Malrick barely increased his strength, but the effect was immediate.

Carol's fully activated photon energy dispersed in an instant. She was slammed down from the sky by the force of his Heat Vision, crashing like a meteor-struck bird.

Malrick ended the beam and gazed at the cloud layer above, now torn open by the blast. He frowned slightly.

"Was that... Double Star Mode just now?" He genuinely doubted what he'd just seen.

The Heat Vision had only been used casually—nowhere near even a fraction of its potential. So why had she seemed completely powerless against it?

"Probably not," he murmured.

He figured Carol must've let her guard down. She deserved another chance.

Moments later, Carol burst from the clouds, radiating golden light. Her hair flared like fire, her eyes glowing with intense energy, and her whole body shimmered with white-gold power, surging like a river in flood. She looked divine—like a war angel cloaked in holy fire.

There was no mistaking it now. This was Double Star Mode.

In this form, Carol's power surged dramatically. Her speed could surpass light, and her strength was said to have no upper limit. But Malrick could see past the blinding photon aura.

Her chest was torn and bloody. Her face—usually sharp and focused—was stained with blood. She was clearly injured.

Thankfully, her body was already healing. Captain Marvel's regenerative ability was kicking in fast.

"You... how are you this strong?!" Carol demanded, her voice strained with pain and disbelief.

Malrick tilted his head, calm. "Is this your Double Star Mode?"

"You—!" Carol's face contorted in rage. She lunged forward and threw a punch. "Bastard, get lost!"

His question had been sincere. He honestly believed that Carol, in Double Star Mode, should be on par with cosmic-level beings—maybe even Skyfather-tier. She shouldn't have been struggling against something as basic as Heat Vision.

Carol, however, took the comment as mockery. She exploded forward, her speed doubling.

In a heartbeat, she crossed the distance between them. Her punch carried enough energy to shatter mountains and churn seas, traveling at a speed nearing 100,000 meters per second.

The sky reacted violently. Wind howled. Wherever her fist passed, it left behind a vacuum trail.

To Malrick, though, the punch was still too slow. He leaned slightly to the side, letting the fist graze his cheek.

She came again, and again—he merely adjusted his footing and slipped past her strikes.

In under five seconds, she had thrown thirty blows. He dodged them all, effortless.

With every failed strike, the look in Malrick's eyes grew dimmer. He missed fighting Dormammu. At least Dormammu hit back.

After dodging another strike, Malrick placed a palm on Carol's chest and gently shoved. She flew backward, hundreds of meters.

"That's enough. I've seen enough of your strength. You're not the opponent I'm searching for."

He shook his head, expression calm. "Your Double Star Mode has a massive potential, but you're not even tapping into a fraction of it."

"Take the Skrulls, and leave Earth. Don't make me get serious."

---

Power Ratings (Clarified):

In Marvel's power scale, Carol Danvers sits at a power level of 5, while Hulk—at his peak—is a solid 7.

Level 5 means lifting strength between 25 and 75 tons. Carol's true power doesn't lie in brute strength—it's the energy. Her photon energy boosts everything: defense, speed, force.

Most notably, her speed and durability can reach extreme cosmic levels. At light speed, even a 100-ton punch can crack continents.

It's why the parallel universe version of Captain Marvel in What If...? had planet-busting strength. She channeled speed and energy without restraint.

But the Carol standing before Malrick? She hadn't mastered Double Star Mode. Not even close. Not in real combat.

She hadn't demonstrated punch speeds above Mach 1000 or strength in the millions of tons. At best, this version was barely stronger than Malrick back before his cosmic awakening.

"So I wasn't wrong," he thought. "Back when I first came back to Earth from that starship, I really could have held my own against her."

Now? He turned away. There was no point in continuing. He'd rather go home... and train.

--- Chapters first released on Nove1Fire.net

But then, a beam of light cut across the sky in front of him, blocking his path.

"Someone who only dodges punches has no right to claim I haven't tapped into Double Star Mode!"

Carol was fuming. All her missed attacks had lit a fire in her chest.

Malrick slowly turned back, hand extended. "Come on then."

That casual tone—it pushed her over the edge. With a roar, she tore through the sound barrier, aiming straight for him.

Below them, clouds split in two from the force of her flight.

"She's using momentum to amplify her punch," Malrick noted. "She can't go instantly to light speed, but she can build up to it."

"She's like a living missile."

It suddenly made sense—why movie Carol always crashed into ships headfirst. That was her strongest attack style.

As she struck, Malrick simply raised his hand. He caught her punch mid-air.

The photon-charged fist stopped, dead in his grip.

Carol's eyes widened. "No way—"

She struggled, pulling back, trying to free herself. But it was like trying to move a mountain. Even when she threw her body weight into it and pumped out more energy, she couldn't move him.

"Let go!" She threw her other fist. "Let go of me!"

Malrick caught her left arm too. Then, with a slight increase in force—channeling just a trace of the Space Stone's power—he shattered through her energy field.

A concentrated force, equivalent to half of Earth's weight, was applied across just a few square centimeters of her arm.

Snap!

Her arm cracked sharply. Her forearm twisted at a grotesque angle, the bone piercing through flesh and muscle. Blood sprayed across the sky.

"AAAHHH!!!" Her scream echoed through the clouds.

Carol's face went pale, but adrenaline flooded her system, numbing the pain. Her body's survival instincts kicked in—she lashed out with a desperate kick, trying to break free.

Malrick released both her arms, took a step back, and delivered a clean, precise punch to her chest.

Crack.

He felt bones give way. Organs collapsed under the pressure.

Carol's eyes bulged. She gasped, her breath caught in her throat. Then... nothing.

The light in her eyes faded, her energy dissipated, and she slumped over his arm.

It wouldn't kill her—Carol was far too durable for that—but she'd be out of commission for days.

---

Malrick shook his head.

Captain Marvel's durability was impressive, no doubt. She could survive super-light-speed impacts—but it was all energy-based. Once her energy barrier was broken, her physical body was no stronger than a human enhanced by Kree DNA.

Even without the Space Stone, Malrick could have overpowered her. She might have survived, but she wouldn't have had a chance to win.

Honestly, fighting Dormammu was more satisfying. The demon could take a punch and throw one back.

Carol, though? All flash. No depth.

Malrick hoisted her limp form and flew into orbit. He aimed toward the Skrull fleet.

"If she loves protecting aliens so much," he muttered, "then she can stay with them—far from Earth."

---