"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Doken couldn't help but click his tongue at the Super Skrull's shameless plea. "I've always known the Skrulls were a despicable lot, but hearing it firsthand... It's worse than I imagined."
"You don't understand!" the Super Skrull retorted without a hint of shame, his voice filled with self-righteous indignation. "For a civilization and its people, survival is the most important thing! Everything else is secondary!"
"So," he continued, now turning to Carol, "you, who weren't actually killed by us and are now being spared yet again, can't you just say a few kind words to save the Skrull race?"
Carol's expression grew colder as the Skrull spoke.
"What's wrong, Carol?" the Super Skrull pressed on, undeterred. "Don't you pride yourself on being kind and compassionate? Don't you claim to save lives and abhor seeing life extinguished? Was everything you said and did before just a lie?"
The Skrull's words dripped with malicious intent. He wasn't merely pleading; he was attempting to manipulate Carol, questioning her very identity and morality. Such accusations, if taken to heart, could have shaken her resolve, planting seeds of doubt in her mind about her past decisions and her future as a hero.
"Boom!"
Before Carol could respond, Robert's energy wave cut through the air, obliterating another Super Skrull. The Skrull's body and soul disintegrated in a cascade of shimmering fragments, leaving behind nothing but emptiness.
"What makes you think," Robert said mockingly, "that even if Carol pleaded for your lives, I'd grant her request?" His voice was cold, his eyes sharp with disdain as he regarded the Skrulls.
"I brought you here for one purpose: to see if Carol wanted to join me in punishing you. If she doesn't, I'll continue as I have been. Have you forgotten the torment you've endured so far?"
Robert's voice grew even colder. "In fact, because of your disgusting words, your fellow Skrulls will suffer even more—body and soul. Just like that one."
"No! You promised me!" the Skrull cried out in panic, his voice trembling with desperation. "You said if I helped you find Carol, you'd spare me!"
Robert smirked disdainfully. "It's enough that I'm still more trustworthy than your entire race," he said. "As for what happens next, let's just say it won't be pleasant."
"Y-You… AAAAH!" The Skrull's screams pierced the air as Robert unleashed a dual-layered torment on him, targeting both his body and soul. The pain was unbearable, his consciousness fragmenting as he convulsed violently.
The worst part for the Skrull wasn't even the agony—it was the realization that he wasn't dying. His body and soul remained unnervingly intact, fully capable of enduring more suffering.
The same applied to the other captured Super Skrulls. Their bodies quivered, and though they couldn't vocalize their anguish, their terror was palpable.
For these Skrulls, death wouldn't come from their physical bodies or souls giving out. Their ultimate fate would be the complete collapse of their consciousness, leaving behind a lifeless husk and a blank soul.
The Shi'ar observers aboard the ship exchanged uneasy glances. While they couldn't directly perceive the Skrulls' spiritual torment, the visible suffering of their bodies was enough to unsettle them.
Normally, such brutal punishment might have elicited some sympathy from the Shi'ar. But after witnessing the Skrulls' shamelessness and treachery, any lingering compassion evaporated.
"They deserve every bit of this," Amy muttered, her disdain evident.
Carol, meanwhile, looked conflicted. She opened her mouth as if to speak but ultimately closed it. She realized that anything she said wouldn't change Robert's actions—and might even undermine her own position.
"Does the Shi'ar Empire have any good food?" Galactus's Herald, Gannata, suddenly asked as she appeared inside the ship, her gaze landing on Doken and the others with an expectant smile.
Amy blinked in surprise, though her shock was tempered by the fact that she'd already seen Robert teleport into the ship effortlessly. Following Gannata, Silver Surfer stepped inside as well.
"And who might you two be?" Doken asked cautiously, his tone polite but reserved. He instinctively moved to shield Amy, aware that the two newcomers radiated immense power.
"They're with me," Robert interjected calmly. "They helped me find this place. They mean no harm. Gannata's just here because she's hungry. Could you arrange some food for her?"
Doken hesitated momentarily, then nodded. "Of course."
"Please make plenty," Gannata added cheerfully. "We tend to eat a lot."
Doken hurriedly gave the order, slightly bewildered by the request. It wasn't every day that galactic powerhouses requested snacks.
Soon, a feast was laid out aboard the ship. Robert, Gannata, and the others began eating without hesitation, their casual demeanor easing some of the tension. Even Carol and Amy joined in, and the previously strained atmosphere gradually lightened.
For the first time, the Shi'ar guards and crew relaxed, their rigid posture softening as laughter and conversation flowed.
After the meal, Robert and his group stayed in the Shi'ar Empire for a while. The delay wasn't just for leisure; it took time for the Super Skrulls' stubborn minds to break under Robert's relentless torment. When their consciousness finally shattered, Robert ensured their bodies and souls were completely destroyed.
On the day of departure, Carol packed her belongings, preparing to return to Earth with Robert. Amy, however, was devastated. Tears streamed down her face as she clung to Carol.
"Don't cry, Amy," Carol said, embracing her gently. "It's not like I'm leaving forever. Once I recover, I'll come back to visit you."
"But the universe is so big," Amy sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "What if we lose contact and never see each other again?"
"Why don't you come with us?" Carol offered after a moment's thought. "You can visit Earth, and I'll bring you back afterward."
Robert, overhearing this, sighed inwardly. Carol's trusting nature hadn't changed. While Amy might have noble intentions, exposing Earth's coordinates to a member of the Shi'ar Empire—one of the galaxy's most powerful civilizations—was a risky proposition.
Fortunately, Robert's overwhelming display of power had likely deterred the Shi'ar from harboring ill intentions toward Earth.
"That's great!" Amy's tears vanished instantly, replaced by a wide smile. She hugged Carol tightly, practically bouncing with excitement.
Her sudden shift in mood raised eyebrows among the onlookers. Even Doken suspected she had been exaggerating her earlier grief.
Still, Doken saw potential benefits in Amy maintaining a connection with Carol. If their bond strengthened, it could pave the way for an alliance between Earth and the Shi'ar Empire.
Such alliances were, after all, how the Shi'ar had built their empire—one connection at a time.
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