Carol was furious.
In her battle against Ebony Maw, she hadn't gained the upper hand even once. Compared to the two enemies Superman had dealt with, her opponent felt like an entirely different level of difficulty.
To Carol, the whole encounter had been humiliating—she'd been completely played.
"Superman, why didn't you stop that damn mage?"
She turned toward him, frowning, her voice laced with frustration.
She knew full well that, powerful as Ebony Maw was, he hadn't moved beyond Superman's control. If Superman had wanted to stop him, there was no way Ebony Maw would've escaped so easily.
"I wanted him to go back and deliver a warning to Thanos," Superman replied calmly.
"Let him know that Earth isn't as easy to mess with as he thought."
Carol paused.
That reasoning made sense.
Still... only Superman himself knew there was another reason.
He simply didn't like fighting magic users.
Sure, he could take them on, but as Superman, it was a pain.
Low resistance to magic, no real counter, and nowhere to dodge?
He'd rather not bother.
When Thanos came to Earth for the Infinity Stones, Shazam would be there to handle Ebony Maw.
Carol, unaware of Superman's deeper thoughts, accepted his explanation with a deep breath. She calmed her anger, gave a sharp exhale through her nose, and turned to leave the arena.
Superman looked around the stands, noticing the shock on the faces of the Sakaarans.
Their horror was mixed with awe—deep, almost religious admiration.
With a small chuckle, Superman rose into the air alongside Carol.
They blasted through the ceiling of the arena in an instant, escaping the enclosed space.
BOOM!
The speed of their ascent triggered a massive shockwave.
The two of them rocketed into the sky, becoming specks in the distance—first the size of beans, then sesame seeds, and finally, gone.
Though the two had vanished, the fear they left behind had not.
If anything, the awe in the hearts of the Sakaarians only grew stronger.
They were still reeling.
The power those two had displayed was far beyond anything they'd ever seen.
Especially Superman.
No one cared about the collateral damage anymore. Not the shattered arena, not the unlucky Grandmaster reduced to dust.
Even though he had ruled Sakaar, many rebels had long opposed him.
Now that he was gone, political upheaval was already quietly brewing behind the scenes.
But all of that had nothing to do with Superman and Carol.
Soaring high above Sakaar, the two heroes hovered in silence.
Finally, Carol spoke.
"We should meet up with Nick and Gamora."
Superman nodded.
"They're already here."
A massive spaceship flew into view, stopping in front of them.
Click!
The hatch opened, revealing Nick Fury waiting with a faint smile.
Whoosh!
Carol and Superman stepped aboard. The ship accelerated instantly, breaking through Sakaar's atmosphere and entering the chaos of space.
Gamora initiated the autopilot, entered the next set of coordinates, then left the cockpit to join Nick, Carol, and Superman.
The three were already deep in conversation.
"Nice work," Nick said.
"We watched the fight through the ship's live feed. That was a hell of a win."
Gamora, more serious, interjected,
"You let Ebony Maw go. He's probably already used teleportation to flee Sakaar."
Her expression was grim.
"Thanos will notice us soon. And the next confrontation won't be so easy."
"Didn't we already expect that?"
Superman remained calm.
"Exactly," Carol added.
"There's no reconciling with Thanos. We didn't start this. He's the one hunting us."
"You underestimate the Thanos Army," Gamora said, shaking her head.
But she didn't argue further.
Even with the vast might of Thanos' forces, Superman and Carol were a major threat.
It was now possible—even likely—that Thanos would face a real fight.
And beyond that, there was something else the galaxy tended to forget…
Superman wasn't alone.
Behind him—behind them—stood Earth.
And now, after working with Nick Fury, Gamora realized the truth:
The entire universe had underestimated that small blue planet in the corner of the cosmos.
Because on Earth, there still existed a group of extraordinary people—
Superheroes.
