Marvel: Father of Superheroes

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*****

There is more than one Ghost Rider.

They were originally created by God and were known as Spirits of Vengeance.

They descended from the heavens and bonded with humans, becoming Ghost Riders—beings meant to protect the righteous and punish the wicked.

However, after falling prey to Mephisto's temptation, they signed contracts with him, becoming corrupted and cursed. Thus, they were transformed into Mephisto's Ghost Riders—mere tools for collecting souls.

"Carter Slade was one of the humans who signed such a contract."

Staring at the old cowboy lying on the ground, Blackheart sneered, "But it seems his contract ended long ago. He used sheer willpower to seal the Ghost Rider within himself. That transformation just now was his last. In other words…"

Blackheart reached out toward Carter Slade's body and made a grasping motion in the air. He smiled at Carrie and said, "The Ghost Rider within him is now free. Before it returns to my father and once again becomes his pawn, I can form my own contract first—one that uses this Ghost Rider as the bargaining chip."

His father was Mephisto. They shared the same source of power, which is why Blackheart's magic could suppress and even separate Ghost Riders from their hosts.

So theoretically, he could form a contract with one too.

This was his first time attempting something like this, but… it seemed to have worked.

As he spoke, a burning spectral figure burst forth from Carter Slade's body. Under the influence of Blackheart's magic, it transformed into a contract that appeared in his hand.

Blackheart gave it a glance and nodded in satisfaction. He then handed it to Carrie and said, "All you have to do is sign your name. Once you find someone willing to form a pact with you, you'll have your very own personal Ghost Rider."

Personal Ghost Rider?

Carrie silently accepted the contract. After putting it away, she said, "Let's go. To San Venganza."

Although she couldn't claim the San Venganza contract now, she still had a chance to free herself from Mephisto's grasp.

Blackheart…

For now, he was her only hope.

Dawn – San Venganza

The place was in ruins, shrouded in an eerie chill—as if stepping into it meant inviting disaster.

Bones littered the ground, and whispers of vengeful spirits echoed in the air.

Blackheart smiled at Carrie and said, "Do you feel it? The beauty of these souls!"

Souls?

These were no ordinary spirits—they were wrathful Ghost Riders, and savage ones at that. Carrie silently murmured to herself.

But this also meant Blackheart's power would surpass their expectations.

She might truly have a chance at escaping Mephisto's control.

They arrived at the center of the ruins just as the first rays of morning light broke through. Blackheart produced the San Venganza contract and slowly opened it toward the desolate ruins. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he infused it with his magic and chanted:

"This is the San Venganza contract. Spirits of vengeance, arise and become my power!"

As he finished, the contract burst into flame without being lit. From every corner of the ruins, shadowy ghosts cloaked in dark mist surged forth and flew straight toward Blackheart.

Carrie's eyes narrowed at the sight.

She had underestimated these spirits.

Sunlight should have been their natural enemy, yet now, even under its rays, they showed no sign of purification. On the contrary, it made them even more frenzied.

One… two… the number of black mist–shrouded spirits kept growing.

They filled the sky, casting everything into darkness.

The ghostly figures hurled themselves at Blackheart, merging into his body.

Gradually, the pale-blue hue of Blackheart's skin darkened to a light black. His cold, calculating eyes began to glow with a deep red light.

Moments later, all the vengeful spirits had vanished into him. Blackheart exhaled with satisfaction and raised his head.

His skin was now coal-black, his eyes blood-red, and his mouth bristled with jagged teeth.

Savoring his newfound power, Blackheart grinned in satisfaction.

He clenched his fist. A pulse of black shockwave energy erupted from his hand and swept outward.

Carrie quickly shielded herself with invisible psychic force, watching in astonishment as the ruins collapsed like dominoes under the blast.

So strong.

"Hahaha!"

Blackheart burst into wild laughter. Noticing Carrie watching him in silence, he awkwardly forced a couple of chuckles and quickly quieted down.

Ahem.

He cleared his throat. "Let's go."

"Wait a minute."

Carrie's brow furrowed. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Smiling, Blackheart stepped toward her and reached for her face.

Her eyes narrowed, and an invisible force froze his hand mid-air.

Blackheart grinned, withdrawing his hand. "I can help you break free from that old man's control—but only after I defeat him."

"But for now… you need to sign a contract with me. Become my woman."

Carrie felt a chill in her heart but smiled calmly. "Give me a little time to think about it."

Blackheart narrowed his blood-red eyes, visibly displeased.

"You may be strong now, but you're still no match for your father, are you?"

Mephisto's power weakens when he leaves Hell—and the longer he's away, the weaker he becomes. The Mephisto that appears on Earth is nothing more than a fragment of his soul.

To truly defeat Mephisto and break her contract, one would have to go to Hell itself. But in Hell, Mephisto's power reaches its peak.

With Blackheart's current strength, he was still not his father's equal.

Blackheart fell silent. As unpleasant as the words were, they were true.

He glanced at the distant horizon and said, "I need more souls."

"Come with me, Carrie. As long as I gather enough souls, I'll be able to give you your freedom."

Carrie remained quiet for a moment. Feeling the weight of the pressure surrounding her, she raised her head and smiled slightly. "Alright."

"Daddy, let's go to Chinatown today!"

Gwen stood at the bathroom door, holding the small notebook she used to document their travels, smiling at Mike.

Gurgle, gurgle!

Mike spat out the foamy toothpaste and said, "Sure."

The Chinatown here was said to be the best in America. He had wanted to see it too.

"What about Aunt Raven? Still sleeping in?"

Gwen asked curiously.

"Ah… yeah… she's tired, so let her sleep a bit longer."

Mike waved a hand at Gwen and said, "Go ahead and order some breakfast. Once she's up and we've eaten, we'll head out."

"Okay!"

Gwen nodded obediently, but muttered under her breath, "Aunt Raven's getting lazier and lazier. She's been waking up later every day."

Mike looked at Gwen with a smile. "Sleeping in is normal."

As he spoke, he continued rinsing his mouth.

Suddenly, Gwen looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "At this rate, does that mean I'll have a little brother or sister soon?"

Gurgle, gurgle… pfft!

Cough, cough!

Mike wiped the corner of his mouth, then flicked Gwen lightly on the forehead. "Don't let your imagination run wild!"

(End of Chapter)