Chapter 7

Skrulls are highly problematic aliens. Their shapeshifting ability is an extremely threatening power, allowing them to infiltrate various sectors of our society.

Overall, this meant they needed to be dealt with.

"Team, we have an emergency. Aliens have entered the building; everyone be on alert," I said over the communication channel embedded in our suits.

"What?!" exclaimed Johnny.

"Aliens?" I heard Sue's surprised voice.

"Stretch..." sighed Ben.

"What? With everything happening to us, you think aliens are impossible?" I asked, grabbing my battle gear. "In any case, you'll see for yourselves soon enough. I've sent you the intruders' location."

—= The Fantastic Four Building =—

"Why did I expect this day to go smoothly?" thought the blonde, already in the team uniform.

Sue's gaze was fixed on the 3D map of the building, where the intruders were clearly marked in red.

"Aliens, huh?" said Johnny, looking at the map.

Ben stared at the image with a frown, or so it seemed to Sue Storm.

"It doesn't matter who they are. They broke into our home, which means they're not friendly," said Ben.

The voice of the Thing, as the media had dubbed him, carried clear notes of fatigue and mild hostility, which Sue understood. After all, these intruders had broken in the middle of the night.

"Well said," said Johnny before bursting into flames.

Reed had built the structure to withstand Johnny Storm's heat. Additionally, Sue's younger brother had begun to better control the temperature of his flames, allowing him to hover in the air.

"Catch up if you can," said Johnny Storm, moving ahead.

—= Some Time Later =—

"Have these primitives learned anything new?" said the team's operative in charge of data extraction.

The captain inspected the devices his team had successfully neutralized... and had to agree with his subordinate.

"They're still nothing more than apes with guns," the captain said with disdain.

The Skrulls had no particular love for this race.

"Hah," one of them suddenly laughed.

The captain looked at him.

"This security reminded me of 1939."

The captain couldn't suppress a grin, understanding what his subordinate meant.

"Oh, I still remember their screams," another subordinate said excitedly.

The Skrulls had infiltrated this planet in early 1937, playing a significant role in the rise of HYDRA and the Third Reich.

"Good times," said another Skrull.

—= One Floor Above =—

"They mean to say they've been here since World War II?" said Johnny.

We were one floor above our guests, thanks to the building sending all the data directly to us.

"Stick to the plan," I said, finishing the weapon calibration.

The scanners had revealed almost all the Skrulls' weapons. While they had gotten rid of the primitive video cameras, they forgot about older scanning methods.

Ben smirked. He liked the idea of beating up aliens responsible for World War II.

"One..."

Next was Johnny Storm's turn, who would back up the stone attack with his fire.

"Two..."

By this time, the Skrulls had reached the desired point.

"Three."

The floor beneath Ben opened, and the stone monster dropped onto the Skrulls.

"TIME TO CRUSH!" yelled Ben as he fell.

BAM

The Skrulls managed to react and move away from where Ben was supposed to land.

"Fire!" their leader yelled.

I understood him thanks to deciphering their language.

"Hey! Pointy ears!" burst in Johnny Storm, engulfed in flames. "What about me?"

The battlefield was soon ablaze.

"Kill him!" the captain shouted, seeing Johnny's attack melt his tech specialist's equipment.

The Skrulls' weapons were quite interesting. Judging by the attack's temperature, it was plasma-based, capable of piercing the building's outer walls.

"Can you stop breaking things?" I asked, aiming my weapon at the Skrulls.

A barrier created by Sue surrounded me, protecting me from the shots.

"I thought I was clear in your language," I said, waiting for the captain's response.

The captain looked at me with undisguised contempt and said:

"Conversing with primitives is beneath me."

A smirk appeared on my face, as by then, I had the necessary frequency for further actions.

"Too bad," I said, pulling the trigger.

A sound wave hit the Skrulls...

"ARGH!!!" the Skrulls cried, collapsing to the ground.

"Reed?" Sue asked.

I recognized that tone in Sue's voice.

