Naxxramas once again floated back into the sky, while the aether particles within Garus's body flowed like a river into the hilt of Frostmourne, making the two skeletal eyes on the blade glow a deep crimson.
"Mr. Garus, I hope you can visit the Hammer Bureau's headquarters when you have time. We need to talk," Osborn said, realizing he would gain no advantage here.
Garus sheathed his weapon without acknowledging him and turned back toward the Sky Fortress without a second glance. The sky was still teeming with demons, and a massive target like Naxxramas was an easy mark for an ambush.
The Mutant Academy students also returned to school via teleportation.
Following her attunement to the Terrigen Crystals, Hive found herself inside a laboratory.
The Terrigen Crystal sat before her, unguarded. Hive extended her hand toward it, but the cold sensation against her fingers made her hesitate, instinctively withdrawing her hand.
This crystal was the key to her plan. With it, she could replicate the Kree's experiment and transform ordinary humans into Inhumans. Of course, most would not survive the process—but that didn't concern her in the slightest.
Yet, her thoughts drifted to him.
Would her plan even succeed? That man's abilities terrified her. Even if she commanded an army of Inhumans, she doubted they could match him.
For the first time, she felt uncertain about the future. Hydra was nearly eradicated, leaving her alone. A bleak prospect indeed.
"Hive!"
A voice called out behind her.
She felt a gentle ruffle on her head—a patronizing gesture that made her loathe the short stature of this body. Turning around, she was startled to find Garus standing behind her. Instinctively, she pulled her hand away from the table in a hurry.
"Headmaster, what are you talking about? Hive?" she asked, feigning innocence. "Dana is waiting for me. Goodbye, Headmaster!"
She turned to leave but was suddenly enveloped in a field of energy, lifting her off the ground.
Garus had discovered her true identity long ago. He would never allow an unknown entity to infiltrate the school—after all, the Mind Stone was not just for display.
"Drop the act. You're no mutant. You're Hive, an Inhuman—and a Hydra operative."
Hearing those words, Hive knew her cover was completely blown. She glanced at Garus's hand, where his weapon had materialized, its embedded gemstone glowing with a faint blue light.
Gritting her teeth, she abandoned the mutant body she had possessed. A cloud of cyan mist escaped from her nose and surged toward Garus.
Was she trying to possess him?
Garus stood still, unmoved. Before the mist could reach him, it recoiled violently, as if electrocuted, and swiftly retreated back into her original form.
"So… cold," Hive shivered involuntarily. "Now that you know, what do you plan to do?"
Garus picked up the Terrigen Crystal and examined it. "Relax. I don't plan to harm you. I just want to ask—how much do you know about the Inhumans living in Attilan on the Moon?"
"Attilan?" Hive looked puzzled. Before she had been exiled from Earth, she had led the Inhumans. However, a rebellion had cost her control, and she was banished to a distant star. Since then, she had no knowledge of what had transpired on Earth.
The Skrulls were also on the Moon, and with the Terrigen Crystals in play, a conflict between the Inhumans and the aliens was inevitable.
Rumor had it that Black Bolt, the Inhuman King, was among the most powerful of all superheroes.
"If you don't know, never mind." Garus hadn't expected much from her anyway.
Hive watched him warily, uncertain of how he would handle her.
A beam of green light shot from Garus's hand, leaving a glowing mark on the back of Hive's hand.
"This is a rune seal. It allows me to track your movements at all times, so don't try anything foolish." He wasn't particularly concerned about Hive, but an extra precaution never hurt. The rune would also bind her to her current body—after all, Death Knights were experts at manipulating souls.
Hive nodded quickly. She had planned to infiltrate the Mutant Academy, but now she had inadvertently trapped herself instead.
Meanwhile, on the Moon, the Skrull-built city continued to expand. It would not be long before it reached Attilan's borders, bringing the Inhumans into direct contact with these extraterrestrials.
The Inhumans knew of the Skrulls. Their history recorded a time when, under Hive's leadership, they had served as the Kree's weapons in a war against the Skrulls.
"Brother, we can't keep hiding here," Maximus said.
Unlike most Inhumans, Maximus had never undergone Terrigenesis. His Inhuman genes remained dormant, making him no different from an ordinary human. However, as a member of the royal family, he was spared from hard labor. He dreamed of leading the Inhumans back to Earth, rather than surviving in the Moon's barren wasteland.
Black Bolt shook his head. He would not allow their hard-won peace to be disrupted. As for the Skrulls, he planned to observe them further—perhaps even make contact.
"You'll regret this, brother," Maximus muttered, storming away, frustration burning in his heart at Black Bolt's stubbornness.
"Black Bolt, we may have been discovered."
Gorgon, an Inhuman with black hooves, rushed into the chamber, his expression urgent.
"By the Skrulls?" Black Bolt signed his response with hand gestures. As the most powerful Inhuman, his voice alone could unleash devastating energy, forcing him to communicate without speaking.
"No… by humans from Earth."
Gorgon looked embarrassed. He had accidentally exposed himself to a human lunar probe. Seeing a pair of hooves walking across the Moon was bound to raise some questions.
"There's more," Gorgon added. "Six Terrigen Crystals have surfaced on Earth. Should we retrieve them?"
Over time, the Inhumans' supply of Terrigen Crystals had dwindled. Each remaining crystal was a precious resource—without them, they could no longer awaken their latent abilities.
"I will handle both matters," Black Bolt signed. Although he had never set foot on Earth, he was well aware of its affairs. He knew everything led back to one person. It was time to meet this human himself.
Unbeknownst to them, Attilan was already in turmoil. Enraged by yet another rejection from his brother, Maximus had finally lost patience. Gathering his loyal followers, he resolved to seize control of the Genetic Council—his first step toward ruling the Inhumans.
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