[A/N]: Thanks a ton, everyone! You actually hit the 300 power stones goal, and the positive comments on the latest chapters have been awesome. I really appreciate all the support! Seriously, thank you!
Jay stepped out of the Ancient One's meditation chamber, his mind still reeling from everything he'd witnessed. The visions of alternate timelines felt like half-remembered dreams, powerful but fragmented, like trying to hold water in cupped hands.
The Ancient One sat at her usual spot by the low wooden table.
"You completed the trials admirably," she said without looking up from her work. "However, since you haven't mastered the mystic arts, I cannot grant you access to our sacred relics our graduates usually get."
Jay bowed respectfully, pressing his palms together. "Thank you, Teacher. What you've taught me about discipline and inner strength... those lessons matter more than any artifact."
A slight smile touched her weathered features. "Stay for a few more days. I have something prepared for your departure."
"Of course." Jay hesitated, then asked, "Master, I need directions to a place called Afterlife. It's hidden somewhere in the mountains near the Chinese border."
"I need to prepare for a mission, thus I need something from them."
The Ancient One's hands stilled on the bandages. "That settlement carries great sorrow. The Inhumans there have suffered much tragedy. What business could you have with them?"
"I think I can help them, though only if they accept the price."
After studying his face for a long moment, she nodded and provided detailed directions.
Hours later, Jay found himself cramped on a bus that seemed held together by rust and prayer. The mountain roads were little more than suggestions carved into cliffsides, and when the bus driver finally refused to go further, Jay had to rely on motorcycle taxis and his own feet for the final stretch.
The thin mountain air stressed his lungs as he climbed higher. By the time he reached the narrow pass, the silence was so complete it felt oppressive. A massive boulder blocked the path ahead, weathered smooth by centuries of wind and rain.
Jay extended his darkforce sensitivity and immediately recoiled. The overwhelming aura of death and despair hit him like a physical blow. Somewhere beyond this barrier lay Afterlife, and the psychic residue of failed Terrigenesis attempts clung to the place like a shroud.
During his training with the Ancient One, Jay had practiced techniques he couldn't risk revealing at Kamar-Taj. Now, alone in the mountain wilderness, he let his shadows flow outward. They merged with the boulder's shadow, and Jay felt the strange sensation of becoming one with darkness itself. Passing through solid stone felt like swimming through thick honey.
He emerged on the other side to find an ornate gateway that perfectly matched the S.H.I.E.L.D. show he'd watched. Traditional Chinese architecture blended seamlessly with modern security systems, creating a fortress that could keep the outside world at bay.
The compound beyond was built into a natural valley, open to the sky but protected on all sides by steep mountain walls. Jay figured Gordon's teleportation abilities would be essential for transportation unless they had hidden aircraft somewhere.
Alarms shrieked the moment he stepped through the gate. Women and children vanished into prepared hiding spots while armed guards materialized from concealed positions. Within seconds, Jay stood in the center of a weapon-bristling semicircle.
He raised both hands slowly, keeping his movements calm and unthreatening. "Easy, everyone. I'm not here to fight. Just want to have a conversation."
A lean man stepped forward, eight throwing knives sliding between his fingers with practiced ease. Li's stance spoke of someone who'd survived by being faster and more ruthless than his enemies.
"Peaceful visitors don't carry swords," Li said, his voice carrying the flat tone of someone prepared to kill.
Jay glanced at the weapon on his back. "Touché. But it's really more of a security blanket at this point."
Li's eyes narrowed as he calculated throw angles and escape routes. The knives shifted slightly, and Jay tensed, ready to move.
Then Gordon appeared between them just as Jay's danger sense was giving him a warning.
The eyeless Inhuman's voice cut through the tension. "Stand down, Li. Elder Jiaying wants to meet the Power Broker personally."
Li's expression shifted from suspicion to shock. "Wait... him? The Power Broker is this kid?"
Jay rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I really need to hire someone for my PR."
As they moved deeper into the compound, Jay noticed the careful way people watched him. Children peeked around corners before being hustled away by worried parents. This was a community that had learned to fear strangers.
The meeting chamber blended ancient aesthetics with modern functionality. Jiaying sat at the head of a low table, her unnaturally youthful appearance contrasting with the wisdom in her dark eyes. Beside her, an elderly man radiated the kind of weariness that came from watching too many people die.
"Dr. Jay," Jiaying rose gracefully. "Your reputation precedes you."
"Nothing too terrible, I hope," Jay replied, matching her bow.
The elderly man waved a dismissive hand. "Enough dancing around the subject. I'm Yat-Sen, and I'm too old for diplomatic games. What do you want from us?"
Jay appreciated the direct approach. "Fair enough. I've come here with an offer that could change everything for your people."
"We're a self-sufficient community," Jiaying said carefully. "What could an outsider possibly provide?"
Jay's expression grew serious as his darkforce senses picked up the overwhelming negativity emanating from below their feet. Decades of death and failure soaked into the very foundations of this place.
"This compound looks peaceful from the surface, but I can feel what's underneath. The basement level... how many young people have died down there during Terrigenesis attempts?"
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Yat-Sen's shoulders sagged with visible guilt, while Jiaying's diplomatic mask hardened into something more dangerous.
"How could you know that?" Gordon demanded.
Jay's smile held zero humor. "Information is my business. But I'm not here to judge your past. I'm here to offer you a future."
He leaned forward.
"What if I told you I could awaken dormant Inhuman abilities without requiring Terrigenesis at all?"
The silence stretched taut as a bowstring.
"That's impossible," Jiaying whispered.
"Is it? You know my reputation. You know what that bastard Doom revealed about my capabilities."
Jay met each of their gazes in turn.
"I can demonstrate if you'd like."
After a brief whispered conference between the Inhumans, Gordon disappeared and returned with a nervous man in his thirties.
"Shane Henson," Gordon introduced him. "He carries the gene but hasn't undergone transformation yet."
Shane's hands shook slightly. "My wife just went through Terrigenesis last month. If this goes wrong..."
"It won't," Jay said gently, standing and placing a reassuring hand on Shane's shoulder. "Trust me."
Using Sage's genetic manipulation abilities, Jay reached deep into Shane's dormant DNA. Instead of the violent cellular restructuring of Terrigenesis, he carefully activated the sleeping Inhuman genes. The process was instant and completely painless.
When Jay stepped back, Shane was floating three feet off the ground, tears of joy streaming down his face.
The room erupted in amazed whispers. Yat-Sen stared in wonder while Gordon actually embraced the floating man. Even Li seemed stunned by the demonstration.
"Incredible," Jiaying breathed. "What would you want in exchange for helping our entire population?"
Jay held up two fingers. "Two things. First, I need access to your Terrigen crystal reserves and all related research."
Jiaying nodded slowly. That seemed reasonable given what he was offering.
"Second," Jay continued, "I need Gordon's teleportation ability for me."
Li's knives were airborne before the words fully left Jay's mouth. At the same moment, Jiaying's hand slammed down on a concealed switch beneath the table.
The explosion that followed brought down half the walls.
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