" Racism and injustice and violence sweep our world, bringing a tragic harvest of heartache and death. "

- Billy Graham

(Vezelay, France: 9:00 PM)

At this dark and raining evening, the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine had stood strong and firm in the midst of the Kree-Lizard invasion. The other buildings of the town got dismantled and some were standing. The invaders had patrolled around the streets which this place was once a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was a now like the other places of the world where they were in ruins. The two hybrid men and Ignatius Knightfall were riding on the truck where they headed themselves to another raiding operation.

" There, guys..." the long-haired man pointed at the mansion. " That place was used to be a home for the noblers, but now it's a den of slaves or prostitutes for those bad aliens. "

" So, what's going to be? " Jared asked.

" Fury asked us to raid this house, " the Kree-Lizard hybrid answered. " If we find more living people, let's spare them. "

" But what if they're dead? "

" You can have me as the incinerator, " Ignatius replied and pointed at himself. " But, we need to pay our final respects, before I perform the funeral pyre. "

" Honorable, but morbid..." the other lizard sadly commented.

" Right, " the boy nodded in agreement.

" Okay, let's get into this...Ready, Svet the Russian Lizard? "

" Da! "

The three men parked the truck near the mansion's gate and left. They approached the blue-skinned guards and pointed their weapons at the newcomers. The Kree-Lizard boy and his companions instantly raised their hands when the Kree intently stared and inspected them. The newcomers felt uneasy for this checkpoint encounter.

" Do you have any official business? " the guard sternly asked.

" My name is Ilya Solokov, " the hybrid boy replied in his heavy Eastern European accent and introduced his companions, thinking of aliases. " These are my two friends, Dietrich Stein and Pierre Saint Jacques. We are looking for the man named Taryan. Will you take us to him? "

The guards exchanged glances and murmured in their own language. Ignatius and Jared turned around while they were waiting for their response. The head guard crossed his arms and turned to the visitors.

" Lord Taryan is no longer existing, " he answered. " His son Kasius is now the evil overlord. Tell us, what's your real purpose? "

" We are looking for fine Earth women, " the hybrid boy grinned. " My friends told me that French women are more attractive than Germans or my fellow Russians. It's for our pleasure, not for skirmish or anything. "

" Come right, this way. "

" Thank you, comrade."

The three entered the mansion as the guards were keeping their eyes on them. They suspiciously glared at the visitors and murmured. The Kree-Lizard boy felt even more uncomfortable than ever. He turned to his friends and thought of something. They entered the place where there were more people coming and going around the hallways. Some of them were doing hard labor as their handlers were sternly watching on them. On the other side, there were women walking around with some extraterrestrial men into their rooms. At the farther side of the mansion, a crowd had flocked and watched the tournament of some Inhumans and other races. Ignatius was also uneasy in seeing all of these things happening inside the large mansion. Jared and his friend turned their attention to the Remnite man.

" Guys, this is why I violently raid this place, " he whispered to his companions. " Now, these guys are responsible for everything. "

" Right, " Jared nodded. " I better check with the tournament and play along. "

" I'm going with you, pal, " Ignatius nodded and turned to the other hybrid. " How about you, Svet? "

" I'll check around the labor side of this place, " the Kree-Lizard boy answered and caught his attention to the man and his daughter arguing with their handlers. " Let's split up. "

" Right, " the other two nodded.

 The Kree-Lizard boy eavesdropped at the other lizard and the father and daughter which they were angrily yelling. He widened his eyes in shock when he saw the man got flogged as his daughter cried. The boy closed his eyes as he didn't want to see the pain from the worker. Hearing a loud shriek from him, the hybrid thought of hindering the lizard handler. The other worker slaves turned their attention and stopped working. Their blue skinned leader was watching the man suffering from being whipped. Finally, the boy approached the leader and the handler and cleared his throat.

" Excuse me, " he called their attention as the lizard ceased whipping the man. " I'm just curious, why did you beat him up? "

" You have no right to interfere or question our activities, Russian! " the handler angrily gritted his teeth and spoke.

" Look, comrade. I said I'm just curious. Can't you answer my question? "

The old man and his daughter turned to the conversation as the Kree-Lizard boy looked at them and the other slaves. He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms. The lizard handler wanted to attack the boy as he got stuck from the boy's tight grappling. He was struggling to break free.

