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Even though the entire world now hailed him as a superhero, Fini still felt that he couldn't quite shoulder the weight of that title. He knew deep down that most of his actions were driven by personal interest and necessity; his first thought was rarely "protecting the world."
This was why he had hesitated before answering Billy's question, and why the answer he gave was far from a definitive "yes."
"Why 'perhaps'?" Billy pressed, his face full of surprise.
"The three questions are over. No more questions for the rest of the day!" Fini didn't answer. Even if Billy asked again tomorrow, he wouldn't. Some answers were better kept quietly in one's own heart.
Billy, persistent as ever, tried to pry further. Losing his patience, Fini used the Aureolus Izzard (Golden Derivative) and commanded a simple "Shut up," forcing Billy into a sudden, enforced silence.
Poor Billy was terrified, thinking he had suffered some localized stroke, until Fini lifted the effect and warned him against being a chatterbox. Only then did Billy realize what had happened.
The result of this display was that Billy finally, fully believed that Fini was the Knight of Divine Retribution. Or, at the very least, that his best friend was anything but human.
For the rest of the day, Billy was hopelessly distracted, his face a contorted map of unasked questions. But under the weight of Fini's "deterrent," he didn't dare utter a word.
Fini paid him no mind. He found himself genuinely missing the feeling of sitting in a classroom. Just a few days ago, his only company had been Red Skull and a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, surviving on fried chicken wraps.
In the afternoon, after classes ended, Fini went to pick up Skye.
Now that the Chitauri incident was over and New York was temporarily out of danger—and with the Scepter in his possession—it was time to think about helping Skye resolve the issue of her biological parents.
The alien invasion had been watched by the entire world, and Skye was no exception. She had restrained herself from contacting Fini earlier out of fear of distracting him. Now that he was home, she immediately began peppering him with questions.
"Did you bring that dragon back from another planet?" Skye had known nothing about the Blue-Eyes White Dragon until the battle, so she assumed it was a "souvenir" from Vormir.
"No, it was summoned," Fini shook his head, unsure how to explain the mechanics of the Blue-Eyes card.
"Where are you keeping it?" Skye asked, curiosity burning.
"Right here." Fini pulled out the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card to show her, sparking another round of gasps and amazement.
Soon, Skye noticed the Scepter and the Tesseract in Fini's room. "Are these the aliens' weapons?"
"In a way." Fini nodded. He spent the next hour satisfying her curiosity by detailing the Battle of New York and the roles played by Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk.
Once the curiosity was sated, Fini turned the conversation to something more serious.
"Skye, this Scepter has the power to control and brainwash people." Fini held the weapon, looking at her intently. "Even the Hulk couldn't resist its power."
Skye didn't immediately connect this to her parents. She studied the glowing gem in the scepter and asked, "What about it?"
"Perhaps we can use it to change your mother's mind," Fini said slowly. Skye's mother, Jiaying, was already far gone in her obsession and hatred. Using words to persuade her was a lost cause; only a forced mental recalibration might work.
Skye froze, then stood up, her voice trembling with excitement. "Are you saying... we can go find them now?"
"Yes." Fini nodded.
Skye didn't know how to feel. From the day she learned the truth, she had been waiting for this moment, but now that it was actually happening, she felt a wave of overwhelm.
"What do I need to do?" she asked, calming herself.
"Wait for me to find her location first," Fini replied. The Inhuman base, Afterlife, relied on a teleporter for all their logistics. Finding their hidden sanctuary was no easy feat.
"Thank you, Fini," Skye said, her heart full of gratitude.
"Don't worry about it." Fini patted her head with a smile. "But if you want to come along, you have to follow my lead. No reckless moves."
Knowing it involved her parents, Fini knew he couldn't stop her from participating. He could only offer a warning. With Blue-Eyes now at 3-stars, he had the power to protect her. Besides, unless she ran into someone on the level of Hulk, Tony, or Thor, there weren't many people who could actually threaten Skye.
"I promise!" Skye nodded firmly.
That evening, Fini resumed his training at Kamar-Taj. This time, he didn't focus on spells or mana cultivation; instead, he began refining his "Breathing Technique."
He wanted to integrate the Breathing Technique into his daily life, moving beyond using it only in combat. He wanted to maintain that heightened state 24/7, subconsciously.
Breathing is a simple thing—everyone does it—but maintaining a specific, rigorous pattern of breathing at all times, especially while unconscious, was incredibly difficult. Fini tried for a long time without success, but he didn't expect to master it in a day or two. He wasn't discouraged by the initial failure.
Later that night, back at home, Fini pondered how to find Skye's parents. He tried using his 'Compass,' but found it couldn't lock onto a location. He realized after a while that the compass might be failing because a part of him still hesitated to let Skye meet them.
After more deliberation, he realized that going through HYDRA was the easiest path.
One of HYDRA's current leaders, Daniel Whitehall—the man responsible for what happened to Skye's mother—was obsessed with science and controlled multiple research institutions. The Obelisk had originally been in his possession.
By stealing the life-force and abilities of Skye's mother, he had survived from WWII to the present day. He was the primary target of Skye's father's vengeance. No matter how you looked at it, Whitehall was the nexus of this conflict.
Fini planned to use Whitehall to find Jiaying, and in the process, settle the score for Skye's father.
As for how to find Whitehall, Fini already had a lead.
When Loki ambushed him a few days ago, Fini had suspected HYDRA involvement. Without their interference, it was hard to imagine SHIELD agents turning traitor so easily.
He had noticed a few suspicious faces on the Helicarrier. Thanks to the Ancient One, Fini was particularly sensitive to bald heads, so he had made a mental note of every bald person he saw.
"I think his name was Sitwell!"
Because he had paid special attention, he remembered the name. Fini decided it was time to pay a visit to this HYDRA agent—a man who had the bald head of a master, but none of the strength.
(End of Chapter)