Chapter 361: My Name Is Franklin
Inside the Illuminati's conference room, the atmosphere had gone tense enough that even the air itself seemed to have frozen solid.
Every member's eyes carried something complicated — wariness toward this unknown threat, mixed with genuine curiosity about the mysterious, robed figure that had appeared out of nowhere.
The black-robed intruder stood silently at the center of the room, hood low, face hidden entirely, nothing visible but a deep, unreadable silhouette, made only more unsettling by the dim lighting.
Time itself seemed to stall in that moment — nothing but the occasional gust of wind outside, in stark contrast to the taut nerves inside.
That was exactly when Johnny Storm's voice broke the silence — his usual sharp, teasing tone cutting through the room like a spring breeze trying to blow away the stifling tension.
"Man, I'm just saying — do we maybe need to get a feng shui expert in here? Because seriously, every single time we hold a meeting, we get an 'uninvited guest.' Some world's-most-secret intelligence organization we are. This place is basically a revolving door at this point."
He shook his head theatrically as he said it, trying to lighten the mood — though his eyes stayed sharp, dead serious underneath the joking tone.
To be fair, Johnny had a point. Their supposedly most-secretive-organization-on-Earth headquarters had already been breached three or four times now. Genuinely embarrassing.
The other Illuminati members — Black Panther, Black Bolt — didn't react much; this was, after all, their first time dealing with something like this.
Reed and Susan, though, had long since lost that particular kind of shock. Looking back, they remembered a time when they'd both been minor, background players within the Avengers — and now here they were, leaders in their own right, carrying weight of an entirely different order.
Reed, as the Illuminati's chairman, felt the full weight of that responsibility more sharply than anyone. He clenched his fist quietly, already running through possible responses to the situation.
Right now, Reed was furious — but he didn't give the order to move on the intruder immediately. Experience had taught him that whoever managed to breach this room tended to be significantly stronger than his own people. This conference room had already been remodeled twice from previous incidents like this — reason enough for real caution.
He also felt genuinely humiliated. The supposed headquarters of the mighty Illuminati, breached again, and by such a bizarre method no less. Was this Ethan's doing? Only Ethan and his crew seemed capable of pulling off something like this.
Damn Ethan. Just because he saved the world doesn't mean he gets to do whatever he wants! I'm not strong enough yet — I need to keep growing, Reed thought, laying the entire blame at Ethan's feet.
Best move here — test this guy's actual strength carefully. If he's weak, take him down on the spot. If he's genuinely strong, play it safe and get rid of him as smoothly as possible, Reed calculated privately.
What Reed had no idea of: every last one of those thoughts had already been read, in full, by the very figure standing across from him. The black-robed stranger's mouth twisted faintly in distaste.
What a spineless little man. If it weren't for Mother's sake, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near this piece of garbage. I genuinely don't understand what she ever saw in him. Serves him right that he's going to end up dying at Hell's Kitchen's hands eventually.
Whatever. Since I'm already back for once, might as well help out. Better wrap this up fast — Hell's Kitchen's already noticed my interference is getting out of hand. If I'm not careful, Mother's going to chew me out again when I get home. The robed figure's eyes stayed fixed unblinkingly on Susan the entire time.
"I mean you no harm. I'm here to help you," the mysterious figure said, voice run through some kind of electronic filter — clearly disguised.
The Illuminati exchanged uneasy glances, confusion thick in the air. Even among a group this seasoned, none of them had ever encountered a visitor quite this strange who also claimed benign intentions.
Reed, as chairman, was the first to break the silence. "Whoever you are — your entrance hardly inspires confidence that you're here to help us. What exactly do you intend to do for us? And might you reveal your true identity?" His tone carried both a genuine question and a careful undertone of probing.
The robed stranger, though, seemed in no hurry to answer. His form shifted subtly, drifting like a passing breeze until he stood directly in front of Susan.
Johnny's alarm bells went off instantly. He stepped forward at once, moving to shield his sister, terrified this sudden visitor meant her harm.
But Susan, with an almost instinctive certainty, felt no threat radiating off the figure at all — if anything, something closer to the warmth of an old, long-lost acquaintance.
She gently pressed a hand to Johnny's shoulder, signaling him to stand down, while she herself watched the stranger's every movement with open curiosity.
The robed figure slowly extended a hand. Cradled in his palm, two brilliant gemstones glowed faintly in the dim light.
One radiated a soft red — as though it could reflect the very nature of everything in existence. The other, orange, seemed to hold the secrets of every soul that had ever lived.
He placed the two stones gently into Susan's hands, the gesture almost reverent, as if he were passing on some sacred duty.
If Ethan had been present, he'd have recognized these two Stones instantly — the very ones that had been stolen from him.
"These two Stones," the robed stranger said, his voice echoing through the vast hall, carrying an inexplicable weight of gravity and sanctity, "are among the most powerful entities in the universe — the Reality Stone and the Soul Stone. They wield the power to rewrite reality itself and to command souls directly.
As for exactly what they can do — that's something you'll have to figure out yourselves. Simply possessing these two Stones already puts you among the most powerful beings in the entire universe."
The robed stranger felt he wasn't exaggerating, either. Wielding the Infinity Stones genuinely did place someone among the very top tier of cosmic power — provided, of course, they never crossed paths with something on his own, multiversal, level.
At the description, Black Bolt, Black Panther, and Namor — prince of Atlantis — all found their breathing quicken visibly.
All three of them led major powers of their own, and all three had certainly heard legends of the Infinity Stones before — but this was the first time any of them had actually laid eyes on one in person.
Reed, sharp as ever, hadn't personally heard the legends before — but reading the reactions of his fellow Illuminati members told him everything he needed to know about how valuable these things were. Greed crept unmistakably into his eyes.
The robed figure turned to address Susan directly. "These two Stones are yours now. Strictly speaking, one person can only wield a single Stone at a time — the combined power of both would be more than you could handle. The Reality Stone suits you well enough. As for the Soul Stone — give it to whoever you like."
With that, the robed figure turned to leave, worried that lingering any longer might give something away.
Every other person in the room stayed transfixed on the two Infinity Stones, not one of them stopping to consider whether this might all be a trap. Even Reed — normally the sharpest mind in the room — found himself utterly captivated by the two Stones in front of him.
Susan stared at the two gemstones, their glow undeniably alluring, but her mind churned with unease and unanswered questions.
Just as the robed figure was about to vanish entirely into the light of the opening portal, she found her courage and called out. "What exactly is your goal here? Who are you, really? Why hand over something of this magnitude to me, of all people?"
The robed figure's silhouette receded further into the portal's glow, leaving behind only a distant, enigmatic voice, echoing through the air as it faded away:
"My name is Franklin!"
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