Marvel - The Blood God

Maverick asked James, "Are the biohazard suits and tranquilizer guns ready?"

"They're all set. Custom-made and highly effective," James replied quickly. He then used his walkie-talkie to summon three half-vampire associates carrying suitcases filled with biohazard suits.

When the three newcomers saw Maverick, they were both excited and nervous. This was the Blood God—the one they could only look up to.

Maverick instructed, "Put them on. Once we're inside the restaurant, don't say anything unnecessary. Just follow my lead."

"Blood God, are you going in yourself?" James asked. "That guy is strange. Let us handle him."

"Don't worry, he won't harm me. Stop talking and get dressed," Maverick said firmly.

Although he was confident that Kilgrave's virus wouldn't affect him, Maverick wasn't about to take unnecessary risks. After all, he had a fortune worth billions—why gamble with his life?

So he donned a biohazard suit as well.

Once they were ready, Maverick led James and the others downstairs and headed straight into the restaurant across the street.

"You know what? My favorite food is pasta." Kilgrave exclaimed, oblivious to the danger approaching. He was dining excitedly with Jessica, sharing his personal likes.

Kilgrave hadn't felt this thrilled in a long time. Women were usually too easy for him; he could command any woman on the street to follow him with just a word. But Jessica was different. Like him, she had powers, and meeting her was exhilarating.

Jessica Jones, however, was filled with despair. How could someone have such a terrifying ability? She had to do whatever he said, completely unable to resist.

"Guess I shouldn't have tried to be a hero. The moment I step in, everything goes wrong," Jessica thought bitterly. She had stopped a robbery earlier by tossing the thief over ten meters away, only to catch Kilgrave's attention. Now she was trapped in a nightmare.

"Someone, please help me," she prayed silently. She wanted to cry, but without Kilgrave's permission, she couldn't even shed a tear.

Just then, Jessica was shocked to see several people in yellow biohazard suits enter the restaurant, raising tranquilizer guns aimed at Kilgrave's back.

Kilgrave sensed movement behind him, but before he could turn around, three darts struck his back. The tranquilizers were specially made.

"Excellent," Maverick nodded in satisfaction. He was about to tell James to secure Kilgrave when the other patrons in the restaurant suddenly rushed at them with whatever weapons they could find.

They wanted to save Kilgrave—it was an order he had given them earlier. Kilgrave was paranoid and always set up contingencies.

"Take them down." Maverick commanded with a sneer.

James and the others immediately fired at the charging crowd. These were just ordinary people without any combat skills; they were knocked out one by one.

The only real threat was Jessica Jones. She lifted a nearby metal table and hurled it straight at Maverick.

Anyone else would've been flattened, but Maverick simply smiled and seemed to vanish, reappearing behind Jessica. He delivered a swift chop to the back of her neck, and her world went dark as she collapsed.

"James, grab Kilgrave and follow me," Maverick ordered. Carrying Jessica over his shoulder, he added, "The rest of you, secure this place. Tie up everyone on the floor. If they wake up, sedate them again. Release them after 12 hours.

"I'll have a few cops assist you, but keep quiet about what happened here. When these people recover, warn them to keep their mouths shut. Understood?"

"Got it." the three associates nodded eagerly. They were thrilled; the Blood God himself had given them orders, and they'd carried them out. Their futures looked bright.

"Good," Maverick wasted no time. He and James, who was carrying Kilgrave, left the restaurant. A car was waiting outside. Maverick placed Kilgrave and Jessica in the back seat and drove home as quickly as possible.

Back at his residence, Maverick handed Jessica over to a maid and told the butler, "Keep her here for 12 hours. If she wants to leave after that, let her. If she doesn't, treat her as a guest."

"Yes, Blood God," the old butler replied without question. Compared to the previous master, this little detention game was nothing unusual.

Vampires had their quirks, and many met their end because of them.

After dealing with Jessica, Maverick and James took Kilgrave to a secret room behind the study. There was a small elevator there. The three of them descended to the second basement level, where a small virus lab was already set up.

Two virus experts were waiting in the lab, hired by James at a hefty price. When they saw Maverick and the others, they immediately greeted them.

Maverick nodded but didn't say much. He knew these two were of questionable character, and he had no plans to let them leave here alive.

"Maverick said, "James, go back and handle what I instructed earlier. Then meet with Mercury; she'll give you the details about the intelligence center."

"Yes, Blood God." James replied. Although he was curious about what Maverick was planning, he set Kilgrave down and left promptly. He didn't want to overstep his bounds. His heart was filled with excitement; he had finally climbed to a higher position. Better days were ahead—all because he served the right man.

After James left, Maverick explained Kilgrave's abilities to the two virus experts, mixing truth with lies. "In simple terms, when he speaks, he releases a virus that can make people lose their will."

The two experts shook their heads skeptically. "Boss, it's not that we don't believe you, but humans can't possibly have such abilities."

Maverick said firmly, "This ability is real. Stop doubting and start analyzing which organ produces the virus."

Though unconvinced, the experts had to comply; the wealthy are always the boss.

