Chapter Five: I Come from the Void

Harvey considered that, in terms of strength and longevity, his very essence was undoubtedly closer to the Void race than to humanity. Perhaps, due to his previous life and the early days of this existence as a human, he still felt a lingering sense of belonging to mankind, and might occasionally favor them. Yet, as time passed and his long lifespan stretched onward, this sense of belonging, though never fully vanishing, would inevitably fade.

With this realization, Harvey had already weighed his choices inwardly. "I come from the Void," he declared.

Under the guarded gazes of Natasha, Nick Fury, and Coulson, Harvey spoke. Their eyes narrowed in response. Natasha and Coulson, almost instinctively, began to move as if to act, but recalling their earlier warnings, stopped short of reaching for their weapons.

At that very moment, as Harvey uttered those words, a cold voice echoed in his mind: "Detection complete. Host has accepted his true self without self-deception or evasion. System now recognizes the host and will unlock all functions."

A flicker passed through Harvey's eyes. He had awakened the system more than two years ago and had always wondered how other hero templates would be unlocked, patiently waiting. Now he understood—the problem lay within himself. Though he had never rejected the Void, he had never fully embraced it either. At least until Nick Fury asked him what race he truly belonged to, he had never regarded himself as one of the Void, and thus the system had never officially acknowledged him.

Nick Fury had initially assumed this Reaper was a super-powered human, believing he had caught a big fish and hoping to recruit him for the Avengers. If they shared humanity, it would be easy to make him realize that Earth, in the vast universe, was little more than a solitary vessel, vulnerable to the tides at any moment. Thus, he might agree to join the Avengers and contribute to humanity’s defense. But to Fury’s surprise, the Reaper was not human at all, but an alien. This rendered all his carefully prepared arguments useless.

Earth was humanity’s only home—its destruction would spell the end. For aliens, however, Earth was merely a temporary stop; should it be ruined, they could simply return to their own world. Nonetheless, seeing that this Reaper had spent more than two years on Earth, working merely as a mercenary and causing no catastrophic destruction, Fury concluded he likely had no intention of harming the planet.

"So, friend from the Void, what is your purpose here on Earth?" Fury asked, wanting to understand how to communicate with this Reaper, while warning Natasha and Coulson with a glance to restrain themselves. Though humans possessed nuclear weapons, and might be able to kill an alien, the cost would be too high. The priority was to determine whether he was an enemy or ally.

"Seeing this beautiful planet, I came to travel and experience life," Harvey replied, lying with effortless naturalness.

Fury, Natasha, and Coulson all found the reason absurd, but since he was unwilling to disclose his true purpose, they could not force him. Given the strength the Reaper had just displayed, their chances in a confrontation were slim, perhaps nonexistent. They absolutely must not take action against him; at least, as they stood now, they lacked the power to compel him to reveal anything they wished to hear.

"Since you have no intention of hiding your identity, it means we can communicate, yes?" Fury forced a smile that anyone could see was strained.

"Aren’t we communicating now?" Harvey replied casually, unconcerned by Fury’s probing and wary tone.

"My mind must be getting muddled in old age," Fury said, recognizing this as a relatively friendly signal, rubbing his polished head and feigning ignorance.

"I’ve taken your deposit. Tell me—what do you want me to do?"

Harvey did not dwell on the matter, adopting a businesslike demeanor. Fury had matters he wanted the Reaper to handle, but intelligence was more vital than tasks ordinary agents could accomplish. So Fury spoke, "Originally, I had something to ask you, but now that I know you’re an alien from the Void, can I buy some information from you?"

"Though I work for money, it depends on the information you seek," Harvey replied, aware of Fury’s cunning, but not refusing outright.

"My questions won’t probe your secrets," Fury assured. "I just want to know—how many aliens are near Earth in the universe, what is their technological level? Or do they possess any special abilities? And is Earth currently exposed to the scrutiny of other aliens?"

