"Special ethnic group…"
Skye listened intently, her heart thudding in her chest, afraid she'd miss even a single syllable.
But Shen He only gave a cryptic answer, then stood up, preparing to leave.
"Wait—" Skye reached out quickly. "Can't you at least explain more? Something detailed?"
Shen He paused, then sighed, pulling a sleek silver bracelet from his coat. Embedded with subtle glyphs and an iridescent core, it pulsed faintly—it was the communicator gifted to him by Crystal of the Inhumans.
"I'll explain your case to their king first," Shen He said flatly. "We'll gauge his attitude from there. Don't worry—Black Bolt isn't unreasonable. His silence doesn't mean he lacks compassion."
Compassion—and yet, weakness.
Blackagar Boltagon, King of the Inhumans, wielded a voice capable of leveling cities, yet his brother Maximus had always coveted his throne. The Inhuman royal court was never without turbulence.
Still, if Black Bolt's stance could be secured, the rest could be managed.
Shen He activated the communicator. "Crystal."
Static. No response.
"Crystal?" he asked again, now frowning.
A low, composed male voice suddenly answered. "Crystal is… indisposed at the moment."
Shen He's eyes narrowed.
"I am Maximus, brother of the Silent King. Who are you?"
The tone was measured, polite even—but Shen He's expression darkened.
Maximus—the Mad King, the usurper. It had to be now?
"Don't you know me?" Shen He sat back down slowly, his voice cold. "If Black Bolt didn't tell you about me, it's likely because he didn't want you involved. Shouldn't that tell you something?"
"Yes, it tells me that I've inherited a broken kingdom full of secrets. I am the King of Attilan now." Maximus's voice grew sharper. "You sent the food and materials with Crystal yesterday, didn't you? You helped her reach out to the human world. That act cost your precious Black Bolt everything. But you—" His tone turned coaxing. "You can still align with me. Serve the new order, and you'll be treated better than you ever were by my silent brother."
A long silence followed.
Then—
Crack!
Shen He crushed the communicator in his hand without hesitation. It crumbled like glass in his grip.
"Out of all the days you could choose to start a rebellion," Shen He muttered, voice trembling with restrained fury, "you had to ruin this one. We were supposed to be picking out swimsuits."
Behind him, Qi Mu Nanzi remained silent, her gaze sharp as ever. They both knew what this meant.
Skye blinked in disbelief. "Wait… this is… a rebellion?"
Everything had happened too quickly for her to process. One second she thought she was close to understanding her lineage, and the next, her supposed "people" had fallen into civil war. Maximus mentioned "humans" as if he weren't one—who exactly were these people?
Shen He inhaled deeply to calm himself.
He turned to Qi Mu Nanzi and handed her the crushed remnants of the communicator.
"Can you fix this? It's the only link we've got left."
Qi Mu Nanzi raised her palm, her fingertips glowing with faint psionic energy. With a fluid motion, the broken shards floated, twisted, and realigned. Within seconds, the device was completely restored.
The air shimmered briefly, as if time itself had rewound.
Natasha, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow at the display. She had seen holograms, AI interfaces, even nanotech—but this power was something else entirely. Reality manipulation? Time reversal? It was unclear, but certainly not of earthly origin.
Skye, meanwhile, barely noticed. Her eyes stayed fixed on Shen He.
"Wait—so this group I'm from… they have a monarchy? Like a literal king and queen? Is this like Wakanda, or more like tribal leadership in remote African regions?"
Shen He didn't respond immediately. He just stared at her.
Then, without another word, he stood.
"If you want answers, follow me."
Qi Mu Nanzi moved in sync beside him. Skye grabbed her laptop and hurried after them. Natasha trailed close behind, her instincts screaming that this was something S.H.I.E.L.D. would have fought over.
"Jarvis," Shen He called into his phone, "scan all available channels for sightings of giant canines, especially ones matching Lockjaw's description. Cross-reference it with any high-energy anomalies, escapees, or supernatural occurrences post-battle. If anyone contacts Stark, alert me immediately."
The crystal's teleporting bulldog, Lockjaw, was their best shot. If he escaped Maximus's coup, they could track him. And if Lockjaw had transported anyone else…
Then perhaps Black Bolt wasn't gone.
"I'm starting to understand the value of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Natasha murmured as she moved up beside Shen He. "A central intelligence network could've prevented a mess like this."
"But also caused it," Shen He replied, voice firm. "If S.H.I.E.L.D. still existed, Hydra would've used Attilan as a spark to ignite global war. Humans would've lusted after Inhuman DNA, and fear would've done the rest."
Skye looked up from her phone. "If it helps, I can start combing surveillance networks. Just describe the dog to me. Big? Fluffy? Laser-beam eyes?"
Before Shen He could answer, Qi Mu Nanzi halted.
"Master," she said quietly, pointing ahead. "We've found something."
A large outdoor screen displayed a breaking news broadcast. Military forces—helicopters, tanks, and special ops units—were surrounding a forested region in Mexico. On-screen, figures in torn blue-and-white suits ran from the treeline. Among them, one stood out—a man in black whose presence distorted the very air. His steps cracked earth. Trees shattered at a glance. Explosions rippled outward in his wake.
Skye's jaw dropped. "That's not normal."
"That," Natasha said, "is what S.H.I.E.L.D. used to hide from the public."
Shen He's gaze hardened.
"Jarvis—get Tony on the line. I need armor. Qi Mu, summon Jeanne. We're leaving."
He turned back, eyes narrowing with resolve.
Today was supposed to be a peaceful day at the beach.
But now?
Now it was war.
He would find Crystal. Reach Attilan. And bring divine retribution to the lunatic who dared ruin his summer.