"Wow—! Fried chicken and orange juice..."
At Tina's house, as soon as the two little ones came back, they couldn't help but exclaim when they saw the "feast" on the dining table.
Then, seeing Mike beside them, they knew who this grand meal's bounty came from.
Katie even warmly gave him a hug.
Mike had originally entrusted this dinner to Needy, but who knew that this woman's housekeeping skills were truly mediocre, and the food she cooked was, at best, edible.
Therefore, to cater to everyone's appetite, Mike specially ordered some fast food delivery from a nearby restaurant.
Thus, the current scene unfolded.
Tina, who walked in from outside the dining room upon hearing the commotion, couldn't help but smile happily when she saw how popular Mike was with her younger siblings.
"Sister, is your leg hurt? Why are you walking so strangely?" Katie also noticed Tina walking in and asked with concern.
Because the previous battle was too intense, Tina, who had just washed up, felt even more "fatigued."
Even her walking was a bit unnatural.
"Sister is fine, I just accidentally twisted my ankle when I was washing up in the bedroom earlier..." Facing her family's concern, Tina glared at Mike unnaturally, then came up with a clumsy excuse.
"Washing up? Why would Sister wash up in the afternoon?" Jerry, also concerned about his sister, was clearly more thoughtful and asked a crucial question.
"This..." The little one's sharp question truly stumped the rosy-cheeked Tina.
How could she possibly explain that kind of thing to two little ones who understood nothing?
She couldn't possibly tell them that their sister had just been terribly "bullied" by a bad guy, could she?
"Alright, Katie and Jerry, don't worry about adult matters. Your sister's injury isn't serious, and she should be fine in a couple of days..."
Under the girl's pleading gaze, Mike timely spoke up to distract the two little ones, then continued: "Also, what gifts do you like? I'll bring them to you next time I come."
The two little ones looked happy again upon hearing this, then, being sensible, they looked at their sister.
After receiving her nod of approval, the two little ones then, one by one, stated the gifts they wanted.
Katie wanted a large plush toy to hug while sleeping, while Jerry wanted a baseball glove.
Due to their family's tight financial situation before, the two little ones didn't have many toys they could afford.
And what was considered a luxury gift to them was nothing to Mike.
Therefore, he gladly agreed to the two little ones' requests.
Next, in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, everyone enjoyed a delicious fried chicken feast.
"Mike, thank you..." In the home study, Tina earnestly thanked the man who had followed her in.
"Thank me for what? Because I promised the two little ones gifts?" Mike asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, but it's not just about the gifts..." Tina explained with emotion.
Because of their parents' sudden deaths, the two little ones actually felt very insecure.
Even though Tina had tried very hard to take care of them, certain emotional gaps still couldn't be filled.
Mike's appearance was like a stabilizing force for the girl's family.
For Tina, he was like a partner. For Jerry and Katie, this "brother-in-law," while being like a friend, also, at certain times, supplemented the two little ones' need for "fatherly love."
Mike understood what the girl wanted to express.
Then again, it wasn't easy for her to take such good care of the two little ones all these years.
"I'm sorry for making you laugh at me..." Perhaps having regained hope for life, Tina, suddenly overcome with sadness, showed a vulnerable side in front of the man.
One could only say, the feeling of having someone to rely on was wonderful.
"Everything is in the past. You will all get better and better in the future..." Seeing the girl's true emotions, Mike stepped forward and gently put his arm around her, giving her a warm embrace.
After a long while, the girl's emotions finally stabilized, and she remembered why they had come to the study.
"This is the information I collected in Queens. There are indeed many 'people' who can't see the light of day hidden in the underground district there. They should be the Vampires you told me about..."
Tina picked up a stack of documents from the desk and said, "Additionally, I also found a group of people with unknown identities who are specifically providing convenience to these Vampires. Moreover, these people seem to 'respect' those monsters."
It had to be said, the girl's ability to gather intelligence was truly impressive.
How long had it been? She, an ordinary person, had almost figured out the situation of the Vampires in Queens.
"Half-Vampire! A bunch of scum who hope to gain 'immortality' by currying favor with Vampires..." Upon hearing the girl's explanation, Mike immediately guessed the identity of that group of people.
So, he took the opportunity to explain the nature of the Half-Vampire to the girl.
These people with impure motives, because of their selfish desires, could almost be considered "human traitors" among humanity.
It was precisely the existence of these people that made Vampires like cockroaches in dark corners, impossible to completely eradicate.
"How can there be such people!" Tina, having witnessed the dark side of human nature, showed a shocked expression.
On the other side, Mike also obtained information about the general movements of Vampires in Queens District. They had indeed been very active during this period.
He estimated that perhaps another Vampire "leader" couldn't stand the loneliness anymore.
"Alright, your next task is to continue monitoring Queens District, and also keep an eye out for a person named Brooke Brooks. This time, I will have John and his team cooperate with your work. Remember to notify me immediately if anything happens..."
Before parting, Mike reminded the girl again: "Remember, when carrying out these missions, you must always ensure your own safety first!"
...
A few days later, as Mike was planning to visit Queens, he once again received an urgent summons from MIB Headquarters.
"What can't be said over the phone that you have to make me come all the way here—" Mike, who had arrived at the Bridge Management Bureau in the suburbs of Sixth Avenue, met Agent O, who was waiting at the entrance.
Agent O, who always seemed to have a stern face, looked even more grim this time.
"Agent Z will explain the situation to you in detail in a moment." Agent O had a businesslike demeanor.
However, judging by his tone, this matter seemed truly tricky.
"First, take a look at these documents..." In the private office, Agent O directly threw a large pile of documents at Mike after seeing him.
Among them, the word "Vampire" marked in red font was particularly conspicuous among the pile of documents.
This made Mike a little surprised.
He seemed to have a lot of encounters with Vampires recently, as if he was constantly clashing with them.
At this moment, the MIB Headquarters' documents he held in his hand detailed the origin of Vampires:
Fifteen hundred years ago, a Black Death plague that swept across Europe almost wiped out humanity at that time.
It was under such circumstances that a person named Alexander became the first lucky one to directly overcome the Black Death plague.
The terrifying virus not only failed to kill him but also granted this person named Alexander various incredible abilities.
Among them, immortality was one of those many abilities.
And in his long life, Alexander had a total of three sons: the eldest son Marcus, the second son William, and the third son whose name is unknown.