章節 86: Spear vs Shield
The fight between Doom and Black Bolt wasn't meant to be something grand. Some of Doom's capabilities were already known to the Inhumans, and Savant had also made Doom aware of Black Bolt's powers. This was a simple comparison.
In the vast empty space, right outside the city of Attilan, Doom and Black Bolt stood facing each other. Below, residents of Attilan were gathering in groups and staring up in silence to watch the fight that would decide their fate. If Black Bolt lost, they would have to join the Federation,
It felt like a primitive solution to decide such a thing with a fight, but most of them understood that it was the best option they had, They just hoped and prayed that their king could win.
"How strong is that Black Bolt guy anyway? Can Doom win?" Cypher whispered to Savant. The two of them were also watching the fight standing a little further than the Inhumans.
Savant turned his head toward where Medusa and Crystal were standing. The worry on their faces was clear. "I wouldn't know if it was a normal Doom. But Doom with the power of the runes is not someone to be defeated easily. You should know that yourself."
Cypher nodded. He knew just how powerful the runes had made him. And he wasn't even a combat-oriented mutant. For someone of Doom's caliber, the power would be unimaginable. Besides, hadn't he watched Doom duel with the so-called gods? He stopped worrying.
The emotions were running high with a lot of worry, hope, anticipation, and anxiety among the Inhumans but the fight they had been waiting for with bated breaths turned out to be very anti-climactic. It couldn't even be called a battle.
Like testing the spear that can pierce every shield against the shield that can stop every spear, the fight ended with Black Bolt concentrating all of his power into one loud shout directed at Doom. "Die!!" He shouted. The ripples in space caused by that shout were visible to people.
Doom who was floating above the surface didn't attempt to dodge and accepted the attack by forming a magical shield that was filled with runes. The shield struggled for a few moments to only crack and break away. But the joy of the Inhumans was very short-lived.
Layer upon layers of shield kept forming behind each broken shield. And while Doom was pushed back a little, nothing else happened. The energy from the shout dissipated as the shields continued to break until it disappeared. The attack had failed. There was silence.
"I have lost." Black Bolt's tired voice was conveyed to everyone through telepathy. Some Inhumans broke down in tears while others shouted towards Black Bolt. "No! Your Majesty, you can win. Just keep attacking. Please, please you need to win."
Black Bolt and Doom had already returned to the empty square inside Attilan. The king looked at his wife and sister-in-law who were looking at him in despair with tears in their eyes.
Black Bolt could have continued the fight as some of the Inhumans had suggested. He could have risked his life to make varied attacks and somehow tried to defeat Doom. But he knew it was a futile endeavor. It would only serve to bring greater despair to his people.
Having collected some data regarding the recent invasion of Earth, Black Bolt was one of the few Inhumans who was aware of Doom's strength. Even so, Black Bolt had a glimmer of hope just like his people and so he had accepted the fight. He wanted to see if there was a chance.
But the moment Doom stopped his concentrated shout without dodging, Black Bolt knew that their fate had been decided. He had been preparing for this day to come ever since the Federation had been formed. But his preparations all became dust in front of Doom's power.
Looking at the Inhumans crying in despair, Cypher clicked his tongue at Doom. "Tsk. It looks like we have become the villains here. It's not like we are trying to enslave or kill them. They can live the same lives under the rule of the Federation."
"You know that and I know that but they have been living on the moon out of fear of persecution. You can't expect them to accept us in joy that they have been conquered into the territory of the Federation. What would you feel if some alien guy came to Earth, defeated me and the other strongest people, and said that we were now part of his empire?"
After giving a moment for Cypher to imagine and shudder at the thought, Savant continued, "It doesn't matter if the alien civilization is the most benevolent in the universe who only wants to coexist with us. The despair of the conquered doesn't change just because of the disposition of their conquerors. The fact that they have been conquered remains."
Doom nodded his head but spoke with a frown, "Your words are reasonable but the way you put it makes Doom the villain. It makes Doom sound like Hernan Cortes walking into the cities of the natives with guns and taking over."
