Marvel: NIHILITY

Deep within the shadowy corridors of Attilan's Royal Hall, Maximus the Mad paced furiously, his long, dark robes swirling around him. His piercing eyes glowed with frustration and ambition as he mulled over the events of the past day.

Black Bolt's irritatingly calm demeanor, Medusa's steadfast loyalty, and now him—David Faust.

Maximus clenched his fists. The arrival of this so-called Superman had thrown a wrench into his delicate plans. Black Bolt had always been a thorn in his side, but now, with David's unimaginable power and casual irreverence, the odds of deposing his brother seemed more insurmountable than ever.

Unless...

"They've underestimated me," Maximus muttered, a sly grin spreading across his face. "They always do."

He turned toward the Genetic Council chamber, where the council members were gathered in hushed debate. With their usual disdain for change and fear of instability, they had been rattled by David's casual dismissal of their authority. They were ripe for manipulation.

Maximus entered the chamber, his presence commanding attention despite his lack of physical dominance. "Esteemed members of the council," he began, his tone smooth and serpentine, "we must speak of the recent... disruptions to our sacred city."

The head of the council, a withered man named Alitar, regarded Maximus warily. "If you mean the presence of Black Bolt's guest, he seems content to leave us alone—"

"Leave us alone?" Maximus interrupted, his voice rising with incredulity. "This David Faust turned you into frogs with a wave of his hand! Do you truly believe such power will remain dormant?

What happens when he decides he doesn't like the way you look at him? Or worse—what if he convinces Black Bolt to abandon our traditions entirely?"

The room fell silent. Maximus saw the hesitation in their eyes, the seeds of doubt he had planted taking root.

"We have safeguarded Attilan's legacy for generations," Maximus continued, his voice now a soothing whisper. "But now, it teeters on the brink of chaos. Black Bolt has grown complacent. He listens to outsiders over his own people. He allows his human friend to sow dissent among us."

He leaned forward, his voice dripping with venom. "And he dares to dream of fathering a child—a child who could destroy us all."

Alitar frowned. "And what would you suggest, Maximus? That we confront him openly? That would be suicide."

Maximus's grin widened. "No, my dear Alitar. We do not confront him. We outmaneuver him."

The council listened intently as Maximus outlined his plan. It was simple yet devious: frame David Faust as a destabilizing force and use his presence as a justification to strip Black Bolt of his throne. With the council's backing, Maximus would assume control, promising to restore order and tradition.

"The people fear change," Maximus concluded. "We must remind them of the dangers of straying from the path. Once Black Bolt and his meddling guests are gone, Attilan will once again flourish under true leadership—my leadership."

What Maximus hid from them was that he would never truly be the king. Because in order to take the throne, he has asked for help from Ronan the accuser from the Kree Empire, the very same people that once experimented on their ancestors. But the help came at the price of becoming a colony for the Kree Empire.

Meanwhile, Black Bolt, David, Medusa, and Emma were gathered in the royal quarters, laughing over David's exaggerated tales of his exploits.

Medusa rolled her eyes as David recounted how he "accidentally" sneezed and reversed time on a small planet, while Emma shook her head in mock disbelief.

"You're unbelievable," Emma said, though her smile betrayed her amusement.

"That's why you love me," David replied with a wink.

Black Bolt smirked but soon grew serious. "Maximus has been quiet since your arrival,"

he said, addressing David. "Too quiet."

David raised an eyebrow. "What, you think your brother's plotting something? He's got 'evil schemer' written all over him."

Medusa nodded. "Maximus thrives in shadows. If he's quiet, it means he's planning."

David stretched lazily. "Well, let him plan. If he tries anything, I'll flick him into orbit. Problem solved."

Black Bolt sighed. "You cannot simply 'flick' your way out of everything, David."

"Why not?" David asked, grinning. "It's worked so far."

Before Black Bolt could respond, a sudden tremor shook the palace. Alarms blared, and Medusa's communicator buzzed with urgent messages.

"What's happening?" Emma asked, her eyes wide.

Medusa checked the communicator. "It's the Genetic Council—they've declared Black Bolt unfit to rule. They're staging a coup!"

David stood, his casual demeanor shifting into something far more serious. "Looks like your brother made his move. Guess it's time to flick some people ."

Black Bolt and Medusa exchanged a glance before nodding. Together, the four of them prepared to face the brewing storm, unaware of just how deep Maximus's treachery ran—or how far he was willing to go to claim the throne.

