"Anton, what are you doing here?"
Tony stood with his arms crossed, his expression indifferent. It was clear he wasn't pleased by Anton arrival.
And that was no surprise.
Right now, Batman was Tony hypothetical adversary. His secret efforts to form the Illuminati had, in part, been driven by the intent to counter Batman.
As a representative of the Justice League, Anton was naturally unwelcome here.
"I need to talk to you."
Anton was direct. Then, glancing at Pepper and Otto Octavius beside Tony, he added—
"Alone."
"..."
Tony frowned slightly.
He knew Anton well enough to recognize that whatever this was, it wasn't trivial.
If Anton was treating it with such seriousness, it had to be something significant.
"You two, leave us. Give us some space."
Tony ordered.
Pepper gave him a concerned look.
Otto, on the other hand, didn't hesitate—he obediently walked out of the lab.
He knew that whatever was happening here, it was far beyond his ability to interfere.
Soon—
The entire floor was empty, leaving only Anton and Tony.
"So, why are you here?"
Tony locked eyes with Anton for a moment before suddenly speaking.
"Is this about Nick Fury?"
"Oh?"
Anton raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. "You know?"
"I don't know."
Tony shook his head, smirking faintly. "But the Men in Black spies at Stark Industries are about as subtle as a video game enemy with a bright red marker above their head. Absolutely zero stealth."
"I had J.A.R.V.I.S. hack into their network. I found the name Nick Fury—and…"
He paused, his gaze sharpening.
"Information about the Skrulls."
"So, with that information, you guessed my purpose for coming here."
Anton said.
"That makes sense."
Anton wasn't surprised that Tony had discovered the Men in Black operatives planted within Stark Industries.
With J.A.R.V.I.S., an artificial intelligence that had practically reached the pinnacle of Earth technological capabilities, it was indeed difficult for anyone to stir up trouble inside Stark Industries.
As they spoke, Anton habitually ignored the heavy sarcasm in Tony words.
"You think the Nick Fury I saw was actually a Skrull impostor?"
Tony lifted his chin slightly, his tone indifferent. "Looks like there still some information I don't know."
Even with J.A.R.V.I.S. at his disposal, there were still secrets in this world beyond Tony reach.
For example, the dissolution of S.W.O.R.D., the arrest of former director Maria Rambeau, and Nick Fury departure from Earth aboard a spaceship with the Skrulls.
These pieces of intelligence had been tightly sealed off. There wasn't a single trace of them on public networks.
Any sparse mentions were stored only on disconnected supercomputers, accessible exclusively within military and U.N. Security Council networks.
No matter how powerful J.A.R.V.I.S. was, he couldn't hack into those systems from the public web.
"I'm not going to waste time explaining the details to you," Anton said bluntly.
"All you need to know is that based on the intel I have, Nick Fury should have already left Earth, taking the Skrulls with him into space."
"If you've already guessed why I'm here, then just tell me—is there something wrong with the Nick Fury you saw?"
"I haven't seen Nick Fury."
Tony shook his head. "I've been too busy working on my research to deal with anyone else."
"Oh?"
Anton frowned. "If you haven't seen him, then why did he come to Stark Industries?"
"Who knows?"
Tony shrugged carelessly. "Maybe he just dropped by for a casual visit."
"Tony, I'm not in the mood for your bullshit."
Anton wasn't about to humor Marvel golden boy.
He sneered, "I'm the head of the Men in Black now.
I can arrest you anytime on crimes against humanity and throw you into an interrogation cell.
If you don't start talking, locking you up for a few months is just the beginning…"
"Come to think of it, your reputation has already plummeted. A lot of people consider you a disgrace to humanity."
He paused, carefully observing Tony expression before continuing.
"If word got out that you were arrested for crimes against humanity, your public image would be completely ruined.
You'd never get a chance to redeem yourself. You'd be known as a criminal for the rest of your life.
"So, my advice is that you cooperate."
"Are you threatening me?"
Tony face darkened instantly, and anger flared in his eyes.
The entire lab atmosphere grew tense, as if sparks were crackling in the air.
"It not a threat—it a warning."
Anton voice was sharp and commanding.
"I don't care what you're trying to do, and I'm not interested in whatever plans you have, because no matter how reckless you become, I don't believe you'd ever turn into a villain…
"As someone who used to be your opponent, I still have that much faith in you."
"But since you already know about the Skrulls, then you must also be aware of the threat they pose.
"If they really are planning a covert invasion of Earth, then the situation has already reached its most critical stage. If we don't root them out, no one will be safe…"
His tone suddenly shifted, laced with disappointment.
"But you've truly let me down."
"If you had even a shred of perspective—if you understood the bigger picture—you wouldn't, and shouldn't, be talking to me with this kind of attitude right now."
His words hit Tony like a relentless storm, each sentence heavier than the last.
Tony expression darkened.
Of course, he knew Anton was trying to provoke him. But deep down, he also knew Anton was right.
He had no counterargument.
So, for the first time, he relented—just slightly.
"I haven't seen Nick Fury, and I have no idea why he came to Stark Industries."
His tone softened. "But I can show you the security footage from that time."
With that, he gave the command.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., pull up the surveillance footage."
"Understood, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
A holographic projection appeared in midair before them, recreating the scene in ultra-realistic 3D.
Anton watched as Nick Fury, wearing a baseball cap, entered Stark Industries. From the shadows, several pairs of eyes followed him closely.
It was a busy workday, and the place was crowded with employees.
As soon as Fury turned a corner, he vanished—seamlessly blending into the bustling crowd.
"He gone," Tony said flatly.
"Your intel was wrong. He just came in for a quick look around and then left."
"Just a quick look and then left…?"
Anton didn't think Tony was lying. But why would Fury risk exposing himself just to make an appearance?
"Didn't he realize that doing this would only make him more noticeable?"
"Either it was a mistake in judgment, or it was a diversion."
Tony offered his own theory.
"He might have shown up at Stark Industries just to throw you off his trail."