Chapter 123: Live Broadcast Throughout

Following Coulson’s instructions, Natasha did not hesitate. She and Coulson synchronized their input of the password into the system, and a pre-recorded message from Nick Fury immediately appeared.

"Coulson, I am glad you are still alive at this moment. Please open the compartment beneath the safe. Inside is a communicator. If these suddenly returning mystical forces cannot protect the Earth, or if they become a new threat to the world, press the button."

"Remember, no matter who that communicator summons, do not truly trust the visitor. Always maintain a state of suspicion toward everyone. Unfounded trust is the easiest thing in this world to lead to destruction."

"Natasha, I am also glad you were able to find another way out before S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed, but I hope you can do me one last favor."

After pulling at their heartstrings, Fury’s image shifted into a three-dimensional map.

"Two hours on the countdown. Kill Pierce at this location. His resistance will be fierce, but this is a task you must complete."

"He is not the nominal leader of Hydra, but he holds control over more than fifty percent of Hydra’s resistance forces. I believe those powerful mystical figures can handle Hydra, but their numbers are few. Even a moment of negligence on their part would allow Hydra to tear a massive chunk out of our home!"

When he used the word "powerful," Fury’s tone was complex. He had been feeling quite lost lately; if these mystical beings had truly existed for five hundred years, what was the point of establishing S.H.I.E.L.D.? To serve as a nest for the remnants of Hydra?

Fury’s words held some truth, particularly regarding the shortage of manpower. In China, things were better; there were not many Hydra agents to begin with, and with Li Xiaoyao leading the forces from Mount Shu and Lin Zhengying providing divination, clearing them out was not difficult.

However, it was not the same in other countries. In the United Kingdom, for instance, even though Artoria had advanced to a legendary rank, she could not be everywhere at once; she had to dismantle them one by one. And those Hydra agents would not just stand there and wait to be defeated. They were masters of infiltration and disguise, so while destroying Hydra’s organizational structure in the UK was not hard, the difficulty lay in eliminating them completely. As the saying goes, even if you have tens of thousands of pigs, it is not easy to round them all up once they start running.

Hearing this, Natasha and the others understood. If Fury had truly known where Pierce was, he wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble. As someone who also utilized a large group of decoys, Fury knew that standard methods like mind-reading were useless against Pierce. Some of the active decoys truly believed they were the real Pierce, only realizing they were mere duplicates when they needed to access restricted information or special privileges.

"One last thing. This is a Director’s appointment and dismissal order issued under special wartime regulations, already transmitted to the Security Council members through special channels. Congratulations, Coulson, you are the final Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Fury held up a document stamped with countless seals for the camera. After saying this, the screen went black with a sharp click.

Coulson did not look the least bit happy upon hearing this. And why would he? If S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't disbanded after this incident, he would gladly cut off his own head and kick it like a ball. With a heavy heart, Coulson walked to the safe and used a special key Fury had given him months ago to open the hidden compartment. He hadn't understood the key's purpose back then, but now he knew.

Inside, a communicator resembling a mobile phone lay quietly. Coulson took it out and found it had only a single call button and no other information. Natasha and Frank exchanged a look and began checking their gear; since Fury had made his decision, there was nothing left to say. As subordinates and former friends, their only choice was to respect his will.

Two hours later, Natasha leaned against the rooftop, several loaded portable grenade launchers at her side. The streets below were sparse with traffic; Hydra would never care about civilian casualties during their struggle, so anyone with half a brain had hidden at home, clutching their firearms and ready to defend themselves.

Suddenly, seven identical cars drove out of the underground parking garage, heading in different directions. Without a word, Natasha fired the prepared grenades one by one.

Boom! Boom! Boom! A continuous chain of explosions erupted.

Frank did not wait for the blasts to subside. He shattered a window and took a leap of faith, his dual pistols aimed simultaneously at the vehicle specifically marked in Fury’s recording.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

A stream of white energy rounds erupted from his barrels, not a single one missing the target. The vehicle braked hard, its defensive plating vibrating violently under Frank's barrage. It appeared to be reinforced with some special material, as it ultimately held firm.

Once the car stopped, all the others halted as well. A large group of men poured out, their weapons aimed directly at Frank, pulling the triggers without hesitation. The projectiles were not standard bullets but energy blasts. Anyone in the business would instantly recognize them as Hydra energy weapons.

Faced with this unfamiliar attack, Frank did not dare to be careless. He activated the enchantments on his boots.

Phase Shift!

Ignoring obstacles and incoming fire, Frank moved over a dozen meters through the air and landed on the ground. He swept his arms in a circle, his bullets spreading in an arc that sent the surrounding armed personnel flying.

Almost simultaneously, Natasha lunged out from the shadow of a vehicle. Her muzzle flashed as she took down the soldiers in front of her, then she stepped back into the shadows.

As the two began their slaughter, a satellite in the sky focused on the scene and began a live broadcast. Of course, there was a delay, and the feed was automatically pixelated—a technology provided free of charge by Stark Industries.

Once the satellite was in position, Pierce stepped out of the vehicle. The soldiers surrounding him formed a protective ring and began to retreat. The rest of the soldiers threw themselves at Frank with reckless abandon. As for the elusive Natasha, she had a slight pause whenever she reappeared, making her easier to anticipate now that they were prepared.