The air was thick with tension as Black Bolt, Medusa, David, and Emma stood at the steps of the royal palace, surrounded by their loyalists. The once-pristine moon city of Attilan was now in chaos, with explosions and shouts echoing through the lunar kingdom.

Maximus's forces, bolstered by members of the Genetic Council, marched through the streets, their aim clear: overthrow the king.

"Alright, BB," David said, stretching lazily. "What's the plan? Want me to turn them all into moon dust or maybe some adorable hamsters? I've got options."

Black Bolt raised a hand, shaking his head. "This is my battle," he said firmly, his voice calm despite the chaos.

David frowned. "You sure? I mean, I could sneeze and end this in two seconds. Heck, Emma could probably talk them into surrendering faster than you could—no offense."

"No," Black Bolt replied, his gaze steady. "This is something I must handle myself. My people need to see that I am capable of defending my throne without outside interference."

David smirked. "Fine, fine. But you'd better wrap this up before dinner. I'm starving, and Emma's already claimed dibs on the moon pastries."

Emma waved cheerfully, holding a small bag of pastries. "They're delicious, by the way."

With a nod, Black Bolt and Medusa led their loyal forces into the fray. The streets of Attilan erupted into battle as energy weapons clashed, Inhuman powers flared, and Maximus's scheming reached its chaotic peak.

David and Emma floated above the battlefield, sitting cross-legged on an invisible platform. Emma was munching on pastries while David watched the chaos below like it was a particularly entertaining TV show.

"You know," Emma said, taking another bite, "this is kind of romantic. Watching a coup unfold under the stars... very us."

David grinned. "Right? Nothing says date night like a little lunar civil war."

Emma pointed toward Black Bolt, who was expertly incapacitating Maximus's soldiers with precise strikes and bursts of energy from his tuning fork-like antenna. "He's pretty good at this. Think he'll win?"

"Of course," David said confidently. "BB's a badass, even if he's a little too serious for his own good."

Suddenly, a blip appeared in David's peripheral vision. Turning his gaze upward, he noticed a fleet of Kree warships approaching Attilan at alarming speed.

"Well, well," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Looks like we've got company. The Kree just had to butt in here in front of me."

Emma followed his gaze and gasped. "Kree? One of those space empires you spoke of? What do they want?"

David shrugged. "Probably here to exploit the chaos. Typical Kree behavior. Let's give them a warm welcome to the moon. "

As the lead Kree ship descended, David raised a single finger and casually flicked a tiny bolt of energy at it. The ship exploded in a spectacular burst of light and debris, scattering the rest of the fleet.

On the flagship, Ronan the Accuser froze, his expression shifting from smug confidence to sheer terror. His mind raced back to the destruction Carol Danvers had wrought decades ago.

"Nope," he muttered, slamming his fist on the ship's console. "Not today. Not again."

Ronan immediately ordered a retreat, the entire fleet disappearing into hyperspace in a matter of seconds.

Down below, the fighting came to an abrupt halt as everyone—Black Bolt's forces, Maximus's rebels, and random moon citizens—looked up at the sky in confusion.

David waved cheerfully. "You're welcome!"

Black Bolt shot him an exasperated look before turning back to his opponent,

Maximus, who was equally dumbfounded.

"Well, this is awkward," Maximus muttered. He looked at his brother and blinked innocently, "Would you believe me if I told you it was just a prank?"

Black Bolt lunged at him, ending the awkwardness with a well-placed strike that knocked Maximus flat on his back.

As the battle wound down, David and Emma descended, landing gracefully next to Black Bolt and Medusa.

"See? Told you you'd finish before dinner," David said, grinning.

Medusa smiled warmly at Emma. "Your David certainly knows how to make an entrance."

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, he's impossible, but he's mine."

David clapped Black Bolt on the back. "Nice work, BB. And hey, no hard feelings about me stealing your thunder, right? I mean, I just saved the moon and traumatized a space dictator. Pretty solid day."

Black Bolt sighed but smirked. "Thank you, David. I think."

Maximus groaned from where he lay, surrounded by guards. "You all suck."

David leaned over him. "And you're going to jail, buddy. But hey, I hear the moon cells have a great view."

As the group walked back to the palace, the citizens of Attilan began to cheer, their faith in Black Bolt renewed. David and Emma exchanged a satisfied look, knowing they'd helped in their own chaotic way.

"Let's eat," David declared.

"Finally," Emma said, holding up her bag of pastries.

As the group disappeared into the palace, the moon returned to its quiet, enigmatic self—at least for now.