After determining the spacecraft's trajectory, the U.S. government was left speechless upon receiving the news—let alone considering the gloating from other countries.
Alien invasion!
And once again, it was New York that would suffer the most.
Why is it always New York?
For the first time, Secretary of Defense John Keller personally called Anton to discuss the situation. Although he had anticipated this kind of crisis, facing the reality of it still made him uneasy.
At a meeting between Anton and the World Security Council, various nations approved Anton's proposal for defending against the Skrulls.
Furthermore, every country was now on high alert, prepared to respond to a potential invasion at any moment.
The Men in Black and the Justice League—both organizations Anton was part of—had been officially recognized by the global community as the first line of defense against extraterrestrial threats.
But now, the Skrulls had truly arrived.
Super-Skrull Carter, aboard a spacecraft, made a bold entrance, heading straight for New York without hesitation.
At that moment, John Keller couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Why New York again?!
If anything went wrong, Manhattan—just about to be rebuilt—would have to be reconstructed all over again.
That being said, Keller realized he hadn't even considered whether the Justice League could handle the situation. He had no doubts about their ability to stop the Skrulls. His only concern was minimizing the damage to New York.
"Don't worry."
Anton's voice on the other end of the phone was confident, even amused.
"This time, there won't be any losses in New York. I can give you my absolute guarantee—both in terms of lives and property."
"Oh?" Keller raised an eyebrow. "You sound pretty sure about that."
"Of course." Anton nodded. "We've been waiting for Carter to show himself for a long time… You know, I'm not afraid of him causing trouble—I was more worried he'd never show up at all."
During their brief conversation, Anton stood on the rooftop of a New York skyscraper, gazing into the sky. He could already spot a small black dot rapidly approaching.
"They're almost here… Well then, I won't keep you."
While speaking with Anton, Keller had been monitoring the spacecraft's position via satellite. After a brief pause, he finally spoke.
"Don't let me down, Anton."
Beep.
As the call ended, Keller turned to the president and shrugged.
"What's your take?" the president asked. "Should the military be deployed in advance?"
Keller shook his head. "No need. If the Justice League can't stop the Skrulls, then short of nuking them, I don't see any way to defeat them." He sighed. "But Anton says everything is under control. At this point, we have no choice but to trust them."
The president, though nervous, wasn't overwhelmed with anxiety.
Not long ago, Anton had addressed the World Security Council in his capacity as head of the Men in Black. He had warned them about potential future threats and had been clear about his approach:
He wanted to force the Skrulls into a panic—to draw out the hidden Super-Skrull, Carter.
With that in mind, today's invasion had unfolded exactly as Anton had expected.
As Keller had said, for now, all they could do was trust him.
Meanwhile, on the streets of New York…
"Look! What is that?!"
"A spaceship?"
"No way… Again?"
"Aliens?!"
Suddenly, a massive shadow spread across the bustling city.
A colossal spacecraft loomed overhead like an airborne aircraft carrier, blotting out most of the sunlight and casting an oppressive gloom over the skyline.
New Yorkers stopped in their tracks, staring up in shock.
Were they panicking?
Well… a little.
But were they truly scared? Not really.
For New Yorkers who had lived through countless battles, this situation wasn't surprising. If anything, after years without an attack, some might have even found it nostalgic.
Of course, deep down, most of them just felt helpless.
"Where's the Justice League?"
"Wait a minute... That spaceship—it's alien, right?"
"Something's off!"
"Look! Someone just flew out of it!"
"It's a human! And a woman!"
"Are you sure that's a human?"
"She looks like a damn terrorist!"
The crowd buzzed with speculation.
The timid had already scrambled to find cover. The bold remained rooted in place—some even casually discussing the event as if it were just another part of their day.
By now, they were seasoned veterans of alien invasions.
Since the newcomers hadn't attacked immediately, it seemed like there was still room for negotiation. Just like in the movies—villains always made threats before taking action.
Floating above the city, a woman with long golden hair billowing unnaturally in the wind surveyed New York with an air of superiority.
She was Carter—the Super-Skrull, disguised as Captain Marvel. Her presence was almost divine as she gazed down upon the city.
"Humans," she spoke, her voice cold and indifferent, carrying across the entire metropolis.
"I am Carter, leader of the Skrulls.
From this moment on, you have two choices: surrender, and the Skrulls will take control of this planet—or resist, and we will use absolute force to make you kneel."
Silence.
New Yorkers exchanged glances.
Aliens again?
They had thought she was human, but now it turned out that this person—who looked exactly like a human—was just another alien.
"Where's the Justice League?"
"In theory, shouldn't they be showing up right about now?"
Some of the more perceptive citizens were already counting down the usual sequence of events.
Aliens invade.
The situation grows dire.
The Justice League arrives—led by Batman.
Batman turns the tide.
This was the routine.
No matter how bad things got, people always felt a certain level of security knowing the Justice League was watching over them.
They scanned their surroundings, expecting Batman to already be in position, secretly observing the Skrull leader and waiting for the right moment to strike.
But then Carter sneered, her gaze sweeping across the expectant faces below.
"Are you waiting for the Justice League?" she scoffed. "Do you really think Batman can save you this time?"
Her words carried an eerie finality.
"This time, no one can save you. Not Batman... Not anyone."
Then—
Whoosh!
Behind Carter, a swarm of figures emerged from the spaceship, descending upon the city.
Captain America. Hawkeye. Black Widow. Sandman. Doctor Octopus. Aldrich Killian. Spider-Man. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Daredevil. Electro. Venom. The Fantastic Four. Harry Osborn. Norman Osborn. The Green Goblin. The Lizard. Hulk...
The crowd was stunned.
People instinctively locked their eyes on the familiar heroes among them.
"The Avengers... betrayed us again?!"
"No... wait!"
"This time, even the Justice League has turned against us!"
A chilling realization spread through the city.
…
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