He just came to say hello, chat, and do a small favor.
Then he would leave.
"We have established contact with that Your Highness," Fury continued, "and the relationship is currently good. We even helped her handle a small trouble, which is already enough."
Natasha looked at him.
"Since when are you so easily satisfied?" she asked.
Fury smiled.
There was a complex meaning in that smile.
"Natasha, I am indeed a greedy person," he said.
"If I can have ten points, I will never settle for nine. If I can walk a hundred steps, I will never stop at ninety-nine."
He paused.
"But I understand the principle of knowing when to stop even better."
"Facing that sun goddess, we must be careful enough. This is not the street cases we usually handle, nor is it the minor squabbles of those superpowered individuals."
"This is a diplomatic incident."
"And it is a diplomatic incident for the entire Earth."
His voice deepened, carrying a heavy tone.
"The power of that goddess alone is enough to rival the entire Earth. You saw Harlem yesterday; the Military had no way to deal with that Abomination, but she solved it in a few moves."
"And that wasn't even her full power, far from it."
He paused.
"And..." Fury continued, "Behind her is Asgard, a super civilization that rules the Nine Realms, having existed for thousands of years, possessing technology and magic far beyond human understanding..."
He turned back and looked at Natasha.
"I don't want to affect the relationship between us by appearing too eager."
"Today's result is already very good. She knows we have no malice and knows we can help her solve some small troubles. Next time we meet, we'll be acquaintances, and the time after that, we could be friends."
"By then, if we encounter trouble again and ask for her help... at least she will consider it."
Natasha understood, but there was one point she didn't quite grasp.
"Is she really that powerful?"
After all, she hadn't seen Mavuika take action with her own eyes, and she had only learned of Mavuika's existence from Fury today, so Natasha had no concept of Mavuika's power.
Fury did not answer immediately.
His gaze fell on the road ahead, and a distant memory flashed in that single eye.
Carol Danvers, that woman who could tear apart interstellar warships with her bare hands and traverse the Universe with her physical body, had specially found him before leaving Earth and urged him with a grave expression.
"Fury, when dealing with Mavuika, you must be extremely cautious. I can feel that her power is above mine."
Fury had seen Carol's strength with his own eyes, yet even Carol admitted she was not as good as Mavuika.
He couldn't imagine what it meant to be even more powerful than Carol.
"I haven't seen her true full power either," Fury withdrew his thoughts and said, "But one thing is certain: all the firepower on Earth today combined probably couldn't do anything to her."
After all, with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current power, or even gathering the world's firepower, it would be impossible to stop Carol. That goes without saying for Mavuika.
After he finished this sentence, the silence in the car became even heavier.
Natasha leaned back in her seat, watching the scenery flying past the window. The Hudson River had gradually faded into the distance, and the surrounding scenery changed from the suburbs to the outskirts, and then to dense residential areas.
Fury drove the car into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dedicated underground passage. The surrounding light dimmed, leaving only the dim yellow light from the emergency lamps on both sides of the tunnel.
"From today on..." he ordered, his voice echoing slightly in the tunnel, "list all relevant information about Mavuika as top secret, the highest level. Without my personal authorization, no one is allowed to access it."
Natasha nodded.
"From now on, keep a close eye on all forces. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global surveillance network will run at full power, focusing on those organizations and individuals who might be interested in Mavuika."
His voice turned cold.
"I don't want any blind idiots to destroy everything I've worked so hard to maintain."
Natasha looked at him.
In that single eye, a flash of ruthlessness flickered.
"If they insist on seeking death..." Fury said, his voice carrying a trace of chilling coldness, "let us send them on their way early."
The car stopped.
The underground parking lot was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of footsteps in the distance and the hum of the elevator.
Natasha looked at Fury and nodded.
"Understood, Officer."
...
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficiency was truly well-deserved. In just one short day, the public opinion regarding Mavuika had completely cooled down.
On the internet, celebrity gossip and political news still dominated the headlines. The discussions about the "red-haired goddess" and the "giant melee" were gradually drowned out in the massive amount of information. Occasionally, sporadic posts would pop up, but they were quickly suppressed, unable to stir up any waves again.
Mavuika's life finally returned to its former peace.
Although occasionally when going out, there would still be observant passersby who recognized her based on the blurry images remaining in the news, casting curious or awe-filled glances.
But as long as she wore a wide-brimmed hat to cover most of her face, or wore a mask, she could easily block out these outside gazes and move freely through the streets and alleys, without worrying about being watched or questioned.
On the other side, Dr. Bruce Banner was still temporarily staying in Tony's Villa.
At first, he just thought about getting the clothes Tony gave him, thanking him, and then leaving immediately.
He had long been accustomed to a displaced life of fleeing and did not want to implicate anyone else, nor did he want his presence to bring trouble from the Military to Tony.
But after spending time together, he found that he and Tony actually got along unexpectedly well.
Both were top experts in the scientific field; one delved deep into nuclear physics and Gamma Ray, while the other was proficient in energy technology and mechanical engineering. Sitting together, they could always talk about countless common topics.
From the principles of particle collision to the efficiency of energy conversion, from the optimization of mechanical structures to the deduction of experimental data, they often talked for a whole day, even forgetting the time.
Tony's unrestrained and flamboyant nature, when meeting Banner's introverted and steady demeanor, not only didn't clash but instead formed a wonderful tacit understanding, with each able to find new scientific inspiration from the other's viewpoints.
As for whether staying too long might attract the attention of the Military, Tony didn't care at all.
Before Stark Industries closed its weapons division, he was the Military's largest weapons supplier and had dealt with the Military's top brass countless times, knowing each other's roots.
Furthermore, his old friend James Rhodes was a colonel in the Military's Air Force, and the two had a deep friendship. Even if the Military really came looking, with Rhodes there, he could handle it.
Others might fear the power of the Military and be afraid of being targeted by General Ross, but Tony Stark was never someone who would bow to power.