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"We have infiltrated the British Prime Minister and the Secretary-General of NATO!"
"As long as we infiltrate the White House or Russia, we can trigger World War III at any time!"
"Let nuclear bombs bloom all over the World!"
A fanatical light flickered in Gravik's eyes.
"Their cities will become ruins, and their civilization will turn to ash."
"The atmosphere will be covered in radioactive dust, and Earth will become a living hell."
"Humanity will wail and die in the radiation of a nuclear winter..."
"When they are extinct, this radiation-filled Earth will be our 'New Skrullos'!"
"This is our home! No need to search! No need to beg! It's right beneath our feet!"
Whoosh—!
These words were extremely inflammatory.
For these Skrulls who had wandered for too long and had enough of hiding and humiliation, the temptation of "turning over and becoming the Boss" was simply irresistible.
"Gravik! Gravik!"
Scattered shouts rose from below the stage, then more and more, finally converging into a fanatical wave.
"Kill all humans! Occupy Earth!"
"Long live Gravik!"
"You're crazy!!"
Talos rushed up and grabbed Gravik by the collar.
"That's genocide! Have you forgotten how we ended up in this state?!"
"So what?!" Gravik retorted, "As long as my people can live a good life, I'd rather be a demon!"
Watching this scene unfold, the long-silent Nick Fury finally moved.
He slowly walked to the front of the stage, his single eye staring coldly at Gravik before scanning the fanatical crowd.
Fury slowly clapped his hands.
"What a wonderful speech, Gravik."
"I used to think that your Skrulls lost your home planet because of Kree brutality, because you refused their rule, and that you were the victims."
Fury turned to look at Talos beside him, his single eye filled with a bone-chilling coldness.
"But now it seems... I was wrong."
"Talos, tell me the truth."
"Was the destruction of Skrullos back then really just because you refused the rule of the Kree Empire?"
"Or was it..."
Fury pointed at the reveling Skrull crowd.
"...because you damn parasites tried to do the same thing to other civilizations in the Universe, only to kick a steel plate and get killed instead?"
Talos trembled all over.
He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but in the end, his lips only twitched as he avoided Fury's gaze and lowered his head.
Silence.
And silence itself was the answer.
Fury laughed, a laugh full of self-deprecation.
"Ha... it seems I'm not just blind, I'm a fool."
"I actually tried to save a group of Bandits who wanted to exterminate my race."
"I even... brought you home."
The aura around Fury began to change.
The calm shell of the King of Agents was peeling away, and the fires of hell were gradually rising.
"Since it's a mistake I made, I will be the one to correct it."
"Talos."
Fury took one last look at his old friend.
"Out of respect for our friendship of over twenty years, take those willing to go with you now..."
"...go confess to Homelander, or get the hell off Earth and never come back!"
"As for the rest..."
Fury turned around to face Gravik and his group of fanatical followers.
"...since you like radiation and hell so much, I'll send you to the real hell."
The atmosphere in the hall instantly tightened to the extreme.
Talos looked at Gravik, then at Fury, his eyes full of pain.
"Those willing to go with me... stand on my side."
The crowd began to stir.
A portion of the older Skrulls, carrying children, hesitantly walked behind Talos. They had experienced war and knew what it meant.
But more people, especially the younger generation, chose to stand behind Gravik. They stared at the group of "cowards" with eyes full of hatred.
"Let's go."
Talos didn't want to look anymore and turned to lead the mere two thousand Skrulls toward the exit.
"You can leave, Talos."
Gravik pointed at Fury.
"But he can't."
"He knows our plan; he needs to stay here forever..."
"Gravik! What are you trying to do?!" Talos roared in anger.
"Doing what I must."
Gravik waved his hand.
"Kill him."
"Kill—!"
Several Skrull warriors who had been unable to restrain themselves roared, shedding their human disguises to reveal strong green bodies as they lunged at Fury with claws bared.
Talos was about to step forward to stop them but was pushed aside by Fury.
"Get out of here with your people, Talos."
Fury's voice became raspy, as if his throat contained burning coals.
"The scene that follows... you won't like it."
"Fury, you..." Talos looked at the changes in Fury in surprise.
"Go!!"
Fury gave a violent roar.
He looked up, and his face instantly cracked and burned, turning into black ash that drifted away.
"Boom—!!"
Orange-red Hellfire erupted from his skeletal skull, illuminating the dim hall.
"I can't guarantee... Talos," the skeleton's jaw opened and closed, "...that once I start enjoying this process, I won't accidentally burn you all to ash as well."
Talos looked at the terrifying flaming skeleton, a shudder rising from the depths of his heart.
"Everyone! Withdraw with me! Fast!"
He no longer hesitated and quickly rushed toward the exit with the small portion of his clansmen.
Gravik watched Talos and the others flee in panic but did not stop them.
Instead, he looked with great interest at Fury, who had completely transformed into the Ghost Rider.
"Interesting."
Gravik nodded, a hint of greed showing in his eyes.
"Is this your trump card? It looks like it has plenty of firepower."
Responding to him was a roar from Fury: "You are guilty!"
He raised his hand, and a blast of flame erupted from his palm, engulfing the two Skrull warriors charging at the front.
The remaining few were blown back by the shockwave, their bodies caught in flames as they rolled on the ground in agony.
Fury took a step forward, leaving charred and cracked footprints on the floor.
"You want hell?"
The Ghost Rider let out a raspy roar.
"I am hell!!"
He casually grabbed a hanging iron chain, and Hellfire instantly attached to it, turning it into a burning whip of flame.
"Snap!"
The chain lashed out like a venomous snake, wrapping around a Skrull who was trying to sneak an attack.
Fire climbed up the iron chain.
"Aaaaaaah—!!!"
That Skrull turned into a charred corpse in agony, crumbling to the floor.
"Everyone! Focus fire!!"
Gravik ordered.
A squad of Skrull warriors raised portable energy guns that looked like scepters, pouring dozens of laser bolts toward Fury.
But those attacks hitting his body only stirred up countless sparks, unable to cause him any substantial damage.
Fury charged straight at Gravik through the hail of gunfire.
"Now, it's your turn."