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*****
Even though Feny was reasonably certain no one in this base could truly threaten him, he remained cautious. He chose to bring both artifacts, taking no chances with his or Skye's safety.
Currently, he held the Scepter in one hand and the Tesseract in the other. With two Infinity Stones in his possession, he cut a figure much like Loki once had.
However, unlike Loki, Feny lacked the God of Mischief's blinding arrogance. He was fully armored in Incursio, maintained his Breathing Technique at a steady rhythm, and kept his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card ready for an instant summon. Whether he needed to stand his ground and fight or make a swift tactical retreat, he was prepared for any contingency.
Skye had far less gear. She had only activated 'Silver Light,' the vibration-dampening gauntlets Tony had crafted for her. Otherwise, she carried nothing—having Feny by her side was the ultimate insurance policy.
"Is she really in there?"
Skye asked, a mix of nervous tension and hopeful anticipation coloring her voice. Her mind flashed back to her meeting with her father a few days prior; she had no idea what to expect from a reunion with her mother.
"Unless there's been a massive misunderstanding, yes."
The place was styled as a base, but it looked more like a secluded mountain village. It maintained an ancient, traditional aesthetic while being peppered with modern technology. Had it not been for the total lack of any visible roads leading in or out, Feny wouldn't have been so sure this was Inhuman territory.
Despite its isolation, the village was surprisingly populated. It wasn't long after they entered that the locals began to notice them.
"Heavens, it's him! The Divine Punishment Knight!"
"What is he doing here?"
"Where's Gordon? Did Gordon bring him?"
"Who is that woman with him?"
The reactions were a chaotic blend of gasps, excitement, and palpable fear, yet no one dared to step forward and greet them.
Behind his visor, Feny frowned. He was just about to grab someone to ask for Jiaying's whereabouts when a woman finally approached.
"Who are you? Who brought you here?" the woman demanded, her tone sharp and questioning.
"And who are you?" Feny countered. Judging by her appearance and age, she didn't fit the description of Skye's mother.
"Alisha Whitley," she answered. Even as she spoke, a duplicate of herself was already racing toward a central building.
In a room nearby, a breathless Alisha burst in to report to Jiaying. "Outsiders have breached the perimeter. It's the Divine Punishment Knight and a woman!"
Jiaying's expression shifted instantly. She stood up, her mind racing. "Find Gordon. Have your other self bring them to me immediately!"
Feny, unaware of the woman's cloning ability, simply nodded when Alisha—acting on Jiaying's orders—changed her tune and said, "Follow me."
In 'Afterlife,' there was a clear hierarchy between the transitioned Inhumans and those still waiting. The onlookers knew Alisha was one of the 'gifted,' so none of them dared to interfere as she led Feny and Skye away.
As they walked, Jiaying was already calibrating her strategy. Gordon had returned in a panic days ago, warning her of the Knight's power. She had been pondering how to handle the situation, but she hadn't expected Feny to find them quite this fast.
'Afterlife' wasn't particularly large, so it took only a few minutes for Feny and Skye to be ushered into Jiaying's presence.
Jiaying was a brilliant woman. Even if she hadn't been naturally gifted, decades of suffering and the burden of immortality would have sharpened any mind.
Based on Gordon's report and the immediate, visceral sense of familiarity she felt looking at Skye, she understood why her husband had been acting so strangely. While a surge of genuine maternal emotion hit her, she also saw a way to resolve the crisis.
"You... you must be my Daisy," Jiaying whispered. Her eyes welled with tears as she focused entirely on Skye, her voice thick with emotion.
Though she had long ago pivoted her primary loyalty to the Inhuman race, it didn't mean she felt nothing for her daughter. It simply meant that if a choice had to be made, she would likely sacrifice Skye for her cause.
"You know who I am?" Skye's own eyes grew moist. She was overwhelmed, but also stunned by the immediate recognition.
"What mother wouldn't recognize her own daughter?"
Jiaying stepped toward Skye, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch her daughter's face. She hesitated for a moment, hand hovering in the air, until Skye stepped forward and took her hand, pressing it against her own cheek. Feeling the warmth of her mother's palm, Skye let out a small, blissful smile.
Feny watched from the side, not interfering, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Suddenly, the air rippled. Gordon, having received the alert, teleported into the room. Seeing Feny, he immediately dropped into a combat stance.
"You!"
Gordon was reeling. He still didn't understand why he had blurted out their location the other day, and he certainly hadn't expected Feny to track them down in less than forty-eight hours.
"Gordon, stand down! They aren't enemies," Jiaying said quickly, her arm still linked with Skye's.
"Hello again," Feny said casually. With the Tesseract in his hand, spatial abilities were essentially voided. Had he wanted to, he could have blocked Gordon from entering the room entirely.
Gordon didn't respond. He was grim. Because he lacked eyes, his other senses were far more attuned to danger than a normal person's. He felt a level of threat radiating from Feny that was exponentially more terrifying than their last encounter.
Jiaying, unaware of Gordon's internal alarm, assumed he was merely angry about the previous skirmish. "Gordon, this is my daughter, Daisy. I assume the Knight brought her here to find me."
"Your daughter?" Gordon's surprise was evident. He sensed the facial similarities between the two women. Looking at Feny, who didn't deny it, Gordon finally lowered his guard—slightly.
But Feny hadn't come here fully armed just to have a chat. He sensed something hollow in Jiaying's warmth, and he decided it was time to take control of the conversation.
He moved to Skye's side and, under the confused gazes of mother and daughter, gently separated them. He then activated the Tesseract, casting a spatial lock over the room, and stepped protectively in front of Skye.
"Actually, it might be a bit early to say we aren't enemies," Feny said coldly. "That depends—are you willing to give up on your plan to forcibly transform the entire human race into Inhumans?"
Jiaying's face flickered. It was a momentary lapse, but Skye—who was watching intently—caught it. Feny's previous warnings echoed in her mind, and her expression darkened.
Gordon's face went pale. For the first time in his life, he felt his connection to space severed. He couldn't teleport.
"Do it!" Gordon barked toward the door.
Two people burst into the room. One was Alisha, the guide from earlier. The other was a man Feny didn't recognize—likely a minor player. Gordon had instructed them to wait outside as backup just in case things went south.
Alisha immediately split into three duplicates, making four of her in total. Feny blinked, feeling a momentary pang of envy. If he had that power, he'd be gaining four times the experience points.
The man, meanwhile, had arcs of electricity dancing across his palms, reminding Feny vaguely of Thor.
"This is it?"
Feny looked at the three of them standing there like they were a world-class threat and let out a small, disappointed sigh. If this was the extent of their "army," their plan to conquer humanity was nothing short of a delusion.
(End of Chapter)