You Don’t Know Life Force Better Than I Do (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Jian Ni, 8/7)

"Blood feud?"

Oaks had not expected Carl to be so candid. Was he planning to lay all his cards on the table from the very start?

"Dr. Oaks, all these years, I… did a lot of wrong things. But everything I did was for the goal of reuniting with my family."

Carl clutched his head in pain, his emotions beginning to destabilize again.

"Whitehall was a demon. He killed my wife, then sent people to steal my daughter!

"I spent more than twenty years chasing the truth. It was only after the truth about S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra was exposed that I finally woke up!"

"So Hydra stole your daughter, while you used to think S.H.I.E.L.D. was responsible."

Oaks nodded slightly.

"You also said that Whitehall was unusual… Seventy years ago, he was personally arrested by Ms. Carter. His original name was Werner Reinhardt.

"But after Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., got him out of prison in 1999, he found a Chinese woman he had experimented on before his arrest…

"He discovered that the Chinese woman looked just as young as she had more than fifty years ago. So he killed her, replaced his own internal organs with hers, and regained his youth."

With every sentence Oaks spoke, Carl’s expression grew more twisted. The inferior serum was deeply affecting his emotions under the stimulation of his rage.

"Enough!"

Bzzz—

Oaks’ magic instantly cleared Carl’s mind. He panted heavily, his hands nearly digging the flesh off his thighs.

"Huff… Sorry… Dr. Oaks… I…"

"I can understand your anger, but it would be best for us to be more frank with each other now."

Oaks calmly watched Carl gradually return to normal and shook his head slightly.

"I personally saw Whitehall off on his final journey. Also, Agent Carter appeared at Whitehall’s place because he discovered that she had become younger and tried to kidnap her for research—

"Just as he did to your wife. I discovered Whitehall’s identity and conspiracy while going to rescue Ms. Carter."

"What?!"

Carl abruptly raised his head, but relief flashed through his eyes the next moment.

"That’s good… Thank goodness…"

"You were worried that we used Whitehall’s ‘technology’ for restoring youth on Ms. Carter?"

A small cluster of green light rose from Oaks’ hand.

He pressed the green light against Carl. To his astonishment, Carl found that some scars left on his hands from years of experiments had vanished!

"Ms. Carter’s change in appearance was achieved through my methods. But precisely because no one was sacrificed, she merely looked young again. In essence, she is still an old woman in her nineties."

"…I see."

Carl understood Oaks’ implication. Carter had not gained a longer lifespan, so nothing that had driven him mad had been used.

He exhaled deeply, and his expression relaxed.

"Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Dr. Oaks… You were right. I should be more frank."

He picked up the cup of coffee before him and drained it in one gulp.

"Dr. Oaks, my wife truly was the Chinese woman Whitehall killed back then, and she did not die…

"I was a fairly capable doctor. With my wife’s powerful life force and my help, I saved her. I took her back to the village, but our daughter had already been stolen by Hydra—

"I only recently found her whereabouts!"

Carl stared intently at Oaks.

"She was previously found by Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., but just as I was preparing to approach him, he sent her to you!"

"Yes, you mean Skye, a mixed-race Asian girl."

Oaks frowned slightly and nodded.

"That’s right. Skye is with me, and I also discovered something unusual about her. I guessed that was why Hydra had stolen her back then. Now, it seems that ability came from her mother."

"That’s right!"

Carl became excited. He rose to his feet, rubbed his hands together, and paced rapidly around the room.

"Her name isn’t Skye. Her name is Daisy Johnson. Her mother and I chose that name together!"

He abruptly stopped.

"Dr. Oaks, could… could I see her?"

"No."

Oaks’ cold words instantly froze Carl’s face.

"What?"

"Mr. Carl, I believe I already said that we should have an honest conversation."

Oaks looked coldly at Carl, whose neck veins bulged as he stood clearly on the verge of fury while desperately suppressing it.

"Skye—or rather, Daisy—is now my employee. I have to be responsible for her safety—

"What you said just now was not entirely true. You concealed a great deal of important information. I have reason to suspect that Daisy could encounter danger if she meets you."

"Danger?! Are you joking?! What danger could there be in my daughter coming home with me?!"

Carl could no longer hold back. If he had not known that the Avenger before him could kill him in an instant, he would have already lunged forward and grabbed the other man by the throat.

"Would I ever hurt her?!"

"You wouldn’t. But her mother might."

Oaks’ icy words instantly left Carl stunned.

"You… Why would you say that…"

"You can’t hide matters concerning life force from me, Dr. Carl."

Oaks slowly stood and walked over to Carl.

"There is a mess of enhancement serums in your body. They are affecting your mind… That isn’t a good thing.

"Also, you said your medical skills saved your wife. All I can say is that you are indulging in fantasy—

"Do you think I don’t know what kind of injury it is to have one’s internal organs torn out?

"Your wife’s ability isn’t exceptionally powerful life force. It is draining life force… human life force, right?"

Oaks glanced at Carl, who stood frozen in place, and snorted coldly.

"Life force can never arise from nothing. The same is true of my spells.

"Even if your wife possesses miraculous powers, she could never maintain her youth while regenerating organs at the same time.

"So she could only recover by draining other people’s life force.

"How many people did you help her through in that process?"

Blue light glimmered on his fingertip as he pressed it against Carl’s arm.

Carl immediately felt an incredibly familiar sensation—

His life force was draining away!

Fortunately, it lasted only an instant, but large beads of sweat had already appeared on Carl’s forehead.

"You…"

"You don’t know life force better than I do. So I’ll give you one more chance, Dr. Carl."

Blue light flashed through Oaks’ eyes.

"How many people did you kill to restore her? What does she want to do now? Someone who drains the life force of others—I don’t believe her mind has not become twisted—

"Especially after such a tragic past!"

"…"

Carl seemed to age ten years in an instant. He collapsed weakly into his seat, clutching his head tightly.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice.

"Jiaying… used to be very kind… But after that, she really did seem like a different person…"