A Friendly Chat

Before the Guardians of the Galaxy and Maximus could leave the Attilan prison, 6 Inhumans and a massive, bulldog-esque alien creature stood in the corridor. As they studied the entrance to the prison, grim expressions of rage and determination spread across their faces.

"We had hoped to avoid a violent confrontation." Said an Inhuman woman with long, Scarlet-hued hair. "However, if you believe the Grandmaster's contest licenses you to destroy our city and treat with enemies of our people, you leave us no choice but to instruct you in manners and proper courtesy."

The woman speaking was Medusa, queen of the Inhumans, and matriarch of the Attilan Royal Family. Her incredibly long and unnaturally red hair was the source of her Inhuman ability, as she had trichtokinesis. With her stood the rest of the Inhuman royal family, which consisted of Karnak, Gorgon, Crystal, and the mute Inhuman king Black Bolt. They were accompanied by the royal family hound, and loyal pet LockJaw.

Black Bolt wore a black masked costume with only silver bolts emblazoning the side. A strange metallic implement jutted from Black Bolt's forehead as part of his Inhuman physiology, and resembled a tuning fork. Black Bolt had amazing energy manipulation abilities that he could not yet completely control, including a voice that produced quasi-sonic energy with immense destructive power.

Karnak was a shorter, skinnier Inhuman in green body armor. He was the cousin of Black Bolt, and the leader at the Tower of Wisdom (the principle venue of worship for the Inhuman religion). His Inhuman ability was extrasensory enhancement that allowed him to perceive any and all weak spots on a potential opponent.

There was Gorgon, a broad and tall muscular man with the appearance of a satyr (goat horns and lower body). He was the distant cousin of Black Bolt, but his immediate family had always played a role in the development of Inhuman society. His Terrigenesis resulted in the mutation of his lower appendages, but he was also granted superhuman strength and endurance far beyond human limits.

Next was Crystal, the younger sister of the Queen of the inhumans. She wore a sleek, yellow leather suit. Her Inhuman ability granted her superior control over the four primary elements through psionic interaction.

Finally was the trusted companion, LockJaw. LockJaw was an Inhuman dog with incredibly enhanced physiology due to prolonged exposure to Terrigen mists. It had incredible strength compared to a typical dog, a digestive tract capable of dissolving any known substance, enhanced olfactory sense that could follow a particular scent through dimensions, slight empathic ability, and could teleport itself and any chosen within his immediate vicinity through time and space to any location of its choosing.

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The Guardians immediately prepare to defend themselves against the Inhumans, who are intent on eliminating them as a threat. It was Mantis who first suggested to both parties that they work together in finding the Cosmic Cube. Medusa is the first to suspiciously ask why they should (unbeknownst to the Guardians the Inhuman, Runner had already used his emotional influence ability to boost the Inhumans' confidence. He has convinced them the Guardians care nothing for the lives of those in Attilan). But, Mantis answers with the belief that Uatu and the Grandmaster only wish to safeguard the Cube.

Medusa explained that the Inhumans had initially declined to participate in the contest. Of course, the Grandmaster had anticipated this response and threatened to destroy all of Attilan if they did not comply with his demands. As a demonstration of his immense power, the Grandmaster had killed Black Bolt and then resurrected him in the blink of an eye. Medusa proposed that even if the Guardians do retrieve the cube first, they mercifully hand it over to the Inhumans to save Attilan.

Star-Lord then stepped up and tried to convince the Inhumans that handing over the Cosmic Cube to the Grandmaster could have dire consequences for the remainder of the galaxy, to which Medusa simply responded, "We suspected you would say something like that."

The Inhumans would not agree to even discuss the matter with Uatu, claiming the Guardians were using a ploy to delay the Inhumans search for the cube. When Drax suggested combining their might in an effort to defy the Grandmaster, the Inhumans stood astounded. They deemed it pointless to agitate the entity any further, unless of course it came to be they had the powers to stand against him. Besides, Drax was still diminishing in strength and lifeforce from the SuperKree's curse, that would eventually kill him if it could not be reversed.

Gorgon then accused the Guardians of freeing the Inhumans mortal enemy, Maximus. They reveal that the Guardians newest traveling companion was no other than Maximus, the Inhuman brother of Black Bolt who had attempted to usurp the throne on numerous occasions. He was a fugitive and enemy of Attilan. The Guardians were warned that they would be held accountable for any damage that occurred as a result of his freedom.

Maximus anxiously insisted he would cause no trouble, and wished to aid the guardians out of a genuine concern for the safety of the galaxy. The guardians also state how it was reportedly a giant robot who had broken into the prison, and not them. The Inhumans seemed a bit confused by the Guardians allowing a potential bit of info regarding the location of the cube slip, so they disregarded it as deliberately misleading. Before more of their story could be recounted Maximus interrupted by advising against the action of providing the enemy privileged information. As the conversation, and slight skirmish ended the Royal Family teleported away. Maximus conjectured that they probably returned to the Royal palace. Maximus also deliberated what he believed should be their next course of action. He suggests they search the Sub-City of the Alpha Primitives. His reasoning was that if he were intent on galactic conquest, his first move would be to form an army of stooges to handle the grunt-work and start resistance movements. Maximus states that the Alpha Primitives were the only beings in Attilan who could be coerced into cooperating with such a plan.