Fury was left speechless by this novel logic.
"You're playing with fire, Homelander."
Fury suppressed his shock and continued, "By having human civilization expand so aggressively, you'll inevitably clash with the interests of other interstellar civilizations. This will trigger endless wars in the Universe. There are too many powers out there we can't comprehend; this will bring catastrophe upon humanity!"
"Catastrophe?" Homelander sneered.
"Fury, are you getting senile? Humans are staying put on Earth right now, but has that stopped catastrophe from coming?"
"Have you forgotten the Chitauri over New York? Forgotten the Dark Elves who tried to return the Universe to darkness? Or have you forgotten these Skrulls who almost turned all of humanity into slaves just now?"
Homelander pressed forward, his powerful aura putting pressure even on the seasoned Fury.
"I even know that twenty years ago, that Kree named Ronan already launched Star-destroying Missiles at Earth! If Carol hadn't been there, Earth would have turned into cosmic dust long ago!"
"Hiding under the covers won't stop a Beast from kicking down your door! Only by constantly progressing and heading into the Universe can a civilization avoid extinction!"
"Only when the seeds of humanity are spread across the Milky Way Galaxy will we truly have the ability to resist risks!"
"Wait for death, or fight for a way out. Which do you choose?"
Fury fell silent. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, where he could faintly see the bright lights of the distant city.
Earth had just experienced a disaster, and people were still licking their wounds.
If more Chitauri or more Ronans arrived in the future, could Earth overcome the crisis every time?
He knew the answer in his heart.
"Deal." Fury made his decision.
"But I want absolute authority over personnel appointments for S.W.O.R.D. Agency. I don't want Vought's PR Department to interfere with my actions."
"Don't be delusional, Fury."
Homelander maintained that perfect smile, but his rejection was merciless.
"You need to realize your status as an employee."
"S.W.O.R.D. Agency is an asset of Vought International. Vought pays the salaries, Vought builds the ships, and Vought provides the weapons. Therefore, you must not only listen to Vought's PR Department but obey them absolutely."
"But those sissies in the office don't know the first thing about alien warfare!" Fury protested.
"But they know how to package a war," Homelander interrupted coldly.
"But this will seriously affect efficiency."
"Efficiency isn't up to you; it's up to me," Homelander decided directly. "It's settled."
Fury grit his teeth, but staring into Homelander's indisputable gaze, he knew he had no bargaining chips.
Besides, controlling an interstellar fleet, far away from the bickering of Earth's politicians, fighting for humanity in the Universe...
This was practically his lifelong dream.
"Fine, I'll follow the company's arrangements." Fury compromised. He clapped his hands, prepared to end this stifling conversation. "Then my personal assets..."
Homelander raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, appearing incredulous.
"Oh, Fury, my friend."
"Business is business. You've already secured such an excellent job, and I've even mercifully used resources to clear your wanted status so you can walk into a KFC and eat your beloved fried chicken openly."
"Why are you still obsessing over those worldly possessions?"
The veins on Fury's forehead throbbed. Those "worldly possessions"? That was his life's work!
"Fine, Homelander." He finally sighed helplessly. "You truly are a capitalist through and through."
"Don't think I'm taking advantage of you, Fury." Homelander stopped smiling, his tone becoming serious.
"First, that money never belonged to you; it was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s public funds. Second, that money will be used entirely for the living expenses of the Skrulls in the Alaska facility."
Hearing this, Fury was visibly stunned for a moment.
"The daily food, heating, and medical care for nearly a hundred thousand Skrulls is not a small amount of money," Homelander said as if it were a matter of course.
"You created this mess; you can't expect Vought to pay for your mistakes."
Fury fell silent. He did indeed feel guilty toward those peaceful Skrulls.
"Besides," Homelander suddenly looked at Fury meaningfully, "your green-skinned wife, Vara, lives there too. You should want her living conditions to be a bit better."
A flicker of emotion passed through Fury's eyes.
He knew Vara had gone to the Alaska Quarantine Zone.
"And what's more, she's pregnant." Homelander casually dropped a bombshell.
Fury's body jolted.
"What did you say? Pregnant? Homelander, don't joke about this kind of thing!"
He had spent his life on the edge, always on guard against assassination and betrayal.
He never thought he would have a child, because in this brutal business, having a child meant having a weakness.
"I never joke, Fury. It was discovered when she came to our facility for a comprehensive check-up. Congratulations, you're going to be a father." Homelander raised his glass.
Fury's breathing became noticeably rapid as his mind raced to process the news.
"At the time, the condition of the child in her womb was very poor."
"In an interspecies genetic combination, the human and Skrull gene chains had a rejection reaction. If it weren't for me, that child wouldn't have survived until today."
Homelander looked at Fury's stiff face and smiled slightly. "You can say thank you now, Fury."
Fury's mind was in a turmoil.
Shock, doubt, joy, worry—all sorts of emotions swept through his heart like a tornado.
But he knew Homelander had no reason to lie about such a thing.
"Vara..." Fury lowered his head, softly murmuring the name.
"I need to leave for a bit now." Fury looked at Homelander, his tone no longer as confrontational as before.
"Tomorrow morning, I will report to the Triskelion on time."
Homelander nodded in satisfaction, showing understanding.
"Access permissions to the Alaska facility have been reopened for you. Go see her."
"Thank you..."
After saying that, Fury turned and quickly left the office.
...
Alaska, Vought Skrull Quarantine Zone.
Fury stepped off the Vought helicopter.
The Base gates opened for him, and fully armed security personnel nodded in greeting; no one blocked his way.
He walked through a long white corridor where the temperature was constant at twenty-four degrees Celsius.
Fury arrived at the living quarters of the Base and stopped in front of a white door.
He raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally pressed the doorbell.
"Click."
The door opened.
A Black woman in loose maternity clothes stood behind the door.
"Vara..."
Fury stepped forward and hugged her tightly. He felt Vara's body trembling slightly and felt the slight bulge of her belly.