Marcus navigated through the laboratory's various passages with surprising confidence, moving through the battleship as if following a precise map.
This confused Fury. He knew Marcus had never visited the remodeled battleship, yet somehow Marcus seemed more familiar with its layout than Fury himself.
In truth, Marcus didn't actually know the way. His practice with the Vazarin school had greatly enhanced his perception abilities. The entire place was clearly visible within his awareness, allowing him to navigate the battleship effortlessly.
"Why do I feel like you're more familiar with this place than I am?"
"It's nothing special. My perception is just stronger than you think."
After replying to Fury, Marcus continued forward. As he turned a corner, Howard appeared before him.
"Hey, Marcus, long time no see."
Howard greeted him with a warm smile, seemingly delighted by Marcus's return.
Facing the enthusiastic Howard, Marcus smiled back—then abruptly punched him in the chest.
THUMP
After a muffled impact, "Howard" staggered backward, leaning against the wall while clutching his chest and gasping for breath.
"Howard? Heh~ I can tell who you really are, Skrull!"
While Marcus might not have been able to distinguish the Skrulls in the past, his Vazarin-enhanced perception had sharpened dramatically.
He could now easily detect the different life signatures around him. If described using colors as a metaphor, humans appeared light blue in Marcus's perception, while Skrulls registered as lavender. Even though the "Howard" before him perfectly matched his memories in appearance, to Marcus's senses, this individual remained unmistakably lavender.
Seeing his disguise penetrated so easily, "Howard" reverted to his natural Skrull appearance.
Still clutching his chest, he looked at Fury with an accusatory expression.
"You said he wouldn't hit anyone!"
Apparently, the Skrull had transformed into Howard because Fury had instructed him to do so via communicator after they landed.
The charade was meant to test Marcus's detection abilities, but Fury hadn't anticipated that Marcus would immediately recognize the disguise, rendering the plan pointless.
"Seems I misjudged the situation!"
Fury shrugged innocently, which only irritated the Skrull further.
Nevertheless, when the Skrull looked at Marcus, his expression remained positive. He remembered Marcus from the battle more than a decade ago, when Marcus had left a profound impression.
The mysterious, powerful energy skeleton had inspired awe in him. If the Skrulls could master such power, their homeworld might never have fallen to the Kree.
"You seem to know me," Marcus observed.
The Skrull's expression had already revealed much.
"You are a hero, at least to me. Without you, many of us might have died at the Kree's hands."
The Skrull replied with a smile as his chest pain began subsiding.
"Mr. Howard is in the innermost laboratory."
Taking this information, Marcus nodded, patted the Skrull's shoulder, and continued deeper into the facility.
This time, no one pretended to be Howard. Within Marcus's perception, he steadily approached the real Howard's life signature.
Arriving at a laboratory door, Marcus knocked once and entered.
"Seems you're adjusting well to life in space!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Howard turned around. Seeing Marcus, his face immediately brightened.
"Fury mentioned you were back, but I didn't expect you'd come here so quickly." Howard set down his tools with a smile.
Fury had informed him the day Marcus left for New Mexico.
"I haven't seen you in over a decade, yet you still look so young."
"And you still look like an old man. Can't the life potion make you younger?" Marcus replied.
"The life potion only extends lifespan. It's not Dr. Erskine's super-soldier serum."
Howard hadn't fully decoded the super-soldier formula yet, but even if he did, he wouldn't administer it to himself or Maria.
He remembered Dr. Erskine's warning all too well:
The bad becomes worse, and the good becomes better.
This single principle gave him pause. He couldn't guarantee that he and Maria would maintain their current personalities after receiving the serum.
Any deviation could lead to a lifetime of regret.
Besides, neither he nor Maria aspired to become superhuman—they had no interest in the super-soldier serum.
"Ha~ Whatever you say." Marcus dragged a chair over, sat down, and leaned back with a smile. "I'm guessing you know how that battery ended up in your genius son's chest?"
Howard sighed helplessly.
"When Tony was captured, Maria and I wanted to rush back to Earth immediately. Thankfully, Tony was clever enough to build an armor suit under his captors' surveillance and escape."
Speaking of Tony's evolution, Howard couldn't hide his pride.
"Obadiah's betrayal, however, truly shocked me. To think he was the one who arranged the attack. He tried to kill Tony, but Tony defeated him—and even bested Ivan Vanko's son. He's exceeded all my expectations."
Howard was genuinely pleased with Tony's transformation.
Though Tony had always been a genius, he had once been naive. Now he demonstrated real responsibility and purpose.
"You never considered helping him solve that battery problem?"
"Tony will fix it himself. I trust him!"
Howard smiled confidently. While he had indeed mastered advanced medical technology, he preferred that Tony solve the problem independently.
"Heh, you two haven't changed a bit—father and son equally arrogant."
Marcus shook his head in resignation. Both Howard and Tony maintained unwavering confidence in their technological abilities—perhaps the true source of their genius.
"By the way, when do you plan to tell Tony about you and Maria faking your deaths? I can't wait to see his shocked expression."
What would Tony do upon learning his parents were still alive?
Would he be overcome with joy? Or would he refuse to believe it, assuming they were impostors mimicking his parents?
Howard shook his head at Marcus's question.
"Once Hydra is neutralized, Fury will bring Tony to see us."
He and Maria had already decided they would never return to Earth. For the world to believe they were dead remained the safest option.
The two chatted for some time, completely ignoring Fury behind them. They had entirely forgotten about the S.H.I.E.L.D. director.
"Oh, by the way, these are devices I've created using Skrull and Kree technology. Would you like to try one?"
Howard produced what resembled a flashlight. The moment he pressed the switch, a burst of blue energy shot outward.
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