Ch: 192-201
Chapter 192 Tony's Discovery
After Wanda left, Leon sat back on the sofa and began to cultivate.
This was his routine for the past month.
Aside from occasionally assigning tasks to employees in various departments and paying the Natashasisters every night, he was almost always immersed in cultivation.
The reason he took time to provide Wanda with psychological counseling, though there was a tiny, insignificant reason—he was attracted to her—the main reason was Wanda's high potential and almost limitless capabilities.
Helping her now was helping his future self.
In Leon's view, Wanda was the most special among the Superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Not only were her abilities unique, but her personality and mindset were also special.
If Tony was a mortal who could rival a god, and Star-Lord was a god who could rival a mortal, then Wanda was a mortal with a mortal heart wielding divine power.
From the beginning of her story, seeking revenge, to its end, losing everything and sacrificing herself, she was just an ordinary Sokovia girl who wanted a stable life.
Every growth spurt she experienced came from a tragedy.
All her actions to protect others were driven by her superpowers from behind.
She didn't have much subjective will; even becoming a Superhero was just because she awakened her superpowers, so she felt a responsibility to do something.
Much like Spider-Man after losing Uncle Ben.
However, her resolve to be a hero was not firm; what she always longed for in her heart was a peaceful life.
If Wanda were given a chance to exchange Chaos Magic for a happy life with her family safe, she would definitely urge them to start the exchange immediately.
For someone like Wanda, she would surely repay anyone who treated her well manifold.
Leon couldn't find a reason to refuse to help her.
"Wanda… I hope she really polishes her Chaos Magic skills when she goes back."
Leon sighed on the sofa.
He always felt that Wanda would come again tomorrow, claiming that the spell techniques were too difficult to learn and that he needed to help soothe her mind, which was affected by Nightmare.
"Ding~" Just as he was about to continue cultivating, the doorbell rang again.
The next moment, the apartment door opened automatically; Tony had arrived.
Tony had permission to enter and exit the apartment freely.
"Why are you here?" Leon frowned.
"Why can't I be here? No, what kind of expression is that? Aren't you happy to see me?"
Tony lowered his stylish sunglasses on his nose, looking at Leon from above the frames with feigned sorrow.
"Or… has our Clark moved to the big city and now thinks his old farm buddy is a bumpkin, too much trouble?"
Leon pouted: "I'm cultivating right now. Couldn't you just have Jarvis tell me if something's up?"
"Can't I just come to see you?" Tony clutched his chest.
"What, your anxiety is acting up again, so you came to me to confide?" Leon asked, looking up.
After the Dimensional War ended, not only did Wanda start having Nightmares and need psychological counseling, but Tony also developed a mild anxiety disorder for some unknown reason.
Normally, when he couldn't sit still at the Avengers headquarters, he would run to Leon's apartment.
Once he saw Leon and felt a bit calmer, he would run back to the Avengers Tower to continue working.
This symptom only improved after Tony helped little Shirley resolve a school dispute and was touched by something the little girl said.
Leon felt that everyone was happy about this.
However, Tony was still somewhat anxious.
When he was anxious, he liked to tinker with strange things.
Jarvis said that Tony had recently been frantically studying the knowledge from the Starry Sky World's optical computer, intending to build a starship.
This starship would serve as a Noah's Ark for when Earth was someday occupied by a Dimensional Demon God—not a Noah's Ark for escape, but a starship equipped with planet-destroying cannons, capable of letting Earth and the Dimensional Demon God "perish together" before leaving.
However, the project was currently still bogged down by two issues: not having finished learning the scientific technology and lacking high-strength metals.
Regarding this, Leon pointed to Wakanda on the map, saying there was a clear path there.
Tony immediately dispatched Hawkeye to lead a team to Africa to investigate.
Currently, Hawkeye had been out of contact for three days.
However, Tony didn't intend to let Leon interfere and chose to send more Agents.
Leon suspected Tony came today to talk about this.
"Hawkeye found?" Leon asked.
"He's found, but the Wakanda people are unwilling to let him leave."
Tony, familiar with the house, opened the wine cabinet and found a bottle of Napoleon Cognac.
Leon didn't drink alcohol, and no one in the house specifically drank.
All the wine in that cabinet was put there by Tony himself; they were all his favorites.
"Hawkeye found their most important intel, so important that they would sink Hawkeye into the Indian Ocean."
"However, Hawkeye is from an international organization, so they won't kill him, but they won't release him either."
Tony popped open the bottle with a bang and poured himself a glass of clear brandy.
"Unfortunately, they underestimated Hawkeye. The important intel was transmitted the moment Hawkeye reappeared to confirm his survival."
"Guess what it is?" Tony tasted the wine like a mouthwash and then re-corked the bottle.
He had said he would quit drinking and gambling, so unless there were beautiful women or a victory, he wouldn't drink.
This was a situation where he had won a victory.
"There's a Vibranium mountain buried under Wakanda," Leon said casually.
Tony's eyes widened: "Shit, you knew! Why didn't you just tell me?"
"Even if I told you directly, you'd still have to negotiate with Wakanda," Leon said. "Now that they've detained Hawkeye, it's actually easier for you to open a dialogue."
"That makes sense… but you still should have told me directly." Tony nodded.
"Next time for sure. Anyway, I know the situation. You can go now." Leon waved his hand, signaling for little Tony to withdraw.
"Alright, then I'll go back… Wait!" Tony stood up and then froze.
"That's not right, I didn't come to talk about this!"
Leon was puzzled: "Then what are you talking about?"
He subconsciously released the suppression on his Super Hearing, and a few seconds later, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"Oh, so you guys found Captain America under the ice in the North Pole? Hmm… And Coulson is in charge of the excavation."
"I'm telling you, finding secrets so casually isn't very endearing," Tony said, adjusting his sunglasses.
Leon raised both hands: "My mistake. Let's pretend I didn't say anything just now. Come on, please tell me about Captain America and satisfy my curiosity."
"Ha, you kid, you're trying to deliberately annoy me, aren't you?" Tony shook the wine bottle in his hand. "But what I want to talk about isn't that either."
"Then what is it?" Leon said, "I won't guess this time. Satisfy your need to show off."
"Remember those green-skinned aliens led by Fury when we eliminated HYDRA?" Tony said slowly.
His face gradually became serious as he spoke: "They've appeared again, and they've infiltrated the Avengers!"
"Skrull?" Leon sat up straight. "Half a month ago, I just had the Men in Black start collecting evidence on them, planning to dismantle S.W.O.R.D. in the process. What, is there concrete evidence now?"
"No, Jarvis discovered that someone in the agency was replaced and even tried to hack into the system to steal your data…"
Tony's face darkened as he spoke: "Wait, when did you start collecting evidence? Isn't S.W.O.R.D. a space agency? Why would you dismantle it?"
"And you didn't tell me anything, just secretly went and did something big with the Men in Black?"
Chapter 193 Nick Fury's Plan
"Didn't you set that up yourself before?"
"You said the Avengers would handle Earth matters, and the Men in Black would handle extraterrestrial matters."
Leon said, "So it's fine for the Men in Black to act on their own, right?"
Tony placed the wine bottle on the table: "Are you sure it's fine? God, you don't even like sharing joy with your older brother anymore! I guess I should just go back to the farm in Kansas and continue harvesting wheat."
"You're joking again. Can't you be serious?" Leon's forehead twitched. "You just said the Skrull were collecting information on me?"
"Yes," Tony nodded.
"But I haven't heard anything about that."
Leon frowned.
"So, they must be planning something, or is Fury investigating me?"
Even when suppressed, his super hearing.
Could still alert Leon to information concerning himself.
But he had never heard of anyone planning to steal his data from the Avengers.
"They're wary of you; they won't even mention your name, so of course you won't hear it."
Tony said, "Everyone in the World knows you can see through anything except lead, and your super hearing can cover the entire globe."
"In that case, anyone who wants to do something against you would have to guard against your abilities, wouldn't they?"
"Maybe you even have a codename among the Skrull, like Voldemort, referred to as 'You-Know-Who'."
Tony sat next to Leon, putting his arm around his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I know your super hearing and vision are useless when people are guarding against them."
