Chapter 122: The Priority at Hand

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Link's question struck directly to the core of the matter. Stark was the first to voice his discomfort, followed closely by Clint, who had a wife and kids to think about. As for Steve and Natasha, they were essentially lone wolves at this point, without a place to call home. Bruce, on the other hand, remained silent—he really had no viable options. Wherever he went, there was always someone watching him.

As a result, no one spoke further.

Link continued, "When I first ordered the warship, I had already considered expanding the Avengers team. After all, fighter jets need pilots. Once we get back, we can recruit some personnel from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Originally, Maria Hill would have been the perfect choice for captain, but she's now taking over S.H.I.E.L.D., and Coulson is likely inheriting Nick Fury's hidden resources."

"So, we need to rethink this. What do you all think about Peggy Carter as a candidate?"

There was a collective pause. Stark and Bruce appeared to be deep in thought, trying to recall who she was, but Steve, Natasha, and Clint were well aware. Steve, growing slightly agitated, asked, "Are you serious, Link?"

"Of course I am. Have you seen Ms. Carter recently?" Link inquired.

"Yes, she's bedridden now," Steve replied.

"Well, our Osborne Group has a biotechnology project. If we could combine it with the dragon bones from The Hand, Carter could regain her youth," Link said. "Though, we haven't fully developed the technology yet, and we don't have the dragon bones."

"Steve, it's something to think about—there's still a chance for you both."

Steve inhaled sharply, processing the possibility. Stark, now recalling who Peggy Carter was, chimed in, "She was a friend of my father's, right? Should I be calling her 'Auntie'?"

Steve shot Stark a look and said, "You could also call me 'Uncle.'"

"Pfft…" Natasha couldn't hold back her laughter, but then added, "In all seriousness, Carter is a great choice. She's someone the World Security Council would trust, and she'd be perfect for commanding the space headquarters or the warship."

Bruce, still unsure of who Peggy Carter was, quietly asked Clint for an explanation. After understanding her role, he turned to Steve and said, "Steve, this could really work."

"Alright, if it's possible, I'll personally ask her," Steve said, his voice shaking with emotion.

Link continued, "We can't recruit solely from S.H.I.E.L.D.; we need to open recruitment globally. We don't fear espionage since we'll be operating in space."

"All communications will be monitored!"

"As for combat modes, given that I have a space ring, we can personally handle smaller-scale conflicts. By smaller, I mean anything less than an all-out war."

"In the event of war, that's when the warship will come into play."

"And of course, everything I've said hinges on us establishing relationships with various intergalactic civilizations."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Steve added, "That's a solid idea, but not every civilization is one we can ally with."

"Of course," Link replied. "The Kree are naturally opposed to us. Then there's Thanos—he's a huge threat, clearly not in his right mind."

"I've heard some things about peaceful civilizations, like the Xandarians, but we'll need to see if they're willing to work with us."

"We'll need to explore the universe cautiously and make sure we don't unintentionally start a war."

As usual, Link's suggestions were spot-on, and the others had grown accustomed to it.

"Once we're back, Natasha, you'll be in charge of gathering intelligence. We can also invite others to join us. There may be individuals on Earth with special abilities who could become part of our team."

"However, recruitment must be done with extreme caution—especially when it comes to character."

Link outlined the tasks ahead, and once everything was clear, the team returned to the command room. Link piloted the warship, guiding it back toward Earth.

Meanwhile, Natasha began sending messages to governments across the globe, informing them that the Avengers' warship would be landing on the ocean, urging them not to panic.

But could they avoid panic?

When the Collector had arrived with two spaceships suddenly appearing in orbit, every nation's defense systems had detected them, throwing officials into chaos.

Then one ship left, and the Avengers had flown their Quinjet into space. Now, after the warship had circled Earth, things were finally starting to make sense.

The Avengers had officially made contact with the wider universe. The world's leaders were already aware, but none had expected them to acquire a fully functional intergalactic warship—one delivered by an alien civilization, no less.

But why?

What had the Avengers, or more specifically, what had Link done out in space to bring this about?

There weren't many secrets left in the world. When Link had first departed, everyone knew about it. Any country with the capability to monitor space was aware that Link had flown out on a mission.

Shortly after his return, internal strife had erupted within S.H.I.E.L.D., revealing that HYDRA was still active. Nick Fury had taken the fall, resigning as director, and Maria Hill had stepped in to clean up the remnants of HYDRA.

Of course, her first priority was stabilizing S.H.I.E.L.D., which had suffered heavy losses. Nearly half of its personnel had been HYDRA agents.

On top of that, many agents had been killed or injured. Could the remaining ones truly be trusted?

S.H.I.E.L.D. was hanging by a thread, and with Coulson lying low, Maria Hill had been forced to rapidly promote a select few trustworthy agents, including Sharon Carter.

As the massive Avengers ship began its descent into Earth's atmosphere, the anti-gravity engines activated, slowing its fall. After re-entering the atmosphere, it continued to fly at a controlled pace.

Eventually, the colossal vessel descended over the waters near New York and gently landed on the surface. It dwarfed even the nearby U.S. naval fleet.

A few Quinjets took off from the warship. There was no need for anyone to guard it—Lux, the ship's AI, could seal all the entrances, making unauthorized access impossible. This was a space vessel, after all, its airtight design alone made breaching it an insurmountable challenge.

Back at Avengers headquarters, Maria Hill's call came through. "Link, how on Earth did you manage to get this?"

Link chuckled and replied, "Hill, we bought it, of course."

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