Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 36: Do You Like It?

The atmosphere in the bar was oppressive; no one spoke, waiting for Alvin and Kingpin to see who would speak first.

Alvin had no intention of causing trouble with these gangsters. He glanced at the sexy blonde standing against the wall not far behind Kingpin, fiddling with a finely crafted iron ruler. She was the girl that blind Matt had always been thinking about. Now she worked for Kingpin.

To ease the tension a bit, Alvin took out two cigars from his jacket pocket and handed one to Kingpin. The host, Clark, perceptively offered a beautifully designed lighter.

Alvin lit his cigar, took a puff, letting the aroma swirl in his mouth before slowly exhaling. The smoke lingered between them as Alvin smiled and said, "No need to be nervous, Kingpin. I already told you on the phone, today's matter has nothing to do with territory."

Kingpin breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't about territory, everything else was manageable.

"Alvin, you just arrived at the dock area the night before last and took down one of Lanshev's smuggling warehouses. Today, you brought your big dog to 27th Street. It's hard not to misunderstand."

Alvin looked at Kingpin with amusement. This guy was really concerned about him. It was rare for him to go out at night, and Kingpin already knew. Judging by the other people's grim faces, they were still in the dark, thinking it was the police. Only an elderly Eastern European man with graying hair looked at Alvin with anger and ferocity.

Ignoring the old man's glare, Alvin said to Kingpin, "I said I was going to perform a magic trick. Do you want to see it? It's very exciting!"

Kingpin frowned and said, "What do you mean, Alvin? Be direct."

Alvin smiled and said, "Tell that idiot with the target tattoo on his head to take a few men and follow my big dog to catch someone. I'll explain it to you." He took another puff of his cigar, relaxed, and spread his arms on the back of the long bench. "Oh, remember to bring a big trash can and put it in there. That thing is afraid of sunlight."

The sexy blonde laughed out loud at Alvin's description of Bullseye. She sometimes didn't like that lunatic either.

Hearing her laughter, Alvin winked at her. She was indeed his type: hot and straightforward. Unfortunately, she was the love interest of blind and broke Matt. Alvin was loyal, so he wouldn't think about it!

Others didn't dare to laugh at Bullseye because he was indeed a madman.

Kingpin ignored Bullseye's angry expression and instructed him to do as Alvin said.

An angry Bullseye glared at Alvin, then went out with a few men, found a trash can in the back alley, and set off with the three eager hellhounds. The target wasn't far, just down the street.

The atmosphere relaxed, and the gang leaders pulled out the bar owner. Early in the morning, each ordered a strong drink and started chatting. However, the content of their conversation didn't match their identities.

"My kid got an A yesterday. Can you believe it? The teacher called me to discuss college options. No one in my family has ever gone to college, and my son got in on his own."

"My kid's on the football team. Did you see last week's game? Six touchdowns, and my son had three. Yesterday, a coach from Texas A&M called, inviting us to visit the school and offering a full scholarship. I told him to get lost! What kind of school is Texas A&M? Do they want my son to drive a tractor? Do I look like I need a scholarship?"

Those with kids who had good grades were bragging. Those whose kids didn't do well buried their heads in their drinks, deciding to give their kids a hard time when they got home. Damn it, if you don't get good grades, I can't even have a decent conversation when I go out.

Bullseye's efficiency was impressive. He returned in less than half an hour, though he didn't look too happy.

Seeing the trash can in the bar's main hall, Alvin signaled the bar owner to turn on the lights, close the doors and windows, and draw the curtains.

Two of Kingpin's men held down the trash can lid, while Bullseye, holding a few darts, watched the trash can intently, clearly frightened.

Alvin looked around, took a Viking-style decorative axe from the bar wall, swung it a bit, and found it decent in weight, though the craftsmanship was average.

He raised his eyebrows at Kingpin, signaling his men to step aside.

The vampire in the trash can was severely injured by the hellhounds, but as soon as the lid pressure was released, it sprang out, lunging at Alvin, the only apparent threat.

Alvin wasn't much of a fighter but despised the vampire's tactics. Jumping in the air and attacking might look fierce, but it left no room for evasion.

The axe wasn't perfectly aligned, but it struck the vampire's face viciously. The unfortunate vampire's half-face exploded, an eyeball flew out, and the shredded facial muscles couldn't cover the toothless half-jaw.

The lunging vampire flipped twice in the air and crashed heavily to the ground. The gang leaders' hearts skipped a beat.

With a cigar in his mouth, Alvin stepped on the struggling vampire's back, grinned menacingly at Bullseye, and swung the axe down hard on the vampire's waist.

Shaking his head, Alvin wasn't too satisfied with the result. The axe, being a decorative piece, wasn't sharp enough to sever the vampire completely, only cutting through half its kidney and spine.

Everyone present shivered, gaining a new understanding of Alvin's danger level.

The vampire, with its spine severed, lay on the ground, dragging its mangled innards, struggling in pain. Alvin kept it pinned with his foot, took the cigar from his mouth with his left hand, and exhaled a thick smoke ring.

Looking around at the panicked gang leaders, he smiled and said, "See, this is the magic trick I mentioned. Do you like it?"

Everyone stared at the creature under Alvin's foot, missing half its face and half its waist, still struggling desperately. It was clearly not human. Their hearts chilled. "What the hell is this thing?"

Kingpin, with his strong mental fortitude, approached and observed closely. "Are there many of these things in Hell's Kitchen?" he asked, stomping on the vampire's flailing right hand, crushing it completely. He sneered at the vampire, which was still struggling and trying to say something with its broken mouth, and swung his thick cane at its relatively intact other jaw. Even if this vampire survived, it would need a feeding tube for the rest of its life.

Alvin admired Kingpin. He was an outstanding villain: calm, determined, and ruthless.

"This thing is a vampire. It only comes out at night and feeds on human blood. There are many of them. I can't control other places, but in Hell's Kitchen, these things must be eradicated. They have fatal weaknesses: silver weapons and sunlight."

He signaled the bar owner to open the curtains. As sunlight hit the vampire, everyone watched as it ignited from the inside out like a piece of dry tissue paper, turning into a pile of ash.

Alvin liked it. Very eco-friendly!