"What going on?"
Anton became serious, asking for details.
Since the situation had already reached the Men in Black organization, it meant the discovery of an alien species was highly likely to be real. Otherwise, Z wouldn't have specifically called to report it.
"Right after the Super Skrull incident, when the Daily Bugle exposed information about the Skrulls, some people started a movement to search for aliens.
Many thrill-seeking young people joined in, most just for fun, but as always—there were unexpected developments," Z explained.
"Two nights ago, some people saw a meteor streak across the sky.
The news spread online, and a group of these young adventurers tracked its trajectory all the way to a farm on the outskirts of New York.
There, they found a newly formed crater. The key point? Inside that crater, they discovered a damaged spacecraft."
"A damaged spacecraft?"
Anton raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Was there anything else?"
"The group of overexcited kids got attacked by the farm owner when they arrived at the crater," Z continued.
"Some of them were injured, but fortunately, no one died.
"When the NYPD heard the words 'alien spacecraft,' they immediately escalated the case to our agents.
Upon arrival, we discovered a pest control worker in the farm storage shed.
Cause of death—ingestion of a large amount of pesticide, resulting in poisoning. Estimated time of death—less than 24 hours."
Z paused before adding, "We also found the farm owner girlfriend. She reported that ever since the meteor crashed last night, her boyfriend, Yaga, started acting very strange.
He devoured all the sugar in the house, and his skin seemed to separate from his body.
His whole body became stiff, his limbs moved erratically, like a seizure patient… Most importantly, Yaga displayed violent tendencies—at one point, he even pointed a gun at her."
Anton pondered for a moment. "So, up until now, there only been one confirmed fatality—the pest control worker?"
Z nodded. "Yes."
Anton then asked, "Did you examine the storage shed? Was it full of insects?"
"Of course. Otherwise, Yaga wouldn't have called pest control to exterminate them regularly."
Z confirmed the detail, though he wasn't sure why Anton was focusing on this aspect. But somehow, he had a feeling that Anton was onto something crucial.
After a brief pause, Z added, "There no surveillance system at the farm, so we couldn't find more direct evidence.
However, what strange is the spacecraft itself—it a disc, about two meters in diameter, and incredibly flattened. It seems to belong to a species vastly different from humans."
"I see."
Anton nodded, mentally cross-referencing his memories. He had a pretty good idea of what was happening.
"A disc-shaped spacecraft?" Anton muttered to himself. "Did you bring it back?"
"Yes, it has just been transported to headquarters."
On the other end of the phone, Z furrowed his brows. "Anton, I believe this could be an entirely new alien species. We need to stay vigilant."
"Exactly."
Anton nodded. "Anyway, wait for me at headquarters. I'll be there right away."
After a brief pause, he instructed, "Remember, that farmer—Yaga—spread his information to every police department across the country, especially the NYPD.
Mobilize all available forces to track him down as quickly as possible. I suspect he already been replaced by an alien imposter."
"An imposter?"
Z heart skipped a beat as a sense of foreboding crept over him.
Hearing Anton words, he immediately thought of the Skrull infiltration incident.
They had just driven the Skrulls off Earth, and now, a new troublesome alien species had seamlessly taken their place?
Aliens were practically arriving on Earth in teams these days.
When did this planet become such a hotspot for extraterrestrials?
…
A moment later.
Anton arrived at the Men in Black headquarters, where he saw the spaceship retrieved from the rural farm.
Just as Z had mentioned over the phone, it was a rather "shriveled" object, closely resembling the classic UFO imagery that humans had imagined for decades.
A circular disc, roughly two meters in diameter, with a height of only about thirty centimeters.
The internal research team had disassembled parts of its edges and discovered that the spacecraft design was remarkably intricate. Inside, there was even a passageway.
Of course, the passage was incredibly narrow—barely the size of a fist.
"This seems to be the work of cockroaches…"
One of the researchers hesitated slightly, then turned to Anton and Agent Z.
"I can confirm that this is indeed a spacecraft, but inside… it appears to be a cockroach nest."
