S.H.I.E.L.D

Miss Stark clearly saw through the intentions of the U.S. military—she could tell exactly what they were up to, even before they started.

Alright, maybe that analogy was a bit crude. But over the years, Miss Stark Industries and the U.S. military had shared countless shady dealings, ones she had witnessed ever since she was a child, trailing behind Howard.

Howard had often told her that while the U.S. military was a valuable partner, aligning with them could offer maximum benefits for the company, but never, ever place your trust in them.

Even though the capture of the Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd, had succeeded using their equipment, this didn't mean the matter was over. The Star-Swarm was still en route. But Miss Stark could see that the U.S. military intended to keep Norrin for their own research purposes. Incidentally, so did she.

However, before she could start any research on Norrin, she needed to leverage his power against the Star-Swarm. Miss Stark wasn't about to let the U.S. military get their hands on him, though—who knew what horrors those insane scientists might try.

General Hager looked at his advisor, who was openly opposing his orders, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face. He understood Miss Stark's status very well. Her unique position made her a qualified partner for the Department of Defense and, by extension, an advisor to this task force.

An advisor's primary role is to offer guidance. But if the advice given conflicts with orders from the Department of Defense, who should they listen to?

In the end, an advisor is there to advise; it's still up to decision-makers to heed that advice or not. So, despite Miss Stark's objections, General Hager had made up his mind—he would follow the Pentagon's orders and bring the Silver Surfer back to the States.

"The country will establish a safe containment system. We have to take him back."

"I understand the Pentagon's intentions, but what matters most right now is finding a way to counter the Star-Swarm, not treating him like some trophy to bring home for weaponization research. General, playing games with the future of human civilization isn't something we can afford to do. I urge you to treat this with the gravity it deserves."

Miss Stark's words were emphatic.

"And what exactly do you propose? I'd love to hear it."

Finally, Hager seemed to be listening. Miss Stark's face lit up with a smile as she pulled her phone from her waist and lit up the screen.

"I don't know if you're familiar with an agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. or whether your rank entitles you to know about it. But S.H.I.E.L.D. is already en route—they'll be here in under five minutes."

On her phone's GPS display, the icon of a flashing silver eagle was steadily advancing across Germany's border straight toward the Rhine Valley. General Hager's face changed dramatically, and it was clear he was at least somewhat aware of what she meant by "S.H.I.E.L.D."

"You're with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Are you telling me you leaked mission details to an extragovernmental spy organization?!"

"I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Miss Stark responded to Hager's accusation with a laugh, as if she'd just heard the best joke.

"No. To be precise, S.H.I.E.L.D. is mine."

"If you know anything about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s history, then you'd know that one of its founders was my father, Howard Stark."

Those present could only look on in bewilderment, as they hadn't the faintest idea what Miss Stark and Hager were bickering about. Even the Fantastic Four had never interacted formally with such an obscure agency before, though a strange look crossed Victor's face.

"Excuse me, General—does the arrangement we discussed still hold?"

"This isn't my call anymore. Go ask her."

Hager gave Victor a dark glare, then pointed him toward Miss Stark.

Although Victor didn't fully understand what S.H.I.E.L.D. was, he knew that if he didn't act now, he'd lose his chance forever.

Victor hadn't joined the task force out of concern for Earth or the future of human civilization—never had. He'd only ever wanted the Silver Surfer's board, a device of immense power, for himself. And he was finally ready to take it.

Victor understood everything now—and so, he took a leap toward the floating silver board.

His sudden move took everyone by surprise. The Four immediately realized that Victor had always been after the Silver Surfer's board, but it was too late—they were a step behind and unable to stop him from reaching it.

Only Miss Stark herself wasn't surprised by Victor's ambition, as she'd anticipated his scheming all along. Her face twisted into a slight smirk as she raised her hand. A narrow spatial rift tore open before Victor, swallowing him whole.

"Wha... What just happened here? What's going on?!"

General Hager asked in shock.

"Who knows—maybe Mr. Victor was devoured by powers he simply couldn't understand."

Miss Stark shrugged nonchalantly, arching her brow with a smile.

Just then, a violent gust of wind swept through the forest, sending everyone staggering and tumbling over each other.

Except Miss Stark herself. It was as if she had anticipated the surge, standing unaffected while chaos broke out around her.

Above them, a faint shimmer appeared, followed by an encroaching shadow. Overhead, the sky darkened as a massive aircraft gradually appeared in view. It was a C-17 Globemaster transport plane, but with a completely unconventional design.

This particular aircraft had a tandem wing configuration, equipped with six turbofan engines—three forward, three rear. The engines were oriented vertically, holding the plane in mid-air, and as the engine power decreased, it gently descended.

This meant it was not only a heavy transport plane but also a VTOL-capable aircraft, with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities far beyond the standard C-17.

General Hager looked on, mouth slightly agape. The U.S. military had toyed with VTOL technology, but it was still in the conceptual stage. And yet here was this metal giant, defying all his expectations. Had S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology really reached such a level?

Amid everyone's gaze, the six-engine C-17 transport plane descended vertically onto a clearing in the forest. As the rear cargo door slowly lowered, a middle-aged man in a black suit emerged in front of them.

