The Black Lion - Humanity strikes back. (Patreon)

Kor El, The Dark Aster – Earth.

Everything was a disaster.

The Kree captain watched with impotence and growing fear as, out of fucking nowhere, a damn human fleet appeared and began to punish their forces.

It wasn’t particularly large—classified under Kree doctrine as three destroyers and two packs of frigates—and yet, Kor El still couldn’t understand how ships that small could possess such devastating destructive power.

The frigates were stupidly fast, possessing more mobility than Kor El thought possible. They moved in coordinated groups around Yon-Rogg’s ships.

The Kree woman let out a heavy sigh as she watched, once again, another vessel of the fleet get destroyed by the relentless assault of the human ships.

“Damn it!” one of the officers beside her snapped as a terrifying laser cannon pierced straight through one of the cruisers, tearing apart several Chitauri leviathans in the process.

They were… they were losing. There was no way to hide it.

Kree weapons, while powerful, were unable to land decisive hits on the enemy destroyers—let alone the frigates.

And the less said about the human combat station, the better for everyone.

“Sir, Captain Yon-Rogg is on the line. He says it’s urgent,” an officer reported.

“Put him through,” Ronan ordered. He appeared calm and composed on the outside, but Kor El wasn’t stupid.

The arrogant bastard was furious—far more than he had ever been in his entire life. His mind simply could not comprehend how those he considered primitives were utterly beating them.

“Ronan! Where the hell did you drag us into? I thought this place was a damn dump—not a fucking Class-One military bastion!” the commander barked, the reproach more than evident on his face.

Ronan, for his part, tried to respond calmly.

“Even if this is taking longer than expected, there is no possible way these primitives pose a threat to us,” he said, with such confidence that everyone on the bridge, including Kor El, looked at him as if he were insane.

Yon-Rogg, on the other hand, looked at him like he was the biggest idiot alive.

“Primitives? PRIMITIVES?!” he shouted, completely losing control, glaring furiously at the Accuser.

“You are a Kree warrior, Ronan. You know damn well these ships, that fucking tower, and that planetary bastion are anything but primitive! Plasma AA cannons capable of piercing our most powerful ships, frigates that move like fighters, and those damn missiles are wreaking havoc on everything they touch. Give these humans the respect and seriousness they deserve, we are not fighting primitives!” the furious man snapped, displaying combat footage from Earth.

Kor El watched the high-definition recordings. The engagements were brutal. The humans wore primitive tactical suits, but they were equipped with high-end personal kinetic shields and carried energy weapons powerful enough to cut through Kree shields, armor, and flesh like butter.

The humans fought with local advantage, ambushing Kree and Chitauri forces and holding positions that prevented ground advances toward the planetary refuge’s entrance.

However, formidable as they were… those humans paled in comparison to the most recent recordings.

“The humans have deployed a new type of unknown unit; Fast, lethal, and precise. Designation: Demon,” the captain said solemnly.

Ronan scoffed in disdain at the designation. However, he was the only one. Everyone else on the bridge watched with extreme caution as the human space station deployed these elite units.

They were… large. Over two meters tall, with strong and agile bodies, clad in extremely advanced armor, even by Kree standards made of a black alloy. They carried specialized variants of standard energy weapons.

Kor El’s eyes widened in absolute terror as she watched one of these soldiers lift a Kree by the neck and simply snap it without the slightest hint of mercy, before using the corpse as a projectile and hurling it at another warrior of Hala.

The difference was so overwhelming that the Kree captain witnessed something she had never thought possible.

Kree soldiers… were running.

They fled the moment they saw one of these demons, completely terrified, many throwing down their weapons and dropping to their knees in total surrender.

Such a thing was… inconceivable to her.

The humans weren’t just resisting the assault.

They were winning.

And everyone on the bridge knew it. Everyone except the idiot Ronan, who, in his fanaticism and stupidity, still clung to Kree superiority.

Kor El exhaled in frustration. They didn’t even have orbital superiority. This battle was lost, that much was obvious.

“Focus your attacks on that station. Unlike the ships, it does not possess mobility as an advantage. I doubt that pathetic Terran technology is capable of withstanding our glorious weapons,” the Accuser said.

Yon-Rogg frowned, clearly wanting to say something, but instead, he simply sighed and cut the connection.

Slowly, the fleet’s ships began to concentrate their assault on the human station—which, to Kor El’s complete lack of surprise, had shields similar to that damn tower.

“The human ships are concentrating their fire on our destroyers, we must...”

Kor El’s words were cut off by a thunderous impact.

A violent tremor shook the entire ship, throwing everyone on the bridge to the ground, momentarily stunned.

“What the hell was that?!” Ronan demanded furiously, his unhinged eyes watching in shock as multiple alarms began to appear across the command bridge. Holographic displays lit up with warning after warning.

And when one of the officers answered, everyone on the bridge froze.

