Maximus laughed with a sense of glee.
Though he looked no different from a human, he never identified as one. After all, he was an Inhuman a member of a superpowered race. Even without possessing much in the way of abilities himself, he carried that lineage with pride.
He could sense the woman across from him was formidable.
But so what?
He was not his brother. He would not make the same foolish mistakes.
Pathetic humans had no right to dominate the Earth!
A roar of rage built inside him.
"Kill them!"
At his command, two Inhumans exchanged a glance before charging at Nolan and Susan.
Susan stepped forward, ready to engage, but Nolan raised a hand.
"Hey, Susan, save me the spotlight. This one's my turn."
Before her could react, Nolan launched himself at the two Inhumans. As he advanced, the Thunderstrike armor hurtled toward him. At the last moment, the suit activated its entrance, and Nolan slipped inside.
Thunderstrike Suit Equipped.
The faceplate slid into place, and the suit's eyes glowed with a piercing light.
Moments later, he drew the plasma blade from his back. Each blade had its purpose, and the plasma blade was by far the best choice for this encounter.
Now, Nolan was no longer constrained by caution. He had grown beyond the need for restraint.
The plasma blade gleamed with an ethereal blue light.
The Inhuman closest to him hadn't even activated his powers before Nolan's blade sliced through him cleanly. The second Inhuman's pupils constricted in fear, and the next instant, the blade passed, yet not a drop of blood was left on it.
Maximus's eyes finally revealed fear.
Nolan's expression was calm, his gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at corpses.
Maximus was an extremist among his kind.
Black Bat disregarded civilians, but Maximus disregarded all of humanity. Through information from Red Queen, Nolan had confirmed his identity. Now that he was here, there was no way he would let Maximus live.
He raised his blade high.
The blue glow radiated like the presence of death itself.
"Now… tell me, who do you think will die?"
Suddenly, Nolan vanished from sight.
"Stop!"
A piercing scream cut through the air, accompanied by a force capable of leveling the world.
Susan unleashed her repulsion field to shield herself, but Nolan was too far away. She could not protect him within her barrier.
Nolan remained expressionless.
He did not retreat. The speed of his blade did not falter.
Maximus tried to flee, but in an instant, Nolan's plasma blade cleaved through him.
The overwhelming force swept outward like a devastating storm, hurling Maximus away.
"Bastard!"
Another ear-piercing screech followed.
Black Bat's rage ignited.
That man had killed Maximus!
Maximus was his brother, and now he had been slain without mercy!
At that moment, he no longer sought control.
His voice boomed, creating shockwaves that leveled the entire street into a ruinous wasteland.
But even that was not enough to sate his fury.
He unleashed another, more terrifying subsonic wave at Nolan.
Seeing this, Medusa and the other Inhumans were electrified with awe.
This was the power of their king!
It was this strength that had once united the Inhumans like never before.
The civilians caught in the crossfire? They were irrelevant to these beings.
Boom!
Standing at the center of the attack, Nolan felt a terrifying force assault him. Even inside the Thunderstrike armor, his blood churned, his vision slightly spinning.
Incredible power!
Before meeting Black Bat, Nolan had speculated on his strength. But now, witnessing it firsthand, he realized how wildly underestimated he had been.
Without hesitation, Nolan transformed into a data stream, remotely controlling the Thunderstrike armor.
He sensed that engaging physically would have meant certain death under the next subsonic wave.
As the dust cleared, Black Bat paused, eyes clouded with grief. He believed his enemy was dead.
But even so, Maximus would never return. His brother was gone.
Yet his fury surged again when he saw the armored figure still standing.
"Still alive!"
Gorgon's voice cracked in shock. No one should have survived such an assault.
Medusa's face darkened, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
"We cannot continue," she warned. "If we do, we will face unprecedented retaliation."
Her message was clear.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had just tracked them down. If the fight continued, they might draw the full attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. an organization capable of challenging all superpowered beings.
Black Bat turned to Medusa. She immediately understood her husband's intent.
"Stop for now," she said. "If you join S.H.I.E.L.D., our operations will be far easier, and revenge will come."
She knew Black Bat would not leave Earth, at least not before exacting vengeance.
He took a deep breath and nodded, accepting her advice. His eyes, however, still burned with hatred.
Seeing him cease, Susan ran toward Nolan.
The faceplate of his armor retracted, revealing Nolan's pale face.
"Are you okay, Nolan?"
"I'm fine," he said.
Though the Thunderstrike armor was battered, Nolan had become part of a data stream, making such attacks harmless. He had already prepared for evacuation; there was more than one Thunderstrike suit available.
Still, Black Bat's power exceeded all expectations.
Nolan's expression hardened.