"You never mentioned you'd be bringing this many people when you gave me the heads-up—"

"Aren't there seats for passengers on that plane, Coulson?

Miss Stark's quip was met with a casual shrug from Agent Phil Coulson, who appeared unbothered. Coulson was there solely on Nick Fury's orders to provide support and security for Miss Stark's mission.

From the moment Miss Stark boarded the Department of Defense's transport plane headed for London, this S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft had been right behind her.

Due to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s high level of confidentiality, Miss Stark would not permit everyone to board the aircraft. The two Army Special Forces teams, by order of General Hager, left in armored personnel carriers along with the Patriot missile transports, heading back to the Wiesbaden Air Force Base.

From there, they would board a plane to return to the U.S., as their assistance was no longer needed on the mission.

Ultimately, the only ones authorized to board the S.H.I.E.L.D. jet were Miss Stark, the Fantastic Four, in recognition of their efforts, Norrin Radd, the captured Silver Surfer, and General Hager as the U.S. military's representative.

The jet's purpose was not just transporting personnel and equipment—it was also an unused S.H.I.E.L.D. airborne command center.

But this time, the destination wasn't the U.S.; they were detouring south, crossing Italy, and heading for the African continent on the other side of the Mediterranean.

They were bound for the largest desert on Earth, where S.H.I.E.L.D. had invested heavily to construct an anomaly containment facility in the vast sands of the desert—the Sandbox.

Since the Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd, had been forcibly separated from his silver board, his body had lost its radiant luster. Deprived of cosmic energy, his form now resembled oxidized steel, turning dull and coarse, and he had lost his powers entirely.

Now, without his strength, Norrin was even weaker than an ordinary human, subdued with ease by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and confined to a cryogenic pod—the same one once used to thaw Captain America.

Miss Stark's hypothesis proved correct. Based on her preliminary studies of Norrin's body, she had reached some initial conclusions.

Norrin's body had been transformed into a bio-alloy, a living metal that even exceeded the molecular structure of vibranium in its extremity. Compared to silicon-based life, Norrin's life form was more like that of a metal being. Each of his cells was constructed from metal, constantly dividing, which likely explained how his body could heal instantly from armor-piercing bullets.

In short, Miss Stark was filled with a desire to investigate Norrin's physiology, though purely for academic reasons.

She was eager to understand the process of this life-form transformation—what kind of cosmic power had turned him into his current form? But more urgently... Miss Stark had just learned, thanks to J.A.R.V.I.S.'s alert, that the Star-Swarm had already entered the solar system and was now swarming toward Earth.

Upon hearing this, Miss Stark decided to set aside research questions for now. The priority was figuring out how to persuade Norrin to cooperate in an honorable "regicidal" action to permanently resolve the threat of the Star-Swarm.

"What's the status?"

When General Hager saw Miss Stark and Coulson step out from the jet's forward cabin, his expression looked grave.

He was a newly promoted Army brigadier general and should have had no access to covert agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D. under normal circumstances, yet he was indeed familiar with S.H.I.E.L.D. and had dealt with them in the past. That was why he had reacted with such shock when he first heard the name from Miss Stark.

"He's being kept in a cryogenic containment pod. Once we reach the site, we'll gradually begin dialogue with him. We're on the brink of catastrophe, so... why don't you ditch your wooden fiancée and come with me, darling?"

Miss Stark casually dropped onto a sofa, right next to Susan, wrapping an arm around her slender waist and leaning in with a mischievous grin.

Feeling the rush of female pheromones emanating from Miss Stark, Susan's cheeks flushed crimson, and she quickly pulled away.

"I... I'll go check on the alien..."

Meanwhile, downstairs in the lab, Reed instinctively frowned.

However, he hadn't noticed that someone was attempting to "dig into his wall" because he was already absorbed in the mobile lab setup on the jet, marveling at the holographic table and the range of advanced research equipment. It was by far the most impressive lab he had ever seen.

Johnny and Ben stayed in the lounge. Watching Susan's retreating back, Ben chuckled and shook his head lightly, while Johnny wore a rather bemused expression. He had never imagined that his dashing self could be overlooked in favor of his own sister. Johnny couldn't help but feel somewhat wounded.

Miss Stark watched Susan disappear down the hall with a slight smile on her lips before shifting her gaze back to Coulson.

"Where are we now, Coulson?"

At the mention of his name, Coulson looked up, seeming to snap out of his thoughts.

"We're over the Mediterranean—about thirty minutes from the Sandbox base."

He picked up the tablet on the table, checked the jet's location on satellite navigation, and replied.

"You know what will happen if our mission fails, Coulson?"

Perhaps to relieve her own tension, Miss Stark leaned back on the sofa, casually chatting with Agent Coulson.

"I'd imagine... the Earth will be destroyed?"

Hearing Miss Stark's question, Coulson frowned slightly, a look of thoughtfulness crossing his face before he responded.

Although his clearance didn't allow him access to all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s classified information, as Nick Fury's right-hand man, he was aware of key events, like the Swarm's impending approach to Earth.

"No, not quite. Actually, the answer is—nothing will happen at all."

Miss Stark shrugged, speaking in a relaxed tone.

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