"So Jarvis and I have already started investigating this, and we'll have results soon."
Leon shook his head: "Actually, my weakness to not being able to see through lead is gone."
"Are you serious?" Tony was skeptical.
Leon said: "Just two days ago, I destroyed several military Bases that had lead-lined compartments and were secretly conducting activities against me."
"Now those guys, along with the people behind them, have returned to nature."
"You should have noticed that a few more people were missing from the Senate seats two days ago; that was them."
"Of course, I didn't touch other places that had lead layers built to keep scientific research results confidential."
Leon spread his hands: "After all, people still need some sense of security, don't they? No one likes feeling like they have no privacy."
"You're truly kind," Tony retorted, "But when did you get rid of that lead weakness? Are you secretly getting stronger on your own again?"
"It's all the changes the Starry Sky World brought me. I even brought you a gift when I came back; I didn't hide it from you," Leon said.
"It's because of that World, then it's not surprising…" Tony suddenly understood.
He had been studying the optical computer of the Starry Sky World recently, constantly updating the knowledge in his mind.
Although the optical computer didn't contain a complete scientific system and mostly consisted of technological knowledge related to weapons.
Tony was still completely engrossed in his studies.
He dared to say.
No one could understand the vastness of that World's technology and individual power better than him now.
Even Leon couldn't understand it as deeply as he did.
While Tony was pondering.
On the other side.
Leon had already found the answers he sought using his super hearing and vision.
"It was Fury. That guy always has to plan everything," Leon withdrew his gaze from the Universe.
"It was that Black Egg?" Tony was surprised. "No, you've already discovered the truth?"
Leon nodded: "He built a lead room in the S.H.I.E.L.D. space station, and all the information is stored in there: my identity, growth history, personality analysis, and behavior prediction."
"Hmm, it seems he understands me better than you do now."
"He also has a plan called the New Avengers Initiative."
"He had the Skrull infiltrate your Avengers to investigate more of my combat data, wanting to recruit me… That guy sure has a vivid imagination."
Everything Fury had locked away in the lead room was revealed by Leon.
"Lead really has no effect on you anymore!?" Tony exclaimed, "Good thing you're not a detective, or all the detectives in the World would be out of a job starting today."
After his exclamation, he stood up again: "Fury definitely has issues. No wonder his old subordinates are still in contact with him; it turns out they're planning to form a new Avengers."
"But you said one thing wrong just now, Leon, and that is, I absolutely understand you better than he does!"
Tony suddenly extended his index finger.
"Just some data, that's all. My understanding of you is such that if you just lift a finger, I'll know if you're planning to pick your nose or pick your teeth!"
"Oh really?" Leon, speechless, extended a finger and poked Tony's chest.
The next moment, Tony grunted as a tremendous force pushed him into the sofa cushion.
Perfectly smooth, with only a bewildered head exposed.
"Sorry, it wasn't picking my nose or picking my teeth. I was actually planning to poke you to death with one finger."
Leon stood up and waved his hand: "You figure out how to get out yourself. I'm going to the airborne Base to arrange the girls' next actions."
The plan to expel the Skrull was originally meant to proceed slowly.
But since Fury couldn't sit still.
It was better to get him out of space sooner.
"Wait, you still haven't said why you want to destroy S.W.O.R.D.!" Tony, buried in the sofa, was still shouting with his neck craned.
Leon stood at the doorway: "S.W.O.R.D., that's an organization established by Maria, a former U.S. Air Force pilot, with Fury's help, to resolve interstellar disputes."
"Its members include both humans and Skrull, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is their space station."
"They are also subordinate to the Security Council, with a very high level of secrecy, but their functions and powers are far less than S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Now that Fury has run off to the S.H.I.E.L.D. space station, he'll likely recruit 'unemployed' former S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and expand S.W.O.R.D.'s power. You can learn more about it yourself."
After Leon finished speaking, he called into the inner room: "How much longer are you two going to eavesdrop? It's time to go!"
As his voice faded, the door to the apartment's inner room opened, and the fully armed Natasha sisters walked out.
Both were wearing black combat suits. After gesturing to Tony, they followed Leon out the door.
With two visitors arriving consecutively at the house.
The sisters, no matter how deeply they slept, had woken up.
They had listened to the two men's conversation from inside the room and had been waiting for Leon to say it was time to leave.
After the apartment door closed with a heavy thud.
Tony's body was still buried in the sofa.
"S.W.O.R.D., S.H.I.E.L.D. space station?" He mumbled, "Fury… just how many backup plans do you have?"
…
Five days later.
On a New York morning, a video unexpectedly topped the homepages of major portals.
At the beginning of the video, a person in pitch-black armor stood in front of a screen, getting straight to the point.
"Our World has suffered a secret invasion from an extraterrestrial force!"
There was no melodrama, nor any lengthy descriptions.
The female voice from beneath the armor, after presenting a seemingly absurd claim, began to lay out the evidence.
Almost everyone who clicked on the video recognized the person in the pitch-black armor as a Man in Black at first glance.
Chapter 194: The Secret of the Skrulls
Just one month ago, many girls in black suits suddenly appeared all over the World.
They fought crime and rescued people from disasters in various cities.
They called themselves Men in Black, and their name was known throughout the World.
Most people knew that these girls were first active in the HYDRA war a few months ago.
One of the three Airborne Aircraft Carriers was taken down by them.
Later, they also participated in the encirclement and suppression of HYDRA.
However, their whereabouts were elusive.
After the HYDRA war, there was no news of them at all.
Some speculated that they were girls who had been persecuted by HYDRA, gathering together like goddesses of vengeance just for revenge.
After the revenge was over, they would naturally return to their lives.
Others said they were Tony Stark's all-female team.
They would only act when Iron Man needed them.
Other times, they could be workplace elites or Stark Industries' public relations team.
This theory had the most supporters, and countless male netizens would beat their chests and stomp their feet online, expressing their intense jealousy of Iron Man.
Until a later hearing.
Iron Man, in the live broadcast, swore that the Men in Black were all Superman's subordinates.
The various speculations rampant on the internet gradually faded away.
As time passed, the girls who no longer appeared gradually vanished from people's memories.
Until a month ago, the Men in Black suddenly became active again all over the World.
—That was Yelena, after getting Leon's permission, starting to expand the Men in Black IP.
The lost memories of countless netizens were suddenly activated.
They finally remembered these heroic, long-legged, and slender-waisted female heroes again.
However, this time, everyone knew that the Men in Black were Superman's subordinates.
So the Superman supporters came out and said that this was Superman sending out his Black Nuns, preparing to redeem all of humanity in the World.
The opposition also retorted that the reappearance of these Valkyries was Superman's first step in preparing for his dictatorial rule.
The two sides argued endlessly online.
Opening any webpage, one could see the arguments of these two factions in the comment section.
According to Shirley.
Even if she opened a Snow White video those two days.
Someone would use allegory.
Saying the Queen, who always wanted to kill the princess, was unforgivable.
And Superman was like the Queen, and the princess was the common people.
Then supporters would immediately jump out and say that the Prince was Superman, the Queen was HYDRA, and she was long dead!
Fortunately, all these disputes gradually subsided after the Super Hero Company released the movie "Men in Black," named after the Men in Black.
That movie told the origin and purpose of the Men in Black.
—The Men in Black are a group of pitiful girls saved by Superman.
Their creed is "Nothing is true, everything is permitted."
Their duty is to maintain extraterrestrial relations and prevent evil aliens from invading Earth.
The movie began with the Red Room (a pseudonym for Red Room) being jointly destroyed by Superman and Iron Man.
It narrated the story along the lines of a group of tragic girls struggling, being redeemed, growing up, and finally eliminating HYDRA.
The movie's promotional period was not long.
But it was released for less than a week.
The global box office surpassed another movie from Super Hero Company released at the same time, "The Dark Knight Batman."
That's right, while Super Hero Company was developing local IPs, it also didn't give up on DC IPs.
However, because local Superheroes were more relatable.
So DC series superhero movies were not too popular.
Except for Superman.
...
"Men in Black" truly pushed the girls into the public's view.
