Chapter 61: Little Green Goblin
After the rain, the fading sunset glow shimmered on the puddles with oil-painting-like colors.
Beside the bustling traffic, inside a cake shop, four girls with different hair colors sat side by side by the window, watching the rain curtain gradually stop.
The neon lights of the distant skyscrapers shining through the moisture were a bit more hazy and piercing than usual.
"Lorna~ Actually, we could be a bit closer~ Why don't you come stay at my house for a night? I bought the latest Taylor Swift album, the sound quality is amazing."
Mary Jane leaned in, propping herself up on the table, her striking red hair falling down as she gazed at Lorna, who was taking small bites of vanilla cheese pudding, with a look like a dazed murmur.
"You know, I don't like being forced." Lorna held the cake spoon in her mouth, her eyelids lowered as she nonchalantly scrolled through her phone.
"But why—"
"We have the best." On the other side, Laura leaned back, looking past Lorna at Mary Jane.
"You're so cold-hearted for saying that, Laura." Mary Janepouted.
"She's not talking about music." Gwen, beside Laura, chimed in with a smile.
"Then what is it?" Mary Jane straightened up, puffing out her cheeks with a look of defiance.
"You tell me, Lorna." She didn't listen to the others' explanations, placing her hand on the back of Lorna's, looking at her earnestly.
Whether it was a coincidence or something else...
Each of Mary Jane's fingers pressed against the gaps of Lorna's not-yet-fully-spread fingers; it seemed that if Lorna's hand tightened even slightly, those fair fingers would slip right in.
"!" Lorna's heart suddenly fluttered.
Mary Jane was very close, her exhaled breath carrying the lingering warmth of her emotions as it lightly brushed against the side of Lorna's neck.
She frowned, feeling that since the weather had turned cold, her body was having some sort of stress response.
"Because my... brother will be with me." Lorna said somewhat reluctantly, seemingly not fond of the title.
She turned her body slightly, avoiding Mary Jane's touch.
Mary Jane's eyes dimmed, but she quickly masked the flash of disappointment.
"Then your brother... can I meet him?"
"No!" x3.
The three girls spoke in unison, their gazes turning toward her with an unusually serious look.
"Uh..." Mary Jane shrank back and raised her hands, "O-okay then."
Why is everyone reacting so strongly... she grumbled to herself.
Wait!
Mary Jane suddenly realized something and turned to look at Gwen.
"Gwen, why did you also—"
Gwen's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing red instantly.
"I, uh..."
She hurriedly cast a pleading look toward Laura and Lorna.
Only to find those two propping up their chins, watching her with expressions as if they were enjoying a show.
"Yeah, why indeed~" Laura shook her cake spoon, her tone drawn out.
"You two heartless girls! I'm going to tell Green later that you guys secretly installed cameras in his bedroom and bathroom while he was away!" Gwen gritted her teeth inwardly.
She expressed her protest with her eyes.
Protest denied.
Didn't you bring those parts? We assembled them together.
The two girls shot back with their eyes.
Gwen admitted defeat because... they were telling the truth.
*Cough cough*... She didn't have any personal thoughts at all.
She had heard rumors from George about "The Owl" in Hells Kitchen, and she strongly suspected that Mr. Green was that "Owl."
She was just helping her dad keep an eye on him.
Yeah! Exactly!
Meanwhile, Mary Jane seemed to have caught onto some secret; a mischievous smile curled on her lips as she gave Laura and Lorna a meaningful look.
"It seems your brother is already being targeted."
She looked away, failing to see the two girls rolling their eyes simultaneously.
Don't be ridiculous; it's always been him targeting others.
However... we jumped in willingly, whereas you are just dangerously curious.
"Gwen~~" Mary Jane drew out her name, just about to speak.
"Laura? You're here too?"
A surprised voice came from behind them.
They turned to look.
Two boys and two girls, a classic outing group.
The one who spoke was a tall, thin boy, his gaze fixed intently on Laura.
"Harry Osborn?" Laura looked puzzled, then realization dawned.
"Got blocked too many times and want to settle the score?"
She cracked her knuckles, her expression eager.
"I'm just in a good mood from eating too many desserts today, so I won't break your ribs."
"No, no, no." Harry waved his hands hurriedly.
He just wanted to talk to this girl a bit more.
Ever since she joined this class as a transfer student, he had noticed her. She was excellent in every way and wasn't coy like the other girls he usually hung out with.
Especially that time she practically suplexed that school bully who had the build of a grown man... It was just too cool!
But the companions behind him were not happy.
"Hey, are you from a savage society? Tomboy, hitting people at the drop of a hat." a girl shouted.
"Huh?" Laura paused and tilted her head, "Who are you?"
"They're my friends from another school, it's fine, it's fine." Harry explained quickly, fearing the misunderstanding would deepen.
"This is Laura, the excellent girl I often mention. I just saw you... you guys here and couldn't help calling out."
"Oh, hello." Laura responded flatly.
"Tch, Harry, you have terrible taste." A boy beside Harry patted his shoulder.
Harry frowned and looked at Laura, finding that she didn't care at all, focusing instead on finishing her small cup of cake.
"Let's go." Lorna patted Laura and said coldly.
Laura nodded and casually handed the change to the approaching waiter.
"Hmph." Gwen snorted coldly, picked up her backpack, exchanged a look with Mary Jane, and followed behind.
"I can give you a ride back, you girls..." Harry spoke up quickly.
But hearing the word "girls," which carried a connotation of weakness, Laura looked up at him.
Harry quickly changed his tune: "It's a bit far to walk, and there are clouds gathering; it might rain again in a while."
"My car is right outside." He added, pointing to the Cadillacparked outside.
After saying that, he also used his eyes to stop his companions who wanted to speak and ruin the mood.
Seeing Laura looking thoughtful, the light in Harry's eyes gradually brightened.
There's a chance! He shouted internally.
"Eh? Did Green forget to pick us up?" Instead, Lauramumbled unhappily as if suddenly remembering something.
