Marvel - The Blood God

"Blade, I'm sorry—they gave me too much!"

Maverick's words made Blade's heart sink. He was about to say something when Maverick laughed. "Just kidding, Blade. Come to my manor as a guest; I have a surprise for you!"

Blade was speechless. After a moment, he asked, "Are you human now, or still a vampire?"

Maverick replied, "Human—a person regarded as a king by vampires and possibly the richest man in the world at the same time!"

"I'm coming over now."

Blade put down his phone and said coolly to the police officer, "Take me there!"

"Okay!"

The policeman nodded and drove the squad car to a large manor in the suburbs.

He glanced enviously at the estate worth hundreds of millions and said to Blade, "Mr. Blade, I can't go in. I can only drop you off here."

Blade ignored the policeman, opened the door, and stepped out of the car. An acquaintance holding an umbrella was waiting for him at the gate—it was James!

"Blade, the Blood God is waiting for you. By the way, couldn't you come at night? It's so uncomfortable during the day!"

James said with a smile. It was clear he was quite pleased with himself lately; he hadn't stopped smiling.

Blade looked James up and down through his sunglasses and said, "Nice suit."

"More than nice! This is a top-tier suit I had custom-made for over $100,000, and it's equipped with high-tech UV protection."

James boasted; he never expected to own such clothes before!

Blade was a bit speechless. "Over a hundred thousand dollars?"

"Since the Speaker and the Twelve Pure-Blood Elders died, most of their assets went to the Blood God, except for what S.H.I.E.L.D. took."

James motioned for Blade to get into the patrol car, then drove inside while saying, "On his first day here, the Blood God bought a dozen luxury cars and invited a bunch of models for a party! Hey, Blade, I heard the Blood God can control any part of his body—any part!"

Blade gave James a look. "Is it really okay to talk about the boss like that? But that ability is... something else."

Blade sighed to himself. "No wonder he said they gave too much. The pure-blood vampires' wealth in North America probably fell into his hands. He's probably richer than Tony Stark now!"

They drove for over ten minutes before arriving at the villa's entrance. To Blade's surprise, Maverick was waiting there. He stepped forward, hugged Blade, and smiled. "Blade, long time no see!"

"Not that long. I haven't figured out how to kill you yet."

Blade said. The butler and maids nearby were shocked to hear such words directed at the Blood God. Wasn't he afraid?

"Take your time; no rush. Let's go in and talk!"

Maverick laughed. "James, we have another group of guests arriving. Please greet them outside."

"Got it, Blood God!"

James agreed respectfully, curious about who else was coming. Being asked to greet them meant they were important.

Maverick walked into the villa with Blade and said, "I'll give you a surprise first; we'll talk about everything else afterward."

"Is there a group of vampires waiting to ambush me?"

Blade asked. Maverick chuckled. "To deal with you, I'm enough on my own—no need for an ambush! But let's not dwell on that. Just wait for the surprise; you'll be pleased."

With that, Maverick pushed open a door. Inside was an old man drinking red wine, spilling much of it on his clothes.

At first glance, one might think it was cheap wine, but the bottle he was drinking from was worth tens of thousands of dollars!

"Whistler!"

Blade exclaimed upon seeing the old man. Whistler turned, grinned at Blade, and said, "Blade, you're finally here. I knew they'd come for you!"

Blade's expression was complicated. Since Whistler was alive, did that mean he'd become a vampire?

"Don't worry; he's still human!"

Maverick patted Blade's shoulder. "When you went after Deacon, vampires captured him. They tortured him endlessly. Later, I rescued him and gave him a cure to turn him back into a human."

"That's right; I'm human again. After this guy rescued me, he treated me to great food and even brought in some models to keep me company. I've been living like a king!"

Whistler laughed but then smashed the expensive wine bottle on the floor. "He thinks he can bribe me, but he's wrong! Blade, don't mind me; all these vampires need to be wiped out!"

Blade was a bit speechless but mostly happy. It was the same old Whistler, grumpy as ever!

