I'm having a blast in Marvel!

Page 58

“It’s me.” Carol finally couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, and they streamed down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string. “Maria, it’s me. I’m back.”

“Oh my God…” Maria’s baseball bat clattered to the wooden floor. She covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle the sobs that were about to escape her lips, but tears welled up instantly. She rushed forward and hugged Carol tightly, as if she wanted to meld her into her own body, as if letting go would cause him to disappear from her world again, just like six years ago.

Two close friends, separated for six years, embraced and wept in the quiet of the porch late at night, their suppressed sobs releasing the longing, pain, and grievances they had endured over the past six years.

"Mommy? What's wrong? Who's outside?" A sleepy, childlike voice came from inside the house.

A little girl, about eleven or twelve years old, wearing pajamas with a cartoon spaceship pattern, rubbed her sleepy eyes and peeked out from behind Maria. She looked curiously at the blonde aunt in the doorway who was hugging her mother and crying, her little face showing a hint of confusion and wariness.

Carol slowly released Maria, crouched down, and looked at the little girl. The floodgates of memory were opened at that moment. She remembered—this was Monica, Maria's daughter, the little one she had sworn to protect with her life, the "little troublemaker" who always followed her around, clamoring to learn how to fly a plane.

"Hi, Lieutenant, trouble." Carol choked back tears as she greeted them softly with a nickname only the two of them knew.

Monica Lamb's eyes widened instantly, all sleepiness vanishing in that instant. Only one person in the world would call her that: Aunt Carol, who would secretly take her to the air force base to see the latest fighter jets, teach her to make all sorts of funny faces, and tell her stories about the universe and stars before bedtime.

"Aunt Carol?" The little girl's eyes also reddened instantly. Without the slightest hesitation, she threw herself into Carol's arms like a little cannonball and burst into tears, crying her heart out.

Standing in the shadows of the lawn at a distance, Chu Hang watched this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. Thankfully, it wasn't too late. Some regrets in this universe can still be remedied.

He didn't step forward to disturb this deeply moving reunion, but instead expanded his senses to their maximum extent once again. He knew that the SHIELD agents were almost there. They were more efficient than expected.

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, when Maria finally calmed down and invited Carol and Chu Hang into the house, the three of them sat around an old photo album covered in dust, reminiscing about the past while shedding tears, when several blinding beams of car headlights pierced the tranquility of the town like sharp swords.

In the photo album, young Carol and Maria, dressed in smart flight suits, lean confidently against an F-15 fighter jet. Carol in the photo smiles boldly and confidently, her eyes filled with anticipation for the future and a love for the sky—a stark contrast to the somewhat lost and vulnerable woman she is now.

"They're here," Chu Hang said calmly, putting down his now-cold cup of coffee.

Maria and Carol's faces instantly tensed. They ran to the window, peeked through the curtains, and saw several black Chevrolet SUVs silently parked outside the house. A group of men in black suits and headsets got out of the cars, quickly and efficiently spreading out and silently surrounding the entire house. Their demeanor clearly indicated they weren't ordinary police officers.

"Who are they?" Maria's voice trembled slightly as she instinctively shielded her daughter Monica behind her.

“The government.” Carol’s eyes turned serious. “They’ve been chasing me ever since I returned to Earth.”

"Don't worry." Chu Hang stood up and walked in front of them. His tall figure blocked the window and their anxious gaze. "With me here, no one can touch a hair on your head."

He had barely finished speaking when the doorbell rang.

Boom, boom, boom.

Three syllables, neither hurried nor slow, with an even rhythm. Very polite, yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure.

Maria looked nervously at Chu Hang and Carol. Chu Hang gave her a reassuring look, gesturing for her to take Monica upstairs, before leisurely walking over and opening the door.

Two people stood in the doorway. One was Phil Coulson, sporting his standard professional fake smile. The other was Nick Fury, the iconic one-eyed man.

Fury's gaze, like a searchlight, swept past Chu Hang, who was blocking the doorway, and landed on Carol in the living room behind him. His single eye flashed with an extremely complex light, showing surprise, wariness, but more than anything, a solemn expression of seeing something beyond comprehension.

