After Black Bolt had gathered the Alpha Primitives in one place with his laser beam, something unexpected happened as purple hair began emerging from the ground beneath the confused creatures, growing rapidly and wrapping around them like living restraints.
The hair moved as they secured each Alpha Primitive until they were completely immobilized. Lucien followed the source of the purple strands and spotted a woman controlling them. Based on her appearance and the way she worked alongside Black Bolt, he assumed she was another Inhuman.
The next moment, several more figures appeared on the scene. Lucien recognized a few of them from his previous encounter - Lockjaw, the massive teleporting dog, Maximus with his calculating eyes, and of course, Black Bolt himself. The others were unfamiliar, but they all carried themselves with the same regal bearing that marked them as members of the Inhuman royal family.
Seeing that the Alpha Primitives were now contained and under control, Lucien realized there was no need for him to fight them. The situation seemed to be an internal Inhuman matter that they were handling well.
He decided to move toward Black Bolt to ask what exactly was going on. These creatures had been terrorizing innocent civilians just minutes ago, and he wanted to understand why they were being corralled rather than eliminated.
But just as Lucien took a step forward, a massive figure moved to block his path. The Inhuman was around eight feet tall with fur on his body, an imposing build with an attitude to match. He crossed his arms and looked down at Lucien with obvious disdain.
"This is Inhuman matter, boy. Go away," the giant said in a dismissive tone.
Lucien kept his expression completely indifferent as he looked up into the giant's eyes. There was something about the condescending way this Inhuman was speaking to him that rubbed him the wrong way.
"I don't like your tone," Lucien said calmly.
He activated his Dominator's Touch ability. The effect was immediate and overwhelming. The giant Inhuman suddenly felt immense pressure crushing down on him from all directions, forcing him to his knees despite his considerable size and strength.
The eight-foot-tall Inhuman tried desperately to get back up, his muscles straining against the invisible force, but he couldn't move more than a few inches. He stared up at Lucien in complete disbelief, unable to comprehend how someone so much smaller could exert this kind of power over him.
"Now that's better," Lucien said, still maintaining his calm tone.
The other Inhumans immediately tensed, preparing to come to their companion's aid. But before they could make a move, Maximus stepped forward with his hands raised in a peaceful gesture.
"Relax, guys. He ain't an enemy," Maximus said with his characteristic smirk. "In fact, he's the one who beat Thanos."
That statement caused a visible shift in the group's demeanor. Black Bolt nodded once in acknowledgment, and the purple-haired woman looked at Lucien with newfound respect.
"We started on the wrong foot," she said, addressing Lucien directly. "I would like to thank you for your help with Attilan in our time of need. Now, could you please let Gorgon go?"
Lucien didn't respond verbally, but he deactivated the Dominator's Touch. The giant - apparently named Gorgon - immediately stood up with a grunt, rubbing his knees and shooting Lucien a wary look.
Now that the tension had been defused, Lucien walked toward Black Bolt. He gestured toward the restrained Alpha Primitives.
"So what's up with these?" he asked directly.
Black Bolt nodded at the purple-haired woman, who seemed to serve as his spokesperson. She stepped forward to explain the situation.
"These are Alpha Primitives," she began. "They're artificial clones made by our species to help with labor and basic tasks in Attilan."
Lucien listened carefully as she continued. "They were on a ship with Karnak when it crashed. They escaped from the wreckage, and that's when Karnak contacted us for help."
"Ship?" Lucien asked, raising an eyebrow.
A lean Inhuman with intricate tattoos covering his head stepped forward. "Yes, it crashed a few blocks away from here," Karnak said. "The impact damaged several containment systems."
Lucien nodded, pieces of the puzzle falling into place. "So that's why they were afraid when they saw you."
"Usually they don't express emotions like that," the purple-haired woman explained. "Their nervous systems are deliberately dulled to make them more compliant workers. But when the ship crashed, some chemicals were mixed together in the wreckage, causing their nervous systems to become more active."
That explained the mindless aggression and the sudden shift to fear when Black Bolt appeared. The chemicals had essentially given them emotions and reactions they weren't designed to have.
Lucien nodded again. It wasn't really his business to interfere in Inhuman affairs, especially when they seemed to have the situation well in hand.
"I see," he said, preparing to leave. "I'll be goi—"
He stopped his words mid-sentence as his enhanced hearing suddenly picked up something unexpected. There was a heartbeat coming from somewhere nearby, but it wasn't from any of the people on the street.
The rhythm was slow and steady, but there was something unusual about it. It was coming from inside a nearby store that had been damaged during the Alpha Primitive rampage.
Lucien walked toward the store, ignoring the Inhumans for the moment. If someone was trapped inside, he needed to help them. His senses guided him through the broken storefront and into the darkened interior.
What he found inside wasn't a person trapped under debris, as he had expected. Instead, there was a giant greenish blob of flesh sitting in the middle of the store floor.
It looked organic but structured, almost like some kind of cocoon. The surface was covered with what seemed like veins and seemed to pulse gently with its own internal rhythm. The heartbeat he had heard was definitely coming from inside this strange formation.
Lucien stared at the thing, wondering what exactly it was. But before he could investigate further, he heard footsteps behind him.
"It's a miracle!" came the voice of the purple-haired woman, filled with wonder and excitement.
She had entered the store along with Black Bolt and some of the other Inhumans. Her expression was one of amazement, as if she was witnessing something incredibly rare and precious.
She looked at Black Bolt with obvious joy. "It's been a long time since this has happened!"
Lucien was about to ask her what she meant, but he decided to use his status-viewing ability first. If this thing were some kind of cocoon, maybe there was a life form developing inside.
The information that appeared before his eyes was fascinating:
Name: Dante Pertuz
Species: Inhuman (Awakening 98%)
Level: 15
Stats:
Strength: 72
Health: 70
Agility: 68
Perception: 75
Mana:21
What was most interesting was that the stats were still increasing even as he watched. The numbers flickered upward slowly but steadily, as if the transformation process was still actively enhancing the being inside.
The purple-haired woman noticed his intense focus on the cocoon and moved to stand beside him.
"You are looking at something sacred," she said with reverence in her voice. "This is the birth of an Inhuman."
Her explanation made everything click into place. This wasn't just some random biological phenomenon - it was an actual person undergoing the transformation that would awaken their Inhuman abilities.
"Dante Pertuz," Lucien said quietly, reading the name from his status screen.
The woman looked at him with surprise. "You know his name?"
Before Lucien could answer, the cocoon began to change. Bright yellow beams of light started emerging from its surface, creating intricate patterns across the greenish exterior. The light grew brighter and more intense with each passing second.
The heartbeat that Lucien had been monitoring suddenly accelerated, and the entire cocoon began to vibrate with increasing energy. It was clear that whatever process had been happening inside was reaching its completion.
The yellow beams became more numerous and more brilliant, filling the entire store with their radiance. The cocoon was opening, preparing to release its occupant into the world.
But just as the light reached an almost blinding intensity, the purple-haired woman's voice cut through the air with urgency.
"Everyone, outside! Now!"
.....
Want to read ahead of the public release? Support me on Patreon at "https://www.patreon.com/FreakyHaru" and get access to:
5 and 10 chapters of all my fanfictions.
Ongoing Projects:
Marvel: Shadow Monarch
ATG: Not a Cannon Fodder
DC/MARVEL: The Kryptonian Emperor(LAUNCHED!!)
Your support helps me keep writing and brings you more content faster!
Thank You