"Must be. He probably had too much fun and forgot about us again. I'm going to beat him up when I get back!"
"Gr... Green?" Harry's expression froze.
Who is Green?
"Who knows." Hearing the name, Lorna's fox-like eyes flickered, and she felt a bit more disappointed in spite of herself.
She looked at Harry.
"No thanks, but thank you."
Indeed, she should call that guy to come over. Yeah, right, he probably didn't know where they were.
With that, she took the first step.
"Heh heh, let's go, rookie." Laura laughed, patted Harry's chest, and followed Lorna.
She... patted me for the first time... Harry was stunned, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Harry, you're way too innocent. With your status, you could just spend some money and find several girls to hang out with you. Why do you like this tomboy?"
"Exactly. If they don't want to ride, they'll find out once they're in the real world that even touching a car like this is a pipe dream."
Harry's companions chimed in one after another.
For some reason, a surge of hostility inexplicably rose in Harry's heart.
"Laura, maybe you really should come with me!"
His voice was loud, causing the surrounding customers to look over at Laura at the doorway.
"Huh?" Laura turned back in confusion.
"Hey! What kind of talk is that?" Gwen was the first to snap back.
"Exactly!" Mary Jane immediately joined in, as she saw Lorna's expression had already darkened.
"A spineless guy, just like the scum next to you—all the same."
Her eyes turned cold, her pale, exquisite face looking as if it were covered in a layer of frost. The anger she had been suppressing surged up, and a faint, dark-green glow of energy quietly flickered in the palm of her hand at her side.
Chapter 62: Returning Evil for Evil
At this moment, the roar of jet vents suddenly came from outside the store.
Everyone looked toward the sound; a quinjet emerged from its cloaked state and slowly descended.
The deep blue flames pressed against the ground, kicking up the remaining moisture, and a mist gradually formed.
Cars along the street braked one after another; no one dared to honk, only the silent double-flashing hazard lights increased, flickering in the mist.
A tall figure gradually emerged within the mist.
Dead-fish eyes, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, scratching his hair.
"Hmm?"
Green rolled his eyes, looking at the two pairs of dazed men and women inside the store, then at the four girls at the door whose gazes were tightly glued to him. He understood everything in an instant.
"Phew—" He went silent for a moment.
Then, Green raised both hands high.
Above his head... he made a heart gesture.
"Bing—"
Despite that face still having that punchable expression, despite being a big bear over two meters tall.
"Pfft—" Lorna's eyes crinkled as a smile spread across her lips, and the dark green light in her palm quietly dissipated.
"You just got here, you stinky guy." Laura stood with her hands on her hips irritably, but her eyes were full of him.
"Let's go." Gwen's eyes softened as she looked away from that figure, pulling Mary Jane beside her.
"Ah?" Mary Jane was in a daze, her finger trembling as she pointed at the jet that had appeared out of thin air on the road.
"We're... taking this?!"
Her face was full of disbelief.
No, sister, are you serious?? This is a plane! A plane!! Is it really this extravagant?
"Yeah." Gwen nodded as if it were natural. Seeing Mary Jane's expression, she understood immediately and gave a mischievous smile.
"Besides, didn't you want to meet him? Look, he's right there."
She pointed at Green in the middle of the road.
"Heh... hehe..." Mary Jane's mouth twitched.
"I must have had too much sugar; I'm a bit drunk."
She suddenly felt like she didn't recognize the identities of her best friends anymore.
"Hurry up, I don't want to make him wait for me." Gwenpulled her along impatiently.
"No... no... I suddenly have a bit of indigestion and urgently need exercise to digest. Next time, definitely next time!"
Mary Jane didn't dare face that man; she was afraid he would discover her little thoughts and take her out directly.
She didn't even dare look at Lorna now, uh, or Laura... okay, she didn't dare look at Gwen either.
Why do they have such overbearing parents! she wailed internally.
Her legs had already moved first, turning to run.
"Video call when you get home, bye!"
"Hey—" Gwen's hand was raised mid-air as she watched Mary Jane flee for her life, momentarily speechless.
"Alright."
Just as she lowered her hand, she was dragged forward by Laura.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! I want to fly this! So cool!!"
"Slow down, I can't keep up, Laura."
The two girls jogged toward Green.
"I thought you drove here," Laura said, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at this steel bird, her voice barely containing her excitement. She loved it!
"Picking you up isn't about what I have, but what I'm currently flying," Green replied.
The jet was still some distance from the ground, and the hatch was high up. He lowered his hand, spreading his palm to act as a step.
"Heh!" Laura laughed and stepped on it without hesitation, using the leverage to spring flexibly into the cabin.
"Your turn." Green looked at Gwen.
"Okay." Gwen stepped on it lightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Her face was burning red, and her legs felt a bit weak.
Mr. Green won't think I ate too much, will he... If I had known, I shouldn't have been so greedy for those high-fat ones... Her mind was racing.
Green didn't exert much effort as he lifted her high. She stepped in, landing a bit unsteadily. After steadying herself, she wanted to turn and give Green a tissue, but found he wasn't looking this way at all.
Her hand paused in mid-air, then she withdrew it despondently, hanging her small head.
As expected... Mr. Green only cares about people who are useful to him... What about me? Am I... useful?
She fell into self-doubt but still took a deep breath, trying to suppress her internal conflict as she walked into the cabin.
I will be useful!
Green waited quietly in place and looked at Lorna.
Lorna turned around, looking at the stunned faces inside the store, her lips curling playfully.
"You were right, I can't sit in your little toys because..."
She curled her lips and gave a playful shrug.
"I have Green."
With that, she turned and walked toward Green, gracefully stepping onto his open palm with one foot. With a slight lift, she landed lightly on the hatch.
Green glanced coldly at the people in the store, hopped onto the hatch with a hand on it, and landed inside.
The hatch retracted and closed, and the jet slowly rose into the air.
Inside the store—
"I must be hallucinating..." the girl next to Harry murmured.
