Chapter 125: Hell (Part 2)

It wasn't just Simmons who was scared; Skye in the other direction was equally frightened. Simmons hid behind Fitz, while Skye hid behind Coulson. Only Melinda remained unfazed, watching the figure held by Daniel Davis.

"How could it be him?" Melinda quickly recognized who Daniel was holding. Tobias Ford, one of the lab technicians, whose death in a lab explosion she had seen in photos before.

"It's really him. How is this possible?" Coulson, Ward, and Fitz also noticed. Simmons and Skye, peeking out from their hiding spots, saw the supposedly dead man and retreated in fear. Skye, however, managed to stay slightly more composed.

"Why aren't you in Hell?" Daniel asked as he released his grip. Now knowing who he was dealing with, he was intensely curious. For ordinary people, ghosts and souls are hard to believe in, but for those from Kamar-Taj, it's basic knowledge.

Although basic knowledge, Daniel had never seen a soul wandering Earth freely after death. There were many stories about such phenomena, like playing with spirit games or encountering terrifying urban legends. Kamar-Taj had many magical texts documenting these events. In a world like Marvel's, such games could be deadly.

Even knowing that these games were spread by Hell's demons, Kamar-Taj didn't interfere much as long as people didn't follow the procedures. Curiosity killed the cat, and many paid a bloody price for dabbling in such games.

Even with his current power, Daniel wouldn't dare play such games. Typically, these games summon ordinary ghosts, but there's always a risk. The church once tried using such a game to deal with Hell, only to summon a great demon, with predictable disastrous results.

Bang.

Tobias Ford, released by Daniel, raised a wrench to attack him but was kicked into the wall by Daniel, causing his body to disappear.

"Still not learning your lesson? Do you really think I can't see you?" Daniel kicked Tobias Ford again, sending him flying.

In his soul state, Tobias Ford was invisible and untouchable to most, but to Daniel, he was clear as day. Tobias seemed to forget how Daniel had grabbed him earlier.

Seeing Tobias disappear again, Daniel didn't pursue him but said, "Keep this up, and soon you won't even be able to go to Hell."

A soul is a form of energy. Without the ability to absorb dimensional power to strengthen his soul, every day Tobias remains in the real world, he's depleting his soul energy. Once it's gone, he'll truly vanish.

"Let me see Hannah," Tobias demanded, reappearing on the other side of the room. His eerie presence made Coulson's team huddle together instinctively.

"Uh," Tobias' words left Daniel momentarily stunned. He then looked at Coulson.

"Hold on a moment," Coulson said, glancing at Daniel but ultimately looking at Melinda.

Hannah was now in the plane's interrogation room, a specially designed cell. Since Coulson's team deals with super-powered individuals, the room's walls block all energy signals, preventing even Tobias' soul form from entering.

This shows the advanced technology of the Marvel universe. In other worlds, such measures wouldn't stop a soul.

Hannah was placed there because she was suspected of having superpowers.

"Are you sure there's no problem?" Melinda asked Daniel.

"Don't worry, I'm here," Daniel assured confidently.

Melinda then went to the interrogation room and brought out Hannah, who was still pale.

"Tobias Ford, are you here for revenge?" Hannah was shocked to see Tobias. If not for Melinda's support, she would have collapsed.

Hannah, a devout believer, thought she was possessed by a demon due to the anomalies around her.

In the West, believers, especially zealots, attribute everything to God. In the East, faith provides peace of mind without total reliance on a deity. Thus, divine authority never surpasses royal authority in the East.

"Hannah, I..." Seeing Hannah's fear, Tobias panicked.

"There seems to be an issue between these two. Speaking of which, it's interesting that the wrench exists in his soul form," Daniel observed, losing interest in their relationship but curious about the wrench, which was akin to a soul weapon.

"Everything has a spirit," Daniel thought.

After some time, the others pieced together the story. Knowing the full truth, Simmons no longer feared Tobias but looked at him with pity.

The story was simple. Tobias liked Hannah but was too shy to express it. To get close to her, he loosened some machine screws to trigger alarms and call Hannah to check. After she arrived, he would tighten them and prolong the inspection to spend more time with her. However, one day, Hannah was delayed, and the accident happened because Tobias couldn't fix the screws in time.

Perhaps due to his love for Hannah, Tobias' soul stayed on Earth instead of going to Hell. Seeing the townspeople blame Hannah, he tried to help, leading to subsequent events.

After learning the whole story, both Hannah and Tobias fell silent. Despite the accident being Tobias' fault, it was due to his feelings for her. As a devout believer, Hannah found it hard to blame Tobias.

Coulson's team was equally speechless. What they thought was a superpower incident turned out to be a love story.

"Alright, I know you like her and don't want to leave, but your presence is troubling her. Without your actions, things wouldn't have escalated. You think you can protect her, but how long can you keep it up? If you don't go to Hell soon, you'll disappear completely. What will she do then? You should let her live on," Daniel said.

"Sorry," Tobias apologized to Hannah after Daniel's words.

A black vortex resembling a black hole appeared, emitting a strange aura. Though invisible to the team, they felt the temperature drop.

"It's getting lively here," a figure emerged from the vortex. In the team's eyes, a person suddenly appeared on the plane.

The newcomer, an elderly man in black leather, holding a skull-topped cane, lightly waved his cane, sending Tobias into the vortex, which then vanished.

To Coulson's team, it looked like the man made Tobias disappear with a cane strike.

"Damn, why did he show up?" Daniel's face turned serious, recognizing the man: Mephisto, one of Hell's kings, known for frequently visiting Earth. His legend includes the creation of the Ghost Rider.

Daniel learned about Mephisto from Kamar-Taj's records, as he had tempted their sorcerers many times, even clashing with the Ancient One.

"Who are you?" Coulson asked, looking at Daniel for answers.

"Greetings, Lord Mephisto. The Ancient One would be delighted to know of your arrival," Daniel greeted, calming himself. Mephisto's power was limited on Earth, and he rarely acted directly, preferring to tempt with deals.

As long as one didn't engage with Mephisto, there was no danger. Daniel, determined not to be tempted, was confident with two Infinity Stones in hand, treasures even Mephisto lacked.

"Mephisto," Daniel's words made Coulson's team step back in fear. Even Hannah fainted.

Seeing Coulson about to speak, Daniel signaled him to stay silent and let him handle it.

"A disciple of the Ancient One, don't try to use his name against me. He won't notice this place for a while. I was curious about a missing soul and stumbled upon this interesting event," Mephisto said, glancing meaningfully at Coulson.

"How bored are you?" Daniel thought, hearing Mephisto's explanation. Hell is vast, and many souls die daily. For a Hell king to notice one missing soul, he must be extremely bored.

"Can't help it. Human development is rapid, and Hell can't keep up. Lucifer dumped his territory on me and went on vacation. When I took over, I found this missing soul and came to check," Mephisto explained.

Seeing Daniel silent, Mephisto continued, "You don't seem concerned about Lucifer on Earth."

"That's not my concern," Daniel replied calmly, feeling helpless. He couldn't manage these Hell kings as long as they stayed out of his way. Plus, he lacked the power to intervene.

Marvel's dangers extend beyond the obvious threat of Thanos. The hidden dangers, like Hell kings and Celestials, are equally formidable.

If not for Star-Lord's intervention, Ego could have caused havoc across the galaxy.

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