"Why would Nick Fury track you? Do you have some kind of relationship with him?" Kara looked puzzled. According to Carol, she had just returned from the universe, so why would Nick Fury have his eye on her?
"I've known Nick Fury for a while. This time when I returned and found no one at home, I went to him for help to locate you all, but I didn't expect..." Carol shook her head slightly, her expression somewhat melancholic as she briefly explained her connection with Nick Fury.
Fifteen years had passed, and Earth had changed dramatically. Despite having witnessed the prosperity of various civilizations in the universe, Carol had to admit that Earth's development over the past fifteen years had been rapid.
But it wasn't just things that had changed; a simple phrase about the transience of human affairs couldn't fully express Carol's feelings at this moment.
"It seems he's gotten used to it..." After hearing Carol's story, Clark shook his head. From his few interactions and observations, Clark felt that Nick Fury was a person plagued by deep-seated suspicion.
Perhaps in Nick Fury's mind, Carol was indeed different from others, but the habits formed over the past decade made it quite normal for Fury to instinctively tap into Carol's phone. After all, the phone was originally provided by Fury, and the tracking measures installed in it were likely pre-existing, not specifically targeting Carol, although the result was effectively the same.
"Still no more information on Alex?" What Clark didn't know was that the tracking devices had indeed been in the phone all along. However, Nick Fury had felt compelled to use the tracking measures because there was so little information on Alex. Coulson hadn't been able to find out where Alex was currently living.
This was thanks to Mr. Martian Manhunter's efforts to obscure the information. It seems the obfuscation had worked quite well, preventing Fury, who had intended to get closer to Alex and her family, from finding a way to bridge the distance.
Fury couldn't just send someone directly to the Eye of Heaven's super-investigation department to contact Alex, right? That was someone else's territory, and Fury wasn't arrogant to that extent.
Thus, while Fury continued to have Coulson gather more information about Alex to try and find leads, he used monitoring methods in search of clues.
Fury's attitude towards Carol was indeed different. He didn't see her as a threat; he simply wanted to use Alex and others to maintain and perhaps deepen his relationship with Carol, especially after not seeing each other for so many years. Fury also worried that their relationship might become estranged...
"So, are you now being monitored by the authorities?" Inside the Savage Islands, Carol recalled what Nick Fury had told her.
If it were unrelated individuals, Carol naturally would have helped deal with the "Superman and Saiyans" that Fury mentioned. But now, not only did Clark (the Superman) seem harmless, but he was also Carol's niece Kara's cousin, so Carol couldn't possibly help Fury against Clark.
If Carol hadn't known about Fury's surveillance, she might have tried to mediate with Clark. But now that she knew, she was just looking to understand the situation.
"We aren't exactly being monitored by the authorities," Clark said, having a bit more information due to his X-ray vision. He shared some details of their interactions with Fury and the authorities with Carol.
As Clark saw it, since Carol was Kara's sister and thus family, there was no need to keep secrets from her. Otherwise, inconsistencies in information could lead to misunderstandings later on.
"So, you are a Saiyan?" After listening to Clark, Carol turned to Robert in surprise.
"Yes, I have a transformation ability, which makes me a bit different..." Robert nodded and gave Carol a brief demonstration of his power, seeing no need to hide it since Clark had already mentioned it.
"You're a Skrull?!" To Robert's surprise, when he showed his transformation, Carol's eyes widened dramatically, and she somewhat inappropriately asked.
"Skrull? What is that?" Robert looked puzzled as he responded to Carol's startled query, "I am a Saiyan, not a Skrull..."
"It does seem different; your transformation method is not the same as theirs..." After a close examination, Carol nodded. Having dealt with the Skrulls for many years, she was familiar with their abilities and recognized that Robert's transformation differed fundamentally from the Skrull method.
"So, you're Superman, you're a Saiyan, you two are Kryptonians, and you are Clark's girlfriend with superpowers..." After identifying Robert's ability, Carol mused aloud, turning her gaze to Alex with a clear implication: why does everyone in these two families have extraordinary abilities except for you, Alex?
Of course, Carol was just teasing her sister. Having been away for many years, she felt it was necessary to joke a bit to close the emotional gap.
"Humph!
If it weren't for an accident, I wouldn't be in a lower position than that Nick Fury you know!" Alex, seeing Carol's teasing gaze, defiantly retorted, though even if the Super-Investigation Department wasn't swallowed by the Eye of Heaven, it was still leagues behind S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Then you'd better work hard. If you really had a position like Nick Fury's, they wouldn't be targeted..." Carol shook her head, her expression turning more serious as she addressed Clark and Robert, "Nick Fury wanted me to help deal with you. Now it seems... However, you really need to keep a lower profile. Being constantly monitored by them can't be pleasant, right?"
"I rarely go out, and when I do, I generally handle rather formidable opponents. Clark does go out more often, but his speed usually prevents him from being caught by the authorities on the spot..." Robert understood Carol's point and shook his head, speaking softly, "And even if we are eventually discovered, we can divert them here. Jor-El is modifying this subspace so that soon only we will be able to enter."
