"We really can't be sure. Our infiltration operations had been safe so far. Even after we disguised ourselves as our targets, there were no signs of exposure. But as soon as we dealt with the Avengers, we were immediately exposed. This Avengers team is quite formidable..." The Martian Manhunter, posing as a Skrull, echoed the concern of the other Skrull, his eyes glinting as he spoke cautiously about his wariness of the Avengers.
"Hmph! It's not a big deal. The Avengers are the most powerful extraordinary group on Earth, and even without ruling the planet or using force, they've managed to suppress the official agencies. It's only natural they have some strength!" the other Skrull scoffed with disdain.
"The only problem is that the Avengers are too hypocritical, pretending to be these so-called superheroes. If they really wanted to, they could easily rule this planet. That would make it even harder for us to secretly invade and disguise ourselves."
"But now, with the Avengers acting as the heroes, there are plenty of people, both in government agencies and in the civilian sector, who resent them. These are our targets. We can replace them or work with them, since even in the government, there are extraordinary individuals we can't directly replace."
"As long as we lay the groundwork, when reinforcements arrive, neither the Avengers nor anyone else will be able to stop us."
"Exactly!" The Martian Manhunter's eyes flashed. Though he wasn't a Skrull, he had his own extraordinary powers. While he didn't plan to directly control the Skrull in front of him, subtly influencing him was entirely within his abilities.
As a master of telepathy, the Martian Manhunter's methods were extremely discreet. Even though the Skrulls had a slight connection to telepathy and memory through their innate abilities, they were still no match for the Martian Manhunter's skills.
This was similar to how Robert had dealt with the Skrull impersonating Mysterio earlier. Robert had knocked the Skrull out with a casual mental blast. Against true extraordinary powers, Skrulls stood little chance in direct combat.
Using his abilities, the Martian Manhunter quickly extracted more information from the Skrull in front of him, including details about the other members of this Skrull squad. This would help the Avengers identify which individuals had been replaced by Skrulls.
However, without any casualties among the squad, the Martian Manhunter still couldn't contact the Skrull commander, much less track down other Skrull teams.
But that's how it goes with undercover work—there's no immediate victory. Whether it's a secret invasion or playing the double agent, everything takes time. The Martian Manhunter wasn't in a rush. When it came to playing roles, he was as good as the Skrulls, if not better, especially since he could manage multiple personas at once. In his spare time, he could even return to the Avengers base for some downtime.
After all, the Skrulls didn't communicate daily, even among their own teams. Many Skrull squads operated independently, and only a few, like the one the Martian Manhunter was infiltrating, focused on wealthy politicians. Based on the information he had gathered, the exact number of Skrulls on Earth was still unknown to him.
While the Martian Manhunter hadn't gleaned much crucial intelligence yet, there was finally some movement on the Extremis Virus front.
Just as Robert had predicted, although the Extremis-infused individuals had gained extraordinary powers, they couldn't completely escape their biological needs. They still needed food, supplies, and materials for their experiments.
So, the Extremis soldiers were forced to venture outside, and in these chaotic times, accidents were bound to happen. Another one of them had been detected using their powers, triggering Jarvis' surveillance.
"Hmm, not in the same location as before. When should we head out, Saiyan?" Johnny Storm eagerly asked, watching the feed and coordinates Jarvis had provided as he turned to Robert.
"Let's go now. Last time they were exposed, they not only targeted Pepper but also relocated. If we don't act fast, they might slip away again," Robert said with a shrug, signaling for Johnny and Kara to follow him before disappearing from the Avengers base in a flash.
However, Robert had overestimated Johnny. Kara could keep up with Robert's speed, but Johnny lagged behind. Not only was Johnny slower in flight, but his fiery form made him far more conspicuous.
Unlike Kara, who could fly by manipulating her biofield, or Robert, who used his energy to fly, Johnny flew by transforming into his fiery state and propelling himself. His flight speed was limited by how fast he could control his flames.
Not only did Johnny's fiery form create a flashy display, but it also made a lot of noise, much more noticeable than a plane. After flying for a while, Johnny heard Robert's voice: "Look, why don't we go ahead and scout? Once we've found them, you can catch up. How's that?"
"No way!" Johnny panicked, immediately protesting. "I want to have a proper fight with those Extremis guys. If you take them down, when will I get my chance?"
"Fine, I'll track them down, trap them, and wait for you to arrive. Deal?" Robert said, shaking his head in exasperation. "If you keep this pace and noise, they might run off before you get there."