"I figured out they hear a bit more in the sound range than we do, and by experimenting, I found a frequency that doesn't harm us... but is very unpleasant for them," I said, looking at the Skrulls. "We need to capture and study their shapeshifting ability to build a proper response."

"Has our genius turned into a mad scientist?!" Johnny Storm exclaimed.

I looked at him and said:

"Johnny, I'll revoke your gaming privileges in this tower."

Johnny gulped and began helping me.

"Alien Nazis... No one will believe this," said Ben, lifting four Skrulls.

Nazis were a red flag for any sane person. Hence, I understood why my friend was so proud of himself.

"So, we're almost like Captain America, but in space?" I asked with a slight smirk.

"Stretch..."

"Reed..."

"Genius..."

"What? I think it sounds pretty cool!"

"No," they all said simultaneously.

—= Hank Pym =—

"Honey, I'm coming in!" Hank heard his beloved's voice.

At that moment, Dr. Hank Pym was in the underground lab of his company, entirely focused on the helmet he was working on.

Janet, Hank Pym's beloved, watched as her husband was fully absorbed in his work.

"Hank?"

"Just a few seconds," Hank replied, almost finishing the calibration.

Janet rolled her eyes and sat next to Hank.

"I thought we were going on a date tonight?" she asked, looking at the helmet before Hank.

Hank completed his work at that moment.

"We are," Hank said with a slight smile.

Janet raised an elegant eyebrow. Hank looked at his helmet and said:

"We're going on a very interesting journey."

"You finished your work?" Janet realized what her beloved meant.

Hank nodded.

"I finished my work on the Pym particles, and now we can do the incredible."

—//—

"What are you planning to do with them?" Johnny asked, looking at the alien bodies.

We were in the lab, where Sue and I were already working.

"We'll study them," I said, taking blood samples from each.

"Are you really going to dissect them?" Ben asked, surprised.

"No," Sue and I replied simultaneously.

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and she just smiled and continued her work.

"There's no need for that," I clarified. "It's counterproductive and pointless. With our scanners, we can analyze their bodies at an incredible level, and considering we have their DNA…"

"We can create clones without intelligence," Sue finished for me.

"Exactly. But that's only if simulations don't provide the necessary answers," I said, completing the setup.

"Scanning initiated…"

After a few minutes, I had a complete picture of the Skrulls' body structure.

"Their cells are fascinating…" Sue and I said in unison.

She, like me, understood the difference between our species.

"Very adaptable," Sue continued, voicing my thoughts.

"Look at their cellular structure," I said, observing the overall picture.

Sue studied the image before us… After a moment, she understood.

"Their mitochondria work 30% more efficiently than humans'," Sue said.

"And not only that. They live twice as long as a normal human."

—= Some Time Later =—

After three hours of studying the Skrulls' biology, I moved on to their arsenal.

"Interesting…" I said, examining a device that caught my attention.

It was a device attached to a belt. Since I was working on the Negative Zone Portal, identifying a device that manipulates space was straightforward.

"An escape pod?" I pondered aloud.

My hand reached for a tool I had created to disassemble the pod. As expected, Skrull technology had no bolts and was more monolithic. I understood it was made with a 3D printer. The tool was designed to open it without damage.

Understanding Skrull technology was a bit more challenging but doable.

"So that's how you interact with space…"

With sensors and visual cues, I could see the deformation in the space-time fabric.

CLICK

The deformation vanished.

"This can be refined and improved…" I muttered, contemplating the possibilities.

I believed this technology could be enhanced not only in teleportation speed but also in creating spatial folds. After finishing with this device, I turned to the rest of the aliens' equipment, particularly their weapons.

"Scanning initiated…"

When I had a clear picture of the Skrulls' primary weaponry, I couldn't help but say:

"What a disappointment."

They were simple plasma-generating devices compared to the escape pods. I could create something more powerful and energy-efficient.