As for Harry, he felt that the girl he had fallen for for the first time was now completely out of reach.
He wasn't stupid; he could see the other party's significance.
Just being able to fly a jet at low altitude over the city was enough to explain everything. That was the most trusted inner circle of the upper class, or even... an ace.
The Osborn Family only held one of the seats; there were still too many secrets that hadn't been revealed to him.
"What... what was I saying just now?" He regretted it.
"Heh, me too. I'd rather believe they're here for a city exercise, rather than..." The other boy laughed bitterly, his words trailing off.
The jet suddenly hovered, a mechanical arm lowered from the bottom, and a dark cannon aimed at them.
Bang bang bang!
The dull sound of large-caliber gunfire suddenly exploded.
"What are you doing? What are you doing!"
"Oh my God! Run!"
"Hide!"
The store instantly broke into chaos; screams and the sound of colliding tables and chairs merged. Customers threw themselves to the ground, clutching their heads.
"Is he crazy—he must be crazy!"
"We were wrong! We were wrong!"
The two boys and one girl curled up, clutching their heads and shouting.
However...
Nothing happened.
The gunfire stopped. No shell casings fell, no glass shattered, and there wasn't even a hint of gunpowder smoke.
After ten or so seconds, a clerk finally poked his head out tremblingly, cautiously glancing outside.
On the empty road, where was there any sign of a jet?
He exhaled resentfully, then turned to Harry and the others with a face full of anger.
"You... get out!!"
Amidst the "warm" greetings of the customers and staff, the group scrambled out of the store and dove into their cars in disgrace.
The last unlucky guy had a steak knife sticking out of his butt, though it was unclear who threw it. He screamed as he got into the car, the knife wobbling with the rhythm of his run...
"Hahaha!!!"
In the pilot's seat of the jet, Lorna lay lazily in Green's arms, laughing freely and heartily.
Her hand had just pulled back from the loudspeaker button on the console. Her laughter was crisp and lively, like a nightingale's song in the twilight.
Gwen leaned against the co-pilot's seat, her lips also curved, watching the figures below the window growing smaller as they fled in panic. A trace of satisfaction flickered in her eyes.
"Lorna, you're so mean." Gwen chuckled and shook her head.
"Mm-hmm, I know." Lorna lowered her eyelids and tilted her head back, her dark green curls cascading like a waterfall over the edge of the seat.
"I learned it from someone; he made me bad."
She paused deliberately, turned her head to look at Green, and pouted pitifully, though a glint of cunning hid in her eyes: "Will you blame me, Green?"
Green looked down at her feigned innocent look and rubbed her small head with his large hand.
"You know that only makes me like you more, you little brat."
"I know that too." Lorna's lips curved, her voice softening. "I just wanted to hear you say it."
As she finished speaking, her body straightened slightly, her clothes rustling against him.
She tilted her head up, her soft, moist lips pressing against Green's Adam's apple, leaving a warm, wet trail.
"Mm-hmm." A satisfied hum escaped her nose, a smile still on her lips.
Then, she slowly slid down, but suddenly seemed to be nudged by something, her body lifting slightly higher than where she had originally sat.
"Hehe..."
The look of triumph in her eyes grew even stronger.
And all of this was seen by Gwen.
Her knuckles tightened on the back of the seat, turning slightly white from the force. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes—was it envy, or... jealousy?
She couldn't tell herself.
Her tongue peeked out quietly to lick her dry lower lip, then quickly retracted.
"So, now—"
Lorna's gaze landed on the tactical boot stuck on the dashboard, her eyes pausing for a second.
Then she turned her head, looking past Green's body toward Hill, who was lying on the cabin floor with a broken expression, looking as if she had been hollowed out from the inside out.
"Can you tell me what happened to that lady?"
"Why is her shoe here, and she's over there?"
Laura crouched beside Hill, her nostrils twitching slightly as she caught a familiar scent.
Her gaze fixed on a certain spot.
She paused for a moment.
Then she looked up, her eyes looking at Green dangerously.
"Yeah, why is that?"
Green acted very calmly, taking a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaling. The smoke drifted.
"Thirsty."
Chapter 63: Old Married Couple
At the Stacy residence,
George supported Helen as they slowly strolled in front of the courtyard.
As an ordinary person who had overcome the physical and mental decline after being shot twice and was actively cooperating with rehabilitation, she was recovering quite well.
"Slow down, don't fall. I don't want Gwen scolding me when she gets back," George advised warmly.
"Hehe—" Helen smiled at her husband.
"Only at a time like this would you choose to come back and keep me company."
Her words carried a hint of reproach: "Usually, your concern for victims far exceeds us. You're always distracted at home. Now, I suppose I'm finally enjoying the 'privileges' of being a victim."
George lowered his head in silence, the guilt in his eyes hidden by his drooping eyelids.
"It's already very good." Helen patted his hand, her tone softening.
"You're not as powerful as Homelander in the sky; there are always trade-offs. Didn't you say it? With great power comes great responsibility. Gwen listened very carefully; didn't she become the Student Council President?"
"Heh—" George chuckled.
"She was carried by you; she's more like you."
"It's just this girl... whether she can handle Green, it's uncertain."
He sighed in his heart. As someone who had been through it, he knew the look in Gwen's eyes when she looked at Green all too well.
That was how Helen had looked at him back then, and that's how he had fallen. Those eyes, that look, were too similar.
Only Green... his World was too dangerous for Gwen.
After all, they were just ordinary people.
But how could he persuade his stubborn daughter?
"I hope Green can protect her well."
As he spoke, George inexplicably felt a bit of resentment toward Green.
A guy he'd known for barely a few days, who then went on a business trip for so long before returning once, and who might even have other women behind her back—yet this bastard had his precious daughter completely spellbound.
"Damn it, that wretched brat," he couldn't help but curse.
"Who are you referring to?" Helen was puzzled at first, then understood.
"You mean Green? Hehe, Gwen is always talking about him by my bedside. They only spent a day or so together, but she's been telling me about it for over a month. Once she ran out of topics, she started worrying about his safety."
