The boundless starry sky should have been as tranquil as Selvig had observed years ago.
But today, that tranquility was destined to be shattered...
Western Division of the Joint Dark Energy Initiative.
Project Pegasus.
Space Radiation Center of the Space Administration.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Accelerator Control Center.
In short, this was a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Though grandly named a "secret base," in reality, it was anything but.
The facility housed an operation involving thousands of researchers, covering an area of 892 acres.
How could such a massive base possibly remain secret?
Yet it was designated a secret base because the plans being carried out within its walls would forever remain hidden from the American public, the world, and all of humanity.
With this thought, Nick Fury took a deep breath.
He had finally decided to act on the dangerous yet dazzling Cosmic Cube.
Years ago, the Cosmic Cube had fallen into his hands through a series of twists and turns.
To obtain the Cosmic Cube, Nick Fury paid a devastating price.
He would never admit that his price was just one eye, and that his sacrifice was merely raising an ungrateful orange cat!
How could Nick "Animal Lover" Fury, the man who adored creatures, possibly be blinded by his own cat?
It was all an illusion!
The cat had merely scratched him accidentally, and out of guilt, it had regurgitated the Cosmic Cube onto his desk.
(Or perhaps it had simply vomited it up.)
In any case, after that incident, Nick Fury, wary of its power, kept the Cosmic Cube deeply hidden.
He had believed he would bury it for life.
But to his surprise, only a few decades later, he retrieved the Cube from its vault and began studying and utilizing it, just as Hydra's leader, the Red Skull, had done in the past.
In the spacious office, Nick Fury frowned deeply. Seeing this, Commander Hill shook her head beside him.
"Nick, are you sure about using the Cube? I have a bad feeling about this!"
"We have no other choice, Hill. Earth needs its own trump card, just like those nuclear bombs back in the day—a trump card against those arrogant aliens!"
Nick Fury's voice was unwavering as he faced Hill's skepticism.
As he spoke, memories of a few months ago flooded his mind.
Earth had always possessed powerful anomalies like the Hulk, but these were ultimately products of Earth itself, and more importantly, they were merely individuals.
But months ago, that damned Alien Prince had made Fury realize the extraterrestrial threat was far closer than he'd imagined.
Even his close friend, Captain Marvel, might not be able to handle such a crisis.
Yes, Fury had Captain Marvel as an ally, but she would only shield Earth from invaders.
And those cursed Asgardians...
In ancient times, Earth had actually been their territory!
According to universal law, Earth—or Midgard—had always been one of the Nine Realms, an integral part of Asgard's domain.
As a cosmic being, Captain Marvel had no choice but to abide by this rule. Asgard had indeed shielded Earth from countless enemies, consistently upholding its role as Earth's overlord and fulfilling its responsibilities.
However, Nick Fury, who considered himself Earth's representative, vehemently rejected the notion that Earth was Asgardian territory.
Even more, he refused to believe Earth needed Asgard's protection.
Asgard might be an ally, but nothing more.
In fact, Earth should have the right to take the lead in this alliance.
To achieve this, Earth needed its own trump card:
The Cosmic Cube!
With these thoughts in mind, Nick Fury subtly flexed his fingers and rose from his office chair.
As he walked toward the experimental center, he encountered Professor Selvig approaching.
A renowned astrophysicist, Professor Selvig was an absolute authority on cosmic rays and dark matter research.
Professor Selvig looked somewhat surprised to see Nick Fury.
"Director, I was just about to look for you. Please come with me immediately."
"What is it?" Nick asked softly, following Selvig toward the largest observation deck in the research facility.
As Selvig began operating the massive celestial telescope at the center of the deck, he explained to Nick Fury, "Tonight's night sky is different. I've detected a bizarre meteor, one that showed no prior signs of its existence. And its trajectory... it seems to be heading straight for Manhattan, New York!"
"Motherfucker!" Nick Fury cursed instantly, understanding Selvig's implication. "Just like that so-called Thor incident all over again? What the hell is crashing into our country this time? Goddamn it!"
"Exactly!" Selvig nodded, pulling the telescope's view to the center of the screen and displaying it for Nick Fury. "I have to admit, the meteor's shape resembles a human body. It appears to be a person encased in ice—at least, that's what it looks like."
"How long until impact?"
"Approximately thirty-three minutes. The projected impact zone is the heart of Manhattan, around the New York Stock Exchange."
"Ha? Is the Alien Prince planning to crash our stock market this time?"
Nick Fury cracked a sarcastic joke, then turned and walked away, issuing orders to S.H.I.E.L.D. through his earpiece as he went.
"Special ops team, Coulson leading, Natasha accompanying. Location: Manhattan. Target: Celestials. Await their descent, then assess the situation after the object crashes and take emergency measures!"
"Understood!"
Coulson, who was enjoying coffee with a cellist, wore a resigned expression. He waved apologetically at the woman across from him.