So when the video on the homepage of the portal website was clicked.
The figure wrapped in black armor appeared.
Almost all netizens recognized the identity of the other party.
Knowing that the other party might be speaking on behalf of Superman.
So they didn't refute the fantastical statement at the beginning of the video immediately.
And as the Men in Black in the video presented one piece of evidence after another.
They didn't need to refute anymore.
Because the evidence was irrefutable, Earth had indeed been infiltrated by aliens like a sieve!
"We first became aware of the existence of aliens in this video."
In the video, the Men in Black stretched out her palm and slid it downwards, so the screen switched to an online video from several months ago.
The screen showed the command room inside a HYDRA Airborne Aircraft Carrier.
Most netizens had seen this scene.
In the command room, the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was confronting dozens of HYDRA Agents with his subordinates.
As they were talking, someone suddenly fired a gun, and then gunshots rained down in the next instant.
The two sides were unequal in number but fought back and forth.
Until someone on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director's side fell down and turned into a green-skinned non-human creature.
The screen paused at this point, then jumped back to the Men in Black.
The Men in Black said, "This green figure that fell down at this time is the invading alien."
"A few months ago, this strange figure had attracted the attention of all parties."
"But at that time, the official, or rather, the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, Nick Fury, explained that the deceased was an enhanced human, and the changes after death were a side effect of the enhancement serum."
"I have to say, he almost fooled everyone in the World."
"But he couldn't fool the Men in Black."
"We traced the network data at the time and found a video that was secretly intercepted."
The screen jumped again.
It was still the same scene.
This time, Nick Fury and a few others were tied up in the corner of the command room.
A HYDRA Agent walked past them, but after a few steps, he was shot dead on the spot by someone who looked like the HYDRA leader.
After this Agent fell to the ground, he quickly turned into a green-skinned person!
Then several people in the command room gasped.
The HYDRA leader immediately turned his gun and fired six shots at the six people who gasped.
Six Agents fell to the ground one after another, also green-skinned people!
Seeing this scene, countless faces in front of the screen were stunned.
One enhanced human was still plausible.
But now seven more suddenly appeared, and they were HYDRA members, was that plausible?
Most importantly, according to the Men in Black, this video was intercepted!
Why intercept it, if not because it contained a truth that couldn't be revealed!
At this point, the screen paused again and switched back to the Men in Black.
"This was originally a video that the Rising Tide organization was going to upload to the internet, but it was intercepted by a mysterious force."
In fact, Leon specifically instructed Agent K at that time to save this video until a crucial moment like this to release it.
But that certainly couldn't be said.
So the disbanded Rising Tide organization took the blame again.
"The unusual nature of the seven green-skinned people in the video made us quite vigilant," the Men in Black continued.
"So in the period that followed."
"While we were eliminating HYDRA, we were also tracking down these green-skinned people in the video."
"After several months of investigation."
"We found their traces in various countries around the World."
"Following these clues, we tracked down the truth!"
The Men in Black took a deep breath: "The green-skinned people in the video are aliens called Skrull!"
"They are a group of interstellar refugees, unilaterally settled on Earth by the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury!"
"If these were just harmless aliens, then we could barely interpret his actions as Earth's goodwill towards aliens."
"But these Skrull are not harmless!"
"They are the thugs of the Universe, they are invaders!
Chapter 195 Global Shock
"Skrull are born with a unique ability."
"That ability allows them to mimic others' appearances, replicate others' memories, and even without physical contact!"
"This is not alarmist talk, but the horrifying truth we discovered while tracking Fury!"
The Men in Black waved his hand to switch the screen.
This was a surveillance video.
Under the dark night, a White man in a trench coat stood beneath a dim streetlamp.
The straight beam of light enveloped him, while the rest of the street was pitch black under the surveillance.
Suddenly, a hooded Shadow walked into the light from the blurry darkness.
The two seemed to have a conversation.
The hooded Shadow suddenly drew a knife from his embrace, skillfully stabbing the White man in the neck, then gently supporting him.
Then, the hooded Shadow took off his hood, revealing a green face.
Under the light, that face gradually transformed into the White man's appearance!
The footage abruptly ended there.
The Men in Black reappeared: "The person killed in the footage is Rowan, a mid-level intelligence officer from MI6."
"We can see in the surveillance that his carotid artery was pierced, and he was dead beyond doubt."
"But in reality, Mr. Rowan is still working for MI6, and has even become an ace agent."
At this point in the video, the bullet comments suddenly surged, filling the entire screen.
At a glance, it was all exclamation marks or question marks, everyone expressing their inner shock.
The Men in Black were still presenting evidence.
"Not only this ace agent, we also found many surveillance footages that were deliberately destroyed in the past."
The screen began to play continuously, jumping rapidly.
For a full ten minutes after that.
It was all surveillance footage from all over the World.
Some were black and White, some were colored; some were blurry, some were high-definition.
Some happened in a secluded alley in New York, while others took place on the busiest street in Serbia.
Every piece of footage showed a Skrull replacing an Earthling.
Some of the replaced individuals were Terrorists, others were key figures in various national departments.
As the video played, the complexions of those watching also grew increasingly grim.
Even vendors far removed from political life, and even beggars on the streets of New York.
At this moment, after watching these surveillance clips, they couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.
They suddenly felt that the World they lived in was incredibly unfamiliar.
Anyone walking by them seemed as if they could be a Skrull.
All these surveillance clips were raw videos recovered by Jarvis with the help of the Men in Black, after entering one closed local area network after another and sifting through data garbage.
When Tony saw these surveillance footages the day before, his face was so grim that he couldn't even speak.
In the video, dozens of surveillance clips finished playing.
The Men in Black girl reappeared to give the final summary.
"Currently, based on reliable evidence alone, hundreds of humans have already been replaced by Skrull."
"And all these replaced individuals had more or less interacted with Fury."
"Some were Fury's enemies, some were individuals from whom he needed to obtain intelligence, and others were people he suspected of having problems."
"When we investigated HYDRA, we once had a question—"
"What allowed Fury to climb from a S.H.I.E.L.D. stationed personnel to the Director's position in just seven or eight years?"
"I think we have the answer now."
"Fury was using his alien friends to clear all obstacles for him! To gain merits for promotion!"
"And he, in turn, provided shelter for these people!"
"They colluded!"
"He even, along with his friends, established S.W.O.R.D. with these Skrull, directly accountable to the Security Council!"
"What they did with S.W.O.R.D., we don't know."
"However, in the Men in Black's investigation, the number of Skrull currently present on Earth is as high as... a million!"
"And in the Universe, there are even more Skrull, traveling by spaceship towards Earth!"
When the quantifier "million" appeared, the brains of countless people in front of their screens went blank.
Aliens who can change their appearance and replicate memories, are there now millions of them on Earth?
Is this a joke? Is the World going to end tomorrow?
At this moment, for the first time, the people on Earth had the thought that Earth's fate was fraught with peril.
The powerful voice of the Men in Black in the video had become their greatest hope at this time.
"Some of them live in shelters, some have replaced dying individuals, thus becoming active on Earth!"
"But there is no doubt that these Universe hooligans are gradually entering human society."
"They are learning from humans, integrating into humanity, with the goal of one day replacing humanity!"
"Facing Universe hooligans like the Skrull, we Men in Black will never choose to let them be!"
"From now on, the Men in Black officially issue a warning to the Skrull—leave Earth!"
"Over the next three days, we will deploy equipment capable of identifying Skrull to countries around the globe."
"To all of you watching this video, especially government officials from all countries, from now on, be wary of all threats from those around you, be wary of the Skrull!"
The video ended here, the screen went dark, turning black.
But on the black screen, various bullet comments still flowed endlessly.
"These Skrull really deserve to die!"
"Oh my god, a few months ago, our place was blitzed by HYDRA, and now a group of Skrull has emerged?"
"I was wrong! I was wrong! Superman and the Men in Black are truly protecting Earth, they didn't intend to be dictators! Please send the identification equipment to Chicago quickly!"
"No wonder I've been feeling that my wife has been acting strange lately. She comes home very late every day, goes to shower as soon as she gets back, and isn't interested in that matter. Now I know, she was replaced by a Skrull! Sob sob sob, my wife, I'm going to kill that Skrull right now to avenge you!"
