[Vamp in Marvel] Ch: 7 [Ramen & Blade]

Natasha remained silent, choosing not to engage him further. Rai stood up and looked down at the bustling streets below. Natasha stood beside him, arms crossed, watching the city in silence. Despite the destruction left in the invasion's wake, the people below moved with resilience, determined to rebuild what had been lost.

"You humans are persistent," Rai said with his usual expressionless face. "No matter how much you break, you always strive to put the pieces back together."

"It's what we do," Natasha replied with a smile. "We may be vulnerable, but we're not weak. We have our strengths, and we won't give up without a fight."

Rai didn’t respond, his gaze once again distant. After a long silence, he walked toward the roof's edge. "I want to see more of this place," he said.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? There is nothing much to see right now, other than ruins and half-built structures."

He didn’t answer, simply leaping off the building, Rai's body floating down as if gravity had no hold over him. Natasha sighed, shaking her head before following him down the fire escape. She wasn’t going to let him roam the city alone.

A few minutes later, they walked side by side through the streets. Smoke, ashes, craters, broken buildings, alien parts... Construction crews worked tirelessly to clear debris, and emergency vehicles continued to patrol the area, checking on survivors and offering aid where it was needed.

Rai looked around, his expression unreadable as usual. People watched him with a mix of curiosity and fear, recognizing him from the fight but unsure what to think. As always, a few reporters got the whole battle on camera and shared it online. Soon, the video spread quickly, catching the eye of millions worldwide.

Some people praised and thanked Rai and Alucard, while others wondered about their reasons and goals. Most, however, seemed to agree that they were a force to be reckoned with. And considering the Avengers interview, they gave the entire credit for ending the invasion to Alucard and Rai. So, they got mostly positive public opinion.

Some clicked Rai's photo, while some wondered where Alucard is now. Rai, on the other hand, didn't really care for their opinions. His attention shifted to the destruction around him, his eyes lingering on the fallen buildings and broken streets.

After a while, they passed a small park that had somehow avoided most of the destruction. A few tents were set up there, providing temporary shelter for displaced families. Children played quietly nearby, their laughter subdued but still present—a tiny flicker of hope amidst the chaos. They passed by a small tent where a young boy sat, clutching a dented cup of ramen in his hands. His eyes lit up when he saw Rai, instantly recognizing him.

“You’re the one who saved us,” the boy said, standing up. He hesitated for a moment, then held out the cup of ramen toward Rai. “I—I don’t have much, but… you can have this. It’s all I’ve got left.”

Rai stopped and stared at the boy, his cold crimson eyes fixed on the small offering. Natasha watched in silence, unsure of what he would do.

The boy’s hands trembled slightly as he kept holding the ramen out. "Thank you for saving me and my family. I—I don’t know how to thank you."

Rai looked at the boy, his expression unreadable. Slowly, he reached out and took the cup from the boy’s hands. He glanced down at it, then back at the boy. "You need this more than I do," Rai said, his voice as cold as ever, but there was no cruelty in his words.

The boy shook his head. "No, really. You helped us. It’s not much, but I want you to have it."

For a moment, Rai remained silent, staring at the cup of ramen. Then, unexpectedly, he nodded. He crouched down and handed the cup back to the boy. “I accept your thanks,” he said quietly. “But keep the food. You still need to eat.”

The boy nodded, a small smile crossing his face. He turned to Natasha, his eyes bright with wonder. "Are you also an Avenger? And where is that other friend of yours with guns? He looked so cool, bam, bam, bam!" The boy mimed the action. "And you were awesome. I saw you took down those giant aliens with just a swipe... Like this..." He swiped his hand in the air.

Natasha smiled warmly. "Alucard? He's somewhere else right now. But yes, I am one of the Avengers." She pulled out her phone and showed him a photo of the team. "See, there we are. With Ironman and Hulk as well. They're great friends."

"Wow!" The boy gushed, staring at the image with wide eyes.