The lab was well-equipped. They conducted scans, extracted fluids, and ran various tests. After several hours, they finally had results.

The bald virus expert, who had been skeptical, now spoke excitedly to Maverick, "Boss, his body really can produce a virus. This is incredible. If we can study this thoroughly, it could win a Nobel Prize."

Maverick, who had been waiting patiently, asked impatiently, "Which organ produces the virus?"

The other expert, who had short hair, showed Maverick a brain scan. "Boss, there's a mutated tissue in his brain. The virus originates from here."

Maverick asked eagerly, "Can this mutated tissue be completely extracted? And if so, can it continue to produce the virus after extraction?"

"It's possible to extract it, but doing so would kill him," the short-haired expert replied. "Once extracted, as long as the tissue remains alive, it can keep producing the virus, but it won't last long. The virus isn't robust enough to replicate in other people's bodies."

"Boss, I don't recommend extracting it," the bald expert said loudly. "It's like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. We should leave it in his brain and extract samples as needed. That way, we can fully replicate the virus and understand how it works."

"I agree," the short-haired expert nodded. "Give us some time, and we can—"

Maverick cut them off with a wave. "Extract the mutated tissue completely, now. It must be intact and alive."

"Boss." The two experts wanted to protest, but Maverick shouted, "Do as I say."

"Such a waste," the bald expert grumbled. But the rich make the rules, so they had to obey.

Though their morals were questionable, the two experts were highly skilled. They administered general anesthesia to Kilgrave, then opened his skull and extracted the mutated tissue.

Maverick watched silently. He felt no guilt about killing Kilgrave; the man deserved it. In fact, dying this way was merciful compared to what he truly deserved.

Given the circumstances, the operation proceeded quickly. Before long, the bald expert placed a small piece of mutated tissue into a petri dish.

"What a waste. This could've been a Nobel Prize." the bald expert sighed, glancing at Maverick with dissatisfaction. "He doesn't understand anything and wastes such valuable material."

Maverick ignored his complaints. Looking at the mutated tissue, he said excitedly, "Step back."

Though puzzled, the two experts retreated. Then they witnessed something terrifying—Maverick's right hand transformed into a mass of writhing blood. They stepped back in fear. What on earth was this?

Maverick paid them no mind. He first controlled the blood to absorb all of Kilgrave's blood, then enveloped the mutated tissue in the petri dish, providing it with nutrients.

Normally, transplanting such tissue would be complicated and could take years to perfect. But Maverick wasn't ordinary; he was the Blood God and could handle this through extraordinary means.

His method was to absorb Kilgrave's blood, then fuse the mutated tissue into himself using his blood powers infused with Kilgrave's life essence. As long as there was no rejection, the transplant would be seamless.

Gradually, the mutated tissue wrapped in blood didn't weaken but grew stronger. Maverick laughed; his plan was working. The ability was now his.

He reabsorbed the blood, restored his right hand, and transferred the mutated tissue to his own brain. The process went smoothly. To the tissue, he was essentially Kilgrave.

After finishing, Maverick looked up at the two virus experts. They were terrified, frantically pressing the elevator button. But it was futile—only Maverick could operate it.

Maverick said, "scratch yourselves until I tell you to stop."

As soon as they heard his command, the two experts uncontrollably raised their hands and began scratching themselves hard. No matter how much they resisted, they couldn't stop.

"Excellent, the virus is mine." Maverick laughed. He flicked his fingers, and two drops of blood flew into the experts' bodies, nourishing the viruses within.

Kilgrave's control lasted only about twelve hours because the virus couldn't survive longer. But Maverick was different. He could use his blood to keep the virus alive, extending his control far beyond Kilgrave's limits.

Not only that, but unlike Kilgrave, who couldn't control his ability and affected anyone who heard him speak, Maverick could choose when to use it.

"I feel invincible. Maybe I'll go out and control the President, then the generals at the Defense Department. The whole world could be mine." Maverick laughed again. But after a minute, he dismissed the idea. Such a plan wasn't feasible.

"This isn't an ordinary world; it's the Marvel Universe. If they discover the virus, geniuses will create an antidote in minutes. Maybe even less.

"Besides, not everyone can be controlled by this virus. In the original story, Jessica Jones was immune, and there are many superheroes stronger than her.

"I don't want to be a foolish villain. This ability can be used, but it must be done quietly, without leaving any traces."

"Let's just consider it a special ability of the Blood God—controlling others through blood. That sounds reasonable," Maverick smiled. "Come to think of it, the vampires in this Marvel world are quite lacking. No magic, and they can't even turn into bats like classic vampires.

"Well, at least not in North America. Maybe Europe is different. I'll have to explore someday."

Maverick turned to the two experts, who were still scratching themselves. "Stop. You'll stay here and focus on researching the virus for me, improving its capabilities."

The two virus experts were unwilling, but they had no choice.

To prevent any mishaps with the virus, Maverick decided not to leave immediately. He stayed to conduct some tests.

Better safe than sorry. After all, this was a god-level ability. Losing it would be a huge setback.