"Great Trinity Superman, please bestow your grace and redeem these lost lambs, Superman!"
People from all corners of the World were fiercely discussing the Skrull at the end of the video.
In the face of an alien invasion.
At this moment, national conflicts and international disputes no longer mattered.
...
A video of just over twenty minutes.
After its release, it quickly spread to every corner of the internet.
Topics such as "Skrull," "Human Traitor Fury," "Tide," and "Replacing Humanity" quickly topped the trending searches.
Intelligence agencies worldwide immediately analyzed the video in slices.
The conclusions reached and presented to the high-level officials were, without exception, "reliable evidence, factual intelligence."
The Skrull exposed in the video were immediately arrested on the spot.
Some successfully escaped during the pursuit by utilizing their ability to change appearance.
But this, in turn, aroused greater vigilance among high-level officials in various countries.
Half an hour after the video was released.
The five permanent members of the Security Council simultaneously spoke out, and the Security Council made an urgent statement.
All written documents, live press conferences, and video explanations.
All conveyed only one attitude—expel the Skrull, and apprehend Fury.
Chapter 196 Nick Fury and the Skrulls
"Motherf*cker!?"
In the cold vacuum of outer space, inside a inverted conical space station, the Divine Blade Space Station.
Fury was watching the Men in Black video at his desk.
A string of curses slipped out of his mouth.
He scoffed at the alarmist claims in the first half of the Men in Black video.
He fully assumed it was the Stark brothers retaliating against him.
After all, it was normal for the brothers to retaliate after discovering he had people investigating Leon's information.
Fury didn't think much of it.
He fast-forwarded the video while beginning to ponder countermeasures.
Although the video had already caused an uproar on the internet, that was only temporary.
The internet had no memory; he only needed to appease the five permanent members of the United Nations, and no matter how lively the voices on the internet were, they would fade away.
In Fury's eyes, the current situation didn't even count as a crisis.
Compared to this video, he was even more concerned about why Tony Stark was able to detect the Skrull infiltration.
The transformed Skrull possessed the original host's memories and carried S.W.O.R.D.'s advanced equipment.
No matter how he thought about it, they shouldn't have been discovered.
Fury's thoughts gradually drifted away.
But suddenly, the Men in Black in the video pulled his wandering thoughts back.
Hearing the Men in Black introduce various pieces of information about the Skrull as if reciting from memory, Fury's face darkened.
He didn't understand why the other party knew so much about the Skrull.
He even began to suspect that Superman and Iron Man had encountered the Kree to obtain this intelligence.
But the subsequent video content made Fury's heart sink non-stop.
—Dozens of surveillance videos that should have been destroyed completely and thoroughly exposed the Skrull's abilities and threats.
Fury could already imagine the frantic state of high-ranking officials in various countries at this moment.
Because he had Captain Marvel as his backing and shared a common experience of hardship with the Skrull, he was confident that they were trustworthy.
But the politicians on Earth didn't know that!
Moreover, the people replaced in the video were indeed his enemies or mission targets, serving as achievements that led to his promotion.
So he couldn't clear his name either.
At this point, Fury felt things were getting tricky.
But the next moment, hearing the Men in Black utter the quantifier "million" in the video, Fury's eyes widened: "Motherf*cker? A million Skrull? Where did a million come from? Weren't there only a few thousand?"
He wanted to deny the Men in Black's assertion.
But in his heart, he also began to feel suspicious of the Skrull.
...
On the other side of Earth, in the ruins of Chernobyl.
The abandoned city should have been empty.
In the air filled with nuclear radiation, even the chirping of birds should have carried a sense of horror.
But amidst the crumbling ruins, several green figures occasionally walked by.
Raising one's gaze, one could see countless green heads bustling near the nuclear power plant.
Most of the Skrull refugees were gathered here.
The maintenance workers originally stationed around the nuclear power plant had long been secretly replaced by them.
This city, abandoned by humans, welcomed another group of residents.
The Skrull were unaffected by nuclear radiation.
Therefore, various nuclear leakage sites on Earth were their best shelters.
These places were rarely even passed by satellites.
They could safely treat these places as their temporary homes.
And Chernobyl was named "New Skrullos" by them.
The so-called Skrullos was the already destroyed homeland of these Skrull.
Chernobyl's new name undoubtedly represented their desire to stay on Earth forever.
At this moment, in a warehouse inside the abandoned nuclear power plant, Skrull General Taros and his wife Sauron, along with a group of high-ranking Skrull, gathered here.
They sat around a long table.
A projection device on the table displayed the Men in Black video in front of everyone.
The video had been played over and over again.
The warehouse was incredibly quiet, the atmosphere as tense as a taut string.
"General, what should we do now…?" someone asked in the oppressive silence.
Taros leaned his hands on the table, watching the looping video, silent, still silent.
This general, who had led his people to find hope, was also at a loss for ideas at this moment.
He took a great effort to slowly speak: "Let's wait for Fury's news; he and Captain Marvel promised to help us find a habitable Planet, and they won't disappoint us."
Someone immediately raised a question: "But he can barely protect himself now, General! The United Nations has already issued a notice for his arrest!"
"He will find a way!" Taros was also unsure, so he could only close his eyes, avoiding looking at his people.
He said: "He is Fury; we must all believe in him!"
"Then, what if he fails…? Can we proactively confess to the Earthling and ask them to allocate a piece of land for us?"
This time, Taros closed his eyes and did not answer.
The high-ranking Skrull, who received no answer, also closed their mouths and stopped asking.
Taros was a dove among the Skrull; the leadership he led was also mostly doves.
But that didn't mean there were no hawks.
"General, why don't we just declare war!"
A very young Skrull stood up, slamming the table.
He looked very thin, his eyes full of hostility.
"Anyway, many of us have already been placed by Fury into the high ranks of various countries; as long as we declare war, their leadership will fall into chaos, and we might not necessarily lose!"
"We can even directly replace people in their weapons departments and control nuclear weapons!" The young Skrull's plan was radical.
"Shut up! Gravik!" Taros immediately reprimanded.
He slammed the table, the sound startling everyone.
"Do not entertain the idea of using force against Earth! Never!" Taros was incredibly serious.
"But…" Gravik was unwilling.
"I said, shut up! Don't bring up this topic again!"
It wasn't until Gravik clenched his fists and reluctantly shut his mouth that Taros rubbed his temples and sat down.
Sure enough, young people everywhere were equally impulsive, warlike, and ignorant of the dangers.
These people simply didn't know how strong Captain Marvel was behind Fury.
Moreover, there was also a Superman on Earth now.
How could their Skrull fight against these monsters?
"Meeting adjourned; everyone go back and wait for news, it won't be long," Taros waved his hand.
The high-ranking officials left one after another.
Soon, only Taros and his wife Sauron remained in the warehouse.
"Don't worry, Fury won't abandon us," Sauron stroked her husband's forehead.
Taros sighed: "I hope so."
"Beep beep!" At this moment, his communicator vibrated; it was Fury calling.
"It's Fury!" Taros's spirits lifted.
After connecting, Fury's virtual projection appeared above the projection device.
Before Taros could ask, Fury went straight to the point.
"Taros, tell me honestly, what have you been hiding from me about the destruction of the SkrullPlanet?!"
Taros's hopeful gaze froze upon hearing this.
He wanted to refute, but his gaze involuntarily darted away.
He could only shake his head, then nod and say: "I promise, you know everything you need to know!"
"Is that so? So what the Men in Black said in the video is false? Or is it that there are some things I shouldn't know?" Fury's tone rose.
Chapter 197 Fury finally pressed the pager
Taros took a deep breath: "The process is that we were defeated by the Kree and then fled, leaving millions of Skrull refugees homeless."
"Oh? So they all came to Earth? Or are they still wandering somewhere?"
Nick Fury's eyes darkened, his gaze piercing Taros like a blade.
Taros was speechless.
He licked his lips, a hint of helplessness etched on his withered green face.
After several attempts to speak, he finally nodded: "Yes, they are here."
