Emma, it's not good. Liv sent her through the link. Peter says he has control of the ship and has disabled the other two. The New York rescue operations are going much smoother now you've taken out the two heavy hitters, but Jean. and Liv paused, Jean is not doing so good.
We know. Their leader is a zealot, let me see what we can do. Is, is Jean okay?
Liv hesitated. Jean is physically fine. Shuri calmed her, but, we cannot deal with that right now. We still have Kree to deal with
Emma looked over at Carol. Yon was wiping off the blood from his mouth and the pair continued to trade blows. This was personal for the pair, but with Wakanda devastated, Genosha gone, and the rest of the world reeling at the death toll, it was personal for them all.
Personal enough that she knew this wasn't a stand back and watch moment,
Yon froze as Emma wrapped him in a telekinetic bubble. She would never admit it, but feeling Jean use her powers alongside hers gave her some better ideas on how to use them, and as she conjured several smaller bands around him, he struggled to move.
Purple energy crackled over his skin and Emma felt the feedback. Her head felt like it was splitting and rather than deal with the pain, she shifted into her diamond form and charged, raining a heavy blow into his jaw, coupled with another by Carol and as they punched him between them, he faltered and crumpled to his knees.
"We don't have time for this. His implant ties him to that stupid machine doesn't it?" and Carol, huffing as she rested her hands on her knees, nodded, "good, then stand up and connect to it."
Emma stood behind Carol, pulsing her telepathy through the implant in the back of Carol's head, into Yons and then out into the greater galaxy.
It was ingenious, faster than light communications using the same technology they used to transport themselves across the galaxy, only much smaller. You didn't need a whole lot of power when it was a simple system of commands sent as brainwaves.
Precious had shared with the others, and while Emma wasn't as technical as the rest, she knew enough, and with her powers she attacked.
The Supreme Intelligence laughed, You think you can override my programming? and it morphed into Emma's father, I made you, you little whore, and I can unmake you.
Oh please, darling, he died years ago, plus, he isn't even my father. There is only one man I want to call daddy, and he would smash that tiny brain of yours to pieces. Emma pulsed back, and, with Precious he can.
Emma let Precious connect to Peter, who was tied into the ship's communication network.
Emma, I can't hold this for long, The ship is complicated enough without adding a giant supercomputer to it, what do you want?
Dont worry darling, I only need to borrow a little of that power you have.
Emma reached out through their link and grabbed the Mind Stone. She didn't need to touch it like Peter, she already had a connection to it through her powers.
Supreme Intelligence, would you like to play a game. it's called Emma says,
I'm a little teapot short and stout,
here is my handle,
here is my spout,
you can go to hell without a doubt,
take your gun and blow your brains out
Across the Kree empire, on every outpost, on each ship and on every planet, the Kree suddenly froze, pulled out whatever weapons they had, and billions die as they execute themselves.
Most creatures knew rhythm and sought it out. The heartbeat of a mother, seasons, the moon, tidal forces, all different rhythms, and even the stars pulsed out radio waves in an unheard universe of music.
Memories could be linked to rhymes, it was a cheap and easy way to remember something, and it was easy to trick someone into following a beat. Most people did it subconsciously, and apparently, so did the Supreme Intelligence.
The Supreme Intelligence dropped its guard after it expected an attack but found only a song. But Emma used its cadence and rhyme to tag on the last part. By the time it realised it was too late and as its subjects died en mass, it screamed in anger.
YOU DARE! YOU DARE TO TOUCH US. FILTHY MUTANT! It roared back at her, and Yon bucked as its presence in his mind began to overload the processor it had implanted.
WE ARE EONS OLD. WE MADE YOUR PATHETIC SPECIES AND WE WILL TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS!
Now, now darling, such a temper is unbecoming in the elderly. Why don't you just scurry back to whatever shithole the Kree call a homeworld and stay there, like a good little whipped puppy. We have toasters on Earth with more personality than you, and fridges that are smarter as well.
YOU DARE! The Supreme Intelligence screamed and Emma could feel the heat rising through the link, WE WILL BURN THAT ARROGANCE FROM YOU. WE WILL TAKE YOUR PLANET AND MAKE YOU WORSHIP US!
Yes well, the only person I worship is me darling, and you aren't even worth licking my boots clean. And, as you're stuck billions of light-years away, I'm really not impressed.
Yon-Rogg was shaking now, and blood was streaming down his face from his eyes. Carol bit her lip to stop from crying out as the connection between the processor in her neck and his began to spark and burn,
"Emma, stop," she could barely whisper,
Emma, you are hurting Carol, Ravage chastised her, we are upset with you,
Emma grinned, and all you can do is make things hot. My coffee machine can do that, it's pathetic.
As she pulled Carol away from the flaccid body of Yon, she put her hand on the back of her neck, feeling for the small chip that the Supreme Intelligence used to communicate with her. Carefully, using both her own powers and Precious to ease it out, the fingernail-sized wafer floated in a bubble of telekinetic power.
