"Although the records on Earth have been passed down and adapted through countless generations, losing many details and exaggerating much of the content, the core framework is generally correct."
Fury was momentarily stifled; he had indeed intended to use the excuse of "having tea" to extract first-hand intelligence about Asgard from Mavuika.
A living deity standing right before him was more valuable than any ancient text or legend.
But Mavuika clearly saw through his intentions and politely declined.
And the suggestion she gave... check the myths? As a trained Agent, Fury was instinctively skeptical of such a claim.
Myths were glorified and exaggerated folklore; how could they serve as a basis for intelligence?
But he didn't show it, only shrugging and offering a helpless "you caught me" smile: "Well, it seems my little schemes were too obvious."
"But seriously, Miss Mavuika, if our Earth... or Midgard, really belongs to the Nine Realms and is under the protection of Asgard, does that mean... we can ask for your help when facing external threats?"
This was a more direct probe; he wanted to know the extent of protection Asgard's "patronage" over Earth actually entailed.
Mavuika was silent for a few seconds before saying, "In the face of a true crisis, Asgard naturally won't sit idly by."
Her answer was vague, but Fury understood the subtext: Asgard would protect Earth, but this protection was likely intended for external enemies that were impossible to match.
Asgard probably wouldn't interfere in Earth's internal chaos or threats that Earth was capable of handling on its own.
"I understand." Fury nodded, not pressing further.
He knew that when dealing with a being like Mavuika, knowing when to stop was the wise choice.
Pushing too hard wouldn't end well, especially since the other party had just helped Earth drive away an alien fleet.
Mavuika looked at the situation inside the cabin; the Skrulls were orderly repairing the ship, and Carol was discussing something in low tones with Talos. Everything was returning to normal.
The work was done; there was no need to linger any longer.
"The matter is resolved, I'll take my leave now," she said, then turned to Carol.
"Although you are very powerful now, the Universe is vast; proceed with caution."
Carol nodded solemnly: "I will."
Mavuika gave Fury a final slight nod as a farewell, then turned around.
Golden-red flames rose from beneath her feet, gently enveloping her entire body.
A few seconds later, she had transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the starry sky toward Earth.
The cabin fell silent for a few seconds.
"Wow," Fury finally said, breaking the silence. "That way of coming and going... is really convenient."
Talos wiped cold sweat from his forehead and said to Fury, "Agent Fury, you're truly bold, speaking to the sun goddess like that..."
"I'm just doing my job." Fury shrugged and put Goose on the ground; the cat immediately trotted to Maria's feet and rubbed against her leg.
"Gathering intelligence, assessing threats, establishing contact—though the contact-establishing part wasn't very successful this time."
Carol walked over; the golden glow on her body had completely receded, making her look like an ordinary Earth woman, except her eyes were particularly bright.
"She's right, Fury," Carol said. "There really is a lot of truth in the myths, at least regarding the Asgard part... now it seems those legends might be closer to the facts than we imagined."
"Alright," he finally said. "So, what do we do now?"
"Fix this ship and then leave." Carol looked at Talos: "How long will you need?"
Talos glanced at the engineer, who made a gesture: "The main thruster needs its energy conduits replaced. About... six hours. Everything else is minor and can be done simultaneously."
"Six hours then." Carol nodded. "Fury, do you want to wait with us, or go back to Earth first?"
"I'll wait a bit," Fury said. "I need to make sure... things are wrapped up properly."
Over the next six hours, the Skrulls worked with clear division of labor and skilled techniques, using various tools and equipment he had never seen before.
Carol helped as well; her current power allowed her to easily lift components weighing several tons, perform precision welding on metal, and even use photon energy to temporarily stabilize leaking energy pipes.
During this time, Talos invited Fury and Carol to dinner.
The Skrulls' food was a type of nutritional paste that tasted bland but provided enough energy. Fury politely tasted a bit, then focused on eating the compressed rations he had brought.
"Where do you plan to go after you leave?" Fury asked Talos at the table.
The green-skinned alien leader's expression showed no uncertainty: "We have an alternative set of coordinates on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy. It's said there's a habitable but undeveloped Planet there, but it's very far. Given the state of our ship, it might require multiple jumps and take... several years."
"Several years?" Fury raised an eyebrow.
"The Universe is vast, Agent Fury," Talos said with a bitter smile.
"And we must avoid the Kree Empire's patrol routes and take the long way around. That's the price of being a fugitive."
Carol put down her utensils.
"I'll go with you," she said.
"At least in the beginning, to escort you to a safe zone. And... I need to find a place to practice controlling my power."
She looked at her hand, where a faint golden light flowed in her palm: "Mavuika was right, my control is still very crude. If I practice on Earth, I might cause unnecessary destruction."
Fury nodded in understanding. A superpowered individual who could split warships practicing control on Earth? That was a terrifying thought.
Six hours later, the ship's repairs were complete.
The energy conduits for the main thruster had been replaced, the life support system leaks were patched, and the damage to the hull was temporarily fixed.
Although not in perfect condition, it was enough for long-distance space travel.
Before saying goodbye, Carol did one thing.
She took Fury's communication device—that old-fashioned, text-only pager—and golden photon energy seeped into the device, modifying its circuits and power source.
"Here." She handed the pager back to Fury.
"I... upgraded it a bit. Its signal range should now cover several star systems, and the power source should last for at least a few decades."
She paused: "If you really encounter a crisis you can't solve and need help, just call me. I'll receive it."
Fury took the pager, feeling it was slightly heavier than before, with a faint warmth on the casing.
"Only one button?" he asked.
"Only one," Carol nodded. "For emergencies only. I hope you won't have to use it."