"Beautiful little flower — I have a task for you.
Find the Afterlife. Find the Inhumans."
In HYDRA's command room, Allens dropped his illusion and revealed his true face. His Asian features held Raina for a moment — especially his eyes, which seemed to peer through every falsehood in the world: deep, vast, irresistible.
"Mr. Allens, your power is… overwhelming, and your wisdom is intoxicating." Raina's eyes glittered with ecstasy as she wound her body around Allens' arm like a vine. Her face, delicate as an angel's, made people stare.
"But," she added, lowering her voice, "according to Calvin, the Inhumans' Afterlife only accepts Inhumans. Even Calvin can't enter it. I'm ordinary — I can't get close to them."
Raina clutched Allens' shoulder, trying desperately to draw him closer.
Allens bowed his head. His eyes momentarily flashed pure white; Raina took two startled steps back.
"Predict the future." Allens whispered. His soul slipped into the near future.
Sheets of paper rose into the air around them. A paintbrush hovered over each page and began to move.
Raina stared, transfixed, as images formed on the floating sheets. On the nearest page she saw Director Phil Coulson leading S.H.I.E.L.D. agents into a temple in Puerto Rico to investigate strange signs. Another sheet showed two identical Melinda Mays fighting around a bomb displaying a danger symbol.
The comics unfolded in midair like a living storyboard. Raina watched, fascinated and horrified: she saw herself and Skye enter a Kree temple; she saw the obelisk shining; she saw Agent Tripp petrified at their side. She watched Skye awaken the Inhuman gene and transform into a thorn-covered creature. The Afterlife of the Inhumans unfolded across the pages, and Raina could only stare at the thorned monster, dazed.
The brushes stilled. The pages gathered into a thick comic book and the white light left Allens' eyes.
Allens' future-vision was more detailed than the basic plot he already knew — yet it still lacked the exact location of the Inhumans' domain. That detail, he suspected, required finding Gorgon.
Allens smiled and handed the thick comic to Raina. She blinked and rushed forward, eyes wide.
"These are my visions of the future," Allens said briefly. "These comics are what will happen."
"Is this really the future?" Raina whispered. "In this comic I become a thorned monster…" Her disgust flashed quickly across her face. The thought horrified her.
"That was your original trajectory," Allens said, gently stroking her hair. He leaned in and inhaled the scent that clung to Raina. "But it can change."
"Mr. Allens, following you is my destiny," Raina answered, awed. "You can make me an angel — not a monster."
Her expression mixed gratitude, frenzy and devotion. From that moment on she would follow him even if it cost her life; Allens had changed her bleak future.
"All right. Hold this comic. I want you to be the prophet for the Inhumans," Allens said, voice suddenly serious. "Guide S.H.I.E.L.D. — lead them step by step into the trajectory I set. Make Skye awaken the Inhuman gene."
Raina looked into Allens' eyes and understood how important Skye was to his plan. She gripped the comic book with both hands.
"Mr. Allens, I will complete the task." She raised the honorific instinctively, as if it had always belonged to her.
"I'll lend you HYDRA's power, Raina. Don't disappoint me." Allens' tone was calm and final.
HYDRA contained multiple factions — Whitehall and Gideon Malick were two powerful figures who had long diverged in methods; Malick worshipped Hive. Allens didn't care which faction he used. After he seized control of Whitehall's position, he handed operational command to Raina — HYDRA's technology and weapons, advanced even beyond the times, were now at their disposal.
"Mr. Allens, I will not betray your trust." Raina's face flushed; she felt completely captured by Allens.
"Good. I look forward to you finding the Afterlife, Raina." Allens' eyes gleamed with a strange light. S.H.I.E.L.D. meant nothing to him; making Raina his prophet was simply the next step in his plan.
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