"What a strong technological energy... Another alien race has come to Earth?" Robert furrowed his brows after sensing something and murmured in confusion.
Earth was supposed to be located at the edge of the galaxy, a remote corner of the universe, with a backward level of civilization that hadn't made contact with interstellar civilizations. It was unlikely for alien civilizations to visit Earth, yet how many alien species had already shown up here?
"Sayian! A massive spaceship has appeared above Earth. Jarvis analyzed their weapons, and they are far more advanced than the Chitauri. Even with Earth's current strength, we may not be able to withstand their firepower!" Tony Stark's voice suddenly came through a nearby computer, a result of Jarvis hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s now unguarded defense system.
"What? Another alien invasion?" The faces of several officials changed dramatically. Even though they were still not out of danger themselves, the looming presence of the spaceship above Earth made Robert seem like a much safer bet.
"Sayian! You can't ignore this!"
"That's right, Earth is your home after all. You can't let it be destroyed by aliens!"
"Could these aliens be their companions? Have they come for revenge after learning their comrades were captured?"
The members of the official organizations started shouting in panic. Even those with extraordinary powers didn't seem much better off than ordinary people when facing an alien threat. After all, their extraordinary abilities were no match for the technological might of an interstellar civilization.
"Shut up!" Robert growled impatiently at the chaotic noise from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, silencing the room.
However, Robert had to admit that these officials had a point. He wasn't going to let Earth be destroyed by an alien civilization, especially since his family was still here.
As for who this spaceship belonged to, the Skrulls seemed like a strong possibility. But no matter how powerful the spaceship was, Robert didn't take it seriously. In the past, he might have had to destroy the spaceship to neutralize the threat, but now he could just teleport aboard and deal with the crew directly.
No spaceship, no matter how advanced, guaranteed that the ones piloting it were equally formidable. Taking out the crew would not only be easier but might even allow the Avengers to acquire a large spaceship and learn more about interstellar technology.
"Sayian! Release my people, or I'll ensure your planet burns with them today!" Just as Robert was preparing to investigate the spaceship, a voice rang out from the computer, confirming that the ship indeed belonged to the Skrulls.
"Gravik!" The pupils of Alexander Pierce and Nick Fury shrank when they heard the voice, their faces pale as they shouted at the computer, "Gravik! Run! Don't engage the Sayian directly!"
"Gravik? Seems like he's important. Too bad it's too late!" Robert sneered, his body disappearing instantly.
"I'm not going anywhere! He's already killed more than half of my people. Even if he hands you over, I won't spare him!" In the spaceship above Earth, Gravik had indeed heard Pierce and Fury's warnings, but he had no intention of leaving. His eyes burned with cold hatred as he spoke.
Robert had killed so many Skrulls that Gravik couldn't just let it slide. Even though the secret invasion plan had failed, and even if it clashed with the long-term goals of the Skrulls, Gravik was determined to destroy Earth to avenge his fallen people.
As the leader of the invasion, Gravik had anticipated some casualties, but this was not a sacrifice; it was a massacre! Robert had wiped out over half of their forces. If the Skrulls were completely exterminated, how could they complete the secret invasion?
Given the circumstances, Gravik wasn't going to wait for the Super Skrulls to take revenge. He'd rather flip the table now.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Isn't it possible that your secret invasion has also cost countless Earth lives? What, Skrull lives matter, but Earth lives don't?" Just as Gravik finished speaking, Robert's voice came from behind him, sending chills down his spine. If he had human physiology, the sight of his raised hair and goosebumps would have been obvious.
"You! How is this possible?! How are you here?!" Gravik turned to face Robert, struggling to comprehend the situation. According to their intel, Robert didn't have the capability to do this.
Furthermore, the Skrull spaceship, one of the top technological creations in the universe, was equipped with space-blocking technology. Even those with spatial abilities shouldn't be able to teleport directly aboard. Only the ship's own light beams could transport people in and out.
