Arc Twelve. Chapter Three-Hundred Fifty-Seven. Gloves Off

Aboard the lead Kree cruiser, Commander Koran looked at the report. They had successfully neutralised the Earth's main cities, and the old outpost, but they had not broken the spirits of the primitives.

Several of their mutants were using immense powers to deflect their blasts, and while they had eradicated a large force of the dark-skinned primitive, the shield around their capital had held.

Tapping a finger against his control panel, "Report. How many cruisers do we have remaining."

A private shouted, "Sir. Our operatives crippled two and two are under our control. The attack in the atmosphere by the strange mutant destroyed two." and the commander rubbed his forehead,

Of the six cruisers they were supposed to have, four had been disabled, and they already knew they had an enemy force aboard. The report from the engine room had cut out, and they hadn't been able to regain contact.

"Order our remaining cruisers to engage on the ground. Deploy our own ground forces as well. Send one Batallion to the remaining city to reinforce Accuser Rogg, and send the other two to the outpost. They are to inflict maximum casualties and not damage the infrastructure. The Supreme Intelligence has ordered all experimental data be recovered. Any soldier failing to follow this order will be executed."

The Private saluted and began to tap out orders on their screen.

As the elevator door to the command chamber opened he angrily rose and turned, "I didn't order any" but he froze.

Venom, Talon and Widow had opted against stealth. It was just easier to barge in and start the slaughter. So far Kree troops were bigger, tougher and more armoured than normal military, but to the three symbiotes, it wasn't enough.

Talon and Widow both took a side, while Venom dived straight forwards, grabbing the commander by the throat. But this wasn't a mission of mercy. His giant fist closed around the commander's neck and his other punched a large blade into his stomach. With the Mind Stone, he emptied the man's head and took as much information as he could.

Once he was done, he tightened his grip, twisted his wrist until he felt the crack and threw the body to one side, Even a Kree couldn't survive a broken neck.

Talon and Widow were more efficient. Blades and claws sliced and removed limbs from anyone stupid enough to get in their way, and with the bridge being all soldiers of rank, nobody surrendered, and so everybody died.

"Widow, I need someone to man the guns while I figure out how to do this." and pressing a button on the control panel in front of him, "Webb, I have the bridge, on the panel, it's a,"

"Yeah, I got it. Not as smart but Webb knows his way around a panel. Plan?"

"Take out the other two cruisers and anyone else that enters the system."

"Yeah, that sounds boring," he heard Yelena say over the com, "What else can we do?"

He looked at Talon,

"Right, We need a sweep of the ship done. Since you're a big badass, meet Talon in the centre of the ship. The highest count wins a prize."

Talon shrugged, "Talon deadliest one there is." and the two blades sprang from her hand. "Blondie has no chance."

"I can hear you, and I take that bet, I just hope you're man enough to accept my victory, and what I'm going to ask for." but the comms clicked off before either Venom or Talon could reply,

"She wants me, everyone does." Talon said with a grin, and she heated her blades, cleaning the blood from them, "but she has no chance."

He nodded, "stay safe though." and she nodded and shimmered. A moment later the lift door opened and the closed

"So she gets to have fun while I deal with an alien computer, great."

Venom laughed, "Oh you know you like handling my giant cannon," and she snorted and went back to figuring out the gun controls.

As he worked on bringing each system back online, Venom felt a command being entered, and he saw smaller ships leaving the two cruisers in orbit. The ship shuddered slightly as it launched its own shuttles.

"Shit, change of plan. Are the guns online?" but Widow shook her head.

"Right, Everyone, we have ground forces and shuttles starting to make their way to you, no idea how many, wait.

Venom scanned the database and swore,

Okay, so each ship has one hundred soldiers, it looks like they sent down fifty already from each ship, so expect a few more guys. Wanda, I know you're probably tired

I will kill them all Peter, do not worry,

Right, stay safe everyone. And he cut the link

"Nat, we've got to take out those ships as quick as we can." and as she nodded the panel lit up in front of her.

"Good to go. Flash, get the engines online and start moving us. I need to have a better firing arc." she said over their comm link, and the ship shuddered as it began to move.

~

On the ground, Emma watched as Carol and Yon duked it out. While she still had her photon powers, he was similarly enhanced with the Power stones energy. But listening to Peter's message, she knew she had her own fight to attend two.

There were two Kree elites causing mayhem in the City, and she couldn't feel for their minds, aline was too alien for her and instead, she focused on the panic of the people around them.

She found the pair, a dark-skinned Kree wielding two swords, using them to slice and kill anyone he found, and another giant blue-skinned Kree, with a pair of gauntlets similar to Yons, but thankfully they were just sending out normal basts of energy.

"I really hope you can understand me, but, even if you can't I am still going to kick your arses," Emma said, and trying to grab at the minds of the pair, they just grinned.