"Whistler, that's a bit wasteful," Maverick said, slightly annoyed. "By the way, one of those models is pregnant."

"What?"

Whistler, who had been smug, was stunned. Maverick burst into laughter. "Just kidding. Someone clean this up; we have guests arriving soon!"

Maids quickly came to tidy up. They were humans selected to serve vampires, willing to do anything, even offer their blood.

Blade couldn't help but ask, "Maverick, what exactly are you planning?"

"You'll find out soon, Blade. We're friends; I won't harm you. You can leave with Whistler anytime you want, and I won't stop you."

Maverick said seriously, "But I hope you'll stay for a while. Today, we're deciding the fate of the North American vampires!"

Blade glanced at Maverick, then nodded. "Alright."

"You won't be disappointed! Have a seat."

Maverick smiled. Whistler sneered, "Let's see what you're up to. By the way, get me a few more bottles of that mouthwash you call red wine!"

"No problem, but please don't smash any more; I dislike waste."

Maverick clapped his hands, and someone brought over a few bottles of wine. Having money doesn't mean one should be wasteful.

"Whistler, maybe ease up on the drinking," Blade suggested as he sat down. He looked around at the luxurious furnishings—the cashmere rug, genuine art on the walls—and sighed. "Pure-blood vampires are excessively extravagant."

"Way too extravagant," Maverick agreed. "Just one call, and a Michelin chef will come to cook for us, ingredients flown in specially. The butler even gave me a list of celebrities and noblewomen willing to let me taste their blood whenever I want."

"That's disgusting!"

Whistler spat, and Blade shook his head. Half-blood vampires couldn't even get blood bags, while pure-bloods indulged freely. No wonder half-bloods were swayed by Deacon.

The practice of keeping blood slaves was truly vile.

"It is disgusting, so I declined. I'd rather interact with them in other ways," Maverick joked. "Having too much money can be troublesome. My accountants can't even calculate my net worth! And I have to pay a hefty amount in taxes—the IRS isn't to be messed with."

"Are you bragging?"

Blade quipped. Just then, the butler entered and announced, "Blood God, Senator Stern and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. have arrived!"

"Great, I'll be right there!"

Maverick nodded and turned to Blade. "You'll join the meeting shortly. Whistler, perhaps you should step out; your language can be... colorful."

Whistler flipped Maverick the middle finger, grabbed a bottle, and limped away. As he passed Blade, he whispered, "Don't trust a word a vampire says!"

Blade nodded. Maverick heard but didn't mind. He went to the door to greet the senator and Nick Fury.

Nick Fury wore a grim expression. He felt utterly unlucky. He'd spent over a decade meticulously planning to eliminate the vampire threat, only for someone to derail everything. This newcomer not only stole the Blood God's power but also killed Deacon, rendering Fury's plans useless.

Worse, Fury hadn't learned of this until recently, so he couldn't adapt his strategy in time. His efforts inadvertently aided Maverick—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pressure had pushed the vampires to surrender to him quickly.

Had they not surrendered, the vampires would have been wiped out by the Blood God, Blade, and S.H.I.E.L.D.!

After the vampires surrendered, Maverick swiftly stabilized their society and then led them to attack S.H.I.E.L.D. bases, capturing Agent John Garrett and many elite agents. That's why Fury accepted the invitation and came in person—to negotiate.

Of course, Fury ensured his safety by bringing Senator Stern along. The vampires wouldn't dare act rashly in such a formal setting unless they wanted war with humans.

Adding to his troubles, Fury was also dealing with the disappearance of Peggy Carter, a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. Despite extensive efforts, she remained missing.

Unlike Fury, Senator Stern was in high spirits. The vampires had been generous, and while he wasn't short on money, more wealth was always welcome.

"Director Fury, Senator Stern, welcome!"

Maverick walked out to greet them, extending his hand. "I'm the new leader of the vampires; you can call me Maverick."

Senator Stern shook his hand warmly. "Patriarch Maverick, you're truly young and promising!"

