Marvel: Death Knight

The floating Sky Fortress, cloaked in stealth mode, hovered silently above the Azeroth Tech Tower.

Through the upper passageways of Sky Fortress, Erik, Wanda, and Pietro arrived at the highest observation platform. Above them, not far away, loomed the massive Dark Aster, an alien warship that covered a vast portion of the sky.

They all knew Erik's unique power—manipulation of magnetic fields, granting him near-absolute control over metal. Now, they hoped he could neutralize the alien warship and resolve the crisis at hand.

Erik extended his hands, activating his power. Invisible waves of magnetic energy surged outward, attempting to engulf the ship above.

After a moment, Erik lowered his hands with a grim expression.

"It's no use. The warship's exterior is protected by an energy field. My abilities won't work on it."

Having retrieved the Aether Particles, Garus returned to the academy, where groups of students had gathered, animatedly discussing something.

"Headmaster, you're back!" Dana, spotting him, bounded over with excitement.

"A massive alien spaceship just appeared over New York! It looks so cool!"

The younger students were blissfully unaware of the gravity of the situation. To them, aliens were merely a fascinating novelty.

At that moment, Wanda, Erik, and Pietro approached. Wanda spoke, her voice laced with urgency:

"Garus, the aliens are demanding that Azeroth Technologies hand over the hidden Skrulls, or they'll destroy everything."

Wanda knew little about the Skrulls, only that they were a group of aliens aiding Garus in certain covert operations.

"They gave us 24 hours," Wanda added, checking the time. "Eight hours have already passed."

Garus frowned. Why had these aliens come, and how had they learned about the hidden Skrulls in his company?

Before he could ponder further, his phone buzzed. The caller ID showed Kingpin.

"Master," Kingpin's voice came through, laced with tension, "CIA agents have entered our building. They're trying to detain everyone inside. They're already downstairs."

"I'll handle it," Garus replied, irritation seeping into his tone. Concentrating on Kingpin's location, he summoned a death-infused portal, the Death Gate, stepping through it to arrive instantly at the New York office tower.

"Mr. Garus," a voice called.

Garus turned to see General Kalruth, a high-ranking Skrull, standing nervously nearby. The general opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated.

"How did they find you?" Garus's voice was cold. Clearly, something was being withheld from him.

Kalruth fidgeted, then finally admitted, "It was my fault, Mr. Garus. I sent someone to contact our queen. The Kree intercepted the transmission."

Fearing Garus would abandon them, Kalruth quickly added, "Before our homeworld was destroyed, thousands of our people escaped, including our queen. If you help us, I promise the Skrull race will join you. Our technology and resources will be at your disposal."

Garus considered the offer. Thousands of Skrulls and their advanced civilization were a tempting prize. Moreover, he disliked being threatened. A Kree warship didn't intimidate him; after all, he had already dealt with a Dark Elf battleship in the past.

"Gather your people," Garus instructed Kalruth.

For a moment, Kalruth feared Garus was preparing to hand them over. But then Garus continued, "We'll board their ship and deal with them from the inside. It'll minimize collateral damage."

Kalruth hesitated. The Kree's Accuser Ronan was infamous for his unparalleled strength, endurance, and combat prowess, ranking among the most formidable beings in the known universe. Still, Kalruth realized that Garus's plan might be their best chance. Earth's technology was no match for the Kree.

"I understand," Kalruth said. "I'll gather everyone immediately."

"Hey, you can't go in there. This is Mr. Wilson's office!" A staff member's voice protested.

"Bang!" The office door burst open, and two men in sharp suits entered.

They paused upon seeing Garus and Kalruth.

"Mr. Wilson," one of them began, "the president demands that you hand over the Skrulls. They pose a severe threat to U.S. national security."

Garus stared at them coldly. "Tell your president that I'll handle this situation myself."

The agents hesitated. They knew Garus's reputation. If he refused, there was little they could do. After a brief exchange with their superiors, they reluctantly left.

Once they were gone, Garus picked up his phone.

"Director Fury, what can I do for you today?"

Fury's voice was sharp and accusatory. "Garus, care to explain the Skrulls in your company and the alien warship above your building?"

Garus replied calmly, "I'll resolve this peacefully by handing over the Skrulls."

Fury was taken aback. He hadn't expected Garus to agree so easily. It was unlike him. Perhaps the Kree warship posed more of a threat than Fury had assumed.

"Fine," Fury said. "But remember, if you threaten humanity, you'll regret it. This world is far more complex than you think."

Garus nearly rolled his eyes. He was well aware of Earth's hidden dangers—black technology, magic, mutations, and unknown entities. No one could predict what powerful forces might emerge.

After ending the call, Fury decided to check on Dr. Selvig's research on the Tesseract. Between the Thor incident and the Kree threat, Fury felt increasingly powerless. S.H.I.E.L.D. needed its own strength to face these escalating challenges.

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