When Ethan stepped into the underground hangar, the sleek black X-Men stealth jet loomed before him like a shadow. Standing nearby, already waiting, were Calvin, Skye, the White Queen, and Katie.
"Alright, team. Let's board. I've already cleared it with the Professor—we've got authorization," Ethan said, leading the group toward the plane.
Once inside, Ethan slid into the pilot seat with the confidence of someone used to getting things done—only to freeze.
The control panel was completely unfamiliar. A realization hit him: this wasn't like driving a car. This was a high-tech, aircraft.
"Okay, so... we have a jet. The only problem is—who actually knows how to fly it?"
Katie stepped forward with a grin. "I've got it."
Ethan blinked. "Wait, Katie—you can fly this thing?"
He glanced briefly at the White Queen, who remained composed and unreadable. He had half-expected her to be the fallback.
While she wasn't exactly known for piloting jets, she had plenty of experience with less advanced aircraft.
Still, her main role on this mission wasn't transportation—it was strategy.
As head of the research division and one of the most powerful telepaths around, she understood the Inhumans and the risks involved.
If things went south, she could neutralize tempers faster than any weapon could.
Katie, already sliding into the pilot's seat, looked over her shoulder.
"Ethan, you do remember that piloting this fighter is part of the X-Men's advanced training, right? It's a required course."
"Seriously?" Ethan turned to the others, hoping someone would back him up.
Pete shrugged. "I've only done the simulator. No idea how this compares to the real thing."
Bobby winced. "That class is brutal. I barely pass each time."
John groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Yeah... I just failed it. Again."
Ethan looked around at the mix of sheepish and resigned faces. A slow suspicion crept in. "Wait a second. There was a class for this? Are we even going to the same school? How many classes have I missed?"
Katie, adjusting the controls, added cheerfully, "This is actually my first real flight too. Technically, we're allowed to use school resources if we burn enough credits. But using this plane? That costs at least five credits per trip. And the approval process is brutal. Students almost never get access."
Ethan scratched the back of his head. "Credits? I just asked the Professor. Didn't know there was a whole system for this."
Katie smirked. "That's because you're basically an NPC around campus."
Ethan stared blankly. "..."
As Katie teased him, the hangar roof opened above them. The sleek black jet rose smoothly into the sky, flying west under Calvin Hyde's coordinates.
Hours later, they descended toward a hidden valley nestled between craggy peaks.
Through the cockpit window, Ethan spotted a strange fusion of old-world temples and cutting-edge architecture below.
This was their destination—the sanctuary of the Inhumans. A place called Afterlife.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "It's even more isolated than I expected. Karma-Taj at least has magical barriers. These guys rely on secrecy and terrain."
But then, it made sense. The Inhumans' legacy hadn't been erased, just... elevated.
The elite among them—the ones with the most exceptional genetics—had moved their city to the moon, leaving only a fragment of their people behind.
So it made sense—the Inhumans left behind on Earth, while still clinging to their heritage, had clearly lost their edge in technology.
Still, compared to mutants who had all but severed their lineage, what the Inhumans preserved was surprisingly impressive.
As the jet continued to descend, its cloaking system deactivated.
The once-invisible aircraft shimmered into view, drawing attention from the people below.
Pedestrians stopped mid-step, eyes wide with alarm.
Panic rippled through the streets.
People scattered, ducking into buildings and slamming doors and windows shut.
The city, vibrant just moments before, now looked like it had braced for a siege.
"Yikes. These people are even less friendly than the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj," John muttered, glancing out the window.
"They've got reasons," Calvin replied quietly. "They've heard too many stories—how ordinary humans fear and target anyone different. Mutants, Inhumans... it's all the same to them."
Ethan stepped forward, expression calm. His ability subtly pulsing under his skin, ready to deflect any attack towards him.
He didn't exactly look harmless, but there was a steadiness in his presence.
"Well, if that's the case," he said, "we might have more in common than they think."
He stepped out of the aircraft first.
A group of Inhumans was already approaching from the edge of the plaza—about a dozen of them, moving with trained precision.
In the center stood a woman with a noticeable scar across her face.
Her posture was guarded, and her eyes locked onto Ethan like he was a threat she couldn't yet size up.
The others moved almost imperceptibly, forming a protective arc around her.
"Who are you?" the woman asked, her voice cold, clipped.
Before Ethan could respond, Calvin stepped out behind him and lit up like a kid at Christmas. "Sweetheart, it's me! I'm back—and I brought something incredible. You won't believe it until you see it."
He jogged down the steps of the jet, weaving past Ethan and the others to stand before the scarred woman.
Her expression darkened. "Calvin. Why are you here?"
The warmth in Calvin's face faltered as her words hit.
