"What? You want me to rule Osborn City?!"
The Blood Baron widened his eyes in shock. He had thought he would be just a pawn that Alex could discard at any time, sent to the front lines. But he never expected that Alex would actually entrust him with the management of an entire city.
"Yes."
Alex spoke calmly. "I need power and manpower, and you have experience in this area. I believe you can do it better. Besides, I have more important matters to deal with and can't stay here."
The Blood Baron was still reeling from the realization that he had become the city's ruler overnight. Everything that had happened today felt like a dream. He had originally planned to leave the central district, but now, not only did he stay, he had also taken over Osborn.
Thinking about this, the Blood Baron shivered.
"Wait, this... this doesn't seem to follow the rules. Red Skull won't agree to this, and the battle that just took place here caused a lot of damage. Doctor Doom definitely won't sit by idly. Are you trying to get me killed?"
"Are you scared?"
Alex raised an eyebrow and then walked up to the Blood Baron, smiling as he patted his shoulder and continued speaking.
"Don't get worked up, buddy. I still need you as my scout, so you won't die. You don't need to worry about Red Skull or Doom. Over the years, the unclaimed lands of the wastelands have always been taken by the capable. When the gangs divided up territories, did you see Red Skull intervene?"
"But..." The Blood Baron was still a bit worried.
"No buts. Whether it's a city or land, as long as you continue to follow Red Skull's lead, Hydra won't touch you. As for the battle here, if they want to investigate, let them. All you need to do is gain control of this city in a short amount of time."
Hearing Alex's words, the Blood Baron's initially trembling heart gradually calmed down.
After all, the Blood Baron had suffered enough over the years. He had been driven away by countless villains, not allowed to enter any city with his clan. This had forced the Blood Baron to live a life of constant wandering, and he had developed a habit of staying away from crowded places.
Now that he was suddenly put in the spotlight, he was a bit at a loss, fearing that Red Skull and Doom might attack him because of his blood clan identity. Seeing through the Blood Baron's thoughts, Alex calmly reassured him.
"Think about Connors, that lousy big lizard who managed to take over a large piece of land, and no one did anything about it. You're just taking a city; nothing will happen. Besides, when you were making waves, Red Skull was still playing games. Don't worry."
"Yeah, you're right." The Blood Baron nodded heavily. When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with enthusiasm. It was clear that the Blood Baron had reignited his ambition.
"But I still need to remind you of one thing."
Alex's expression turned serious. Seeing this, the Blood Baron immediately bowed his head slightly, adopting a posture of attentively listening.
"To better rule here, you may turn some humans into vampires. I can understand that, but I hope you target those who have no way to survive or those who are willing, rather than just acting recklessly and causing unnecessary trouble."
"I understand." The Blood Baron nodded in agreement.
"One more thing." Alex was pleased with the Blood Baron's attitude and continued speaking.
"You need to keep your subordinates in check. I hope the city will be a place where humans and vampires live together, not one divided by day and night, with clear boundaries. Feeding is allowed, but killing is not. Understand?"
"Understood, I understand." Although Alex's tone was calm, the Blood Baron felt the pressure mounting as he listened.
However, it was clear that the Blood Baron had grasped Alex's intention. At this point, the Blood Baron began to seriously consider how humans and vampires could coexist peacefully.
Seeing Alex's strength, the Blood Baron had no doubt that the wasteland would soon be engulfed in terrifying turmoil. If he wanted to secure a place in the 'new world' that was coming, he had to resolve the internal and external problems of the vampire clan.
Otherwise, the Blood Baron believed that Alex would not allow their clan to continue existing in this world. At that point, even being displaced would be something to aspire to.
"Consider this a chance. Do well, and I will overlook the past. Fail, and I'll throw your soul into the borderlands of Hell."
Alex nodded slightly, a mix of grace and threat in his tone. He then pulled out a cheap camera memory card and handed it to the Blood Baron.
"Also, there's one more task for you. Once you take control of the city, I want you to spread this video as quickly as possible. Use any means necessary—I want more and more people to see this."
The Blood Baron took the camera and memory card and casually played the video. Soon, the screen displayed a man with an S emblem on his chest, engaging in an intense battle with the Absorbing Man and Wild Child.
Besides him, there was a figure dressed like a bat and a very valiant woman. The three of them were fighting against the League of Villains in Osborn. However, the camera quality was poor, making it impossible to clearly capture the faces of the three.
"What is this?"
The Blood Baron looked puzzled, not understanding what the footage was for.
"This is the 'real' battle that happened here. These three claim to be the Justice League. I've already cleaned up the outside battlefield, so there's no need to fear Red Skull and the others investigating. Your job is to spread the 'heroic deeds' of these three."
The Blood Baron paused for a few seconds before his eyes lit up with understanding. He smiled and quickly nodded.
"I got it, leave it to me."
The Blood Baron then thought of something else and added excitedly.
"I can also split this video into several segments and upload it to Hydra's network, letting them help spread it. Additionally, I can keep the more informative videos for when Red Skull and Doom send people to investigate."
Listening to the Blood Baron's proactive plans, Alex couldn't help but glance at him in surprise.
Alex then turned to look at Pietro and Kara behind him, waving his hand as if to introduce them.
"Now, that's what I call professionalism."
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The Blood Baron's issue was temporarily resolved. For now, Osborn City was no longer of much use to Alex. For safety's sake, Alex didn't plan to stay here any longer. He didn't know how many people were heading this way, and the longer he stayed, the more likely their identities would be exposed. So, after making sure there were no loose ends at the scene, Alex turned his attention to Ashley.
"You're coming with me to find your father."
Perhaps it was the realization that there were always stronger individuals or the knowledge of Alex's terrifying combat prowess, but after the battle ended, Ashley had remained quiet, like a well-behaved lamb.
She didn't even dare to look directly into Alex's eyes. Even when she heard Alex's commanding words, she simply nodded obediently without any objections.
To think that earlier, she had refused to acknowledge Barton as her father.
...…..
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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185. Hawkeye and Songbird.
186. The Master of the World.
187. Breaking Through the Blockade.
188. Sentinel Robot!
189. Just in Time.