Rhodey prepared to take several Ultimate Nullifier back to the military to stabilize the internal situation while secretly keeping a close watch on any unusual activity within the army and preventing infiltrators from causing trouble.
Tony stayed at the villa, intending to contact the other members of the Avengers one by one in advance to let everyone know what was going on and be ready to deal with the Skrulls crisis at any time.
Rimuru headed straight for S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, heading directly to Nick Fury's office.
Meanwhile, inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. Building.
Nick Fury had just received a report from his men that Rimuru had come to his door.
His first reaction was actually a sense of relief.
I thought to myself, "This big shot is finally back."
The Battle of New York caused such a huge commotion a while ago, and after it was all Asgard, the person in charge just packed up and went off to enjoy himself, leaving behind a mess and follow-up work for them to clean up.
Fury had been thinking about it and wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Rimuru again to see if he could acquire another batch of Ultimate Nullifier technology and machines to strengthen S.H.I.E.L.D..'s combat capabilities.
But after a moment's thought, he suddenly realized something was amiss.
etc.
Rimuru never comes to him on his own initiative.
You wouldn't visit a temple without a reason, so why are you suddenly showing up today?
Could it be that they came specifically to expedite the progress regarding that previous land transaction?
The thought of this gave Fury a sudden, throbbing headache.
The land was too large, and the procedures, planning, and layers of approvals involved a whole host of miscellaneous matters that couldn't be resolved in a short time. He was currently racking his brains trying to figure out how to stall for time and how to tactfully appease Rimuru.
He was secretly planning how to play the game later, to appease her first and try to postpone the matter as much as possible.
No sooner had he settled his thoughts than the office door was pushed open, Rimuru walked right in without even having anyone announce his arrival.
Fury glanced up and his heart skipped a beat.
Something's not right.
Something's really wrong.
Today, Rimuru showed no sign of casual conversation; his aura was frighteningly cold, clearly indicating he was ready to interrogate someone.
Fury thought to himself, even if they were pressuring for land, they wouldn't act like they were settling scores, would they?
Before he could even exchange pleasantries or find an excuse, Rimuru skipped all formalities and cut straight to the point, his tone crisp and cold.
"Don't change the subject, I'm here to talk to you about the Skrulls."
That one short sentence made Nick Fury's heart clench and jump into his throat.
Skrulls?
Why would Rimuru suddenly bring up that name?
He didn't even have time to wonder how Rimuru found out about this top secret; his mind was filled with nothing but worry.
He knew all too well how complicated the Skrulls issue was; if it were exposed by someone with ulterior motives, it would be a huge problem.
Looking at Rimuru's cold and tense expression, it was clear that he was up to no good and hadn't come to chat or seek confirmation.
Fury felt a chill creep down his spine, wondering if those Skrulls had been foolish enough to secretly provoke this menacing figure.
He quickly suppressed his panic and spoke first to smooth things over, trying to calm the other person down.
" Rimuru, I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."
"Is it a problem with that piece of land from before? I know progress is a bit slow, but on my end..."
Before he could finish speaking, Rimuru interrupted him.
"Let's put the land aside for now."
Rimuru looked at him, his tone indifferent yet filled with a sense of oppression.
"Do you know that you're keeping a ghost in your house?"
Nick Fury:?
This abrupt and seemingly unrelated statement completely baffled him.
His brows furrowed deeply, and even the air-conditioned office couldn't stop him from sweating.
What the heck?
S.H.I.E.L.D.. has extremely tight security; could something dirty have gotten in again?
"What does that mean? What the hell?"
"Those green-skinned people you hid on Earth and kindly took in."
"You really think they're pitiful homeless refugees? Do you know that these guys have been up to no good from the very beginning, lurking for twenty years without a single kind thought!"
Upon hearing this, Nick Fury felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding.
A chill ran down my back.
It's over.
He was certain that something bad was about to happen.
The Skrulls have definitely caused a huge mess, and they just happened to run right under Rimuru's nose.
Otherwise, given this person's personality, there's no way they would have specifically come to his door to dig up such a long-ago grievance.
Fury was filled with mixed emotions, and only one thought remained.
What did these Skrulls do to offend this powerful figure?
Rimuru simply couldn't be bothered to play games with him.
His purpose in coming here today is very simple: to clean up the mess left by the Skrulls once and for all.
Either eliminate them all, or expel them all.
In short, these things must be completely wiped off the face of the earth. He didn't care what means were used.
Rimuru stared at Nick Fury, his voice low, but his anger was about to burst forth.
"Tell me, do you even know what those green-skinned men are up to behind the scenes?"
"They're planning a rebellion, intending to devour the entire human world!"
"One Hydra wasn't enough to hurt you, was it? Hiding one undercover organization wasn't enough, so you personally brought a second one to Earth?"
Nick Fury's first reaction upon hearing this was to deny it; he shook his head without even thinking.
"Impossible."
His tone was confident, carrying the assurance of years of cooperation.
"I've been cooperating with the Skrulls for almost twenty years, always keeping to myself and fully cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D.. operations. I've never overstepped my bounds in the slightest. They could never rebel like Hydra."
Upon hearing this, Rimuru was so angry he laughed.
That's outrageous.
That's outrageous.
Only now did he realize that Nick Fury wasn't stupid, he was just too arrogant.
Or they are so naive as to think that a few cooperation agreements and personal favors are enough to firmly control an entire alien race.
Or they are trapped in their own desire for control, blindly believing that they have everything under control.
Typical S.H.I.E.L.D.. arrogance.
They felt they saw through everything, controlled everything, and could manipulate all hidden dangers at will.
What do you mean by "impossible"?
Rimuru's tone suddenly turned cold and hard, and he had completely lost his patience.
"I personally came to your office today to confront you, and you still don't realize the seriousness of the situation?"
"If we were really as well-behaved as you say, would I have time to meddle in S.H.I.E.L.D..'s old grievances?"
"When are you going to believe it? When they quietly replace all the top military and political officials? When most of them are imposters?"
"Will you only admit that you've raised a tiger that will threaten your own life, and that you're playing with fire and will get burned, when they openly proclaim that humanity is dead and the Skrulls should rise up, and that we humans are now the lowest of the low?"
A barrage of questions rained down, each one carrying considerable force.
Nick Fury was instantly rendered speechless and fell completely silent.
His brows were furrowed tightly, his face dark, and he remained silent, his mind completely in disarray for the first time.
On one side are the cooperative groups that have followed him for nearly twenty years, keeping a low profile and working closely with S.H.I.E.L.D..
To be honest, after so many years of getting along and working together, he never found the slightest sign of rebellion in them.
But on the other side is Rimuru.
With Rimuru's strength, there was no need for him to fabricate such a shocking lie out of thin air, let alone target a group of insignificant alien refugees for no reason.
The probability of a misunderstanding is extremely low.
He couldn't help but feel a surge of surprise and doubt.
If the Skrulls truly intend to replace humans, are they unaware of the consequences?
It was Carol who stepped in and gave them a chance to survive.
They should know better than anyone that if Captain Marvel could save their entire race in Extremis, she could easily wipe them out with her own hands.
Why, when they hold the shackles of annihilation in their hands, do they still dare to secretly plot on Earth, attempting to usurp its territory?