The Thunderstrike armor alone would not be enough next time. He would need another plan.
He glanced once more at Black Bat and said,
"Let's go."
Staying here was pointless. Even though he could escape at any moment, Susan could not.
Reluctantly, leaving was the best choice.
At that moment, Natasha appeared a short distance away. She paused, then quickly composed herself and contacted Nick Fury.
With events unfolding this way, she needed to confirm whether to invite Black Bat into the Avengers.
Fury, upon hearing this, was not alarmed but pleased.
"Destroyed an entire block?"
He did not care about the collateral damage. Black Bat's strength far exceeded expectations. A partnership with the Inhumans would be a massive boost for S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Maintain contact," Fury instructed. "Assess Black Bat's disposition. If cooperation is possible, proceed with the plan."
Natasha nodded, hanging up. She understood the director's intentions. Black Bat joining S.H.I.E.L.D. would add a formidable new ally.
Ignoring the storm-torn street, she approached Black Bat and the others.
She did, however, cast a glance at Nolan and Susan, offering a warning:
"Please be mindful of your actions. You've destroyed an entire city block. I trust you are prepared to make reparations."
"Of course," Medusa replied calmly. She had already made arrangements.
Susan, observing Natasha communicating with Black Bat, looked puzzled.
"Is that the Black Widow from the Avengers?"
Thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s publicity, Natasha's name was well-known.
Susan, familiar with the Avengers, was confused.
"Why is she talking to them?"
Nolan shrugged.
"That's none of our concern. Likely negotiating cooperation."
A smirk crossed his face. It was laughable. S.H.I.E.L.D., self-proclaimed paragons of justice, were openly negotiating with a man who had just leveled a city block.
"Let's go," Nolan said. "Our travel plans will have to be postponed."
"Yeah," Susan agreed. Her frown lingered. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions had exceeded her expectations.
Nolan and Susan left, leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. free to continue collaborating with the Inhumans.
For them, it was a perfect match: one needed immense power, the other human support.
Later, when Natasha officially invited Black Bat to join the Avengers, he did not hesitate to accept.
Relieved, Natasha knew her mission was accomplished.
Nick Fury's calculations were sound: Black Bat joining the team would drastically strengthen the Avengers, a new force capable of resolving most global conflicts.
But he overlooked one key fact: the Avengers were not S.H.I.E.L.D.'s personal team. They were an independent group of heroes, tasked with protecting humanity from all threats.
Black Bat was one such protector.
The battle had been recorded.
Though the footage was unclear, once Black Bat's powers were explained, Tony Stark immediately reacted.
"I'm sorry, I cannot agree!"
Tony Stark's opposition left no room for negotiation.
The others glanced at him, puzzled.
"You've all heard about the East Coast incident, right?"
"That destroyed city block?" Steve Rogers immediately understood.
Black Bat's expression darkened upon hearing the words.
Tony did not care.
"I couldn't confirm before, but now I am certain Black Bat destroyed that entire block!"
Rogers and Bruce Banner's faces turned cold.
Even the Hulk, in battle, would try to avoid harming innocents.
But Black Bat? That battle had killed at least thirty, with over a hundred injured.
"All because of Nolan Locke!"
Black Bat's eyes burned with rage, though Medusa spoke for him.
"He killed His Majesty's brother!"
Tony frowned.
He was connected to Nolan Locke.
"Nolan Locke had no reason to kill your brother," he said.
Natasha interjected,
"Maximus attacked Nolan Locke and Susan while they were traveling. During the Inhumans' retaliation, some bystanders were injured. Susan demanded an explanation."
The facts could be verified easily.
Susan had done nothing wrong.
Black Bat's fury was understandable; his brother was dead. Medusa understood completely.
But Tony, Steve, and Bruce could not.
Nolan Locke and Susan had acted correctly. Anyone in their position would have made the same choice.
"This is not a reasonable excuse," Tony said, eyes sharp with hostility, even toward Natasha.
Such a person could not join S.H.I.E.L.D.
Steve added firmly,
"I will not allow someone like this on my team. In fact, he should give a proper account of his actions!"
By now, the three of them had effectively surrounded Black Bat and Medusa.
Natasha hesitated briefly, contacting Nick Fury.
"Disagree? Why are they refusing?"
Fury's face darkened. He had assumed the Avengers would cooperate, but reality was proving inconvenient.
Natasha explained the situation. Fury was not pleased.
"Just because of this? I understand their concerns, but the core issue lies with Nolan Locke and the attackers targeting the Inhumans."
He continued to spin his argument, unaware that the air around him had grown tense.
Tony Stark intended to prevent their departure, and Black Bat had realized it.
"Hey, guys," Tony said, "until you provide a reasonable explanation, stay right here!"