Not long after, Natasha and Bucky emerged into the main section of the base with their new appearances.
They didn't rush to explore or immediately drag the prisoners onto a transport to the Skrull space station.
While they had gleaned a lot of information from the chatty Skrull supervisor, caution was still paramount. They had his tablet and his clearance codes, so the smart move was to gather more intel before making a move.
Logistics, prisoner transfer protocols, personnel rotations—they quickly memorized every piece of data they could find on the system.
But just as they were scrolling through the Skrull internal database, a squad of Skrulls entered the prisoner holding room.
The leader of this squad clearly outranked "Chatterbox."
Upon entering and seeing Bucky (now disguised as Chatterbox) and Natasha (sporting a new face) huddled together, the leader frowned, his tone dripping with disapproval.
"Will! Screwing around on the job again? And you! Liyas! Didn't you just get married?!"
Natasha and Bucky, initially tense from the sudden intrusion, froze for a second before realizing what was happening. They simultaneously relaxed, realizing their cover wasn't blown.
Following the script, they both feigned embarrassment and shame, muttering incoherently without actually saying anything.
The leader looked at them with disgust.
"Forget it. I don't have time for your drama."
He waved his hand.
His subordinates, looking equally disdainful, carried a body forward.
Natasha and Bucky looked closely. It was the scruffy, muscular man who had woken up and tried to escape at the dock earlier.
Now, he was unconscious again and heavily bound.
"This one has a unique physiology and extreme regenerative capabilities. He's a prime specimen. Arrange for him to be transported back to the Home Base immediately with this batch. Hand him over to the Science Division!"
His subordinates dumped the prisoner onto the floor of the room.
Bucky nodded furiously, acting like a terrified subordinate.
Seeing him so cowed he didn't dare make a sound, the leader snorted in contempt. Without further explanation, he waved his hand and led his squad out of the room.
Once they were sure everyone was gone, Natasha and Bucky dropped the act.
They glanced at the unconscious prisoner, then at each other, and nodded.
"Let's go."
---
Outside the Skrull base.
In the freezing Arctic winds, directly above the underground facility, there was a somewhat conspicuously empty platform.
Standing on it was a small group of Skrulls led by Bucky and Natasha, guarding a collection of human prisoners temporarily sealed in life-support pods.
According to protocol, Bucky sent the communication request.
Moments later, a beam of light shot straight down from the distant sky.
Accompanied by a low hum, a massive, hexagonal craft descended rapidly along the beam, almost like a space elevator.
It slowed as it neared the ground, finally opening its doors.
Looking at this bizarre aircraft—which emitted blinding light from every angle and rode a laser beam up and down from space—Natasha and Bucky didn't show the slightest surprise. They quickly ordered the other Skrulls to load the prisoners onto the elevator.
---
"Sir, we have the latest coordinates from Miss Romanoff!"
In the command room back in New York, Hakimi's voice rang out.
Luca immediately switched the main screen, bringing up the encrypted message sent by Natasha from the infiltration team.
The others crowded around, excitement visible on their faces.
"Did they find it?!" Harry asked impatiently.
Luca nodded firmly, then turned back to Hakimi.
"How long until the Dark Goddesses return?"
"Within three minutes, all three units will be back in the hangar and undergoing maintenance."
Luca nodded. He turned to face Banner, Harry, and the rest of the team.
"Everyone, get ready."
"According to the plan, I'll draw their fire!"
The smiles faded from their faces, replaced by serious determination.
---
Inside the Gundam hangar, Luca was already suited up in his pilot suit. With a few quick leaps, he was inside the cockpit of the Boxer Gundam.
The tech for pilot suits had always been in the Aurantius Haro database, but since Luca usually fought within Earth's atmosphere, he hadn't needed them.
Now, with the Dark Goddess units using Hell Engines (requiring particle isolation suits for the pilots) and the upcoming battle taking place in space, protective gear was mandatory.
Luca had even fabricated custom space combat suits for Gwen and the others, though they weren't with him right now.
Inside the Boxer cockpit, he booted up the system and placed his "co-pilot," the Aurantius Haro, into its slot.
He piloted the Gundam onto a special underground launch platform.
Beside the Boxer, the three Hell Engine Gundams—freshly returned and resupplied—were already in position.
However, instead of launching immediately, massive robotic arms surrounded the four mechs. They began "packing" them, encasing each Gundam in a streamlined, shuttle-like metal shell.
---
Above ground.
The "Shapeshifter Detection Spire" that Luca and the Avengers had publicly claimed they were building on the ruins of New York suddenly split open with a deafening roar.
Amidst the grinding of massive gears, the structure transformed.
This so-called "detection tower" unfolded, revealing its true form: a gigantic, dual-rail electromagnetic catapult aimed at the sky!
That was the secret.
Luca had never intended to build a tower just to detect Skrulls. He already had the tech for that, and if the goal was just detection, he would have built them worldwide simultaneously.
The public announcement was a ruse—a way to draw the Skrulls' attention without provoking an all-out war prematurely.
What he had actually built, right under their noses, was this.
A Mass Driver for launching Gundams into space!