Marvel Multiverse: Family System

"This 'Dark Forest Theory'…"

It's terrifying, isn't it?

Whether it's for Natasha, who's dedicated to defending Earth, or Jane, who's a physicist researching astrophysics, it sent chills down their spines.

Several seconds passed before Natasha regained her composure and asked, suppressing her emotions:

"So, does your arrival mean… you're going to fire that shot?"

"We, in the M78 Nebula, are just a small group. We don't need that many resources." Vex shrugged. "In this dark forest, we're neither the hunter nor the prey. At most, we're just a patch of grass."

Natasha pursed her lips, not quite sure if she believed him.

Suddenly!

"It's the 'Voyager Golden Record'!" Jane grabbed Vex's hand, exclaiming, "It was the 'Voyager Golden Record' that exposed Earth's location to you, wasn't it?"

Vex paused and then remembered. Back in the 1990s, the U.S. launched two spacecraft, Voyager 2 and Voyager 1, each carrying a "Golden Record," a metal disc meant to introduce Earth to the cosmos—complete with our solar system's coordinates.

"Yes," Vex nodded, "I intercepted that signal and found the solar system, which led me to Earth."

Both Jane and Natasha gritted their teeth.

"Those idiots!" Jane fumed. "They just gave away our location! Under the Dark Forest Theory, human civilization could be wiped out at any moment!"

Vex nodded in agreement.

"Good thing I was the first to discover it. If it had been someone like Thanos, you'd be facing an army instead."

"Thanos?" Natasha pressed further. "Is he some kind of tyrant?"

Vex thought for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

"He does have that reputation, but I prefer to call him the Director of Population Control."

"Director of Population Control?" Natasha and Jane were baffled by this strange title.

"Population Control…" Jane guessed, "He advocates for fewer but better births, to better manage the limited resources of the universe?"

"More or less," Vex grinned. "Except his method is to invade a planet, kill half the population, and let the rest live. His philosophy is that by wiping out half the universe's population, the survivors get more resources."

Jane froze in shock.

Natasha's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Killing half and leaving the rest?" Jane's voice trembled. "Earth's population is more than 7 billion… That means he'd kill more than 3.5 billion?"

3.5 billion!

What kind of monstrous butcher is this?

Vex shook his head and continued.

Vex's shake of the head gave Jane a glimmer of hope.

Right, it couldn't be—

"You humans are just one species on Earth," Vex stated.

His implication was clear…

Cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, tigers, and wolves would also be cut in half.

The numbers were mind-boggling!

At this point, it wasn't just Natasha and Jane who were alarmed, but the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. team listening in on the conversation was thrown into a state of panic.

Even Fury, though he kept his composure, wore a heavy expression. He picked up the phone on his desk and gave an order:

"Send a team to NASA immediately. Shut down the broadcast function of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2! Bring them back now!"

"What protocol?"

"Have Rumlow lead the special ops team. Execute immediately, with permission to open fire!"

After putting down the phone, Fury thought for a moment and sent this information to the Skrulls, who had once helped him—the real extraterrestrial race.

They responded quickly:

[Although I've never heard of this specific theory, the logic is sound. Many civilizations have perished in this way.]

[As for the M78 Nebula, we don't know about it either. This universe is vast.]

Fury's eyes flickered.

So, the Dark Forest Theory does have merit?

The thought alone was terrifying.

The Skrulls were refugees, and despite their help, they had only provided a small window into the universe. Information was coming too slowly.

With that in mind, Fury gave another order: "Natasha, ask him if there are any other universal taboos. If he doesn't want to say, don't push it. Proceed with Plan G and stay put."

Natasha calmed herself after hearing Fury's instructions and flashed a smile.

"Thank you for the warning, Mr. Vex. Are there any other laws or dangers in the universe we should be aware of?"

"Uh… not really," Vex scratched his head. "You guys aren't broadcasting signals or sending out radio waves into space, are you?"

Natasha: "..."

Jane: "..."

Vex raised an eyebrow.

Vex: "What about those deep space probes?"

Natasha: "..."

Jane: "..."

Vex: "And then there's..."

Vex rattled off a list of several more signals and probes that scientists had sent into space over the years.

Natasha and Jane's faces grew more grim with each passing mention.

In hindsight…

Earth's survival to this point had been...

"Incredibly lucky, right?" Vex mused. "So many reckless things done, yet I'm the only one who noticed."

"No, wait!"

"Chances are, other civilizations have already noticed you. They might have even sent an advance team, lying low somewhere on the planet."

Jane quickly turned to Natasha.

"Has S.H.I.E.L.D. detected any alien activity?"

Natasha shook her head, straightforward as always.

"I'm mostly in the field, dealing with covert organizations, so I haven't had much contact with that side of things."

Just as they spoke, Vex suddenly stood up, preparing to leave.

"Nope! This planet isn't safe anymore!"

"Who knows when it'll be wiped out! I need to find another place to settle down!"

The way he bolted for the door was like someone fleeing from a disaster.

There was no way Natasha was letting Vex leave, so she immediately stood up to chase him.

But Vex moved like lightning, disappearing hundreds of meters away in a flash.

Seeing him about to vanish…

Natasha shouted, "Five superpowered women!"

Vex froze.

But he still hesitated.

"Ten!" Natasha raised the stakes. "At least two guaranteed!"

Vex, clearly tempted, turned back to look at her but didn't walk over. His voice, however, echoed across the distance:

"Twelve a year, at least three guaranteed!"

Natasha: "..."

Wow.

Twelve a year, one a month?

He really knew how to bargain!

But with no leverage to negotiate, and desperate for his help, she gritted her teeth and nodded.

"Deal!"

Vex grinned.