"Liam!" A woman called, appearing at the entrance to the tent. Her face was drawn with fatigue, but her eyes shone with relief when she saw the boy.

"Coming!" The boy waved his hand toward her. Then he turned toward Rai and Natasha. "Thanks again. I hope I will see you guys again." He took the ramen from Rai and ran off toward his mother.

Rai watched the boy disappear into the tent, his expression unchanged. Then, without another word, he walked away. Natasha followed in silence, wondering what was going through his mind.

"Looks like you got a fan," she said at last, breaking the silence. "Kids love heroes, after all."

Rai didn't reply. They continued walking through the streets in silence, passing more ruined buildings and broken streets. The scene made Natasha think about how lucky they were to escape unscathed. They had fought bravely and given their all, but there was no guarantee they would have survived such a massive battle. It made her realize just how fragile they were, despite their powers.

Rai stopped before a roadside food stall that was set up to serve free meals to the survivors. People sat around the stall, eating quietly as they listened to the news on a nearby radio. His eyes fell on the cup noodles lined up on the counter.

"You hungry?" Natasha asked, noticing his gaze.

"Not really," he replied flatly. "It's just... That cup of food looks interesting. What are those? I have never seen such things before."

"Those are instant noodles. Easy to cook and easy to eat. Just add hot water and you can have a nice meal in less than five minutes." She walked over and picked one up. The guy serving the food added the hot water. "Here, try it. You might like it."

Rai looked at the steaming cup of noodles Natasha handed him, his expression neutral. He observed it for a moment before taking a seat on a nearby bench. Natasha leaned against the counter, watching curiously as Rai tentatively brought the cup to his lips and took a sip of the broth.

He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Salty," he remarked.

Natasha grinned. "That's the flavoring packet. It’s not gourmet, but it fills you up. Keep going, there's more than just broth."

Rai hesitated, then used the cheap plastic fork to pick up some noodles, studying them as if they were a new kind of alien technology. After a moment, he ate them, his face betraying no emotion.

"Well?" Natasha asked, crossing her arms with a smirk.

"It’s... strange," Rai finally said. "But not bad."

She chuckled, grabbing her own cup of noodles. "It grows on you. Comfort food for times like this. Back in Budapest, this was my go-to meal when we were low on rations."

As they ate in silence, the world around them kept moving. Workers continued clearing debris, families huddled together, and the occasional military patrol passed by. But for a brief moment, the chaos felt distant.

"Rai," Natasha said after a while, her tone softening, "you did good today. People are alive because of you."

Rai didn’t look at her, still focused on the remnants of his noodles. "I didn't do it for them."

"I know," she said, not pressing further. "But it doesn’t change the fact that they’re grateful."

He glanced at her, crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "Gratitude is fleeting. They’ll forget as soon as they’re safe again. Then they'll find something else to fear or hate."

Natasha shrugged. "Maybe. But for now, they see you as a hero."

Rai scoffed but said nothing more, returning his focus to the street. His expression remained impassive, but Natasha could sense something simmering beneath the surface. She wasn’t sure if it was frustration, confusion, or something else entirely. Maybe even he didn’t know.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on a man in a black jacket, standing on the other side of the road. His eyes were fixed on Rai.

'Silver weapons, holy water... Interesting. A half-blood vampire... A vamp hunter,' Rai thought. He continued eating without caring much about that half-blood, who started walking toward them.

The guy came to him, dragged a chair, and sat before him.

"Blade," He extended his hand to Rai. "Or Daywalker, as I'm known by vampires."

Rai ignored the hand and continued eating.

"What are you? I faced Dracula and countless vamps, never seen a vamp species like you? What are you? A new hybrid of some kind?" Blade asked.

"Shut up. Don't disturb me when I'm eating..."

As soon as Rai's words left his mouth, Blade felt a crushing pressure on his shoulders. The chair shattered as he fell to his knees. "Kuggg!!"