Chapter 426: Allen Experiences Kryptonian Massage Therapy
From start to finish, Thena maintained a posture of sincerity.
Which only made the heroes more suspicious that something was being hidden.
Of course, they were all adults—no one would trust the other side that easily.
"Until we get to the bottom of this, we'll need your cooperation," Tony suggested.
The Avengers stood on the side of justice. Naturally, they wouldn't pass judgment without evidence.
Moreover, the arrival of the Eternals on Earth hadn't involved any wrongdoing. Persecuting them without cause would make humanity appear needlessly savage.
After all, the Avengers did have a sliver of reputation in the wider universe—
Although that was mostly thanks to Captain Marvel's celebrity status.
"I'm afraid I must refuse."
The warrior Thena shook her head.
She had a mission to complete and couldn't waste time on them.
Her mind was constantly on the movements of the Deviants.
Even a moment's delay could result in unchecked breeding.
If just one egg slipped through, in less than a year, Earth would be crawling with Deviants, devouring all life before moving on to the next ecosystem-rich planet.
"That's not your decision to make."
Instantly, the heroes took up battle-ready stances, clearly intending to subdue Thena by force.
But an Eternal warrior's will was unyielding—she would never go down without a fight.
Golden threads extended from both her hands, weaving into a shield and a spear.
This divine-level magical energy was a signature ability of the Eternals.
Not only were they gifted in magic, they were also resistant to it—and their physical constitutions rivaled those of the Asgardian gods.
In short, they were essentially a divine race.
Even Earth-born gods wouldn't dare provoke an Eternal lightly.
Unless one had divinity powerful enough to completely overwhelm them, few were a match.
Most importantly, the gods knew the Eternals were backed by the Celestials. The ones deployed to various life-bearing planets were nothing more than mass-produced biomechanical constructs.
Across the universe, only the Titans had truly broken free from Celestial control.
Suddenly, a blur of motion shot past.
Thena vanished from the midst of her encirclement.
"Damn it—it was the Flash from the Justice League!"
In their understanding, Earth had only two speedsters.
One was Quicksilver, who ran a restaurant across from Stark Tower.
The other was Barry Allen, the Flash.
"Are you sure? The Flash usually leaves a golden lightning trail—this just looked like an afterimage," Hawkeye objected.
Tony had the AI analyze the footage.
The results showed a Black woman rescuing Thena.
"What the hell? Ideological messaging has reached outer space now?" Tony muttered helplessly.
With the target lost, the group dispersed.
Meanwhile, in Gotham, Allen's group strolled openly through the streets.
Instantly causing a commotion.
Police cars swarmed in, encircling them.
GCPD officers took cover behind their vehicles, nervously shouting, "You're surrounded! Surrender immediately!"
Who wouldn't be scared?
They were facing Kryptonian invaders, globally wanted criminals.
They had even beaten up Superman without breaking a sweat.
Hiss…
Perched on Faora's back eating ice cream, Allen spotted a familiar face. He swallowed it whole in one gulp, brain-freeze hitting hard, then said with a grimace, "Gordon, don't panic—it's just me."
Commissioner Gordon peeked out from behind a cruiser and shouted, "Allen, I want an explanation."
"I'm just walking my mount. What's there to explain?"
Allen replied irritably, "Gordon, call them off. Or next time, my mount's name will be Barbara."
"…Stand down."
Despite being Gotham's light of justice, Gordon wasn't immune to threats. He barked, "All units, return to your patrols!"
Fair enough—he only had one daughter.
He wasn't about to let her become some lunatic's riding mount.
If Kryptonian women could ride him, why not Batgirl?
"What're you up to this time?" Gordon grumbled. Nothing good ever came from running into Allen.
And he wasn't wrong.
His eyes fell on the unfamiliar man beside Allen—immediately sensing danger. A deep, oppressive aura gave him a visceral sense of alarm.
Uxas, ruler of Apokolips, was a tyrant across the ages. Even if he were a benevolent ruler, his very presence radiated overwhelming dominance.
Compared to him, the trio of Joker, Penguin, and Riddler made Gordon's blood boil.
Three clowns running for mayor?
