"This should make things easier."
As the Kun‑type fighter jet headed for Los Angeles, Coulson began preparing the weapons and equipment—handing a handgun over to Daniel Davis.
"With you guys here, I don't think I'll even need to get involved," Daniel Davis remarked.
Even though he said that, he still accepted the handgun from Coulson, loaded a magazine, and inspected the bullets inside. Sure enough, they were Fitz‑invented tree‑eyed cobra toxin rounds—non‑lethal ammunition.
"Bomb Maker, huh? You sure know how to land an Inhuman a job."
Once the weapons were ready, Coulson began briefing everyone on the enemy situation. Besides the Watchers, there was also an Inhuman—one who wielded flames and could manufacture bombs. This traitorous Inhuman had been assigned by S.H.I.E.L.D. to work at a shop selling fireworks and firecrackers. Truly, a Bomb Maker and a stockpile of fireworks made for a perfect match.
"I mean, using your powers so recklessly is not a good idea."
After the Kun‑type fighter jet reached its target, Daisy didn't wait for the plane to land. Handing over the cockpit to May, she immediately leapt out—utilizing her abilities. Thanks to some medication provided by Daniel Davis, the side effects of Daisy's powers had been greatly reduced.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Daisy, overly worried about Lincoln's safety, paid no heed to Daniel's advice. Upon landing, she delivered a single blow that shattered the thick concrete wall blocking her path.
"Her quaking powers are truly something else."
Although both wield quaking abilities, even if Daisy's raw strength couldn't compare to Whitebeard's, when it came to the refinement and application of her power, Whitebeard simply couldn't match Daisy. But one can't entirely fault Whitebeard—the two had access to very different knowledge. His country had perished in his childhood for being unable to pay the "Heavenly Gold," so he never received a proper education. In fact, among the pirates roaming the high seas, hardly anyone was truly cultured.
"Quite a few of them, huh? Well, let's have some fun."
As Daisy barreled straight toward Lincoln, the Watchers—who had been attacking—quickly regrouped and advanced on her. However, thanks to Daisy's quaking power, before they could even act, the weapons in their hands disintegrated in an instant, and their bodies were flung aside.
For those foes, Daniel Davis saw no need to get involved himself; however, the reinforcements arriving from the surrounding areas were his real opponents. Judging by the forces they'd arranged, the enemy clearly placed great importance on Lincoln—otherwise, they wouldn't have dispatched so many to target just him. Although their numbers were high and their gear top‑notch, they were up against experts like Coulson and May—and, on top of that, Daniel Davis himself was present.
Without wasting any time, every enemy lay defeated on the ground—most dispatched by May, who, perhaps still seething from the earlier intrusion of ghostly power, was more than eager to vent her fury.
"As I thought—it appears someone's been financing the Watchers."
After dispatching all the foes, Coulson immediately began frisking them. On many, he found passports, visas, and similar documents. The moment he saw them, his expression turned grave. Originally, the Watchers had been merely a domestic organization, but these documents indicated they had begun to internationalize—becoming a transnational outfit. Coulson had already suspected as much when those cities went dark earlier; now it was confirmed.
Throughout, Coulson never believed the blackout had been the work of an Inhuman. If Daisy's mother were still alive, she might have been capable of such acts—but unfortunately, she was already dead.
"Take them back for questioning; we must find the mastermind behind this."
No sooner had Coulson uttered those words than a tremendous crash echoed from the other side. It turned out that Daisy, with Lincoln in tow, had burst out of the room; upon seeing Coulson and the others, she immediately shouted, "Run!"
Without pausing to ask why, Coulson and May immediately bolted outside. Just as they dashed through the door, a massive explosion resounded behind them.
"That sure is a sight," May commented as she gazed up at the myriad fireworks streaking into the sky. In contrast to the frantic state of Coulson and May, Daniel Davis remained unruffled—appearing moments later on the opposite side of the street, watching the display with interest.
The sudden commotion drew the attention of passersby on nearby streets, but the ensuing explosions kept them at a safe distance.
