Marvel: Death Knight

In the skies over the outskirts of New York, an alien aircraft, distinctly unlike anything built by humans, flew undetected by any ground radar.

"General Kallruth, our operatives are in position. The CEO of Azeroth Technologies is currently at the Capitol building. This is the perfect time to execute our plan. Only by showcasing our capabilities can we secure his cooperation and obtain what we desire."

"Understood." General Kallruth nodded in satisfaction at his strategist. Just as he was about to speak, the pilot interrupted him.

"General, we're running low on power."

Kallruth's expression darkened as he barked, "Didn't we just acquire a batch of energy cores from General Ross?"

"Yes, but the energy density of the cores wasn't as high as expected. We'll need more."

"Damn it. We need to secure a stable supply of energy cores as soon as possible."

On the rooftop of Stark Tower, only three people remained.

Garus looked at Tony and asked, "Tony, did you replace the arc reactor in your chest?"

"Sure did. I synthesized a new element to replace palladium, solving my palladium poisoning issue once and for all." Tony's mood visibly brightened as he spoke.

It seemed Garus had missed quite the showdown. Fury's information about the new element had saved Tony's life, which might have been why he agreed to join the Avengers. Of course, it might also have been because Fury let him lead the team.

"Garus, I'm heading out too," Logan said. He had only come up to clear his head, and seeing that there was no immediate threat, he decided to leave.

Garus also turned to leave.

Tony wanted to ask Garus about Azeroth Technologies, intrigued by Fury's cryptic remarks, but seeing them depart, he let it go.

On the way back, Garus and Logan parted ways. Garus was pondering how to locate the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

His phone buzzed. Checking the caller ID, he saw it was Kingpin.

"Master, I have something to report."

"What is it?"

"The Skrulls have appeared at our weapons testing facility and requested to meet you."

Garus was taken aback. He hadn't found the Skrulls, but they had sought him out instead. What could their intentions be?

"Alright, I'll be there shortly."

When Garus arrived at the testing facility, it was surrounded by armed guards. Each one held their weapon at the ready, their expressions a mix of excitement and fear.

Aliens were something they had only seen in movies. Seeing one in real life was a completely different experience.

In the center of the facility stood a spacecraft. Judging by its appearance, it was likely the same one spotted at AIM not long ago.

"Master." Kingpin approached from the side.

Garus immediately noticed something off about him.

As Garus arrived, the guards parted to let him through. Inside, he finally saw the tall, green, pointy-eared Skrulls.

"What business do you have here?" Garus asked.

"We wish to negotiate," one of the Skrulls replied.

"Negotiate?" Garus raised an eyebrow. "What do you want from us, and what are you offering in return?"

"We want the technology behind your energy cores. In exchange, we can help your people infiltrate the U.S. Congress and secure a seat as a senator. Rest assured, we have the means to make it happen."

"I'm curious," Garus said with a wry smile. "If you can shapeshift, why not just impersonate the President of the United States? Wouldn't that be more effective?"

"This… I refuse to answer." The Skrull fell silent, clearly unwilling to divulge the reason.

Although their offer was tempting, Garus had no intention of agreeing. He had already realized that the Kingpin standing next to him was a Skrull imposter. His lack of a deathly aura confirmed it. After mentally contacting the real Kingpin, Garus was certain of his suspicion.

Without warning, Garus punched the imposter Kingpin, sending him sprawling to the ground. "Enough with the disguises, Skrull. You're exposed."

"General!" The other Skrulls called out nervously.

Clutching his stomach, General Kallruth gasped, "Impossible! How did you see through my shapeshifting?"

The guards looked on, dumbfounded. Had their boss really been an alien all along?

Garus ignored them and walked toward the Skrull ship. "Don't bother asking. From now on, you're in no position to bargain. Let's continue this conversation aboard your ship."

Inside the ship, the Skrulls watched Garus nervously. They knew all too well that he had singlehandedly destroyed MODOK's base and killed him.

Garus didn't mince words. "I can provide you with enough energy cores. But before that, you'll follow my orders. I trust you know that only Wilson and I hold the secrets behind these cores."

Reluctantly, General Kallruth nodded. "Fine. But you must deliver enough energy to power our ship within two years."

"Agreed. However, you should know our energy core output is limited. We're also supplying the military and S.H.I.E.L.D.," Garus said. Two years was more than enough time to expand his operations and reduce reliance on the Skrulls. For now, he needed their assistance to secure Kingpin's seat in Congress.

"By the way," Garus added, "do you have any agents inside S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Yes, one has risen to Level 7. However, long-term infiltration risks exposure. We can only replicate appearances, not memories. To gain his rank, we had to replace an unassuming agent and complete several missions under his identity."

"I need you to locate two individuals for me. S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently tracking them."

"Understood. I'll give you our agent's contact information."

Garus suddenly asked, "Does your ship have any weapons?"

"No, this is just a reconnaissance vessel, and it's already out of power."

After resolving the situation, Garus brought in a mutant from the X-Academy with the ability to erase memories. He ensured the guards forgot everything about the day's events.

For now, the Skrulls had to remain hidden. No one else could know about them—at least not yet.

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