"So, it really is Men in Black…"
Hearing the researcher words, Anton narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn't exactly surprised—just a little reflective.
From the moment Z appeared, he had suspected that the Men in Black he had established might be connected to the one from his memories.
Now, with this disc-shaped spacecraft and the traces of cockroaches inside, he was almost certain of the kind of story he was experiencing.
Men in Black.
Come to think of it, the Men in Black movies were adapted from a comic series of the same name.
Moreover, as Anton recalled, Marvel had once published a few Men in Black comics.
Even though Marvel didn't own the rights to Men in Black, the two properties shared a certain degree of historical connection.
Just like Transformers and Marvel.
The Transformers IP belonged to Hasbro, which had once authorized Marvel to create an official American Transformers comic series.
So, looking at it from that perspective, the events Anton was experiencing weren't entirely unrelated.
Of course, none of that really mattered.
Anton had already prepared himself for the unfolding Men in Black storyline.
"Understood."
Anton nodded. He was now almost certain—things were unfolding just as he had expected.
"It the Insectoid race."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over everyone present. His tone was resolute, filled with conviction.
The others stared at him in stunned silence, initially taken aback, yet somehow, it all made perfect sense.
"The Insectoids are an inherently malevolent alien species.
They commit mass slaughter, deplete and harass native populations, and thrive on destruction and devastation.
Think about it—cockroaches love to dwell in garbage dumps, and Insectoids are eerily similar to cockroaches, practically giant versions of them… It in their nature."
Seeing that the shock in everyone eyes had yet to subside, Anton thought for a moment and added,
"We all know Superman has traveled the universe for years. I first learned about this species from the information he shared."
"The Insectoids wield significant power across the cosmos. Their influence spans nearly every galaxy, where they sow chaos and destruction.
It seems they've now set their sights on Earth. We must remain on high alert and prevent the situation from escalating."
His voice grew more serious as he spoke.
The Insectoids.
A recurring antagonist species in the Men in Black films.
However, Men in Black never explicitly detailed their origins.
Anton had only pieced together their existence through dialogue scattered throughout the movies,
deducing that they were spread across the Milky Way, numbering over 78 million colonies—most of them composed of giant cockroach-like beings.
Hearing his explanation, the others finally came to terms with the truth.
Anton had invoked Superman name, leaving them with no grounds to argue.
At present, the organization most knowledgeable about the universe wasn't the Men in Black, or any other global agency—it was the Justice League.
Superman, the League strongest powerhouse, may have been an alien, but he had grown up on Earth. Ever since awakening his abilities, he had spent years traveling the cosmos.
This was a well-known fact.
No one would be foolish enough to doubt Anton words.
Anton, meanwhile, stared at the spacecraft before him, recalling the plot of the first Men in Black film. His expression turned somewhat strange.
If this really was following Men in Black 1, then it meant Earth was likely already home to a significant number of extraterrestrials.
But in reality, that didn't seem to be the case.
After the Skrull incident, governments worldwide, along with the Men in Black, had practically turned the planet upside down in their search.
And yet, despite such thorough investigations, no other alien species—aside from the Skrulls—had been found.
Perhaps the Men in Black story had diverged slightly from what he remembered.
Anton pondered for a moment but found no clear answer. For now, he decided to follow the clues, take things step by step, and push forward.
After all, at this point, he had the power to sweep through the entire planet.
Unless some top-tier cosmic figures got involved, there was no one to fear.
And really, would a mere Men in Black incident ever escalate to that level?
Suddenly, a voice came through Z earpiece. His expression shifted, his posture straightening—he had clearly received good news.
"Anton, we've found Yaga whereabouts."
He immediately turned to Anton and reported, "That farmer—Yaga… No, the Insectoid. We've located him."
"Where?"
Anton snapped his head around, his gaze sharp.
"He just entered New York City. Based on his current route, it looks like he heading toward a district in Manhattan."
Z quickly relayed the intel from his agents.
"Find a way to lock down that area. Trap him on that street. You—bring a few agents and come with me."