"Coulson, you really know how to pick a work assignment," May teased, watching the continuously flashing fireworks with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Even if she hadn't witnessed the full extent of what had happened, from the situation it was clear: placing an Inhuman with bomb‑making powers in a place brimming with fireworks was a recipe for instant disaster.
Coulson merely smiled in response. The scene made him realize that his original choice of work location had been a bit questionable—but then again, he couldn't entirely fault himself. After all, that Inhuman's abilities were perfectly suited for setting off fireworks. Everyone, it seemed, was being used for their particular talents.
Aboard the Kun‑type fighter jet, Daniel Davis examined Lincoln's injuries. Extracting the three bullets lodged in his body, he reassured a very worried Daisy, "It's nothing—just a few gunshot wounds and some internal injuries from the blast. There's no life‑threatening danger." (These two were now a couple—and rumor had it they were already discussing marriage.)
Meanwhile, within S.H.I.E.L.D., two other couples were also busy planning their futures—Simmons and Fitz, as well as Mike and Yo‑Yo.
"Finally, some good news: Stark and his team have restored power in two cities," Coulson announced when he returned after handling the explosion's aftermath. With the might of the Avengers, their response had been much swifter than S.H.I.E.L.D.'s.
After Lincoln explained why the Bomb Maker had betrayed the Inhumans and why he'd allied himself with the Watchers to hunt them down, Daniel Davis was left utterly speechless.
For an Inhuman to consider the Inhuman bloodline defiled—and therefore worthy of being hunted down—was utterly baffling. What was even more absurd was that this fellow did it simply because he was dissatisfied with his own powers.
Bomb Maker James had once been much like Reina—a fanatic enamored with Inhuman power, convinced that Inhumans were gods. But after using the Tyregen Crystal to become Inhuman himself, he found that his abilities failed to satisfy him, and he soon began to regret it.
In truth, very few Inhumans achieve a perfect awakening; most, when their powers manifest, undergo some form of physical mutation—like Reina or Gordon. Only Daisy and Lincoln had achieved a flawless transformation.
Frankly, while James's abilities were decent (after all, he hadn't mutated like Reina or Gordon), he was still dissatisfied. His reason for allying with the Watchers was simple: to kill off every other Inhuman so that, in the end, he'd be the sole survivor—using his powers to rule the world.
One has to say, such delusions are utterly absurd. Even without the Avengers, a guy like that would be downed with a single bullet. I really have no idea how such a ridiculous notion even took root.
Although Daniel Davis was at a loss for words at such lunacy, in a world this big there will always be some eccentrics—like those who aim to rule the world yet end up holed up in a small town.
If some blue, moronic goddess were to learn about these people, she'd probably be ecstatic—look, they say I'm not the only idiot; some are even more so than I am.
"Daisy, you and Lincoln head back to base and keep investigating the Watchers. I need to go with Mr. Robbie to meet his uncle—I have a feeling there's a connection here."
After consolidating all the current intel, Daisy, Lincoln, and the others flew back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. base in the Kun‑type jet, while Daniel Davis, Coulson, May, and Robbie prepared to head to the prison to find Robbie's uncle.
That female ghost—originally a secret weapon dispatched to the Watchers—had been unleashed. With Robbie's help, his uncle promptly recounted events from years past, and that's when Daniel Davis realized that things were far more troublesome than he had imagined.
"I never expected it to be the Black Divine Book."
At that revelation, both Daniel Davis and Coulson's expressions darkened. They knew all too well what the Black Divine Book was—even the Ancient One had been extremely wary of it.
"The Black Divine Book—what exactly is it?"
May looked at the solemn faces of Daniel Davis and Coulson in bewilderment.
"The Black Divine Book—also known as the Book of Sin, the Book of the Dead, the Book of Spells, and so on—Director Fury had, to some extent, opened countless Pandora's boxes in the past, but he never really bothered with this one. They say that once it's opened, it will unleash a truly terrifying catastrophe."
As Fury's successor, Coulson naturally knew many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hidden secrets.
"I see."
May nodded softly, her gaze turning once again toward Daniel Davis.
"In any event, it's not a good thing—under no circumstances should anyone be curious about it or entertain the idea of opening it."
That remark was both a warning to everyone present and a reminder to himself. The Black Divine Book is incredibly enigmatic—when opened by different individuals, it reveals different languages and content, mirroring the most urgent desires hidden within their hearts. Daniel Davis had many secrets of his own, and he certainly didn't want the book to uncover them—who knows what its master might then think?
While Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch might have managed by using the Black Divine Book to enhance their powers, his situation was different. With other means available to grow stronger, there was no need to risk such danger. Of course, he couldn't simply ignore the Black Divine Book altogether. With that thought, his gaze drifted toward Robbie.
If anyone in the room were suited to safeguard the Black Divine Book, it was undoubtedly Robbie—the fourth‑generation Phantom Knight. Daniel Davis certainly didn't want to be saddled with that hot potato. And as for S.H.I.E.L.D., even though Coulson and Director Fury might differ greatly, they'd never even consider opening Pandora's box.
Still, Daniel Davis had no faith in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s confidentiality. Need I mention that even the Inhuman registry had been so easily leaked, resulting in the casualties of many? For ordinary people, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s defenses might be as solid as Fort Knox, but for those of a certain power or status, those defenses are little more than a sham—and acquiring its secrets would be a trivial matter.
Just as the law is held in the highest regard by ordinary folks, for some, the law is nothing more than a weapon. After all, the adage "princes are punished just as commoners are" is easier said than done.
Given the mystique of the Black Divine Book, even if Coulson and May remained unmoved, imagine others—like Simmons, Fitz, and scientists such as Dr. Holden Radcliffe—if they learned of its powers. The attraction would be obvious. It was precisely for that reason that Daniel Davis had not disclosed the Book's true nature.
"In short, we can't let them get hold of the Black Divine Book. I now realize that the weapon the Watchers were after was most likely the Black Divine Book. And the only person who knows its whereabouts is still unconscious—I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you."
"No problem."
"Looks like we're too late."
The group arrived at the hospital and found Joseph Bauer—once beaten into a vegetative state by Robbie's uncle—now awakened, with black blood oozing from all his orifices. This was not how a vegetative patient was meant to recover.
"Book… book…" Joseph muttered repeatedly, his every orifice bleeding, uttering only that single word.
"I'll take care of it." Seeing that Joseph hadn't responded at all to Coulson's questioning, Daniel Davis immediately smacked him on the head and unleashed a double‑fist strike.
"Sure enough, it truly is the Black Divine Book—it wields tremendous power even in the realm of technology."
Joseph and his wife were both geniuses among ordinary people—PhD holders, in fact—but when their research hit a wall, instead of striving to overcome it, they turned their focus to the Black Divine Book, spending roughly ten years on it.
The process took so long that his wife nearly gave up, thinking that if they had continued their research, they might have eventually solved the problem. Had they not stumbled upon the Black Divine Book this time, they might have abandoned that line of inquiry altogether and returned to their studies. Ironically, though, they did find the Book; judging by the circumstances, it was less that they found it, and more that it deliberately allowed itself to be found.
"This energy is very similar to what was in May's mind earlier—I can try to trace it."
Of course, that was a lie. Joseph indeed harbored a peculiar energy within him, but Daniel Davis couldn't really trace it. His so‑called tracking was merely a way of extracting, from Joseph's mind, the hidden location of the Black Divine Book—nothing more.
It was best not to reveal his memory‑reading ability in front of Coulson and the others.
"To avoid any accidents, I'll head over first and then get in touch," Daniel Davis said. With that, he left the hospital immediately—turning invisible as he soared into the sky toward the Black Divine Book's location.
Meanwhile, Coulson, May, and Robbie drove onward on the ground. As for Joseph, Daniel Davis decided not to save him. Given what he'd done with the Black Divine Book, he deserved his fate. Robbie's uncle had beaten him into a vegetative state years ago—not out of personal vendetta, but to stop his research.
It's rather ironic—back then, Joseph and his wife were deeply in love, but after encountering the Black Divine Book, their affection vanished, replaced entirely by a feverish obsession with it.
(End of Chapter)
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