"Celebrate Pioneer Tech's successful reusable launch vehicle launch!"
"Rocket recovery may have even bigger implications than we thought."
"A world first! Pioneer Tech unveils a brand-new reusable nuclear-powered launch vehicle!"
"Thirty large satellites in a single launch. A glimpse into Pioneer Tech's terrifying technological depth."
"Another breakthrough in human spaceflight. With reusable rockets, landing on Mars is no longer just a dream."
"On the flawless engineering of a nuclear-powered launch vehicle."
…
In that moment, all kinds of headlines about Pioneer Tech's rocket launch spread across the world. It was safe to say the company had once again become the center of global attention.
As for Killian, he had already stopped paying attention to all that. After giving another round of encouragement to the researchers at the launch base, he took Skye back to the intelligent fighter.
"Baymax, connect to the Eye of God system. Begin searching for the target."
"Reference markers: Himalayas. Mountain summit. Chinese-style buildings. Densely populated area."
Once he stepped back inside the fighter, Killian immediately gave the order to Baymax.
"Understood. Search criteria confirmed. Beginning search."
"Target search progress: 1%... 10%..."
"30%... 70%..."
…
"100%."
"Search complete. Matching locations locked. Magnifying now."
After more than ten minutes, Baymax finally completed the large-scale, high-precision scan and projected the results onto the virtual display.
"Sir, I am confused. There is one site on the southern slope of the central Himalayas, near Kathmandu, Nepal, where I detect some kind of unknown energy barrier interfering with my scan."
"According to satellite data, something should exist there, but I cannot properly observe it."
As Baymax highlighted each scanned location on the map, it paused at the last one, its voice filled with unusual confusion.
In its programming, everything was built on data and physical reality. Yet this location clearly should have contained something, but no direct observation could confirm it. If Baymax had possessed autonomous field capability, it probably would have dispatched a robot there immediately.
"…What the hell."
At first Killian was puzzled by Baymax's question, but the moment he saw the familiar location and terrain, he could not help blurting it out.
Good lord. Even the Sanctum had shown up now.
Even if the whole structure had not fully appeared on the scan, Killian recognized the place instantly from the surrounding layout alone.
If there was anyone in the Marvel Universe who could truly be called terrifying, then aside from the abstract cosmic entities, the person in that place was absolutely one of them.
A supreme powerhouse who had kept Earth safe from countless disasters for decades through her strength alone.
While she was alive, even beings like Thanos, a cosmic tyrant, or Dormammu, lord of a dark dimension, did not dare casually mess with Earth.
Even Loki had only dared stir up trouble because someone egged him on, and the only reason he survived afterward was because he had Asgard behind him and a father on the level of a god.
Otherwise, Ancient One would have smashed his head in long ago.
And the moment she died, every monster and madman started popping up.
Dormammu invaded immediately. Earth blew up in alternate timelines. Thanos started collecting Infinity Stones.
In short, this was someone Killian absolutely could not afford to provoke right now. One look from her could make dimension lords tremble, let alone someone like him who had not even fully secured Earth yet.
The only saving grace was that Ancient One had become fairly detached from worldly affairs by now.
"Mark that place as excluded. Add it as a red zone. From now on, unless I personally authorize it, no surveillance is allowed in that area."
After recovering from the shock, Killian immediately instructed Baymax.
If he could not afford to mess with that person, then the smartest move was to keep his presence as low-key as possible.
"Understood. Command added to database."
"Sir, after exclusions, only one suspicious location remains."
"It is located midway up the mountain. There are large numbers of people from all over the world gathered there, and nearly all of their known places of residence differ greatly from this current location."
Baymax quickly responded after receiving the instruction.
The Himalayas were huge, but not unmanageable, especially with specific search parameters. It did not take long before only one place remained.
"That should be it. Let's begin."
"I wouldn't mind seeing the Himalayas for myself either."
Looking at the scene projected from the satellite, at the familiar place and the familiar faces he had only ever seen on screen before, Killian could not help smiling.
"Understood. Target location locked. Fighter launching."
"Total distance: 12,743 kilometers. Estimated arrival time: 01:03:45."
As Baymax finalized the target, the fighter accelerated forward in stealth mode and shot into the distance.
…
At the same time, after just finishing Terrigenesis for a newly arrived member, Jade had been preparing to rest when a mist-like ripple suddenly appeared in front of her, followed by a man with no eyes at all.
"Gordon. Maybe next time you could try approaching people in a more normal way."
Looking at the man who always appeared out of nowhere like this, Jade rolled her eyes and said helplessly.
"I'll try. But I sensed unfamiliar visitors. We need to prepare."
After giving that flat response, Gordon immediately said to her with a serious expression.
"?? That's impossible… Fine. Start evacuating the others, then gather the defenders. We prepare for an attack."
Even though she was shocked to hear this, Jade suppressed it almost instantly and began issuing orders.
This place had operated for decades without being discovered, at least not in the way Gordon implied. If he said intruders were coming, then things had already become serious.
With that, she quickly moved off to organize the defenses.
"Sir, according to satellite observation, there is a 95% probability that they have detected us. They are currently beginning evacuation and defensive mobilization."
"I have already positioned nearby rapid-response units. Do you authorize an attack?"
At the same time, Baymax, having also detected all of this through satellite monitoring, immediately reported back.
"No need. We're here as visitors. Starting with violence would be a bit rude."
Killian smiled faintly as he answered.
"Unlock Number Two."
After putting on a pair of glasses, Killian gave the command.