Anton issued his orders decisively.
Without delay, the team assembled at the headquarters entrance.
Vroom!
With a press of the pedal, a black armored vehicle roared out of the headquarters, speeding through the city streets like a bullet.
Inside the vehicle, Anton glanced at the agents accompanying him.
Each of them was dressed in a black suit and wearing dark sunglasses, exuding an air of detached professionalism—an uncanny match to the Men in Black agents from his memories.
"By the way, aren't you guys going to introduce yourselves?"
Anton suddenly broke the silence.
"K, sir. My name is K."
A serious-looking agent, steady in his posture, was the first to respond.
His tone was calm, but there was a quiet strength beneath his words.
"K?"
Anton raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the young man before him. He bore some resemblance to the well-known Men in Black agent Anton remembered, but he was noticeably younger.
A smirk tugged at Anton lips. "K… I like that letter. I hope you won't disappoint me."
"I won't, sir."
K response was indifferent yet filled with confidence.
Within the Marvel timeline, this version of Agent K was significantly younger than the one in the original Men in Black timeline—and much more self-assured.
Anton could sense the energy of youth radiating from him.
"So, K has appeared… I wonder if J will show up too."
The thought flickered through his mind.
But whether it was K or J, to Anton, they were merely minor figures now.
The only reason he paid them any attention was the strange intertwining of his past life and present reality.
Of course, since he had encountered K, it wouldn't hurt to invest some effort into his development.
As one of the most well-received characters in the Men in Black movies from his past life, K skills and professionalism were unquestionably top-tier.
Right now, the Men in Black organization was in dire need of elite agents like K.
Z was capable, no doubt. But having him juggle both internal affairs and fieldwork was stretching him too thin.
If K could be properly trained and cultivated as the organization leading field agent, things would run much more smoothly.
And, more importantly, it would give Anton more opportunities to slack off.
He pondered the idea with satisfaction.
Manhattan, a certain district.
Before setting out, Anton Men in Black had already informed the NYPD.
With their assistance, the street was swiftly evacuated by responding officers, leaving only a single medium-sized truck at the center.
Inside the truck, a man with sagging skin yet a burly physique was scanning the scene with an odd expression.
He still seemed confused as to how he had ended up surrounded.
Yet, under the weight of countless watchful eyes, his gaze carried an indescribable quality—
Neither cruel nor vicious.
It was simply… inhuman.
The aura radiating from this man was nothing like that of a person. Instead, he felt more like a wild animal that had mistakenly wandered into the city.
"This guy is suspicious…"
"Alert the task force."
"No need. The task force is already here."
The officers exchanged a few quick words just as another truck rolled into the sealed-off area—met with enthusiastic cheers from the surrounding crowd.
The Turtle Van.
Everyone recognized it.
It was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ride.
New York City unofficial mascots had arrived.
Though they were called mascots, no one dared to underestimate these turtles.
Anyone who had ever made that mistake had either been humiliated—or beaten down.
After all, ever since the turtles had joined the task force, their combat prowess had been witnessed firsthand by the entire city.
"Ugh, that stinks."
"The smell on that guy is awful…"
"Be careful. I heard this is a joint operation with the Men in Black, and it was ordered by Anton. That guy isn't ordinary."
The turtles exchanged a few words, their eyes locking onto the man sitting in the driver seat of the truck.
Michelangelo wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Beside him, Donatello and the others, whose senses were just as sharp, also looked uneasy.
Then, suddenly—
Donatello let out a startled gasp, drawing the attention of the other three turtles.
"That guy—he not human!"
"What?"
"Not human?"
"What do you mean?"
The other three turned to Donatello, waiting for their tech-savvy brother to explain.
"I ran a scan—this guy is wearing human skin…"
Donatello adjusted his high-tech goggles, which looked somewhat like swimming goggles but were equipped with advanced scanning capabilities.
Clearly, he had already gained some insight into their opponent.
"And underneath that skin…"
Donatello swallowed hard.
"It a cockroach! A giant cockroach!"