"Who?" Nick Fury's attitude hardened, pressing, "Who is here!"
Taros became even more helpless: "Everyone…"
"Ha!" Nick Fury sneered, "So there are really a million Skrulls on Earth?"
Taros took a deep breath and nodded: "That's right…"
"God, I guarantee that ugly green head of yours must be broken!"
Nick Fury pounded the table, "You lied to me!!"
Taros tried to explain: "Nick, I was just trying to send out a beacon call to the Universe!"
"I told the Skrulls who were still fleeing.
There are good people here, willing to accept us.
They can temporarily take refuge on Earth.
And, countless people in the Universe are hunting us down.
We only have two choices, either be killed or come to Earth.
Nick, I am a Skrull General, I had no choice!"
Taros spoke very earnestly.
But Nick Fury became furious: "Ah, no choice, it's all for your people, that's reasonable… But! What the hell does that have to do with me?!"
"What?" Taros looked at Nick in disbelief, also getting angry.
He pointed a finger at his chest.
"Yes, you treated us as spies, as your subordinates, your tools, sacrificing our lives for your cause!"
"Now you're high and mighty, and it has nothing to do with you, is that right?!"
Taros also yelled, his neck thick.
Nick Fury retorted: "But you deceived me! You hid it from me, bringing millions of Skrulls to Earth, Taros, tell me what you really want to do!"
Taros gasped for breath: "I just hope you can help the Skrulls integrate into Earth, Nick."
Nick Fury sneered: "That's impossible! You've lived on Earth for ten years, you should have understood by now that the humans on this Planet cannot even coexist, where would a million Skrulls find a place to live?!"
Taros's appearance gradually changed, turning into a white-haired old man.
His face was deeply wrinkled, and he tried to salvage the situation: "Is there no other way…?"
"No!" Nick Fury interrupted directly, "I will inform Carol to come back, tell her any ideas you have. For now, if you don't want to be caught, find a way to leave Earth."
As his voice fell, Nick Fury directly cut off the communication.
"How could this be…" In the empty warehouse, Taros, supported by his wife, slumped weakly into a chair.
And on the other side.
In the S.W.O.R.D. Space Station.
Nick Fury also fell into the armchair.
The leather cushion of the armchair made a heavy thud as he hit it, and he sank into the armchair, completely exhausted.
Unlike before, he now wore an expression of helplessness.
"Taros…"
Nick Fury looked at the desktop, but his gaze seemed to penetrate into the deep space of the distant Universe, and he fell silent alone.
After a long time.
He sighed, slowly pulled open a drawer, took out a pager, placed it on the table, and pressed send.
"I didn't expect to call Carol again, but not because Earth was in crisis, but because of the Skrulls."
Nick Fury rotated his armchair.
He looked out at the boundless Universe outside the space capsule.
On his usually stern face, a hint of dejection appeared.
There really are a million Skrulls on Earth.
He knew very well that these people could not stay; if they stayed, war would inevitably break out.
And even if the Skrulls left.
S.W.O.R.D. would only face dissolution.
Before long, he would lose everything he had accumulated over more than a decade.
Nick Fury knew that the driving force behind all this was the Stark brothers.
But he couldn't bring himself to resent them.
Whether it was HYDRA or the Skrulls, they were hidden dangers beneath the surface of peace.
If it weren't for these two brothers uncovering these hidden dangers in advance.
Who knows what the consequences would have been when they finally erupted.
Deep down, Nick Fury was somewhat grateful to Leon and Tony.
Of course, even stronger was his increasing vigilance.
It was just that he was about to lose everything, so no amount of vigilance would be useful anymore.
…
At the same time.
New York, Avengers Base.
Leon and Tony now stood side by side in front of a one-way mirror.
They didn't know yet that half of the enemies had already surrendered.
Tony had no way of knowing.
And Leon wasn't particularly concerned about this matter.
In fact, he had let the Men in Black formulate their own plans and act autonomously throughout the process.
Aside from helping Tony develop the Skrull identification device.
He had no intention of participating in the operation to expel the Skrulls.
Unless a Super Skrull was born.
Otherwise, for events of this level, there was no need for him to waste time acting personally.
The two were now chatting idly.
"You called me here just to watch this?" Leon said, "To watch a century-old ice pop thaw?"
On the other side of the one-way mirror was Captain America, Steve Rogers, lying on a white laboratory bed.
"Ice pop? That nickname is good, very fitting, why didn't I think of it before!" Tony crossed his arms.
"I called you here not just to stand and watch, but to help ensure everything is foolproof."
He said, "And to act as security."
"Security?" Leon understood the first part, but what the hell was security?
"Is your anxiety getting worse? How could it be such a coincidence that someone would attack an international organization?"
"Don't you know?" Tony retorted.
"Ever since you briefly unleashed terrifying energy when you took the Space Stone from here over a month ago."
"The Avengers Headquarters has been constantly infiltrated by people from the mystical side, trying to investigate the situation."
"We've caught several of those strange Witches alone."
Leon became interested when he heard this: "Oh? Where are the Witches, take me to see them?"
"You can see them." Tony spread his hands, "But they've all escaped. These devices and Agents left by S.H.I.E.L.D. can't hold those people."
"That's really a shame." Leon showed no sign of regret.
"Before, I also deliberately leaked the Stone's energy once at Kamar-Taj, wanting to divert attention."
"But no one ever tried to peek."
"Since those people don't dare to provoke the sacred land of mages, they shouldn't be considered strong."
Leon patted Tony's shoulder: "It seems you need to strengthen your Avengers, how can you not even hold some of the weaker groups from the mystical side."
Tony pointed to Captain America on the other side of the glass: "It does need strengthening, so what we're doing now, isn't it recruiting new personnel?"
"You mean Captain America? You actually want to pull him into the Avengers?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
Chapter 198 Steve Rogers wakes up
"Why not?" Tony saw no problem with it.
He pressed his right hand against the glass.
"In the texts and videos left by the old man, the most mentioned thing is his own inventions, followed by Steve Rogers. We are even ranked behind this seventy-year-old ice pop."
Tony looked at Captain America on the other side.
"From those lines, I saw nothing but praise, effusive praise, describing him as if he wasn't a real person."
"I want to see how unlike a person he can truly be," he said.
Leon nodded: "So, you're jealous, right?"
"Because of jealousy, you want to bring Captain America into the Avengers, and then defeat him with achievements?"
Tony had only been praised by his strict father in the videos Howard left behind.
But Captain America, of all people, received Howard's high praise.
Tony was, of course, extremely indignant about this.
He was probably already planning how to prove himself better than Captain America.
Their first meeting was destined to have some tension.
"Jealous? You think I'd be jealous of him? Good heavens, jealous of someone who's been frozen for seventy years?" Tony immediately retorted.
Clearly, one of his sore spots had been hit.
He wanted to change Leon's mind.
"Do you see Coulson over there?" Tony pointed to Coulson on the other side of the glass.
"He's a fan of Captain America.
If it weren't for his active promotion of this rescue plan,
I would absolutely let Mr. Ice Pop continue to be refrigerated under the ice.
Rather than coming out to face this unfamiliar modern World.
I'm so humanitarian, and you actually think I'd be jealous of him?"
Leon surveyed Coulson, who was standing by Captain America's bed.
The bald middle-aged Agent was indeed staring intently at Captain America, his eyes seemingly alight.
Come to think of it, Coulson had looked at him with that same gaze during their previous meetings...
"Perhaps so." Leon was noncommittal.
He suddenly spoke into the air again: "Jarvis, what do you think?"
Jarvis immediately replied through an amplification device next to Leon: "Young Master Leon, I can confirm that Coulson does like Captain America, but the rescue plan was actually pushed by Mr. Stark."
Leon spread his hands towards Tony: "You see, it's not that I don't believe you, but you're distorting the facts."
"..." Tony opened his mouth.
He suddenly felt that Jarvis having emotions might not be a good thing.
"Alright, just a little curious." Tony turned his head, "But definitely not jealous."
"Young Master, I also don't think Mr. Stark is jealous; he's never been an envious person," Jarvis added.
"See, Jarvis understands me better!" Tony smiled again.