Harvey answered, "Intelligent life abounds in the universe, with technological levels far beyond Earth. Space jumps, starships, interstellar energy cannons—all are commonplace. But those far from Earth are of little concern to you now; knowing too much would only bring worry. Abilities vary—there are countless races, each with unique traits. Even disregarding innate powers, the average alien physique far exceeds that of humans. As for proximity, Earth and the surrounding worlds are collectively known as the Nine Realms. Among them is Asgard, home of the Aesir, whom humanity calls gods, led by Odin the All-Father. Earth has always been exposed to aliens—many have visited, such as the Kree and the Skrulls. But with Odin alive, other races dare not act recklessly."

Harvey, careful not to divulge too much about the future and disrupt the Marvel world’s trajectory, gave answers that wouldn’t alter the grand scheme. As long as there were no major deviations, Thor would surely be exiled to Earth in a few years, and the Aesir would become known to many here.

Fury, hearing Harvey mention the Kree and Skrulls, realized this Reaper knew far more than he had anticipated, lending credibility to his words.

"So you mean, our myths and legends are real? Humanity has always been under the protection of the Aesir?" Fury asked, doubts stirring within him.

"Though the legends vary, many are indeed true," Harvey nodded. "One day, you may have the chance to meet the Aesir."

Natasha, unable to resist, interjected, "I have a question, Reaper. You say Odin is alive, so aliens dare not act. Does that mean, in the future, Odin from our mythology could die?"

Harvey glanced at Natasha, but did not answer. His silence, however, seemed to confirm her suspicion, tightening the hearts of Coulson, Natasha, and Fury. The Reaper had specifically mentioned Odin being alive as the reason for alien restraint; if Odin were to die, humanity would face the arrival of other aliens. And his refusal to answer implied that even Odin had a finite lifespan.

Fury did not blame Natasha for asking; he had learned what he needed, and was now more determined than ever to form the Avengers. Yet he knew recruiting the Reaper directly was impossible.

"Thank you for the information, Reaper."

"I wonder, will there be opportunities for us to work together in the future?" Fury asked, his face adorned with a friendly smile.

"Depends on the task. As long as you can afford the price, I may agree to cooperate," Harvey replied ambiguously. Though only a fool would refuse money, there were certain jobs Harvey would never accept.

Fury understood that money alone would not persuade the Reaper; it all depended on his willingness. Humanity was entirely passive in this relationship, a feeling Fury disliked.

"Thank you. Though it’s our first meeting, it’s been a pleasant conversation. I hope we can work together in the future," Fury said, smiling.

"Let’s hope so," Harvey replied, recognizing Fury’s intent to leave a good impression, and responded kindly.

Then Harvey vanished, along with the crates of cash. Natasha and Coulson watched as the Reaper disappeared as if teleporting, unease in their eyes.

"Sir, he’s too mysterious. We can’t be sure everything he says is true. He might even be human—we can’t verify his real identity," Coulson remarked, seeking guidance from Fury.

Fury’s thoughts spun, and hearing this, he exhaled deeply, his smile fading to seriousness. "Coulson, you’re right. It’s hard to be certain of his identity. But he knew about the Kree and Skrulls—aliens I encountered decades ago, when I was young. Outside our agency, that information has never leaked, yet he mentioned them. Given the Reaper’s ability to appear and disappear at will, acquiring wealth would be effortless. Yet he chooses to work as a mercenary for money. That actually proves Odin may truly exist. Because of Odin, the Reaper doesn’t dare cause trouble here."

They could not uncover the Reaper’s true face; even if he killed them, the higher-ups would have no way to investigate. Laws and governments could restrain super-powered humans and heroes, as long as they were human and had ties to Earth. But for aliens, humanity’s laws held no sway.

The root of the problem was that humanity’s weapons were too weak—they lacked bargaining power with aliens. Thus, forming the Avengers was imperative, even urgent, for Odin’s death was an unknown.

"Natasha, I don’t care how you do it—contact Harvey Amberlac as soon as possible. Probe him, see if he’s truly a super-powered human," Fury ordered.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Natasha nodded and departed.

"Coulson, gather reports on people whose deeds are a bit unusual. I have some trouble to deal with," Fury instructed his trusted aide, then left.

The intelligence gained from the Reaper’s words was priceless to Fury. But such matters could not be fully disclosed to the higher-ups, so he had to make sure his cover stories were convincing.