"The Skrulls' mimicry ability poses a systemic security threat to human society."
"In the current situation, concentrating them in places far from densely populated areas and providing sufficient survival supplies is already the maximum level of mercy Mr. Starr can grant."
"Mercy?" Fury snorted coldly, staring intently at Skynet.
"Don't give me that PR talk! You have no idea how dire the situation is out there!"
"Gravik has gone mad. After Homelander disappeared, the radicals under him have been creating chaos worldwide. They've infiltrated the high levels of government in various countries and might even have obtained the launch codes for nuclear weapons!"
"I'll say it one last time," Fury's tone grew heavier.
"We can't just wait around in this ice hole! Talos has a list and the coordinates for several of Gravik's secret Bases. We must take the initiative now, use Vought's resources, and dig them out before they blow Earth to ruins!"
Facing Fury's aggression, Skynet's expression didn't change at all.
She still maintained that dignified smile, with the upbringing and composure unique to high-society women.
She had completely adapted to her human identity and set a persona for herself.
Seeing Skynet unmoved, Fury slammed the table hard, trying to suppress her with the aura of a high-ranking official he had cultivated over the years.
"Give me temporary operational command, Skynet! Even if it's just a Special Hero Response Team! I could..."
"Request denied, Director Fury."
Skynet didn't even wait for Fury to finish before giving her answer.
"I believe I have already explained it very clearly to you. The final resolution for the Skrull incident must be decided by Mr. Starr personally. Until then, no one has the authority to mobilize Vought's armed forces for cross-border strikes."
"Wait for him to come back?!" Fury straightened up, laughing out of sheer anger.
"Motherf*cker! Who the hell knows where he is thousands of light-years away! Every minute we delay, the World gets one step closer to destruction!"
"Starr isn't here! We should act as we see fit!" Fury still tried to argue. "Since you've accepted me, you should give me the authority to mobilize Vought's resources to eliminate the threat!"
"Mr. Fury, you seem to have some unrealistic illusions about your authority."
"You are not the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. now; you are working for Vought. And the supreme will of Vought is only Mr. Starr."
"If you attempt any unauthorized actions to carry out your so-called plan..." Skynet gave a very human-like sneer, "...I will immediately revoke all your permissions at Vought and designate you as a potential threat to be contained."
Fury grit his teeth. This Skynet was too difficult to deal with; she didn't care at all about the big picture or human survival. Her underlying logic only revolved around that man draped in the stars and stripes.
"Have you ever considered..." Fury finally brought up the possibility that no one wanted to face.
"...What if he doesn't come back?"
"Are we going to drag all of humanity down with us for a man who might be dead?!"
The atmosphere froze at that moment.
Skynet's face, which had always held a dignified smile, lost all expression.
She took a slow step forward, a golden light flashing in her pupils. The spiritual pressure brought by the Mind Stone weighed down on Fury's shoulders.
"You'd better pray every day to everything you believe in that he returns safely, Nick Fury."
"Otherwise..."
She didn't say another word, but Fury subconsciously took a step back, an inexplicable chill rising in his heart.
In that instant, he even felt that the Skynet before him was more terrifying than those Skrulls who wanted to seize their home.
If Homelander really were dead, the threat this woman posed to the World would likely be no less than that of the Skrulls.
Fury wisely shut his mouth, gave Skynet a deep look, and then left without saying a word.
...
Himalayas, Kamar-Taj.
The ancient temple was hidden within a barrier of snow and magic.
Normally, this place was covered by a powerful magical barrier, and any form of intrusion would be detected immediately.
But today, Homelander was like a ghost, strolling through the simple courtyards of Kamar-Taj without triggering any alarms.
He walked straight toward the main hall.
Deep inside the hall, Sorcerer Supreme Gu Yi sat cross-legged before a low wooden table, holding a cup of steaming tea with both hands, eyes closed in meditation.
Homelander walked up to the Ancient One, bent down, and put his face almost against the tip of her nose.
He carefully examined this Sorcerer Supreme who had protected Earth for centuries.
"Even the Ancient One can't sense me?" A wicked thought occurred to Homelander.
He stood up, walked to the Ancient One's side, raised his hands, and proceeded to make frantic rubbing motions against her bald head.
Like he was polishing a giant walnut.
The Ancient One picked up her teacup, gently blew on the steam, and took a slow sip.
She was completely unaware of the God of Mortals "running wild" over her head.
"It seems the system's 'Unobservable' trick is something even the Sorcerer Supreme can't see through."
Although he couldn't touch her physical body, the sense of taboo from disturbing the ground on the Sorcerer Supreme's head made him find it very amusing.
Satisfied, Homelander withdrew his hands.
Ignoring the Sorcerer Supreme, he continued to drift deeper into Kamar-Taj.
He was looking for that crimson figure.
Soon, in an underground library filled with ancient scrolls and heavy tomes, Homelander found his target.
Under the dim light, Wanda was sitting at a long table.
Books lay open all around her, and several pieces of parchment had been irritably tossed onto the floor.
Wanda's fingers moved quickly across the pages, her hand gestures constantly changing. Crimson Chaos Energy pulsed restlessly at her fingertips, reflecting her extremely unstable emotions at the moment.
"Clap!"
Another heavy magic book was slammed shut.
"Not this one! Not this either!"
"You must stop, Wanda!" Baron Mordo suddenly appeared between two rows of bookshelves, his brow furrowed and his face dark.
"You are touching powers you do not understand... The kind of Cross-dimensional Tracking Magic you are looking for is essentially a ritual of the Dark Dimension."
"Using such magic will cause your soul to be eroded by darkness! Master Ancient One strictly forbids anyone from touching Dark Magic!!"
Wanda stood up, scarlet energy crawling all over her body.
"Mordo, you can't stop me. I will never give up looking for Anthony! By any means necessary!"
Hiding to the side, Homelander couldn't help but be moved by Wanda's determined face.
"What a silly girl. Once I regain my physical form, I'll reward you properly.