She paused, looking at her husband with a smile in her eyes. "George, her heart has already been stolen by that bad boy."
"Just like you back then in the back of the van—we were halfway through a hookup when you ran into that gang of thieves. You charged out with a gun while bare-assed, and your gun even slapped me in the face on the way."
Helen spoke of the past without any ladylike grace, with the unreserved frankness of a middle-aged couple; they were too familiar with each other.
"That... that was an accident." George's face turned red.
"Hmm~ who knows?" Helen moved closer to George. "I also saw your potential."
George's breathing quickened, his eyes darting upward, not daring to look at her.
"I saw Green's potential the first time we met." Helen's hand pressed against his abdomen, sliding downward.
"Oh, my god... his caliber is the largest I've ever seen! Gwenis lucky."
"Helen, you haven't fully recovered yet." George quickly grabbed her hand.
"I've been on a liquid diet for two months; I need to eat something to nourish my body."
Helen curled her lips, her voice soft with a hint of sickly raspiness.
Her still-charming face held a provocative expression, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes curving with the weight of years.
"Or~ are you incapable? Maybe I could go to Gwen and ask her to lend Green to me for a while... Oh~ with his physique, maybe... it would take a long time."
George's breathing became heavy, his eyes fixed on Helen.
"You wouldn't dare! I'm much stronger than him!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt inexplicably lacking in confidence.
Helen looked up at him with a smile.
"Hard, to, say, oh~"
George glanced around, and after ensuring there weren't many people and no one was paying attention, he let go of her hand.
"That's more like it, you dog," Helen said, satisfied.
"Let me help you..."
George's neck stiffened, unable to speak.
Indeed, he couldn't escape Helen's grasp—and neither could 'it'.
Suddenly, a voice came from the air.
"Mom?"
The voice was familiar; both instinctively looked toward the source.
A visible silhouette emerged in the air, the hatch slowly lowered, and Gwen's embarrassed face gradually became clear.
Her shoulders were hunched, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The mom in her memory had always been that gentle and considerate housewife. How... could she have such a wild side?
"G-Gwen, you're back?" Helen quickly withdrew her hand, forcing a stiff smile. "A magic trick, huh? Ahaha..."
She didn't dare meet Gwen's gaze, her head drooping lower and lower.
"Gwen, when did you get back... er, arrive here?" Georgequickly tightened his waistband and coughed a few times, feigning composure.
"From when you two..." Gwen made a few awkward motions with her clenched fists.
"Oh my god... oh my god, I have to go. This scene is too much." Helen quickly turned around and fled into the house, not looking like a patient at all.
"I have things to do." George also hurried to retreat in the other direction, only to crash straight into the invisible quinjet.
"Oh! Fuck!" He clutched his bleeding nose, grimacing in pain.
But ignoring the pain, he took a running start and leaped over the fence. He didn't run toward the street, nor did he get in a car.
Clearly, the previous business was stuck halfway, which was very uncomfortable. He had to quickly find Helen to unlock the other half and fully release.
"Little Gwen~ it looks like you might have a younger brother soon," Laura teased from behind, putting her arms around her.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Gwen swatted her hand away in embarrassment.
"Not necessarily," Laura chuckled.
"Maybe your 'younger brothers' will crash into some feces instead."
Her expression suddenly darkened as she lowered her voice and cursed through gritted teeth.
"Green actually used a diamond to put that damn lock on that woman. It stinks!"
"I—I didn't see anything!" Gwen's mind was a bit of a mess.
No, it should be said that it was quietly shifting.
Ever since she and Laura peeked at Green "tossing" Jessica, her thinking had subconsciously moved closer to the person she considered "right" at the time—Green.
She seemed... to really want to try it...
"No, no..." She waved her hands frantically at the air.
"What?" Laura looked at her fantasy-filled reaction in confusion.
"Enough!" Lorna pushed Laura. "Green is just like that. Learn to adapt."
"Hmph, I won't say who just bit Green hard and wouldn't let go," Laura said with her arms crossed.
"Tch!" Lorna curled her lip and ground her teeth. Green's muscles were too hard; instead, her teeth were aching from the bite.
From the corner of her eye, she looked at Hill, who was talking to Green in the passenger seat.
Hill also happened to be glancing over. When the two women's gazes met in the air, they both tacitly withdrew.
"Let's go. We need to think of a way to pass Green's time, lest he... gets thirsty again."
"When is he ever not thirsty?" Laura muttered.
"Ahem, alright, alright, let's go." Lorna pulled the indignant Laura along, taking Gwen's hand with her other hand.
"Looks like you won't be going back tonight."
"That... seems true." Gwen lowered her head and scratched her hair.
There was no helping it; her parents were too "affectionate." They seemed to know how to have more fun than young people, and even did it outdoors!
Wait!!
Gwen suddenly remembered what Helen had just said. Was she... also interested in Green?
"No way..." Gwen felt a bit depressed. Did she have to worry about her own mom now too?
But her feet still honestly followed Lorna forward.
In the driver's seat,
"By the way, Nick Fury is going to start the Tesseract Project," Hill said, turning her head toward Green.
"Oh."
"You're not surprised?" Hill looked up; instead, she was the one surprised.
"That's infinite energy."
When she heard the news, her first reaction was whether Nick was a remnant of Hydra. Such a thing should be sealed in the Labyrinth.
Infinite energy is equivalent to infinite destructive power.
[Note: Labyrinth comes from 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.', a top-secret vault known only to the Koenig family, specifically for storing forbidden items.]
"That damn black guy is playing with fire. But to stop someone who is extremely paranoid and convinced his decisions are never wrong, you'd have to kill him," Green said flatly.
But he wasn't sure if that Nick Fury was real. What if he killed him? Would the Military take over? That would be a joke.
"He's dangerous." Hill tilted her head with a half-smile. "But I think you're more dangerous."
"How about you become the Director?"
"I'm already enjoying better treatment than the Director. Why should I take on the Director's responsibilities?"