The moment his words fell, a large cultivation chamber began rising from the rear edge of the cockpit. Inside lay none other than Number Two, the experimental subject who had long remained by Killian's side.
Once the chamber had fully risen, green light flashed across its surface under Baymax's control. When the lock display turned green, dense white vapor burst outward from within.
Then, as the mist cleared, an enormous figure dressed in a fitted white coat stood silently in place.
Just from its appearance alone, Skye instinctively shrank behind Killian.
Its skin, its inhuman bulk, its towering frame over seven feet tall. Nothing about it looked normal.
"Brother…"
Gripping the edge of Killian's clothes, Skye spoke in a tiny voice.
"Hmm? It's fine. Don't worry. He just looks big. He's actually pretty dumb."
"See? We've been talking this whole time and he still hasn't moved."
Seeing how nervous she was, Killian crouched down, rubbed her head, and reassured her softly.
"Mm…"
After hearing that, Skye worked up a little courage. She circled around Number Two, studying him carefully.
"Sir, estimated arrival in thirty seconds. Please choose a landing zone and prepare for descent."
At the same time, the journey was almost complete, and Baymax made its report.
"Land at the base of the mountain. They can send someone down to talk to me."
Killian gave the order immediately.
He had no intention of revealing himself too openly here. Afterlife's safety did not come from every Inhuman being united, but from the fact that almost no one besides Jade and Gordon knew where it was.
That secrecy was what had protected them all this time. Even S.H.I.E.L.D., despite having records on many gifted individuals, had never found Afterlife's true location for the same reason.
Where there were people, there were interests. Even members of the same race were no exception.
And if Killian's fighter just exposed itself here, that would not be good for either side. He preferred to move quietly.
"Arrived at designated landing zone. Descent in progress."
Under Baymax's control, the fighter smoothly touched down on the ground. After several drones flew upward toward the mountain, Killian stepped out with Skye and Number Two, one large, one small, and one gigantic.
As soon as they disembarked, the fighter slipped back into stealth mode.
At that point, Skye, who had been so interested in Number Two just moments earlier, quietly returned to Killian's side. Her face was tense and conflicted, but there was also a trace of hope in her eyes as she stared toward the mountain.
She wanted desperately to meet the parents she had never known, yet at the same time she was terrified that they had abandoned her on purpose, and that if she met them now, they would reject her all over again.
All of that tangled inside her heart until her lovely little face was filled with anxiety and bitterness.
"Strangers. Who are you? Why have you come here?"
Not long after, following the drones down the mountain, Jade arrived with several core members of Afterlife and spoke first.
Although she knew at a glance that the man in the glasses standing in the middle was clearly the one in charge, she still found herself repeatedly looking toward the little girl behind him who was clutching his clothes.
For some reason, the longer she looked, the stronger the urge became to pull that child into her arms.
Still, with so many people present, even if her instincts were going wild, she had to maintain her authority as leader and protect the people under her care.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Aldrich Killian, Chairman of Pioneer Tech. As for why I've come, there are two reasons. One is for you. The other is for all of you."
Hearing Jade's question, Killian replied with perfect politeness.
The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of the people behind Jade immediately changed.
To them, what they had just heard sounded like some outrageous confession aimed at their leader.
Well, looking at it objectively, their leader was still an attractive woman despite the scars on her face. She had good bearing, strong character, and treated everyone well. The only regret everyone had ever shared was that she had never found a partner.
Rumor had it that she had been deeply hurt once and never tried again.
But now… maybe that was not impossible after all.
Almost instantly, the people who had originally been on full alert began looking at Killian with noticeably more warmth.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I have nothing to do with you, and I have no idea what you mean by that."
"If you keep speaking like this, don't blame us for making the first move."
Jade's face immediately reddened with anger.
She had spent all these years keeping herself clean and disciplined, and now this man came out of nowhere and started making it sound like he had some special connection to her in front of her people. If she had possessed a more directly offensive ability, she would have smashed him on the spot.
"Looks like I didn't explain that very clearly. In that case, let me introduce the little girl beside me first."
"Her current name is Skye. She's a poor child who has spent her life drifting from one foster home to another in country after country."
Seeing he had created a misunderstanding with one careless line, Killian corrected himself immediately.
"We're not here to hear some random girl's life story. Get to the point. Why exactly are you here?"
At that point, one of the men beside Jade finally stepped forward and snapped impatiently.
"Young man, have a little patience. Believe me, being this hot-headed won't do you any favors."
Killian answered calmly, still the picture of a polite gentleman.
"Angeli, let him finish."
Before her subordinate could cause more trouble, Jade stopped him.
Because she had already started noticing something strange.
Whenever Killian spoke about the little girl, he was looking at her.
And the more she looked at that child, the more similarities she saw. Their eyes. Their features. Even their skin tone.
Among all the people here, there were not many who could plausibly match the child's ethnicity.
And once the impossible possibilities were stripped away, only one answer remained.
"Well then, I'll keep it simple."
"This is a little girl whose life was miserable and difficult long before she met me."
"I came here for two reasons. One of them is something I'll explain later. The other is to help her find her family."
When Killian finished saying that, the crowd behind Jade broke into open whispers.
Their hidden settlement had never been exposed before, and now this stranger was standing here suggesting that this abandoned child's family might be among them.
That immediately stirred outrage among some of them. What kind of parents would leave their own daughter to suffer like that?
At the same time, the more Jade listened, the more unstable her emotions became. She could no longer ignore the resemblance between herself and the child.
Their eyes.
Their face shape.
Their skin.
Her pulse began pounding.
(End of Chapter)
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