But no such beams had appeared, and Robert wasn't near the airlock. Gravik had no idea how Robert got inside.
Now, there was an even more pressing question: How could he possibly fight Robert face-to-face? Gravik had to admit, no matter how angry or defiant he felt, he couldn't defeat Robert, not even with all the Skrulls combined.
Unless, of course, the Super Skrulls had already arrived on Earth. Only then could they possibly take down Robert.
"Why shouldn't I be here? You don't have many people aboard, do you? A ship this large, but only about a hundred Skrulls on board. So, does that mean you have over a thousand Skrulls still hiding on Earth?" Robert shook his head as he sized up the surrounding Skrulls, frowning.
"You're the leader of this secret invasion. You must know where all the Skrulls are, right? And what's this curse I've heard about regarding your people?"
"You!" Gravik's pupils contracted at Robert's words. As the commander of the invasion, Gravik was in a different position than the others, not subjected to the Skrull curse. But nobody expected him to be captured first.
"Looks like I've caught something interesting!" Robert's eyes lit up as he stared at Gravik. "Here's the deal: If you cooperate, I'll give you a quick death. Resist, and I'll make sure you suffer for a long time."
"Never! Skrulls don't fear death! Activate the self-destruct! I'll take you down with me!" Gravik's eyes blazed with fury as he gave the command.
"Self-destruct sequence activated. Countdown: ten, nine..." The ship's AI announced in response.
"What a waste." Robert shook his head in regret. He had intended to hand the spaceship over to the Avengers for study, but now that plan was out.
"But did you forget how I got here in the first place?" In the next moment, Robert appeared right in front of Gravik, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't know how you got here, but with the self-destruct engaged, the ship's space has been sealed. You won't be able to leave!" Gravik glared at Robert coldly, standing his ground.
"Sayian! Prepare to die here with us! Even if you survive, you'll never get any information from me!"
"Oh, you'll be disappointed." Robert smirked, vanishing with Gravik from the spaceship.
A bright light flashed in the sky above Earth, and the Skrull spaceship exploded, leaving nothing behind. All the Skrulls aboard perished with it.
"No!" Gravik cried out in disbelief as he and Robert reappeared in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters. He never imagined Robert could freely move in and out of the spaceship, even bringing him along.
What made it worse was that Gravik had effectively killed his own people by initiating the self-destruct, a fact that now weighed heavily on his crumbling psyche.
"Gravik..." Alexander Pierce and Nick Fury shared a look of despair when they saw Robert return with Gravik in tow. They knew the secret invasion plan had failed completely.
While the remaining Skrulls could still hide by taking on new identities, it was only a matter of time before Robert found them all if Gravik fell into his hands.
"I won't become Robert's tool to slaughter my people!" Gravik realized the same thing and, in a desperate attempt, lunged at a nearby wall, smashing into it with all his might.
With a loud crash, Gravik's blood splattered across the wall, and his body slumped to the ground, drenched in his own blood.
"Death isn't that easy to achieve." Robert, who had stood by without intervening, flashed to Gravik's side and used a healing spell, bringing him back to life.
Gravik, momentarily dazed, looked around in confusion, unsure of why he felt no pain despite lying in a pool of his own blood.
"What's wrong? Not getting up? No worries. You can rest for now, but with you here, the other Skrulls won't need to live much longer." Robert smiled coldly, releasing a ki blast that instantly targeted every remaining Skrull, except for Gravik.
"No!" Gravik screamed in anguish, watching as one Skrull after another was obliterated before his eyes. "You monster! You'll pay for this!"
"Pay? The lords of the Hell Dimension wouldn't dare speak to me like that. Don't worry, I'll make sure they take good care of the Skrull souls down there," Robert replied with a chilling smile.
"Besides, did you forget something? You Skrulls are the invaders. You infiltrated Earth, tried to overthrow its civilization, and killed countless humans. What right do you have to call me a devil?"
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