“Good evening, sir.” Fury spoke first, his voice deep and powerful, carrying the authority of someone who had been giving orders for years. “I am Nick Fury from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Execution and Logistics Bureau. We have some questions to discuss with the lady behind you, and with you.”

Goodness, he rattled off the entire long and cumbersome name of S.H.I.E.L.D. right off the bat. He was trying to intimidate people with his official titles and organization.

Chu Hang didn't even lift his eyelids. He just leaned lazily against the door frame, arms crossed, his tall figure like a wall, showing no intention of letting them in.

“She doesn’t want to talk right now.” He refused succinctly, his tone as flat as if he were saying, “The weather’s nice today.”

Fury's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He had dealt with all sorts of difficult people, but this was the first time he had encountered someone so direct and uncompromising. Coulson, standing beside him, also froze for a moment, clearly not expecting this kind of start.

“Sir, I need to remind you that this is not a request.” Fury’s tone became more forceful, and an invisible pressure began to spread. “This concerns national security, and we have the right to remove any potential threats. I hope you will not obstruct us from carrying out our duties.”

"A threat?" Chu Hang finally raised his eyelids, glanced at him, and laughed. The laughter carried an undisguised mockery and contempt. "Are you referring to her?" He gestured with his chin towards Carol behind him, "Or are you referring to me?"

Fury's single eye narrowed sharply. He sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from Chu Hang. It wasn't the aura of an ordinary person; it was a confidence born of absolute power, an indifference that disregarded everything else. He had only ever felt this kind of feeling from a very few legendary figures.

“We are equally interested in your identity,” Fury said in a deep voice, trying to regain the initiative.

"My identity," Chu Hang said, his smile fading, his eyes turning cold and indifferent, "is something you are not qualified to know."

He paused, then continued, "Chief Fury, I have a suggestion for you. Right now, take your men and get out of here. Don't disturb this hard-won family reunion."

"Are you threatening a senior federal agent?" Coulson finally found an opportunity to interject. He stepped forward and said sternly and righteously.

Chu Hang didn't even bother to glance at him, as if he were nothing more than air. His gaze remained fixed on Fury like two scalpels.

Suddenly, he stretched out a finger and gently tapped the air beside Fury.

A barely audible sound, as if space itself had been moved.

About three meters away from Fury, under a tall oak tree, a muffled groan suddenly came from the dense grass. Immediately afterward, a sniper dressed in a ghillie suit, his face painted with camouflage, almost blending into the environment, along with his expensive Barrett anti-materiel sniper rifle, was lifted into the air by a completely invisible and terrifying force, and then lightly tossed to Fury's feet like a discarded tattered sack.

The sniper was completely limp and unconscious, but there were no obvious wounds on his body.

Fury's pupils suddenly contracted, becoming the size of pinpoints.

Coulson's face drained of color instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his brow.

They didn't see what Chu Hang did at all! They didn't even sense any energy fluctuations! It was as if that person had been grabbed by an invisible ghostly hand!

"I'll say it again." Chu Hang's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a cold, heavy hammer, striking Fury and Coulson's hearts hard. "Get out."

Fury stared intently at Chu Hang, his brain racing at a rate of hundreds of millions of calculations per second. The opponent's abilities were completely beyond his comprehension. Telekinesis? Telepathy? Or perhaps an even more terrifying spatial ability? Moreover, he could so accurately detect a sniper hidden dozens of meters away, impeccably disguised. This perceptive ability was simply superhuman.

A direct confrontation is absolutely out of the question. Fury had no doubt that the other side could wipe out their entire squad with just a flick of their finger.

"What do you want?" Fury quickly changed tactics, his tone softening. He knew that threats were the most foolish and lowest-level tactic when dealing with such an unfathomable being. Only mutual benefit could serve as a bridge for communication.

