The newly formed Earth Defense Bureau quickly absorbed the majority of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s remaining assets and personnel. Facilities were transferred, personnel files were reassigned, and operational structures were quietly rewritten under the new organization's command. In many ways, the transition looked almost seamless to outsiders.
However, one crucial asset remained unresolved.
Deep beneath the ruins of the former headquarters building, the three massive helicarriers still rested inside their underground hangars. These enormous flying warships had once symbolized the power and authority of S.H.I.E.L.D., and now they had become the center of an international dispute.
After the organization's collapse triggered global outrage, the facility housing the carriers was placed under the joint supervision of the five major world powers. Security around the site became extraordinarily tight, with representatives from each nation monitoring every development.
What followed was an intense political battle.
Who would control the three carriers?
Since S.H.I.E.L.D. had technically been an international organization, none of the major powers could claim ownership outright. That meant the carriers themselves were also considered global assets.
The negotiations quickly turned into a heated argument.
None of the five powers were willing to back down. Each country insisted that it deserved access to the technology and military capability the carriers represented.
Splitting them evenly was impossible.
There were only three carriers, but five powers competing for control. Even if someone suggested dividing the ships physically or sharing command structures, the idea quickly collapsed under practical concerns.
Leaving them unused wasn't an option either.
Such powerful warships could not simply remain underground forever, slowly rusting away while the world argued about ownership.
Just when the situation reached a deadlock, Pierce stepped forward.
Drawing on the connections he had built during his long career and the remaining prestige S.H.I.E.L.D. still carried, he presented a new proposal. In front of representatives from the five major powers, he passionately argued that the Earth Defense Bureau should assume responsibility for the carriers.
He spoke for a long time, outlining the advantages of a neutral global defense organization.
More importantly, he offered something valuable in return.
To secure the support of the five powers, Pierce made a clear pledge on behalf of the Earth Defense Bureau. The organization would take responsibility for resolving the growing crisis surrounding Wakanda and its vibranium resources.
That promise caught the attention of everyone present.
Based on that agreement, the Earth Defense Bureau made its official debut on the global stage.
Compared to the former authority of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, the new organization possessed far fewer powers.
At its peak, S.H.I.E.L.D. had operated almost like an international military police force. Its agents held law-enforcement authority across numerous countries and could conduct operations without needing approval from local governments.
They planned large-scale cross-border missions, hunted dangerous targets around the world, and captured suspects without relying on national judicial systems. Prisoners taken by S.H.I.E.L.D. could be transported to secret detention facilities without formal trials or legal review.
The Earth Defense Bureau did not have that level of authority.
For the moment, it was only permitted to manage international security matters. Domestic law enforcement and internal intelligence operations remained under the control of individual nations.
Still, no one was particularly worried about that limitation.
Power was rarely granted all at once.
It was accumulated gradually.
Under the joint supervision of the five major powers, the three helicarriers were brought out of storage and thoroughly modified. Their original monitoring systems were removed, and their internal control structures were rebuilt.
When the process was complete, the carriers were no longer surveillance platforms.
They had become fully armed warships.
To prevent any future misuse, each of the five major powers stationed special envoys aboard the ships. These representatives would continuously report operational details back to their governments, ensuring that no single authority could secretly seize control.
After weeks of negotiation and technical work, the outcome was finalized.
The three warships—along with the captured alien mothership recovered after the Battle of New York—were officially transferred to the Earth Defense Bureau.
…
Meanwhile, the African continent had never been more chaotic.
Wakanda's location was no longer a secret.
After the value of vibranium was publicly announced at ten thousand dollars per gram, the hidden kingdom instantly became the most coveted location on the planet. Criminal groups, treasure hunters, mercenaries, and fortune seekers began flooding into the surrounding region.
Every day, desperate individuals arrived carrying explosives, power drills, and heavy equipment. Their goal was simple: break through Wakanda's protective shield and claim a piece of the unimaginable wealth hidden inside.
Drones filled the sky above the region.
Some were surveillance devices launched by foreign governments. Others were homemade machines built by amateur prospectors hoping to discover a weakness in the barrier.
Occasionally, one of those drones would collide with the invisible shield surrounding the country, producing a flash of light and a burst of sparks.
At night, the residents of Wakanda could actually watch the sky like a fireworks show.
During the first few days, Wakandan security forces attempted to drive away the crowds gathering outside their borders. Patrol units confronted intruders and tried to push them back into neighboring territory.
Eventually, however, they stopped trying.
Most of the people camped outside the barrier shared the same skin color as the Wakandans themselves. Many of them were technically fellow Africans, and confronting them directly created enormous political complications.
Those same individuals were also extremely greedy.
If Wakanda used force against them, the international media would immediately accuse the country of arrogance and brutality. Headlines would appear overnight claiming that Wakanda was attacking innocent civilians.
The entire kingdom entered a state of tension and confusion.
T'Challa had only recently lost his father and inherited the throne. He was still grieving and trying to understand his responsibilities as king. Now he suddenly found himself facing a global crisis he had never anticipated.
More than one hundred warships from various nations floated in the surrounding waters.
Satellites and reconnaissance aircraft monitored Wakanda constantly.
Every government on Earth wanted an answer.
War or negotiation?
War was practically impossible.
At the beginning of a conflict, Wakanda might achieve several victories thanks to its advanced technology and powerful defensive systems. However, no single nation could defeat the entire world.
