Mavuika hovered outside the porthole of the Skrull ship, her long gold-red hair floating slowly like flames in the weightless environment.
Through the reinforced glass, she saw several tense faces inside the ship: a Black Agent, a woman with short blonde hair, a green-skinned Skrull, and someone holding... wait, that cat?
Mavuika's amber eyes narrowed slightly as she looked closely at the lazy orange cat.
To normal sight, it was just an ordinary, perhaps even slightly overweight, house cat leisurely licking its paws.
But on the level of Energy Perception...
"Interesting." A playful curve tugged at the corner of Mavuika's mouth.
She had read records about them in the Ancient Archives of Asgard. An Omnivore Beast, one of the most dangerous creatures in the Universe, capable of swallowing almost anything and storing it in another dimension.
They were rare in the Universe and seemed to have high bounties on them. How could one be here, being held like an ordinary pet?
"What a magical team composition," Mavuika whispered to herself.
Her gaze finally landed on Carol. The power contained within this blonde woman made even Mavuika look twice.
It wasn't ordinary alien energy or technological enhancement, but power directly originating from the source of the Universe, carrying the unique energy fluctuations of the Infinity Stones.
Mavuika had come into contact with the Reality Stone and the Time Stone; she was all too familiar with this feeling.
She estimated that if the power within this woman were fully released, its intensity could likely rival her own before she absorbed the Eternal Flame.
However, this energy was being tightly suppressed by something and couldn't be fully released. The source of the suppression was at Carol's neck, where a faint metallic glint could be seen.
Stared at by Mavuika's blunt and profound gaze, Carol felt uneasy and subconsciously shifted her body.
She raised her hand to slightly adjust her collar, hiding the trace of the chip on her neck. She was about to ask who this woman was, who could cross space with her bare body, and what her purpose was for being here.
But before she could speak, Fury, who was beside her, beat her to it.
He walked to the console, pressed a button, and spoke through the ship's broadcast system. He tried to keep his tone steady, but a hint of nervousness was hard to hide.
"Hello, ma'am! You're blocking our flight path. Please move aside; we have an urgent mission to carry out!"
After saying this, Fury suddenly realized something, and a flash of embarrassment crossed his face. He was about to switch to another communication method when he saw Mavuika laughing outside the window.
Then, her voice sounded directly in their minds. They were currently in the vacuum outside the atmosphere, where sound cannot travel through air at all. The sound from the broadcast wouldn't even make it past the ship's hatch, let alone reach Mavuika's ears.
His expression froze, and he hurriedly prepared to turn off the broadcast to find another way to communicate with Mavuika.
But just then, as if she had heard him clearly, Mavuika chuckled. Her figure flickered, and she instantly appeared by the ship's porthole, close enough for Fury and the others to see the smile in her eyes.
The sudden approach made everyone inside the ship tense up. Fury instinctively gripped the weapon at his waist, the pale blue energy around Carol surged again, and Talos and Maria also became alert.
Only the Omnivore Beast curled up on Carol's lap continued to yawn lazily, seemingly indifferent to everything.
In the next second, Mavuika's voice rang out directly inside the ship, clear and soft, without the aid of any equipment, as if she were standing right beside them.
"You're Nick Fury, right? I've heard Howard mention you. He said he left the investigation of the Skrulls to you. It seems you have results now?"
Fury's single eye narrowed slightly. Not only could she survive in a vacuum and transmit sound directly into their minds without equipment, but she also knew his name, knew Howard, and knew about the Skrulls...
His brain worked rapidly, piecing together the clues. This woman was definitely no ordinary person. She was likely a friend of Howard's and might even know many secrets through him.
As things stood, the only way was to claim a connection to win the support of this powerful being, perhaps even using her strength to solve the trouble with the Skrulls and the Kree.
Fury quickly composed himself, a perfectly respectful smile appearing on his face, his tone sincere.
"That's right!" Fury responded quickly, trying to take control of the situation. "You're a friend of Dr. Stark? I remember now; I've heard him mention you."
This was a risky probe. As he spoke, he quickly fabricated a story in his mind.
He had never heard Howard mention Mavuika, but in this situation, he had to bluff his way through and stabilize Mavuika first.
Mavuika's smile deepened. Her amber eyes seemed to see through the ship's hull and directly into Fury's internal calculations.
"Is that so?" she asked with interest, her voice still entering everyone's minds directly.
"What did he say about me?"
Fury didn't bat an eye and began to improvise: "Dr. Stark said you were a... very special friend with extraordinary insight and ability. He said that when encountering 'extraordinary' problems, you could always provide a unique perspective."
These words were ambiguous and had no specific meaning.
"He also said that if there was a chance, he hoped to introduce us. I didn't expect it to happen this way."
He paused and continued weaving his story while subtly changing the subject. "As for the Skrulls, I have finally fulfilled Dr. Stark's trust and found their trail. I am now preparing to resolve this matter to ensure Earth's safety."
At the same time, he quickly extended an invitation to Mavuika. "If you're willing, you can come along. More help is always good, and with you joining us, we'll have more confidence."
These words praised Mavuika, explained his purpose, and extended an invitation all at once.
Fury stared intently at Mavuika, silently praying that she would believe his story and be willing to help.
Inside the ship, Carol looked at Fury warily and then at Mavuika outside the window.
Talos was so nervous that his green skin turned a bit pale. He could feel the pressure of a higher being radiating from Mavuika; it was a gap in the level of existence.
After hearing Fury's words, Mavuika put on an expression of realization. "So that's how it is."
She knew, of course, that Howard would never talk about her in detail to others. That old scientist had always carefully guarded her secrets, and he had only recently come clean to Tony.
Fury was clearly making it up, but she didn't expose him. Instead, she followed along with his words, wanting to see what kind of stories he could spin.