Assault on the Inhumans

While Wang Bert was racking his brains to ensure the competition was fair, Gordon brought Skye to the Inhumans’ settlement, Afterlife.

The moment Skye saw Jiaying, she immediately shouted furiously, "You lied to me! You clearly said the poisoned needle would only put Blood God to sleep!"

"This is all for the Inhumans."

Jiaying paid no attention to Skye’s accusation and eagerly asked Gordon, "Is Blood God really dead?"

Gordon nodded excitedly. "He’s really dead. He turned into a pool of green water."

Jiaying beamed. "That’s wonderful. Now that Blood God is dead, no one can stop us Inhumans anymore."

Raina, whose head was covered in spikes, laughed. "I told you we would succeed."

Jiaying smiled. "A prophet’s prophecy cannot be wrong."

"A prophet?"

Skye glanced at Raina without giving it much thought. If she really were a prophet, Skye could never have come here. She was probably just a fraud.

Raina said, "Jiaying, I’ll show Daisy around Afterlife. Don’t worry. Once she becomes an Inhuman, she’ll understand your good intentions."

Jiaying nodded. "Fine. In a few days, I’ll help her become an Inhuman."

"I don’t want to become an Inhuman!" Skye shouted angrily. "You’re a liar!"

"Jiaying only wants what’s best for the Inhumans."

Raina shook her head and pulled Skye out of the house. Jiaying smiled, took out her communicator, and reported the good news to Maximus the King.

After wandering around Afterlife for a while, Skye could not help sighing. "This really is a quiet, peaceful little village."

"Unfortunately, your mother does not wish to remain peaceful," Raina said.

Skye froze, then asked tentatively, "You don’t agree with Jiaying?"

Raina smiled without answering right away. She led Skye to a secluded spot and said, "If I agreed with Jiaying, I would have told her about your plan long ago."

Skye was startled. Her hand quietly moved to her waist as she asked, "Our plan? What plan?"

"The plan for Blood God to fake his death."

Raina smiled. "Don’t be nervous, and don’t reach for your stun gun. I’m not your enemy. Otherwise, you could never have come here, much less sent S.W.O.R.D. this location."

Skye asked in surprise, "Are you really a prophet?"

"Of course. The reason you could never catch Gordon was because I foresaw your actions in advance."

Raina took a notebook from her coat and said, "This contains a map of Afterlife and information on some of the Inhumans. Take it and send it to S.W.O.R.D."

Skye took the notebook and asked in astonishment, "Is this real or fake?"

"Of course it’s real. Jiaying’s approach is doomed to fail. Even all the Inhumans put together are no match for Blood God alone."

Raina said, "I can’t let Jiaying destroy the Inhumans."

"Jiaying’s way really is wrong."

Skye stopped pretending. She took out a device and scanned the notebook as she asked, "Do you know where Medusa is being held? We need to rescue her."

Raina nodded. "I do. Medusa is being held with your father, Carl Johnson. I’ve already informed Carl. When the time comes, he’ll help rescue Medusa."

"My father?"

Skye was stunned. She asked, "Why did Jiaying lock him up?"

"Because he failed to protect you and your mother, Carl has been in tremendous pain all these years. To become stronger, he used himself as experimental material to study enhancement serum."

Raina sighed. "In the end, he succeeded, and he failed."

"Succeeded and failed?"

"Yes. His body did become much stronger, but his mind became extremely violent. Many times, he cannot control himself and becomes like a madman."

Raina said, "Actually, I’ve been following your father all these years. You can call me your sister."

"A madman?"

Skye said bitterly, "My mother is a super wanted criminal, and my father is a madman. What a wonderful family I have."

"There is a saying in the East: when Heaven is about to entrust a great responsibility to someone, it first tests their resolve and wears down their body."

Raina said, "Skye, your life is destined to be extraordinary."

Skye did not catch Raina’s deeper meaning. She shook her head and said, "With parents like that, how could I possibly live an ordinary life?"

"Don’t blame your father. He would do anything for you. That is what I envy most about you."

Raina said, "Enough of that. Notify S.W.O.R.D. There’s no need for elaborate tactics. Just fly straight in. Inhumans have all sorts of abilities. Outsiders could never infiltrate Afterlife."

"Okay."

Skye chose to trust Raina. A few hours later, when dawn was just breaking, S.W.O.R.D.’s Super Plane arrived.

"Jiaying, enemies are here."

Gordon sensed them first. He immediately appeared in Jiaying’s room and shouted, "It’s S.W.O.R.D.! Not only do they have the Super Plane, they also have a large number of Super Heroes."

