Inside the Illuminati's meeting room, the atmosphere was so heavy that even the air seemed frozen in place.
A complex glint danced in the eyes of every member—equal parts vigilance toward an unknown threat and curiosity about the identity of the mysterious, black-robed figure who had suddenly appeared before them.
The man stood silently at the center of the room. His broad-brimmed hat dipped low, casting a shadow that obscured his face, leaving only the sharp outline of his jaw visible beneath the dim light. His silence seemed to stretch time, interrupted only by the occasional wind outside, its soft whistle contrasting sharply with the tension strangling the room.
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the stillness.
"Oh, come on. Should we get a security consultant or a sorcerer to bless this place? Every meeting turns into an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Most secretive agency in the world, huh? At this rate, we'll be the most visited."
Johnny Storm—better known as the Human Torch—grinned as he shook his head dramatically, trying to lighten the mood. But despite his teasing tone, his sharp eyes gleamed with restrained seriousness.
And he wasn't wrong.
S.H.I.E.L.D.—along with the Illuminati, which prided itself on being the pinnacle of secrecy—had suffered repeated security breaches. It was nothing short of humiliating.
Most members, like Black Panther and Black Bolt, remained composed; they were still adapting to this sort of strange occurrence. But Reed Richards and Susan Storm—Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman—had been through enough incidents to be beyond surprised.
As the current president of the Illuminati, Reed felt the full weight of responsibility. His fists clenched at his sides as he tried to evaluate the intruder's intent and his options. This wasn't the first time an unknown figure had made it into their inner sanctum. The conference room had already been renovated twice due to intrusions. Each time, the trespassers had proven stronger than expected.
This one felt no different.
Inwardly fuming, Reed resisted the urge to act rashly. "Damn Alex Ray," he muttered in his mind. "He saves the world once and now thinks he can waltz into any place he wants. Just wait—I'm going to catch up to you."
Reed wasn't even sure it was Alex Ray, but who else had the capability to appear and vanish at will, bypassing all technological and magical defenses?
"I'll test him first. If he's weak, I'll shut him down. If he's strong, I'll play along until he leaves," he decided.
Unbeknownst to Reed, the black-robed figure was already reading him like a book. The intruder smirked slightly beneath the brim of his hat.
"Coward. If it weren't for my mother, I wouldn't bother showing up. I still can't believe she was ever into this arrogant fool. Ugh... he's going to get himself killed in Hell's Kitchen eventually anyway."
The man's gaze shifted to Susan. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his face.
"Forget it. I'm here now. Might as well wrap things up. Hell's Kitchen is already noticing my interference. If I screw up the timeline again, my mom's going to have my head."
"I mean no harm. I came to help," the black-robed man finally spoke. His voice, processed through a synthetic modulator, came out cold and mechanical.
The Illuminati exchanged glances, suspicion thickening in the air. No one could place him, and his ambiguous declaration of assistance only raised more alarms.
Reed took the lead, as always. "Sir, you must understand how... unusual your entrance was. If you truly intend to help us, could you perhaps explain your methods—and maybe your identity?"
But the man ignored the question. He turned and floated soundlessly toward Susan Storm like a drifting shadow.
Alarmed, Johnny Storm immediately stepped forward, flames beginning to crackle along his shoulders. But Susan gently placed a hand on her brother's arm, halting him.
"I don't sense hostility," she murmured.
The man in black reached into his cloak and extended a gloved hand toward her. Two radiant gems rested in his palm—glowing with immense, almost divine power.
One glowed deep red, shimmering like the veins of the cosmos. The other burned orange, its aura whispering of secrets and souls long departed.
He placed them gently into Susan's hands, a reverent motion that felt almost like a ritual.
Had Alex Ray been present, he would've immediately recognized them: the Reality Stone and the Soul Stone—two of the infamous six Infinity Stones, capable of reshaping the very laws of existence.
"These," the robed man announced, "are the Reality Stone and the Soul Stone. Their names speak for themselves."
His voice echoed through the chamber, solemn and heavy with meaning. "One can bend reality itself. The other, souls and spirits. Learn them well. Use them wisely. With either one, you can stand among the most powerful beings in existence."
Susan's hand trembled slightly as she held the cosmic artifacts. Around her, several others took involuntary steps forward. Black Panther narrowed his eyes. Black Bolt's throat pulsed with unspoken energy. Namor gripped the hilt of his trident.
These weren't fakes. They could feel it.
Even Reed, skeptical by nature, couldn't hide the hunger in his gaze.
"Take them," the man said, turning his attention back to Susan. "You can only truly harness one. The Reality Stone suits you best. The Soul Stone… give it to whoever you deem worthy."
And with that, he turned toward the open portal shimmering behind him.
No one moved.
Even Reed, always the first to call out a bluff or trap, was utterly entranced.
Susan, though, was not so easily swayed. Her eyes tracked the mysterious figure as he stepped toward the swirling portal. Then, with a voice full of rising urgency, she called out:
"Wait! Who are you? Why me? Why entrust me with this power?"
The figure paused, half inside the glowing gateway.
He looked back over his shoulder and finally offered a name—just a name—before vanishing in a wash of light and energy.
"My name is Franklin."
And then he was gone.
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