Chapter 56

The battlefield burned with the aftershocks of titanic clashes. Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, hovered in the sky, golden energy crackling around her like a living sun. Below her, a dozen psionic clones stood, their crimson eyes gleaming as their ethereal forms shifted and pulsed with raw power. They weren't physically imposing, but their strength lay elsewhere—in the overwhelming might of their minds.

Carol clenched her fists, feeling the residual force of her previous exchanges with them. Each time she blasted through one, it dissipated into nothingness, only for another to materialize in its place. They weren't like the Kree soldiers she had fought countless times before. They were something else—something more.

Lin Fan observed the battle from his flagship, seated in the command deck with arms crossed. The Kree homeworld was on high alert, their defenses struggling to comprehend the nature of the invaders. The moment the clones launched their assault, panic had rippled through the empire.

"Status report?" Lin Fan's voice was calm yet authoritative.

"Supreme Intelligence has dispatched reinforcements, but they won't arrive for at least twenty minutes," Ebony Maw responded. "Captain Marvel is the only significant resistance at the moment."

Lin Fan nodded. "Good. Let the clones handle her."

Back on the battlefield, Carol launched forward, her body glowing with radiant light as she slammed through three clones at once. The impact sent out a shockwave that shattered the surrounding cityscape, but the psionic entities simply reformed, their spectral energy knitting back together effortlessly.

The clones, undeterred, retaliated. Their collective will surged as they summoned massive constructs of psionic energy—titanic hands and blades that slashed through the air with deadly precision. Carol dodged with agility honed through years of battle, weaving between attacks, her photon blasts incinerating any construct that neared her.

But the clones adapted. One created a cage of shimmering energy, forcing her to burst through it with raw force. Another shaped an enormous spear, hurling it with terrifying speed. Carol barely managed to deflect it with a well-timed energy burst.

Her breathing was heavy. These things weren't just attacking her—they were learning. Every failed strike refined their next move. They weren't just puppets; they were strategists.

Then, something changed.

The clones halted their attacks and began to merge. Their bodies collapsed inward, melding into one another like liquid light. A single entity emerged, its presence oppressive and vast, its psionic aura warping the space around it. This new form was no longer a mere projection—it was something far greater.

Lin Fan's lips curled into a small, satisfied smile as he watched from afar. "Let's see how she handles this."

Carol's instincts screamed at her to act. She charged forward, unleashing a devastating photon blast, but the fused clone raised a hand, and the attack simply ceased to exist. The energy was unraveled before it could reach its target, dissipating harmlessly into the void.

Carol's eyes widened. "That's new."

Before she could react further, the entity struck. It didn't move in a traditional sense—it willed itself forward, and suddenly it was upon her. A massive psionic fist slammed into her gut, sending her hurtling through the sky like a meteor. She crashed into the remains of a Kree battleship, the metal folding around her on impact.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself free, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. Her body ached, but she refused to let this thing win. With a roar, she surged forward, golden energy flaring like a supernova.

The battlefield trembled as the two clashed again. Each strike sent out waves of destruction, turning the landscape into an apocalyptic ruin. Carol fought harder than she ever had before, her mind racing as she searched for a weakness.

Then, she found it.

While the entity was overwhelmingly powerful, it wasn't perfect. Its form shimmered inconsistently at times, revealing that it was still composed of multiple minds acting as one. If she could disrupt that harmony, she could break it apart.

With renewed determination, Carol feinted left, then twisted in mid-air, releasing a concentrated energy pulse. It wasn't aimed at the entity itself, but at the fabric of its being—the psionic field binding it together.

The reaction was immediate. The fusion wavered, its form destabilizing as the minds within struggled against the sudden interference. Carol pressed the advantage, striking again and again, each impact unraveling the cohesion of the entity.

Lin Fan's eyes narrowed as he observed. "She's figured it out."

The entity let out a soundless scream as it fractured, its pieces scattering like dust in the wind. Carol exhaled heavily, sweat dripping from her brow. She had won—but barely.

Then, from the command deck of Lin Fan's ship, a slow clap echoed.

"Well played, Captain," Lin Fan murmured, watching as Carol steadied herself. This was only the beginning.