Marvel - The Blood God

At dawn, the lizardmen and gang members were either dead or had fled. The chaotic night was finally over.

Outside the central precinct, surrounded by the fallen, Commissioner George sat on the ground, utterly defeated. Though he had managed to defend the precinct, there was no relief in his heart. More than 200 officers had died at his station alone, not to mention the casualties in other parts of the city. The mayor's office had also suffered heavy losses, and countless New Yorkers had been killed by the monstrous invaders. It was a night of devastation.

"Commissioner!"

Detective Damon approached, sitting beside George with an exhausted expression. "The National Guard has entered the city," Damon reported. "New York is secure now."

"They're too late," George said bitterly, his eyes red with grief. "Is Fisk dead?"

"Not quite. Maverick plans to turn him into a war lizard," Damon replied.

George let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Serves him right," he said. Then, with a weary sigh, he added, "With Fisk out of the picture, I can resign in peace."

"Commissioner, Maverick wants to see you," Damon said. "He might have a way to keep you in your position."

George shook his head firmly. "No, Damon. This failure is on me."

"It's not your fault," Damon tried to console him.

"If I weren't so blind to my own ambition, none of this would have happened." George rose unsteadily to his feet. "I've got one last responsibility: to issue the death notices. After that, I'm done. Damon, you'll be the one to lead the NYPD forward."

Damon stood up as well and said solemnly, "I won't let you down, Commissioner."

Although the fighting had subsided, martial law remained in effect for another day. Frightened citizens flooded social media with questions: What had happened? Where did the lizardmen come from? And why were the police so absent during the crisis?

The mayor's office, overrun by lizardmen, remained silent, and the White House's only response was to declare martial law without elaboration. Rumors filled the void, spreading like wildfire.

Finally, Trish went public with the full story on her talk show, Trish Talks. She explained how the Green Goblin had stolen a secret formula from the Osborn Corporation. His associates sold it to Fisk, who used it to create enhanced humans and lizardmen. Fisk then led his monstrous army in a bid to establish a lizard kingdom in New York. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Osborn Corporation and the police, the threat was neutralized.

The revelation enraged the public. Fisk's name became synonymous with curses, and his family—if he had any—was probably wincing under the barrage of vitriol.

But the citizens weren't satisfied just blaming Fisk. Their anger turned toward the mayor's office and the NYPD, demanding accountability for the disaster. Calls for Commissioner George's resignation grew louder.

Trish, however, shifted much of the blame onto another group: those who had funded Fisk's research. Once the public learned that shadowy benefactors had supported Fisk's experiments, their outrage exploded. Demands for a government investigation poured in, and the administration, eager to redirect public fury, promised to bring these conspirators to justice.

"Damn it!" Nick Fury muttered as he wiped sweat from his brow. Grabbing an encrypted phone, he instructed his operatives to cover their tracks immediately. "That vampire really knows how to spin things," he grumbled before pocketing the phone and entering another room.

Inside, Captain America, Steve Rogers, sat watching the news. He shook his head at the footage of the lizardmen. "Times were simpler in my day. Back then, I represented the cutting edge of technology."

"You're still not far behind," Peggy Carter teased, handing him an apple.

Steve smiled warmly as he took it. "If it weren't for you, I don't think I could navigate this era."

"I'll always be here," Peggy said softly. "And once you've fully recovered, we're going dancing. No excuses this time."

Fury coughed loudly, breaking the tender moment. "You two are impossible," he muttered. "It's like being trapped in a romance novel. Do you ever consider how annoying this is for the rest of us?"

Steve chuckled but quickly grew serious. "Director, the world's become more dangerous than ever. I'm not sure I'm ready for it."

"We need you, Captain," Fury pressed.

Steve shook his head. "I'll think about it, but I'm tired."

After Fury left, Steve turned to Peggy. "Do you think he's Hydra?"

"I don't know," Peggy admitted. "But Hydra has infiltrated SHIELD's core. We can't ignore it."

Steve sighed heavily. "You're right. We can't walk away from this. It's our responsibility."

Two days later, martial law was lifted. New Yorkers took to the streets, not to celebrate but to protest. The mayor made George the scapegoat, forcing his resignation, but the protests didn't stop. The public demanded assurances that such a disaster would never happen again.

The mayor gave empty promises, knowing full well he wouldn't be in office much longer. "Let someone else deal with this mess," he muttered to himself. After all, his term was almost over, and the job had become a nightmare. First the Abomination, then Ghost Rider, now the lizardmen. What was next? Aliens?

The police force was also in shambles. The lizardman crisis had left countless officers dead, injured, or resigning in frustration. The city hall's attempts to recruit new officers faltered due to low pay and high risk.

At the Osborn Building, Maverick Cassain dismissed a group of city officials. Sitting back in his chair, he muttered, "Everyone comes to me with their hands out. Do they think I'm a charity?"

Lilith, his trusted aide, smirked. "City hall's broke. They can't even pay police pensions. Families are protesting outside."

Maverick frowned. "George Stacy will probably show up soon to ask for money."

"Who else would they ask?" Lilith replied. "Oh, and the military accepted our $2 billion offer for the war lizards. They also want five more sets of combat armor."

Maverick grinned. "Good. It's always easier to make money off the military."

Just then, Felicia called from the reception desk. "Mr. Stacy's here to see you."

George entered the office, looking older and more burdened than ever. "Mr. Cassain, I need your help. The families of the fallen officers have nothing. They can't even get their pensions."

"If it were anyone else, I'd tell them to take it up with city hall," Maverick said. "But since it's you, I'll donate tens of millions to cover the pensions. Also, the Osborn Corporation is developing mechanical prosthetics. I'll allocate ten spots for injured officers."

George's relief was palpable. "Thank you, Mr. Cassain. I don't know how to repay you."

"Don't mention it," Maverick said. Then, he added, "Have you considered running for mayor?"

George nearly choked on his coffee. "Mayor? Me? You can't be serious."

Maverick leaned forward. "New York needs someone with integrity. Someone who can rebuild this city. If you agree, I'll back you."

George hesitated. "I don't think I'm qualified."

"You're better than the clowns we've had," Maverick said bluntly. "Go home and think about it."

As George left, Lilith remarked, "He's not the type to be anyone's puppet."

"I don't need a puppet," Maverick replied. "I need someone who can do the job."

At that moment, his personal phone rang. It was Dr. Stern.

"Mr. Cassain, I've created a new type of blood that vampires can consume as food!" Dr. Stern exclaimed.

Maverick's eyes widened. "Artificial blood?"

"Not exactly," Stern explained. "It's a unique synthetic blood derived from an alien sample you provided. It's not for humans but could revolutionize vampire sustenance."

Maverick stood abruptly. "I'll be there immediately."

He turned to Lilith. "Clear my schedule. We're going to the lab."

Lilith nodded. For vampires, this breakthrough could change everything.