"The Kree had long since abandoned the Inhumans," Kurogai said to himself, standing over the two Kree he had just subdued. "These two were left here only to monitor this location, waiting for an Inhuman to show up before reporting it. But their ambition got the better of them—they wanted to claim the discovery of the perfect Terrigen Mist for themselves and didn't bother to inform their superiors."
That detail eased some of Kurogai's concern. If these two Kree had acted independently, it meant Skye's awakening wasn't immediately known to the rest of their race. And the Kree's Terrigen tracking tech only responded to newly activated samples of perfect Mist.
"As long as these two are eliminated, Skye's presence won't be exposed," he muttered. "No transmissions, no trails... this ends here."
For the first time since they landed, Kurogai's expression softened slightly. It seemed their recklessness had worked in his favor. But what came next disturbed him far more.
During his interrogation, Kurogai had uncovered troubling information—something stirring in the galaxy.
"A few days ago, Thanos made a major move," he said quietly, eyes narrowing. "He's mobilized massive fleets, attacking planets across multiple systems. The Kree suspect he's preparing for something big."
That alone wasn't too surprising. Thanos was always expanding his power, always hunting something. But the timing—it was too perfect.
Kurogai had just visited the X-Mansion when this galactic upheaval began. And according to the Kree, most of the planets being targeted were in this starfield. Kurogai knew one thing above all: Thanos was obsessed with the Goddess of Death.
And if the Goddess of Death had detected the presence of the Phoenix Force...
"One coincidence is luck," Kurogai whispered. "More than one is a pattern."
He clenched his fists, his mind calculating quickly. If the Goddess of Death had noticed the Phoenix, and if Thanos was acting in her name... Earth was in danger. And Kurogai couldn't allow Earth to be drawn into this cosmic fire.
"Maybe I need to leave Earth for a while," he muttered, glancing toward the sleek Kree ship nearby. "Draw their attention somewhere else."
Even with all the power he had amassed, Kurogai knew he wasn't yet ready to face a being like the Goddess of Death. Earth wasn't just his home base—it was where all his critical turning points had occurred.
His Ultimate Eyes, the mysterious eye-rings that granted him immense power, were tied to Marvel's major events. He had activated the first when he met Natasha. The second awakened at Kamar-Taj. The third required his encounter with Logan.
Earth was the axis around which these pivotal stories revolved.
"If Earth falls, so does my ability to evolve," he realized. "I need the events of this world to continue, or the rest of my power might remain locked forever."
Which meant one thing—Earth must be protected at all costs, and no trail must lead Thanos or the Goddess of Death here.
"But if I unleash traces of the Phoenix in another star system..." he thought aloud, "they'll be misled. It'll buy me time—time to grow stronger."
His eyes shifted to the Kree vessel.
"This ship will do."
Before anything else, he needed to learn how to pilot it. He turned back to the Kree captives and resumed the mental extraction process. Their knowledge, their ship's controls, its warp-drive systems—he took all of it.
When he was finished, he stood over them one final time.
"You're of no further use."
Kurogai raised a hand and unleashed Amaterasu. The jet-black flames surged around the Kree, devouring their bodies slowly and agonizingly. Their screams echoed into silence.
He let the fire consume them until nothing remained.
"I'll need supplies. Enough to survive out there for years if necessary," Kurogai said to himself. "Food, tech, weapons, medical kits."
He activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, summoning Kamui. The familiar dimensional swirl opened before him.
With one motion, he released Skye from Kamui's space. At the same time, he began storing the Kree ship inside.
There was no way he could leave it exposed. SHIELD would be crawling over this place within the hour.
The moment Skye stepped out, she rushed to his side. "Kurogai-niisan, are you okay? Where did those guys go?"
He turned to her and offered a soft smile.
"They're gone. Your brother took care of everything."
Skye blinked, then let out a breath of relief. Her body still carried the energy of her new power, but her eyes held the same admiration as always. Kurogai gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Let's get out of here."
With a flick of his wrist, he opened a spatial gate. The two vanished just as several black helicopters roared overhead.
Agents poured out and secured the area, alert and searching—but they were too late.
The battle was already over.
And its consequences had only just begun.
---
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