Chapter 103: Arc 3: Chapter 19: Herald of Doom

Ronan, Kree noble, one of the members of the Kree military group 'Accusers', or to say, because of his accumulated honor of commanding his armada in battling the Skrulls, he would most likely become the leader of the Accusers.

He was a pure Kree general, ruthless, cold-blooded, willing to do anything to accomplish the mission.

He was also a 'Kree Supremist', in his eyes, the Kree are the noblest of all races, and eventually, under his leadership, the Kree Army will conquer the entire Milky Way and even the entire universe.

For the other civilizations in the Milky Way, Ronan has always been a destroyer.

He is the hand of war, the herald of doom, a never-dying flame that will burn ceaselessly wherever he and his armada reach has plunged into his conquest.

This was a fearful warrior.

And Ronan's talents were not limited to commanding fleets to attack, he was also one of the strongest warriors in the Kree Empire.

Undefeated over the last few thousand years, Ronan had been commended by the Supreme Intelligence multiple times; one time, the Supreme Intelligence passed on a resolution, and that is to create a true weapon of god for Ronan using all the advanced technology and effort of the Kree Civilization.

It was called the 'Universal Weapon'.

And it was currently in Ronan's hands.

He was somewhat taller than the average Kree, about 2.5 meters tall. He seemed very bulky and wore a set of metal armor.

The armor was the Kree's most advanced defensive armor, forged into such shape due to Ronan's preferences.

His skin was blue, the color of Indigo, which was especially advocated among Kree nobility, representing the noblest bloodline.

His pupils were grey, indicating his ruthlessness.

He was like the physical exemplification of the Kree's iron will to conquer over the millennia.

This was also his wish, he wished to become a transcendental existence, he wishes to lead the Kree towards a most brilliant future.

"Bam"

Ronan lightly taps his metal hammer on the bridge of his flagship 'The Dark Aster', making a buzzing metal sound like the ringing of the bells of doom.

In front of the glass-like observatory, the holographic image of planet c-53, namely Earth, was hovering before him.

Ronan points out his finger, his grey eyes cold and emotionless.

"Destroy it!'

Ronan says softly.

This was not his first time destroying worlds, perhaps he would feel excited during the beginning of the doom and destruction, however, it becomes an uninteresting topic once it becomes a daily routine.

In the eyes of Ronan the Accuser, the planet in front of him was no different from the other planets he's destroyed in the past.

Ronan's will is soon carried out.

The thick black hull of the first batch of Kree starships open, and one by one, quadrangular ballistic missiles are loaded into the launch ports.

These Kree-made doom weapons would fall into the atmosphere of a planet at great speed, it will then crash onto the surface with extreme kinetic energy which would cause an earthquake-like shockwave.

As they sink into the mantle layer under the planet's crust, the nuclear bomb set inside the would trigger, imploding the planet's crust and causing the intense shift of the mantle layer, which would then cause volcanoes to erupt and in turn decimate the surface civilization.

With enough bombs, all it takes is 3-5 bombing runs and the blue planet in front of him would crumble from the inside out.

"Click, click, click"

As the heavy missiles are in position, blue rings outside those quadrangular missiles begin to light up, indicating that they're prepared for launch.

"Ronan!"

Mar-Vell's lab which hovered on Earth's orbit sends a message towards Onan's flagship the Dark Aster, a flickering screen appears in front of Ronan.

Nick Fury's serious expression appears in front of Ronan, using the universal translator in the lab, he says to Ronan the Accuser:

"We wish not to war with the Kree..."

"War has already begun!"

Ronan cared not of Nick Fury's speech, he slowly begins to curl his finger as to indicate the final launching sequence of the missiles.

"We have one of your people in our hands!"

Seeing as negotiation was unsuccessful, Nick Fury grits his teeth and says:

"One of your Kree nobility! Yon Rogg, the noblest of Kree bloodline!"

But such threats didn't even make the Kree commander flinch, the ruthless armada commander says softly:

"Yon Rogg should've drank the tiebreaker the moment he was captured, as to console his family's honor with his and his enemies' blood...yet he was captured, he has lost his honor, and he is no longer one of us!"

"Click"

Ronan's finger fully curves like an invisible order.

Hundreds of heavy missiles soar out of the armada's launching ports, like hundreds of meteorites falling from space.

Energy flames shine from behind those missiles, like boosters, it gives them mobility and hastens their descent, greatly increasing the kinetic energy it brought.

