine the remains of dead soldiers.

Undoubtedly, this was a heartless act. Anyone with a bit of humanity would never do such a thing.

But some people did it. Not only that, to eliminate witnesses and those who knew, they used their power to set up a special team, calling up unwitting elite soldiers and having them kill for them.

This operation was called Operation Ghost Dog, and unfortunately, Frank Castle was the captain of this team.

Frank's friend, Billy Russo, was the vice-captain, but unlike Frank, he was an insider. For money, he chose to conspire.

Now, those despicable people were planning to eliminate the members of Operation Ghost Dog so that no one would know the ugly things they'd done.

The information was detailed and even listed evidence—Frank's old boss was a blacksmith, and now he was selling drugs in Hell's Kitchen.

Moreover, some soldiers from Operation Ghost Dog had already been killed.

"How dare they?"

Frank trembled with anger, barely able to hold the documents. He was like a volcano about to erupt. He'd seen a lot of darkness in his life, but he never thought someone could be so despicable.

To use the corpses of heroes to transport drugs, to exploit soldiers' patriotism to eliminate enemies, and then silence them afterward—the devil himself couldn't be worse.

"If this is true, I'll definitely kill those bastards."

Frank couldn't hold back any longer and slammed his fist on the table. The solid wood table cracked under the impact. You could imagine how furious he was.

The loud noise from the study startled Maria. She rushed toward the door, shouting, "Frank, what's wrong?"

Maria's voice snapped Frank out of his rage. He took a deep breath and called out as gently as possible, "It's okay, Maria. The table broke. I'll fix it myself."

Maria sensed something was wrong but stopped. "Frank, the kids are going to bed. You can handle it tomorrow."

"It's okay, I won't disturb them. You go to sleep first." Frank replied. After Maria left, he exhaled, took a book from the shelf, opened it, and revealed an old phone hidden inside.

After hesitating, Frank picked up the phone and dialed. A deep voice answered, "Frank?"

"It's me. I need you to check something..." Frank said.

"How could someone be so depraved?" the other person replied after hearing Frank's story. "Wait for me for six hours. I'll give you an answer."

"Okay, I'll wait," Frank agreed. Few people could uncover such things in six hours, but his friend could—because he was Nick Fury.

Few knew that Frank and Nick Fury were friends. In fact, Frank had handled several private matters for Fury.

Putting down the phone, Frank sat weakly in his chair for three hours. He wasn't just angry; he was guilty. He'd thought all the people he'd killed were bad guys, but he'd actually killed so many good people.

Frank even thought he deserved to die.

"And Billy—he's that kind of person." Frank clutched his hair in pain, wishing he could grab a machine gun and mow down those people. They deserved to go to hell.

Three hours later, Nick Fury called and told Frank to go outside where a car was waiting. Frank did as told. To his surprise, Fury was inside the car.

Frank got in but didn't close the door. "You came in person. That means the documents are genuine, right?" he asked in a low voice.

Fury nodded. "Yes, we caught the blacksmith, your old boss. He confessed everything. The information is true."

"Good," Frank said expressionlessly, ready to get out and grab his gun. Those people needed to die.

"Frank." Fury quickly pressed a button; the door closed automatically. "Think about Maria and your two kids. If you kill them, you'll become a wanted criminal—a murderer."

Frank froze. If Fury had said anything else, he wouldn't care, but his family was always his weakness.

He turned back, gritting his teeth. "Why do you want to let them go?"

"Of course not. I'll talk to the military and the CIA director. They'll give you justice. Everyone on that list won't get away," Fury assured. "But this can't go public. You understand—it would be a massive scandal."

Frank shouted angrily, "If I make it public, will you kill me too?"

Fury patted his shoulder. "There are many despicable individuals, but also many with principles. Don't see the world as entirely dark, Frank."

Frank stared at him for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I'll be watching you. They all need to die."

"They will," Fury promised firmly. Frank nodded and moved to leave, but Fury stopped him again.

"Frank, I need a favor," Fury said.

"No wonder you came in person. What is it?" Frank asked.

"I want you to accept the offer from the new vampire leader, the Blood God Maverick, to be his personal bodyguard," Fury said.

"What?" Frank's eyes widened. "The vampires have a new leader—the Blood God? What is this?"

Fury handed him a file. Frank hesitated. "I don't want to see any more documents. The last one made me want to shoot myself. And could you turn up the lights? Why do you always like sitting in the dark?"

Fury turned on the light. "It's mysterious. Keeps people on edge."

"You're scary enough as is. Wait, is that kid really a vampire?" Frank asked after skimming the file.

"He is. And now he's the leader of the vampires. You sure know how to pick students," Fury said.

Frank put down the file. "Guess I should've charged more for training. By the way, he said he saved the world. Is that true?"

"Saved the world?" Fury's face darkened. If Maverick were here, Fury would probably chew him out. "He's a big threat, Frank. I hope you'll help me."

"No wonder you came to me. What do you need?" Frank asked.

"I think you should accept Maverick's offer to be his bodyguard," Fury repeated.

Frank refused without hesitation. "Sorry, I can't help you. I don't betray friends."

"When did he become your friend?"

"The moment he gave me those documents. I owe him the truth—a life," Frank stated.

Seeing he couldn't persuade him, Fury played his trump card. "Frank, he's dangerous. You know he has a nuclear bomb?"

Frank was shocked. "A nuclear bomb? Isn't that exaggerated?"

