Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Chapter 260 The Vampire Who Delivered a Wife to George (5K-Word Chapter!)
With the Vampire Queen Catherine taking action, it didn't take long for her to find out exactly what the "Crimson Apocalypse" was and who the vampire behind it was.

This is Dickon Frost.

A vampire.

A leader who claims to be the new generation of vampires in New York City.

He belongs to the lineage of Dracula, a vampire clan that includes both pure-blooded and half-blooded vampires.

Pureblood vampires refer to vampires personally transformed by Dracula.

Hybrids refer to vampires who were not converted by Dracula himself, but rather converted from purebloods.

Look.

Even vampires know that mixed-race people are inferior.

Purebloods believe they have pure blood and noble lives, hence the name. Thirteen pureblood vampires set up some kind of "Elders' Council" in New York City.

Dickon Frost belongs to the "Elders' Council," which consists of thirteen pureblood vampires.

If the thirteen pureblood vampires are the council, then Dickon Frost is the leader that the council has chosen to stand in the spotlight.

The "Crimson Apocalypse" shoe cult, used to lure mindless people, was manipulated by him behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, in the New York City law enforcement system, the blood servants who willingly become slaves to vampires out of envy for their immortality are also his creation.

The most important thing.

This half-blood Dickon Frost has great ambitions. He has been secretly deciphering the "Blood Scripture" to summon the power of the Blood God, become the Blood God, and replace the "Elders' Council".

Of course.

The last point wasn't something Catherine found out; rather, Hawke retrieved it from his memory after Catherine mentioned Dickon Frost's name.

Without him.

Dickon Frost is also a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Another person's name appeared on the screen alongside him.

Blade Runner.

but……

Once again, given Hawke's current level of strength, Blade is no longer qualified to speak with him, and Hawke doesn't want to speak with Blade either.

The reason is simple.

He hates the dark.

After nodding and finishing speaking, Catherine looked at Hawke, who was standing quietly, and asked him in a low voice.

"need me……"

"Do not."

Hawke shook his head again, looking at George, who had hung up the phone and was walking back as if nothing had happened. Then he looked at Gwen, who was still in character, hugging her two younger brothers Howard and Simon and comforting them with a sad expression, and said with a smile, "If she wants to play, let her play."

Since Gwen doesn't want him to get involved, then he won't get involved.

Hawke asked Catherine to help him find out, mainly to be on the safe side.

such as……

He is the one who can be there for his fiancée immediately after she decides she doesn't want to play anymore, or feels she can't play anymore.

Hawke recalled the conversation between George and the vampire, his gaze shining through his sunglasses as he looked at his fiancée, who was still acting. His eyes became somewhat amused, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

Without him.

His intuition told him that it wouldn't be long, probably until 11 p.m. tonight, when Gwen would mess things up and ask him to step in and overturn the table.

Hawke felt he could negotiate several more uniforms and poses.

The answer is that his appearance fee is very high.

Hawke smiled.

then……

In the evening, while the two were having dinner at 521A Palm Street, Hawke told Gwen about the vampire's phone call at the fake funeral that morning, inviting George to open gifts that evening.

Gwen, who was serving Hawke beef on his plate, blinked.

“My dad never told me.”

"is it?"

Hawke raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "I thought you knew. Looks like your dad's not playing with you anymore, Gwen."

Gwen rolled her eyes at Hawke.

"My dad was worried about me, that's why he didn't tell me."

"Okay, I was wrong then, sorry."

Upon hearing this, Hawke's expression suddenly changed, he twitched his lips, apologized, and then fell silent.

Standing inside the island counter, Gwen placed the cut beef onto Hawk's plate. Then, looking at Hawk, who remained silent, she opened her mouth slightly but ultimately chose to remain silent as well. She then picked up the vegetable salad plate placed to the side and began to stir it.

"Crash!"

"Crash!"

"Wow..."

"clang!"

Gwen took a deep breath, put the stirring spoon aside, and looked up at Hawke: "Where is Daddy going tonight?"

Hawke smiled inwardly, calmly looked up, and blinked.

"what?"

Where is Daddy going tonight?

Hudson Meat Processing Plant!

"Hudson...where is this place?"

"It's a pork slaughterhouse located near the banks of the Hudson River, but inside it's a gathering place for vampires in New York City."

"hiss!"

Gwen gasped upon hearing this: "Where is Daddy going tonight?"

Hawke nodded, looked at Gwen, and said with a smile, "Yes, that vampire said he gave George a gift, and he will only appear to meet George if George accepts the gift."

Gwen looked at the ambiguous smile on Hawke's face and had a bad feeling.

"What's the gift?"

"I don't know."

Hawke shook his head: "You said yourself that you wouldn't let me participate in your game until you asked me to."

Gwen's lips twitched.

“This is not a game, this is a case, Dad’s case.”