"No!"

Fury laid on the bridge of Mar-Vell's lab as he watched the missiles fall towards Earth, he knew not of how those missiles work, but he was certain that there would a catastrophic consequences should those missiles land.

"Swish"

A figure enshrouded in golden-red flames storms out of Mar-Vell's lab and soars towards Earth like a faster meteor.

The no longer bound Carol Danvers was like a descended fiery goddess, golden energy flames enshroud her body as she storms towards the Earth's atmosphere at a speed faster than the missiles.

Carol levitates in the air, she raises her head and sees the hundreds of falling doom missiles, she then clenches her fists tightly.

She knew not whether or not she was capable of eliminating this disaster that was caused by her, but she had to do something in such a crucial hour.

"In your dreams!"

Carol let out a mighty roar and soared into the sky towards the black missiles like a cockroach trying to stop the wheel. She reaches out her hands and holds onto the falling missiles, she then uses all her strength to try and stop it.

The expert removed the photon inhibitor inside her body, under Carol's will, the powerful energy which originated from an accident begins to awaken in her body.

Limitless blue and red energy begin to surge from her body, transforming into unimaginable power.

Carol was sent falling by the heavy missile, but the falling speed became slower and slower.

After nearly 10 seconds, the black missile held by her hands finally stop.

Carol grabs onto the black missile with her hands, and like throwing a heavy shot put, she swirls her body and sends the heavy missile in her hands in the opposite direction from which it fell.

As the out-of-control missile approaches the other falling objects, Carol extends her fists and shoots out a heat beam at the missile which ignites it.

"BOOM"

A clump of light and smoke explodes in the air. The extreme force enshrouds the surrounding missiles and knocks them out of control.

Under Carol's continuous firing, the missiles were ignited near the atmosphere.

But this was just the beginning.

Carol levitates in the air, she looks around at the other falling missiles.

"Fury!"

Carol's voice resounds in Mar-Vell's lab, she says:

"I'll do my best to intercept these missiles...let our people...be ready!"

"Whatever happens next, be prepared!"

Fury watches as Carol destroys the falling missiles in the atmosphere with difficulty.

A powerless feeling surges from inside this ace agent. A far more technologically advanced alien was trying to decimate his planet so outrageously, yet he is powerless to stop it.

"Pierce, you see this?"

Fury contacts his officer on Earth using the lab's communication, the latter's tone was also serious:

"Of course I do, all of New York has gone mad..."

Pierce's slightly distorted voice resounds in the communicator:

"The Senators have authorized me, the problem is even I don't know what to do now! That woman helping us, Vers, right?"

"She's called Carol."

A voice resounds behind Fury, Merlin who had finally awoken from his coma looks at the Kree armada hovering in space.

He need not guess to know that things have taken a turn for the worst.

"Pierce, Carol's alone, and the Kree brought an entire armada!"

Fury grits his teeth and says:

"Do something, Pierce, whatever you can!"

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"I know."

Pierce answers:

"I'm on my way to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters now...let our Carol hold on for just a while longer, backup's on their way!"

"We're helping too, Fury! As strong as Carol is, there's a limit to what she can do alone."

Merlin stands on the bridge and watches the countless miniature attack ships deploying from the Kree starship, those bee swarm-like things were currently heading for Mar-Vell's lab.

Apparently, Ronan did not plan on just destroying Earth, this ruthless Kree also plans on destroying everything in this space.

"How do we help?"

Fury asks back:

"Do you see the situation right now? Merlin, this isn't a gunfight, it isn't even a war! We have no way of retaliation!"

"Do we not retaliate just because we can't?"

Merlin looks at the largest starship in the Kree armada, obstinance flashes in his eyes:

"Earth is right behind us! We can't hide."

Natasha who was leaning against the wall suddenly speaks:

"Rats have a way to deal with elephants too. I remember Carol saying that the Kree are heavily disciplined, they won't change their course of action without orders. Maybe we can find a way to keep Ronan occupied, we'll go stall him out!"

"Good thinking, but Ronan is the strongest warrior amongst the Kree."

The Skrull Talos shakes his head, fear surfaces in his eyes as he says:

"We can't beat him alone, you've never seen Ronan on the battlefield, he's basically a monster bred for battle."

"We don't have to beat him."

