subhuman/subcity
A hundred identical humanoids milled aimlessly about the large subterranean room. The figures stood at an average height of 5'7", had green eyes, and were all completely androgynous.
Beyond the room, a complex series of tunnels led deeper into the sub-city of the Alpha Primitives. A few Alphas moved in and out of the tunnels with some dimly perceived purpose.
Maximus quickly set to deactivating the intense force-field that barred the sub-city from the rest of Attilan. Once he did so, Maximus simply began walking into the tunnels as hundreds of Alphas swarmed out of the doorway like the mouth of a funnel. Once the Guardians entered the tunnels, a swarm of a hundred Alphas was upon them. The Alphas were not inflicting harm, but the Guardians fought valiantly just to break free from the bustle of movement. A familiar face then stood out further down a tunnel. The face of Maximus amongst the Alphas was like a wolf among a pack of dogs. Maximus sneered as he worked his way down the tunnel unimpeded by the Alphas. Not wanting to lose sight of Maximus, Star-Lord broke free from the herd and chased the Inhuman down the tunnel. Star-Lord sprinted as he watched Maximus step into a cove and reach for a red lever attached to a panel in the tunnel wall. But, Star-Lord was late in catching him and arrived to see the lever being lowered.
The lever then detonated a massive explosive charge that had long ago been planted beneath the royal palace. A second after the lever was pulled the blast rumbled down to the Sub-city, and a moment later hundreds more Alphas began pouring from deeper within the tunnel and attacking the Guardians.
Then, Maximus' genetic Inhuman ability was revealed. As the brother of the King of Inhumans, Maximus had the great power of mental domination. Using his mental domination on Star-Lord he first made himself imperceivable. This was much greater than any invisibilty, as Maximus actually numbed Star-Lord's mind to his presence. To all of Star-Lord's senses, ordinary or extra, Maximus had completely disappeared. Maximus mentally overrode his minds processes to alert him of a presence. Then, Maximus lifted a heavy rock and bludgeoned Star-Lord with it leaving him dazed. Then, exerting the limits of his mental domination ability Maximus transferred consciousnesses with Star-Lord. Meaning he would inhabit the body of Star-Lord while His own body would be Star-Lord's new prison. Maximus then used Star-Lord's body to knock his own body unconscious. He then exerted his mental domination over a small number of Alpha Primitives to take the unconscious body into captivity and care for it in the sub-city, without allowing it to regain consciousness. Once Star-Lord was secreted away in his body, Maximus posed as Star-Lord claiming that Maximus had abandoned them and probably went to get the cosmic cube for himself. He says that he overheard Maximus conversing with the Inhumans via a secret communicator, and that he was headed to the crypts beneath Attilan.
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As the Guardians left the slave-pens stood lining the entrance to the Alpha Primitive sub-city to serve as a grim reminder of Inhuman cruelty. A hundred-thousand yards of shock-wire divided dozens of square feet into tiny pens, of no more than 25 square yards. Despite the fact that the pen had no inhabitant for years, a filthy aura clung to the pens.
As soon as the last of the Guardians stepped from the threshold of the sub-city, Medusa yelled, "This is how we repay those who destroy our home! Regardless of who they are!"
The Inhuman royal family then ambushed the Guardians. As far as the Inhumans were concerned, the Guardians had directly violated their agreement to bring no harm to Attilan. Since their first encounter Karnak had used his ability to perceive all of their strong and weak points. Black Bolt strikes the weakened Drax with a strong jolt using his electrical generation. Medusa wielded a neural whip from the arsenal of weapons the Inhumans had confiscated from Maximus and other rogues over the years. Using a tendril of her hair to handle the whip, she cracked it at Groot who backpedaled in pain. Crystal waded into battle with the Negaflector, another special item from the Inhuman arsenal. The Negaflector appeared to be a black, full-length shield. However, whenever an attacker struck it, it absorbed the energy of the attack (kinetic or otherwise) and converted it to the opposing form of energy before emitting it. For instance, a fire blast would be re-emitted as ice, and the Guardians' laser blasts were re-emitted as a spray of particle beams. Karnak operated an ancient heavy blaster with ridiculous range that fired a beam of protoplasmic energy. Gorgon wore a suit of Inhuman battle armor that endowed its wearer with temporary invisibility, activated by telepathic suggestion.
When the fight broke out, Maximus in Star-Lord's body leapt back to hide in the sub-city's entrance where he fired on the Royal Family with Star-Lord's long-range laser pistols. Rocket, and Mantis also fired at Karnak and Gorgon, while Gamora drew her sword and charged Crystal. Black Bolt used his telekinetic force field to block all of the guardians lasers, until Drax broke the shield and Black Bolt relentlessly engaged him in melee with his incredible strength. When Gamora cut Crystal's Negaflector in half, Crystal resorted to creating firestorms and controlled earthquakes to disorient the guardians. As Rocket used his jetpack to hover over Karnak, he went to drop a bomb, LockJaw ran to Karnak's side and began teleporting him around the chamber sporadically. It was then, after being struck by Drax, that Black Bolt stood up straight and whispered a single word: "Stop!"
The quasi-sonic energy from that single whisper blasted the combatants into unconsciousness and battered them against their surroundings. The pens had been completely mangled. All those present suffered ringing ears and splitting migraines from the sonic boom. As almost everyone else lay in a daze Black Bolt, Karnak, and LockJaw escorted their allies and the Guardians as prisoners back to the partially destroyed Royal palace.
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After being held captive and negotiating, the Guardians were able to reach a truce with the Inhumans. The Inhumans would agree to give the Cosmic Cube to Uatu if the Guardians complied with the following conditions:
The Guardians promised no more harm would befall Atillan or its people as a result of the contest.
The Guardians allow Black Bolt to be the one to personally deliver the cube to Uatu.
The Guardians aid in opposing the Grandmaster's planned destruction of Atillan.
As a guarantee of their promises, one of the Guardians would be kept in remote-controlled shock-shackles. This prisoner would be permanently detained in Attilan if the truce was not kept.
In return, Black Bolt and the Inhumans would agree to:
Place the royal family's resources at the Guardian's disposal.
Allow the guardians free movement throughout all of Attilan.
Give the Cosmic Cube to Uatu in the event of them finding it first.
Provide medical assistance to Drax who had reached a state of complete debilitation and would need life-support.
Maximus in Star-Lord's body uses his mental domination to enforce the idea of Gamora being the one placed in shock-shackles. He also confessed to the Inhumans that it was Maximus who had detonated the bomb and not the Guardians of the Galaxy. He tells them Maximus fled after betraying them. The Inhumans are grateful for the info and order an extra battalion of Inhuman soldiers be sent on patrol to capture Maximus.