"I don't want anything," Chu Hang said calmly, his eyes carrying a knowing indifference. "I just want to tell you one thing. This world is much bigger and more dangerous than you imagine. Your self-righteous 'Avengers' plan, hidden deep in your drawer, is nothing more than a child's game in the places you can't see."

Fury's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, almost stopping its beating.

The Avengers!

This is top secret within S.H.I.E.L.D.! It's a top-secret proposal he just drafted after witnessing Carol's power and the existence of the Kree! There's no way a fifth person could know about it besides himself and a very few high-ranking officials he absolutely trusts! How did he find out?!

At this moment, Fury finally understood that he was not facing a simple superhuman. This was a ghost, possessing an intelligence network beyond his comprehension and unfathomable power. An observer.

“We…we have to talk.” Fury took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. His tone was more serious than ever before, even carrying a hint of pleading.

"Talk to me?" Chu Hang finally shifted his gaze from Fury, looking him up and down with an expression of amusement and assessment, as if scrutinizing an inanimate object. "Are you worthy?"

After saying that, he ignored the two people standing frozen like stone statues at the door and slammed the door shut with a "bang".

Outside the door, Coulson looked at the tightly closed door, then down at the unconscious top sniper on the ground. Cold sweat had formed streams on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks.

"Sir, we are now..."

"Withdraw." Fury uttered only one word, his voice slightly hoarse. He turned and walked towards his car, his single eye gleaming with an unprecedented light—a mixture of fear, frustration, and a hint of... aroused, almost frenzied excitement.

The game is becoming more and more interesting.

Chapter 70 Curious Monica

The moment the door closed, the living room fell into a deathly silence.

Maria and Carol stood at the top of the stairs, their faces still showing lingering tension and shock. Although they hadn't seen everything that had just happened outside the door clearly, the invisible pressure and Chu Hang's final, seemingly casual yet domineering "Are you worthy?" had still clearly reached their ears.

Especially Carol, watching Chu Hang's calm back as if he had merely swatted away a fly, felt her heart churning. She knew Chu Hang was strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this strong. That one-eyed man, clearly a ruthless character wielding power and whose word was law, didn't even have the right to enter the house in front of Chu Hang, rendered speechless and ultimately forced to slink away.

That wasn't a suppression of power; it was a higher-dimensional, all-encompassing crushing force, encompassing identity, strength, and mentality.

"They... just left like that?" Maria asked in disbelief. She quietly walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and saw the black SUVs silently turning around and driving away one after another, quickly disappearing into the night of the town.

"I'm leaving." Chu Hang turned around, his face returning to its lazy, harmless expression, as if the cold-eyed, imposing guy from just now was not him at all. "I told you, with me here, no one can bother you."

As he spoke, he walked to the sofa, plopped down, picked up the now-cold coffee on the table, took a sip, and then frowned in disgust.

"Alright, the flies are gone, we can continue." He pointed to the open old photo album on the table. "I haven't finished looking at it yet. Turns out your hair was even messier when you were younger."

His tone was so relaxed, as if he were making a harmless joke, that it instantly dispelled the tense and solemn atmosphere in the living room.

Carol looked at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Just how many faces did this man have? He was powerful, mysterious, and domineering, yet he could transform into a friendly older brother next door, joking and bantering with you in the next second.

Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She gave Chu Hang a grateful look, then walked over and took the cold coffee cup from his hand.

“I’ll go and boil you another pot of hot water,” she said. “Monica, go back to your room and go to sleep; it’s very late.”

"Oh..." the little girl at the bottom of the stairs responded, but her big, dark eyes remained fixed on Chu Hang, filled with undisguised curiosity and a hint of admiration. She had seen the sniper being pulled out of thin air. To an eleven-year-old, that was cooler than any superhero in a comic book.

The next day, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the wooden floor, Chu Hang finished his morning exercise in the backyard and sat down at Maria's dining table.

A simple American breakfast was laid out on the table: a perfectly fried sunny-side-up egg, sizzling bacon, golden-brown and crispy toast, and a steaming cup of black coffee. Maria's cooking was excellent, full of the taste of home.