What did they know about politics?
They should've stuck to being promising supervillains.
Yet here they were, all with legitimate identities—running foot massage chains across Gotham.
Not only were they major taxpayers, they'd even started donating to the police force.
If Gordon dared arrest them, he'd be reprimanded by higher-ups the next day—possibly even demoted to traffic cop.
"Gordon, you slanderous old man!"
Allen protested. "After all the times I've saved Gotham, this is what you think of me?"
"…"
I didn't say that—don't twist my words.
Gordon just wanted to know what was about to happen.
Allen tended to have insider info—unlike Batman, who kept everything close to the vest. Sometimes Gordon even had to sneak into the department's own records to help him.
"Gordon, I'm very upset. There will be consequences," Allen declared dramatically, tilting his head skyward.
"Don't do anything stupid—Gotham's only just had a few peaceful days."
Gordon's expression grew anxious. If chaos broke out again while he was in charge, he might not make it to retirement.
"Scared now, are you?"
Allen grinned. "Too bad—it's useless. When Barbara and I get married, you're not invited."
"…What?"
Gordon's mind froze.
He and Barbara… married?
His daughter, entangled with this madman?
Gordon felt like he'd swallowed a pound of flies.
As Allen and company stepped into a Red Romance Foot Spa, Gordon came to and bolted after them.
"Allen, you better explain right now—when did you and my daughter start seeing each other?"
As a father, he refused to let his daughter make such a mistake. He followed quickly, warning, "I will never approve of your marriage—not even if it costs me my life!"
However, the two burly bouncers at the door raised their hands and blocked him, expressionless: "Membership card, please."
Membership?
Even the basic membership at Red Romance cost at least a hundred grand.
Gordon's annual salary barely cleared that. There was no way he could afford it.
And legally, he couldn't force his way in—that'd be a crime.
So he reluctantly gave up and pulled out his phone.
"Barbara, tell me right now—what's going on between you and Allen?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?!"
"...huh."
"…Sweetheart, I'm sorry—I misunderstood. Let me explain…"
Beep beep beep…
The line went dead. But Gordon's face gradually lit up.
It was just a misunderstanding. Thank God.
"Damn lunatic," he muttered, relieved.
———
The Eternals had temporarily taken shelter in an abandoned factory.
Ten warriors gathered together.
"What's wrong with these Earth natives?" the childlike Crystal Spirit huffed. "We came to help them, and they responded by attacking us!"
"I had the same experience. They don't even care who's right or wrong—especially that Kryptonian kid. He can take a real beating," Gilgamesh said indifferently.
"Perhaps they're too primitive and backward—naturally hostile and wary of anything unknown," Druig remarked with smug superiority.
The ten had split up to search for the Deviants.
Only a few had encountered the Justice League or Avengers—and it hadn't gone well.
In their minds, all their memories had been tampered with. They genuinely believed they were righteous hunters of Deviants.
All it took was the right conditions to trigger their genetically embedded purpose.
"Thena, why are you so quiet? Did the Avengers hurt you?" Ikaris asked with concern.
"No. They couldn't hurt me even if they tried."
Thena frowned and muttered, "I'm thinking about something the Avengers said—about the Celestials and 'God Manifestation.' I don't remember anything like that, but something tells me I should know."
"What the hell are Celestials? You mean like Asgard or Olympus?" Kingo guessed.
The others were puzzled, except for Ajak, whose eyes flickered with subtle emotion.
As the team's leader, Ajak had full memory access. She knew the truth about the Celestials and 'God Manifestation.'
But she couldn't tell the others—it might spark rebellion.
According to the script, the Eternals were saviors—not accomplices in world destruction.
"Anyway, we've more or less confirmed that the Deviants are hiding in New York City," Ajak shifted the topic deliberately. "With its dense population, it's an ideal breeding ground. That also makes them harder to find. We need to move quickly."
Ikaris adjusted his coat casually. "Let's hope the Avengers and Justice League don't get in my way. Otherwise, I won't be holding back."
"Exactly. Sacrificing a handful to save an entire planet is a choice I know how to make," Druig added bluntly.
With that, they left the factory one by one.
