The Jeep sped across the wilderness; the air inside the vehicle was a bit stifling.
Dr. Banner gripped the steering wheel, focusing on the road. In the passenger seat, Johnny Blaze sat with his arms crossed, staring silently at the wasteland rushing past the window.
In the back seat, Lin Huai sat side-by-side with the newly joined Father Moreau. As for Pierce, the former high-ranking HYDRA official who had been turned into a Marionette, he was tossed into the trunk like a piece of luggage.
Lin Huai leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.
He performed no ritual and recited no prayer, simply chanting the Goddess's honorable name in his heart, praying to the Evernight Goddess.
Soon, a serene power descended and touched his Spirit Body.
Lin Huai snapped his eyes open, the last sliver of hope in his heart vanishing.
Lady Arianna was fine, merely deceived by Amon—truly worthy of the former Mr. Error, capable of even fooling an Angel. However, that mother and son had indeed fallen into Amon's hands, serving as his bait to lure out Mephisto.
"The situation has changed."
Lin Huai's raspy voice broke the silence within the car.
"I just received confirmation from a deity," he said, looking at Father Moreau beside him and the two in the front. "The mother and son we were supposed to protect have indeed been taken away."
As soon as he said this, before Banner and Johnny in the front could ask for details, Father Moreau stiffened and whipped his head around.
He stared intently at Lin Huai, his voice trembling and his eyes filled with shock and fanaticism.
"You... just now... you just closed your eyes for a moment, and... and you communicated with a deity?"
Could this You-Know-Who from the East be a saint walking the earth?
Father Moreau's wariness vanished instantly, replaced by a very respectful attitude.
"Your Excellency, please, you must tell me the details!" He nearly leaned over from his seat, his eyes shining. "Which Loki is so bold as to interfere in the affairs of the divine?"
Lin Huai was taken aback by this sudden change.
His mind was filled with thoughts of Amon and how to rescue the people from Mephisto; he had no patience to explain things to a fanatic.
He waved his hand absentmindedly, mulling over his plan while vaguely recounting the situation.
"...Someone named Amon, the Angel of Time... the youngest son of God Almighty, a natural Mythical Creature... He felt bored, so he used that mother and son as game props..."
At first, Father Moreau was completely lost; he couldn't understand terms like 'Angel of Time' or 'Games of Humanity.'
But when the words 'youngest son of God Almighty' reached his ears, the respect on his face instantly froze, and his entire face flushed red.
God Almighty!
Youngest son?
Game?
"You... you heretics!"
Father Moreau's face turned the color of pig liver. He suddenly drew a silver revolver from his waist, pressing the dark muzzle directly against Lin Huai's forehead.
"How dare you disrespect the Lord! To fabricate a child of the Lord and use His name for such things! Speak! Which Demon sent you!"
Banner slammed on the brakes, the Jeep making a piercing screeching sound. Johnny also turned back in surprise; no one expected this seemingly kind priest to suddenly draw a gun.
The cold muzzle gave Lin Huai a jolt, snapping him out of his chaotic thoughts.
Holy crap!
With a thought, several invisible Spirit Thread wrapped around Father Moreau's body.
Father Moreau felt his body suddenly stiffen; his arms felt as heavy as lead. Forget pulling the trigger, he couldn't even move a finger. He could only remain in his gun-pointing stance, glaring at Lin Huai with eyes that seemed ready to spit fire.
"Father, calm down," Lin Huai quickly explained. "The God Almighty I'm talking about isn't the same one you believe in..."
"Silence, heretic!" Though Father Moreau couldn't move, he could still speak. "The Lord is the One and Only, Supreme! You followers of Demons, don't you dare defile His name!"
Lin Huai saw how stubborn he was and knew reasoning would be useless.
Slap.
He raised his hand and gave himself a slap.
He thought he had found a helper familiar with the situation, but instead, he'd brought along a ticking time bomb.
The car fell into a dead silence, then Dr. Banner in the driver's seat cleared his throat.
He pushed up his glasses and said in a calm tone, "Father Moreau, let's pause the discussion on theological affiliations for a moment, shall we?"
"Let's sort out the current situation. First, a mother and son have been captured, and their lives are in danger, right?"
Father Moreau glared at him without speaking, but the anger in his eyes softened slightly.
"Second, the one who took them is a being called Amon, and his goal is to lure out the Hell Lord, Mephisto, right?"
Father Moreau remained silent.
"Third," Dr. Banner's tone grew firmer, "whether we are enemies of God Almighty or whether we believe in the same God Almighty is something we can discuss later. However, the Hell Lord Mephisto is our common enemy and an enemy of the Lord you believe in. You won't deny that, will you?"
Banner's words caused the fire in Father Moreau's eyes to gradually fade, replaced by struggle and hesitation.
Indeed, regardless of who Lin Huai and the others were, Mephisto was a Demon and an enemy of the Lord; that was beyond doubt. And now, this group was preparing to deal with that Demon.
Banner continued, "So, I suggest we reach a consensus: put theological differences aside and focus our strength on dealing with the immediate threat, Mephisto. Once we've rescued the mother and son, we can sit down, have a cup of tea, and discuss matters of faith. What do you think?"
Father Moreau was silent for a long time before the hostility in his eyes finally vanished, leaving only exhaustion.
Lin Huai saw this, and retracted the Spirit Thread.
Father Moreau slowly lowered his gun and sat back properly, his voice raspy. "You're right. Deal with the Demon first."
Banner restarted the car and sped toward the Cultist Factory marked on the map... Meanwhile, in Sokovia.
In a dilapidated apartment, Captain America was supporting Tony Stark.
Stark's portable armor was damaged in several places, emitting electrical sparks.
"I told you we should have planned more thoroughly!" Steve said helplessly while tending to his wounds.
After hearing Lin Huai's cryptic warning, Stark immediately informed everyone in Sokovia about the twins.
In less than two hours, using Jarvis and the global network, he found the twins who even gave Lin Huai a headache—the Maximoff siblings.
Then, he got hammered.
"Damn it, I just wanted to talk to them!" Tony winced in pain, looking out the window at the red and silver figures quickly vanishing around the street corner, feeling a lingering sense of dread.
That girl named Wanda just raised her hand, and his armor's systems went haywire; the Repulsor Cannon almost fired at himself. As for the boy named Pietro, his speed was ridiculously fast; before Stark could react, several grenades had been hung on him.
Fortunately, Steve arrived in time to rescue him, or there would have been big trouble.
"Talk? They didn't look like they wanted to talk." Steve sighed. "Tony, the fact that Lin Huai specifically warned you means they're dangerous. We need a more thorough plan."
"I know, I know." Tony waved his hand irritably. "Jarvis, analyze the combat data from just now. I want to know the mechanics behind that girl's abilities!"