Carol was also sitting at the table, but she was clearly distracted, idly poking at the eggs on her plate with her fork, her eyes wandering. She hadn't slept well all night; her mind was replaying fragments of memories, both old and new, and Chu Hang's unfathomable strength.

"What are you thinking about?" Chu Hang asked, taking a bite of toast and speaking indistinctly.

“I’m thinking… the Kree.” Carol put down her fork, her expression serious. “Yon Rogge and his men won’t let this go. They’ll find me soon.”

“I know.” Chu Hang nodded and took a sip of coffee. “So, you need to get stronger as soon as possible. Not by learning how to fire energy cannons more fiercely, but by learning how to control them, feel them, and make them a part of your body, as natural as your breathing.”

"Just like you did?" Carroll asked.

"Pretty much," Chu Hang shrugged. "But my situation is rather special, you can't learn it. But the principle is the same. Your body is an energy reactor, and your will is the control valve. Before, the Kree installed a cheap valve for you with a backdoor. Now, what you need to do is remove that old one and replace it with one that is completely your own."

Carol nodded, seemingly understanding.

The next few days were unusually peaceful.

Chu Hang and Carol were like two distant relatives who had come to stay at a friend's house for the time being.

During the day, accompanied by Maria, Carol would drive around town in her old pickup truck, visiting their old pubs, trying to recapture more of the "Carol Danvers" memories from these familiar surroundings. She started learning to use a microwave, readjusting to Earth's food, and even watched a boring late 1990s romance movie with Maria and Monica.

Chu Hang, on the other hand, spent most of his time indoors or on the open lawn in the backyard. He seemed to be daydreaming or sunbathing, but in reality, his consciousness had already sunk into his own mental world, like a highly precise engineer, constantly analyzing, sorting out, and controlling the new energy within him that had integrated three powers.

He could feel his control over space improving at an extremely slow but incredibly solid pace. From initially only being able to roughly twist and compress, he could now precisely split a water droplet suspended in mid-air in two from the inside without causing any energy fluctuations, while the droplet's shape remained intact.

This meticulous control is what makes it truly terrifying. It means that if he wanted to, he could silently sever a person's aorta, and the person wouldn't even know how they died.

Of course, he is also thinking about his next steps.

Currently, his ability pool includes [S-level Self-Healing Factor], [Super Soldier Serum], [Binary Form], [Primary Atmospheric Control], [Kinetic Energy Injection], [Superhuman Senses and Physical Abilities], and [Form Mimicry]. Offense, defense, endurance, camouflage, and area-of-effect attacks—he covers almost every aspect, making him a well-rounded warrior with no obvious weaknesses.

But Chu Hang never felt he had too many trump cards. He knew the universe was incredibly complex. Not to mention the cosmic beings hidden behind the scenes, even Thanos, who was about to appear, was someone he couldn't easily defeat with his current abilities.

His system can replicate a capability every week. There are three days left until the next cooldown. He needs a new target.

Nick Fury didn't send anyone to bother them again, but Chu Hang knew that the old fox hadn't given up. He could sense several "eyes" constantly hovering around the outskirts of the town, neither too close nor too far, maintaining a delicate distance. Several times, he even "heard" some very weak communication signals that didn't belong to this era; it must have been S.H.I.E.L.D. trying to contact him using various encrypted channels.

Chu Hang ignored them all. He enjoyed the feeling of the enemy being in the open while he remained in the shadows. Let Fury guess; the more he guessed, the more he imagined, the safer Chu Hang felt.

That afternoon, Chu Hang was resting with his eyes closed on a recliner in the backyard, pondering the techniques of space folding, when a small figure tiptoed up to him.

The little girl held a glass of lemonade with a straw in her hand and carefully handed it to Chu Hang.

“Mr. Chen…” she called softly. Ever since she learned that Chu Hang’s alias was Anthony Chen, she had been calling him that. “My mother asked me to bring you some water.”

Chu Hang opened his eyes, looked at the girl in front of him who had a curious yet slightly nervous expression, smiled, and took the cup.