"That's why you're a damn scumbag." Hill kicked Green in annoyance. This bastard, was she part of the "treatment" too?
She looked away, her eyes flickering as her voice grew weaker. "I'm also one of the project personnel. I need a full-body checkup, so..."
"So?" Green raised an eyebrow. "I've seen it; it hasn't reached the point of harvesting yet. Are you going to let all your previous efforts go to waste, Agent Hill?"
"It's necessary!" She glared at him.
"Fine then." Green leaned back into the seat, which was slightly small for him, and crossed his hands. "Say the safe word, and I'll remove your seal early."
Hill ground her teeth and stood up on one foot. She withdrew her bare foot, raised it high, and aimed her sole at the shoe hole fixed on the upper part of the equipment, sliding it in.
At that moment, she adjusted her position and grabbed her waistband to pull it down.
"Ha... Hail Hydra."
"Jiejiejie... Correct answer."
Chapter 64: The Three Little Ones' Little Schemes, vampireIntelligence
After a long while, the fighter jet took off, its engines spitting tail flames as it soared into the sky, disappearing into the lead-gray clouds.
"Looks like there's another rainstorm coming tonight," Green said, squinting as he looked up.
He then walked back to the door, inserted the key, turned it, and pushed it open, only to see three bratty girls with their arms crossed, blocking the entrance in unison, staring at him with unfriendly eyes.
"What kind of 'exchange' takes over an hour?" Laura tilted her head, her retracted claws snapping out from her lowered hands, a cold glint appearing.
"It couldn't be helped." Green rubbed her small head.
"I was already very fast, but I didn't set the framework well, so there wasn't much room to move while digging the mine."
"Tsk! So filthy!" Laura shook her head in resistance, her pupils shifting upward within her lowered eyelids as she stared at him in disgust.
"Where is that diamond?" Lorna asked.
Clearly, they had already checked the fighter jet.
"She's carrying it, of course."
"That's fine then," Lorna muttered.
"I don't want to see that smelly, broken rock on the table I just wiped."
"Here."
She handed over a handmade sandwich. It was packed with fillings, with five large slices of bacon alone; clearly, she knew a certain someone's appetite.
"Here."
"Don't just eat any random junk... at least, try to eat less of it."
She turned her head away, her gaze stealing a glance at Green before quickly retracting, her tone weakening.
"I'll leave a bite for you guys, sweethearts." Green took it.
To Lorna, the palm-sized sandwich was just a small bun to him; he stuffed it into his mouth in one go, saying indistinctly,
"Who wants that! Pervert!"
Lorna pushed him in embarrassment and anger.
"What's wrong, Gwen?" Green turned his gaze to Gwen, who was staring intently at a certain silhouette.
"Ah, ah? I... I... I get some too?"
She looked up dazed, nosebleed dripping from under her nose onto her pink, tender toes. She hurriedly covered it, her face full of disarray.
Suddenly, a large hand gently pulled her hand away, wiped the blood from under her nose, and tilted her chin up.
"Ugh... Mr. Green, let me explain..." she said piteously, pouting.
"It's okay," Green said softly.
"I just didn't expect my little Gwen to be a carnivore. This makes me... like you even more."
"Mine? Like?!"
Gwen's face flushed bright red, her eyes spinning dizzily as if steam were about to rise from her head. She didn't even snap out of it when Green carried her to the sofa.
"What are you two standing there for?" Green turned to look at Lorna and Laura, who were puffing out their cheeks and staring at him angrily.
"I want it too!" x2.
They opened their arms in sync.
"Fine, fine, fine."
...
Not long after, having finished a simple dinner,
the three little ones huddled around Green like fledglings returning to the nest, each occupying their familiar territory.
Lorna lay on her side against Green's leg, her dark green hair spreading across the beige sofa like seaweed.
She propped her chin with her left hand, while her right hand held a pen that slid across a notebook with a rustling sound. The pen tip would pause occasionally, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly before smoothing out again.
A pair of small legs, like white jade lotus roots, were crossed and raised, swaying gently in the air. Her toes would tense and relax at times, glowing softly under the warm yellow floor lamp.
As she wrote, her toes would inadvertently brush against Gwen's calf, then retract as if nothing happened, continuing to sway.
Gwen lay close beside her, her golden hair falling by her cheek, obscuring half of her focused profile.
"Hmm..."
She bit the pen cap, staring blankly at a certain problem in her notebook, her eyelashes casting shallow shadows under her eyes.
After a while, she seemed to figure something out. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly wrote down a few lines. Her calves also began to swing happily, her fair insteps tracing soft arcs in the lamplight.
Occasionally bumping into Lorna's leg, she would turn her head, the two of them making eye contact, then each pursing their lips and smiling as they looked away.
Laura, on the other hand, had her back pressed against Green's broad back, her legs raised straight and resting on the top of the sofa back, supported in the air.
She was engrossed in a manga book, her lower abdomen tensed from the core effort, revealing a faint outline of abdominal muscles that rose and fell slightly with her breathing.
When she occasionally turned a page, her body would sway gently, and her back would rub against Green a couple of times, like a lazy yet stubborn large feline.
Didn't she have homework?
No, in fact, she was the one who collected the reports.
Of course, this didn't stop her from occasionally peeking over the top of the manga to see how far the other two had written, then continuing to lie back with a clear conscience.
Green leaned forward, a USB drive left by Hill plugged into the laptop in front of him.
He scrolled with the mouse, the pages on the screen flipping one by one, his pupils reflecting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence files on the vampire race.
In the files, the origin of the vampire was not a supernatural curse, but a mutagenic virus (classified as a Parvovirus) originating from ancient blood magic.
This virus is transmitted through saliva and can modify human genes within 72 hours, creating new parasitic organs and granting the host superhuman abilities.
But the cost is the development of fatal weaknesses to sunlight, silver, and garlic.
Mythological data from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s brother department, the B.P.R.D., provided supplementary information.