"What? How did S.W.O.R.D. find this place?"

Jiaying was shocked. She asked, "Gordon, can you still teleport?"

"They have a Quantum Interferometer. I can only use short-range Teleportation now. I can’t teleport long distances."

Gordon smiled bitterly. "That’s only because I’ve been training nonstop these past few days."

"Damn it."

Jiaying gritted her teeth. "Gordon, take people and protect the Council of Elders. I’ll ask Maximus the King for reinforcements and have him send people to save us."

"Okay."

Without another word, Gordon immediately sounded the alarm, then led a group of Inhumans to protect the Council of Elders. Afterlife operated under an elder system, though Jiaying was currently its only elder.

"Susan, Natasha, Earth Demon, follow Skye and Raina to rescue Medusa. Everyone else, come with me to deal with Jiaying."

Steve, Director of S.W.O.R.D., said solemnly, "Let me make one thing clear: no killing innocents. S.W.O.R.D. is not S.H.I.E.L.D. If anyone massacres innocents, I will not let them off, and neither will Blood God."

"Relax. These are all Super Heroes, not those butchers from S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony said.

"Good. Begin the operation."

Steve wasted no more words. He had Coulson open the hatch, then flew toward the Council of Elders with the others.

Natasha, Susan, and Earth Demon did not follow the main force. They either turned invisible or burrowed underground, quietly heading to meet Skye and Raina.

On the way, Steve shouted through a loudspeaker, "I am Steve Rogers, Director of S.W.O.R.D. I am here to arrest the wanted criminal Jiaying. All Inhumans, stay inside your homes and do not come out. Once this is over, we will help you return to society."

"What? S.W.O.R.D.? Captain America?"

All of Afterlife erupted in an uproar. Many people were confused. Why would Captain America come to arrest Jiaying?

Afterlife had no internet and no signal. The Inhumans knew nothing about what was happening outside.

"Don’t let S.W.O.R.D. deceive you! They’re here to capture us as experimental subjects. Then, just like Jiaying, we’ll be dissected, sliced up, and studied by humans."

Gordon immediately shouted, "Brothers and sisters, take up your weapons! Defeat S.W.O.R.D.! Protect your families! Protect your home!"

"Defeat S.W.O.R.D.! Protect our families! Protect our home!"

Many Inhumans were stirred up. One Inhuman stared into the sky, his eyes seeming to flash with electricity. Then, a Shockwave swept across the sky, and all the Drone Armor lost control at once, plummeting toward the ground.

"This must be the EMP Inhuman Raina mentioned," Tony said. "Good thing we prepared in advance."

As Tony spoke, all the Drone Armor restarted and flew back into the sky.

"His name is Electromagnetic Inhuman, okay?"

Dr. Richards complained as he looked at the Inhuman below. "If we properly studied his ability, we might be able to create ultra-miniature EMPs."

"Doctor, we can only study them if the Inhumans agree," Steve hurriedly said.

Dr. Richards looked a little embarrassed. "Occupational habit. Occupational habit."

Seeing that the EMP had failed, the Inhumans were somewhat surprised, but other Inhumans immediately launched attacks.

One Inhuman spread his arms, and violent winds raged around him. Then another Inhuman opened his mouth and spat out a mass of bubbles, which drifted rapidly toward Tony and the others on the wind.

"Careful, those are highly toxic bubbles."

Steve immediately warned them, "We really should thank Raina. Without her, we would probably have suffered heavy losses."

"Leave these two Inhumans to me. Playing with wind against me? They’re still too green."

Wind Demon smiled faintly and controlled the gale to blow the bubbles back. The Inhumans hurriedly dodged in fright, clearly aware of how dangerous the bubbles were.

Steve and the others took the opportunity to charge ahead. Soon, they reached the Council of Elders and confronted Gordon and the other Inhumans head-on.

"No-Eyed People, we finally meet."

Tony said, "If you’ve got the guts, teleport again and let me see."

Gordon sneered and instantly appeared a meter ahead. Then he provocatively asked Tony, "I teleported. Is there a problem?"

"That’s impossible!"

Tony, thoroughly embarrassed, roared, "How could my Quantum Interferometer fail?"

Absorbing Man quietly said to Thing, "The boss said Iron Man is either getting slapped in the face or on his way to getting slapped in the face. Looks like he was right."

"I can hear you," Tony said irritably.

Steve shook his head and shouted toward Jiaying inside the Council of Elders, "Jiaying, surrender. You have no chance of winning. Don’t force Blood God to act, or many of you will die."