Leon shook his head with a smile; Jarvis could even coax Tony now.
"Whatever you say." He looked at Coulson, "But why is Coulson still here?"
"He's Nick Fury's confidant, right? Now that you're bringing Avengers Agents to intervene in the Skrullmatter, aren't you going to send him away first?"
"Soon. Once Rogers wakes up, Coulson will go to Africa to negotiate with Wakanda. Right now, he just wants to say a few words to his idol before leaving."
Tony said: "Besides, while Nick Fury's confidants trust him, they don't necessarily trust the Skrulls."
"When S.H.I.E.L.D. was first reorganized into the Avengers, Hawkeye and Hill reported the green-skinned aliens to me."
"Any normal Earthling would be wary of those who can change their appearance."
"Is that so." Leon nodded: "It seems their thinking hasn't been assimilated by Black Egg."
"No one knows what Nick Fury is thinking." Tony glanced at the time: "Seven more minutes... Are you sure Mr. Ice Pop is perfectly fine?"
He frowned slightly: "According to Jarvis's prediction, he should wake up within half an hour."
"But Rogers still looks like he's sleeping soundly."
"Don't worry, he's very healthy." Leon replied, "All his cells are intact, it's a miracle."
"And his neural cell activity is gradually increasing."
"Jarvis is right, he'll wake up soon."
Leon's tone shifted: "But why do I suddenly feel like we're a bunch of dwarfs, nervously waiting for Snow White to wake up?"
Tony was amused: "So he's not waking up because he's waiting for his Prince to kiss him?"
"Why don't you go kiss him awake, Prince Tony?" Leon teased.
"Sorry, Pepper said I can only kiss her now."
Tony tapped the glass, "Any kid who's read Captain America's storybook knows Rogers owes Peggy Carter a dance. Perhaps what we should do is invite Aunt Carter... Agent Carter."
"Carter, huh..." Leon's words trailed off.
On the other side of the glass, Steve Rogers opened his eyes!
His icy blue eyes were veiled with a thin mist, filled with confusion.
The first thing Steve saw was an unfamiliar ceiling, his nasal passages filled with the smell of disinfectant.
Then, his neural network, frozen for half a century, gradually revived.
Past scenes overlapped and flooded in.
His memory finally stopped at the moment of the crash.
He still seemed to see the approaching glaciers before his eyes.
But in a flash, the glaciers turned into a ceiling with the smell of disinfectant.
Where was this?
In just an instant, Captain America became alert.
He used his core strength, sat up halfway on the bed, clutching the thin white blanket in his hand, ready to use it as a weapon for defense and to obstruct vision.
"Who are you, where is this!" He demanded of the guards around him.
As Steve's gaze swept over the few people, he also observed the room's layout out of the corner of his eye.
Captain America, enhanced by the Super Soldier Serum, was incredibly versatile.
He was proficient in multiple languages, mastered various combat techniques, and comprehensive cold weapon combat skills...
With just a glance,
He memorized the room's layout.
Beneath him was a medical bed, and beside it was large and precise equipment, which also looked like medical devices.
Other than that,
The room only had four walls and one door.
One wall had a huge mirror embedded in it.
The other three were all covered with large posters.
The top of those posters had years written on them, from the 1950s to the early 21st century.
There were six posters in total.
Below the years were printed photos.
From home appliances and communication devices to transportation and urban development.
Hundreds of photos recorded the World's changes in chronological order.
Steve's wary gaze slowly became somewhat confused.
The seemingly genuine photos on the wall made him feel that things were not quite as he had imagined.
Looking again at the people around him, some in white coats, some in suits.
These people never showed any hostility.
Instead, they all looked at him with curiosity and surprise, some even with admiration...
Steve suddenly felt a strange apprehension.
"Where is this?" He asked again, but he loosened his grip on the thin blanket he held.
"Captain, you're finally awake!" The bald Coulson hurried forward, his hands pressed to his hips, feeling awkward.
"It's 2008. You've been frozen for nearly 70 years and are finally awake. Welcome to the modern era, Captain!"
Steve stared blankly at Coulson.
"70... years?"
His head slowly turned, his gaze pausing on the surrounding posters along the timeline.
Every time his gaze jumped to the next poster, some things from the previous one would disappear, replaced by entirely new things, entirely new appearances.
The long passage of time was condensed into a few posters, making one feel so desolate.
The photos on those posters were both familiar and strange.
No matter how advanced the equipment or how different the streets in the photos were,
He could still vaguely make out some familiar shadows.
But those shadows did not belong to him; they had long vanished into the torrent of time, leaving him alone outside of time.
Could it be that he really had been frozen for seventy years?
Steve felt incredibly disoriented, a sensation of the World spinning.
He had only one thought.
Had that person also vanished with time, buried within one of those posters from the 1990s or 1980s?
Had he missed that promised dance?
Chapter 199 Escape from Earth
On the other side of the one-way mirror.
Leon pointed at Captain America, who was currently getting debriefed by Coulson.
"I told you, instead of listening to those psychologists' advice and doing some era-specific scene recreation, it's better to just lay the truth out in front of him."
"See? He's accepting it pretty quickly, isn't he?" he said.
"He is, but he's also on the verge of breaking down."
Tony saw Captain America's trembling pupils at that moment.
He felt that the other party looked very similar to himself when he was trapped in the Afghanistancave.
Both carried the grief of impending eternal separation from loved ones.
That Captain America, described by Howard as too perfect to be human,
Suddenly gained a concrete image in his mind, turning back into a human.
"He's probably thinking of Carter," Leon said.
"Just as you said, even a child knows that dance is a century of regret, but now Carter is married and has dementia, so he has no chance."
According to the story arc of the movie's main World,
There should be a Steve Rogers from another parallel Universe.
He would travel through time in the 1970s to return the Space Stone he borrowed.
After returning the Stone, he would stay and spend the rest of his life with Carter.
He would only reappear after the Blip event in this World ended, to meet the younger Falcon and Winter Soldier and hand over the responsibilities of Captain America. (Avengers 4 ending)
Tony felt a little wistful upon hearing this: "Yes, Carter suddenly found her other half in her forties, Rogers will probably be very sad when he finds out."
"Tony, do you know who Carter's husband is?" Leon raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you ask that?" Tony thought for a moment, "No impression, it was a secret marriage. The man was reportedly a classified personnel."
"Is that so…"
Leon was deep in thought.
He released the suppression on his Super Hearing, and a few seconds later, he found the information he wanted.
"Just as I thought," he muttered to himself.
Looking at the dispirited Captain America on the other side of the glass,
A slightly mischievous, but certainly ecstatic, idea suddenly popped into Leon's mind for Captain America.
He thought for a moment.
Then suddenly asked Tony: "Are you sure you want to recruit Captain America into the Avengers?"
"Of course, the Avengers needs a continuously active spiritual symbol, doesn't it?"
Tony said without looking back.
"Although Superman is more suitable for this role, unfortunately, you don't plan to join my Superheroesgroup."
Leon shook his head: "Aren't I already listed? I'll naturally take action if there's a crisis that endangers the Earth."
"It's precisely because you only act at the very end and don't participate in daily operations that I need Rogers," Tony said.
Leon spread his hands: "Since you've made up your mind, I won't object. However, what do you plan to do about Bucky? Keep it from Rogers? He's his best friend."
Bucky…" A fleeting look of struggle flashed in Tony's eyes.
He pursed his lips: "Concealment isn't a solution. I'll be frank with Rogers."
"How will you be frank?"
"Find the right time and tell him the whole story," Tony exhaled, "Of course, the process doesn't need to be too direct."
"You're planning to tell him face-to-face? That's certainly your style." Leon shook his head.
"Forget it, it's your Avengers, you make the decisions."
"But I killed Bucky, and I've never regretted it."
"So if Rogers wants revenge in the end, let him come for me."
Leon walked towards the door, casually taking out a bottle of zeus spring water and handing it to Tony.
"I'm leaving now. Here, this bottle of Spring Water is for you. You decide how to handle it."
"You've seen its effects, you know when to use it."
Tony took the zeus spring water, watched Leon's retreating figure, and gripped the jade bottle tightly.