Legend has it that the vampire race originated from an ancient Sumerian immortal named Drake, who was worshipped as a god by the ancients and is considered the original source of the vampire virus.
[Note: B.P.R.D. is from "Hellboy", full name: Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense]
Green's gaze slowly swept across the screen, his fingertips lightly tapping the desk.
In his view, this was merely a transmissible, blood-lusting non-human race.
Mixed-blood members: Overall combat power is slightly stronger than ordinary humans, but they can infect targets through the medium of the 'First Embrace'.
Pure-blood members: Stronger combat power, more prominent self-healing, and physical attributes one to two times stronger than mixed-bloods.
Elite pure-bloods: The so-called aristocratic class, but information on this section and above has been artificially blocked and cannot be accessed.
Overall—
Huntable!
"Green," Laura suddenly spoke.
"Hmm?"
"You should train us."
Laura's words drew the attention of the other two girls.
Lorna and Gwen both looked up at Green at the same time. This contained their shared selfish motive: they always wanted... Green to spend more time with them.
"Oh?" Green's attention was pulled over.
"Relying solely on natural physical development is too slow," Laura said seriously.
"I want to be able to help you now."
"You can help me right now." Green raised his hand and rubbed the soft flesh of Laura's chin.
"What is it, what is it?" Her head slumped down accordingly, pressing against his fingers like a pampered large dog.
"Training can't compare to real combat."
Green moved the laptop slightly, turning it toward them. How could he not know these three kids were in cahoots? This was likely their collective intention, so he might as well pull them all in to work for him.
"Let me see!"
Laura flipped down and joined the other two girls. Their three heads huddled together, eyes falling on the screen.
Bloody photos of victims scrolled across the page, most labeled as "accidental death" in news reports.
But the skin of those corpses undoubtedly showed a weirdly pale and shriveled state, as if the moisture had been drained.
The shrunken skin was covered in blue-gray patterns, like ink on soaked paper that had blurred into fuzzy marks after being wrung dry.
The three girls had different expressions. Laura's was the calmest; the pain she had experienced was far deeper than this—those dark days on the experimental tables, the pain etched into her bones.
Yet, her body's instinct still made her unconsciously lean closer to Green, her expression cold as she raised her hands and clamped Green's arm against her shoulder.
Lorna stood on the other side, the pale corpses reflected in her pupils. Her face didn't change much, but something was trembling slightly deep in her eyes.
She pursed her lips, her lip gloss glowing faintly in the lamplight. She was wondering if this was a test Green was giving her.
Laura had told her before that if she wanted to stay by his side, she had to prove she was useful.
Now, she was more worried that Green would see her performing poorly and be disappointed.
"You don't have to go," Green suddenly said.
Lorna's heart tightened as she looked at him, but his gaze was on Gwen.
This made Lorna's look toward Gwen contain something extra. She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting shallow shadows, then raised them again, her gaze falling complexly on that golden-haired back.
Gwen stared at the bloody results on the screen, those innocent victims. Her breathing became very light, her chest rising and falling slightly.
She took a deep breath, her chest expanding and then slowly falling, her gaze gradually settling as if something was taking root in her eyes.
She looked up at Green, her eyes shining with determination.
"I'm going." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a gritted-teeth resolve.
"Even just as a helper. They are stronger than me, so I'll launch sneak attacks. I want to help you, and I hate these monsters wearing human skins."
"I won't save you, you know." Green curled his lip, his tone airy.
"..." Gwen clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly.
She had experienced being closest to death—powerless, struggling in vain, her mother's scent of blood smeared on her face. She loathed that version of herself even more.
"Okay!" She nodded heavily, her golden hair rising and falling with the movement, a few stray strands sticking to her slightly sweaty forehead.
"Tsk." A hint of surprise flashed in Green's eyes.
He looked at the girl before him, who hadn't even noticed her own body was shaking, as if he were looking at something else.
An old acquaintance, very familiar, incredibly close.
However, back then, he was just a little mouse hiding in a foul-smelling gutter just to survive, afraid that some naughty child would catch him for dissection or... eat him, out of curiosity or just for fun.
"Me too." Lorna suddenly grabbed Green's hem, her body leaning in.
She stood on her tiptoes, drawing his attention so his gaze fell on her face—not Gwen, but her.
She looked at the face reflected in his eyes.
Her face, eyes, nose, and lips were all fully contained within his pupils.
An inexplicable sense of fulfillment welled up in her heart, as if a hand had gently grasped her heart—not painful, just a swelling feeling.
Or was this what Laura had been enjoying all along?
While she, in fact, had always been worrying about gains and losses.
She was afraid that everything she had now was just an illusion, afraid she would wake up one day to find the room empty and him to be fake. She wanted to do something, to go and do something, to prove she was worthy.
Lorna's hand unconsciously pressed against his body, sliding to his heart. Under her palm was the warmth of his chest, transmitted through the fabric, beat after beat, steady and powerful.
She looked up at him, her gaze carrying a bit of stubbornness, even bordering on fierce.
"I can definitely do it!"
Green lowered his eyes, his hand resting on her smooth forehead. When his warm palm touched her cool skin, she trembled slightly.
His fingers slid to her cheek, his thumb rubbing over her cheekbone and stopping at her jawline.
She squinted, rubbing against that warm hand like a cat, then opened her eyes with a hint of charm, though a glint of moisture flashed in them.
With eyeshadow around her fox-like eyes and her lean, fair skin pressed against her defined facial bones, she was like a little snake craving a heat source, clinging to him and unwilling to let go.
"...I know, and you must do it."
As he spoke, it began to rain outside. At first, it was just a few drops, pattering against the windowsill, but soon it became a continuous sheet, pouring down with a roar.
A damp wind drifted into the room from the open window, lifting a corner of the curtain and adding a touch of chilly moisture to the room.
Raindrops drifted in, landing on Gwen's arm. She flinched but didn't move away.
The other two girls also pressed closer.
Laura leaned in from the side, her cheek against his shoulder, her gaze fixed out the window.
