Robert's voice echoed throughout the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, causing Gravik to freeze. If this had been earlier, Gravik wouldn't have paid much attention to Robert's words. Skrulls, after all, rarely empathized with other species. But now, seeing so many of his fellow Skrulls die in front of him had pushed Gravik to the brink. He even began to wonder if all of this was retribution for the countless evils the Skrulls had committed.
"An invader acting like a hero!" scoffed one of the government officials, sneering at Gravik. "Every invader deserves death! Frankly, the Sayian is too merciful. We should torture these aliens!"
The official's words caught the attention of the others, and they exchanged glances, realizing that what he said might have gone too far. Not that his logic was flawed, but the problem wasn't entirely with him—it lay in the very country they stood in: America.
After all, the non-native Americans were invaders themselves, and America had been involved in countless covert and overt invasions over the years. These officials weren't necessarily any cleaner than the Skrulls.
Most notably, the Skrulls had infiltrated America more than anywhere else. They understood the inner workings of this nation all too well. Gravik, hearing the official's words, would likely only disdain them more.
"Heh, how are you Earthlings any different from us Skrulls? Aren't you also in disguise? If your strength matched ours, or if you had the means, you'd have already attacked!" Gravik regained some of his composure, mocking Robert while glancing at the officials.
"Don't worry, no matter what you say, I won't kill you," Robert said with a smile, then shot a cold glance at the officials, silencing them.
In the next moment, Robert raised his hand and unleashed a ki blast. Under the horrified gaze of the officials, the bodies of the dead Skrulls and Hydra members were incinerated to ash on the spot.
Robert knew exactly what kind of people these officials were—just like Lex Luthor, who was hiding somewhere. They were masters at cleaning up the aftermath of a battle. If Robert didn't thoroughly dispose of the evidence, it wouldn't take long before a batch of Earth-bred Skrulls emerged.
He couldn't be certain if Skrulls could be cloned, but if Lex Luthor could use Kryptonian genes to create something as dangerous as Doomsday, Earth's technology surely had its own unique capabilities. Robert wasn't about to give anyone that chance.
"What a waste…" the officials thought, regret flashing in their eyes as they watched the bodies disappear. The Skrulls' ability to shapeshift was undeniably impressive. If they could harness that ability, it would become much easier to infiltrate other organizations or gather secrets from other nations.
The idea of turning the Skrulls' secret invasion against them, using their own powers for Earth's benefit, would have been a huge advantage. But now, all the Skrulls had been wiped out, leaving nothing behind.
As these thoughts crossed their minds, a hint of resentment toward Robert began to stir. Yet none of them dared express it, knowing full well that speaking out could result in them joining the Skrulls in the afterlife.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash as the windows outside S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters shattered, and glass rained down. By the time the officials looked up, a figure bathed in radiant light had landed beside Robert.
"Caught a big fish?" Diana asked, surprised, as she looked at Gravik. "So, as long as he cooperates, we'll be able to track down the remaining Skrulls on Earth?"
"His reaction tells me that's likely the case," Robert replied, smiling at Gravik. As soon as he captured Gravik, Robert had silently called Diana over, knowing her Lasso of Truth would be invaluable now that there were no cursed forces to interfere.
"You... you!" Gravik's eyes widened in terror as an ominous premonition flooded his heart. He had already guessed his fate when Robert captured him and prevented his suicide, but now, as the inevitable loomed, he found it hard to accept.
"Don't rush. I'll notify Steve and the others to clean up the aftermath. Let's move to a more private location, so we don't reveal the Skrulls' secrets." Robert held up a hand to stop Diana, who was ready to use her lasso.
Diana nodded, waiting in place. Not long after, Steve Rogers arrived with Peggy Carter, and Tony Stark was on his way. After a quick greeting, Robert, Diana, and Gravik left the scene, leaving the officials to deal with Steve.
"Was that Peggy Carter?" Diana asked curiously as they left S.H.I.E.L.D. "Did the Reality Stone make her young again?"