"The vampires have always had a Speaker, not a patriarch," Fury said coldly, eyeing Maverick. He'd researched Maverick extensively but couldn't fathom how an ordinary guy had defeated Deacon and become the Blood God.

"True, but times change. And I have you to thank, Director Fury. Without your efforts, uniting the vampires would've been impossible."

Maverick smiled. "Should I send S.H.I.E.L.D. a thank-you note?"

Fury's face darkened further. All his actions had inadvertently paved the way for this upstart's success.

"Alright, let's discuss matters inside," Senator Stern interjected, trying to ease the tension. "Patriarch Maverick won't have us stand out here, will he?"

"Of course not. Please, come in!"

Maverick led them to the conference room, where they were surprised to see Blade.

"This is Blade, the famous vampire hunter and our biggest adversary," Maverick introduced. "Blade, this is Director Fury—Deacon was his undercover agent—and Senator Stern."

Blade looked at Fury with disdain. "Director Fury, thanks for all your attention."

"I don't know any Deacon," Fury retorted. "But what's a vampire hunter doing in a vampire's lair?"

Blade ignored him. Maverick invited everyone to sit and had the maid pour some decanted wine. "This wine supposedly belonged to Napoleon. I don't know much about it, but please enjoy."

"From Napoleon's era? We must taste it," Senator Stern said with a smile.

Fury wasn't interested. "Patriarch Maverick, explain why you attacked our S.H.I.E.L.D. bases and captured our agents."

Maverick sneered. "People say you're cold-hearted, Director Fury. Your agents attacked us first, yet you blame us?"

"Your accusation sounds like discrimination," Fury replied flatly.

"No, just expressing my disdain."

Maverick waved the maid away. "Let's cut to the chase. Director Fury, Senator Stern, I want to know—is the agreement between vampires and humans still valid?"

Before Fury could respond, Senator Stern affirmed, "It's valid. I'm here to mediate and restore normalcy. New York's law and order have worsened, and Washington doesn't want that to continue."

Fury's scowl deepened. This was the epitome of a colleague undermining his efforts.

"Since the agreement stands, why did S.H.I.E.L.D. send Deacon to stir up trouble? And why attack our communities, kill our people, and seize our assets?" Maverick demanded. "Director Fury, I expect an explanation."

"I've said it before—I don't know Deacon," Fury insisted. "We acted because your vampires violated the agreement by kidnapping humans for blood. We had the right."

"That was orchestrated by your agent Deacon. S.H.I.E.L.D. must release our people and compensate us!"

"For the last time, I don't know Deacon. It's your vampires who owe us compensation. Release our agents immediately."

The argument escalated, with Senator Stern trying to mediate while Blade sat silently, finding it all tedious.

Eventually, Maverick raised his hand. "Director Fury, out of respect for the senator, I'll return your agents. In exchange, you must return our people and assets. Let's cease hostilities and uphold our previous agreement."

"Fine," Fury agreed coldly. Given the circumstances, he had little choice. S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't defy Washington's directives.

This entire ordeal had been a loss for S.H.I.E.L.D. The only winner was Maverick.

Of course, Fury didn't plan to return everything. How much he gave back would depend on his discretion. He could use some funds for his global bases.

"Excellent," Maverick said, satisfied. "Senator, Director Fury, I have a proposal."

"What is it?" Stern asked.

"This conflict was primarily due to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions, but our vampires share some blame. Many don't abide by the agreement, preying on humans indiscriminately."

Maverick glanced at Fury. "Deacon Frost, backed by S.H.I.E.L.D., is a prime example."

"I won't respond to that," Fury said tersely. "What's your proposal?"

Maverick continued, "To prevent future issues, I've decided to establish a Vampire Police Department to handle rogue vampires. It will operate under laws similar to human ones."

He looked at Fury. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can assign personnel to join, with a ratio of one to nine in our favor."

"Are you serious?"

Fury was taken aback. Setting up such a department was one thing, but inviting S.H.I.E.L.D. to participate was significant.

Blade also stared at Maverick in surprise. Could this be what he intended to offer?

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