Following White Queen's pointed question, the gazes of everyone in the room gradually turned toward Charles. The silence was heavy, taut like a rope about to snap. This issue was far too important; even those usually indifferent found themselves leaning forward, waiting for his answer with bated breath.
"I know what everyone wants me to say," Charles began at last, his voice calm but laced with a weariness that instantly sobered the crowd. "You want to hear that 'they're not that strong,' or that 'we can handle them.' But unfortunately…" His tone grew even more grave as his brows furrowed. "According to Nakel—oh, that's this fellow here—based on his memories, both the Kree and the Skrulls are among the most powerful interstellar races in existence. They're not just strong. They are top tier."
A faint murmur rippled through the group.
"Especially the Kree," Charles pressed on, his gaze hardening as if staring into some distant battlefield only he could see. "They are regarded as cosmic overlords. Their civilization has advanced hundreds of years beyond Earth's capabilities. They possess an immense fleet, a war machine capable of sweeping across galaxies, and they've already colonized countless star systems."
His voice dropped into something colder. "To them, Earth is little more than an 'impoverished,' 'primitive planet.' A backwater."
He sighed, almost imperceptibly, but it carried the weight of inevitability. "Yes, it's disheartening. But I'm afraid the situation we're facing is as dire as it gets."
A chill passed through the room. The atmosphere seemed to thicken until every breath felt labored, as though some invisible mountain had been placed on everyone's chest. The realization pressed down with brutal clarity: Earth hadn't even stepped properly into the interstellar era, and yet they were about to be noticed—perhaps even targeted—by two of the cosmos's most fearsome empires.
It was unthinkable. And yet, it was happening.
Charles continued, his tone steady, but each word hammered into their hearts like a nail. "The Skrulls, for example, not only possess physical capabilities that far surpass human limits, they also wield fleets and weaponry of alarming sophistication. And on top of that…" His eyes flicked briefly toward Raven and Mystique. "…they have shape-shifting abilities."
He paused deliberately, letting the words settle.
"The reason the Tesseract was successfully stolen is because a Skrull named Tuja infiltrated the laboratory. By imitating one of our own people, he walked freely among us for days, memorizing the layout, gaining trust, and preparing. When the moment came, he stole the Tesseract without a sound."
A ripple of unease moved through the gathering. Raven, still wearing a copied form, and Mystique both exchanged looks that were equal parts defensive and unsettled. Their ability mirrored the enemy's.
Charles didn't miss it. He pressed on. "The Skrulls can not only alter their shapes but also replicate voices, habits, even micro-expressions. Their imitation is so flawless that not even the closest of kin would be able to tell the difference."
His words dropped into the silence like stones into a well.
"That's why no one in the lab suspected Tuja. That's how he succeeded."
A tense quiet followed. The realization gnawed at them all. If the Skrulls could blend in so perfectly, then… who could be trusted? The thought was almost unbearable. Could the person beside you truly be who they claimed? Unless you had powers like Charles or White Queen, capable of probing the mind directly, the answer was uncertain.
"Charles," Erik finally spoke, his tone as sharp and deliberate as a blade being drawn. "Tell us everything. Every detail you saw."
The gravity of his words resonated. Everyone leaned closer, instinctively bracing themselves. Knowledge was the only shield they had left.
Charles inclined his head. He would have explained regardless, but Erik's demand only made his resolve firmer. And so, with measured words, he began to unravel what he had gleaned from Nakel's mind—the hidden histories, the strategies, the brutal realities of both Skrulls and Kree.
The more he spoke, the heavier the air became. Shoulders slumped. Faces paled. It was like listening to the drumbeat of a war they were destined to lose.
"However…"
Charles's tone shifted, softer yet resonant with an edge of hope. His lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "According to Nakel's memories, there is one thing they fear. Alex. To them, Alex is not merely powerful—he is a being who stands at the very pinnacle of the universe. Even they, arrogant as they are, trembled at the thought of him. This isn't exaggeration. This is the unvarnished truth as they perceived it."
The oppressive silence cracked.
Whoosh!
Dozens of eyes turned toward Alex in unison.
Even the senior mutants—those who had already witnessed feats that defied imagination—couldn't suppress the jolt of astonishment. They had always known Alex was strong, but the pinnacle of the universe? That was something else entirely.
Charles let the suspense breathe before he added, with a glint of curiosity in his eye, "Do you know how Alex captured Nakel?"
The question hooked them instantly. Even those trying to maintain composure leaned in, waiting. After all, Charles's telepathy had failed to locate Nakel. How had Alex, in contrast, managed it so swiftly?
"After Nakel acquired the Tesseract," Charles explained, "he immediately fled aboard a starship. That's why I couldn't detect him—he wasn't even on Earth anymore."
Gasps broke out. The realization hit like a revelation.
So that was why Charles had failed. It hadn't been some elaborate countermeasure, no mysterious device blocking telepathy. The answer was simpler, and more terrifying: Nakel had simply left the planet.
"And then?" Hank asked, adjusting his glasses, his curiosity piqued despite himself.
"Then," Charles said, his voice steady but tinged with awe, "Alex soared tens of thousands of meters into the sky, pursued them through the stratosphere, destroyed their starship, killed every one of Nakel's comrades, and returned with both Nakel and the Tesseract." He gestured to the unconscious alien at the side.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The room was filled only with the sound of their own incredulous breathing.
This was… surreal. Even for Alex.
Had they underestimated him all this time? Perhaps they had never even glimpsed the true upper limits of his strength. The battles on Earth had always been too small, the enemies too weak, to draw out the full measure of his might.
And yet, despite the awe and comfort his feat inspired, unease still lingered. After all, Alex was just one man. Even if he was unmatched, could one man alone resist the endless tide of fleets that spanned the stars?
As these doubts churned unspoken, Alex finally broke his silence. His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of command.
"Charles, there are two things I need you to do."
Every head turned toward him.
"First," Alex continued, "search the Earth thoroughly. Find out if there are other Skrulls hiding in plain sight. And also check if the Kree have already潜伏—already infiltrated our world."
Charles nodded firmly. It was the most natural request in the world, and one he had already half-intended to pursue.
"The second thing," Alex said, his eyes sharpening with a quiet certainty, "is to look for someone. Her name is Carol Danvers. She's an Air Force pilot."
The mention of a seemingly ordinary human name caught several off guard.
Since the arrival of Skrulls and Kree meant storm clouds were gathering, Alex knew another player would inevitably step onto the stage—Captain Marvel. And when that happened, the balance of power would shift.
With her by his side, the threat of interstellar conquest would no longer seem insurmountable.
"Carol Danvers?" Raven blinked, her confusion evident. "You're asking us to find an Air Force pilot? Why?"
Her tone was edged with skepticism, but Alex didn't flinch.
"She will be our secret weapon," he said evenly. "A deterrent strong enough to make even empires hesitate. I know Charles's revelations were unsettling, but there's no need for despair. Earth is not some fragile, defenseless world. We are not a soft target."
His words, spoken with quiet conviction, rippled through the room like a steady flame against the cold.
And for the first time since the meeting began, the weight on their chests eased ever so slightly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 60 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~