"As long as you have a plan in mind," Carol didn't inquire further, just offering a reminder. After all, she had just returned and wouldn't stay on Earth permanently. The life and safety of her family would still depend on Clark and Robert.
However, Carol felt a bit wistful. She hadn't expected so many unforeseen events upon her return. Fortunately, the Skrulls were on the right track, and she would have many more opportunities to return. But as for Fury, Carol was unsure how to handle that situation.
"Since you've come from the universe, are there many powerful beings out there?" Robert, seeing Carol not continuing on that topic, eagerly inquired.
For Robert, while he didn't fully understand everything on Earth, that didn't stop him from being curious about the universe. He could sense Carol's significant strength, likely surpassing both him and Kara, so he assumed Carol must have encountered many powerful beings in the universe.
"There are indeed many powerful beings in the universe..." Carol responded without intending to hide anything, but her knowledge was actually quite limited because the universe was vast, and she hadn't spent her years challenging every powerful being she met.
Instead, Carol simply described a few of the powerful forces in the universe, along with some smaller groups and strong individuals.
However, as she spoke, Carol's expression gradually turned strange as she looked at Clark and Kara. After hesitating, she frowned slightly and said, "I've also heard about Krypton in the universe, and apparently, there's a Kryptonian squad out there. They use what seems like technological power, not possessing intrinsic powers like you do..."
Although they hadn't actually fought, Carol could sense the strength of Clark and Kara, especially since they had both flown to her earlier, which was completely different from the Kryptonian squad she had heard about.
"Kryptonians?!" Clark and Kara looked at Carol in surprise, even Jor-El seemed astonished, as, from previous information, Kryptonians, other than Clark and Kara, were supposed to be extinct.
"Yes, it's a Kryptonian squad, kind of like bounty hunters or mercenaries, and they're quite capable..." Carol nodded, providing a brief introduction as they had crossed paths during a mission.
"Do you know their names?" Jor-El quickly asked, already forming a hypothesis in his mind.
"The leader is called General Zod?" Carol thought for a moment before recalling the name of General Zod.
"Zod isn't dead?!" Kara and Clark exchanged a look of disbelief. The news was hard to accept momentarily, especially since so many Kryptonians had perished when Krypton was destroyed. Why then did the notorious General Zod survive?
Quickly, Clark recovered his composure. General Zod was alive, yet his birth father, Jor-El, had died, leaving only his AI presence...
"Sigh... Kal, the grudges of the past generation don't necessarily need to be passed down to yours..." Jor-El, seeing Clark's expression, sighed softly and spoke, "And besides, in the universe, you are the only Kryptonians left!"
"But are some things really so easy to let go of, even if I try to move on?" Clark shook his head, looking seriously at Jor-El, "And besides, are some matters really that easy to put aside?"
Clark glanced at Robert. As Robert had grown, he had indeed killed fewer people, but not because Robert had changed his nature; rather, his opponents were no longer mostly human.
Influenced by Robert, although Clark continued to be Superman, he didn't consider himself a desireless deity. He was still human, and when faced with his father's killer, Clark didn't think he should let General Zod off the hook, even if Zod was one of the few
remaining Kryptonians in the universe.
"Sigh! If he doesn't come to Earth looking for you, you also don't go looking for him in the universe!" Seeing Clark's firm stance, Jor-El finally conceded, but he knew that if General Zod learned of Clark's whereabouts, he would definitely come to Earth, especially since the Codex of Life was still within Clark.
"It seems the universe is quite fascinating!" Robert, recalling Carol's description, spoke with some emotion, even though Carol had only described a part of the universe, it still made Robert somewhat yearn for it.
"Hey! You're not planning to go to the universe with her, are you?" Kara tugged at Robert's clothes somewhat warily, her eyebrows knit with worry.
"Don't worry, there are still unresolved matters here on Earth; how could I leave just like that? Plus, I don't yet have the ability to survive in space for long, so I'm not going just yet..." Robert reassured her with a smile.
"What unresolved matters do you have? I see you are just..." Kara, hearing Robert's words, glared at him angrily then sighed resignedly, whispering, "I know, you've been accommodating me for a long time. If you want to go find her, just go; you don't need to tell me, but one thing, don't bring her in front of me!"
"Stop thinking about these things; I'll be right here with you!" Robert's heart eased slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he hugged Kara and whispered.
"Psst, there are still people here!" Alex, seeing Robert and Kara's affection, called out with a hint of jealousy, feeling like she couldn't stand being around them much longer.
"Hehe, if you're jealous, go find someone yourself!" Kara, regaining her composure, stuck her tongue out at Alex.
"Humph! It's not just me who's single; there's also Carol!" Alex, feeling a bit defiant, turned to Carol and said, "Carol, you wouldn't disappoint me, right?"
"Don't worry, I won't!" Carol reassured her with a smile.
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