" Hey, let me go! "

" I won't let you go unless you answer my question! "

" All right, all right! I'm punishing him for being lazy and talkative at this time of work! He has no right to do that! "

    The Kree-Lizard boy punched the handler's gut and made him stumble down the ground. The laborers were surprised to see his action when the others began to take their tools and hit the other Kree and Lizards. The boy had inspired the slaves to start their revolt against their handlers and overseers. He immediately took the father and daughter away from the scene. The Kree commander noticed the tumult in the labor grounds and took his gun to pacify the situation. The rest of the prostitutes saw what was happening and pushed the men away. Jared and Ignatius exchanged glances and both smiled as the revolution had begun.

The rest of the Kree and Lizard guards were attempting to halt the angry slave mob. The other lizard hybrid took his gun and shot their heads. The other soldiers kept fighting against the slaves which it heightened the riot. Ignatius took a turquoise haired female sea-elf being held as a captive and one of the tournament slaves. The guards hindered the three intruders along with the people being rescued. 

" HALT! " the blue skinned commander pointed his weapon at them. " I order you to put your hands up! "

Ignatius evilly grinned and confronted the humanoid alien. He was igniting his fingers and laughing. Jared and his friend understood what he was doing as they decided to leave the premises along with the people.

" You mean, like this? " the Remnite threw flames at the commander as the other soldiers of the Kree-Lizard legion ran away.

" FIRE! " the lizard yelped in fear and called his fellow men to leave.

" You guys won't escape my fury! "  

 The mansion had gone burning when some of the slaves were running away from the scene. The dark-haired old man and his turquoise haired daughter watched it into flames as they both sighed in relief.

" That was over, " he said.

" What now, Dad? " she asked.

" I don't know if some people here could survive like that. "

Suddenly, the surviving slaves saw a long haired man coming out of the burning building. Ignatius was tired and smiling as his two friends approached him including the sea-elf whom he had spared. The old man and his daughter got surprised to see the Remnite coming to them.

" He surely is not an ordinary person, " the dark-haired man commented.

" Dad, I think he's an Inhuman, " his daughter replied.

" I think so..."

" Sir, you must be? " the Kree-Lizard approached the man and his daughter.

" Dr. Chris Halsey, former engineer and physicist of Stark Industries and at the same time, I was an inventor," the old man introduced himself and shook the hybrid's hands. " This is my daughter, Jade. "

" Thank you for saving us back there, " Jade added. " You must be? "

" Call me, Svet, " the boy smiled and pointed at his two friends. " These are my friends Jared Coulson and Ignatius Knightfall. "

" It's nice to meet you both, " Jared turned to Dr. Halsey and Jade. " So, Dr. Halsey, you're working for Tony Stark? "

" I used to be affiliated with him before this invasion mess came around, " Halsey answered.

" I see, we have a lot to talk about, sir. "

  " Well, you guys are safe for now, " Ignatius added. " No worries, you're gonna be all safe. "

" You're welcome. " the other two nodded. 

(The Next Day: Troyes, France, 6:00 AM)

While eating their breakfast, the Halseys discussed further about their lives during the invasion which the other members of the rebel forces intently listened to the conversation. The Kree-Lizard boy became more interested at the discussion and kept asking more questions.

" Four decades ago, I collaborated with Tony Stark for his armor upgrades and weaponry development, " Dr. Halsey explained. " It's really tiring and tedious, but it is worth it to create some of those. "

" What happened to your works? " the boy curiously asked.

" Gone..." the Stark Industries engineer sadly sighed and held his fork. " The blue skins and their reptilian friends stole them, even those blue prints which me and Tony had planned. Iron Man armors, nuclear warheads, and many of those. I also helped him upgrading his arc reactor. Now, I don't know if I could develop or create those things. "

" I'm so sorry to hear that, sir. "

" Those invaders forced me to work for them. Building and creating weapons for mass-destruction. Damn! I couldn't fight back, even my daughter was forced to do force labor for those creeps! " 

  " Is there a way for us to retrieve your creations? " Jared queried.

" Sadly, I don't know, " Halsey replied with his gloomy facial expression. " They're all gone. Like there's nothing to bring them back. "

" Dad..." Jade gently patted her father's shoulders. " That's why we're asking them for help. "

" Right, " he nodded and turned to his wristwatch. " There's only one invention which those freaks can't stole. "

" Who? " the hybrid boy curiously raised his voice.