Merlin strokes on his pocket, he looks at the blondie who was sent flying by the explosion through the monitor, she was doing her best to fix this disaster.

But facing the continuous firing of an entire Kree armada, she seemed to be outnumbered.

She needs not just companions, she also needs comrades.

Merlin says:

"Carol is our trump card. Maybe we can buy some time for her to give her some breathing time. The issue now is how we're going to get across?"

"I got a method."

Talos' facial muscles begin to distort and transform. Then, he becomes the female Kree Starforce member Minn-Erva, he uses a female voice to say:

"There's a Kree shuttle in the lab, I even know the verification code of the Dark Aster, I can bring you into the Dark Aster."

Talos looks at the agents in front of him and says cautiously:

"But you must be prepared for a one-way-trip assassination. The strongest spies we had made countless assassination attempts on Ronan, yet we never even got close to him."

"I'll go with you!"

The quiet Barton takes a step forward and says:

"It's too risky for you to go alone."

"Me t..."

Fury also tries to speak, but Talos stops him.

The Skrull says to Fury and Barton:

"Mar-Vell's lab-ship is equipped with cannons used for self-defense, you see those shuttles outside? You'll stay here and control those 12 cannons, my family will help you, try to stall them as best as you can; they're not just here to destroy Earth, they're also here for the Tesseract!"

Talos says seriously:

"Maybe you haven't heard of that legend, but I have! Listen, you can't let them take it! They must not possess it!"

"Miss Carter says that this thing is the future hope of Earth."

Merlin also says:

"Your work staying back won't be any easier than mine."

Fury looks at the blue energy cube in his hand and feels the light yet heavy weight of it; moments later, he nods:

"Then we'll hold here! We'll hold on until you come back."

"Fury, if I don't come back."

Merlin pats on Fury's shoulder and says softly:

"Help me take care of my sister and Erik...please."

"From now on, they're my family too."

Fury holds Merlin's hand and says:

"Come back alive! You're our ace agent! We still have to rebuild SHIELD together!"

"SHIELD?"

Merlin looks at Fury with confusion, the latter shrugs and says softly:

"The name Kohler changed into was too trash, so I decided to change it again; Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, sounds nice right?"

"Sounds better than the old one."

Merlin smiles, he takes a deep breath and takes off his glasses, the amber light in his eyes flicker as he says:

"Don't need to hide anymore...wish me luck, Fury."

"Take this! Merlin."

Agent Barton takes the katana blade from his back and hands it to Merlin, the silent agent seemed emotional as he says:

"This blade is my best spoil of war, it brought me good luck, and I wish that it brings you good luck as well."

Merlin did not refuse, he takes the katana blade and places it on his back.

Natasha also steps forward and gives Merlin an unreserved hug for the first time; like bidding farewell, she whispers in his ears:

"You still owe me, we still have a promise, I won't allow you to just disappear like this, you hear me?"

"I'm not off to my doom."

Merlin slightly frivolously holds onto Natasha's slender waist as he says:

"Have some more faith in me, I'll come back..."

"This is not the end of my journey, I can feel it."

A few minutes later, in the crossfire between the lab ship's self-defense cannons and the Kree's shuttle ships, an inconspicuous Kree shuttle soars into the space and quickly joins in the patternless Kree attack group.

 

"I'm doing this so my son and wife can live, this is what a man should do. But you? Merlin, why choose to sacrifice yourself so easily?"

Merlin sits on the passenger seat and takes out a black wooden box from his pocket before proceeding to open it.

An orange-red glow radiates his face, in the box, a crystalline similar to a shard of broken crystal was shining brightly, it emitted a fire-like glow as if enticing Merlin to grab onto it.

Under the radiating glow, Merlin says softly:

"I have family on Earth as well, and my will to protect them is no weaker than yours. And I've known early on that I can't always depend on someone to come save me in times of trouble."

"Not to mention, in the life I had before, I always felt as though there was something special waiting for me to do, something only I can do..."

"And now that I've finally found it, you'd expect me to give it up?"

"You mean, become a secret agent?"

Talos asks, to which Merlin shakes his head and grabs onto the crystalline; as he grabbed it, a familiar power flows into his body.

Merlin lets out a soft cough, he raises his head, and while watching the battlefield before him with his shining eyes, he says coarsely:

"No..."

"It's to become...a hero!"

"Someone once said that I looked like Steve Rogers..."

"So let me become him today."

 

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