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V. The Skrulls

Chapter Five
Sam

The world leaders are yelling so loudly, all at once, and with little regard for professionalism. It's hard to understand what any of them are saying, but it's not hard to guess. Soroya and I just informed them that Carol, Kieran, Naomi, and Jade are going to seek aid from the Skrulls. They're not happy.

As usual, the only world leader who isn't screaming their head off at us is Zy. He's sitting down on top of the hotel room desk while Soroya and I stand a few feet away. We're having this meeting in Soroya and Bucky's hotel room, the holograms of the other world leaders are taking up most of the cramped space.

"We will not accept aid from aliens! Aliens coming to earth is exactly what has gotten us into this mess! What's to stop the Skrulls from deciding to take over once they're finished with the Kree?" The English king shouts in fury.

"We will not accept it! You will call those idiotic girls and tell them to return here!" The Russian president shouts in frustration.

"When this war is over the Avengers are finished!" The French president shouts with a sneer our direction.

"You can kiss your jobs goodbye! We should have known better than to trust the Captain America knock off and HYDRA's shapeshifter beast!" The Chinese president shouts.

That one gets Zy's attention. He stands up and marches up to the holograms, his voice booming as he says in a raised voice: "You will not speak in such a disrespectful way to any member of this council. Have any of you no dignity? No honor? How can you use degrading names when all Director Roberts and Director Wilson are doing is trying to save our planet. We would all be dead many times over if not for them, and we will once again face death unless we get aid from an army with technology to rival the Kree's. The directors were also trying to tell you that the refugees have settled in Wakanda and the last of the supplies have been shipped, but you refuse to listen for a single moment. You never listen, even to save your own lives you won't listen."

"Careful, your-"

"I will not be careful!" Zy now shouts, disgust and disappointment flooding into his features. "We don't deserve the Skrulls help if this is what we've become: squabbling children who only care about their own self interests and not the interest of their people. None of you deserve your positions, none of you know a single thing about being a leader. If you did, you wouldn't act the way you do. When this war is done, changes will be made, serious changes."

"And who will make these changes?" The Brazilian president asks with crossed arms.

"Me," Zy replies, crossing his own arms, his chin held high. "When the Skrulls help us win the war, I will make sure to let the people of earth know that it was the Avengers idea to ask for aid. I will tell them that all of you wanted to refuse, I will tell them every petulant, idiotic, snide remark all of you have made, and then we'll see who sits in your positions then, hopefully someone who sees leadership as a duty to their people and not themselves."

"You're twenty two, barely an adult, what do you know of any of this? Of the world? Why must we stand here and be lectured by a child trying to fill his father's big shoes?" The US president asks the council, who all seem in complete agreement.

Zy has been training his whole life to keep a mask of sophistication and diplomacy when in front of others, but anyone who knows him well, knows those words struck a blow. I sneak a glance at Soroya and find her staring at her nephew in concern. She knows the nerve the president just hit. Zy keeps it together though.

"Age is only a number, and despite my youth, I act more like an adult than any of you do. And unlike you, I care about my people's lives more than my pride. The Skrulls will come, we will win this war, and then we will restore the reputation of Earth and make sure that leaders are chosen who actually deserve to lead. Now, the Kree arrive tomorrow, we must make the rest of the preparations. See you at the battle." And then he ends all three of our transmissions, leaving Soroya and I speechless. It's so strange to me that Zy believes he's a lesser king than T'Challa was. What Zy just did, the way he carries himself, is how his father conducts himself in his mid fifties, and as the US president pointed out, Zy is only twenty two. If only he could see what an incredible leader he is.