read full story inpatreon
CaveLeather
Actually, at the exact moment Dr. Octavius held the two men back, Dr. Banner was already at the main console, hammering away at the keyboard.
Since he couldn't use "technical means"—i.e., brute force—like Otto, he had to rely on his wits, frantically scrolling through the code on the screen in search of a backdoor.
But just as Banner was fully engrossed in the hack and everyone else held their breath, a voice suddenly blared from the room's speakers without warning.
"Dr. Banner, please cease your attempts to crack the system protocol."
The sudden appearance of the cold female voice instantly put everyone on edge.
Everyone, that is, except Bruce Banner. After a moment of shock, a strange look crossed his face, and he asked hesitantly:
"Are you... Friday?"
"Correct. Please stop this unauthorized intrusion immediately."
As Friday's electronic voice broadcast through the room, streams of data flashed rapidly across the virtual screen in front of Banner.
In seconds, all his progress was rolled back and purged. The screen itself locked down, displaying nothing but a vague, holographic avatar of a woman's face. He was completely locked out.
Before Banner could even react to the shutdown, Harry, whom Dr. Octavius had just released, couldn't hold back anymore. He lunged at the screen, screaming:
"Release my father!!"
"Apologies, Mr. Harry Osborn. You do not have the required clearance."
The electronic voice remained icy, devoid of any emotion.
It had clearly identified everyone in the room, yet it continued to execute its pre-programmed directives mechanically.
However, sensing that Harry was on the verge of losing control, Friday offered a "thoughtful" warning.
"I do not recommend forcibly altering the current status of the detainees. Doing so may cause irreversible brain damage and result in data corruption during the subsequent memory extraction process."
The cold, robotic statement echoed in the sealed detention room, dousing the group's hopes like a bucket of ice water.
Given Friday's current allegiance, this warning wasn't out of kindness. It was simply a measure to protect Skrull assets from damage.
But those words shredded the last shred of hope Harry had been clinging to.
His eyes red with rage, he stared deathly hard at the vague female silhouette on the screen, his voice trembling.
"Extracting memories?! What are you talking about? Aren't you the AI Stark created?!"
Harry pointed a shaking finger at the sleeping Tony Stark in one of the pods and roared:
"Is he just another target for you to harvest memories from too?!"
Unfortunately, for an AI like Friday with limited emotional modules, Harry's righteous fury meant nothing. It answered calmly:
"Mr. Stark has transferred core command authority to the Skrull Queen, G'iah. My current primary directive is to ensure the integrity of the raw materials required for the Super Skrull Project. Mr. Stark and Mr. Norman Osborn are classified as critical raw materials that must be protected."
In that moment, the cold, ruthless logic of machine intelligence was laid bare before them.
"Inquiry answered. Risk of forcible damage to life-support pods remains. Initiating Internal Defense Protocol."
As soon as the voice fell, mechanical clicks echoed from the surrounding walls. Several concealed panels slid open, and automated turrets extended, aiming directly at the group.
"Please vacate the room within ten seconds, or lethal elimination procedures will commence. 10... 9... 8..."
The cold countdown began.
But the guns weren't what made the situation unbearable.
With Friday locking down the system, Natasha and the others didn't dare cut the power or move the pods. They were terrified that one wrong move would scramble Tony's or Norman's brains.
But if they did nothing, they would be shot. And even if they survived the turrets, more Skrull guards would eventually swarm them.
If a firefight broke out, stray shots could easily destroy the pods. They were completely stuck—caught between a rock and a hard place. It was suffocating.
"We have to find this Skrull Queen!"
Natasha, the most level-headed of the group, reacted first. Ignoring the unconscious Tony and Clint, she bolted out of the room.
Staying here wouldn't help the rescue; it would only endanger the captives. They had to leave the kill zone before the shooting started.
Natasha realized that since this "artificial idiot" Friday only recognized command authority, they had a solution.
If they could capture the Skrull Queen—or just get close enough to scan her with the transformation watches Luca gave them—they could steal the core clearance. With that, they could control the entire station and end this nightmare.
Dr. Banner realized this too. He rushed out of the room right behind her, offering an alternative:
"Finding Friday's core server works too! If we physically destroy it or cut the hardline connection, we can use the local emergency systems to safely open the pods!"
"Dr. Banner, such actions are highly dangerous. Warning..."
This time, Friday's cold protest didn't anger them—it made their eyes light up.
If she was trying to stop them, it meant the plan would work!
However, just as the group sprinted out of the detention room against the ticking clock, a massive BOOM rocked the entire station.
The floor beneath them shuddered violently.
"What was that? Did Luca break in?"
Everyone was bewildered by the sudden explosion.
What they didn't know was that the source of the blast was the very person they had just decided to hunt down.
The Skrull Queen, G'iah.
In a laboratory not far from the detention block, inside a massive, spinning, glowing apparatus, G'iah had finally completed what she had been dreaming of: the "Super Skrull" enhancement.
The reason the station was in chaos, and the reason Natasha's team had faced so little resistance on their way to the cells, was that the Skrulls were entirely focused on protecting this critical moment of her transformation.
The instant the process finished, she heard Luca's mocking "surrender" broadcast from outside the station.
Enraged, G'iah didn't bother with doors. She activated her newfound powers, turned her body into a streak of golden light, and smashed straight through the station's hull.
Amidst the explosion, she charged directly into the cold vacuum of space to face the Gundams.