"To me, it's just a game."

Hawke shrugged, then changed the subject, glancing at Gwen: "If I had to guess what gift the vampire has prepared, I'd guess it's inviting George to dinner."

Gwen raised her eyebrows.

"Have a meal?"

"A vampire's meal."

"..."

Gwen was silent for a moment, then pursed her lips, looked at Hawke who had finished speaking and was once again eating the beef on his plate, and then reached out and took Hawke's plate from her.

Hawke, fork in hand, looked up at Gwen, who had snatched his food.

Gwen smiled brightly.

"Hawk."

"Ah."

What time will Dad be there?

"The appointment was for 11 o'clock over the phone."

"Can you take me there?"

"Are you asking me to leave the field?"

"what?"

Gwen looked surprised, then shook her head rapidly: "No, no, no, I was just thinking, could we go check on him? In case something happened to Dad, if you could..."

Before Gwen could finish speaking, Hawke had already given his answer with a smile.

"Okay."

"Uh……"

Hawke's straightforward and decisive answer, without any attempt to inflate his price, left Gwen speechless.

Gwen looked at Hawke with suspicion.

"You don't need me..."

"unnecessary."

Hawke smiled broadly, looking at Gwen who was full of suspicion: "Then we'd better eat quickly, or we'll be late."

Gwen snapped out of her daze and handed Hawke the plate she had just taken away.

Hawke reached out and took it, then politely thanked him.

Gwen, eating her vegetable salad, still looked somewhat suspicious.

She had just prepared to pay for three uniforms.

Hawke didn't want it.

This is very un-Hawk-like.

and……

Gwen felt that Hawke's smile looked a little strange today, like a weasel eyeing a mouse, with a look of complete confidence.

Pshaw, I'm not a mouse.

Gwen thought to herself.

at last……

On the way to the Hudson meatpacking plant, Gwen, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't help but glance at Hawke, who was driving.

"Hawk, shouldn't you be asking me how many uniforms I need?"

"why?"

Hawke glanced at Gwen upon hearing this: "I told you, I'll help you as long as you ask. You should give me more trust."

Gwen opened her mouth.

"Feel sorry?"

I accept your apology.

Hawke smiled, looked away, and focused on driving.

Just kidding. If we ask for payment now, how will we get it when we get there?

Well known.

What's free is always the most expensive.

It's free now, but it'll be the most expensive one soon.

soon.

On the riverbank just across the street from the Hudson meatpacking plant, Hawke glanced sideways at the weathered gate behind which stood a meatpacking plant with the feel of a 1990s building.

"arrive."

"Uh……"

Gwen glanced around at Hawke, who had parked his car so conspicuously across from the meatpacking plant: "Won't they spot us if we park here?"

Hawke shook his head: "No."

Under the influence of the Reality Stone, he had reduced the presence of himself, Gwen, and the car beneath them to almost zero.

If he wanted to, even if he drove this car and hit someone, in other people's eyes, that person would appear to have been blown away as if they had encountered a supernatural event.

and so……

Hawke thought to himself, then sensed George's presence.

"George is here."

"...Where is it?"

Gwen's eyes lit up, and following Hawke's gaze, she quickly spotted George, who had arrived in a taxi.

Hawke, somewhat curious, opened the car door and got out, asking Gwen, who was getting out of the passenger seat, "Now that George is here, what about Howard and Simon?"

He got out of the passenger seat, his gaze fixed on George, who was also walking towards the meatpacking plant. After seeing that George really couldn't see him and Hawke, he looked at Hawke and said, "You forgot, Dad sent the two of them to Long Island."

Hawke's expression suddenly dawned on him.

"Helen went there too?"

"No."

Gwen shook her head: "Dad is worried that these people are still watching him, so Mom is still at Detective Hale's house."

Hawke nodded.

"Hale is good."

"I know."

Gwen walked to Hawke's side, took his arm, and looked at her father, George, who was knocking on the meatpacking plant door just ten steps away from them. She lowered her voice and asked, "Are you sure Dad can't see us?"

Hawke didn't speak, because a small door to the right of the meatpacking plant's main gate opened.

The man who appeared was a fit, bald African American.

After opening the door, the bald African American looked around, his gaze sweeping over Hawke and Gwen without hesitation before finally settling on George in front of him, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

"Who should I look for?"

"Cole invited me here."

"Cole!"

Upon hearing the name George uttered, the bald African American man's wariness vanished instantly, and he fully opened the small door.

George went inside.

The bald man looked at the door again, and after confirming that no one else was there, he closed the door again.

Gwen, who had followed George in, looked at Hawke in shock at the bald African American man right in front of them, who seemed unable to see them: "He really can't see us."

Hawke smiled helplessly: "You have that little faith in me?"

Gwen shook her head.

"No, I have a lot of confidence in you. It is because I have confidence in you that I told you not to participate. Because you are my safety net, I can make many mistakes."

"then you……"

"I'm providing you with emotional value, can't you see that?"

Gwen tilted her head, her expressive emerald eyes blinking as she looked at Hawke.

Hawke's lips twitched, but he couldn't find any point to refute Gwen's answer.

at this time.

The bald, black-haired man, who had already closed the door, walked straight past the two of them, came up to George, glanced at him, and then led the way, saying, "This way."

George responded and followed the bald African American in front.

Hawke and Gwen followed closely behind.

The two, whose presence was reduced to almost nothing, along with George, followed the bald African American leading the way. As they passed through a brightly lit frozen pig processing plant, Gwen's gaze fell on the five or six people operating the cutting machine on the control panel.

"These people aren't vampires?"

"No, they are vampires too."

Hawke glanced at her and already knew what Gwen wanted to ask: "But they are the lowest level of vampires. We met them in Fallstown. Stefan is a vampire who has been around for hundreds of years, and Catherine has accumulated wealth over five centuries. Even though she is on the run, she is still financially independent."

Every race has its lowest level.

People like Stefan, who own their own manor, and Catherine, are already considered upper-class elites within the vampire community.

And they don't look like people from Wall Street, but rather like those who manage Wall Street.

As for these vampires in front of me, busy cutting pork...

Let's say that.

They're like the homeless living in parks and forests in Brooklyn... no, like the homeless living in Queens.

The difference is that they are now immortal homeless people.

Hawke said this, then seemed to remember something and looked at Gwen.

"Is this also providing me with emotional value?"

"what?"

Gwen looked up at Hawke with a smile and said, "I really don't understand, but you're amazing, Hawke. I feel like you know everything."

verified.

This is also Gwen pretending not to understand to provide him with emotional value.

Hawke's lips twitched.

at this time.

The bald African-American vampire leading the way stopped in front of a cold storage room, entered the password, and then opened the door with a thud.

But what came into view was not a cold storage room, but a staircase that seemed to lead straight down to the ground.

George looked at the bald African American.

The bald African American didn't speak, but simply made a gesture of invitation.

George took a deep breath, looked at the stairs leading underground, and stepped inside.

Seeing the bald African American man preparing to close the door, Gwen quickly grabbed Hawke and followed him, running inside just as he closed the door again.

George, walking ahead, was on high alert. His senses, which had become increasingly sharp and acute over the past week, allowed him to see clearly even in the dark, and he could also hear sounds like those from a noisy disco coming from behind the wooden door at the end of the stairs.

soon.

George walked up to the wooden door, placed his right hand on it, and then pushed it open.

next second.

It was as if we had entered a completely different world.

Deafeningly wild music.

Colorful lights.

And there were vampires gathered together on the dance floor not far away, like a chaotic dance of demons.

George subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

God!

Are there so many vampires here?
Gwen, who was following behind, was also stunned by the densely packed group of vampires in front of her.

"Hiss, so many vampires here?"

"It's alright, just a matter of a phoenix ray."

Hawke glanced at it as well, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

Let's not even talk about what's in front of us. If we multiply that by ten, it's still a matter of a ring of phoenix rays.

"Hahaha!"

"Sheriff Stacy."

"Hawk, look!"

Gwen, standing to the side, looked ahead and saw a bearded man in a black suit, also Black but with a white beard, laughing as he walked toward them. The man tugged at Hawke's sleeve.

Hawke looked at the black man and nodded.

soon.

Hawke and Gwen followed the bearded man who seemed very enthusiastic, who had his arm around George's shoulder, as they walked through the noisy and unrestrained dance floor and up the steps to the second floor, which overlooked the dance floor.

The bearded man led George into a private room guarded by two stern-faced vampires at the entrance.

After the door to the private room closed, all the noisy and chaotic sounds outside disappeared.

After George sat down on the sofa in the private room at the bearded man's invitation, he looked at the bearded man.

"You're not the one who called me."

"what?"

The bearded man paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and handed the lit cigar to George: "I'm just a bar owner, Sheriff Stacy, I'm just following orders."

George looked at the cigar offered by the bearded man and did not refuse it, but reached out and took it.

"On orders? Whose orders?"

"You'll know."

The bearded man smiled slightly, then leaned back on the sofa and took out a video camera from his pocket.

at this time.

There was a knock on the door.

They had already entered the room, but instead of sitting on the sofa, Hawke and Gwen stood not far from the room and looked toward the door where they were knocking.

A black-haired, voluptuous, and scantily clad female vampire walked in.

After the female vampire walked in, she seemed to know what she was going to do. She gave George a charming smile and then walked straight up to him.

next second.

The female vampire gathered her long black hair, tossed it around, and then reached out to pull down George's pants.

……

(End of this chapter)