"..."
Silence.
Carol and Nick Fury sat frozen, locked in a long, stunned silence.
They stared at the man in front of them—Superman.
His chiseled features, sharp and defined, looked as though they had been carved from stone.
It was clear neither of them had ever expected to meet him under these circumstances.
"You…"
Nick Fury finally broke the silence, his usual sharpness dulled by shock.
"Why are you here?"
Anton, in his Superman persona, shrugged casually.
"That's a bit of a disappointing question, Nick Fury," he said lightly. "The Void is a crossroads for wanderers from all across the universe. I, like you, am just another wanderer."
He was playing the part—a Superman who drifted through space, untethered yet ever watchful.
And in this setting, his words made perfect sense.
Carol and Nick Fury exchanged glances.
Then, without further hesitation, Carol gestured toward the bar.
"Sit down," she said.
A bartender, an octopus-like alien balancing seven or eight plates in its tentacles, slithered toward their table.
"A Crazy Titan," Carol ordered, her tone casual as she tapped a credit chip against the counter.
The Marvel universe had a universal currency—credit coins.
Unlike Earth's money, credit coins were widely accepted across the galaxy, making them invaluable in interstellar trade.
And in a place like the Void, the most notorious black market hub in the universe, credits were the preferred currency.
A single glass of Crazy Titan was a luxury item, an expensive drink known for its potent energy-boosting effects.
When the bartender heard the order, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
He grinned, tentacles twitching in glee.
"Excellent choice," he said. "Please wait a moment!"
Minutes later, the octopus bartender returned, carrying a palm-sized goblet filled with a swirling, multi-colored liquid.
The drink shimmered, shifting between six vibrant colors as if the liquid itself was alive.
"Here you are—your Crazy Titan," the bartender announced, setting it in front of Anton.
"Much appreciated."
Anton lifted the goblet and took a sip.
The moment the alien cocktail touched his tongue, a warm surge of energy coursed through his body, spreading to his limbs like an invigorating current.
"This stuff is good," he admitted, setting the glass down with a slight smirk.
He glanced at Carol, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"I wouldn't have guessed you had this much wealth stashed away in the universe."
Carol merely shrugged.
A single Crazy Titan cost 91 credits.
For context—1 credit had the purchasing power of roughly 10 U.S. dollars.
Of course, this didn't mean credits could be exchanged for Earth currency.
In reality, even if someone on Earth was willing to pay $100 million for just 100 credits, no one in the universe would accept the deal.
Earth, after all, was a remote and insignificant planet in the grand cosmic scale.
Its currency held no weight beyond its own atmosphere.
"If you know me," Carol said, taking a sip of her own drink, "then you know I've done a lot of good work across different planets."
She set her glass down.
"And those planets aren't stingy when it comes to rewarding their heroes."
Anton nodded. It made sense.
Carol was known for fighting tyrannical empires, rescuing war refugees, and taking down galactic warlords.
There was no doubt that some grateful civilizations had rewarded her generously.
But Carol wasn't interested in making small talk.
Her gaze sharpened.
"I'll just be direct," she said.
"Superman—this isn't a coincidence."
Her tone was firm, her expression unreadable.
"You sought us out on purpose."
Nick Fury, who had been quietly observing, leaned forward.
"You locked onto us the moment you walked in," Carol continued. "Which means you already knew where we were."
There was no point in denying it.
Anton had come specifically for them.
So much for his "coincidental encounter" strategy.
Fortunately, he hadn't planned to hide it in the first place.
With a small chuckle, he placed his drink down and leaned back.
"You're right," Anton admitted.
"I came here for you."
Anton nodded and admitted cheerfully,
"I just arrived in the Void and expanded my senses a bit. I happened to overhear someone talking about me. Imagine my surprise when I realized that 'someone' was you two—from Earth.
Since I already know a little about you both, I figured I'd stop by."
Nick Fury leaned forward, his curiosity piqued.
"If I'm not mistaken, you just left Earth not long ago. What brings you to the Void?"
Anton smiled but didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned the question back on them.
"Before I answer that, let me ask you something first." His tone was light, but there was a keen interest behind his words.
"What do you want with me?"
Nick Fury didn't hesitate.
"Nothing, really," he said honestly.
"I just think we should establish contact. Humans are insignificant on the grand scale of the universe. Since we're all from Earth, it only makes sense to look out for each other."
Carol nodded in agreement.
If Superman was truly as powerful and trustworthy as Nick Fury believed, then having him as an ally would be invaluable.
However, before they could discuss the matter further, Superman dropped a bombshell that left them both stunned.
"Yeah, I agree. Since we're all from Earth, we should help each other," Anton said casually.
Then, after a brief pause, he suddenly looked at them dead serious and made his request.
"So… can you lend me some money?"
"..."
Carol and Nick Fury froze.
They turned to each other, eyes wide with disbelief.
Did Superman just… ask to borrow money?
The sheer absurdity of the request left them momentarily speechless.
Borrow money?
They had barely exchanged a few words, and now this?
Both of them struggled to process what they had just heard.
Carol was the first to recover.
"Wait… are you serious?" She blinked in shock.
"You're borrowing money?"
"Yeah." Anton shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Carol squinted at him, still trying to wrap her head around the situation.
"How do you not have money? No, wait—how much are you asking for?"
Anton's response was immediate.
"The more, the better."
A small smirk played on his lips.
Money, after all, was always useful—no matter where you were in the universe.
Carol's frown deepened. Something about his tone put her on alert.
"What exactly are you planning?" she asked.
Anton didn't hesitate.
"I need to hire a team of Ravagers," he said simply.
"I have a job for them, and you know how expensive their services are."
Ravagers.
At that word, both Carol and Nick Fury's expressions shifted.
Carol, who knew them well, immediately tensed.
Nick Fury, who had spent some time catching up on galactic affairs since leaving Earth, understood enough to be concerned.
The Ravagers were basically interstellar mercenaries.
Some operated with a loose code of honor. Others? Not so much.
A portion of them even dabbled in piracy when credits were tight—earning them a mixed reputation across the galaxy.
Carol exhaled slowly, studying Anton carefully.
"Superman," she said at last, her tone measured.
"I can help you… but you need to tell me exactly why you're hiring a team of Ravagers."
…
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