Kon-Rao stood silently as Coulson finished his apology, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was thinking about the entire history of humanity and how it had been defined by one constant factor - they kept fighting amongst themselves.
Generation after generation, the pattern repeated.
When one generation learned of the consequences of their conflicts and tried to make things right, they reached their natural lifespan limits and died.
Then the next generation, not having experienced those harsh lessons firsthand, would repeat the same mistakes all over again.
The cycle was endless, perpetuated by humanity's short lifespans and their inability to maintain institutional memory across generations.
What one generation learned through blood and suffering was forgotten by the next, dismissed as the concerns of old men who didn't understand the "modern world."
And right now, these countries have nuclear bombs.
Weapons capable of destroying this entire planet multiple times over. And who were they made to attack? Not some external threat. Not dimensional invaders or alien armadas.
No, they were made to threaten their fellow humans.
Nations pointed these weapons of extinction at each other over ideological differences, territorial disputes, and perceived slights to national pride.
It was madness from a Kryptonian perspective. A species creating the means of their own extinction and then threatening to use it against themselves over trivial disagreements.
Though it was ironic, as even Kryptonians dug out their own graves at their end, literally. Though at the very least, they survived for millions of years and went out to conquer multiple sectors of the universe.
But these humans might surprise him and blow themselves up the next day.
The humans would not fully unite under a single banner unless and until there came an external threat like a massive invasion that endangered their entire species. Only existential danger seemed capable of overcoming their tribal instincts and petty conflicts.
But for now, the humans would continue to fight as they had done for thousands of years.
On the contrary, the Kryptonians were different from them in their trajectory of progress as a civilization.
The early Kryptonians were much like humans. Separated into different tribes based on regions, color, and a few other foolish reasons.
They would engage in tribal wars. Killing and plundering the other tribes while making sure that their own tribe was prospering was the sole aim of every member of a tribe.
This continued for countless years. Tribes evolved into kingdoms, yet the internal wars continued.
But everything changed when Rao emerged. From then on, Krypton was on its rise. After Rao, his descendants continued the Empire.
Until one of Kon-Rao's ancestors disbanded their Imperial Authority, and the Council took over.
Their progress as a society would continue to rise and fall like waves on a graph - periods of advancement followed by collapse, enlightenment followed by dark ages, cooperation followed by devastating wars.
He could change that, of course. With Kryptonian technology and his own powers, he could impose order on this chaotic world. He could unite humanity under a single government, eliminate their weapons of mass destruction, and guide them toward a more rational society.
But for now, he did not see the worth in helping them achieve what they seemed fundamentally incapable of achieving themselves. The plan was still the same - acquire the things needed from this planet that could empower Krypton, and then largely forget about this world and its self-destructive inhabitants.
Earth would serve as a resource base and nothing more. Let the humans continue their endless cycles of conflict while Kryptonians built an empire among the stars.
Just then, Diana spoke, breaking through his contemplation. "Coulson, this is His Majesty Kon-Rao, the Emperor of Kryptonians."
Coulson's eyes widened for a brief moment. He had clearly not expected the other party to be the leader of an entire race. The revelation recontextualized everything that had happened so far.
Though now his indifferent demeanor made perfect sense to Coulson.
This was not just some powerful individual - this was a sovereign, a ruler, someone accustomed to command and political maneuvering at the highest levels.
Coulson even felt a twinge of regret at his earlier decision to let the Commander provoke this individual. He now suspected that Kon-Rao had seen through his little psychological test. After all, the man was an emperor, and in Coulson's experience, most rulers were well-versed in statecraft and political manipulation.
Still, Coulson could not apologize for his actions now. Doing so would be basically admitting to what he had done, confirming that it had been a deliberate test rather than simply poor timing. For now, the other party had chosen to ignore it, so Coulson decided he would not bring it up and risk insulting an emperor.
But Coulson's mind was racing.
He did not know anything about the Kryptonians. There was no race by that name in SHIELD's extensive database of known species. Were they from Earth originally? From another planet? Another dimension?
Still, professionalism demanded he respond appropriately. "Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Agent Coulson of SHIELD. We work to protect this planet from... threats."
He had been about to say "extraterrestrial threats" but caught himself.
There was a distinct possibility that this person might be from another planet, making such a statement diplomatically awkward.
Then again, there were many races living on Earth - some even predating humans. Vampires, Eternals, Deviants, mutants, and countless others. So there was a chance that Kon-Rao's race might actually be from Earth despite the unfamiliar name.
Better to keep the statement vague and avoid potential offense.
Coulson then gestured to the red-haired woman beside him. "And this is Agent Natasha Romanoff, also of SHIELD."
Natasha had been studying Kon-Rao intently from the moment she arrived. Her training as a spy made her naturally observant, and she was cataloging every detail about this mysterious emperor - his bearing, his micro-expressions, the way he held himself with absolute confidence.
She stepped forward with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty."
Kon-Rao simply nodded at them both, acknowledging their introduction without offering any information in return.
The silence stretched for a moment before Coulson decided to try gathering more information. He softened his voice, adopting a tone of respectful curiosity.
"Your Majesty, if I may ask, could you tell us more about your people? The Kryptonians are not in our records, and we like to maintain relationships with all species that visit Earth."
"There is no need for you to know that," Kon-Rao replied flatly.
The directness of the rejection caught Coulson off guard, but he recovered quickly.
"I understand your reluctance to share information with strangers, Your Majesty. We mean no disrespect. It's simply that when powerful individuals appear on Earth, we have a responsibility to understand their intentions and capabilities."
He spread his hands in a gesture of openness. "We're not asking for state secrets or military intelligence. Just basic information that would help us understand who you are and where you come from. It would go a long way toward building trust between your people and ours."
Before Kon-Rao could respond, Natasha cut Coulson off. Her voice was direct and lacked the diplomatic softening that Coulson had been using.
"Your Majesty, we simply wish to know whether or not you are a threat to Earth's security."
Kon-Rao turned his attention to Natasha, studying her for a moment. There was something in his expression that might have been approval.
'At least someone has the decency and nerve to ask a question directly instead of dancing around it,' he thought.
This one understands that sometimes directness is more respectful than false pleasantries.
"No," he said simply. "I am not a threat to this planet."
Coulson smiled, genuine relief showing on his face. "That's all we need to know, Your Majesty. We appreciate your candor."
Though internally, Coulson was thinking that while he would very much like to know more details about this emperor and his race, it was clear from Kon-Rao's demeanor that he would not be getting any additional information today.
Perhaps some other day, after they had established more trust.
Just then, the ocean began to shake, and so did the ground. Not the gentle rolling of waves, but a violent trembling that sent water surging in unnatural patterns.
Everyone turned toward the water, and what emerged made even Kon-Rao focus his full attention on the sight.
....
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