Late at night, the staff dormitories of the academy fell silent.
Once the lights were out and the halls empty, several figures slipped from their rooms like shadows, moving along routes they had carefully mapped during the day. Their destination was clear.
The administration building. The headmaster's office.
Every step they took was already known to Rowan Mercer.
"Should we stop them?" Professor Charles asked quietly inside the conference hall.
With his telepathy, he could sense the movement just as clearly as Rowan could. The unease. The intent. The impatience of the newcomers.
"No," Rowan replied calmly. "Let them play. We have more important matters."
Seated below him were the academy's senior staff, every core instructor present. Among them sat Phil Coulson, recently appointed director of the reorganized S.H.I.E.L.D., summoned here specifically for this meeting.
"First," Rowan said, "I've identified who placed the bounty. Tomorrow, I'm leaving Earth to deal with them directly. Once the source is gone, the galaxy will stop sending scavengers and mercenaries our way."
Several instructors straightened, interest lighting their faces.
"Now that sounds fun," someone muttered. "I'm in."
No one doubted Rowan's ability to handle it. Not after Thor's recent visit, during which he had casually mentioned that even Odin regarded Rowan as someone no civilization wanted to provoke.
"Not this time," Rowan said. "While I'm gone, Earth needs guarding. Don't worry. You'll all get your chance to explore the galaxy later. That leads to the second matter."
His gaze shifted to Coulson, who instinctively sat up straighter.
"Director Coulson. This part falls to you."
"Say the word," Coulson said without hesitation.
He represented humanity's collective interests now. If something benefited the species as a whole, he would see it done.
"While I'm dealing with the bounty, I'll also open contact with the Nova Empire. I want them to send official envoys to Earth and guide humanity into the wider galactic community."
A stir rippled through the room.
"During my absence, you'll need to coordinate with world leaders. Draft plans. Prepare public messaging. Lay the groundwork."
Rowan had no intention of wasting his time cleaning up political chaos later. He would deal with Thanos. Coulson would handle humanity.
"What?" Coulson said, stunned. "Entering the galactic stage? Isn't that… too fast?"
This was exactly what Earth's governments had been debating since the alien incursions. Contact with other civilizations was inevitable, but the consensus had been to wait. Humanity was technologically behind. The public wasn't ready. A misstep could be catastrophic.
The galaxy was not peaceful. The Nova Empire, the Kree, and the Skrulls had been at war for ages. In that environment, a planet like Earth was barely dust.
"I understand the concern," Rowan said. "But there's something you don't know."
He paused, letting the room settle.
"We don't have the luxury of waiting."
The words landed heavily.
"If Earth's population keeps growing at its current rate, the planet will be destroyed within a few years."
Silence followed.
Rowan explained everything. The Celestials. Their role in shaping galaxies. The cost of their birth. The embryo growing deep within Earth's core, waiting for the population to cross a critical threshold.
When he finished, no one spoke for a long time.
Alien empires were terrifying enough. The Celestials were something else entirely.
"Even you can't stop them?" Coulson asked quietly.
Rowan shook his head. "Not yet. I can handle the weaker ones. The strong ones? No. And they never come alone."
He looked directly at Coulson.
"That's why migration is non-negotiable. Contact with the galaxy isn't just about progress. It's survival. The faster people leave Earth, the slower that embryo grows."
He gave one final warning.
"Time isn't fixed. No one knows when Earth's population will hit the limit. It could be years. It could be months. The sooner we act, the better."
The meeting ended with no objections left to raise.
Humanity's future no longer ended at the sky.