A cool sensation spread from his palm into his body, making his heart clench.
He looked back at Captain America on the other side of the glass, then recalled Leon's question about Carter just now.
He suddenly felt he understood the purpose of the Spring Water in his hand.
"This kid, giving compensation but beating around the bush. Can't he be as straightforward as me?"
Tony chuckled, the gloom in his heart caused by Bucky largely dissipating.
He thought Leon gave the zeus spring water to compensate Captain America.
But in reality, Leon didn't care much about what would happen to Steve Rogers.
He gave the Spring Water.
Partly out of mischief.
On the other hand, it was a show of support for his old brother.
However, Tony thought he had guessed the truth.
He happily put away the zeus spring water and walked towards the room where Captain America and the others were.
Pushing the door open: "Soldier Steve Rogers, as far as I know, you have an appointment, don't you?"
…
Nick Fury's warning to Taros didn't have much effect.
Even the dove faction, represented by Taros, had largely agreed to temporarily leave Earth.
But there are always dissenting voices within a race.
A day passed.
Only the Skrull refugees in the shelter had evacuated Earth.
The Skrull in other places
Had mostly already replaced humans.
They had already grown accustomed to life on Earth.
Some even held high positions, able to lord it over others.
Others had low status, needing to perform physical labor daily, but it was stable.
Even at its worst, it was far better than wandering the Universe.
How could they abandon everything they had and leave Earth to return to a precarious life of fleeing?
Moreover, they all believed their disguise was flawless and impossible for various countries to detect.
After all, the Skrull's disguise was very thorough.
Even genetic tests could be passed.
They had even been fleeing throughout the Universe for so many years.
And had only encountered countermeasures from the three great empires.
If it was like that in the vast Universe,
A small, remote, and backward Earth was even less of a concern.
Those so-called Men in Black were nothing but clowns.
The Skrull remaining on Earth were all fearless and confident.
But their confidence,
Immediately shattered after the Men in Black began distributing identification equipment to various countries.
The identification devices were all mobile radiation towers.
The towers were entirely black, three meters high, and conical in shape.
When activated, they continuously released a special radiation with a range of ten kilometers.
This radiation could interfere with the Skrull's disguise ability.
It would make their disguise flicker on and off, switching between their original appearance and human appearance.
When official agencies around the World activated the devices,
Everyone was stunned.
In the White House in Washington, the staff cleaning President Ellis's room was a Skrull.
In Buckingham Palace in London, the English Queen's close attendant was a Skrull.
The Governor of New Delhi was also a Skrull.
Suddenly.
People were outside, feeling the wind and Sun, and when they turned their heads, green figures appeared on the street.
Skrull, Skrull everywhere!
When the identification devices were activated,
These Skrull hadn't even realized their appearance was switching between green skin and human.
When they were knocked down or killed, their faces still held confusion.
On this day,
Tens of thousands of Skrull worldwide were exposed in broad daylight.
Everyone knew that the Men in Black had not exaggerated.
Countries began to enter a true state of martial law.
The Men in Black were dispatched to conduct a worldwide search for Skrull.
The Avengers were dispatched, led by the awakened Captain America, to hunt down Skrull.
The remaining Skrull finally knew fear.
After all, even if the people they replaced held high positions,
Once their identities were exposed, they could no longer use that power.
That night.
Thousands of spaceships took off from various parts of the World, ascending into space in the vast night.
As a race that had been fleeing across the Universe for many years,
The Skrull were very familiar with large-scale retreats.
Millions of Skrull, within one day, overnight, had almost all evacuated Earth.
Chapter 200 Captain Marvel Returns
One day later.
In the Universe.
A vibrant star illuminated the entire galaxy.
Sunlight traveled through the deep void, carrying warmth to the furthest reaches.
At the end of the light.
The dim cosmic space was suddenly cut into hexagonal fragments by an invisible force.
That was the Marvel Universe's unique method of space travel: a Jump Point.
Jump Point.
As one of the hexagonal fragments disappeared, another star system tens of thousands of light-years away connected to the Solar System.
A starship emerged from that star system, passing through the Jump Point.
It continued to fly, passing the colossal Neptune, Uranus… and finally stopped near Mars's orbit.
Countless spaceships hovered here, like a swarm of locusts feeding on a single ear of rice.
After the distant starship came to a halt.
A brilliant stream of light shot out.
Like a high-speed torch moving through the starry sky.
It quickly surged into the fleet of ships.
Then, it stopped at the rear of the largest vessel, descended, and entered through the open hatch.
After the hatch closed, Captain Marvel's surging photon energy extinguished.
She deactivated her battle suit's outer space mode, and her hair, which had been styled into a mohawk by her cowl, loosened, her shoulder-length golden hair falling naturally, covering her angular, square face.
In front of her.
Was Taros, who had specifically come out to greet her with his wife and daughter.
"Long time no see, Carol," Taros greeted warmly.
"Taros? Why are you here?"
Carol rested her right hand on her hip, her tight battle suit accentuating her capable figure.
She looked at her old friend, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, smiling happily.
"If you hadn't messaged me just now, I would have thought all these spaceships were sent by some empire to attack Earth."
"How could that be? Skrull will always be friends with Earthlings; how could they possibly attack Earth?" Taros gave an unnatural smile.
"Of course, I know that." Carol smiled and spread her arms.
"Why do you all look so reserved? Sauron, Gaya, come let me give you a hug!"
She affectionately hugged Taros's wife and daughter.
Only then did she look seriously at Taros: "So you've come to support Earth? So many ships, even civilian transports are being used. Who exactly is invading Earth?"
Upon hearing this, Taros's tree-bark-like face twitched slightly.
He felt as if flames were burning on his face, and a sense of shame spread in his heart.
"This… actually, no one is invading Earth, Carol. The situation is like this…"
Taros tried his best to explain the whole story tactfully.
He even sugarcoated the process a bit, not mentioning that a large number of Skrull only started evacuating when they were about to be caught.
But even so, the smile on Captain Marvel's face gradually faded.
"A million Skrull?" Her incredulous expression was identical to Fury's.
"How could you do this, Taros!"
Taros gave a bitter smile: "I'm sorry, I… I couldn't just stand by and watch my people being hunted down in the Universe."
"But you can't, you can't…" Carol wanted to swear, but seeing Gaya, who was only a teenager, next to her, she held back.
She put her hands on her hips, lowered her head, and shook her head with a sigh, showing a sense of "disappointment."
This made Taros lower his head; he knew he had deeply disappointed Carol.
"So?" Carol asked, "Did you ask Fury to call me back? How do you want me to help you?"
Taros knew Carol was their last hope.
He could only appeal to her emotions: "I'm very sorry, Carol. I know I let you and Fury down."
"But my compatriots are truly innocent. They are all good people and shouldn't die in the cold Universe!"
"Ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet you, who were controlled by the Kree Empire, at the most critical moment."
"To fight alongside you and receive your promise that you would help us find a new home, that was my fortune."
"I know how powerful you are, Carol, and I deeply believe that your kindness will surely bring us hope in the future."
"So, that's why I asked my compatriots to temporarily go to Earth!"
"I believe a new home will be found very soon, and we will only stay on Earth briefly, so that's why…"
Taros looked troubled.
"Oh, it's all my fault for being too unrealistic. It's all my mistake."
He brought up their past friendship and Captain Marvel's former promise, hoping to move her.
And Carol's lips trembled after hearing him, and she was indeed swayed.
She always traveled alone through the Milky Way, upholding justice.
After more than ten years, she had long grown accustomed to solitude, to the silence of the Universe.
For such a long time, only her spaceship and the starry sky accompanied her.
That's why past memories were even more precious to her.
To her.
Every memory of Earth was like an old photograph in an album, yellowed but extremely precious.
With Taros saying this.
Carol felt a bit guilty instead.
After all, it was she who had promised to find a new home for the Skrull.
And it was also she who had searched for over ten years with no results.
Looking at it this way, the predicament Earth was currently facing seemed to be caused by her as well.
"No, Taros, don't think that way. In fact, I… I'm also very sorry."
Carol stepped forward and patted Taros's shoulder.