It could be said that ever since encountering Superman in the nowhere , the idea that had long been buried in Gamora's heart—the hope of successfully avenging Thanos—was gradually becoming a real possibility.
"From here on, you can act freely," Superman suddenly said.
"However, I recommend that you take your people back to Earth to stand guard. If Thanos makes his move and you're not on the battlefield, it could cost you."
"Back to Earth?"
Carol and Nick Fury exchanged a glance, both clearly hesitant.
"Given our current situation," Superman continued, "trying to take the fight directly to Thanos would be unrealistic. It's better to prepare defenses at home and wait for him to come to us."
"That makes sense. We've already taken down three of the Black Order. Only Ebony Maw remains," Gamora added.
"Thanos won't let this go easily. Now that Ebony Maw is on his way back to report, it's only a matter of time before they begin assembling their forces. For Thanos, destroying a planet is routine… and when he makes his decision, he'll act faster than any of you expect."
After a brief pause, she added,
"And don't forget—Earth still holds the treasure he's after: the Infinity Stones."
"So you're suggesting we let Earth be the battlefield?"
Carol frowned.
"Isn't that a little risky?"
"Not necessarily," Superman replied.
"You've been away from Earth for a while, so maybe you don't know. The Men in Black have already developed the moon and built a base there. We can use the moon as our primary battlefield against Thanos."
"That works for me," Carol replied without hesitation. She was never one to shy away from a fight.
"In that case, let's head back," Nick Fury agreed.
"But before we return, I need to regroup with a few allies."
He was clearly referring to the Skrulls who had left Earth with him.
"Then we'll split up," Superman said.
"Split up?"
Carol and Fury raised their eyebrows at the same time.
"I'll go back first," Superman explained.
He activated his teleportation bracelet, waved goodbye to the group, and smiled.
Whoosh!
In the next instant, a wave of purple energy enveloped him, and Superman disappeared from sight.
"This guy always disappears like that," Carol muttered, frowning.
"And with that same transmission tech..."
Gamora was intrigued.
It wasn't magic.
She knew Superman had no command of the mystic arts.
So it had to be purely technological.
But across the entire universe, there were very few factions that had mastered intergalactic teleportation.
Whose technology was Superman using?
Who was backing him?
Gamora couldn't shake the feeling—Earth wasn't as simple as it seemed.
And that realization only deepened her faith in Superman… and in Earth itself.
Thanos had ravaged countless planets and risen as the overlord of the universe.
But this time… he might finally hit a wall.
Earth.
Anton deactivated his Superman clone.
He'd watched everything unfold: Thanos, facing Superman, Carol, and the others, might now launch a full-scale assault on Earth sooner than expected.
But Anton wasn't panicked.
In fact, he felt it was the perfect time to start preparing.
Though Superman's power was more than enough to stand against Thanos, the Mad Titan's army remained one of the most formidable forces in the galaxy.
They were nothing like the Chitauri from the Battle of New York.
Better to be safe than sorry.
After some thought, Anton contacted President Rodriguez and Secretary of Defense John Koehler to brief them on the situation.
Then, in his capacity as the Head of the Men in Black, he made his way to their headquarters—to meet with the representatives of the World Security Council.
At the World Council, as the representatives of various nations heard the news, a heavy silence filled the room.
"You mean there's a cosmic-level hegemonic force targeting Earth... and they may already be planning an invasion?"
"Another alien invasion?"
"What kind of technology has this force mastered? And how are we supposed to defend against it?"
A barrage of anxious questions followed. But Anton remained composed.
"Everyone," he said, stepping forward just as the discussions were about to spiral into chaos.
"Let me say a few words."
All eyes turned to Anton.
"If you remember the Battle of New York from a few years ago, you'll know that this enemy has been eyeing Earth for some time."
His words caused an uproar.
"What?!"
"You mean the mastermind behind the New York invasion is this cosmic hegemon?"
"They've already tried to invade Earth before?"
"Correct," Anton confirmed with a nod.
