"Slade, how's the training going?"
New York, 1998. Deep within the underground training facility of LexCorp, Reid strolled through the vast corridors, his gaze sweeping over the bustling activity around him.
Not far away, in a spacious underground plaza, a large number of mercenaries trained under the strict supervision of their instructors. Each one had been carefully selected and cultivated by LexCorp, molded into a formidable force.
Beside him, Deathstroke matched his stride.
"The training is showing results," he reported. "Right now, these men could go head-to-head with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s regular agents."
"And if we factor in the weapons and equipment provided by LexCorp?" Reid asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Then it would be a one-sided slaughter."
A satisfied smile tugged at Reid's lips. His force was finally taking shape. Outwardly, he was still just an ordinary assistant, but the power surrounding him had already grown strong enough for him to walk unchallenged across Earth.
The past three years had been quieter than he had anticipated.
In 1998, one notable event had taken place in the larger world, Natasha Romanoff had become Black Widow and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. But to Reid, that was a trivial matter. He had no intention of interfering.
Recent intelligence confirmed that Fury had indeed gained Widow's assistance. Additionally, Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as well.
Reid couldn't quite remember the exact timeline of when Hawkeye joined S.H.I.E.L.D. in the movies. But just like Natasha, he wasn't someone worth paying special attention to.
Sure, back when he watched the films, he had thought Black Widow looked stunning, especially in the first Avengers movie. But in this real Marvel world, good looks wouldn't protect anyone from the snap of the Infinity Gauntlet.
Meanwhile, Luthor had already secured his position as mayor of New York City. By the year 2000, he was expected to become governor, and if things proceeded as planned, by 2008, becoming President of the United States wouldn't be out of reach.
With LexCorp's resources and an increasing number of DC characters backing him, this rise to power would only accelerate.
"If the training is going well, then come with me. There's somewhere we need to go."
"As you command," Deathstroke responded.
Unlike other characters who often voiced their own thoughts, Deathstroke summoned by the follower card treated Reid as his permanent employer. He had never once disobeyed an order or done anything unnecessary.
And that was exactly what Reid appreciated the most.
Before long, they left the underground facility and boarded a LexCorp aircraft. Under the guise of a field inspection, they headed toward a farm in Kansas.
Mentioning Kansas naturally led most to think of Superman. Unfortunately, however, the task involving Batman had yet to be completed after three years.
According to the system, Batman's character mission was customized based on the current situation.
It was called "Destroy the Mutant Organization."
The system clearly possessed a certain level of foresight. It had predicted that after acquiring the Batman card, Reid would inevitably come into conflict with mutants, which was why it had issued this mission.
Unlike other tasks, this one was particularly difficult. But that only made Reid more eager to see what kind of reward he would receive upon completing it. For now, though, he had to deal with an incoming guest in Kansas.
Under the cover of night, a massive spaceship descended onto the farm, its arrival going unnoticed. The land was, after all, under LexCorp's ownership.
As the hatch opened, many green-skinned Skrulls emerged, their expressions wary yet hopeful.
"Long time no see, Reid."
Accompanying them were Carol and J'onn. Their covert return to Earth had been deliberate, avoiding all forms of detection. The reason was simple.
Following Reid's orders, Martian Manhunter had been subtly interfering, preventing them from ever finding a suitable planet for the Skrulls to settle on. The Kree Empire's influence was too vast. With the Kree relentlessly hunting them down, it was nearly impossible for the Skrulls to establish a home anywhere.
At the same time, Carol knew she couldn't lead an ever-growing Skrull population into open war against the Kree. Their only viable solution had been to return to Earth.
That was why, following Martian Manhunter's suggestion and after three years of struggle, the Skrulls who had once left Earth had now returned. And their numbers had grown more than tenfold. During those years, Carol and J'onn had continued to find and rescue new Skrull refugees, offering them a safe haven.
"Carol, you're really handing me a massive headache. Housing this many Skrulls on Earth isn't exactly a minor issue."
"Then how can I make it up to you? Should I give you a pager like Fury's, so you can contact me anytime?" she teased.
Reid shook his head. He had only been joking. The Skrulls' return had been part of his plan all along, orchestrated through Martian Manhunter.
"No need. I'll take care of it."
"In that case, we'll be on our way."
Seeing that Reid had no objections, Carol let out a relieved sigh. At the end of the day, he was still human. She had worried he might resist allowing so many Skrulls to stay.
"Alright, off you go!"
After leaving the majority of the Skrulls on Earth, Carol, J'onn, and Talos took a smaller group of combat-trained Skrulls and departed.
A moment later, one of the Skrulls stepped forward and extended his hand toward Reid.
"Um, my name is Gravik. I was rescued from a star system 200 light-years from the Solar System. I look forward to working with you."
Reid grasped his hand firmly, offering a polite smile. "Welcome. LexCorp has prepared underground living quarters for you, but be mindful not to reveal your true forms in front of ordinary humans. Also, it's not just LexCorp that's willing to accommodate the Skrulls. You'll need to meet with Nick Fury from S.H.I.E.L.D. at some point. I'll make the arrangements."
Mentioning Nick Fury was inevitable. If Reid didn't want Fury constantly breathing down his neck in the coming days, he had to involve him in the Skrulls' settlement.
"I understand," Gravik nodded. "General Talos has already informed me of everything I need to know. We Skrulls won't cause any trouble."
With that, he led his people toward the transport vehicles LexCorp had arranged. They would be discreetly relocated to settlements across the U.S. via fifty different routes to avoid attracting attention.
Once they were out of earshot, Reid turned to Deathstroke.
"Slade."
"What do you need, boss?"
"Luthor has developed a specialized neurosurgery procedure for the Skrulls. Start with Gravik."
"Understood."
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