"Although the Universe is vast, there aren't many Planets suitable for life. I was too optimistic before."
Taros's face twitched; he saw hope in Captain Marvel's softening attitude!
"This isn't your fault!" He sighed, "It's just a pity that from now on, we will be homeless again, returning to a life of uncertainty and displacement."
"But even if we wander in spaceships with everyone, life must go on."
"I just hope we don't encounter the Kree Empire's fleet too soon."
Taros began to paint a detailed picture: "Their ship cannons are so powerful, capable of easily destroying spaceships, and they hate us so much."
"If we encounter them, they will immediately attack, and in the end, who knows how many will survive, it's just a pity for the children…"
Upon hearing this, although Carol's expression remained unchanged, her eyelashes trembled instantly.
She imagined the scene Taros described, and her heart felt even more guilty.
After an internal struggle.
She interrupted: "There's still a way!"
"What way?" Taros sounded as if he had lost all hope, "We have nowhere left to go."
Carol pursed her lips: "Earth wants to drive you away because they fear your power."
"So, all I need to do is show them my strength and vouch for you."
"I believe you can stay on Earth again!"
Carol clenched her fist: "After this, I will go find some more friends and quickly find another suitable habitat for you."
"However, a million Skrull gathered together is still too dangerous."
Although she felt pity, her intelligence was still sharp.
"Taros, I trust you, but when your people grow in number, some will inevitably develop improper thoughts."
"So, at that time, you'll have to arrange for a portion of them to move to another habitat."
"As long as the base number decreases, they will be easier to manage, and we will also have enough time to continue searching for a new home!"
Carol felt that this arrangement was the best option for now.
Chapter 201 Using Superman to show strength to other countries?
Taros also knew that this method was currently the best option.
He stopped while he was ahead: "Won't this make you sacrifice too much…"
"No!" Carol revealed a heroic smile. "This isn't difficult for me."
She clenched her fist: "After so many years, have you forgotten what I look like when I fight?"
"Of course not. That's impossible to forget." Taros also smiled.
Carol nodded, looking around: "Where's Fury? He's not with you all. Is he at the S.W.O.R.D. space station? Or that S.H.I.E.L.D. agency?"
"Actually…" Taros hesitated slightly. "Fury has now been arrested by the United Nations."
"Arrested? What happened?" Carol frowned.
…
United Nations Headquarters building.
At the Security Council meeting, the conference room was packed, with representatives from all countries present.
What they were going to do today was the interrogation of Fury.
This was not originally within the scope of the Security Council's functions.
But S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.W.O.R.D. were two international organizations affiliated with the Security Council.
Both had been led by Fury.
And both had experienced global-threatening issues.
Therefore, this interrogation was handled by the Security Council.
The interrogation began.
Fury sat in the center of the conference room.
He was accompanied only by the solid wood armchair beneath him.
The other people's seats were arranged in a circle five meters away from him.
Maria Hill, the current Deputy Director of the Avengers, handed thick supporting documents to the representatives of each country in turn.
Hill and Fury had a very good relationship, and she was even one of his trusted confidantes.
But she had actually always been a member of the Security Council.
Her becoming Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. before was an arrangement by the Security Council.
Now, becoming the Deputy Director of the Avengers was the same.
"Distinguished representatives, it is an honor to be able to…"
Hill, dressed in a suit and short skirt, stood on the stage and spoke fluently, enumerating Fury's merits and demerits one by one.
When she mentioned that half of S.W.O.R.D.'s internal members were Skrull.
Suddenly, the alloy door of the conference room was violently pushed open.
The door slammed against the wall with a clang.
A blonde woman in a red and blue battle suit walked in.
Security guards chased after her: "You can't go in! Important meetings with representatives from various countries are going on inside!"
Two security guards with short batons tried to stop the woman.
But she simply pushed them gently with an arm that was not even half as thick as a security guard's.
The two slammed against the wall, groaning in pain and losing consciousness.
"Sorry, time is a bit tight, so I was a bit rude, but they'll be fine."
She clapped her hands as she entered, "I have some matters with Fury, so I'll have to trouble you to postpone the meeting."
"What? Who are you?"
"Don't move! Where are the security personnel, other security personnel!"
Amidst the commotion, the woman walked up to Fury.
"Motherfucker… Carol? You're back so soon?"
Fury was a little surprised, with joy at their reunion, "It looks like you've already met Taros."
"That's right." Carol glanced at the representatives from various countries who wanted to step forward and stop her.
She reached out and picked up Fury, "Let's talk somewhere else."
"Oh, it seems you already have your own plans?" Fury exclaimed.
The two flew up, rushing out of the conference room at a not-too-fast speed.
Before more security personnel could arrive.
Carol took Fury and left the United Nations building.
The two finally arrived at a dilapidated apartment in the Brooklyn slum.
"This is one of my hideouts. I haven't been here in a long time, so it's a bit messy. Make yourself at home."
The apartment was very small; a panoramic view could be seen upon entering.
In a space of a dozen square meters, there was a creaky bed, two chairs, and a round wooden table.
Fury plopped down, and the chair made a sound as if it would fall apart at any moment.
"You can only live in a place like this now?" Carol frowned, wiped a chair, and sat down.
"It's good enough to have this. In fact, since you took me out of the interrogation, even this hideout will soon be gone."
Fury placed his hands on his knees.
"Welcome back, Carol, it's been over ten years."
"It has been a long time. When I left, I thought you would contact me with the pager very soon."
Carol looked at her old friend, who seemed a bit dispirited.
She sighed: "You look like you've been through a lot. You should have let me come back earlier."
"Really? Is it really worth it to have our Captain Marvel come back for some trivial matters?"
Fury smiled, "You are my nuclear button."
"But I can do more than just become a nuclear bomb." Carol also smiled.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Fury said, "Taros should have already told you why I asked you to come back."
Carol nodded: "S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, Superman… He told me everything."
"What about the millions of Skrull?" Fury asked.
"He told me about that too."
"You seem to have decided to help them?"
"I can't let them wander the Universe like this, Fury."
"What do you plan to do?" Fury leaned forward.
"It seems that Superman is currently the strongest on Earth, and all countries in the World are afraid of him?" Carol hinted.
Fury frowned: "Motherfucker… You're planning to make a move on him?"
Carol smiled: "Not a move, just to show off my strength to the various countries through him."
"And, he seems to have made you suffer several losses?"
"Don't you want me to help you get some revenge?"
Carol shook her fist, "As a friend, I'm very willing to do something like that."
Fury looked deeply at Carol, then shook his head after a moment of silence.
"I once hoped that you could show Superman your strength and make him wary."
"But I never thought of you making a move on him because of the Skrull."
"This is a very big difference." Fury emphasized, "Have you really thought it through, deciding to help the Skrull stay?"
"I've thought it through very clearly!" Carol nodded solemnly.
She tilted her head: "Don't worry, I know that after I leave, that Superman will be Earth's most reliable protector. I'll be careful and won't make him too miserable."
"I also have a plan for the Skrull, and their problem will be resolved soon."
Fury nodded in silence.
Captain Marvel's choice was different from what he had expected.
But now, he clearly had no better solution.
"I've always trusted Taros very much." Fury stood up.
"Because of our past shared experiences, and because of you."
"But after learning that he brought millions of Skrull to Earth."
"My trust in him wavered."
"My experience tells me that I cannot keep them."
"I hope your decision is correct."
"Now, take me back to the United Nations Headquarters." Fury said.
Carol frowned: "You're going back to be interrogated?"
"If I don't go back, I'll really become a fugitive."
Fury grinned, revealing his neat White teeth, which, combined with the eye patch on his face, looked a bit comical.
"Of course, I can also help you deal with the consequences of abducting a major criminal. You don't want to become a wanted criminal, do you?"
Carol thought for a moment: "Alright, I'll let you go after I let them know who I am."
"Then I'll look forward to it." Fury had no doubt about Captain Marvel's strength.
After sending Fury back to the United Nations Headquarters.
Carol, based on the intelligence provided by Fury, flew to a high-end apartment building in Brooklyn.
Photon energy emanated from around her, and her eyes began to sharpen.