 The engineer pressed his smart watch as a holographic female AI appeared on them. She was blue-skinned and attractive to some men who saw her. Jared and his friend got startled to see her. Dr. Halsey and his daughter were pleased to meet her again.

" Gentlemen, meet my loyal assistant, Cortana. "

" Good morning to all of you, " Cortana cheerfully greeted. " I'm one of Dr. Halsey's creations. "

" Hi..." the Kree-Lizard hybrid blushed to meet and greeted her, as his best friend knocked on his elbow. " Jared! "

" Guess what, Bud? Dumbfounded or Infatuated? " the other lizard hybrid smirked and chuckled.

" I admit, she's pretty! "

" Okay, Cortana, " Jade turned to the female AI. " Can you give us some casualty counts from last night? " 

 " Based on the daily slave den casualty counts, we have 23 injured and 145 died in the most violent and revolting counter, " she answered. " Mostly human and non-human slaves killed by the invaders. "

" Damn..." the boy sadly muttered. " Dr. Halsey, how did she know? "

" Every day, Cortana secretly scans the entire place, " Halsey explained and raised his hands in interjection. " She also sees how harsh the condition inside the slave compound and keeps reporting me using messages appearing on my watch. "

" So that means, she surveys it, right? " Jared asked.

" Exactly, she can even tell if a person is missing or not, " the Stark Industries engineer replied and pointed at his neck where the chip was once attached. " She even scans my health condition aside from my inhibitor. "

" A Hacker? "

" Yep, this is why those freaks hated me because I know what they're doing. Cortana knows everything. "

" It was my father who programmed her that way, " Jade added. " Ever since, mother got abducted to New York and we ended up here in Europe. He wanted to take vengeance on those bad guys. So, he secretly invented Cortana out of Kree technology. "

" Really? " the Kree-Lizard boy raised his voice to his astonishment. " Like how come? "

  " I learned some secrets from the great Tony Stark, " Halsey grinned and winked. " I pretended to be loyal to those freaks, but they didn't knew I was gradually throwing shade on them! "

" Good thinking! "

" You know, what? I'm glad that I met you guys and had my damned chip removed. Without you, I could have been dead right now. "

The hybrid chuckled and said, " It was nothing, sir. I saw you how you got badly beaten up. "

" Cortana just beeped there's trouble and you were there to interfere them. "

" Dr. Halsey, my friend and I decided to recruit you in the Rebel Forces, " Jared suggested. " We need men like you to eradicate those invaders. Guess what? We can also help you find your wife and meet your former boss. What do you think? "

  The engineer and his daughter exchanged glances and knew they were about to take the opportunity to help the heroes in times of crisis. They both smiled when the two lizard hybrid men waited for their response. Finally, Dr. Halsey smiled and made his firm decision.

" It looks like I have a second chance to help you guys from your endeavors, " he said. " I'm in along with my daughter and Cortana. I can help you develop your weaponry and communications tech as well as geographic mapping with Cortana. "

" I'm an Inhuman as well, " Jade added. " Perhaps, you guys need some overpowered allies to save these people from those enemies. "

" Sounds good, " the boy smiled and nodded.

" Glad you guys take the initiative, " Jared commented. " Welcome aboard, then! "

 " Oh, by the way gentlemen, where's your other friend? " Halsey curiously asked. " I want to talk him, too. "

" You mean Ignatius? " 

" Yeah, I didn't see him around or was he busy on something else? "

" Jared, let him be, " the hybrid smiled and understood. " They're having a good time in getting to know with each other. "

" I see what you mean, bud, " his friend chuckled.

(Six years later: Rouen, France, 4:45 PM)

" So, this was how you met your new friends here in France? " the elderly blonde woman curiously asked her son, while sitting on her chair.

" Yes, mother, " the boy smiled and nodded. " It was worth it to meet them before I encounter you. Infact, I showed Cortana the map going to France which she got interested to scan it. "

" Really? "

" Yes, I asked her and Dr. Halsey about the Kree Eternal's whereabouts. They tried to find him, but they failed. "

" Sounds like, he's too difficult to locate, " Carol commented and felt puzzled.

" Mom, will I ever see him someday? "

Carol remained silent and thought of where Methu-Selah was. Then, she intently looked at her son and firmly held his hands. The Kree-Lizard boy gave her a curious look.

" Mother? " he asked. " Is there something wrong? "

" You will see him, Kid. You will. You have just to wait. "