"I'm sorry, but I have urgent matters to attend to."
"But—"
The cellist's words were cut short. Coulson, ever dedicated to his mission, didn't wait for her reply and immediately left the café.
Fortunately, he was already in New York. Within forty seconds, he had contacted Black Widow Natasha and the seven other operational teams under his command.
Simultaneously, over twenty black Humvees converged beneath the New York Stock Exchange.
By the time they arrived, local police were already evacuating the area.
Coulson stepped out of his Humvee, finding Natasha waiting a dozen meters away.
"Wow, you got here fast," Coulson remarked with a smile.
"Heh, I've been buying Stark Group stock all along. Ever since he admitted to being Iron Man, their shares have been skyrocketing!"
Natasha responded with a blank expression, while Coulson continued the small talk with a smile.
"Ha, I bought a few shares too, but they're so expensive. My salary can't afford too many..."
Coulson trailed off mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as he cautiously scanned the night sky.
Beside the brightest star, Venus, a meteor with a fiery trail had appeared.
"Damn it, it's moving fast! Lock onto its trajectory, pinpoint the impact zone, and evacuate the area immediately! Where the hell is Iron Man? We need backup! We have to slow that damn thing down!"
Coulson barked out orders, and all S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents sprang into action.
Natasha shook her hand.
"What a pain. Let's hope it's another Thor-level idiot!"
"Let's hope so, but simpletons like him are rare. Stay vigilant!"
"Understood!"
The two exchanged a silent glance, silently awaiting the meteor's descent. Just over twenty seconds later, another streak of light tore through the sky, landing precisely beside Coulson.
"Whoa~ whoa~ whoa! What a night! You know, when I was chatting with tonight's Oscar-winning actress, I suddenly noticed a meteor hurtling toward my tower. Can you imagine how I felt?"
As he spoke, Iron Man's mask flipped up, revealing Tony Stark's signature mischievous grin.
Tony clapped Coulson on the shoulder.
"Why does becoming Iron Man mean I have to deal with all this crap? Before, all I needed was booze, women, and tinkering with gadgets. Now I'm facing alien objects, meteors, and trying to save the world!"
"That's because you're flying higher now, Tony, so you can see farther," Coulson replied, his expression utterly serious.
"No time for banter. We need to slow that thing down before it crashes into downtown Manhattan at meteor speed!" he urged urgently, but Tony simply waved his hand dismissively.
"Relax, buddy. It's already decelerating."
Tony pointed to the increasingly visible meteor in the sky.
"Actually, I'm more worried about it slowing down. That means it's intelligent. What do you think it is? Another Asgardian prince? Or maybe this time it's some Olympian demigod?"
"Stop joking, Tony. It's about to crash!"
Coulson ignored Tony's teasing, his gaze remaining fixed on the meteor with tense alertness.
Yet inwardly, he felt a flicker of relief. He trusted Tony's assessment, at least to the extent that this descending meteor wouldn't immediately unleash catastrophic destruction upon New York upon impact.
Meanwhile, Heisenberg, still within the spacetime matrix, was simultaneously experiencing the thrill of entering Earth from outer space and frantically absorbing the System's gifts.
Due to the urgent nature of this assignment, please claim your Rookie Package immediately.
Package Contents: Multiverse Language Pack, Multiverse Customs and Habits Compendium, Mission Requirements for the target universe, and Special Operational Objectives for this mission.
The world you are about to descend upon is Marvel Universe 19999, perhaps better known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Descent Era: Three months prior to the events of The Avengers 1.
Descent Objective: Ensure the normal operation of Earth 19999.
Compensation: For each year of maintaining Earth 19999's normal operation, you will receive five minutes of absolute invincibility.
Additional Rewards: For every day spent in the target universe, you will receive a quantity of Origin Material, which can be exchanged for anything you require.
Special Bonus: The more individuals in the target universe whose life trajectories you influence, the greater the additional Origin Material you will receive. Strive to expand your influence within the target universe.
P.S.: You are a crucial component of the Multiverse's operational mechanism. Your actions within the Multiverse are unrestricted, provided you ensure the continued operation of the cosmos. You may do anything you desire.
New Guardian of Order, please assume your duties immediately. Descent countdown: ten, nine, eight...
"Alright, alright, alright! I still have no idea what I'm supposed to do!"
After reading the System's message, Heisenberg was utterly bewildered.
Ensure the continued operation of the cosmos?
What the hell did that even mean?
Even if he hadn't come, wouldn't the universe have continued functioning as usual?
But ultimately, Heisenberg didn't need to dwell on such matters.
All that mattered was that he had landed!
Thud!
As the spacetime material decelerated, Heisenberg and the spacetime crystal encasing him gently touched down.
In that instant, the spacetime material rapidly dissolved.
The next moment, a completely naked Heisenberg stood before the eyes of all the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, as well as the slightly astonished Natasha.