The Martian Hunter, while once considered discreet for not revealing the Avengers' secrets he learned through telepathy, now seemed lacking in comparison to the ethically-minded Martian Girl, who was openly against violating others' privacy. Tony Stark couldn't help but save a recording of her stance, planning to show it to the Martian Hunter if they ever found him, hoping it would inspire a sense of responsibility.
Robert had already assured Tony that the Martian Hunter was alive, likely under the control of Lex Luthor. Though there was a risk of leaked Avengers' secrets, Tony wasn't overly concerned; Lex already knew enough to orchestrate meticulous plans against the team, as seen in the attack that left Clark unconscious. No additional secrets would significantly alter the inevitable confrontation with Lex Luthor.
Keeping the Martian Hunter alive was far more valuable than preserving confidential data, especially for Tony, who had a strong bond with him. With the Martian Girl now on Earth, her similar powers and shared Martian lineage offered a potential link that might lead them to the Martian Hunter.
"I can't sense any trace of another Martian within my range," the Martian Girl reported thoughtfully, acknowledging Tony's remark about her empathy.
"No rush. Right now, focus on learning about Earth and the Avengers, so you avoid any major misunderstandings," Robert advised. "There's no need to prove yourself—don't want the Martian Hunter coming back and accusing us of overworking his kin."
"Exactly," Tony chimed in. "You're young. We might even consider sending you to school… although, given our situation, that could bring too much attention. Even with your shape-shifting abilities, it's risky."
The Avengers had achieved relative calm for now, particularly since Robert had killed the Skrulls who had infiltrated Earth's governments. No one wanted to publicly oppose the Avengers for fear of being branded a Skrull and potentially facing Robert's wrath. Still, Tony knew certain government officials were likely still scheming in secret. That they hadn't picked up on any activity from these officials was, in itself, suspicious.
Tony suspected that these agencies had entirely isolated their communications, physically disconnecting their networks to prevent JARVIS from accessing any classified data—a tactic made possible in part by Tony's own past work. He had once designed security programs for these agencies, although they now avoided his systems to maintain their privacy.
"Are there really that many bad people on Earth?" Martian Girl asked, puzzled.
"Well… not as many as there could be, but there are enough to keep things complicated," Tony admitted, then instructed JARVIS, "Our Martian Girl is all yours, JARVIS. Teach her Earth's basics, especially regarding the Avengers and our work."
"Yes, sir," JARVIS responded promptly, guiding Martian Girl to begin her studies.
After she left, Robert turned to Tony. "My journey in space wasn't just about finding the Martian Girl. A lot happened…" he began, suggesting a video conference to brief everyone on what he'd learned.
Tony agreed, quickly establishing connections with the other Avengers. Kara arrived first, beaming with excitement. "You're back! How was space? Did you run into any danger?"
"'Fun' isn't the word I'd use, and yes, there was danger," Robert replied, his tone serious as he recounted his encounters. Ronan and the Kree Empire, the Nova Corps, Xandar, the Collector, the Council of Elders, the Eliminator, and finally, the Celestial Group. The last two, especially, presented challenges and dangers far beyond the others.
"The Celestials!" Tony quickly zeroed in on the mention of the Eliminator and the Celestial Group.
Given Robert's current power level, which now exceeded Clark's and positioned him as Earth's strongest defender, it was alarming to learn that just one Celestial, the Eliminator, could match him in a battle that devastated an entire galaxy without a clear victor. It was a stark reminder of the Celestials' formidable might.
Most worrisome was their scant information on the Celestial Group. Aside from the Eliminator, Arishem the Judge, and rumors of the severed Celestial head on Knowhere, they had little to go on.
The Council of Elders, despite their longevity, seemed less intimidating due to their limited combat abilities. But the Celestials, mysterious beings seemingly monitoring Earth as an "experiment," were a threat Tony and the others couldn't ignore.
"I don't like the sound of Earth being treated as their testing ground," Tony remarked. Previously, he'd assumed the Celestials were benevolent, perhaps even compassionate, higher beings. But he now saw they'd only removed the gods of the old era because they had interfered with Earth's development, affecting the Celestials' experiment.
"They're like farmers clearing away wolves to protect the flock, only to eventually sell the sheep. The Celestials don't see us any differently," he added.
"Hulk wants to smash Celestials!" Hulk, now smarter than before, growled. Though his intelligence had grown, he still couldn't resist the urge to confront threats like the Celestials.
"If you want to smash them, Hulk, you'll have to get a lot stronger first," Robert replied with a chuckle.
Hulk instinctively shrank behind Bruce Banner, visibly intimidated by Robert, despite his recent mental development.
"You mentioned the Celestials' appearance reminded you a little of Venom?" Tony asked, an idea forming.
"It's not exactly the same," Robert clarified, transmitting the memory of the Celestials' appearance directly to Tony and Reed Richards, the two brightest minds on the team, for analysis.
Reed's eyes lit up in recognition. "There are similarities! While there's a massive difference in power, it's possible that Venom's species could evolve to a comparable state."
"Evolve? But it would also need a formidable suit of armor, wouldn't it?" Tony mused, his curiosity piqued.
"Why not give it a shot? We could design Venom a suit using nanomaterials," Reed suggested, catching Tony's enthusiasm. "We might be able to simulate a weaker version of a Celestial."
"Looks like you two are onto something," Robert said approvingly. "Take your time, but there's no need to worry too much. These civilizations evolve slowly, so the Celestials might not act until long after we're gone," he teased, hoping to spur their interest further.
"If they're monitoring Earth's development, they likely don't watch us constantly," Barry Allen ventured. "Could there be 'pawns' left behind, hidden among us like the Skrulls?"
"That's possible," Steve Rogers agreed. "They're not omniscient. If they were, they'd have stopped the gods' interference sooner. But tracking down such agents, hidden for centuries, would be a monumental task."
"I'll check with Kamar-Taj. Their ancient knowledge might hold some clues," Robert began, but stopped when he noticed Kara's expression.
"Go ahead," she said with a slight huff. "She's been around since the gods' era and knows more than I do anyway!"
Kara, still youthful and energetic, found it hard to take seriously the wisdom of Diana, an ageless Amazon. In her mind, Diana was "just an old relic."
Robert coughed, feeling somewhat awkward. He'd faced down cosmic threats, yet Kara's casual jab was harder to respond to. "Right, I'll be back soon…"
With a swift "whoosh," Robert disappeared, leaving the Avengers exchanging awkward glances, unsure whether to comment on the banter between Kara and Diana. And when Kara cast a warning look around the room, everyone quickly adopted neutral expressions.
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