"You weren't born Inhuman," she said, anger rising. "But because I cared about you—because I trusted you—I told you where Afterlife was. And this is how you repay me? Bringing outsiders into our sanctuary? You betrayed me. I thought the unstable behavior was just the drugs. But now... now I see you've completely lost it."
"Please, just listen to me," Calvin pleaded, reaching for her hand. "They're not just anyone—they're mutants."
"Mutants?" Her gaze darted over to Ethan and the rest of the team, eyes narrowing.
Ethan gave John a quick look.
No words were needed—John nodded and conjured up a set of small fireballs, letting them spin between his fingers.
Bobby caught on and added a layer of ice mist around them, the air humming with energy.
The woman hesitated, but her tone stayed cold. "Even if they're mutants, that doesn't justify bringing them here. We've never aligned with your kind."
"But they helped me find our daughter," Calvin said urgently.
He turned and pulled Skye gently to the front of the group.
"Daisy... this is your mother—Jiaying."
"Mom... Mom," Skye said softly, unsure at first, but encouraged by Calvin's hand on her shoulder.
Jiaying's eyes widened.
That word—Mom—hit something deep.
Her hand trembled slightly as she reached out to brush Skye's cheek.
A flicker of emotion cracked her stern exterior.
As a mother, she knew.
But Jiaying wasn't just a mother—she was a leader. And leaders made hard calls.
She pulled her hand back, composed herself, and gave a small nod.
"Take her inside," she instructed one of her guards.
Skye looked back once, but didn't resist. She was still processing.
Jiaying straightened her posture and addressed the group. "Thank you for returning my daughter to me. I assume you didn't come all this way just for that. Follow me. I'll make an exception—for now—and hear what you have to say."
In the room, aside from Ethan and his group, only Jiaying, Calvin, and an Inhuman man with no eyes were present.
If Ethan's memory served correctly, the blind man was Gordon—an Inhuman whose teleportation powers made him a quiet but formidable presence.
Maybe in Jiaying's mind, having Gordon and Calvin around was more than enough to ensure her safety.
It also served as a quiet show of confidence, a subtle message that the Inhumans didn't feel threatened by the visitors.
But if she truly understood what Ethan and the others were capable of, she might not have felt so secure.
Jiaying sat upright, her expression unreadable, her voice cutting straight through the air. "You mutants show up out of nowhere asking for an audience with us Inhumans. Why?"
Ethan leaned forward, calm but direct. "Because we want to work with you."
"Work with us?" Jia Ying raised an eyebrow.
The idea sounded ridiculous to her, but out of courtesy, she continued. "Alright. Let's hear it. What kind of... cooperation are you talking about?"
"We're asking for access to all your research data on genetics," Ethan said without hesitation.
"In return, we mutants will form a defensive alliance with you. If your people are ever in danger, we'll have your back."
Jiaying blinked, then laughed bitterly. "You can't be serious. You're asking for the core of our scientific progress, and offering vague promises in return? Do you take us for fools? And we're fine here, living in seclusion. Why would we need your protection?"
"I don't think you're fools," Ethan replied calmly. "In fact, I'm saying this because I respect your insight."
He leaned back slightly, eyes locked with hers. "Let me ask you something. Why do you Inhumans stay tucked away here, isolated from the rest of the world?"
"To avoid harassment from regular humans," Jia Ying said coolly.
"Exactly. You're hiding," Ethan said, his tone turning serious. "Because you know once they find you, it's over."
Compared to mutants, the Inhumans were more fragile—less organized, less powerful.
When mutants are pushed, someone like Magneto rises to strike back.
There's resistance. Retaliation.
But the Inhumans? They barely have the means to defend themselves.
In the eyes of the world, they were little more than relics of a forgotten experiment.
They possessed incredible abilities—but without numbers, without strategy, they were just targets.
Their greatest sin? Being special, but not strong enough.
Ethan didn't let up. "Technology keeps growing. Human reach stretches further every year. How long do you think you can stay hidden here? What happens when satellites or drones pick this place up? Where do you run next? The Congo? The Amazon?"
Jiaying was silent.
She knew he was right. She knew how vulnerable they really were.
"And tell me," she finally said, eyes narrowing. "What authority do you have to offer this alliance? Are you speaking for the X-Men? The Brotherhood?"
Ethan's mouth curled into a slow grin. "I represent all of them."
Jiaying blinked, caught off guard by the boldness of his answer.
She turned to Calvin, searching his face.
And in his eyes, she found confirmation.
For all these years, their link to the outside world had been fragile—just whispers, mostly through Calvin.
And though her husband had lost some grip on reality thanks to his experimental treatments, Jiaying knew he wasn't an idiot.
If anything, he was a brilliant lunatic. And she trusted his judgment more than she let on.
"So," she said softly, "the mutant factions are finally uniting."