Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Battle of Injustice

The arrival of the Skrulls was met with great enthusiasm by both the Kree and the Cotati, but they were soon informed by the Skrulls that only one race would be chosen as the representative of this planet. To test their abilities, both sides were tasked with building a city.

“Pond, why do you think our superiors told them we would only choose one? Clearly, we’re going to pick both,” Lens asked, gazing at the landscape of Planet Hala, visibly puzzled as he questioned his friend.

“Silly Lens, our superiors want to motivate them by saying that. We’ll tell them the truth after both cities are built. This way, we can witness their true talents,” Pond explained the real purpose behind the policy.

“Oh, but won’t that make the two races turn against each other?” Lens scratched his head.

“If that happens, it only proves that their hearts are narrow, and we’d have to reconsider inviting them,” Pond replied, casting a meaningful glance toward the horizon.

On the Kree side, news of the competition only fueled their competitive spirit. Naturally, they saw themselves as the inevitable victors—after all, their technological prowess was unmatched. The Cotati, for all their psychic plant abilities, were just plants, ill-suited for construction or movement.

Thus began the grand enterprise of city-building. To showcase their strength, the Kree decided to construct a space base on Hala’s moon, while the Cotati opted for a purely natural garden.

Yet, unbeknownst to all, darkness was spreading.

In the dead of night, a Skrull quietly slipped out of the encampment and infiltrated the Kree city. Using the connections made with high-ranking Kree during the day, the Skrull sneaked into the residence of the Kree leader.

“Who’s there!” The Kree leader, busy with paperwork, sensed an intruder and called out sharply.

“It’s me.” A familiar figure appeared.

“Secretary Ma? What brings you here so late?” the leader asked, puzzled. Secretary Ma was usually retired for the night by now.

“I overheard a Skrull secret, Prime Minister.” Secretary Ma drew closer with an air of mystery.

“What secret?” The prime minister, intrigued, leaned in as Secretary Ma whispered into his ear, “I am a Skrull.” A dagger swiftly severed the prime minister’s head. His massive body hadn’t yet collapsed when Secretary Ma caught it.

“Ah, too easy. No challenge at all.” With those words, Secretary Ma morphed into the likeness of the prime minister, gazing down at his own terrified face. Casually, he dropped a finger-sized insect egg.