Under the light, the rain was like countless transparent parasites, drifting and falling in disorder.
Her breathing was very light, beat after beat, her warm breath puffing against his neck.
Lorna curled up in his arms, her hands wrapped around his shoulders, embedding her entire self into his body heat.
His body was very warm; the heat radiating through the fabric was more reassuring than any fireplace.
They liked being needed by him. That way, his kindness toward them wasn't charity, but because they were useful, because they could help him.
That way, they could also... openly get a little closer to him, without dodging, without feeling guilty, and without fearing being pushed away one day.
"When do we leave?" Laura asked.
"Wait for the rain to stop?"
"No."
Green leaned forward and clicked on the screen. Lornamoved with him, wrapping her arms tighter and resting her chin in the crook of his shoulder, looking at the screen with him.
Maps of various vampire strongholds spread out before them. The largest point was clicked and marked in red by Green's mouse.
"Death doesn't wait for the rain to stop."
Chapter 65: Rain Curtain, Hell Chariot, The Rider Descends
A rainy night,
Inside an alleyway in Hells Kitchen, dim yellow streetlights blurred into hazy halos within the curtain of rain. The light, sliced by the slanted drizzle, fell upon the damp brick walls.
Under a tilted umbrella, a couple walked into the alley, embracing each other.
"Don't be so impatient~ Let's wait until we get inside to play." The red-haired woman playfully slapped the man's chest in mock reproach.
"Mhm..." The man lowered his head, his lips pressing against her earlobe, his breathing hot and hurried. "I want to eat you up right now."
"I want to eat you too, Honey." The woman raised her hand to wrap around his neck, her fingers seemingly intentionally or unintentionally resting on his carotid artery. Beneath her fingertips, the blood vessel pulsed under the skin, warm and vivid.
"But I'm very generous." She leaned into his ear, her voice as soft as if it were soaked in honey.
"I'm more than happy to share... everything of yours with them."
"Oh, baby, you're so good." The man was elated, lowering his head to kiss her,
But he suddenly froze.
He realized the surrounding alley had inexplicably become crowded. No, not crowded, but rather, many figures had suddenly appeared within the previously empty shadows.
They emerged slowly from corners, from behind dumpsters, and from the dark recesses of abandoned stairs, like mold growing out of the rainwater.
One, two, five, ten...
More and more,
They gradually approached, the dim yellow light revealing the undisguised hunger in their eyes.
"Baby... something's not right here." The man's voice began to tremble as he gripped the woman's hand. "We should go."
He gave a tug, but she didn't budge.
He looked back and saw that the woman's expression had changed. The face that was full of tenderness just a moment ago was now filled with impatience.
She tilted her chin toward a approaching burly man, complaining in a tone even more intimate than the one she had used with him just now,
"Didn't we say we'd take him inside to use as a blood bag? Those damn Police have been chasing us so hard lately; we don't have much stock left."
"Can't wait." The burly man grinned, revealing exceptionally sharp canine teeth. "I want to eat something fresh."
"Deacon won't be happy; it's too much of a waste of food."
"He won't know." Saying this, he scooped the woman up and lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.
The woman gave a soft hum, let go of the man's hand, and jumped up to wrap her legs around the burly man, tilting her head back to respond passionately.
The two embraced and kissed in the rain, just like any couple in love.
"Ba... Baby?" The man stood there, rainwater soaking through his hair and flowing down his cheeks into his collar.
He was stunned.
His heart was pierced,
This attempt at a pick-up... seemed to have run into a honey trap.
The woman pulled away from the kiss for a moment and turned to look at him. She smiled disdainfully: "Sorry, Soland, your equipment... heh, it was just so-so."
"You bitch!" The man's face contorted, veins bulging on his forehead. Suppressing his fear, he pointed at the surrounding figures slowly closing in, his voice shaking:
"Do... do you know who I am!"
"We know."
One of them laughed playfully.
The man looked at him, hoping to see a hint of hesitation or wariness on that face,
But the words that followed made him feel like he'd fallen into an ice cellar,
"Our food."
"No—that's not right!"
He wanted to run, but it was too late.
The crowd swarmed him like a pack of leeches sensing blood. Sharp fangs pierced his flesh, gulping down his blood in large mouthfuls.
"Aaaaah—!"
Screams echoed in the alleyway, only to be swallowed by the sound of the rain.
His gaze passed through the crowd, looking painfully and desperately into the distance where the man and woman were still kissing in the rain.
The woman took some of the blood dripping from his neck nearby, sipping it like a seasoning, then continued to hold the burly man, exchanging that metallic-tasting kiss.
"No... I can't die... I still have so much money..."
The man roared internally, but his consciousness gradually blurred from the massive blood loss, like sinking into a cold quagmire.
Perhaps the resentment of a dying man attracted something,
In the sky, thunder exploded among the clouds. Brilliant white lightning split the night, and the thunder crashed down belatedly, making the eardrums of the vampires in the alley buzz.
But closer than the thunder was another sound,
The low roar of an engine came from the alley entrance, carrying the damp cold of the rainy night, like the breathing of some massive Beast.
A flash of fire was reflected in the man's pupils. He stared fixedly at the alley entrance, his lips moving, but no sound came out.
He wasn't the only one who was attracted.
"Quinn, look." The woman grabbed the burly man's soaked hair and turned his face toward the alley entrance.
The burly man was immersed in the afterglow of his meal, frowning impatiently, but the moment his gaze hit the alley entrance, his whole body froze.
"What the...?"
Inside the alley, the gazes of all the vampires turned in unison toward the same direction.
A burning Hell Chariot was parked at the alley entrance.
Flames churned in the rain, showing no sign of being extinguished.
A skeletal skull was set into the front of the bike, fire raging in its hollow eye sockets, and rainwater falling on it turned into rising steam.
A tall figure sat sideways on the bike.
He tilted his head slightly, rainwater sliding down his cold facial contours. His cold eyes stared directly into the alley.
