Chapter Five: Poor Skrulls!~

"No malice, yet you replaced our high command?"
Nick sneered, mocking the alien.

Carol's face was also full of disbelief. Although she held no fondness for the Kree, years of military conditioning prevented her from dropping her guard against the Skrulls.

"We only want a base for survival. I am sorry I became your superior, but I am standing before you now as my true self, without any disguises," the Skrull said. "Dr. Lawson was also a Kree, but she chose to help us, built the light-speed engine, and helped us find a brand-new home. I swear, as long as you help me find Dr. Lawson's base, I will immediately take the Skrulls away and never come back to Earth!"

"I have a recording of you from the Pegasus Project here, left behind when the plane crashed six years ago. You humans call that device a black box."

"Perhaps you might choose to listen to it first?"

Hao Yun yawned as he watched Talos converse with them. Shaking his head, he took the initiative to step outside the house, assuming the responsibility of protecting the Rambeau mother and son.

Seeing Hao Yun's action, Carol and Nick exchanged a glance, nodded, and agreed to Talos's proposal.

Needless to say, the next part involved Talos persuading everyone, including Rambeau, to agree to retrofit the plane and embark on a journey into space.

As for the destination, well, it was apparently a state vector, which Hao Yun didn't quite understand himself.

The next day, the plane was successfully modified. After entrusting Rambeau's daughter, Monica, to her grandparents, everyone boarded the retrofitted aircraft and headed toward the destination.

Meanwhile, Yon-Rogg and his elite team had also rushed to Earth to capture Carol. By the way, they had even notified Ronan!

In Earth's orbit in space, Carol and Rambeau parked their spacecraft at the coordinates calculated for the location.

"Target locked."

"Where is the laboratory?" Rambeau asked, looking curiously out at the starry expanse of space.

"Right here, it's right here..." Talos stepped forward, while Hao Yun held the Flerken and continued to watch the show.

Carol extended her wrist, activating the Kree technology... A holographic model of a space laboratory slowly materialized, revealing its blocky, metallic form.

Everyone stared wide-eyed as Rambeau piloted the fighter craft gently inside... After disembarking and passing through a dark corridor, Talos suddenly picked up a small toy ball, quickened his pace, and displayed an urgent expression.

By the time they walked into the main hall, the Flerken in Hao Yun's arms leaped out, bounding toward an object very familiar to Hao Yun.

Finally, I see you, the Tesseract.

Hao Yun smiled faintly, stepped forward, and picked up the Cube with his hand... Space energy and laws transformed into fine blue threads in that moment, pouring frantically out of the Tesseract and wrapping around Hao Yun.

Carol's expression tightened, and just as she was about to act, the threads dissipated, lasting less than three seconds.

However, Hao Yun knew that with this contact, combined with the insight into the Eye of Agamotto permitted by the Ancient One and his previous comprehension of the laws of space and time, his understanding had temporarily reached the peak of the current stage!

To improve further, or even to shuttle across various universes by virtue of the laws of space-time, would require reaching the realm of the Two Poles or the Prime Unity.

After all, if one is not a saint, how can one control space and time? Even a Golden Immortal of Da Luo merely achieves transcendence for oneself.

"Steven Zhou, are you alright?" Carol asked, looking at Hao Yun with a hint of concern.

Hao Yun shook his head at her. "I'm fine, just had a little epiphany. Here you go." Casually picking up the toy box nearby, he placed the Tesseract inside and handed it to Carol...

Earth-born as they were, they all focused their attention on the Tesseract, and no one noticed Talos standing in the middle of the hall, throwing back his head and chanting!

"Hum!~ Ah!~ Woo!~"

A strange sound echoed through the hall, and five or six gaps opened in the surrounding walls, resembling doors leading to other rooms... From within the doors walked many green-skinned, pointy-eared Skrulls who looked very much like Talos!

Judging by their attire, they must have been civilians? So, what Talos said was true—Dr. Lawson really was helping these Skrulls! And the Skrulls really were space refugees?

Skrull after Skrull emerged from the doorways. The one in the lead, appearing to be a female alien, rushed forward the moment she saw Talos and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Talos!~"

The two hugged fiercely, touching foreheads and kissing... serving everyone a massive dose of romance.

"He didn't come here for the Tesseract."

Rambeau watched the scene with emotion, while Hao Yun touched his nose. Indeed, perhaps the Secret Invasion in the comics was just a last resort in the cinematic universe?

Looking at the current situation, they were merely seeking refuge.

Having lost their planet and their country, no matter how advanced their technology or how mysterious their shapeshifting abilities, the Skrulls were nothing more than interstellar refugees.

Perhaps all they ever wanted was a home.

"Chirp, chirp."

A young Skrull walked over, grabbed Hao Yun's hand, and led him to an arcade machine, proudly boasting about the high score on the screen.

Nick leaned in to take a look, seeing the top score...

"Heh, if you played only this one game year after year for six years, I could get the high score too."

"Fury, you know too much!"

Hao Yun rolled his eyes in annoyance. This guy was a master at ruining the mood! Didn't he see that everyone was immersed in a touching moment?

"I'm sorry..." Carol looked apologetically at Talos and his wife. She had also participated in the war that defeated the Skrulls back then.

"Don't blame yourself, that was war, and my hands are stained with blood too. But now, we just want to find a home and rescue thousands of Skrulls from across the galaxy," Talos said generously, a savior's light gleaming in his eyes.

"Clack, clack..."

Hao Yun frowned, walked over to Carol and Talos, and silently gestured toward the direction of the corridor entrance.

"Someone's coming, I heard footsteps!~ It's combat boots just like yours!~"

Carol's breath hitched instantly, and she guessed the identity of the newcomer. Who else could wear the exact same combat boots as her besides the Kree strike team?

The person arriving must be Yon-Rogg, whom she had alerted, along with his elite team!

"Pay no attention to them for now, I want to hear what they have to say!" Carol whispered quietly to Hao Yun. Through their brief fight against the Skrull sniper earlier, she had learned of Hao Yun's combat prowess. If he stepped in, aside from herself, probably none of the Kree team members would be a match for him.

"No problem, just don't overdo it." Hao Yun nodded and retreated to Rambeau's side... Nick Fury? What did he have to do with him!