Chapter 367: Meeting with Kree
Dave stopped at the base of the ship’s ramp. For a moment, he didn’t turn, didn’t answer. The smoke and fire behind him filled the silence.
Then he spoke, his voice flat.
"They would’ve done worse to us. Don’t pretend they wouldn’t."
Natasha didn’t move. "That doesn’t make this any less of a graveyard."
Dave finally turned his head slightly, enough for them to see his face. There was no anger left, just a steady calm.
"I’m not here to make it less. I’m here to end things before they start again."
Shuri’s voice was quiet, but sharp. "You didn’t just end their army. You ended their people."
Dave’s eyes met hers for a second. He didn’t flinch.
"They followed the same banner. They chose this fight. Now it’s done."
Tony landed beside Natasha, his mask folding back. His usual edge was gone, replaced with a tired look.
"So what, that’s just it? Whole planet buried, and you walk away like it was nothing?"
Dave didn’t answer right away. He walked up the ramp, his boots heavy against the metal. At the top, he paused and looked back at them once more.
"It wasn’t nothing. It was mine."
He stepped inside the ship.
The others stayed outside for a few seconds, none of them speaking. The only sound was the distant collapse of what was left of Hala.
Finally, Rhodey shook his head and muttered, "We came here to fight soldiers, not watch a world die."
Natasha holstered her pistols slowly. "No. We came here to win. But now we’ve got to ask if we can live with how it was done."
Shuri didn’t take her eyes off the skyline as the fires spread. "Billions won’t get the chance to ask anything."
The ramp started to rise, pulling them back inside the ship. As the hatch sealed shut, the view of the ruined city vanished, but the weight of it stayed with all of them.
The ship left the ruins behind and crossed the skies until the main Kree capital came into view. Towers of steel and blue fire stretched high, but now the whole place was tense. People were already scared, whispering Dave’s name like a curse and a warning.
When they landed, a group of Kree soldiers didn’t raise their weapons. Instead, they lowered them and backed away. One stepped forward nervously.
"Our Supreme One wishes to speak with you."
Dave walked past them without slowing. The others followed, uneasy but silent.
Inside the main hall, the Supreme Intelligence’s avatar appeared, tall and calm, its voice echoing.
"You bring destruction without balance. This is not how survival is won. You’ve broken what cannot be mended."
Dave stood in front of it, arms crossed. His tone was sharp.
"You think I care about your balance? I could kill you right now. Don’t push me."
The hall went silent. Even the soldiers at the edge looked away.
Dave stepped closer, his voice low but clear.
"Here’s how it is. From now on, Earth is off limits. No armies. No fleets. No spies. You step near us again, and I’ll come back. And next time, I won’t leave anything standing."
The Supreme Intelligence did not argue. Its avatar flickered slightly, then said only:
"...So be it."
Dave turned his back and walked out. The team followed, still processing his words.
As the ship lifted again, Dave finally spoke to them without looking back.
"It’s done. I’m going home. You can stay angry if you want, but Earth’s safe now."
The ship cut through Kree skies, leaving the capital shrinking in the distance. The city’s towers still glowed, but no one followed, no fleet gave chase. The Kree had been struck silent.
Inside the ship, the air was heavy. No one spoke for a while. The hum of the engines filled the silence until Steve finally asked, voice low,
"...Do you even realize what you just did back there?"
Dave sat back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes closed as if resting.
"Yeah. I made sure they’ll think twice before touching Earth again."
Natasha leaned forward, her tone sharp.
"You practically threatened genocide, Dave. That wasn’t diplomacy—that was raw fear."
Dave opened one eye, looking at her calmly.
"Fear works. They’ll remember this more than any treaty or deal. You all wanted Earth safe, right? Well, now it is."
Tony exhaled, running a hand over his face.
"I don’t know if I should thank you or lock you up."
Bruce, still uneasy, muttered,
"Let’s just get home. The longer we stay out here, the more dangerous this gets."
No one argued with that.
The ship slipped into jump-space, stars blurring into streams of light. For the first time in hours, everyone leaned back, exhausted. The battle, the city, the threat—it was all behind them now.
But in the Kree capital, silence lingered. The Supreme Intelligence’s avatar watched the void where Dave’s ship had disappeared. Its cold voice spread through the command chamber:
"He is not a soldier. He is not a diplomat. He is something else entirely. We will not move on Earth... not yet."
The room of Kree commanders said nothing. For the first time, the mighty empire hesitated.
***
The jump ended with a shudder, and the familiar blue-green orb of Earth came into view. Relief swept the cabin, but no one said it out loud. The silence was telling enough—each of them wrestling with what had just happened.
The ship touched down at the Avengers’ base. The ramp lowered, and the team walked out under the warm sunlight. It should have felt like victory. Instead, the weight in the air followed them home.
Steve stopped Dave before he could head off. His voice was steady, but his eyes held that unshakable resolve.
"Dave... we need to talk about what you did."
Dave didn’t turn right away. He glanced at the horizon, then back at Steve.
"What I did kept Earth safe. That’s all that matters."
"No," Steve shook his head, stepping closer. "What matters is how we protect it. Fear only lasts so long before it turns into hate. You think the Kree won’t prepare now? You think they won’t find a way to come back stronger?"
Natasha crossed her arms.
"He’s right. You scared them, but fear makes enemies reckless. We need to be ready for the fallout."
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