It was the smaller of the two who spoke, "I do understand, and your powers will not work. The Supreme Intelligence has made us immune to mind control. You are not the only telepath in the galaxy." he said, "And, I am Korath" and he motioned to the other, "and this is Bron-Char. You cannot win against us, and we give you the honour of dying knowing our names."

Emma laughed, "Really? You murder innocent men and children and talk of honour. My name is Emma Frost, and you dare to touch my." and she looked around, Without realising it they had made their way to Fifth Avenue and had just destroyed one of her favourite boutiques. "Saks is my favourite shop, so no mercy." and she darted forwards.

She twisted in the air, as Bron fired at her and as Kroath brought a sword up to strike her, she brought one of her own up to meet it, and then turned and kicked him away, parrying a blow from Bron as he threw a punch at her.

"While I do enjoy a threesome darlings, this isn't very honourable is it." and Korath stood and wiped away the small trickle of blood at the side of his mouth,

"Kree only honour those who are equal to them." and as he waved a sword at her, "and you are nothing more than a failed experiment."

Korath looked around as the ground started to vibrate, small chunks of debris danced and jittered as waves poured from Emma.

"An Experiment!" she yelled, as her hair floated in the telekinetic wind,

"AN EXPERIMENT!" and the playfully dancing rubble began to lift from the ground, surrounding the pair of Kree with hundreds of deadly missiles.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A FUCKING EXPERIMENT!"

Bringing her arms together Korath and Bron-Char were pelted with rubble, Emma screamed as she tore more pieces of building away and hurled them at the pair.

They were successful in deflecting more of the larger prices, for a moment, but under the sheer number they flagged and failed, slowly smashed into a pulp as Emma vented her age, not just at them, but Shaw and even Peter felt it on the ship above her,

Geesh Emma, I know I'm sexy but come on, you just had to ask, he quipped to her as she pelted the pair, uncaring they had stopped moving long before her anger had been abated.

If I could fly up there I would smack that smug grin off your face Peter Parker, and don't think I don't remember that stone now either. When this is all over you and I are going to have a proper chat, and there will be no compromise.

She did admit that smashing things did make her feel a little better, but she sighed as she looked at the remains of Saks. All those wonderful clothes, all ruined.

Then make sure everyone else I care about comes back, Wanda can take care of those ships, but make sure she's safe, and if Carol needs help as well. You're one of our heavy hitters Emma, so go hit something heavily. He sent her,

Yes, Yes. Italy, Paris, and a few other places. I'm sure Wanda will be a darling to little old me. But it will be on your tab.

She felt him laugh as she took to the skies. Wanda seemed to be coping with the ships, and the ground troops that survived her wrath were engaging with the New Avengers and Iron Man. Everything was in hand in New York. It was the rest of the world she was worried about.

~

It was a worry shared by Shuri, and through her sensors, she watched the two ships land.

Peter had warned her there were more troops on the way, and the bulk of them had been sent to her location.

They landed right outside the shield and were setting up a cannon of some kind. As its tip touched the shield, it glowed and began to pulse rhythmically, she figured it was some kind of shield breaker.

What worried her more though was the number.

There were two hundred fully armoured Kree warriors in formation behind the shield breaker, and in the city, there was barely a hundred Dora Milaje.

All the other tribes had been outside the shield, ready to receive the Kree assault when they detonated their ship. None had survived.

She had watched the first assault, and knew they were evenly matched, but did not know if it would be enough. All she could count upon was the determination of her people to repel any invader, no matter the odds.

They fought to subjugate a people, and the Dora fought to defend their homes.

One hundred would fight until the last breath left their bodies, and the Kree would not know what hit them.

Nakia touched her on the shoulder. "The Dora are ready my Queen. We are preparing to take the fight to the invaders." and Shuri saw Okoye standing stoically at the door.

Even without Jhalia, she knew she was hurting, and with her symbiote, she could feel the grief being pressed down by waves of anger.

"Take them and be ready. Okoye. You are a citizen of Wakanda, but first and foremost you are a grieving woman. Do what you must, and do what will bring you the most comfort." she told her and Okoye nodded.

"I will lead the ground troops my Queen." and she gave the double-crossed arms salute and, with Nakia, left.

Shuri flicked open a communications channel to the Royal bunker, where she saw Romanda pacing nervously.

"Mother" Shuri called to her, and Romanda hurried over.

"You would not call unless it was important." and Shuri nodded, blinking away tears in her eyes.

"We do not have enough troops to hold the city and the Kree fight without honour." Moving her eyes down, and clasping her hands, "I am afraid," she said

"T'Challa?" and as Shuri shook her head Romanda slumped into a seat. He wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Release the bunker door and bring me my armour. I will stand by my daughter until the end."

Shuri wiped her eyes and nodded.

They would win, through blood and determination, they would win. There was no other choice.