Marvel - The Blood God

In the bright casino lobby, Tony Stark stared blankly at the poker cards on the table. His mind was a haze. He shook his head and looked around, realizing that everyone was excitedly shouting something at him in unison.

Tony shook his head again and finally caught what they were chanting: "Undress. Undress."

"Why do they want me to undress?" he thought, blinking in confusion. After a moment, it all came rushing back. He snapped his head up to look at the smug Maverick across the table and gritted his teeth. He'd been tricked by this kid.

It all started simply enough. Tony had brought Maverick and Betsy to a casino in Atlantic City. At first, they weren't betting against each other—just playing dice and other games for fun.

As a casino regular, Tony quickly noticed that Maverick was a beginner with little experience. Seizing the opportunity, he suggested they play a few rounds of stud poker one-on-one.

In the first three games, Tony won easily. But starting from the fourth game, he couldn't win a single hand, even after using Jarvis's analysis to read Maverick's expressions and predict his cards.

Normally, Tony doesn't cheat—he doesn't need the money—but sometimes bending the rules adds excitement. He didn't expect that even with an edge, he couldn't beat this obvious novice.

How could Tony accept that? Like a gambler chasing losses, he kept raising the stakes, determined to win back his pride. It wasn't about the money; it was about his ego. He could lose anything but that—after all, he's Tony Stark.

But like many gamblers who refuse to admit defeat, Tony ended up losing everything. Not wealth, but something far worse: an absolutely humiliating condition.

He was supposed to strip in his underwear.

If he actually did it, he'd be a laughingstock, and his "charming" physique would be plastered across newspapers nationwide by morning. There were plenty of people interested in seeing that, judging by how loudly the gamblers were shouting.

"You're not a novice." Tony gritted his teeth. Before, he'd been too caught up to notice, but now it was clear—he'd been played.

"I'm really just a beginner," Maverick said calmly. "I've played stud online, but not much in real life."

He wasn't lying; he was a novice. But it didn't matter—he could see Tony's cards at any time and even knew what cards were coming next. If he lost under those conditions, tsk....

Tony narrowed his eyes. "You cheated, didn't you?"

"Careful with the accusations," Maverick replied with a sly smile. "Cheating only counts if you get caught."

The smug look on Maverick's face and the admiring glances from Betsy beside him were infuriating.

Tony folded his arms. "If I lost today, I'll double the stakes next time. Let's call off the conditions."

"You lost fair and square," Maverick sneered. "I'll even give you everything back and throw in five million more—if you take off your clothes."

The crowd went wild, chanting, "Take it off. Take it off."

Embarrassed, Tony glanced around. Before he could react, Maverick leaned in. "Tony, if you try to bail, I'll have everyone here strip you down. Trust me, they'd love to help."

Tony's veins bulged. The thought of being stripped by a crowd—who might keep souvenirs—was too much. Weighing his options, he swallowed his pride. "Fine, another condition. I can do something for you. There aren't many things Tony Stark can't handle."

Even conceding, his tone remained confident—that was Tony for you. If Maverick didn't agree, Tony was prepared to call security or even the police. No one could force him to do what he didn't want to.

Maverick studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

Tony exhaled in relief, though the gamblers booed, disappointed that the show was over.

Maverick pushed the pile of chips toward the crowd. "These are up for grabs. Whoever gets them keeps them."

The room fell silent. There were millions in chips on the table. Then, chaos erupted as everyone lunged forward, fighting over the fortune.

Amid the frenzy, Maverick, Tony, and a frightened Betsy slipped away. Watching the mayhem, Tony whistled. "Congrats, Maverick. You've picked up about half my style. Also, starting today, you're banned from every casino in Atlantic City."

"Doesn't bother me," Maverick shrugged. "I'm not a fan of gambling anyway."

Tony blinked, momentarily thrown off. It was embarrassing enough to lose to a rookie, but one who didn't even care?

Putting his arm around Betsy, Maverick turned to Tony. "Let's head to the hotel. We still have a condition to settle."

Tony frowned. "We'll talk in the car."

"Suit yourself. Let's go."

In the white Audi convertible, Maverick said, "Tony, I need a secretary. How about you let me have Pepper Potts?"

"You want my Pepper?" Tony shot back immediately. "No way. Pick something else."

"Why not? She's just an assistant with you. With me, she could be a CEO."

"Absolutely not." Tony glared. The nerve of this guy, trying to steal his right-hand woman? Without Pepper, he'd be lost.

