Today, after reading Fury and Coulson's minds and finding nothing but emptiness, 'Martian Manhunter' finally realized something.
In this world of superheroes, even ordinary people had their own moments to shine. Having superpowers wasn't the only way to be a hero.
Nick Fury and Phil Coulson—two of the most elite agents humanity had to offer—could still find ways to evade telepathic detection if they were willing to pay the price.
"Hah..."
'Martian Manhunter' let out a deep breath, forcing himself to stay alert instead of relaxing.
Now that he knew they were hiding something from him, he had to be prepared.
...
Aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft, the three of them had taken off later than Carol, yet they arrived at Pancho's Bar ahead of her.
Looking around the place, 'Martian Manhunter' spotted a photograph hanging on the bar's wall—one Carol had left behind after passing her pilot test.
A closer look at the jet in the image revealed a distinct Pegasus symbol on the tail, marking it as part of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.
'America really allows military secrets to be displayed so blatantly in a bar?'
'Martian Manhunter' couldn't wrap his head around it. Forget about "the public's right to know"—if something was classified and leaking it posed a risk, wouldn't it be better for it to not be displayed in a public location like this?
While he was lost in thought, Fury and Coulson had finished securing the bar, leaving only the owner behind to cooperate with their plan.
Still curious, 'Martian Manhunter' attempted to read their minds once more.
But the result was the same. Apart from their recent task of clearing the area, their minds were empty—no stray thoughts, no lingering concerns.
As for the bar owner, Fury and Coulson hadn't told him anything important, so reading his mind was pointless.
Honestly, 'Martian Manhunter' couldn't figure out how they were doing it. Had S.H.I.E.L.D. developed some kind of countermeasure against Charles' telepathy long ago?
In the end, he could only chalk it up to one of humanity's miracles.
...
Not long after, Carol arrived at the bar, just as expected.
The moment she stepped inside, a flood of fragmented memories rushed through her mind.
This roadside bar, sitting quietly by a stretch of desert highway, looked nearly identical to the one she remembered—Pancho's Bar. The microphone, the drum set, the pool table—each item she saw brought back fragments of the joyful times she had spent here.
Eventually, her gaze fell on a photograph hanging on the bar's wall. The jet she had once piloted, marked with the Pegasus emblem.
"What can I get you?"
The bar owner, following the plan, stepped forward.
"Where was this picture taken?"
"Uh... an airport?"
The owner was at a loss. He was just a bartender—how was he supposed to know where his customers got their pictures from, let alone why they were hanging on his wall?
"Where is Project Pegasus?"
Carol didn't notice his discomfort and instead asked an even more impossible question for an ordinary person to answer.
"That's classified."
Before the owner could figure out how to respond, Fury stepped in. Taking the cue, the owner quietly slipped away.
Following behind Fury were Coulson and 'Martian Manhunter'.
"And naturally, your file is classified as well." Fury added.
Carol's gaze lingered on the bandage at the corner of his brow.
"Rough day, Agent Fury?"
"Could've been worse," he replied, rubbing his brow as if the wound was just a minor inconvenience. "Dealt with a space invasion, an alien attack, and even got a last look at a dissected alien corpse. Just another standard workday for me."
'Martian Manhunter' narrowed his eyes. The words were similar to what he remembered, yet something felt off.
Carol, of course, wasn't going to trust Fury immediately. She knew Skrulls could impersonate anyone.
But next, instead of proving his humanity like 'Martian Manhunter' remembered, Fury did something different.
"You think I'm one of those green-blooded freaks?" he said casually, then, without warning, added, "Come on, we're both red-blooded humans, aren't we… Reid?"
In that instant, alarm bells went off in 'Martian Manhunter's' mind.
Fury hadn't confirmed his identity but had deliberately called out his name. The implications were obvious.
At the same time, his telepathy finally picked up Fury's inner thoughts.
'Attack! Hurry up and attack!'
As if responding to Fury's silent command—or perhaps because she picked up on the deeper meaning in his words—Carol's hands instantly flared with pulsing photon energy.
Without hesitation, she fired a photon blast straight at 'Martian Manhunter'.
"Shit!"
He barely had time to cross his arms in defense before the impact sent him flying backward, crashing into the bar counter with enough force to rattle the entire structure.
As he steadied himself, from the scorched wounds on his arms, drops of green blood slowly trickled down.
"Skrull!!"
Carol's eyes turned sharp. Green blood—it was practically ingrained into Kree knowledge that Skrulls bled green. And for Carol, who had fought alongside the Kree in Starforce, attacking any green-blooded alien was pure instinct.
So when she saw 'Martian Manhunter' green blood, she didn't hesitate.
Her energy surged, photon pulses building at her fists until they glowed like miniature suns. Then, she unleashed a thick beam of concentrated energy straight at 'Martian Manhunter'.
"You're not even going to let me explain?"
'Martian Manhunter' let out a bitter chuckle.
As expected, Captain Marvel was one of Marvel's heavy hitters. Even now, before fully mastering her powers, she could still easily injure him in a surprise attack.
The next moment, twin beams of searing heat shot from his eyes, clashing against Carol's photon blast in midair with equal force.
The impact caused a massive explosion, instantly tearing through the bar. The shockwave blasted apart tables, chairs, and decorations, sending debris flying in all directions.
No calculations were needed—S.H.I.E.L.D. was definitely going to owe the owner a hefty compensation.
Meanwhile, the moment 'Martian Manhunter' fought back, Fury and Coulson hit the ground, shielding themselves from the blast wave.
When the dust settled and the smoke began to clear, Carol's expression stiffened.
Because the figure standing before her was indeed an alien—but he was definitely not a Skrull.
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