Chapter 318: C278
The Men in Black organization was established due to the endless extraterrestrial crises Earth had faced since entering the 21st century—especially in the past two years.
From this perspective, the World Security Council's decision to create the Men in Black was not solely about using Anton to keep the Justice League in check.
The sheer frequency and severity of alien threats had forced their hand.
Now, the entire world knew that aliens existed.
And so far, none of the extraterrestrial beings encountered had come in peace.
It was the Dark Forest theory in action.
Simply put, the Dark Forest theory states that once a civilization reveals its presence, it will inevitably be targeted by others.
In the vastness of the universe, there is no friendly cooperation—only aggression, conquest, and survival of the fittest.
In light of everything that had happened, not just the general public, but even world governments had come to believe in this law of the cosmos.
There was only one scenario in which peaceful coexistence between humans and aliens was possible—one that mirrored the geopolitical landscape of Earth today.
Nuclear-armed nations avoided war because of mutually assured destruction. Even when conflicts arose, there was a tacit agreement: never use nuclear weapons. Any country that violated this rule would face catastrophic retaliation.
These were the unspoken rules that maintained a fragile peace on Earth.
And if this principle held true on Earth, why wouldn't it apply on a larger, cosmic scale?
This wasn't just speculation. It was a fundamental truth about power, survival, and the nature of advanced civilizations.
"Are you planning to go after the S.W.O.R.D?" Z asked.
Though Anton had been leading him through the discussion, Z was a skilled agent in his own right. He quickly connected the dots.
"Not S.W.O.R.D," Anton corrected. "The Skrulls within it."
His voice carried a quiet intensity.
"They are not Earth's residents. They should not be trusted, let alone given control over such a secretive and powerful organization. Do you have any idea what kind of authority the S.W.O.R.D holds? More importantly—do you understand what happens if the Skrulls ever go rogue? With their abilities, the damage they could do to Earth would be catastrophic. Giving them law enforcement power on our planet is nothing short of a betrayal of humanity."
Z remained silent.
He didn't have answers to Anton's questions. But judging by Anton's firm stance, Z could already guess the severity of the situation.
More than that—he could infer the source of Anton's information.
The man standing behind Anton was Batman.
To Z, there was no doubt that the intelligence Anton possessed had come from Batman himself.
After all, when Anton had first stepped into the Men in Black headquarters, he hadn't even known about Nick Fury's transfer to the S.W.O.R.D. Yet, moments later, he spoke with certainty about the organization's inner workings.
Clearly, Batman had already investigated the S.W.O.R.D. And now, through Anton, he was setting the stage for a move against the Skrulls hiding on Earth.
"Nick Fury seems to trust the Skrulls a lot," Z noted. "And given the current situation, the S.W.O.R.D isn't going to let us purge their alien members without a fight."
Anton's response was calm, almost indifferent.
"Then it's simple. We go back to square one."
He glanced at Z.
"Like you said, I'm not planning to go after the S.W.O.R.D—but if they stand in my way, I will take them down as well. That won't be difficult for us, will it?"
He let the words hang in the air for a moment before adding,
"S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't stop us. Do you think the S.W.O.R.D will fare any better?"
There was an inevitability in Anton's tone, a quiet confidence that left no room for doubt.
"In the tide of history, only a handful of people rise to the forefront, becoming the ones who shape the era. And Nick Fury?"
Anton let out a small, knowing smirk.
"He's not one of them."
With that, he turned to Z.
"By the way, I need you to file two reports. One for Mr. Keller, and one for the World Security Council."
Anton's expression hardened.
"Tell them the Men in Black have officially launched their first mission: to cleanse Earth of hidden alien infiltrators."
Z straightened and gave a sharp nod.
"Understood."
He knew that once these two reports were sent out, it would officially mark the Men in Black as being in direct opposition to the S.W.O.R.D.
Moreover, this move would deal a severe blow to the S.W.O.R.D's operations.
However, from Anton's explanation, it was clear that even if Nick Fury hadn't joined the S.W.O.R.D, the Men in Black would have still taken action against them.
After all, the S.W.O.R.D harbored unknown alien members.
That fact alone made them a potential threat.
Ironically, this entire chain of events had been set off simply because Anton had asked a casual question after arriving at headquarters.
Learning about Nick Fury's involvement had jogged his memory.
On one hand, the S.W.O.R.D's functions overlapped with those of S.H.I.E.L.D..
On the other hand, its very existence posed a hidden danger to the Men in Black.
Not an immediate threat—at least, not yet.
S.H.I.E.L.D., the parent organization of the S.W.O.R.D, was already in disarray. Compared to that, the S.W.O.R.D was insignificant in terms of influence.
But what made Anton wary was the Skrulls' ability to shape-shift.
The Skrulls in the comics were far from trustworthy.
In the Secret Invasion storyline, the Skrulls infiltrated Earth in secret, replacing key figures—heroes, teammates, even family members. They had infiltrated every super-powered organization, all with one goal: a full-scale invasion of Earth.
Major events, such as the Avengers disbanding, Secret War, Civil War, and even World War Hulk, had all been manipulated from the shadows by the Skrulls.
Although, in the current cinematic universe, the Skrulls had arrived as interstellar refugees and gained the trust of Captain Marvel and Nick Fury, who could guarantee they had no ulterior motives?
Of course, Nick Fury wasn't an idiot.
A man as paranoid as him wouldn't allow the Skrulls to operate freely on Earth.
But when Anton thought about the timeline after Endgame, he recalled the post-credits scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home—where it was revealed that a Skrull had been impersonating Nick Fury the entire time.
Meanwhile, the real Fury was off in space, seemingly more comfortable among Skrulls than among his own species.
Wasn't that the definition of betrayal?
Maybe it was time to really teach that one-eyed bastard a lesson.
Z worked with remarkable efficiency.
As soon as the reports were completed, they were immediately sent to both John Keller and the World Security Council.
There was no doubt—once they received this information, both parties would be furious.
After all, this wasn't just about another covert agency operating in the shadows.
This was about something much more terrifying.
Aliens have been living among us.
And no one had realized it—until now.
….
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