Blade opened his eyes once more.
Even though he had visited this place several times and grown used to its atmosphere, as a half-human and half-vampire he remained on high alert every single second.
His hawk-sharp eyes swept over the surrounding decay, simmering with feral intensity. In the dim lighting, occasional flashes of red glinted through them... a clear sign of his vampiric heritage.
Overhead, the large sign reading [Weyland Private Research Institute] hung across the front of the rundown building.
The name looked suspicious as hell.
He had no clue what kind of madness had possessed the owner to set up a temporary base in this condemned building slated for demolition in the heart of New York City and slap on a name that screamed cutting-edge scientific laboratory.
Then his ears twitched.
Whoosh!
Blade's hands instinctively flew to the twin katanas strapped across his back... custom weapons laced with silver.
"I'd advise you to put those weapons away. This is my territory, and there aren't any vampires here for you to slaughter."
The voice was calm and steady, betraying no emotion. A moment later, a young man with brown hair stepped into view.
His clean, handsome features suggested he was only in his mid-twenties, looking as harmless as a little white rabbit at first glance.
If you overlooked the bizarre creature standing right beside him.
"If you can get that little pet of yours to back off a few meters, I might actually believe you." Blade said after a pause while lowering his hands.
But beneath his sunglasses, his eyes never left the strange "pet," tracking its every movement.
The creature stood roughly three meters tall, its body a sleek, black, streamlined form that looked as if it had been assembled from countless segments of human vertebrae. A long, powerful tail swayed gently, tipped with a blade-like point capable of devastating piercing force. Its razor-sharp claws dragged across the floor, carving deep gouges with effortless ease and making Blade's eyelids twitch.
Most striking of all was its head... an exotic crown-like structure that seemed to carry some profound, ominous significance.
It was a creature unlike anything he had ever encountered, its entire physiology engineered for pure, extreme combat... like the wildest fever dream of a brilliant sci-fi writer brought to terrifying life.
With his enhanced vision, Blade also noticed something new compared to their previous meetings: the monster's body was now coated in a great deal more of that unknown, glistening mucus.
Adam nodded, clearly pleased with Blade's reaction. His gaze drifted casually over the hunter with a peculiar intensity, tracing the bulging pectorals, the long powerful thighs, the arms thick with raw explosive strength…
Beautiful.
Blade frowned, a flicker of instinctive caution crossing his eyes.
Here we go again.
That look did not feel like one directed at a fellow person. Blade had every reason to suspect the man harbored some rather unusual tastes.
As if sensing the dangerous aura radiating from Blade, the creature beside Adam reacted instantly. Its tail lashed forward in a blur.
So fast!
Blade's expression tightened as he raised his blade in defense.
A sharp clang rang out. The impact numbed his palm slightly as he knocked the tail aside, his heart pounding with alarm.
Even without using his full strength, he had not been able to sever the metal-hard appendage…
When he looked up again, the monster that had been standing at Adam's side had vanished without a sound. It now clung to the ceiling directly overhead, its elongated claws gleaming with lethal menace, poised to rip his skull open at any second.
"Sorry about that. Occupational hazard..." Adam said quickl and offering an apologetic gesture. "As you know, I'm a researcher. Keeping a facility like this running solo is no easy task, so I tend to throw all my focus into the work."
"This thing is strong. What do you call it?" Blade maintaining a composed exterior while he watched the ghostly assassin-like creature silently drop back to Adam's side.
"Xenomorph."
"Interesting name. Looks like your institute's crowning achievement... a living weapon of war."
Blade had seen more than his share of horrors in a lifetime spent battling vampires and every other kind of monster imaginable. Even this brief test of strength was enough for him to classify the Xenomorph and form an opinion on Adam himself.
He did not care if the guy was a mad scientist, as long as the help kept coming.
Adam neither confirmed nor denied it. The best? Aside from the egg-laying aspect, this Xenomorph would not hold that title for long.
With that thought, Adam drew a deep breath, forcing himself to stop fixating on Blade's absurdly muscular physique. He produced a briefcase. "Here is the highly corrosive agent you requested... diluted, of course. Otherwise it would need an adamantium container. In the dead of night, this works better than UV grenades. Much quieter when it takes out your targets."
Blade paused, then pulled a bag from inside his coat and tossed it over.
"One hundred thousand dollars, per our agreement."
Adam whistled. "Vampire hunters really roll in cash like that? Makes sense... hunting bloodsuckers is expensive work. Even the bullets are silver."
"Doesn't matter whose money it is. The more of those bastards I kill, the more cash I liberate from them." Blade had never been one to pinch pennies.
A clean exchange... cash for goods.
"I'll spread the word about your product when I can. That corrosive liquid should work wonders against a vampire's accelerated healing," Blade grabbing the case and stepping back a few paces.
Adam spoke up suddenly. "If you get the chance, bring me some vampires. Alive ones."
"Oh? Messing with those creatures is rarely a smart move."
"Can't be helped. Time's running short."
Blade offered no further response and asked no questions. He simply melted into the night.
"Blade the warrior… tsk. What a self-righteous fanatic."
Adam watched the hunter's retreating figure, then secured the heavy door once more.
Vampires in the Marvel world were fascinating. Their origins did not trace back to Dracula or Cain, but to the sorcerer Varnae... the first to access the Darkhold and use its power to transform himself into the First Vampire.
The Darkhold was the work of the notorious God of Black Magic Chthon. An Elder God who wielded one of the multiverse's primal forces... Chaos Magic... and served as the wellspring of the Scarlet Witch's power. He existed on a level far beyond Skyfathers like Odin and Zeus.
Anything touched by hatred, misfortune, or dark sorcery inevitably carried the shadow of Chthon, that ultimate mystical entity.
For now, though, Adam had no reason to worry about any of that. As an ordinary individual from another dimension, he could not even escape the basic timeline. There was no way he would draw the attention of such a cosmic heavyweight. His immediate priority remained securing funds from the reasonably trustworthy Blade.
Blade was a renowned vampire hunter in the underworld. His mother had been bitten by a vampire while giving birth to him, passing on a half-vampire bloodline from the start.
Unlike true vampires, he had no fear of silver or sunlight, allowing him to walk freely in daylight... which earned him the jealous nickname "Daywalker" among the bloodsuckers.
His one drawback was the need for regular suppressant injections to keep the vampiric side from completely consuming him.
Still, Blade was generally reliable. Provide him with tools or opportunities to hunt vampires, and he was happy to do business.
Adam shrugged. What choice did he have? He needed the cash. Trading a bit of Xenomorph blood for Blade's money was merely a temporary measure.
Ever since he had been transported to this Marvel universe, Adam had wrestled with anxiety more than once. This world... or rather, this entire cosmos... had far too many freaks and heavy hitters.
Fortunately, he had a Xenomorph at his side.
"I remember that before I crossed over, Marvel had started publishing standalone Alien comics. It was a pure high-tech world without superheroes or anything like that…"
Adam counted the stack of bills in his hand, his thoughts drifting.
"Hrrk!"
The Xenomorph beside him sensed the shift in his mood. Though it could not read his exact thoughts, its absolute loyalty prompted a response.
A Xenomorph's vocalizations were never meaningless. Whenever it made a sound, it carried purpose.
Adam smiled faintly and reached out. The creature obediently lowered its crowned head, letting the man stroke its smooth, regal carapace.
Together, man and Xenomorph entered the institute and opened the hidden chamber. In the incredibly crude underground space... more like a burrow violently clawed out by some monstrous beast... Adam slowly lifted his gaze.
Five white mucus-coated eggs filled his view.