C317

Superman is Not on Earth...

When Anton heard these words, his expression remained calm. He subtly glanced around and noticed that everyone wore strange expressions, their eyes filled with slight shock. He simply shrugged.

"Superman is indeed no longer on Earth!"

Then, he added silently in his mind: In fact, he's not even in this universe right now.

"The Skrulls shouldn't be feared. No matter how powerful they are, in front of Superman, they're nothing more than paper tigers—completely vulnerable."

With full confidence, Anton continued, "As long as Superman returns, the Justice League can wipe out any enemy that threatens humanity on Earth."

"If I'm not mistaken, Superman is an alien."

Tony had long been unsure whether Superman even existed in this world. Over the past two years, major Justice League heroes had appeared one after another. At this point, no matter what superhero showed up, he wouldn't be surprised.

"Why should we trust an alien?" Tony questioned Anton. "Do you really think it makes sense to rely on an alien to save Earth?"

"Asgard isn't on Earth either, yet we formed a strategic alliance with Thor," Anton countered. "He's also an alien—why is he any different?"

"Besides, can you honestly say you can handle the Super-Skrull by yourself?"

"Superman may be an alien, but he's different from Thor. He grew up on Earth. Until he was eighteen, he believed he was-human. Even after gaining his powers, despite his initial confusion, he never revealed his identity, never acted in a way that endangered humanity, and never tried to destroy the planet."

"Superman is trustworthy."

"That's why, just like Batman, he's the Justice League's greatest trump card!"

Anton turned to the president and said, "Mr. President, as the head of the Men in Black and a full-fledged member of the Justice League, I can personally guarantee you that the Skrulls do not pose an absolute threat to Earth."

"Not an absolute threat?"

John Keller caught the implication. "You mean that until Superman returns, we can't restrict the Skrulls' movements?"

"They have shapeshifting abilities that are nearly impossible for us to detect," Anton admitted with a helpless shrug. "I suspect they've already infiltrated the White House, but we can't identify them. No current test can expose them. Our only option is to wait."

"Wait…?"

The president frowned. "For how long?"

"One month, maybe two," Anton gave a vague estimate. "I promise that within that time, the Justice League will develop reliable technology to detect Skrulls masquerading as humans. Once we do, they'll have nowhere left to hide. We will be the ultimate victors."

"In the meantime, all we can do is remain vigilant."

The president and Keller exchanged a long, silent glance.

"Hold on," Tony interjected, his skeptical tone evident. "What if the Skrulls start evolving? If Super-Skrulls appear, won't we end up facing multiple Super-Skrulls? What if they keep replicating the powers of Earth's superheroes? Wouldn't that give them an entire army of enhanced beings?"

"We can't rule out that possibility," Anton admitted.

In fact, he was counting on it.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have even brought up Superman.

Captain Marvel was strong, but even she couldn't take on the entire Justice League alone. One fighter, no matter how powerful, couldn't hold out forever against a combined force. And the Justice League had far more than just "a few hands" at their disposal.

If the Justice League assembled against her, even Captain Marvel would have to retreat.

Only an army of Super-Skrulls, each replicating Earth's greatest superheroes, would be enough to make Anton truly concerned.

In the comics, there had only ever been one Super-Skrull—Kl'rt, the soldier.

But in this altered reality?

If one Super-Skrull could exist… why stop at just one?

Unless... the Super-Skrull is merely a fabrication by some unknown force.

But that wasn't the case.

Based on Anton's understanding, the Super-Skrull was the next step in Skrull evolution—similar to how Captain America, after taking the super-soldier serum, surpassed human limits and became an enhanced being capable of going toe-to-toe with almost anyone.

Super-Skrulls weren't born; they were made through technology.

And strictly speaking, that technology wasn't necessarily limited to just Skrull soldiers like Carter.

"Then are we not safe right now?"

The president frowned, clearly unsettled.

Anton's description of the situation had given him a profound sense of crisis.

"As far as I know, there's no issue with Colonel Rhodes in the military. I suggest calling him in and having him personally protect you for the time being."

Anton made his recommendation, then added, "In short, once the Justice League completes its research on countering the Skrulls' shapeshifting ability, we'll be able to root out any Skrulls hiding among humans and eliminate them swiftly."

"For now, that's our only option."

The president nodded.

He had decisively agreed with Anton's suggestion.

Not that he really had a choice—whether he agreed or not, he couldn't change Anton's plans.

Despite the Justice League's cooperation with the military, it remained a private organization. Ultimately, it had no official obligations to the government.

Only the Men in Black, the division Anton belonged to, had the explicit responsibility of combating extraterrestrial threats.

"That settles it, then."

Anton stood up. "I'll head back and make preparations for Superman's return, as well as oversee the Justice League's research on detecting Skrulls..."

As he spoke, he glanced over at Tony.

"What?"

Tony, caught off guard, narrowed his eyes. "You're not about to ask me to join in, are you?"

Anton grinned. "You were so eager to follow us to Washington—what, losing your nerve now?"

"Ha! Me? Afraid?"

Tony scoffed, though he hesitated for a moment before muttering, "Fine, I'll help with the experiment. But I want absolute authority—I'm not letting you push me around."

"In the Justice League, we value democracy," Anton said with a shrug. "Whoever makes the most sense, we listen to them."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Then why does it seem like everyone just listens to Batman?"

He was genuinely curious.

The Illuminati, the secret council he had recently formed, could probably take inspiration from the Justice League's internal structure and refine its own system.

"Of course not," Anton replied.

Then, after a pause, he smirked.

"But you're not entirely wrong either. Generally speaking... no one in the Justice League is more reasonable than Batman."

…

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