Chapter 89: Welcome to Earth

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Welcome to Earth

Daniel and Carol strode out of the facility without the slightest attempt to hide themselves. Behind them, Nick followed closely, his eyes constantly sweeping the surroundings, watching for any sign of danger.

"We’re... just walking out like this?" Nick hurried a few steps to catch up until he was shoulder to shoulder with them.

Daniel glanced at him with a grin.

"Otherwise? Were you hoping to fly? I can carry you out if you’d rather take the express route."

Nick let out an awkward chuckle and decided not to argue. Even so, his eyes never stopped scanning every corridor and corner around them.

Looking at the younger Nick Fury, Daniel couldn’t help feeling that something looked off. He really isn’t used to seeing Fury without the eyepatch.

’I wonder when he is going to lose that eye,’ Daniel thought idly.

"What are you worried about?" Carol said confidently. "If someone shows up, we’ll just fight our way out."

Ever since getting completely outclassed by Daniel, she’d kept a low profile for exactly one day.

Now? She was feeling confident again.

She could feel the tremendous energy flowing through her body. With that kind of power, charging headfirst into trouble didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.

Nick couldn’t help speaking up.

"I just think... walking out this openly is a little too high-profile."

No one responded to him. The three continued walking down the passage in silence.

"Huh? A kitty!"

Nick suddenly exclaimed, his voice echoing loudly through the hallway. He immediately ran ahead and scooped up an orange cat sitting by the corridor. Holding it in his arms, he gently rubbed one of its little paws.

"Well, hello there. What’s your name, little guy?"

At this point, he’d completely forgotten about staying hidden. Carol just looked over.

"Isn’t that Dr. Lawson’s cat?"

She studied the orange feline for a moment before saying, "I think its name is Goose."

"This is Dr. Lawson’s cat?"

Nick’s eyes immediately lit up.

"So... that means it doesn’t have an owner anymore?"

"It shouldn’t."

Carol nodded.

Nick gently scratched Goose beneath the chin.

"Oh... look at this poor little thing."

"It lost its owner and has been all alone in this freezing military base."

"It must be so lonely. We should take it with us."

"You do you."

...

In the end, they still ran into the soldiers guarding the base. After a brief and extremely "friendly" exchange, the personnel at the facility politely escorted the three of them out.

They even generously provided them with an aircraft, they were incredibly hospitable.

Carol excitedly climbed into the pilot’s seat, her hands had been itching for this. It had been a long time since she’d flown a plane herself, and she couldn’t resist taking the controls.

After takeoff, Daniel looked over.

"So, where are we headed now?"

Still absentmindedly petting Goose, Nick answered, "Let’s head back to our agency. That Skrull we captured earlier is still being held there."

Carol thought that sounded reasonable, so she turned the aircraft towards what Nick called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. When Nick finished saying the full name, Carol couldn’t help complaining.

"Seriously? That name is ridiculously long. How does anyone remember all that?"

Nick smiled.

"Actually, only the very best agents can say the entire thing."

"Most of us just call it..."

"S.H.I.E.L.D."

...

Once they arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick led Daniel and Carol to the holding area where the captured Skrull was imprisoned.

Daniel and Carol stayed behind to question the prisoner while Nick headed upstairs to report everything to the director. Of course, he didn’t forget to bring Goose with him.

Carol stood before the cell.

"Why did you come to Earth?"

The Skrull looked at her quietly before answering, "To survive."

"Survive?"

Carol frowned.

"You invaded..."

She stopped herself halfway through the sentence. Now that she knew more of the truth, things weren’t nearly as simple as she’d once believed. Perhaps, the Supreme Intelligence had deceived her all along.

"I honestly can’t think of anything on Earth that would interest you," she continued.

"It’s a very primitive planet."

"That’s true."

The Skrull nodded.

"We only came for the Light-Speed Engine."

"Once we find it, we’ll leave."

"We don’t want to destroy this world."

"We’re only looking for a place where our people can survive."

There was almost a pleading tone in his voice.

Originally, the Skrulls had considered using force. However, after they were effortlessly defeated, no one wanted to fight anymore.

...

Meanwhile, Nick walked into the director’s office with Goose comfortably nestled in his arms. The director looked up from his paperwork and nearly jumped out of his chair.

