Marvel: A Lazy-Ass Superman

Chapter 715: Chapter 715: The Eagle Bearer

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”Hm, that works too.”

Satisfied that his act of playing dumb had worked, Henry switched his grip on the pistol and offered it to John Wick butt-first.

John accepted it smoothly, disengaged the safety, chambered a round, and before firing asked,

”How many shots?”

”As many as you like.”

Without another word, John Wick fired repeatedly into the Reaper lying on the floor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He didn’t stop until the slide locked back on an empty magazine.

”No reaction?”

At this range, John didn’t believe there was any chance he had missed. Several holes had been punched through the Reaper’s body, yet it continued twitching and making grotesque noises.

”These bullets work by releasing a silver nitrate solution after entering a vampire’s body. The circulatory system spreads it throughout the body, and the silver ions destroy the cursed vampire cells. But maybe it’s lost too much blood for the silver to circulate properly, so...”

Henry picked up the silver dagger from the tray and drove it straight into the creature’s chest, right where its heart should be.

There was no reaction whatsoever.

”Looks like silver really doesn’t work against this new breed of vampire. Even a pierced heart doesn’t do anything.”

”What now?” John asked.

”Let’s try the UV rounds.”

John ejected the empty magazine and inserted one loaded with ultraviolet rounds. Pulling back the slide, he confirmed the chambered bullet shimmered with a deep blue glow before firing.

Only one shot.

The instant it struck, a bizarre phenomenon spread outward from the impact point.

There were no flames.

The creature simply crumbled directly into ash.

Even the severed limbs that had been tossed aside met the same fate.

Now that the test was complete, John placed the pistol back onto the silver tray.

Truth be told, he’d noticed that people tended to relax much more once he was no longer holding a gun.

Only after the Reaper had been completely reduced to ashes did Henry turn to the female Elder.

”It seems this really is the type of vampire I mentioned. The silver nitrate rounds failed—not because it had already bled out, but because silver simply isn’t one of their weaknesses anymore.”

”So they really are vampires...”

The woman in the business suit looked back at the group standing behind her.

Judging by the defiant looks beneath their hoods, however, it was obvious that the relationship between them wasn’t exactly harmonious.

”Cassandra Eagle Bearer.”

The female Elder introduced herself and extended a friendly hand.

The timing couldn’t have been much worse.

After all, Henry had just dissected a...

Well, the unlucky fellow had turned to ashes the moment the UV bullet hit him. Everything stuck to Henry’s hands—bodily fluids, stomach acid, and all—had burned away with the corpse.

What remained on his hands wasn’t burned skin, but merely a thin layer of black ash.

He brushed it off against the hem of his coat before shaking hands with the Spartan Eagle Bearer, who might well have lived for over twenty-four centuries.

”Henry Brown. It’s an honor to meet you.”

So...

Another bizarre franchise had wandered into the Marvel universe.

”Why do I get the feeling you’re thinking something incredibly rude?” Cassandra suddenly asked.

”Oh, I was just imagining that a lady as strong as you would require me to mind my manners. Otherwise, you’d probably throw me out with one hand.”

”Not bad. At least you’re not like those little chicks. Though with your size, tossing you one-handed might actually be a little difficult. I’d probably need to use one extra finger.”

At one meter ninety, Henry wasn’t particularly tall by Western standards, but neither was he short.

He had a somewhat broad build—not the slim, pretty-boy physique. He wasn’t sporting a beer belly, but neither did he have the sculpted V-shaped torso of a bodybuilder.

Combined with his utterly ordinary face—and, at the moment, his long hair and thick beard—he could be said to have perfectly avoided matching the tastes of most women.

Cassandra wisely let the joking end there.

She had no intention of flirting with a man like him, so she changed the subject.

”I didn’t catch everything you said earlier. If someone gets bitten by one of those things... is there any way to save them?”

”I don’t know,” Henry answered cautiously. ”According to my friend, even the serum that can treat early-stage vampire infection doesn’t work against bites from this new breed. But I haven’t witnessed it myself, so I can’t say for certain.”

”Damn it!”

A young man among the hooded figures cursed under his breath while clutching his arm.

At that point, anyone with eyes could tell he’d been bitten.

No one who did business at the Continental lacked street smarts.

One by one, everyone subtly stepped farther away.

Even those who had originally wanted to curry favor with a High Table Elder now kept a careful distance.

Cassandra, however, showed little concern.

”Can you treat him?”

Henry replied conservatively,

”I can take a look, but I can’t guarantee I’ll cure him. I also can’t promise it’ll be in time.”

”Do your best.”

She turned to Winston Scott.

”Manager, do you have an infirmary? Is it properly equipped?”

”We do. Please follow me.”

Winston was about to lead the way when Cassandra stopped him.

”Have someone else take them. We need to discuss how to wipe these monsters out once and for all. Creatures that eat people and spread infection... leave even one alive, and it’ll become another disaster.”

Though he had effectively been dismissed, Henry accepted the arrangement gladly.

The last thing he wanted was to become just another soldier for the Continental during their hunt for the Reapers.

These people weren’t an army. No matter how individually capable they were, poor coordination would inevitably lead to mistakes once they entered the cramped tunnels and alleyways of the sewers.

Besides...

The fact that they’d so readily assigned him to save someone suggested they already had a fairly detailed file on him.

The only question was how much they actually knew.

Or perhaps his earlier act of pretending not to know how to use a gun had fooled them after all?

As for being assigned a mission out of nowhere...

He decided not to dwell on such trivial matters.

After all, he genuinely was interested in the Reapers.

The previous specimen had been wasted.

This infected man, however, would probably cooperate wholeheartedly if he still wanted to live.

Henry walked over to the hooded youth clutching his arm.

”You can walk, right? Need someone to help you?”

”I can walk on my own!”

The voice still carried a hint of adolescence.

The kid might not even have reached adulthood yet.

Not that it mattered to Henry.

The one leading them was still Charon, the Black concierge walking at the front, with Henry one step behind him.

Trailing behind were the young man who had apparently been bitten, along with another assassin accompanying him.

Was he worried something might happen to his companion?

Or...

Was he preparing to put his friend down himself if the infection took over, granting him one final measure of dignity?

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