C318

After concluding their discussion at the White House, Anton and the others boarded their plane and departed from Washington.

Meanwhile, back at the White House, the President and Secretary of Defense John Keller wasted no time in discussing the next steps regarding the Skrulls.

This incident had exposed a hidden threat to Earth.

They had no reason to doubt Anton's intelligence—the facts were right in front of them. No matter how much they might have wanted to dismiss it, denial was no longer an option.

They had no choice but to face reality head-on.

Of course, the Skrulls weren't just a threat to the United States; they were a danger to the entire planet.

Without hesitation, the President convened an emergency meeting of the World Security Council. Every nation's leadership needed to be fully briefed on Anton's report, ensuring that governments worldwide took the threat seriously.

At a time like this, they couldn't afford to let the Skrulls exploit any weaknesses.

On the return flight, Tony continued pressing Anton for more details about the Skrulls.

Though Anton had already provided a lengthy explanation, there were still gaps Tony needed to fill in.

After a while, he finally pieced everything together.

His opinion of Nick Fury, however, remained unchanged.

Tony had long known that Fury was a man who took risks. So, rather than being surprised, he simply accepted it as expected.

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

Monica suddenly spoke up.

"You?"

Anton pondered for a moment.

"Letting you move around freely isn't an option. You're too involved in this, and this matter is of utmost importance—it must remain strictly confidential. That said… have you ever considered joining the Men in Black?"

"What?"

Monica blinked, taken aback.

She hadn't expected an invitation.

Joining the Men in Black?

"Aren't you afraid I might be a Skrull spy?"

She asked cautiously.

Anton smirked.

"Are you?"

Then, without waiting for an answer, he continued:

"I'm confident that both Nick Fury and Maria Rambeau are definitely human. And as for you—being Carol Danvers' protégé, the Skrulls wouldn't risk impersonating you so recklessly. Besides, I'm sure Fury and Maria have already taken every possible precaution."

"In short, while we have many people to suspect, there are also some we don't need to question at all."

"I agree."

Monica nodded without hesitation.

"Also… I'd be honored to join the Men in Black."

"Don't get too excited just yet."

Anton's tone remained calm, throwing a bit of cold water on her enthusiasm.

"When we arrive in New York, I'll have someone take you to MIB Headquarters for training. From there, you'll be assigned to a department based on your own abilities—I won't be involved in that decision."

Then, after a brief pause, he added:

"Monica, you do realize that your mother, Maria, won't be able to clear her name so easily, right? Even if she's proven innocent and has nothing to do with the Skrulls, people still won't trust her. She won't be allowed to walk away from this freely."

"I know."

Monica had already come to terms with this.

Still, after hearing Anton say it out loud, she fell silent.

The plane landed in New York, and Monica was immediately escorted to Men in Black Headquarters.

As for Tony, he turned to Anton.

"So, where to now?"

"The sewer lab."

Anton replied.

"Come on, I'll show you the Justice League's research facility."

Before long, the two of them descended underground.

Tony frowned immediately.

Though he said nothing at first, his expression made it clear—he wasn't a fan of the sewer environment.

But when they arrived at the underground lab, his frown turned into genuine surprise.

For a facility built in a sewer… it was unexpectedly impressive.

His gaze wandered, stopping at a peculiar sight.

A small, carefully arranged garden sat in the middle of the underground space.

"That's a plant cultivated by Master Splinter," Anton explained with a grin. "It purifies the air."

Tony's brow furrowed. "Wait… you mean Splinter? As in… the giant rat?"

Anton chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't call him giant—he's only about the size of a seven- or eight-year-old child."

Tony scoffed.

"Compared to normal rats, that's still enormous."

His eyes remained locked on Splinter, who was calmly tending to his plants.

As Tony took in the sight, he let out a deep sigh.

It seemed he would have to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about the Justice League…

At present, the Justice League had quite the lineup: bats, turtles, mice, lizards, spiders…

Aside from Batman, the League's founder, these animal-themed heroes were all new members, introduced through the works released by Anton's DC company. 

They weren't part of the classic Justice League lineup, which included heroes like Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Green Arrow.

It was becoming clear that superheroes with animal codenames were making up a significant portion of the new recruits.

So… was it just a coincidence?

Or did Batman have a special preference for animal-themed superheroes—perhaps because he had an animal codename himself?

Tony shook off these random thoughts when he suddenly spotted a few familiar faces.

Not close acquaintances, but recognizable nonetheless.

Curtis Connors. Bruce Banner. And Reed Richards—a man whose intellect was said to rival his own.

Anton gave a casual shrug.

"These three will be your colleagues for the time being. I hope you can all get along."

Then, as if giving a rallying cry, he added:

"Everything is for humanity."

And with that, he turned to leave.

"Wait, you're leaving already?"

Tony was caught off guard.

"Of course. Do you think I'm staying here to hold your hand?"

Anton shot him an incredulous look.

"I've got other matters to handle—Superman is still waiting for me to contact him in space."

Tony blinked.

"Superman…?"

For a moment, he thought about the man Anton and the Justice League had placed so much faith in.

He had watched Man of Steel at its premiere, making him one of the first people in the world to truly understandSuperman.

But even so, he couldn't quite wrap his head around it.

Judging by Anton's attitude, his expectations for Superman seemed to exceed those he had for Batman.

And yet, based on hints and Easter eggs in some of the DC movies, the relationship between Superman and Batman didn't seem all that friendly.

Could it be that…

Superman hadn't left Earth of his own free will?

Had Batman forced him to leave?

Tony's mind raced with theories, but Anton had no intention of indulging him.

Since Anton had already decided that Superman would be the solution to this crisis, there was no time to waste.

The sooner Superman appeared, the better.

At this point, nothing else mattered.

Even the filming schedule for Shazam had to be postponed.

"Where exactly are you going?" Tony finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity as Anton walked away.

"Los Angeles."

Anton waved a hand dismissively.

"Now stop wasting time and get to work. The future of Earth—and humanity—depends on it."

Before Tony could respond, Anton disappeared into the sewer laboratory.

Half an hour later, Anton was back on a plane, heading straight for Los Angeles and Hollywood.

His next move?

To fast-track the production of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

His goal was simple: to finish the film as quickly as possible—ideally within the one-month deadline Jim had mentioned—and then line up a distribution company for an immediate release.

Time was of the essence.

The faster the movie hit theaters, the faster Anton could rake in profits.

And those profits?

They would become the fuel he needed to bring Superman back.

….

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