"They've been coveting Earth for a long time. This battle is inevitable. Superman has been exploring the universe for quite some time and has gathered extensive intel—which I'm willing to share with complete transparency."
"The leader of this force is named Thanos, and his army is known as the Thanos Legion. They are the ones planning to invade Earth."
"Since Earth initiated the Interstellar Migration Project, you all should have established extraterrestrial communication channels. Ask your contacts about Thanos. If there's any discrepancy in what I've said, I'll take full responsibility."
A tense silence followed. Delegates glanced around at one another, no one daring to speak first.
But everyone understood—Anton wouldn't make such a bold claim without certainty.
"Superman proposes that we set the battlefield on the moon," Anton continued.
"The Men in Black are currently constructing a lunar base, and we're prepared to open it up to all nations. Together, we can build a united front there to face the inevitable invasion of the Thanos Army."
"I agree," said the U.S. representative, raising his hand.
As President Rodriguez's appointed delegate, he was clearly aligned with Anton, serving as his internal supporter within the Council.
Although some representatives didn't say it aloud, they understood that Anton had likely already coordinated with the White House behind the scenes.
"We'll need time to consider," said one of the other representatives, speaking for the rest.
**"We propose a short buffer period to assess and plan."
Anton nodded in approval.
Before the meeting ended, he added one final statement.
"You all know I'm not just the Director of the Men in Black. I'm also a member of the Justice League and one of the heads of Wayne Enterprises."
"This time, I'm willing to share WayneTech's innovations with everyone—completely free of charge."
"That includes new-generation weapons, and a revised version of the Extremis Virus with dramatically enhanced performance. These resources will be available to you all at the lowest possible cost."
"I'm doing this not for profit, but for the protection of our planet."
"And—this is also Batman's will."
With that, Anton ended the video conference.
Huh!
Agent Z, the deputy director of the Men in Black and one of its primary leaders, had been monitoring the whole exchange. He looked visibly anxious.
"Anton, if Thanos is really coming to invade Earth… how much time do we have?"
Z didn't know how powerful Thanos truly was, but judging by Anton's tone, this seemed like the most dangerous war Earth had ever faced.
Still—it was war.
"It could be as long as six months… or as short as one to two."
Anton's voice remained steady.
"But don't worry too much, Z. We're not as powerless as we once were. Earth is no longer in its primitive era. True, we haven't officially stepped into the interstellar age, but the power we possess now is anything but weak."
He paused.
"And let's not forget… we have Superman."
"Superman?"
Z blinked, catching the deeper implication.
"You mean… he's famous in the universe?"
Anton suddenly changed the subject.
"You've got good connections with those aliens, right?"
"Yes," Z nodded.
"Several races have already agreed to join the Men in Black and become official employees."
"They must be connected to the interstellar network," Anton said. "You should check their network and pay attention to news about Nowhere and Sakar Star. You'll find information that will lift your spirits."
"Nowhere ? Sakar Star?" Z was stunned. He watched Anton leave the headquarters of the Men in Black, then pondered for a moment. Shortly after, he went to the headquarters dormitory and found a few aliens that resembled millipedes.
These creatures were a kind of Zerg, but belonged to a rare, kind-hearted faction of the species. They were the sort who enjoyed smoking, drinking, and playing cards—but were ultimately decent beings.
"Hey guys, can you access your interstellar network?" Z asked as he pulled out a few packs of cigarettes, casually placing them upside down for a long time before retrieving the alien computer from the group of millipede aliens.
Once the text was converted, he searched for information on Nothing Land and Saka Star. Immediately, a series of news articles appeared.
[Superman: Invincible Existence]
[The Kree Empire and Thanos' Army suffer defeats—where did Superman come from?]
[Shocked! Superman's hometown is actually a remote place!]
As Z scanned the headlines, his mouth slowly fell open. Just as Anton had said, he began to feel more hopeful and regained a sense of confidence.
….
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