If Wakanda truly attempted to fight alone against every major power, its eventual defeat was inevitable.
Negotiation wasn't much better.
The demands presented by various countries were outrageous.
The United States proposed establishing a "technology exchange conference" with Wakanda. Under this arrangement, Wakanda would share vibranium technology and advanced nanotechnology with American researchers.
In return, the United States would provide agricultural support.
Their offer included modern pig-breeding techniques, large-scale farm management systems, and advanced ranching technology.
China presented a different proposal.
Chinese representatives offered to construct roads, high-speed rail networks, and bridges throughout Wakanda. In exchange, they simply requested long-term mining rights to the country's vibranium deposits.
Russia took an even simpler approach.
"We can't offer much help," their diplomats said bluntly. "But we're happy to trade."
They promised shipments of vodka, birch wood, crude oil, and natural gas. Payment could be made in cash or secured using vibranium as collateral.
Other countries adopted a more philosophical tone.
They insisted that the world had become a global village where everyone should pursue shared prosperity. From that perspective, Wakanda's resources should benefit all humanity.
"Vibranium is too expensive," one representative declared. "You should lower the price."
"No, not eight thousand dollars."
"Not six thousand either."
"How about eight hundred per kilogram?"
T'Challa could not accept any of those proposals.
Agreeing to them would essentially be betraying his nation's sovereignty. Yet while he hesitated, the five major powers had already reached their own decision.
Orders were sent to the Earth Defense Bureau.
Pierce, Sitwell, Coulson, Rumlow, and several other senior officers received instructions directly from the international council.
Soon afterward, two massive helicarriers rose into the sky.
Their destination was Wakanda.
…
Far beyond Earth, deep in the silent darkness of space, a spacecraft traveled rapidly through the stars.
Ahead of the vessel floated a massive black planet.
As the ship approached, Carlton Drake pressed his face against the observation window. Through the glass he could see something strange moving across the planet's surface.
It looked like liquid.
Behind him, Riot spoke calmly.
"This is my homeworld," the symbiote said. "The symbiote planet."
"Millions of my kind live here."
Drake's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"With an army of millions," he said enthusiastically, "the boss could easily conquer Earth."
Riot shook its host's body slightly.
"No," it replied. "An army that large is impossible."
Drake frowned.
"Why not?"
Riot hesitated briefly before answering.
"Deep inside this planet lives a powerful being. He is the god of the symbiotes."
Even though that entity was currently asleep, every symbiote understood its terrifying authority.
"I don't know how strong he truly is," Riot admitted quietly. "But if we try to take too many symbiotes away, he will definitely stop us."
After a short pause, Riot continued.
"That's why we need to move quickly."
"When we get closer, we'll crash the ship into the planet. I'll protect your body, so you won't die."
"Then you open the portal immediately. Once it appears, we escape through it."
"My fellow symbiotes are extremely curious creatures. If they see something as strange as a portal, they'll rush toward it without hesitation."
"What do you think?"
Drake considered the plan carefully.
"Are you really that afraid of this symbiote god?"
Riot's voice grew serious.
"Your human society cannot understand what a god means to an entire species."
Drake eventually nodded.
"Fine," he said. "We'll do it your way."
The spacecraft accelerated again, racing toward the black planet.
…
Inside Vane's Divine Kingdom, Ethan Voss waited patiently.
Based on the timeline, Drake should have already reached the symbiote world by now. Everything depended on whether Riot's plan would work.
If it succeeded, thousands—or perhaps even millions—of symbiotes would soon pour through the portal.
Suddenly, a portal opened in front of him.
A moment later, half of Drake's body appeared through the opening.
"Boss, help me!"
Voss blinked in surprise.
Only then did he notice that Drake, now covered in symbiote armor, was being tightly wrapped by dozens of black tentacles. The scene looked nothing like the plan they had discussed earlier.
According to Riot's idea, symbiotes were supposed to flood through the portal in huge numbers.
"Let's go see what happened," Voss said calmly.
With a single step, he passed through the portal.
Darkness surrounded him instantly.
Using telepathic perception, he quickly realized he was standing inside a dome-shaped structure. The space around him was enclosed by a thick protective barrier made entirely of symbiotes.
Nearby, a crashed spacecraft lay half-buried in alien terrain.
Drake struggled desperately while trying to keep his balance.
"Hey," Voss called out. "Didn't you say your brainless compatriots would rush through the portal?"
Riot sounded embarrassed.
"Boss… I made a mistake."
"As soon as you opened the portal, a lot of… hostility came through it."
"My people are very sensitive. They sensed it immediately."
Voss rolled his eyes.
That explanation was ridiculous.
How could "hostility" travel through a portal?
It was obviously just an excuse.
"Fine," he said calmly. "If you're too scared to go inside yourself, I'll help you."
Fortunately, the range of his telekinetic power had grown significantly stronger.
With a single motion, he lifted the entire mass of symbiotes forming the protective shield and shoved them directly into the portal.
As soon as that section cleared, countless symbiotes surged forward from the surrounding terrain.
Voss stared in disbelief.
So they refused to enter his portal voluntarily, but now they were rushing toward him instead?
"Get in there," he muttered.
Using his power repeatedly, he pushed wave after wave of symbiotes through the portal.
Then suddenly—
He couldn't pull anything anymore.
.....
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