Thena and Ikaris, however, lingered behind.
Once the others had gone, Thena said, "I think Ajak is hiding something."
"I noticed her emotional shift too. Definitely suspicious," Ikaris agreed.
"Let's play it safe for now. Don't tip our hand."
"I'll try subtly probing the others."
"Be careful."
"Don't worry—I know what I'm doing."
With that, the two of them left, heading toward the city.
———
Red Romance Foot Spa
"This acupoint corresponds to the kidneys," the blonde, blue-eyed massage therapist explained while pressing hard into the sole of Allen's foot.
"If it hurts, let me know," she reminded him.
"There's no such thing as pain. My kidneys are made of iron."
Allen reclined in the chair, smiling smugly, totally unfazed by her pressure.
Please. With a body 84 times stronger than normal, his kidneys were practically made of gold. What could a regular human do to him?
"Let me try."
Faora, using her armor's recording feature, had already memorized the massage techniques. She grabbed Allen's other foot and went to work.
"Hmph."
Allen scoffed, "If I so much as say it hurts, I'll be your personal mount from now on."
"Really?!"
Faora's eyes lit up—her chance for revenge had come.
"Everyone here can be a witness."
Allen confidently lay back and said, "Go ahead, North-North."
Mmm…
The moment he reclined, his back arched and his foot instinctively jerked back.
But Faora's grip clamped down like a vise.
"Just say the word if it hurts," she grinned maliciously.
"It doesn't hurt. Not at all."
Allen inhaled sharply but forced a calm face.
"Good. Because I'm only using a little strength."
Faora's cruel smile widened as she slowly increased the pressure.
At the same time, Allen clenched his teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead, refusing to let go of his manly pride.
Meanwhile, Uxas and the comedy trio sat up, their massages forgotten, watching the torture unfold.
The other therapists backed off nervously, afraid someone might die.
Even if they weren't super-fans, they'd seen enough Kryptonian invasion reports to recognize Faora.
"Is she… trying to kill him?"
"The news says Kryptonians can level a building with a single punch."
"He's already rolling his eyes—what if he dies in our foot massage parlor?"
"…"
Allen, a man who prided himself on toughness, refused to admit he was in pain.
Even as he clutched his mouth tightly with his right hand, clawed at his scalp with his left, and fought to keep from making a sound.
His body twisted and writhed on the sofa, occasionally trembling like a carp gasping for air on land.
"Boss is seriously tough. If it were me, I'd have blacked out already."
"Hang in there, boss. You're a real man—the one I respect most in my life."
"Damn, if only I could be as cool as the boss."
"…"
The comedic trio fanned the flames on the side, showering him with exaggerated praise.
It was safe to say they were using the moment to get revenge.
They'd suffered plenty under Allen's hand before and were more than happy to see him in a sorry state now.
In contrast, Uxas remained calm.
He knew full well this wasn't life-threatening—just a bit of playful torment.
"You really are strong," Faora said with a cheerful smile.
Ugh…
The foot massage finally came to a stop, and Allen at last had a moment to breathe. He let out a long groan, as if his soul had just escaped through his mouth.
His whole body went limp, like he'd been drained of all his bones.
"Now for the other foot."
Nnngh…
An hour later.
Allen could no longer utter a sound. His eyes were rolled back, foam at his mouth, lying flat and stiff like a corpse.
…
In the starry expanse of the cosmos—
A fortress-like starship cruised through the void.
On the central command bridge, Ebony Maw reported with humble elegance, "Great master, the radar has locked onto a squad of Eternals."
"Oh?"
As the captain's chair turned around, a large, muscular man with purple skin came into view.
It was none other than the infamous cosmic warlord—Thanos.
Thanos asked with interest, "Where are they located?"
"Earth."
"…"
At the mention of that name, long-dormant memories resurfaced in Thanos's mind.
Specifically, his encounter with the Guardians of the Galaxy nearly a thousand years ago.
"Follow my orders—maximum speed. Set course for Earth."
"As you command!"
During his cosmic wanderings, Thanos had built his own power base—the Black Order—dedicated to halting the Celestials' plans.
And now, with Earth as the target, there was no way he'd sit this one out.