Chapter 97: Plans Disrupted, Ryan Seizes His Opportunity
After completing an experiment, Ryan removed his gloves and safety goggles and left the lab for some fresh air.
Sitting by the fountain in the central plaza, he pulled out his phone and discovered Anthony had sent him a message.
He opened it to find a single photo of a black man with one eye.
Though the image wasn't clear and the bearded figure looked somewhat disheveled, Ryan recognized him instantly.
"Nick Fury? He's back already?"
Ryan frowned, considering the implications before immediately calling Anthony.
Anthony answered quickly. "Boss, what do you need?"
"Find out Nick Fury's current location, what he's doing, and who he's been in contact with. The sooner the better."
"Understood, boss."
Ryan sighed after hanging up.
He'd orchestrated the conflict between the Avengers and the Skrulls, intending to eliminate the Avengers' remaining strength before Nick Fury could return.
The Avengers only had one way to solve problems: overwhelming force. But Nick Fury was different. He was a master strategist, and manipulating events came as naturally to him as breathing.
Nick Fury's appearance meant the Skrull crisis could be resolved far more efficiently than Ryan had anticipated.
The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Ryan felt a surge of frustration.
"Damn it, if they want a fight, we'll give them one. Not like I'm afraid," Ryan muttered, not realizing Thena was walking nearby.
"Who are you planning to fight?" Thena asked curiously, sitting down beside him.
Ryan shrugged. "Who else? The Avengers, of course." Glancing at her, he asked, "Whose side are you on?"
"Neither. This is your conflict, and I won't interfere."
Thena had witnessed countless human wars throughout the centuries, and in her words, the Eternals shouldn't interfere in the natural course of human history.
To Ryan, this was just an excuse for inaction.
Ryan didn't press her. He simply said, "If a fight breaks out, just keep an eye on the lab. If the research materials are destroyed, it'll be difficult for you and Sprite to recreate the Mahd Wy'ry inhibitor."
Thena glanced at Ryan and murmured a soft acknowledgment, saying nothing more.
As they talked, neither noticed Cassie standing nearby, observing them.
Cassie made a quiet sound of displeasure and turned to walk toward Dr. Pym's laboratory.
Scott was delighted but also concerned when he saw his daughter approach.
"Hey, sweetheart, how have you been?"
"Fine. Keeping busy," Cassie replied somewhat distantly.
Noticing something was bothering Cassie, Scott immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong? You seem upset."
Cassie shook her head. She certainly wasn't going to tell her father the real reason.
Hope, standing nearby, seemed to understand the situation. Smiling, she touched Scott's arm and then said to Cassie, "We're family. If something's bothering you, you can talk to us."
Cassie's expression softened slightly at the warm words, but she still didn't reveal what was troubling her.
"Scott! I need help over here!"
Hank Pym called from across the lab, and Scott immediately hurried over.
The quantum tunnel had been constructed. With a bit more time, they could produce additional Pym Particles. The only remaining problem was that Tony's quantum GPS couldn't be replicated.
Nanotechnology wasn't new, but only Tony Stark had mastered it to this degree of sophistication.
Cassie came over to help move equipment. Once the task was done, Hank smiled and asked, "Cassie, what have you been working on lately?"
"Nothing major. I just discovered a signal source in the Quantum Realm. I've built a device and I'm trying to establish a connection."
Hank looked intrigued. Scott beamed with pride at his daughter's ingenuity, but Janet's face went pale when she heard the news.
Ryan monitored Nick Fury's every move through his intelligence network. The FBI captured a satellite image of Fury entering the contaminated zone alone.
Aboard Air Force One, Ryan sat across from President Ross. Senior official Valentina Allegra de Fontaine presented the photo to the President.
After examining it, President Ross handed it to Ryan. "Is Nick Fury truly that reckless?"
Ryan chuckled. "That person isn't Nick Fury. Even facing a world-ending crisis, he wouldn't choose to sacrifice himself directly."
"Are you suggesting this Nick Fury is a Skrull impersonator?"
Ryan didn't answer. He dropped the photo onto the table and said, "Prepare for war. Once the Skrull crisis is resolved, the only conflict remaining will be between Celestial Island and the Avengers. The federal government shouldn't stand idle, and neither should you, Mr. President."
Ryan stood, straightened his jacket, and turned to Valentina. "How long until we reach Eastern Europe?"
"Sir, we'll arrive in ten minutes."
Ryan nodded and left the presidential cabin, heading to Air Force One's deployment bay.
Looking at the parachute Valentina handed him, Ryan casually waved it away. "Won't need it."
Valentina received a message through her earpiece from the cockpit, looked up at Ryan and said, "Sir, we're in position."
"Open the door."
Valentina hesitated only a second before manually pulling the deployment bay hatch release.
