The Ancient One

Sunlight streamed through the studio's glass walls, casting bright patches across the tool-covered workbench. Tony Stark's fingers moved rapidly over the holographic screen as streams of data poured down like a waterfall.

Every so often, he paused, shook his head, and let out a soft laugh that could have been either admiration or helplessness.

"JARVIS, encrypt and classify this list. Send anything at Level One alert directly to Fury." Tony did not look up, his eyes still fixed on the information on the screen. "Archive the rest for now. S.H.I.E.L.D. probably can't process this much at the moment."

"Processing, sir." JARVIS's response was as calm as ever, though the speed of the data processing was astonishing.

Natasha Romanoff stood nearby with her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze moved between the data stream and Tony, her expression grave. "This list is even more comprehensive than we imagined. Hydra's level of infiltration... is chilling."

Tony finally looked up from the screen and rubbed his temples. "Yeah. There are even two of their 'faithful followers' on my board." He snorted. "No wonder the clean energy proposal got rejected so decisively last time."

Outside the window, the beach was peaceful. Xiao Han lay on a lounge chair as though everything around him had nothing to do with him. Whenever S.H.I.E.L.D. agents cautiously approached the wreckage of the salvage helicopter, they deliberately avoided the area where he was.

"He's just... fine now?" Natasha nodded toward the window.

Tony followed her gaze and shrugged. "To him, it was probably about as significant as throwing out the trash. I'm guessing he's pondering some philosophical question like which brand of ice cream to eat for lunch."

At that moment, the studio door slid open soundlessly. Agent Phil Coulson poked his head in, wearing his trademark gentle smile. "Excuse me. I hope I didn't pick a bad time."

Tony sighed dramatically. "Another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Go on, then. Data or coffee this time?"

"Actually, Director Fury hoped to invite Mr. Xiao Han to... consult on a few matters." Coulson chose his words carefully, his gaze drifting involuntarily toward the figure outside.

Tony and Natasha exchanged a look.

"Good luck." Tony patted Coulson on the shoulder. "He's usually... not very talkative while sunbathing."

Coulson took a deep breath, straightened his tie, and headed for the beach. His steps were steady, but the slight tightening at the corners of his mouth revealed a trace of nervousness.

The sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent. Coulson stopped a few steps away from the lounge chair and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Xiao Han? I'm Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Fury hopes—"

"He knows the Hydra base coordinates already." Xiao Han's voice came from behind his sunglasses, calm and flat. "He has the list too. What else is there?"

Coulson froze briefly, then resumed his professional expression. "The director wishes to ask about the... unusual nature of the data. Some of the information seems beyond our understanding."

Xiao Han slowly sat up. His sunglasses slid down to the bridge of his nose, revealing eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything. "Such as?"

"For example, some projects labeled 'alien technology,' as well as several... coordinates marked 'dimensional anomalies.'" Coulson took a miniature projector from his pocket and projected several holographic images into the air.

One image showed a strange cube whose surface constantly shifted through geometric patterns. Another was a coordinate map marked with the location of a distant star system.

Xiao Han glanced at them and gave a quiet snort. "The first is a Kree energy core. It became useless ages ago. The second is a Skrull hiding place. It was abandoned three years ago." He lay back down and adjusted his sunglasses. "Tell Fury not to waste time on useless things like these."

Coulson opened his mouth, seeming as though he wanted to ask more, but in the end, he merely nodded. "I'll report that to the director. Thank you for your—"

His words were cut off by a sudden alarm. The holographic screens in Tony's studio instantly turned red, and JARVIS's voice rang across the entire beach.

"Unknown spatial fluctuation detected. Coordinates: 34.0522° north, 118.2437° west. Energy signature resembles the Kamar-Taj portal previously detected."

Almost at the same time, a spinning ring of sparks appeared above the beach, gradually expanding into a portal. But the person who stepped out this time was not Strange, but a bald woman in yellow robes.

Her gaze was calm as still water, and an indescribable presence radiated from her body.

Xiao Han finally sat upright, his sunglasses slipping completely down. "The Ancient One."

The Sorcerer Supreme gave a slight nod. Her gaze swept over the beach, lingering briefly on Coulson before returning to Xiao Han. "It seems I came at a bad time."