As it sparked and smoked, Yon writhed on the ground, the back of his neck slowly turning black, and with one last cry of agony, he was still.
Emma crushed the chip, "Can't even kill someone. How useless." she remarked as she felt that Yon was still alive. Probing his mind, it was scoured clean, and the Supreme Intelligence had not been kind. "So, do I?"
Carol sat panting and rubbing the back of her neck. "Is he a threat?"
"To public healthcare maybe, but no. He's a shell. It seems his master was unkind and left us to deal with him."
Carol sighed, "then no, leave him. We can hand him to the Asgardians for trial, and they can take care of him."
Peter, what's the situation on the ship? Emma asked him
Dead, that little stunt killed anyone with an implant,
Good, We took care of Yon and the Kree on the ground. Anyone without an implant is either harmless or unimportant and can be captured safely. We still have casualties here though. How is everyone else?
I can still sense some alien minds, and the Asgardian fleet is hanging on at the edge of the system. I think it's the Skrulls through, not all of them could get off-planet as fast as the Asgardians could.
Well, they can stay there for all I care.
Yeah. Stay safe Emma. Wanda?
Yes, Peter, she replied, let me guess. You want me to come and meet you, and then portal you to the other ships?
That would be nice, but if everyone on them is dead, that's not an option. No, I do want you to get Carol, and Carol and I will check each ship. Flying a giant spaceship is hard. And as she's our resident alien, then we need her.
I will be there as soon as I can Peter.
Wanda, just to let you know, in case I'm asleep later, you did good, everyone did good, and he felt their collective laughter and love return back through the link. I love you all, and I'm glad you are all safe.
He sent a private message to Shuri, My heart. I cannot say how I feel, as no words can describe it, I'm sorry is too small. I understand your people need you, stay there, and we will send as much help as we can. Jean, you too. Stay, help with what you can, and know we will be at home waiting for you both.
There was no reply, and he felt the swell of grief coming from Wakanda. Both Shuri and Jean were there in the link but neither had words for him.
Peter slumped against the control panel he was feeding symbskin into. Right now, without having to combat any Kree it was easy enough to set an orbit and leave the ship floating. Once its course was set, he retracted the skin and waved wearily as Flash and Steve both headed onto the bridge.
Talon and Vonya had met, with Laura winning the bet. She had headed back to the control room, and nudged Natasha, who grinning, had sped off to join her sister in the hunt for the remaining Kree.
"Yelena and Natasha are still scouring the ship making sure anyone who resists doesn't resist for long. They are leaving anyone who surrenders though. We got a communication out to the Asgardians that the Kree are dead, and they are heading back." Flash told him as Webb flooded back. "But uh, They won't come down to the planet. They said the treaty wasn't signed and the Kree still have a claim on the planet."
Flash rubbed the back of his head, and looked over at Steve, "it got political."
With almost everyone dead, and the few stragglers aboard either willing to surrender or dealt with by Yelena he relaxed and slumped down.
"I don't care. I've got a big ship, and screw the Kree." Peter paused for a moment, "and screw the Asgardians as well." He was angry at the Kree for invading but just as angry at the Asgardians for letting them. Yon and his forces could have been halted in orbit, and never fired a single shot.
The Asgardians, the Kree, the Skrulls and the Xandarians could all go take a flying leap for all he cared. Intergalactic politics be damned.
Flash just looked at Steve who shrugged,
"Yelena said she passed a canteen a few floors down," and Steve looked over at the physically and emotionally exhausted Peter, "maybe some food would do us all good until someone gets us home." and they left Peter on the bridge with Laura.
Laura came and sat next to him, "See, big bad guy dead, saved the day. Big party, lots of cake," and she leaned over, "and then lots of sex." and he chuckled to himself.
"We need to clean up first, and let everyone grieve."
Nobody knew just yet. T'Challa and Elektra were both gone. Steve would be crushed to hear about Bucky, and he would find out if Erik had a family.
Jean was dealing with the death of Nakia, and if he was honest, Peter didn't even know they were starting a relationship. Her losing control was an issue, and it would ground her until she learn to control them, or if she ever used her powers again. Okoye and Helios were both weighing on her conscience, with the Dora she had accidentally killed.
Wanda already knew about Erik and Pietro, and it was just the rest of the Augments who survived to be told about Charles and Selene. He didn't know what losses the others had suffered, but even with the normal death toll, it would be years before the Earth recovered.
There was a lot of death, and it was only after the fight was won that everyone had their dues to pay. And deal with the assholes who would make their mission to get more than their fair share.
With Charles gone, and Wakanda in ruins, he knew the vultures would soon circle, and all he could do was hope that his giant spaceship was enough to put anyone with the wrong idea in their head put in their place.
Peter slid his fingers into Laura's hand and she looked up at him and smiled,
"Don't worry. Dad always said, kill 'em all, and then go get drunk."
Peter wasn't quite sure that was the saying, but as he was tired, angry and trying to process the scale of what just happened, he closed his eyes and lifted her hand to kiss the back of it. Getting drunk right now sounded like a really good idea.