I glanced at the Skrulls in the adjacent room…

—= Some Time Later =—

"Good morning," I said, looking at the waking Skrulls.

By then, Sue and I had finished our most important research, so it was time to move to the next phase.

The Skrulls woke up clumsily, which wasn't surprising considering the sedative I used. Now that I understood their biology, creating the perfect sedative was easy.

"Or would you prefer I speak in your language?" I asked in Skrull.

The squad captain looked at me with a gaze that, if capable of shooting lasers like an alien from another universe, would have bored a hole in my head.

"What do you want, primitive?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Good, the compound is working," I said, watching his eyes widen. "I see you understand… Yes, I've created something to help us."

The captain tried to shapeshift but failed.

"Your cells… specifically your shapeshifting ability has been forcibly suppressed."

"What did you do?!" the Skrull yelled in English.

"It's temporary, I assure you," I said calmly. "You just need to answer a few questions, and I'll restore your shapeshifting ability."

"Screw you!" the Skrull shouted, but then his eyes glazed over.

"That wasn't a request," I said, looking at the Skrull. "I've also injected you with a compound that will bring all your hidden thoughts to the surface."

I saw rage in the Skrull's eyes.

"What is your name?"

"Rellion of Zaragz'na."

"What was your mission here?"

"To find out what Reed Richards is."

I wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer.

"And then?"

"If he poses a threat to the Skrulls, eliminate him immediately."

I already knew the answer to my next question.

"Do I pose a threat to the Skrulls?"

"Yes."

—= Skrulls =—

"Contact with Rellion's team is lost," declared one of the pointed-eared aliens.

"The escape pod didn't activate."

The mission commander looked at the support team and said:

"What about the markers?"

One of the Skrulls initiated the next sequence of checks.

"They're alive."

ZZZZZ

The commander understood what had happened. He looked at the mages with them.

"Extract the last few days of memory."

The commander's tone made the lower-ranked green-skinned Skrulls work faster. Moments later, the team's memory was displayed. The commander and all the present pointed-eared aliens saw that the Fantastic Four had neutralized the team… Considering the markers worked independently of consciousness, the information flow didn't stop.

The Skrulls saw their blood being analyzed and their weapons examined.

"Gods…" whispered one of the Skrulls when Reed Richards quickly understood the Skrulls' abilities and created a countermeasure.

However, what happened next made the Skrulls' blood run cold.

"Administer the antidote," said Reed Richards.

"Bastard…" whispered Rellion.

"Not as much of a bastard as you," said Richards, having learned all about the Skrulls' activities on Earth.

At that moment, the man was adjusting a device he had created.

"Kill me," said Rellion.

"A different fate awaits you and your kin," Reed said coldly.

—//—

"Reed, if I understand correctly, you turned these…"

"Skrulls," Sue interjected.

Ben nodded at Sue.

"Skrulls into cows and trapped them in that form?" Benjamin Grimm asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

It had been about five hours since the event.

"Yes," I nodded. "Then I sent them to a ranch."

Everyone was shocked by my words, to say the least.

"They were responsible for countless atrocities on our planet. You saw the recordings yourselves."

After such an argument, any remaining questions they might have vanished.

"I understand your harshness toward these aliens," Johnny began. "I'm not thrilled they burned people like logs, but what if someone eats these cows?"

Ben and Sue grimaced, likely imagining the scenario. I also felt a moment of revulsion, knowing the meat would revert to Skrull form seconds after being killed. However, I shook off the thought and said:

"I eliminated that possibility by sending them to a dairy farm where cows are only used for milk."

"Dude, that doesn't make me feel better," Johnny said. "Skrull milk…"

"It will be indistinguishable from regular milk," Sue explained. "Skrulls are strange creatures. They're a mix of cold-blooded and warm-blooded. As we learned from their accelerated cloning, they lay eggs but nurse their young with milk."

As she spoke, a simulation of Skrull abilities played before Johnny and Ben.

"What will we do with the information you extracted from the Skrulls?" Ben asked.