“We’re being boarded,” he said in horror, bringing up the source of the alert on screen.

On one side, there was a duo of humans, clearly highly trained and systematically tearing through the Dark Aster’s soldiers with alarming ease.

One of them, a human man clad in black battle armor with purple accents, wielded a type of ranged weapon that generated energy projectiles. The other was a woman, with an elegant yet strong and agile build, carrying a marksman rifle that she handled with remarkable precision.

Everyone on the bridge watched as an entire regiment of Kree soldiers tried, and failed, to stop them, falling one by one to the invaders.

However, as concerning as that pair was, they paled in comparison to the other group that had managed to infiltrate the ship.

“What… what the hell are these things?” Kor El whispered to herself, her voice filled with absolute terror at what she was witnessing.

Three figures moved through the engine room corridors.

One of them was… simply monstrous. A kind of bipedal canine that moved like the most savage of predators, absurd speed, claws and teeth so sharp they could pierce even the ship’s metal.

The second was a madman. A human male with black hair who laughed like a maniac while unleashing ravenous black flames that incinerated everything in his path. The noble Kree soldiers tried to flee, clearly without success. Neither their advanced suits, nor their shields, nor even the supposedly superior Kree blood was enough to protect them from the human’s merciless assault.

And then… there was the third.

A seemingly ordinary human man, with messy black hair. His face was stern, filled with determination, as he walked calmly through the corridors.

And as unbelievable as it was…

He was the most dangerous of them all.

As he walked, soldiers simply began to lose their minds.

Some turned and fired on their own comrades. Others began screaming uncontrollably before taking their own lives on the spot.

And as if that weren’t enough, every weapon dropped by the fallen soldiers began to levitate on its own, forming a wall of plasma fire around him.

The human was a force of nature. Absolutely terrifying. Kor El had watched him wipe out two full regiments by himself without taking a sweat.

And as if things couldn’t get any worse...

“HALT! In the name of the great Ronan, I AAAHHHGGG...”

Everyone on the bridge stood frozen as Captain Korath clutched at his throat, his body beginning to rise into the air, desperation written all over his face.

The terrifying human made a small, indifferent gesture, a simple twisting motion with his hand and without a shred of mercy, every plasma weapon floating around him fired at once.

Korath was executed instantly.

“Shit…” one of the bridge officers whispered, unable to comprehend what he had just seen. His face was filled with terror, a feeling Kor El shared.

The terrifying human, after executing one of the most decorated Kree warriors aboard the ship, simply lifted his gaze.

Directly toward the cameras.

Directly toward them.

And then, to the horror of Kor El, and every Kree aboard the vessel...

The human spoke.

Directly into their minds.

“I see you.”

Kor El froze in fear. A sensation shared by every officer on the bridge.

Including the Accuser.

Who, to her twisted satisfaction, now wore a single expression on his face:

Realization.

The realization that humans were not the vermin he had expected to exterminate...

And that, from hunter…

He had become prey.

Natasha Romanoff – The Dark Aster

Three shots. Three kills.

As always, the rifle Harrison had built for her fired without recoil. Its light weight allowed her to aim quickly, eliminating targets with lethal precision.

“This reminds me of Budapest,” Clint said beside her, his voice slightly distorted through the helmet of the armor Harrison had prepared for him.

Natasha snorted in disbelief before replying,

“I think we remember Budapest very differently.”

She took down the last pair of soldiers and continued moving toward the engine room.

The schematics Hermione had hacked from the Kree terminal indicated they were two sections away. She only needed to cut the ship’s reactor power, and the barrier covering the planet would fall.

No pressure.

“Looks like the fleet is beating the hell out of these idiots,” Clint said, satisfaction evident in his voice as he observed the battle over New York through a viewport.

The First Fleet fought fiercely against the Kree forces. The element of surprise was gone, and now the alien ships were beginning to push back.

“Looks like they’re focusing all their firepower on that fancy battle station,” Clint added, watching as the Kree fleet hammered against the powerful shields of the Olympus.

“Seems like it,” Natasha replied, a rather radical idea forming in her mind.

The ship they were on was positioned away from the main battle… with a perfect attack angle on both fleets.

“Hermione, are you there?” the redhead asked through her omni-tool.

“I’m here, Mother. Do you need something?” the A.I. responded.

“How capable do you feel… about taking control of the entire ship?” she asked, surprising Clint, who turned to look at her in disbelief.

Hermione didn’t respond for several seconds, clearly cycling through the information over and over again.

“It’s… possible. But I would need to use your omni-tool and establish a direct connection with the main bridge. It’s far too dangerous for you to do alone,” the now excited A.I. said, though unwilling to put Nat at risk.

Natasha smiled softly at her daughter’s concern and replied,

“Then we need a distraction.”

At the same time, she activated her omni-tool and contacted Team Gold One.