Jiaying and Gordon were both stunned. "Blood God isn’t dead?"

"Of course Blood God isn’t dead."

Tony sneered. "Scourges live for a thousand years. That guy will live at least another thousand."

"Tony, the first half of that saying is, ‘Good people do not live long.’ It’s very unlucky to say that at a time like this."

Dr. Richards quietly said, "We are all good people."

Tony was speechless. I was just teasing Bert. Did you have to take it so seriously?

"Damn it, Skye actually betrayed me!"

Jiaying gritted her teeth and said, "Hold them back. Maximus the King’s reinforcements will arrive soon."

"Okay."

Gordon nodded and led the Inhumans into battle with the Super Heroes. Though they had fewer people, Inhumans from all over Afterlife were continuously rushing over. They might not lose.

As Steve hurled his shield at an Inhuman with massive arms, he shouted, "Take them down! Don’t kill innocents, but don’t hold back either!"

"Do you need to tell us that?"

Tony snorted and fired a Micro Missile at an Inhuman covered in scales. At that moment, a laser shot in from the side and blasted the missile apart with a boom.

"Lasers from the eyes? I feel like I’ve seen that move somewhere before."

Tony charged at the laser-shooting Inhuman while ordering the Drone Armor to attack the Council of Elders. At that moment, a defensive energy shield rose over the Council of Elders. The Drone Armor immediately opened fire on it, making the shield ripple continuously like water.

"Capture the leader first."

Gordon’s eyes flashed. He instantly appeared behind Steve, his green-glowing dagger viciously stabbing toward Steve’s back.

Steve noticed immediately and rolled forward to evade the backstab, then swung his shield back at Gordon. Gordon vanished in an instant.

Steve hurriedly warned, "Be careful. Gordon’s dagger is highly poisonous."

"I’ll handle him."

Black Panther shouted as he rushed toward the reappearing Gordon. Gordon snorted and disappeared again.

Black Panther abruptly changed direction and sprinted to the right. The next moment, Gordon appeared in front of him.

Gordon was shocked to see Black Panther and hurriedly tried to teleport. Yet after flickering once, he remained where he was instead of teleporting away.

Black Panther did not waste time. He smashed a heavy punch into Gordon’s face, sending him flying. Gordon crashed to the ground unconscious.

Everyone was surprised and had no idea how Black Panther had done it.

Tony scanned him and asked in shock, "The bead on your hand actually has both Quantum Interferometer and Quantum Positioning Device functions?"

"That’s right. Shuri miniaturized your Quantum Interferometer and Quantum Positioning Device."

Black Panther said proudly, "She also added a directional interference function. That is why No-Eyed People couldn’t teleport earlier."

Tony looked extremely displeased. He felt like the new wave had overtaken the old, leaving the old to die on the beach. After all, Shuri was not even twenty yet.

I won’t lose to you. I am Tony Stark.

As Tony pursued the laser-shooting Inhuman, a little girl suddenly began crying behind a house. Tony froze, then hurriedly went around it and saw a little girl sitting on the ground, bawling her eyes out.

Tony flew over in the Iron Man Armor and called, "Little girl, get out of here now."

The little girl seemed frightened by Iron Man and cried even harder, repeatedly calling for her mother.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad person."

Tony thought for a moment, opened the Iron Man Armor, and stepped out as he ordered, "Guard mode."

The Iron Man Armor closed up, raised its right hand, and vigilantly watched the surroundings like a bodyguard.

"Come on, I’ll take you away from here."

Tony walked over to the little girl and gently held out his hand. The little girl looked up at him, her eyes full of suspicion and fear, like a startled rabbit.

"Don’t be afraid."

Tony flashed what he believed was a charming smile. At that moment, the little girl suddenly grabbed his hand and said with a beaming smile, "Give me your pain."

The next moment, Tony’s eyes turned vacant. The little girl stood up and ordered, "Have your Drone Armor kill those Super Heroes."

"Change targets. Attack the Super Heroes."

Tony immediately gave the command. The Drone Armor in the sky instantly turned their guns toward the Super Heroes. Steve sighed, pulled a remote control from his pocket, and shouted, "Everyone, Tony Stark has been controlled again."

Everyone burst into laughter. Just as the Drone Armor was about to attack, Steve pressed the button, and all the Drone Armor entered reboot mode.

Tony had personally given Steve this remote control as a precaution. After all, Inhumans had every kind of ability.

He just had not expected it to actually come in handy.