Chapter 362: The Scramble for the Infinity Stones
Acting cool in front of Mom — that felt absolutely awesome! Franklin sped through the dimensional corridor, a childish thrill of triumph and excitement bubbling up in his chest, completely burying whatever gravity and mystery he'd been projecting back at the Illuminati meeting. He couldn't help laughing out loud, the corners of his mouth curling up in a grin that gave away exactly how young and unguarded he really was underneath it all.
After all, he was still just a teenager. That whole little scene back there had been genuinely, purely fun for him.
Yes — his name really was Franklin. Franklin Storm. He'd taken his mother's surname — Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman — and had a foul-mouthed, motor-mouthed uncle in Johnny Storm to show for it.
As for who his actual father was, Susan had never told him. Some people said it was Reed Richards, given the history the two of them had once shared — though Franklin himself had no real way of knowing, since by the time he'd been born, there was no "Reed Richards" left in the picture at all.
Others said it was Ethan, Lord of Hell's Kitchen — after all, the version of Ethan from later on had gone out of his way to look after their whole family. Franklin, though, absolutely refused to admit Ethan was his father.
This time, driven by a streak of mischief and defiance, he'd stolen the Infinity Stones from Ethan purely to surprise his mother — hoping to give her an edge in some coming future battle. Word was that Reed himself ended up dying in some future war.
While Franklin was still turning all this over in his head, a sudden voice cut through his thoughts. "Franklin. You are so dead. I'm telling Father, and I'm telling your mother too — traveling through time without permission!"
Chen Xiaoying's threat drained the color from Franklin's face instantly.
"Xiaoying, no, please, I'll head straight back right now!" Franklin begged, speeding up his return trip.
But her reply only deepened his despair. "Hahahaha, too late! Uncle Stephen already knows. You're getting an earful the second you get home!"
The Illuminati.
Franklin's plan, sweet as it was, had been a little too naive for a kid his age. Sure, he'd handed the Stones over to Susan directly — but what made him think everyone else in the room, teammates or not, wouldn't want a piece of that power for themselves?
The Infinity Stones' power was staggering. Who wouldn't want to get their hands on that?
And what made him think one woman alone could actually hold onto something like that against this crowd?
Right now, every Illuminati member in the room was staring at the two Stones in Susan's grip with open, unmistakable greed. The Stones' presence drew every eye in the room like a magnet — even Black Bolt and Black Panther, both famous for their iron discipline, weren't fully immune to the pull.
Curiosity mixed with a barely-concealed hunger in every gaze, everyone silently weighing their options.
That was when Johnny — Susan's own younger brother — moved like a burst of flame, planting himself directly in front of her, his own blazing body forming a living barrier.
He swept a furious glare across every member edging closer, laying out his warning in the bluntest, most incendiary terms possible. "All you two-faced clowns, listen up! Anybody who so much as thinks about touching my sister's Stones better run it by me first, because this fireball's got something to say about it!"
"What are you all staring at? Get that filthy look off your faces — I'm talking to you, Bat-Boy, and you too, you hairy sea-witch!" His words came out crude, even vulgar, every ounce of his anger and unease pouring out in one uncensored dump.
The room went instantly rigid, the air suddenly thick with tension.
Reed, as the Illuminati's chairman, reeled his own greedy stare back in and broke the standoff. "We're a team here. Let's not tear ourselves apart over this. Think carefully — this could easily be an enemy's attempt to divide us. We don't even know for certain if these are real Infinity Stones.
And we still have no idea what this mystery visitor's actual agenda even is. I don't believe for a second anyone who's already gotten their hands on the Infinity Stones would just hand them off to strangers out of nowhere."
At Reed's reasoning, the room's collective greed cooled somewhat.
But that was when another Illuminati member spoke up. "That's exactly why Susan needs to hand them over — let us verify whether they're genuine or not. What if they turn out to be fake and hurt her in the process?"
"Exactly. We're a team. The risks and the rewards should be shared equally!"
"I don't want to lose a teammate over someone's scheme."
The chatter rippled through the group, everyone framing it as concern for Susan's safety — while really, plainly, angling to get their hands on the two Stones in her possession.
Reed knew this wasn't a situation he could smooth over easily this time. He turned toward Susan herself. "Perhaps you should say something."
At that, a flicker of quiet disappointment crossed Susan's face. She'd assumed, as a member of this team, she might at least find some shelter here — instead, reality had left her to shoulder this pressure entirely on her own.
That disappointment hardened quickly into resolve, though. She understood: the only way to protect herself in this whirlpool of power and greed was to take control of the situation herself.
"I understand everyone's concerns," Susan said, her voice clear and steady, sweeping her gaze across the room. "It's true — I do hold two Infinity Stones. But whether they're genuine or not isn't really the point. What matters is the trust and cooperation between us.
For the sake of this team's unity, I'm willing to hand over one Stone, as a gesture toward our shared goals. As for where it ultimately ends up — I trust the Illuminati to make a fair decision on that."
With that, she set the Soul Stone down on the table.
For a moment, the conference room fell into a silence unlike anything it had ever held before.
Everyone was floored by Susan's decisiveness. None of them had expected this seemingly gentle woman to show this much backbone and willingness to sacrifice.
And with that gesture, no one could really turn the pressure back on her — not without looking like a complete heel, given she'd already given up one Stone outright.
Black Panther, Black Bolt, and the others read Susan's intent clearly enough: by voluntarily surrendering one Stone, she'd ensured no one — at least not openly — would come after the one she'd kept.
Everyone's attention shifted instead toward the scramble over the Soul Stone.
Susan slipped away from the whole conflict, safely holding onto the Reality Stone.
She had a quiet, instinctive sense that these really were genuine Infinity Stones — and something told her that black-robed young man would never have actually meant her harm.
What Susan hadn't anticipated: even after giving up one Stone, someone still had their sights set on the one she'd kept. And that someone was her own close ally — Reed.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you