"You mean the information about the Skrulls who have significant influence in our society?"

Rellion provided a vast database of Skrulls hiding among us, though I couldn't say it was comprehensive. It was a start.

"I'll pass this information to the appropriate authorities," I said, thinking of Fury.

—= Nicholas Joseph Fury =—

"Director, have you determined the reason for the disappearance of several prominent figures?" one of the Council members asked.

Only the S.H.I.E.L.D. Council received answers from Director Nicholas Joseph Fury. At that moment, his one good eye was tense.

"Yes, we've discovered that all the listed individuals were not who they claimed to be… But we didn't act as quickly as we would have liked," Nick Fury said. "We're working to ensure this situation doesn't happen again."

When numerous influential people disappeared worldwide, S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately began investigating the cause.

"And what happened?" another Council member asked.

"There was a replacement of people by alien Skrulls," Fury explained.

Silence fell in the Council, broken by Alexander Pierce.

"And you didn't know about this?" Pierce asked.

Nick Fury frowned and said:

"Uncovering such replacements was nearly impossible. But now that we have the necessary data, it won't happen again."

—= Some Time Later =—

"Director Fury," Maria Hill's voice sounded.

Fury's one good eye fell on the woman.

"Yes, Agent Hill?"

"Franklin Storm wants to speak with you about Reed Richards," Maria Hill said, looking at her superior.

Reed Richards, a genius of unparalleled level, had made numerous discoveries and recently become a superhero.

"Let him through," Fury said.

This genius had contacted Fury regarding the Skrulls and provided S.H.I.E.L.D. with essential technologies.

—= Some Time Ago =—

"Hello?" Franklin Storm's voice came from the other side. "Reed, is something wrong?"

"Good evening, Dr. Storm," I began, contemplating how best to present the Skrull information. "We're fine, but we encountered an extraterrestrial life form."

There was silence on the other end for about ten minutes.

"I'll be there soon," Franklin Storm said before hanging up.

"Let me guess," Johnny drawled. "He said he'd come here?"

Johnny's grin was almost Cheshire-like.

"It couldn't be any other way," Sue said with a slight smile.

"Am I the only one curious how Sue and Johnny's dad can help us?" Benjamin asked, puzzled.

Among us, he was the only one unaware of the Baxter Building's funding sources. Sue knew because she studied and worked there, as did I, and Johnny knew because Franklin was his father.

"Franklin Storm is the only one we know connected to government organizations. Sue and Johnny's father won't be ignored," I said.

"Logical," Ben said.

Within five minutes, Franklin Storm arrived. Judging by his casual clothes, he had hurried over.

"I assume offering coffee is unnecessary?" I asked, seeing Dr. Storm.

—= Some Time Later =—

"Amazing…" Franklin whispered, looking at the data we provided.

"Sue and I think so too," I said. "But we have a bigger problem."

Franklin nodded and said:

"I understand. Replacing people and seizing power is deeply troubling."

"Do you think this is a job for S.H.I.E.L.D.?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sue and Johnny's father's eyes widened in shock. He clearly hadn't expected such a question, which wasn't surprising since S.H.I.E.L.D. was a secret organization.

"W-What?…"

"Dr. Storm, I noticed a strange emblem while working under you that I couldn't identify…" I said, scratching my head awkwardly.

"And you decided to hack the Database," Franklin Storm concluded, realizing what I was about to say.

"Yes," I nodded.

Franklin Storm looked at me with incredible fatigue… But then he shook his head and pulled out another phone.

"Director Fury… We have an emergency," Franklin said into the phone.

Meanwhile, my team looked at me questioningly.

"Speak up…" I said.

"So you hacked it?" Sue asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Reed, your curiosity…" Ben sighed.

"Impressive, genius," Johnny said with a smirk.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same," I said.

A few minutes later, Director Nicholas Joseph Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived. I recognized him immediately by the eye patch. He wasn't black…

"Good evening, Dr. Richards," Nicholas Fury said, extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Nick Fury."