"Looks like my fallen comrades didn't teach you any lessons. Human bodies are no match for Skrulls. And besides, I've learned plenty of combat techniques from across the galaxy."
The Skrull, still disguised as Agent Keller, stared down at Fury, who lay motionless on the ground. With a cruel smirk, he stepped forward, raising his hand for the final blow.
But before he could strike, his wrist was caught tightly from behind.
"What the—?"
Keller tried to yank his arm free, but no matter how much strength he used, it didn't budge.
"Friendly reminder," Reid's voice came from behind him, light and almost amused. "Your arm's raised high above your head, and I'm pulling it back from behind. Based on the similar joint structures between Skrulls and humans, this position isn't exactly ideal for generating force. You might want to try using your lower body and twisting your waist for leverage instead."
His tone wasn't just condescending; it was instructional, like a teacher giving tips to a struggling student. The mockery was undeniable.
Keller's face twisted with anger and humiliation, but he still did exactly what Reid suggested. He twisted his waist, putting his whole body into it, and finally wrenched his arm free.
"Human, are you looking down on me?" He snarled, rubbing his wrist.
"You actually think so?" Reid raised a brow, looking genuinely surprised. "Don't get me wrong—I'm not targeting you specifically. I look down on all Skrulls equally."
"Pfft."
Still lying on the ground, Fury hadn't even managed to get up yet. But hearing Reid's words, he nearly burst out laughing. That stifled laugh only made Keller more furious.
"You're dead!"
With a furious roar, Keller charged at Reid, determined to prove the strength of the Skrulls, to show that taking down a human was still easy.
But it wasn't.
He overestimated his so-called galactic fighting skills, and underestimated what Reid was capable of.
Reid didn't use any superhuman strength or speed. He didn't need to. With just the combat techniques he'd learned from Alfred and Joker, he easily blocked every strike. Keller's punches and kicks were sloppy, predictable, and Reid countered each one without breaking a sweat.
Then, with a swift uppercut that seemed to come from nowhere, Reid sent him crashing to the floor.
"You… bastard!" Keller gritted his teeth, trying to push himself up.
He was finally forced to admit the truth—the fighting skills of the human before him were beyond ridiculous. He wasn't a match. Not even close.
Pride shattered, Keller tossed aside any sense of honor. He reached behind his back and drew a Skrull laser weapon, aiming it directly at Reid. Since fists didn't work, technology would.
Reid's expression didn't change. He wasn't worried. Not with 'Martian Manhunter' still hidden within him, and certainly not with the person standing behind him.
The moment Keller fired, a purple laser shot through the air.
Reid tilted his head slightly.
A photon blast streaked past his cheek, cleanly intercepting the laser mid-flight. The blast devoured the purple energy and continued on, slamming into Keller's chest. The Skrull, who had barely gotten back on his feet, was blasted several meters backward, slamming into the ground with a dull thud.
"This isn't the place for a fight. Let's go."
Carol stood where the blast had come from, her hand still glowing faintly.
After forcing Keller back, she didn't go for a finishing blow. Instead, she turned and motioned for the two men to follow.
Fury, groaning, got to his feet and stumbled after her. Reid, however, lingered for a moment. He glanced at Keller, who was still struggling to push himself up.
He could tell, beneath that disguise, Keller was definitely wearing Skrull armor.
'That's the only way he survived Carol's photon blast.'
But more than that, Reid noticed something else. Carol hadn't gone all out.
'She wasn't aiming to kill him. From the start, she planned to let him live.'
Pushing those thoughts aside, Reid ignored the Skrull and caught up with Fury and Carol.
"Why didn't you finish him off?" Reid didn't bother holding the question in. He asked Carol directly as they made their way through the halls.
She answered without looking back. "The Kree lied to me. I'm starting to think the one who shot me in my memories wasn't a Skrull. I want answers."
Reid nodded to himself. He understood now; Carol had completely lost faith in the Kree Empire. That also meant 'Martian Manhunter' wouldn't have to wait much longer to make his move—and win some serious trust points.
After a while, the group reached the hangar at base. With Reid's clearance, every door opened smoothly. Waiting for them inside, having shaken off the other agents, was Coulson.
"Let's fly," Reid suggested.
Following his lead, they boarded one of the experimental planes left behind by Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S and took off from the now Skrull-infiltrated base.
...
"So… where the hell did that cat come from?"
As the plane settled into a steady flight, Fury finally noticed the orange cat curled up in Reid's lap.
Now that he thought about it—from the moment they started running, Reid had been holding this cat the entire time. He had been so focused on escaping that he only just processed it.
"Aliens are invading, and you're carrying a cat?" He grumbled, eyeing the feline suspiciously.
Still, curiosity got the better of him. He reached out and ran a hand over the cat's soft fur.
'Emmm... damn, that's nice.'
Under the adorable appearance of the Flerken, Fury quickly forgot about questioning the cat's presence entirely.
"By the way," he shifted topics, "your fighting skills are a bit too good. I might be doing desk work now, but back in the day, I was a damn good agent."
"Oh? The hand-to-hand stuff? Learned it from my old man in Gotham," Reid replied casually.
"…What about your strength? Reflexes?"
"Hit the gym. Gotham's got plenty."
Fury squinted. Something didn't sit right.
"You're not about to tell me you got your research skills from Gotham too, are you?"
"Agent Fury, I just realized—you're a genius! You figured it out all on your own!" Reid grinned.
Fury's expression soured, his eye roll practically audible. There was no way in hell he was buying that. If Gotham was really that amazing, they'd be cranking out geniuses left and right.
But then… his mind wandered.
Gotham does produce a lot of… 'talented' people.
Too bad most of them turn to crime.
"Promise me something, Reid," Fury said seriously. "Stay away from Gotham. That city's bad news."
The idea of Reid—a man smart enough to build a time machine—turning into Gotham's next lunatic was more terrifying than any alien invasion.
"Alright, you two," Carol's voice cut in from the cockpit. "We're almost there."
"Almost where?" Fury asked, frowning.
Reid already knew the answer.
"The files said I had a friend from before… Maria Rambeau."
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