Savant shrugged, "No matter how unpleasant it sounds, that is how it is. We are no different from Cortes in many ways. But we are also very different. We can only accept that what we are doing is not entirely right but is in the interest of the Earth Federation. That is what makes you the leader and the Chancellor of Earth."
They knew through history and direct experience that their actions weren't just. They could have left the hidden city of Attilan alone and continued expanding around them. But that wasn't in the interest of the Earth Federation.
As the leader of Earth, Doom had to act the part of a villain to secure the interests of the Earth and its people. There are very few people on Earth who could shoulder such a responsibility. Doom, who had been doing something similar as the ruler of Latveria was thus the best for it.
As the dictatorial ruler of Latveria, Doom had been a menace and a villain to the rest of the world but the people in Latveria had lived in peace. There was everything inside Latveria under doom from free education, healthcare, 0% poverty, 0% hunger, and very little inequality.
Except for some civil rights that most Americans would defend with their lives and their guns, the people in Latveria had everything. And the Latverians preferred it that way. Except for a very small minority, there wasn't any opposition to Doom's rule.
This was why Savant had chosen Doom to become the ruler of Earth in his stead. Although Doom wasn't allowed to take away the rights of everyone as he did in Latveria, his rule over the earth was similar. He didn't hesitate to become the villain for his people.
"What will become of us now? What do you want us to do?" Medusa approached Doom's group with her husband. As a queen, she couldn't continue to despair in such a critical situation. She had to make sure that the Inhumans were not harmed.
"Nothing much changes. You just have to register all of the residents of this city with the Federation. After that, you can take your city to Earth and settle on some uninhabited island or some other place with the guidance of the Federation officials." Savant answered.
"That is all? You don't need our people to join your armies and fight for you?" Medusa asked. She knew of the mutants who had joined the Federation army.
Doom replied this time, "It is entirely up to you. You just have to follow the laws of the Federation, we don't need much else from you. There are plenty of volunteers for the army."
"It's no joke. Just sorting through the applications is a hassle." Cypher mumbled. After the war, the position of an elite Federation soldier had become one of the most sought-after positions on Earth. Many youths dreamed of wearing the futuristic armor and following the legion into battle.
"We will sign a treaty that recognizes your city-state of Attilan as a part of the Federation. After that, you will enjoy the same rights and obligations as the other countries and people on Earth. You will probably be a rich nation with your advanced technology and superpowers.
Just remember to pay your taxes. The guys at the tax office are even scarier than the Alpha Legion. They don't even spare superheroes. They got me and Stark last year." Savant added.
"What? Why didn't I know that?" Cypher asked Savant in surprise.
Savant shrugged, "We just didn't know. Terra seemed to be playing a prank on me by not alerting me. I had to pay quite a huge fine. I fired the accountant who was trying to dodge the taxes. Stark also said he was leaving his accounting to Jarvis."
While the interesting story about the strongest man on Earth being fined for evading taxes was going on, the Inhuman side was making their own considerations.
"There isn't much we can do anyway. We can only agree to their terms for the continued existence of Attilan and the Inhuman race. We can assimilate the Inhumans on Earth and grow larger and stronger." Black Bolt consoled Medusa through telepathy.
Their private telepathy was hijacked and Doom's voice warned, "We will allow you to gather the Inhumans on Earth but you better not make stupid decisions like attacking the Federation. Doom will personally wipe your entire species out of existence if you choose to disturb the peace."
Doom was a militant person, there were no doubts about it. But even such a Doom had become tired of the frequent wars that Earth had been going through. He just hoped for at least half if not a decade of peace for Earth. So he threatened the Inhuman king and queen.
In the middle of the tense situation where the Inhuman royalty was appeasing their people and trying to discuss the terms for the treaty with the Federation, Cypher looked around and asked, "Where is that grumpy guy anyway? The brother of the king or something."
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