The streetlights were very dim; he seemed to have grown out of the night, carrying a belly full of rage, yet eerily silent.
Motionless, like a corpse drained of blood, he sat there quietly, staring at them.
"Hey! Man!" one vampire shouted impatiently,
"Are you Cosplaying as the Rain Night Butcher?"
The person didn't respond.
He released the brake, kicked down the motorcycle's kickstand, and the heavy steel skeleton tilted slightly. He swung his leg down to the ground, his back to them, and tilted his head to light a cigarette.
Blue smoke rose lazily amidst the firelight. Rainwater pitter-pattered onto his broad shoulders, flowing smoothly down his black waterproof trench coat.
"I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"
Perhaps it was the bloodthirsty nature of a vampire at work, or perhaps it was the lingering, rotten sense of superiority from when they were human,
That vampire continued to roar, his blood-red eyes, fresh from feeding, flashing with an eerie red light in the darkness.
"Shut up," Quinn barked in a low voice, his tone tense.
"What's wrong? He's just a human, not a Daywalker." The vampire looked at Quinn in confusion, not understanding what he was afraid of.
But when he saw the look in Quinn's eyes, he was stunned. That face was filled with gravity, even carrying a hint of undisguisable fear.
"Have you ever seen fire that doesn't go out in the rain?"
Quinn stared fixedly at the motorcycle behind the man at the alley entrance.
He had seen that bike before—the skeleton that hunted by the scent of sin.
Back then, they had hidden in the sewers of New York for several months before daring to come out, just waiting for the other's hunting period to pass. Afterward, He indeed disappeared.
But now, why was that Hell Chariot in the hands of this human?
This was a very serious problem.
Either he was the Ghost Rider himself, or he had killed the Ghost Rider and become the new...
"Fuck." Quinn clenched his teeth, his jawline tensing into a rigid line.
An extraordinary hunter had come this time!
"Ah, I'm listening."
A lazy response came from the alley entrance.
Green raised his head and blew a smoke ring toward the rainy night sky.
"I thought my Rider outfit would be recognized. I just bought this scarf at a second-hand shop on the roadside. Don't you guys watch Tokusatsu? No taste."
He cracked his neck, loosened his shoulders, turned around, and casually adjusted the red scarf around his neck.
"Hey! Bro—" Quinn took off his sunglasses and wiped his soaked hair back, revealing a forced smile. His grin was wide, but it looked worse than crying.
"We are legal nocturnal humans, not those wild dark species. You should know the rules."
"Quinn?" His red-haired girlfriend looked up in confusion.
"Shut up, bitch." Quinn gritted his teeth, the words squeezed out from between them.
The girlfriend quickly fell silent.
Green didn't reply.
He raised his hand and pressed his earpiece.
"Rubber Duck, do you copy?"
Gwen's slightly nervous voice came through the earpiece, carrying a bit of a tremor as she tried to stay calm: "Ye-yes! Officer!"
"Jerry copies!"
"Tom copies!"
The voices of Laura and Lorna cut into the communication channel.
"Oh ho ho—I feel like we're Agents in a comic book. Thrilling, thrilling, thrilling!!" Laura squealed happily in a low voice.
"You should swap with Lorna. You be Tom."
Green pulled the earpiece out slightly to avoid the sound wave hitting his eardrum directly.
"Hey!" Quinn on the opposite side was still trying to communicate, his tone now tinged with anxiety.
"Don't die." Green ignored him and continued into the mic.
Quinn froze.
"Yes!" ×3.
Green took a drag of his cigarette, the firelight flickering in the rainy night.
He looked up and blew a smoke ring, watching it be scattered by the rain, then flicked away the cigarette butt from his fingers.
He raised his hand and pulled down the Spike mask on his head.
[Note: Spike is the dog from "Tom and Jerry".]
The True Masked Rider is officially online!
He held his ten fingers in front of him and pressed his knuckles, the bones making a slight cracking sound.
"Tsk—!" Quinn gritted his teeth, understanding the other's intention.
It was really going to be a fight now.
But a mere human, not that terrifying skeletal Rider—he wasn't that afraid in his heart, at most just wary.
Humans were much weaker than undead creatures!
He surreptitiously put his hand into his pocket and pressed an alarm bell, while his other hand suddenly pointed at Green.
"Kill him! I promise a private piece of livestock for each of you!"
This temptation was like incredibly sweet raw meat.
Blood-red light lit up in the eyes of all the vampires in the alley. They all abandoned the dying man in unison.
The man fell to the ground with a splat, splashing up a patch of turbid water.
In the next second, a chaotic explosion of footsteps erupted.
Inhuman howls squeezed out from their throats. Canine-like teeth pushed up their upper lips, gleaming coldly under the dim yellow light.
Limbs gripped the walls as they climbed rapidly, bypassing the crisscrossing wires overhead like a swarm of giant geckos.
Others leaned forward, lowering their bodies to launch a charge through the narrow alleyway.
Figures flashed beneath the electric lights, black shadows weaving through the rain curtain.
Footsteps crushed the puddles on the ground, sending up bursts of turbid water.
Facing this scene—enough to make any normal person's brain be dominated by fear hormones and driven by instinct to run away—
*Hiss—phew—*
Green's gaze suddenly sharpened.
Behind the mask, the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a ferocious grin.
He suddenly sank his lower body, dropping his center of gravity between his legs. His left hand was raised high, held across his body with fingers slightly spread.
His right hand was clenched into a fist and pulled back to his waist, muscle lines bulging and rippling under the soaked fabric.
A flash of pure white light passed over the fist, which was then pulled back behind him, ready to strike.
"Roar—!"
The black shadows approached like a sky-covering blanket, blocking out the already dim light.
The vampire in the lead had already reached out, his fingertips almost touching Green's warm body, the blood-red light in his eyes intensifying.
At the same moment, the same thought flashed through the minds of all the vampires,
"This person's blood is mine..."
Suddenly, an indifferent voice, as if coming from the depths of hell, exploded in their ears simultaneously,
"Rider——Punch!!"