"Ugh, I should've brought a suit of armor for this..." Johnny sighed, looking at his flaming body with frustration. "I really hope the Extremis Virus improves my situation a bit. If it doesn't let me operate in a vacuum, at least give me some stealth while flying... Oh! Saiyan, make sure you save them for me!"
Johnny's last plea went unanswered, as Robert and Kara had already disappeared, reaching the location Jarvis had pinpointed.
Although this wasn't Killian's actual hideout, the presence of an Extremis soldier nearby indicated that Killian and his men were likely in the area. Given how recently the soldier had been spotted, Robert knew it wouldn't be difficult to track them down, especially with Kara's super-vision and his energy sensing ability.
It didn't take long for Robert to lock onto the Extremis soldier. Though he had suppressed his powers, his energy hadn't fully stabilized. Robert also detected other similar energy signatures farther away, but he didn't act immediately. The soldier seemed to be returning to their base, so Robert decided to wait for them to gather and for Johnny to arrive.
"Let's go wait for them," Robert said, pulling Kara up to the rooftop of an abandoned factory. "You know, these people have some decent energy potential. If this Extremis Virus could be perfected without side effects, it'd be a pretty powerful method."
"Maybe, but just because they gain extraordinary abilities doesn't mean they'll use them for good. Not everyone can hold on to their morals after gaining power. Or rather, their 'morals' might not align with ours," Kara reminded him softly, shaking her head.
"There are plenty of superhumans in the world now—far more than the Avengers. Even though Tony's eager to expand the team, he's not just recruiting anyone with powers," she added.
"True, but as Star-Lord said before he left, the Chitauri invaders were a form of bio-engineered beings. Their tech could be used to create bio-soldiers. If Tony and the team combined that with the Extremis Virus, they might be able to make their own fire-powered bio-soldiers," Robert suggested with a grin.
"That way, Tony wouldn't have to worry about running out of fighters. He could just mass-produce troops, leaving administrative work to others, so he and Steve wouldn't be so overwhelmed."
"Fire-powered bio-soldiers? That's a stretch. Do you really think Tony and the others could pull that off?" Kara asked skeptically. It wasn't that she doubted their skills, but creating something more advanced than the Chitauri sounded like a tall order.
"We'll just provide the idea and let Tony and the brains handle the research. I'm sure they'd love to make things easier for themselves," Robert said with a chuckle. "Alright, looks like they're aware they've been exposed. Those Extremis soldiers are regrouping, but Johnny's taking forever to get here."
"He's doing well enough. His flight speed isn't that far off from newly awakened speedsters like Pietro and Barry. The problem is just the distance from the base," Kara pointed out, glancing in Johnny's direction. He was still flying, making steady progress, but at a much slower pace.
"Looks like we can't wait for him. I'll have to deal with them myself," Robert said, sensing the movements inside the abandoned factory. With that, he vanished from the rooftop.
Inside the factory, Killian was fuming as he stared at the Extremis soldier who had used his powers.
"You idiots! First, you said New York was too hot because their equipment had upgraded. Now we're all the way on the West Coast, and you're telling me their gear is still upgraded?!" Killian snapped, glaring at his subordinate.
To be fair, Killian didn't want to leave this place, not out of any attachment, but because he was running out of funds.
Moving equipment from one city to another wasn't cheap, and each time they arrived in a new place, Killian had to establish local connections for supplies and materials. All of this cost money.
So, Killian was particularly irritable. They hadn't been in the city for long, and with the frequency of their relocations, he was on the brink of bankruptcy.
While Killian wasn't worried about his men betraying him—he
had their lives in his hands—he was concerned that without funds, he wouldn't be able to continue his Extremis research and get his revenge on Tony Stark.
Failing to hurt Tony by targeting Pepper had only intensified Killian's desire for revenge. As long as he lived, he wouldn't give up on making Tony pay.
"Boss, I didn't want to blow my cover either, but I also don't want to die. I've been out before with no problems, but this time the buyer suddenly got greedy," the soldier explained nervously. "But boss, I killed him. Should we grab his money before we leave?"
"Hmm?" Killian's eyes lit up slightly at the suggestion, his expression softening as he nodded. "Good idea. We'll collect some interest before we go. Serves him right for getting greedy."
"Boss, I'll lead the way!" The soldier, relieved at Killian's response, moved quickly toward the door.
*Thud!* Just as they reached the exit, the soldier slammed into an invisible wall, coming to an abrupt stop, completely stunned.
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