“Gold One, there’s been a change of plans. Red One will move toward the ship’s bridge to board it. I need you to make as much noise and destruction as possible,” said Harrison Evans’ first woman.

Seconds later, Harrison’s father responded. Gunfire, screams of absolute terror, the roar of a beast, and a disturbingly manic laugh could be heard in the background.

Someone was clearly having fun, the Widow thought.

“Copy that, Red One. We’ll give you as much cover as we can. We’ll take the hangars and request reinforcements. You slip through and finish this once and for all. Gold One out,” said James Potter, cutting the transmission immediately.

“Have a battalion of sentinels ready for when we reach the bridge, Hermione. The moment the shield drops, we take this ship,” the Black Widow ordered.

“At your command, Mother,” Hermione replied before ending the communication.

“So… is this going to be like that time in Rio? Ultra-stealth infiltration? Or maybe like Moscow...guns blazing everywhere?” Clint asked.

Natasha’s answer?

She simply grabbed her rifle and kept moving forward.

“Guns blazing it is!” Clint said, following close behind her.

There was a lot of work to be done. And time was running out.

They had to clear the way for Harrison, before it was too late.

They didn’t have a second to waste.

“It’s hunting season,” the redhead said.

Susan Storm – Mars

“This place is enormous,” the doctor said in absolute awe as she scanned the vast, ruined corridors.

“And dangerous,” said Marion Shepard, one of the marines from the New Dawn program and Sue’s escort for this mission.

“Something on your mind, marine?” Sue asked with curiosity, noticing the redhead seemed lost in thought.

Shepard looked at Sue with a hint of embarrassment before answering,

“No, ma’am. It’s just… I wish I had gone back with the Pathfinder to help defend Earth,” the woman confessed carefully, not wanting to upset Mr. Evans’ partner.

Sue gave a soft, sad smile before replying,

“I understand. Reed, Ben, and Johnny went back to Earth, and reports indicate that some kind of barrier is preventing the Pathfinder from entering the planet. The rest of the council is working on it,” Sue reassured calmly.

The redhead nodded, a trace of guilt on her face.

“I’m sorry, doctor, it’s just that—”

Her words were cut short by something both incredible and concerning.

Movement.

“Shit!” the marine snapped, stepping in front of Sue and raising her LAS-Trident shotgun.

Both women and the group of drones accompanying them watched in shock as a strange… four-legged organic being emerged from one of the doorways.

“What the hell is that?” Sue asked, moving cautiously toward the creature while activating her omni-tool to scan it.

However… the moment the omni-tool activated, the creature snapped its attention toward Sue with alarming speed, emitting strange, unintelligible sounds as it began moving toward Sue and Marion just as quickly.

The marine prepared to fire, but Sue intervened immediately.

“Marion, wait!” she said urgently, stopping the marine at once. Shepard didn’t shoot, but kept her weapon trained on the mysterious being.

“Incredible…” Sue murmured as the creature approached, clicking its fangs while staring at her omni-tool with something close to excitement. Its curious claws moved almost eagerly, its black eyes fixed on Sue, before, unexpectedly, it turned around and began walking away, emitting anxious sounds that Sue interpreted as a… strange request for them to follow.

“I think… it wants us to follow it,” the blonde said, slowly beginning to walk after the creature.

“Doctor, I don’t think it’s wise to follow that thing. We don’t know its intentions or if it’s leading us into a trap,” the marine warned, walking behind Sue anyway.

Sue simply smiled, amused, and glanced back at Marion before replying,

“Relax. You have your combat skin, and I have my powers. We’ll be fine,” she said, stepping into the corridor where the creature had gone, the soldier following like a shadow. Alert, solemn, ready to act if necessary.

But what they found…

Was not knowledge.

It was a graveyard.

The corridor led them into a massive chamber, what had once been an extremely luxurious residence, judging by the exquisite finishes and the half-destroyed statues of clearly alien beings.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of red-colored armors, worn down by time, lay scattered across the entire place.

“Shit…” Marion muttered cautiously, staring around in absolute horror.

Sue could only agree. This… this was a massacre.

These soldiers had been here as a final desperate stand. A last defense.

“They were cornered. It’s obvious they were protecting something and I’d bet anything it’s that tower over there,” the marine said, gesturing with her head toward an elegant structure, partially in ruins, while dozens of the insect-like creatures Sue had seen before worked to repair it as best they could.

“This gives me a bad feeling, doctor,” Marion said cautiously.

And Sue could only nod. Something about this situation. This place… made her skin crawl.

“Have the drones establish a forward outpost. We won’t enter the Tower until the situation on Earth is resolved, but… this place is important. This is only the beginning,” the blonde said with determination.

And she wasn’t wrong.

Susan Storm had just made the most important discovery in modern human history...

Something that would guarantee humanity’s dominance in the Milky Way for centuries to come.

The cradle of a stellar empire.

The Citadel.