Chapter 72 - 72: Kree Soldiers

Today marked exactly one month since Skye joined S.H.I.E.L.D. She was currently stationed in South America, tasked with monitoring an unidentified energy source. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For the past few days, the readings had begun to shift, but without any clear explanation. "Ugh… another boring day." Skye slouched on a couch, munching on potato chips, speaking aloud to no one in particular. She had been stuck on this surveillance mission for over a week now, and apart from occasional energy surges, absolutely nothing had changed. She couldn't help but silently curse Nick Fury's bald head—wasn't he overreacting a little? BOOM! A deafening explosion erupted outside. A searing heatwave slammed against her, momentarily stunning her. "What the hell was that?!" Skye dropped her chips, jumping to her feet. But before she could even reach the door, a towering figure suddenly appeared before her. A blue-skinned alien warrior. "Experimental subject—capture." The alien's deep, guttural voice was completely incomprehensible to Skye, but she understood its intent the moment it moved. The hulking warrior, built like a marble statue of Hercules, raised a massive battle axe—and swung it straight at her. "Oh, sh—" Skye barely dodged, cursing under her breath. The sheer force of the swing was overwhelming. Even though she had avoided direct impact, the shockwave alone sent a sharp pain rippling through her skin. If that axe actually hit her—she didn't even want to think about it. CRACK! The second wave of force struck her before she could fully recover. Skye was flung backward, crashing violently into a tree before finally coming to a halt. Pain flooded her senses. It felt like her bones had cracked, her body screaming in protest. The blue-skinned warrior approached slowly, gripping his mighty axe with a vicious grin. Skye desperately tried to activate her powers—but nothing happened. "Oh, come on! Not now!" It was like her superpowers had a mind of their own—showing up when they weren't needed, disappearing when they were. The warrior sneered, speaking in broken English. "The weapons of the Kree Empire… must return to the Kree Empire." Kree Empire? What the hell is that? Skye had no idea what this alien was talking about, but she was definitely not in the mood to be dragged onto some extraterrestrial spaceship. The axe was raised once more. Instinctively, Skye shielded her head, bracing for the fatal strike— But the expected pain never came. Instead, a black-gloved hand caught the blade mid-swing. The blue-skinned warrior's muscles bulged as he struggled to free his weapon, veins popping from his skin—but it was useless. With an effortless clench, the black-gloved hand shattered the axe into pieces. Skye's heart pounded. It was him. The Black Devil(Gene Mason)—the infamous S.H.I.E.L.D. fugitive, an S-Class threat. Wasn't he supposed to be a villain? Then why was he… helping her? Before Skye could even process what was happening, Gene struck. A single kick to the Kree soldier's gut sent the massive alien soaring through the air like a cannonball. The alien crashed into the ground, blue blood splattering from his mouth. But despite his injuries, the Kree soldier wiped his lips and spoke coldly. "Earth warrior, hand over the Kree Empire's weapon—and I will spare your life." Gene remained silent. The Kree soldier's eyes darkened. "You are interfering with the Kree Empire's reclamation mission. You will face retribution." With a furious roar, the warrior charged forward. Gene barely glanced at him. "Know your place." The repulsor cannon on Gene's palm flared to life, its energy output spiking to 70%. A brilliant blue beam erupted from his hand— PIERCING straight through the Kree soldier's chest. "AGH—!" The Kree warrior let out a final scream before collapsing onto his knees. Despite his impending death, the Kree soldier did not beg for mercy. Instead, he laughed. "You think this changes anything?" His voice was weak, but his eyes burned with madness. "The Earth Testing Grounds… have been activated." "Ronan the Accuser is already on his way with the fleet." "You lowly races are about to perish under the might of the Kree Empire." And with those chilling words, the light in his alien eyes began to fade. Skye was speechless. Her mind struggled to keep up with the sheer absurdity of what had just happened. A Hercules-sized blue alien had dropped out of nowhere, tried to abduct her, and then ranted about her being some kind of Kree weapon. And to top it off— The Kree Empire had an "ancient testing ground" on Earth?! She had never heard something so ridiculous in her entire life. What the hell was a Kree? And then—something even stranger happened. The Black Devil—an S-Class fugitive—began healing the Kree soldier. The gaping hole in the alien's chest slowly began to close. A flicker of consciousness returned to the soldier's eyes. "Why the hell are you helping him?!" Skye blurted out. Gene ignored her. He leaned in, speaking in a low, commanding voice. "Go back and tell Ronan— The Earth Testing Grounds were a false signal. The Kree Empire's experiment failed a long time ago." The Kree soldier gritted his teeth, scoffing. "Do you really think… you can deceive… an honorable Kree warrior?" Gene's visor glowed red. "I don't need to deceive you." A golden light enveloped the Kree soldier's body. His expression slackened. And then—like a broken record, he repeated Gene's words. "The Earth Testing Grounds were a false signal… The Kree Empire's experiment failed long ago…" With a dazed expression, he stumbled away into the forest, muttering the phrase over and over. Skye's jaw dropped. She turned to Gene, eyes burning with a thousand unanswered questions— But he was already gone. The space around him twisted—and then he simply vanished. Skye was left standing there, battered, bruised, and utterly confused. She looked around. The scorched ground, the shattered remains of her shelter, and the aching pain in her body were the only proof that any of this was real. If not for those— She might have thought the whole thing had been a dream. -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics