Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 15: Call Him Father

After some back-and-forth, Ginny finally started to chill out. The little munchkin wasn't much of a talker yet, which made things a bit tricky, but Alvin didn't sweat it. This was his kid, and he had all the time in the world to teach her.

Alvin gently scooped Ginny up in his arms. She stiffened for a sec but then melted into him, nuzzling her head into his neck, soaking up all the warmth. In the tiniest voice, she whispered, "Daddy."

Alvin's heart did a little flip. No wonder they say daughters are their dads' sweethearts from another life. He'd never been this jittery, not even when he was dating his wife. That had just flowed naturally. But his daughter? He'd move mountains for her, be her knight in shining armor forever.

With Ginny in his arms, Alvin reached out and shook Professor Wilson's hand firmly. "Thanks, Professor Wilson. You've brought me an angel."

Professor Wilson shook his hand back, a wry smile on his face. "I hope you always feel that way, Alvin. I knew you were special. You're the most unique young man I've ever met."

Alvin brushed off the deeper meaning in Wilson's words and said confidently, "Of course, Ginny's my little angel! My little angel!"

Wilson nodded, looking relieved. "She's very special, Alvin. My wife and I wanted to adopt her, but we realized we couldn't protect her the way she needs. She's too special. Promise me you'll keep her safe and cherish her. Don't make this old man regret it!"

Alvin nodded seriously. "I promise. She'll be my treasure. No one will harm her. Not even God."

Wilson nodded again. "Then I'm relieved. I've got a lot to do at the school, so I'll head back. My wife is fine; don't be too hard on that kid. Alvin, Ginny's in your hands now. Here's the adoption certificate I updated." He handed Alvin a document, straightened his tie, adjusted his sleeves, and the old man took off back to the school.

Alvin sighed, thinking about the huge difference between professors. Comparing Professor Cage's rough-and-tumble style to Wilson's gentlemanly demeanor was like night and day.

Not wanting to put Ginny down, Alvin turned to the teenager who looked like he just stepped out of a gang movie. He sighed, thinking he needed to order school uniforms ASAP. These kids were a mess: oversized T-shirts, saggy jeans, and cheap bling everywhere.

The black kid had a defiant look, glaring at Alvin with a mix of arrogance and stubbornness.

Remembering he was the principal and there were other people around, Alvin held back the urge to smack him and said, "So, why'd you hurt Mrs. Wilson?"

Anyone who knew Alvin could tell this kid was in deep trouble. If Alvin had just yelled or hit him, it would've been over. But when Alvin got serious, if the kid didn't play it right, it was game over.

But this kid was a real piece of work, baring his teeth and acting all tough. "That old hag wanted me to apologize. I should've stabbed her to teach her a lesson."

Alvin felt a chill. What kind of place churns out punks like this? The worst students he'd seen before would just mouth off to teachers. This little punk actually wanted to stab a teacher, and not just any teacher—a sweet, patient, kind old lady.

Ginny, all snuggled up in Alvin's arms, heard the black kid trash-talking Mrs. Wilson. She suddenly twisted around, wrinkled her nose, bared her teeth, and let out an angry growl. Her right hand clenched into a fist, and bam! Two blades shot out from between her fingers, slashing at the kid. Alvin quickly wrapped his hands around Ginny's, ignoring the sharp blades cutting into his chest. He moved so fast that probably only JJ caught what went down.

Ginny, realizing she hurt Alvin, quickly pulled the blades back in. She leaned against him, her eyes filled with guilt, worry, and fear.

Alvin brushed it off like it was nothing. With his superhuman physique, a little cut was no big deal. As soon as Ginny retracted the blades, his chest started healing up, barely any blood spilled.

He adjusted Ginny in his arms, using her to cover the bloodstains on his chest so no one else would notice. He looked at her gently, pressing his forehead against hers, and said, "Ginny, you're a little lady. Let Daddy handle this, okay?"

Ginny's face relaxed, and she softly said, "Mm." She buried her head in Alvin's neck, ignoring the rude punk.

The black kid, who'd clearly had a rough time at school before, freaked out at Ginny's display and yelled, "Keep her away from me! She's a freak." He struggled, but JJ held him tight. With a slight squeeze, the kid "calmed down." But his eyes still glared at Alvin, not giving a damn about the principal.

The word "freak" made Ginny tense up. Alvin felt it and gently patted her back to comfort her.

In an even gentler tone, Alvin said to the kid, "I know your name's Jason. Who are your parents? Where do you live? I think I need to have a chat with them."

Jason snorted and said, "They're dead. Go find them in hell!"

Alvin nodded, "Both parents dead, and you survived. Must've joined a gang. Which one? I can talk to your boss."

Jason, still defiant, shouted, "My boss is James Lancer from 58th Street. Let me go and apologize, or our ZL gang won't let you off. We'll take you all out."

Alvin ignored Jason's threats and turned to JJ, "Are there many kids like him in the school?"

JJ thought for a moment and said, "There were some at first, but after the school solved their food problems, not many are left."

Alvin pondered for a moment, "So there are still some, right?" He turned to Old Kent, who had come over to watch the commotion, and said, "Old Kent, you know this ZL gang? Why haven't I heard of them?"

Old Kent thought for a moment, made a phone call to confirm, and said, "Yeah, there's a ZL gang, just a dozen reckless kids. They distribute goods for Black Bear on 58th Street. Should I call their boss over?"

Alvin nodded. This Black Bear was a lackey under "Bloody Jason," Kingpin's rival. And this Jason and his so-called gang were at the bottom of the Hell's Kitchen gang hierarchy, doing jobs for the higher-ups for scraps. And "Bloody Jason" was the biggest drug wholesaler in New York, always at odds with Kingpin. From his name and his opponent, it was clear this guy wouldn't last long.

"Then call his boss over, and that Black Bear who handles the drug trade in Hell's Kitchen, right?" Seeing Old Kent nod, "Call him over too."

Jason, hearing Alvin completely disregard his boss, not even bothering to mention his name, and casually asking an old man to call his boss over, looked panicked, realizing he might be in big trouble.

Alvin glanced at Jason and said to JJ, "Find him a seat and keep an eye on him."