With a mechanical groan and hiss, the hydraulic actuator pushed the hatch open, sending a gust of wind whipping through Air Force One's deployment bay. Fortunately, the bay was a sealed compartment, preventing the entire aircraft from suffering decompression at altitude.
Without hesitation, Ryan leaped, his body plummeting toward the ground like a missile.
As he fell, Ryan saw a flash of golden light on the ground and suspected a clash between Gravik and G'iah was underway.
Suddenly, a massive industrial chimney collapsed, and two golden figures trailing flames burst from the ruins, rocketing into the sky directly toward Ryan.
Just as Ryan prepared to engage them, G'iah, now a Super-Skrull, suddenly used Mantis's hypnotic abilities to put Gravik to sleep mid-flight.
Losing his propulsion, Gravik plummeted back to the ground, slamming into the concrete and creating a massive crater.
BOOM!
G'iah pursued him, landing smoothly on the ground. She transformed one arm into the Hulk's massive limb, radiating Captain Marvel's golden photon energy, and charged toward Gravik again.
Gravik, regaining consciousness, also channeled Captain Marvel's powers and rushed forward.
Just as the two Super-Skrulls were about to collide, a figure suddenly descended from the sky, landing directly between them.
BOOM!!!
Cosmic energy erupted outward, forming a protective sphere, and the concrete floor collapsed in a perfect semicircle around the impact point.
Ryan, standing in the crater, slowly straightened up. Golden cosmic energy materialized into armor plating, its radiance even brighter than the two Super-Skrulls combined.
"Ryan!" Gravik recognized the newcomer instantly.
G'iah also stopped in her tracks, eyeing Ryan warily.
Ryan's lips curled slightly as he surveyed both of them. "So this is what Super-Skrulls look like."
Ryan stood at the fulcrum between them; whichever side he supported would likely emerge victorious.
Gravik spoke first. "Ryan, we can work together. Help me eliminate G'iah, and I'll help you destroy the Avengers. Together, we can rule this planet!"
G'iah was slower to react but quickly interjected, "Ryan, you're human! Don't trust him!"
"So? Can you offer me anything better?" Ryan asked G'iah with a slight smile.
G'iah's heart sank, while Gravik looked triumphant.
Not giving G'iah time to formulate a response, Gravik rushed forward, shouting, "Let's finish her together!"
G'iah had been anticipating this. The moment Gravik charged, her Hulk arm, supercharged with photon energy, sent Gravik flying backward with a devastating punch.
But G'iah didn't press her advantage. Instead, she looked at Ryan and warned, "Ryan, you'd better not interfere, or I won't be polite."
Ryan's smile faded. "Threatening me?"
Becoming a Super-Skrull hadn't only inflated Gravik's confidence—G'iah was equally overconfident now.
Super-Skrulls, combining the abilities of multiple superheroes, were indeed formidable. Perhaps they could rival A-rank threats, at least on paper.
But before Ryan, she had no basis for arrogance.
Super-Skrulls possessed superhero abilities, not superhero physiology.
The Super-Skrulls' bodies remained fundamentally Skrull—their power wasn't determined by copied abilities alone, but by their baseline genetic structure.
Super-Skrulls could mimic the appearance and powers of anyone, but they couldn't replicate higher-dimensional genetic sequences or physiological structures.
The Celestials must have considered this when creating the Skrulls; otherwise, they'd be invincible simply by mimicking Celestials or cosmic entities.
Genetic hierarchy was the foundation of the cosmic food chain—an unchangeable, fundamental law.
Why could Thanos dominate the universe? Because almost nothing could truly harm him. Even with all his armies destroyed, leaving only Thanos alone, he remained invincible against beings of lesser genetic potential.
With her confidence at its peak, G'iah said coldly, "I'm giving you advice. Return to Celestial Island. This war is between Skrulls."
Ryan sighed. He truly had no patience for these self-righteous heroes. They never understood humility or caution, only acting condescendingly as if dispensing charity.
This was why Ryan had disliked the Avengers from the beginning.
Ryan stepped forward. "You need to learn what respect and fear actually mean."
Seeing Ryan's refusal to back down, G'iah, still in her enhanced form, threw a punch—pulling it slightly, intending only to teach Ryan a lesson.
BANG!
G'iah vanished instantly. A building collapsed in the distance, and a bewildered G'iah climbed from the rubble.
Having just acquired these powers, G'iah couldn't comprehend the disparity in raw strength; she didn't understand the difference between copied abilities and fundamental power.
Refusing to accept defeat, G'iah's body radiated golden photon energy. Using Captain Marvel's flight combined with the Hulk's strength, she prepared to deliver a devastating blow to Ryan.
CLANG!
A massive golden energy shield materialized instantly. After the impact, Ryan stood motionless, but G'iah was blown back dozens of meters by the tremendous force of her own reflected attack.
End of Chapter 97
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