Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 123: Silencing the Witness

Phil watched as Alvin sped off in his flashy sports car, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

With a smirk, he turned to Russell, "Man, that guy's a pain in the ass, but you gotta admit, he's got a good heart. Just not exactly our best buddy, ya know?"

Russell chuckled, "Yeah, but I kinda dig him. At least he hates those bloodsuckers as much as I do."

"Russell, you bastard, one day I'll kill you! I'll drain you dry and make you my blood slave. You'll pay for what you did today! And that other guy? He's toast too!" the vampire leader screamed, losing his cool.

Phil shot the vampire leader an annoyed look, shaking his head. "Just do your damn job, Deacon. Don't screw us over. We've already done too much crazy shit for you. And you better start running, 'cause you know Blade's got a short fuse. As for that other guy, once this is over, I'll give you his info. Go after him if you got a death wish."

Deacon struggled to his feet, bitterness in his voice. "Why do you all look at me like that? Just 'cause I turned into a vampire? You need to understand why I did this!"

Russell gave Deacon a sideways glance, sneering. "Cut the crap, Deacon. We all know what's up. You're scared of dying! We used to hunt vampires together, but now you're one of them! Admit it, Deacon! You got scared of cancer and came up with this crazy plan. I've been working with you, but look at the mess you've made. You've killed more people now than the vampires we used to hunt! Why don't you just end it and let me wipe these damn bloodsuckers off the planet?"

Deacon looked at Russell with a cold smile, his expression conflicted. "You're a damn cowboy, Russell. You don't get it. Watching your life slip away bit by bit, feeling helpless, it can drive you nuts. I'm not afraid of dying, or I wouldn't be doing this. But I want my death to mean something. I don't expect you to get it, but don't mess with my plan. Once I succeed, you can kill me then."

With that, Deacon limped back to the alley he came from.

Phil patted Russell's arm. "The Blood God Project's got the World Security Council's stamp of approval. Even if I think it's dumb, maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. needs this kind of power. The world's getting weirder, too many changes, too many strange folks. We need the power to handle it. Like Alvin, we know he's a bit off, but we can't control him. No one knows if he'll turn bad, though I doubt it. But we need the power to stop people like him if we have to. We can't just rely on us agents."

Russell shook his head, unimpressed. "So you guys turned to vampires? What the hell are those higher-ups thinking? These things shouldn't exist! It's stupid. You guys are always chasing weird powers. I don't like it. Killing them all is the best choice. You'll regret this decision, mark my words. We're in for some big trouble."

Phil shrugged, helpless. "Who knows? It's not our call. Vampires are just a backup plan. We can handle it, right? No one's stopping you from killing the vampires you see. That's your job. But killing them all? That's impossible. We can't afford that. I got a call today, a hammer fell from the sky in New Mexico. Isn't that nuts? Just 'cause of a hammer, I gotta rush over there overnight."

"Buddy, you should totally chat with Blade. You guys probably have a lot in common. He busted your nose, you hit him with an RPG—sounds like you're even now."

"That dude's something else. You should try to bring him into S.H.I.E.L.D. and lay it all out for him. I bet he won't mind, especially with the cops always on his tail."

Phil frowned, thinking it over. "Since when did the LAPD get so good? You need to check it out. Those cops are better than our field agents, and it's making me uneasy!"

Russell laughed, "They're just a bunch of restless vets. Don't sweat it; they won't mess with our work. Honestly, I think those soldiers are doing a bang-up job! Sometimes even better than us!"

Alvin cruised his sports car along the coastal highway, soaking in the sunrise. The scenery was stunning, and the weather was perfect. It was Alvin's first time in California, and he was falling for its charm.

As he drove, he spotted several bikini-clad girls strolling by the roadside early in the morning. Every time Alvin slowed down and passed them, he could hear their enthusiastic greetings. This made Alvin pretty happy. Outside of Hellfire Boulevard, he was quite the hit too!

Along the way, he gave rides to four or five slim girls. At their request, Alvin handed out his phone number, telling them to call him anytime. He was always available and eager to get to know them better!

In high spirits, Alvin rested his left arm on the car window, showing off his one-handed driving skills, humming an old tune. He hoped that when he got calls from these girls, Jack would appreciate it. This was his way of making up for being tricked into a gay bar last night! Donna would definitely be pleased!

By the time Alvin rolled up to Tony's cliffside mansion, it was almost eleven o'clock. As he pulled in, he saw Pepper arriving at the same time.

Parking his car at the entrance, Alvin got out and greeted Pepper, "Hey, Pepper, what brings you here? Don't tell me you've forgiven that jerk Tony. That's not good. Seriously, come work at my school! Tony doesn't deserve you!"

Pepper made a face at Alvin, looked behind him, and smiled, "I might consider it. It would be a challenge for me!"

Alvin laughed heartily, hugged Pepper, and said with a wink, "No challenge at all for you. Plus, we've got plenty of quality men at our school, and you'll have lots of options! Ethan's a good choice. Although he's been married, he's single now. Oh, and we have a new football coach. I can introduce you to him; he's quite the catch!"

Alvin felt a tap on his shoulder from behind. Smiling, he winked at Pepper and turned to see Tony standing there with a grim expression, holding Ginny. Ginny wrinkled her nose and looked at Alvin angrily, still upset about him not coming home last night.

Alvin laughed, pulled Ginny into his arms, and rubbed noses with her, making the little girl giggle. Ginny tugged on Alvin's ear as a punishment, then kissed him on the cheek as a reward!

Alvin laughed heartily, pretended to bite Ginny's cheek, making her scream and jump to the ground, running into the house with her arms flailing. Alvin chased after her, laughing. He left Tony and Pepper alone; they needed some private space!

Inside the house, Megan heard the commotion and came out with a small spatula in her hand, smiling at Alvin. Alvin was momentarily stunned. Megan, with her great figure, was wearing a revealing swimsuit under one of Alvin's shirts. The gentle sea breeze blowing through the open window outlined her perfect shape.

He walked up and gently hugged Megan, looking at her seriously, "Tony's here. Are you gonna stay like this?"

The charming Megan rolled her eyes, planted a kiss on Alvin's cheek with her sexy lips, and took it as a compliment. She then turned and slipped out of Alvin's embrace, twirling the spatula in her hand, and walked briskly back to figuring out how to fry the eggs properly. She had already failed five times!