"They're docking." Natasha Romanoff stood before the porthole and spoke calmly. Laura Croft was somewhat surprised. Several hours had passed since the Sky Battleship came through the portal and arrived near the Sky Sword Space Station. During that time, the ship had shown no sign of activity, silent as stagnant water, while Natasha Romanoff had remained beside Laura at the porthole, watching the boundless universe. Young girls like Laura Croft wore every emotion on their faces. As a top-tier spy, Natasha Romanoff had seen through her thoughts at a glance. Yet instead of mentioning the Sky Battleship's docking, she brought up something else. "Do you know who built this space station?"
Laura Croft shook her head.
"Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sure you've seen his name on television. There are also a great many aliens here, but they're all in the laboratories now, reduced to experimental animals with no dignity whatsoever." Natasha Romanoff ignored the archaeologist's surprise at the word "aliens" and instead gestured with her chin toward the Sky Battleship docked dozens of kilometers away. "Your sponsor came here on a ship like that, killed every alien, and arrested all the senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. He seized that ship from Hydra during the Hydra Rebellion, then refitted it into his space warship."
"Is there some moral to this story, Ms. Romanoff?"
"There's no moral at all, Laura." Natasha Romanoff put her hands on her hips. "I just want to remind you that your sponsor has a very big appetite. There's no way he didn't know about Hydra's Project Insight, and no way he didn't know the true situation of this space station. But he told no one and lay low in silence until he was certain he could swallow it whole. Nick Fury's life's work became his