"You know you're never welcome." Yet there was little genuine displeasure in Xiao Han's tone.

The Ancient One's lips curved faintly upward. "Your eradication of Hydra... has caused some ripples in the timestream."

Coulson warily stepped back half a pace, his hand unconsciously moving toward his waist, though he had no weapon there.

Xiao Han glanced at Coulson before saying to The Ancient One, "Are you talking here, or somewhere else?"

The Ancient One swept her gaze over the surroundings once more before settling it on Stark's villa. "Here is fine. Mr. Stark's technology should be able to ensure the privacy of this conversation."

Tony's voice suddenly came from the studio speakers. "Hey, this is my house. If you want to chat, you have to pay the venue fee!"

The Ancient One lightly waved a hand, and a golden rune flashed in the air. Every screen in Tony's studio suddenly froze, then returned to normal.

"Whoa." Tony's voice carried obvious surprise. "What kind of magic was that? Can you teach me?"

"A practice of focus and will, Mr. Stark," The Ancient One answered calmly. "It is a different path from your technology, though perhaps the destination is similar."

Xiao Han impatiently interrupted. "What happened to the timestream?"

The Ancient One turned to him, her expression becoming serious. "Hydra's sudden disappearance has created a power vacuum. Certain... forces that should not have emerged so soon are beginning to stir."

She waved her hand, projecting a dynamic star map into the air. Several regions that had once been dim were now pulsing with light.

"The Kree Empire." The Ancient One pointed to a flashing point. "One of their reconnaissance fleets has changed course and is now heading toward Earth. And here..." She pointed to another point. "A Skrull refugee fleet is also moving in this direction."

Coulson could not help interrupting. "Excuse me, did you say... alien fleets?"

The Ancient One glanced at him, seemingly only then realizing he was there. "A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, correct? Yes, alien fleets. Earth has always been under observation by many cosmic civilizations. Hydra's sudden collapse merely made certain civilizations believe this was a good time to interfere."

Xiao Han snorted. "Let them come. It'll give me something to do."

The Ancient One remained serious. "The problem is not whether they pose a threat. Their arrival will disrupt the natural course of Earth's civilization. The timestream shows that if these fleets arrive now, it will trigger a chain reaction that ultimately brings Earth onto the interstellar political stage early—and humanity is not ready."

Tony walked out of the studio, his face full of curiosity. "Wait, you're saying aliens are really coming? Like in the movies?"

"Far more complicated than movies, Mr. Stark." The Ancient One's gaze did not leave Xiao Han. "I believe Mr. Xiao Han can easily resolve any outside threat, but the consequence would be more curious onlookers, explorers, and even conquerors.

"Earth would no longer be a primitive planet quietly observed from afar. It would officially step onto the cosmic stage."

Xiao Han finally stood and stretched. "So what's your suggestion?"

"While I deal with the issue in the timestream, I hope you can remain... low-profile for the time being." The Ancient One spoke slowly, seeming to choose her words carefully. "Do not take the initiative to provoke other forces in the universe."

Xiao Han raised a brow. "Even if they provoke me first?"

The Ancient One's lips curved slightly upward. "That would be another matter."

She waved again, and the star map in the air changed to show the space around Earth. "The Kree reconnaissance fleet will reach lunar orbit in seventy-two hours. They may send scouting units down first."

Tony let out a whistle. "All right. Looks like I need to speed up the satellite defense system upgrades."

The Ancient One turned to him. "There is no need to worry, Mr. Stark. Kamar-Taj will handle the spatial anomalies. I merely came to... give you a warning."

Her gaze fell on Xiao Han one last time. She gave a slight nod, then took a step backward into a portal that had suddenly appeared behind her. The sparks spun and shrank until they vanished, as though they had never existed.

For a time, silence fell over the beach, broken only by the sound of waves hitting the shore.

Coulson was the first to recover. He pressed a finger to his earpiece and quietly reported the situation.

Tony walked over to Xiao Han, his expression complicated. "So... we'll be receiving alien guests in three days?"

Xiao Han put his sunglasses back on and lay down in the lounge chair. "If they disturb my sunbathing, I'll throw them back into space."