"What in the world are you carrying?!"

"A cute little cat."

Nick looked genuinely puzzled.

"It’s just a cat."

"What’s the big deal?"

Cats were adorable. The director, however, looked anything but convinced.

"Put it down."

He still looked nervous.

"And keep it away from me."

"Sure, fine."

’You’re the boss. Whatever you say.’

Reluctantly, Nick carried Goose outside the office and carefully set it down.

"Stay here, little buddy."

"Don’t run off. I’ll be right back."

"Meow..."

Nick smiled before returning to the office. He gave the director a full report of everything that had happened. As soon as the director learned Daniel and Carol had arrived, he insisted on meeting them personally.

During the elevator ride down, however, the director deliberately stood as far away from Nick as possible.

The reason? Goose was still in Nick’s arms.

"Nicholas, could you please stop carrying that cat around?" the director asked helplessly.

Nick froze for the briefest moment. Then he slowly looked towards the director. A thought instantly flashed through his mind.

’He’s a Skrull.’

Carol had already explained how Skrulls worked. They could perfectly imitate anyone they’d encountered, even down to their DNA. But there was one weakness, they only possessed recent memories.

Nicholas Joseph Fury.

That was his full name.

Normally, everyone simply called him Nick. Only strangers, or people unfamiliar with him, used "Nicholas."

Was the director unfamiliar with him? Of course not, Nick reported to him almost every single day and not once had the director ever called him "Nicholas."

’I’m practically the director’s favorite.’

’I’m doing great here at S.H.I.E.L.D., thank you very much.’

Nick thought smugly. Outwardly, though, he didn’t reveal a thing. Instead, he calmly led the fake director towards Daniel and Carol.

Just wait until he meets those two. He’s going to have a very bad day.

Unfortunately, Fury’s perfect plan collapsed before it even began. The fake director struck first. Without warning, the green-skinned Skrull wearing the director’s face threw a punch straight into Nick’s jaw.

Bang!

Nick hit the floor instantly, that punch was both fast and unbelievably powerful.

...

Carol was still questioning the prisoner when Daniel suddenly looked towards the ceiling.

"I’ll be right back."

"Our cat-obsessed friend just ran into some trouble."

Nick was sprawled across the floor, unable to get back up. The fake director casually took Nick’s pistol and aimed it directly at his head.

"Bye."

He smiled as his finger tightened on the trigger. Just then, a voice came from behind him.

"Hey."

"I’d suggest putting the gun down."

The fake director spun around, pointing the pistol at Daniel instead.

"You know..."

"People who stick their noses into other people’s business usually don’t end well."

This fake director had never met Daniel. Had it been the real director, he would’ve never said something like that.

Growing impatient, the Skrull scoffed.

"Goodbye."

Bang!

The gunshot echoed through the hallway. The bullet shot straight toward Daniel and he didn’t even bother dodging. There wasn’t the slightest need.

Clink.

The flattened bullet dropped harmlessly onto the floor. The fake director’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Daniel couldn’t be bothered wasting any more time. He stepped forward, carefully controlled his strength, and casually slapped the Skrull across the face.

Smack!

The blow left the disguised alien dizzy and completely disoriented. Daniel grabbed him by the collar, hauled him up with one hand, then dragged both the unconscious Skrull and the battered Nick back to Carol.

"He’s a Skrull!!"

Nick immediately shouted.

"Oh."

Daniel answered absentmindedly. His attention wasn’t on the prisoner at all. It had already reached outer space.

’Why haven’t the Kree arrived yet?’

The three met up again. Before Nick could say anything, Daniel spoke first.

"A spacecraft just entered Earth’s atmosphere."

He looked at Nick.

"You stay here."

Then he turned toward Carol.

"Want to go take a look?"

Nick clearly wasn’t thrilled about being left behind. Carol, on the other hand, agreed without hesitation.

The real players had finally arrived. The two shot into the sky at incredible speed.

By the time Yon-Rogg and the others had just stepped off their spacecraft, they found Daniel and Carol already standing there, waiting for them.

A bright smile spread across Daniel’s face as he revealed a row of white teeth.

"Welcome to Earth."

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