No one could resist the awe-inspiring presence of an alien warship.
Not even the most old-fashioned history professor.
Inside the Dark Aster, Wanda and the others wandered through its vast corridors, their eyes wide with wonder and curiosity.
Everywhere they looked, exotic Kree technology glowed with eerie luminescence. Control panels hummed softly, their displays flickering with unreadable alien scripts. The walls were sleek yet foreboding, made from metals unlike anything on Earth.
For a moment, they forgot about the war, the battle, and the bloodshed.
They were simply explorers, standing inside a colossal starship, marveling at the impossible.
By the time they reached the bridge—
Gene was already there, waiting for them.
The bridge had been repaired, its damaged systems restored.
Yet—despite the clean-up—scars of battle still remained.
Burn marks, shattered consoles, and deep claw-like gashes on the walls told the story of the fierce struggle that had taken place.
And in the very center of the bridge—
Ronan's lifeless body still lay on the cold metallic floor.
Even in death, the Accuser's presence sent a chill down their spines.
The Sharp Blade Team found themselves instinctively tense, half-expecting the ruthless Kree warlord to suddenly lurch back to life.
Perhaps rise from the dead—
And drag them all into one final, brutal battle.
It took them a while to convince themselves that Ronan was truly gone.
Only then did they allow themselves to breathe—
And take in their new reality.
__
"How Did You Do It?"
Wanda was the first to break the silence.
"How did you manage it?" she asked, her voice filled with both curiosity and disbelief.
Gene shrugged, as if killing Ronan the Accuser was no big deal.
"Hmm… I just eliminated their leader," he said nonchalantly.
"Once the head is gone, the body falls apart."
His tone was so casual, so matter-of-fact, it was almost unsettling.
"So, let me get this straight…"
Spider-Man's voice rose with excitement.
"This twenty-mile-long alien mothership… is ours now?"
Gene nodded.
"That's right," he confirmed. "And I plan to convert this mothership into the new headquarters of S.W.O.R.D."
The words hung in the air.
Aboard an alien warship, floating in the depths of space—
This would be S.W.O.R.D.'s new base.
"The old headquarters felt… too small," Gene added, as if he were merely discussing office renovations.
The group exchanged glances.
This was not what they had expected.
__
A Headquarters in Space?
"So…" Wanda frowned. "Where exactly do we hide something this huge?"
She tapped her chin, thinking hard.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had a habit of hiding things in absurd places—underwater, in the mountains, even floating in the atmosphere.
But this?
A mothership the size of a city?
Not exactly subtle.
"Maybe… Antarctica?" she suggested.
Gene shook his head.
"I'm not bringing this ship to Earth."
Wanda's eyes widened.
"You mean…?"
Gene smirked.
"I'm moving S.W.O.R.D.'s headquarters into space."
For a moment, silence.
Then—
"Awesome!" Pietro cheered, practically jumping.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has its Helicarrier floating in the sky," he grinned. "Our headquarters will be way higher than them!"
Spider-Man couldn't hide his excitement either.
"Okay, that's insanely cool," he agreed.
Gene remained calm, speaking with quiet authority.
"The captured Kree ships—paired with our Eagle-class fighters—will serve as shuttle transports between Earth and the base."
"Access will be strictly controlled. Only authorized personnel will be able to enter."
"Each of you will receive clearance and personal quarters within the headquarters."
Wanda crossed her arms.
"Still… how do you plan to hide this thing?"
"The Kree's technology is far more advanced than you think," Gene explained.
"This mothership is equipped with highly sophisticated optical stealth."
"If it weren't for the Kree Reconnaissance Robot transmitting its unique signal earlier, even S.W.O.R.D.'s satellites wouldn't have been able to pinpoint its location."
Hearing this, the team exchanged glances again.
A hidden space fortress—
Floating silently beyond Earth's atmosphere.
This was no longer just a base.
This was a statement.
S.W.O.R.D. wasn't just a government agency anymore.
They were Earth's first interstellar defense force.
__
"By the way…"
Spider-Man suddenly snapped his fingers.
"What do we do about the Kree prisoners?"
Gene's expression darkened.
"You don't want to know," he said softly.
The answer sent a chill through the room.
__
The battle on Earth was finally ending.
Of all the major cities, New York—had suffered the worst.
It had been ground zero for the most intense fights.
But the true impact of the war wasn't just in the destruction.
For the first time, the people of Earth knew the truth.
Aliens existed.
And not just any aliens—a vast intergalactic empire.
A civilization far more advanced than humanity.
Tony Stark—watching the devastation—felt a shift in his perspective.
When he first built his Iron Man armor, he had been overconfident.
A single man in a suit, capable of taking down terrorists with ease.
But this?
Seeing an entire alien fleet, witnessing a war beyond Earth's control—
His arrogance shattered.
For the first time, he truly understood.
He couldn't protect Earth alone.
The world needed heroes.
They needed an Avengers team.
S.H.I.E.L.D. seized the moment—
And within days, the world knew about the Avengers.
Stark officially converted Stark Tower into their headquarters.
The massive "STARK" sign was removed.
Replaced with something new.
Something symbolic.
The AVENGERS logo now stood proudly, gleaming in gold atop the tower.
Stark Tower was no longer just his domain.
It was now a beacon of hope.
__
The Kree prisoners posed a challenge.
Ordinary prisons? Useless.
These weren't humans.
Earth needed something new.
A scientific genius—one who had long remained in the shadows—stepped forward.
Reed Richards.
He demonstrated an antimatter portal—capable of creating a sealed antimatter space for containing dangerous extraterrestrials.
The only way in or out—
Was through a portal machine built by Reed.
A prison unlike any on Earth.
A perfect prison for aliens.
A new age had begun.
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