Tony grinned. "Can I have an alien spaceship to study? Just a small one?"

"Depends on my mood."

Coulson finished his communication and walked toward them. "Director Fury wishes to convene an emergency meeting to discuss possible response plans."

Tony patted him on the shoulder. "Relax, Coulson. Maybe they're just here sightseeing?"

At that moment, a faint flash appeared in the sky and quickly vanished.

JARVIS's voice rang out again. "An object has exited stealth mode outside the atmosphere and is descending rapidly. Estimated landing site... this beach."

Xiao Han sighed and sat up. "Can't I have a little peace and quiet?"

Everyone looked up at the sky. A small point rapidly grew larger, trailing a faint tail of flame as it fell. As it drew closer, they could see it was an egg-shaped metal object with a smooth surface and no visible thrusters or windows.

It suddenly slowed above the sea not far from the beach, then landed gently on the water without splashing much. The egg-shaped hatch slid open, and a figure staggered out before dropping to his knees in the shallow water with a splash.

It was a blue-skinned humanoid in a damaged uniform, apparently seriously injured. He struggled to crawl forward several steps, then collapsed face-down in the surf and stopped moving.

Tony and Coulson looked at each other.

"Well," Tony finally said, "looks like our alien guest arrived early, and he looks... pretty bad."

Xiao Han had somehow already risen to his feet. His sharp gaze fixed on the fallen figure. "Not Kree." There was a rare trace of interest in his voice. "Skrull."

He walked forward, stepping across the waves as though he were walking on solid ground. Tony and Coulson hesitated for a moment before following, though they had to wade through the water.

Up close, they could see the alien more clearly. Several obvious wounds marked his blue skin, leaking purple fluid. His facial features resembled a human's, but his ears were sharper, and faint scale-like patterns covered his forehead.

Xiao Han crouched beside him and lightly touched his neck. "Still alive, but very weak."

Tony cautiously looked around. "Wait. If he's a Skrull... he can turn into anyone, right? How do we know this isn't a trap?"

Xiao Han did not answer. Instead, he pressed a finger directly to the alien's forehead. A faint blue light flashed, and the alien suddenly convulsed before opening his eyes.

His eyes were pure gold, without pupils. When he saw Xiao Han, he visibly recoiled and uttered several syllables in a trembling voice.

"What did he say?" Coulson asked, his hand still resting at his side despite the lack of a weapon.

Xiao Han's expression became somewhat strange. "He said, 'Please, don't kill me. I'm only a messenger.'"

The alien struggled into a sitting position and raised both hands above his head in an obvious gesture of surrender. He spoke again, his voice weak but urgent.

"He says the Skrull fleet is being hunted by the Kree." Xiao Han translated, frowning slightly. "They aren't here to invade. They're seeking refuge."

Tony shook his head in disbelief. "Alien refugees? That's not in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s emergency protocols."

The alien seemed to understand Tony's words. He nodded urgently and said something else.

"He says the Kree will not accept any negotiations," Xiao Han continued translating. "They will destroy any civilization that shelters Skrulls. If Earth takes them in, it will become a target of the Kree Empire."

Coulson's expression turned grave. "I need to report this to Director Fury immediately."

The alien suddenly grabbed Xiao Han's arm, looked at him with pleading eyes, and spoke a rapid string of words.

Xiao Han looked down at the hand gripping his arm and raised a brow. The alien immediately released him and once again assumed a surrendering posture.

"What did he say?" Tony asked.

Xiao Han looked toward the distant horizon, his tone calm. "He says the Kree warships have already entered the Solar System, and there are... women and children aboard the Skrull ships."

For a moment, only the sound of the waves filled the silence.

Tony spoke first. "We can't—"

His words were interrupted by another flash in the sky. This time, it was not a single point, but dozens of points rapidly growing larger.

JARVIS's voice carried unprecedented urgency. "Multiple objects entering the atmosphere detected! Energy signatures match Kree Empire technology! Warning: high-energy weapon preheating signals detected!"

Xiao Han slowly removed his sunglasses, a flash of red light passing through his eyes.

"All right," he said softly. "They disturbed me."