Bab 36: 36
Hours later, cloaked in the darkness of night and shielded from surveillance by Lil Lilly's genius machinations, our Strike Team descends upon the underbelly of New York. The air is heavy with anticipation and a sense of imminent danger. My ears ring with the quiet thrum of the stealthy jet engines as they cut through the pregnant silence, like dark specters on an unholy mission.
Natasha takes point, her body lithe and fluid like smoke in the wind. She moved with an almost ethereal grace, her every step designed to leave no trace, no echo. Felicia was at her flank, her muscular form prowling with a predatory precision that made my heart swell with pride. (Does anyone else think my editor likes Nat and Felicia, lol)
The Morlocks' lair was nestled deep within the city's serpentine sewer system. A labyrinthine network of tunnels and chambers, walled by damp concrete and echoing with the forlorn drip of water. Yet within this dismal catacomb thrived a community of outcasts, mutants shunned by society and driven underground by fear and prejudice.
Suddenly, Athena's voice came across in my earpiece, a harsh whisper cutting through the lullaby of nocturnal city noise. "We've got company," she hissed.
Instantaneously, all thoughts fled my mind except for one: we will not let that happen. Not like my other self recalled these events. My heart pounded against my ribcage as if seeking escape, I was more nervous defending others than I was fighting Ammit.
"Positions," Felicia called out lowly, her voice barely above a whisper yet carrying a thunderous gravity. Instinctively, the team dispersed into shadows, merging with the darkness as they awaited the incoming threat.
I hovered above the chaos, my presence hidden from the eyes of those below. My mind raced as I surveyed the enemy forces, their names etched in my memory: Aries, Arclight, Azimuth, Blockbuster, Coda, Harpoon, Prism, Greycrow, Scrambler, and Vertigo. Some were familiar to me through the files I shared with with the Strike Force, but others were unknown entities. As I focused on them, I could feel a new power within me, gravity, pulsing and growing stronger.
My attention shifted to the ground below where Richard Salmons and Tommy entered the Morlock tunnels. We had closed off the exits from the outside world and now lay in wait for our enemies to fall into our trap.
"Team 1, we have caught them by surprise. Their strength is mostly physical so no cause for concern yet."
"Team 2, they have discovered us. One of them possesses a strange power, able to alter a person's form. Luckily, one of our own was able to rip him apart before he could do any damage. OMG Felicia stop ripping parts off or I am telling Joel! Wait, is this thing still on?"
"Team 3 needs backup. We were winning until one of them opened their mouth...and unleashed a goddamn black hole."
"Language," came a reprimand from one of my backup members.
Suddenly, it all clicked into place. That's where I had obtained this incredible ability from, one of the enemy mutants. With determination burning within me, I vanished from my spot and appeared in front of Azimuth, a woman with purple skin and long black hair who looked like she belonged in an Asian horror movie. Her mouth hung open wide, the black hole within threatening to swallow everything in its path.
Without hesitation, I reached into her gaping maw and grasped hold of the black hole within. To my surprise, there was a back to it, perhaps explaining why she never accidentally sucked herself inside. With a triumphant smile, I extracted the power from her and added it to my arsenal.
All around us, the battle raged on. Despite their mutant abilities, many of these foes were no match for our trained team with their basic physical skills. Even if they were knocked down, both myself and Gia had the ability to resurrect them.
Soon, I became aware of the Morlocks joining the fray, those with actual combat ability. It seemed that Tommy had been successful in her mission to report back to them. (Yes, her)
With me at their side, Team 3 quickly gained the upper hand and reported back their victory. Athena, another member of Paragon Force, left behind instructions for the Morlock leader, Callisto, including a portal plant for their use in the future.
With the last check, our network of plants spanned across the entire world, reaching even the nations where mutants were revered as blessed messengers of higher powers. Regardless of their beliefs, we left portals in these places, knowing that every human deserved a chance at a better life.
That night marked my first group dreamwalk, where I brought together as many Inhuman lower caste members as possible. The dream was carefully crafted to include glimpses of the lavish lives led by the upper caste, particularly Prince Maximus. However, Black Bolt and his wife were not portrayed as extravagantly in order to maintain a sense of realism. In this dreamt world, all deformities were corrected and powers were honed to perfection, an average yet content existence.
Each night thereafter, I continued this ritual, ensuring that all lower caste members experienced this dream while time moved forward in the real world. As a new year dawned, Eric was finally reunited with his daughter. However, he was torn between using her old name or giving her a new one. I decided to let them have a few years to reconnect before considering promoting her to a Goddess.
The whisperings of an impending mutant war and its destructive aftermath began to seep into every conversation. Rumors swirled and grew, fueling the fear and tension among both humans and mutants alike. And then, as if orchestrated by some unseen hand, talks of a proposed Bill that would force all mutants to register started circulating. But we were prepared for this scenario.
With precise planning and carefully crafted footage, we struck at the heartstrings of those who still held onto prejudices and fears against mutants. We appealed to other minority groups who had also suffered at the hands of discrimination, weaving a narrative of private companies hunting down defenseless mutants and their children. The footage and paperwork we disclosed revealed their true intentions: to find ways to control and exploit mutants as weapons for private armies, or worse, to exterminate them.
Under Ion's control, any attempts to suppress or distract from our cause were quickly silenced and relegated to the back pages. But then came the game-changing moment, Peggy Carter, the beloved hero who fought alongside Cap in WWII, stepped forward as a mutant herself. She spoke about how the Registration Act was necessary for people's sense of security, and how her organization, which claimed to support mutants finding their place in society, had actually aided law enforcement in capturing and bringing suspected mutant criminals to trial. It was a brilliant move, one that caught the attention of the government.
In a sudden turn of events, they agreed to hand over authority for managing the Registration Act to Peggy at a grand ceremony. And this was exactly what Joel had been waiting for. Shortly after the announcement, Lilly contacted him with crucial information: Hydra, the notorious terrorist group, had infiltrated the ceremony and planned to assassinate Peggy on stage.
"Excellent," I thought to myself with a smirk. "Peggy did well pretending she could only create melee weapons with her powers. That woman is a masterful actress." I immediately ordered for Peggy and Steve to be warned, and for our strike force to be ready. I knew Hydra would have a backup plan in place, but with the top members' names now in our possession, we had the upper hand.
As I continued to plan and strategize, a thought crossed my mind. This entire ordeal would make for excellent propaganda footage. But for now, my focus remained on ensuring Peggy's safety and exposing Hydra's true intentions. I sent Steve, or as he chose to be called, the Guardian, a message requesting some special markings be used on his "defensive" actions.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone