Afterlife

Wang Khan returned to Laboratory Zero, froze Abomination's corpse, and then asked about something else.

"Red Queen, Skye should have returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. by now. Has the tracker inside her responded?"

"Yes. The signal is very strong, and the people from S.H.I.E.L.D. haven't detected it. Your plan succeeded."

Wang Khan chuckled.

When he had fought Tony and the others earlier, he hadn't merely been fighting. There had been a deeper purpose, and Skye was the key to it.

"But Guardian, is Skye really that important? You seem to place special emphasis on her."

"Skye's real name is Daisy Johnson. Her father is Cal Johnson, an American doctor and chemist. He invented a powerful drug similar to the Super Soldier Serum that can greatly enhance physical strength for a short period."

"Although the drug has serious side effects and an excessive dose could even be fatal, I have to admit that Dr. Cal is quite impressive."

"You value her so highly just because her father is talented?"

Wang Khan shook his head.

"I already possess Thor's Power, so naturally I have no interest in that inferior version of the Superhuman Serum. Skye is important because of her mother. Her mother is Chinese and is named Jiaying. She is also one of the Inhumans, and possesses the ability to absorb life. This ability can draw vitality from others, allowing her to achieve immortality. In theory, she can live forever!"

"Immortality! That really is an incredible ability. You want to obtain her mother's power of life absorption through Skye? That does make sense."

Wang Khan laughed again.

"What I want isn't merely the ability to absorb life, but the abilities of countless Inhumans. If possible, I want the abilities of all the Inhumans."

"Jiaying is no ordinary Inhuman. She is the leader of the Inhumans in this era, essentially their Inhuman King. Deep in a great mountain, she even built a secluded paradise called Afterlife, where a large number of Inhumans live in hiding. Skye can lead me to Afterlife."

The Red Queen understood this time.

"Skye is Jiaying's daughter. In other words, she will eventually go to Afterlife. That means the nanotracker hidden inside her can guide us there. Guardian, your plan has an extremely high chance of success. However, I must remind you that the nanotracker you implanted in Skye has a limited lifespan. If she doesn't go to Afterlife within five years, you'll have to find another way."

"Haha, we won't need five years. Three years at most. Skye will definitely enter Afterlife, and it might not even take three years."

Wang Khan knew very well that Jiaying and Cal Johnson had been searching for their daughter all this time. If not for S.H.I.E.L.D., they would have found Skye and taken her away long ago, giving her a happy childhood.

Because of his interference, Skye had already awakened her Inhuman Ability ahead of time. There was a good chance that Jiaying already knew where she was.

The only thing holding her back now was S.H.I.E.L.D. In other words, as soon as S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed, she would send people to retrieve Skye immediately. At that point, Wang Khan would know the exact coordinates of Afterlife.

Once he knew Afterlife's location, it would mean that countless Inhuman Abilities were waving to him. Wang Khan only needed to use genetic modification technology to replicate all the Inhuman Abilities. At that point, he would become someone like Apocalypse, possessing countless superpowers and becoming omniscient and omnipotent.

"To prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. from discovering it, the tracker sends a signal once every hour."

"Understood, Guardian. As soon as Skye's location changes, I'll report it to you immediately."

On the other side, Skye had no idea that Wang Khan had planted a nanotracker inside her. She was making her way back with a heavy heart, while the mysterious Gordon had already left.

"Director, Skye's mental state was extremely unstable after she returned. It seems Shockwave Man's words affected her greatly. We have to take precautions."

The elderly psychologist Coulson was exceptionally perceptive when it came to human nature. Otherwise, he wouldn't have succeeded Bannick Fury and become the next director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"What do you suggest?"

"Director, Skye's experiences growing up have left her desperate for family, for their warmth and recognition. I suggest we approach her from those two angles. As long as we give her a family, she'll become the most loyal Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. No matter how Shockwave Man tries to influence her then, she won't waver."

Nick Fury nodded in satisfaction.

"Send Melinda. Have her become Skye's partner. They both have Chinese blood and should get along. Also, assign her a support team. Have the team carry out relatively positive missions with Skye at the center. Don't let her come into contact with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dark side."

As he said this, a sinister look appeared on Nick Fury's dark face.

"What family could compare to comrades who've shared life and death? Besides, she doesn't have a family. I won't let this superhuman agent slip away from me."

"Understood. I'll arrange it right away... Director, if possible, I'd like to join this team. That would make things even more foolproof."

"I'll consider it. For now, go coordinate with Dark Energy Operations. Given the complicated situation, I think our equipment needs an upgrade."

"Yes, sir!"

Just as Wang Khan had predicted, his interference had greatly increased Skye's importance. S.H.I.E.L.D. had already begun centering a series of operations around her.

Meanwhile, among the Inhuman forces—in the Afterlife that Wang Khan yearned for—sky-blue energy surged inside a building before contracting. Gordon, the Inhuman who had no eyes yet could see farther than anyone else, suddenly appeared inside.

"Did you find her?"

"We did, but she's extremely wary. And since that place is S.H.I.E.L.D. territory, I couldn't take her by force."

A woman's sigh echoed from the darkness.

"She has suffered for more than twenty years. It's only natural that she would be so wary. We can't be too impatient. I've already waited more than twenty years, so I don't mind waiting a few more. Time has no meaning to me anyway."

"Jiaying, she's your biological daughter. Give me another chance. I promise I'll choose the perfect moment and give S.H.I.E.L.D. no time to react!"

Amid the sound of footsteps, a woman dressed in Chinese clothing walked over. She had the facial features of an East Asian, and her hair was slightly yellow. She appeared to be around thirty.

Judging by her appearance alone, she looked more like Skye's older sister than her mother.

"Don't underestimate S.H.I.E.L.D. That violent organization is far beyond what we can handle. I absolutely cannot endanger all our people just to save my daughter. What happened to me back then must never happen to you."

As she spoke, Jiaying raised her right hand and touched the several scars, each more than a dozen centimeters long, on her face. Her body bore even more hideous surgical scars. Back then, all her internal organs had been removed and transplanted into a high-ranking Hydra officer named Whitehall.

After the surgery, Whitehall directly transformed from a white-haired man in his seventies or eighties into a middle-aged man. His appearance stopped changing from that point on. Meanwhile, Jiaying, whose body had been hollowed out, was thrown into a filthy ditch like a piece of trash.

Whenever she thought of that nightmare, Jiaying would tremble all over in fear.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is far too powerful now, even stronger than Hydra was back then. We can only endure. We have to endure until the day this organization collapses!"