Shen He had already said everything that needed to be said. Any further discussion would only dilute the clarity of the Chaldean stance.
In the dynamics between Chaldea and Attilan, the Chaldeans possessed the clear upper hand. Unlike the isolationist tradition of the Inhumans, the Chaldeans were grounded in transparent power structures and open diplomacy. History had shown time and again that nations that isolated themselves stagnated, while those that embraced adaptation and cooperation thrived.
Not only could Chaldea help the Black Bolt suppress the growing rebellion led by Maximus, but it also held the technological, strategic, and ideological means to aid in Attilan's internal reform. Even more crucially, it could facilitate peaceful relations between Attilan and Earth—something Black Bolt had always longed to achieve, but never had the power or political maneuvering to bring to fruition.
"Hey, Captain," an agent whispered discreetly to Steve Rogers, "Is this really the Chaldean way? It's... kind of badass."
Had S.H.I.E.L.D. been the one dealing with a superpowered civilization like the Inhumans—with internal civil unrest, powerful genetic aristocrats, and lunar outposts—they would likely have approached the situation through tight-lipped diplomacy or preemptive military operations. Dignified negotiations like this wouldn't have even been an option.
Steve glanced sideways and muttered, "I'm just as new here as you are. Listen and learn."
Steve Rogers was indeed learning the ways of Chaldea. It was an organization unlike any other—intuitive, unorthodox, and powerful, not just in force but in insight.
While Black Bolt silently deliberated Shen He's logic, his brother Maximus was already moving forward with preparations in Attilan.
His first order of business: conscription.
"Whether you possess great or minor powers—this is your chance to alter your bleak fates!" Maximus declared, standing on the high terrace of the Royal Palace, addressing the assembled civilians below.
"I know some of you doubt this war. Some even resent me for turning against my family. But hear me! Sacrifice is the price of true freedom. Do you think I want to be estranged from my own brother? Or to be branded a traitor? Do you believe I sent hunters after the only family I had out of hatred?"
He paused, letting the charged silence build.
"No! Everything I've done has been agony. But necessary! Attilan is decaying under a stagnant system. We, the Inhumans—genetically evolved beings!—are wasting away on this barren rock. Earth is overflowing with resources, yet my brother would have us mine lunar stone like slaves!"
"Now is the time to reclaim what is rightfully ours! Not just through change—but through victory!"
"Let Attilan become the empire it was always meant to be—glorious, proud, and supreme!"
The crowd below was sharply divided.
Some, especially the disenfranchised and powerless, roared with approval. To them, Maximus was a savior promising liberation from the cruel caste system that had trapped them since their Terrigenesis.
But among the elites and high-tier Inhumans—those who thrived under the rigid genetic meritocracy—there was silence. Cold, calculated silence. They had status. They had security. And they had no interest in revolution.
Maximus strode off the platform, entering the private chambers of the palace. His trusted aide, Talbo, followed closely behind.
"You saw their eyes, didn't you?" Maximus growled, pacing. "Those nobles. The Gene Council members. They're still loyal to Blackagar. Still waiting for their quiet king to save them. Even now. Even after I seized the throne!"
"I... I think they're just afraid of the war, my king," Talbo offered cautiously.
"Afraid?" Maximus spun on him, eyes wide with contempt. "There's nothing to fear! We are Inhumans! Superior beings born of the Kree legacy! To humans, we are gods! The only reason they resist is because they still see me as... lesser. Because I lack power. Because of my Terrigenesis!"
He clenched his fists, trembling with fury.
"That look—pity. Even now that I wear the crown, all I get is their pity."
"Perhaps there's another path—"
"There is no other path!" Maximus snapped, advancing toward the ancient Terrigen chamber. "I'll undergo a second Terrigenesis."
Talbo blanched. "But, Your Majesty—no one is allowed to undergo a second mutation. It's forbidden by the Genetic Accords. It's fatal in 87% of cases!"
"I've already accepted the price of death, Talbo," Maximus said coldly. "If I can't rule through their respect, I'll rule through fear. If the nobles won't support my reign, then let them fear what I'll become."
He stormed toward the sacred chamber, leaving Talbo paralyzed in fear.
Maximus had finally crossed the line. What was once political rebellion had turned into obsession.
His elder brother had done nothing but blunder—he killed their parents, spent years in silence, barely led his people—yet was gifted with the most destructive voice in the universe, a power that made others kneel.
Maximus had to claw for every inch. He won minds but never hearts. And now that he held the throne, the shadow of Black Bolt still loomed over everything.
If gaining true power meant turning into a monster, so be it.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, Black Bolt made his decision.
He gestured solemnly to Shen He. "Once this is over... I will hand Maximus over to you. You're right. He won't stop. Not until he drags all of Attilan into war."
Though his expression remained stoic, the pain in his eyes was evident. Maximus was still his brother, the last link to their bloodline. But the safety of Attilan and the hope for peaceful contact with Earth mattered more.
He still had Medusa. He still had Gorgon. Karnak. Crystal. And his people—those who still believed in him.
"Don't worry," Shen He said softly, putting a hand on Black Bolt's shoulder. "If he's truly beyond redemption, we'll make sure he can't hurt anyone again."
"But if there's a sliver of hope—if his hatred is just a mask for pain—then we'll erase it. Wipe the pain, wipe the memories, and send him far away to live out his life peacefully. Somewhere he can't start over as a tyrant."
At those words, Wanda Maximoff—Scarlet Witch—visibly flinched.
Memory alteration.
The thought of it sent shivers down her spine. She had seen the horror of it through Coulson's memories. She knew the brutality of mental surgery, the soul-shredding emptiness it could leave behind.
But to Black Bolt, it was a merciful gift. A second chance, if not at redemption, then at peace.
He nodded in gratitude and signed again. "Thank you."
Shen He turned to the gathered captives, a hardened expression crossing his face.
"Steve, take them into custody. Keep the high-threat ones sedated. We'll head to Attilan and end this rebellion before it reaches Earth."
"No problem," Steve said, already motioning to the agents under his command. Though he wasn't fond of war, he knew the value of preventing one.
Shen He nodded, then knelt beside the massive teleporting canine.
"Alright, Big Dog. Time to go."
The Inhuman beast barked once, and as Shen He clasped his armor, his eyes glowed with twin streaks of cerulean.
It was time to return to the moon.
It was time to end the rebellion.