"Yep, standing next to Steve, they don't look like father and daughter anymore—more like grandfather and granddaughter," Robert chuckled. "Tony told me Steve's been trying to enhance the concentration of his super-soldier serum lately, hoping to look a little younger himself."
"Did he succeed?" Diana asked instinctively.
"If he had, you wouldn't have seen them looking like that. But enough about them—let's deal with the Skrulls. If I'm not mistaken, a good portion of them are still hiding..." Robert shook his head with a smile, signaling Diana to proceed.
With a soft hum, Diana's Lasso of Truth flew from her waist, securely binding Gravik. The magical power of the lasso instantly took effect.
Compared to other Skrulls, Gravik was no different—his mental resistance had even weakened after witnessing the massacre of his people. And without the interference of cursed power, the lasso easily forced him to divulge critical information.
Meanwhile, in a remote underground base in the northwestern United States, a large facility remained hidden.
Originally a secret Hydra base, it had been expanded after falling under Skrull control. The spaceship Gravik had left on earlier had been hidden here as well.
Inside the base, hundreds of important figures from various fields were imprisoned, deemed useful by the Skrulls and kept alive for future leverage. If it hadn't been for Nick Fury's fierce resistance, killing a Skrull in the process, he might have been captured and held here as well.
Hydra members like Alexander Pierce hadn't been spared. After all, the Skrulls found their identities useful, so they had eliminated and replaced them.
"The commotion outside has quieted down, and there are fewer guards patrolling. Maybe something has happened in this base..." Bruce Wayne, locked in one of the cells, perked up his ears, his eyes opening after being shut for a long time as he began to calculate his next move.
"Previously, there was a patrol every fifteen minutes, but now it's once every hour. The footsteps and voices have grown much fainter too. This might be my chance!"
Bruce had rarely found himself without his mask when preparing to display his skills, but there was no choice. From the moment he was brought to this base, he knew his identity had been completely exposed. Now, he had to rely on himself to escape.
He needed to get out and quickly notify the Avengers, Robert, and Clark to be wary of these Skrulls, who had such a dangerous shapeshifting ability.
With a faint click, the lock on Bruce's cell opened. He cautiously made his way to the door and managed to unlock it as well.
It seemed the Skrulls had grown overconfident, or perhaps they believed the humans they captured had no extraordinary powers to resist. This gave Bruce the opening he needed to escape from his cell.
However, as soon as he stepped out, the alarm system blared throughout the base. Bruce's expression darkened. He listened carefully, then leapt into action. With a swift throw, he shattered the security cameras and alarm buttons with the chains he carried.
"Bruce Wayne is escaping! Capture him!" A Skrull's voice echoed down the hall, but Bruce remained calm, taking cover behind a corner.
With a loud thud, Bruce hurled his chain, knocking one Skrull unconscious. He dodged a laser blast and slid under another Skrull, using his chain to disarm him. Grabbing the laser gun, Bruce used the Skrulls' bodies as shields and returned fire, taking out the ones behind them.
Before the two Skrulls could even stand, their comrades were already falling.
"Damn it!" Another Skrull, still armed, roared and aimed at Bruce, but before he could fire, Bruce grabbed the barrel and shot him point-blank.
A final Skrull turned to pick up a fallen gun, but before he could reach it, a laser beam tore through his chest.
"More are coming!" Bruce's ears twitched as he heard louder footsteps. This time, the Skrulls weren't sending just a four-man team. He'd need to be more careful.
The unique physiology of the Skrulls made it difficult for Bruce to disguise himself as one of them, otherwise he would've tried to blend in and reduce some of the pressure. Now, there was only one option left: fight his way out of the Skrull base alone!
The good news was that Skrulls weren't great fighters individually. With his skills, Bruce could take down four Skrulls at once without much trouble. The bad news, however, was that the Skrulls could send far more than four at a time, and when it came to gunfights, Bruce's limits were clear—no matter how good his aim was, he couldn't win if they overwhelmed him.
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