"Fine, another condition then," Maverick said nonchalantly. "Do you know about vampires?"

Tony laughed. "Seriously? Vampires? They're not real."

"Just humor me," Maverick replied. "Vampires can't handle ultraviolet light. Unless they cover up completely, they can't go out during the day."

"Are you giving me a lesson on vampire lore?" Tony asked impatiently. "I think I know a thing or two."

Maverick smirked. "Then did you know you'd lose tonight?"

Tony's impatience grew. "Get to the point."

"I want you to design something that lets vampires walk in daylight," Maverick explained. "Basically, something that blocks UV rays without making them look weird. Invisible would be ideal."

Tony considered it. "That's not too difficult, but why do you want something like that?"

"Not difficult?" Maverick raised an eyebrow. "From what I hear, vampires haven't cracked this in centuries."

Tony leaned back confidently. "I don't know about vampires, but there's only one Tony Stark. I can whip something up in three days."

"Great. Just remember, I get the patent rights—I plan to mass-produce it. Name your price."

"Fine, but I want to know—how did you cheat?"

Maverick grinned. "I have x-ray vision. I knew your cards."

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Tony scoffed. "You can't fool me with kiddie tricks."

Still smiling, Maverick pulled out a sealed deck of cards. "Draw a few."

Tony obliged, drawing three cards. Maverick glanced and said, "Seven of diamonds, eight of spades, nine of hearts."

Tony's eyes widened slightly. He pulled out his wallet. "Okay, how much cash is in here?"

Maverick peeked and chuckled. "None. Why carry a wallet with no money?"

"It's a gift from Pepper—wait, that's not the point." Tony paused, then narrowed his eyes. "Hold on, can you see through... everything?"

Realizing what that implied, Tony covered himself defensively. "Have you been peeking at me?"

Maverick rolled his eyes, gave a dismissive wave, and opened the car door. "Bring me the prototype in three days."

"No problem. I'll have Pep—wait, have you peeked at Pepper?" Tony shouted, his voice rising.

Ignoring him, Maverick slammed the door and headed toward his car.

"Hey. Get back here." Tony stood up on his seat, yelling after him. Maverick just flashed a cheeky grin, started the car, and sped off with Betsy, leaving Tony fuming.

Spluttering, Tony stepped away from the fumes. Watching the taillights disappear, he muttered, "I won't let him get away with this."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I need to develop a way to block x-ray vision. But how does it even work? Turning eyes into x-rays? That's not scientifically possible."

Later that night, as Maverick was resting, his phone buzzed. James was on the line, sounding excited. "Sir, we've found Kilgrave."

"What?" Maverick sat up instantly. "Where is he?"

"He's out shopping with Jessica Jones. I've been keeping an eye on him."

"You didn't get close, did you?" Maverick asked, quickly getting dressed.

"No, kept a safe distance. He won't notice me."

"Good. Keep watching him. I'm on my way. Also, get some biohazard suits and tranquilizer guns ready. We'll need them."

"Yes, sir." James replied eagerly.

Maverick's movements woke Betsy. She turned over sleepily. "Maverick, where are you going?"

"Got some business to handle. Someone will take you to meet Director Catherine tomorrow," he said, then hurried out. Kilgrave was too important to delay.

Who was Kilgrave? The main villain from "Jessica Jones," also known as the Purple Man. He had an incredibly dangerous ability—he could control others through a virus. Once under his influence, people would do anything he commanded.

He could tell someone to walk off a building, and they'd do it without hesitation. His control had a time limit—Maverick recalled it being around 12 hours. After that, the effects wore off.

Maverick wanted Kilgrave's abilities for himself. If he could harness that power, it would make many things easier. He'd tasked James with finding Kilgrave, and now the opportunity had arrived.

Arranging for a helicopter, Maverick made his way back to New York swiftly. It wasn't long before he met up with James outside a small restaurant.

"Sir, they're inside," James pointed out the place. "But there's something odd."

"What is it?" Maverick asked.

"The restaurant was closed, but Kilgrave just said a word, and they opened up for him. Brought back the staff and everything. He doesn't pay for anything."

Maverick smirked. "People like him don't need money."

So blatant. Even without Jessica Jones, Kilgrave was easy to find with behavior like that. "What a waste, using such power for free meals. Time for me to put it to better use," Maverick thought, eyes narrowing as he formulated a plan.