"Not at all. I need you to help me save the world," Fury said seriously.

"This world sure needs saving a lot," Frank muttered irritably. "Maverick wouldn't nuke the world. He's not crazy."

"But we have to be cautious. It's my job to prevent crises before they happen," Fury insisted. "And vampires have always wanted to enslave humans again. Even if Maverick shows no signs now, we must be prepared."

Frank snorted. "Nick, you think everyone's a bad guy, don't you?"

"It's my job," Fury replied. "Frank, I'm not asking you to be a spy. I want you as insurance. If Maverick ever tries to destroy the world or enslave humanity, we need someone close to stop him."

Frank punched the car door in frustration, leaving a dent. "Why do I always get dragged into this mess?"

After a moment, he said, "I won't feed you information, but if he tries to destroy the world, I'll stop him."

"That's enough," Fury sighed in relief. He finally had a safeguard near Maverick. He never let his guard down around the Blood God—Maverick was too mysterious, and Fury disliked uncontrollable variables.

The next morning, in a coffee shop, Maverick asked Natasha Romanoff, who had come to report, "Natalie, why do you want to be a vampire?"

"Because I want to be beautiful forever." Natasha replied, elegantly spinning to show off her perfect figure. Maverick let out an insincere smile. "Is Fury trying to tempt me? Should I just go along with it?" He signaled the waiter to bring a cup of coffee, added a drop of his blood, and handed it to Natasha. "Please."

Natasha didn't hesitate. She asked excitedly, "Boss, are you granting me eternal life now?"

"No, I need a human secretary for now. I can't turn you into a vampire yet," Maverick said. "This drop of blood will merge with yours and turn you when I need it. Plus, it'll ensure your safety. If you die accidentally, it'll resurrect you."

"Thank you, boss." Natasha raised her cup joyfully but secretly hoped the anti-vampire serum would work. "I always get the toughest assignments," she thought. "But no matter—I'm both smart and beautiful."

"Very good. We'll be on the same side from now on. You can call me Blood God or Patriarch," Maverick said, sensing his blood merging with hers. "I have your first task."

Natasha set down her cup, alert. "Blood God, please instruct me."

Maverick pulled out a Maxim magazine. "Get me the cover girl from this magazine. I have a date with her this afternoon."

"What?" Natasha was surprised. Is this for real? Didn't Fury say this guy was sharp? Why is he acting like this?

Also, with such a beautiful woman like me here, he wants someone else? What's his deal? Shouldn't he be interested in me first?

Before she could speak, a man entered, escorted by Mercury. He smiled and said, "Didn't expect you and Tony Stark to have the same taste—the cover girl from Maxim."

It was Frank Castle.

"I know Tony Stark is the richest guy around, so I want to try his lifestyle. See if it suits me," Maverick said, standing to shake Frank's hand. "Instructor Castle, don't tell me you're accepting my offer. I'll be overjoyed."

"Vampires don't die that easily," Frank replied, somewhat emotional. "Maverick, I never imagined everything you told me was true."

"So you finally know. Hahaha. Too bad I didn't see your face when you found out. I've been waiting," Maverick laughed. "Instructor Castle, let me formally introduce myself: I am Maverick, the new Patriarch of the vampires, the Blood God."

"Someone told me—a friend who helped deal with those bastards," Frank said.

Maverick was surprised. "Friend? I was going to help you handle them."

"No need. They won't get away," Frank said heavily. Then he shook his head. "Maverick, you saved my life. I'm willing to be your bodyguard, but I have to ask: Do you have plans to destroy the world or enslave humanity?"

Natasha listened carefully. Maverick laughed. "Frank, do you know who in this world least wants it destroyed?"

"Who?"

"Rich people—those who have everything they want.

I can make a call, and half of Hollywood's actresses would come running. With a word, I can affect the jobs of tens or hundreds of thousands. If my shoes are dirty, countless people would line up to clean them.

Most men dream of being as wealthy as me, and countless beauties want to be with me—like our world-class beautiful secretary here."

Maverick pointed at Natasha. She cursed inwardly but stepped forward, kissed Maverick's cheek, and said eagerly, "Blood God, everything I have is yours."

Frank whistled. Even he had to admit Natasha was stunning, more beautiful than most actresses. Of course, still not as beautiful as his Maria—she was the most beautiful woman in the world, no, the universe.

Maverick put his arm around Natasha and laughed heartily. "Frank, with all this, how many times would I need to be kicked in the head before wanting to destroy the world?"

Frank smiled. "Probably if your head gets kicked off, right?"

"Exactly." Maverick laughed, releasing Natasha and sitting down. "In fact, I'll protect this world. If it's destroyed, where would I enjoy myself?"

"Indeed," Frank agreed. Natasha nodded secretly. If she were as rich as Maverick, she wouldn't destroy the world either. 

"As for enslaving humanity, not only have I never thought of it, but I'll prevent other vampires from doing so. Honestly, those vampires who think they're superior are really annoying," Maverick said, shaking his head.

He explained his plans to reform the vampires. After listening, Frank silently cursed Nick Fury. Maverick had gone this far, and Fury still doubted him? That man's heart was truly dark.

"Maverick, I'll officially take the job. As for the military, I'll handle it myself," Frank said. "But let me make it clear: I won't do bad things for you, and I won't turn a blind eye to wrongdoing."

"Absolutely no problem." Maverick smiled. "Mercury, get yesterday's contract. Don't give Frank a chance to back out."