After pinpointing the trajectory of the spaceship, the U.S. government, ignoring other nations schadenfreude, was immediately speechless.
Alien invasion!
And why is it always New York that suffers each time?
Immediately, the Secretary of Defense, John Kler, made a call to Anton.
Despite having mentally prepared for such an event, the reality of the crisis still unsettled him deeply.
At the meeting with the World Security Council, nations had endorsed Anton proposal for preparedness against the Skrulls.
Moreover, every country was ready to respond to a Skrull invasion at any moment.
The organizations Anton was affiliated with, the Men in Black and the Justice League, were recognized globally as the first line of defense in crisis situations.
However, the moment the Skrulls actually appeared...
With the Super Skrull, K'lrt, boldly piloting a spaceship and heading straight for New York...
At that moment, John Kler couldn't help but want to curse.
Why New York again?
If there were any mishaps, would newly rebuilt Manhattan need to be reconstructed once more?
That being said, John Kler hadn't realized that he harbored no doubts about the Justice League ability to resolve the situation.
His only concern was whether the damage to New York could be minimized.
"Don't worry."
Anton, on the other end of the phone, was brimming with confidence and chuckled,
"This time, there will be no damage to New York. I can give you the most absolute assurance of that, both in terms of human and property losses."
"Oh?"
John Kler was surprised, "You're that certain?"
"Absolutely."
Anton nodded, "We've been waiting for K'lrt to show up for a long time... you know, we're not afraid of him causing trouble, we're afraid he wouldn't come out at all."
During their brief conversation, Anton stood on the rooftop of a building in New York, looking up at the sky where he could already see a small black dot rapidly approaching.
"It looks like they're almost here... I won't keep you then!"
While talking to Anton, John Kler had been monitoring the position of the spaceship coming from space.
After speaking, he paused for a few seconds, then finally spoke.
"Don't let me down, Anton."
As John Kler hung up the phone, he glanced at the President, who stood beside him, and shrugged.
"What does that mean?" the President asked, puzzled.
"Do we need to deploy the military in advance?"
"There no need. If the Justice League can't stop the Skrulls, then nothing short of nuclear bombardment would work. And honestly, I can't think of any other way to defeat them," Kler responded, shaking his head.
"But Anton said everything is under control. At this point, we just have to trust them."
"Alright then," the President replied, visibly tense but not overwhelmingly so.
Not long ago, during a communication with the World Security Council, Anton, in his capacity as the director of the Men in Black, had already highlighted the potential threats they could face.
Furthermore, during that meeting, Anton had made his stance clear.
He planned to induce panic among the Skrulls to force the hidden Super Skrull, K'lrt, into the open.
Considering this, the current Skrull invasion was indeed something Anton had anticipated.
As Kler had said, now all they could do was trust them.
"Look, what that?"
"A spaceship?"
"No way... not again..."
"Aliens?"
Suddenly, amid the hustle and bustle, a massive dark cloud seemed to descend over New York.
The city was shrouded in shadows.
Amidst gasps, the citizens of New York instinctively looked up.
They saw a gigantic spaceship, akin to an aircraft carrier, hovering mid-air and blocking out much of the sunlight, creating an intense sense of oppression.
For some reason, the New Yorkers stood frozen in place, their emotions complex.
Panic?
It did trigger a small-scale panic.
But to say they were terrified? That might be overstating it.
After countless encounters with the bizarre, the battle-hardened citizens of New York were somewhat used to such occurrences.
If several years had passed without such an incident, they might even miss it a bit.
Of course, at this moment, what most New Yorkers felt was resignation.
"Where the Justice League?"
"That ship has to be an alien spaceship, right?"
"Something not right!"
"Look, someone is flying out of the ship!"
"It a human! A woman!"
"Is it a human?"
"It looks like a damn terrorist!"
The people of New York were abuzz with discussion.
The timid had already found places to hide.
The bold remained still, even finding the time to discuss with those nearby.
Having experienced many such alien attacks before, they had become somewhat seasoned.
Since the aliens hadn't launched an immediate attack, it seemed there might still be room for negotiation.
Much like the villains in movies who always start with a threatening monologue.
"Humans."
Floating in mid-air, her golden hair billowing as if in an unseen wind, the woman, who was none other than K'lrt transformed into Captain Marvel, hovered godlike above New York City.
"I am the leader of the Skrulls, K'lrt."
"From this moment on, either submit to me, and the Skrulls will take over this planet, or the Skrulls will force your submission with absolute military power."
His voice, detached and indifferent, echoed throughout the city.
New Yorkers looked at each other.
Aliens again?
They had initially thought it was a human, but it turned out this humanoid was another alien.
"Where the Justice League?"
"Shouldn't the Justice League be showing up about now?"
The more astute among them were already counting down the usual sequence.
Aliens appear.
The situation grows dire, and the Justice League, led by Batman, makes their entrance.
Finally, Batman saves the day.
This had become the expected routine.
Under the protection of the Justice League, people generally felt secure no matter the situation.
They looked around, feeling confident that Batman was already here.
Perhaps he was secretly observing the self-proclaimed Skrull alien above, ready to intervene at any moment.
"You're expecting the Justice League?"
"You think Batman can save you again this time?"
K'lrt, observing the hopeful faces of the New Yorkers, scoffed, his tone dark.
"This time, no one can save you!"
"Batman…"
"He can't even save himself this time!"
As K'lrt voice echoed through the air, a flurry of figures suddenly burst forth from behind him.
Captain America, Hawkeye, Natasha (Black Widow), Sandman, Doctor Octopus, Killian, Spider-Man, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Daredevil, Electro, Venom, the Fantastic Four, Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn, Goblin, the Lizard Doctor, and the Hulk...
The crowd was stunned, their eyes wide as they recognized several former members of the Avengers among the figures.
"Has the Avengers mutinied again?"
"No, wait!"
"This time even the Justice League has turned!"
The onlookers were both confused and alarmed by the sight of these familiar heroes apparently siding with the Skrull invasion force, their emotions a mix of disbelief and fear, questioning what could have caused these beloved characters to align with their enemy.
This spectacle raised not only the tension but also the stakes, as the battle for Earth future suddenly took on an even more desperate tone.