Chapter 81

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Do you know what level of organization SHIELD is? It's no small-time operation like the FBI or CIA, which only operate domestically.

SHIELD is a super organization established by the United Nations Five Permanent Members!

It operates not only within the United States but also has branches and offices in many countries and regions around the world.

A truly international intelligence agency, it's no exaggeration to call it a colossal entity.

Such a giant could be destroyed?

That's simply ludicrous.

Of course, nothing in the world lasts forever, even an organization of SHIELD's caliber might one day vanish into the sands of history.

But if such a thing were to actually happen, it would be in a future so distant, it's unimaginable, right? Yet the notebook suggests it will no longer exist in a "few years" - is SHIELD going to be destroyed within a few years? That's an international joke!

Right now, SHIELD is in a period of vigorous development, visibly poised to thrive for many years to come.

Destroyed?

Only Satan would make such a claim.

But the most absurd thing of all is the claim that he and Black Widow were the ones who destroyed SHIELD!

Who is he?

The Director of SHIELD!

And Black Widow?

A senior SHIELD agent!

Would two such individuals lose their minds or go crazy during a mission?

Destroy SHIELD?

Okay, let's say for argument's sake, Zhou Cheng, the great hero, and Black Widow, for some ludicrous reason, really plan to act against SHIELD, to destroy it.

But would they even have the power to do so? Even Nick Fury, however formidable, with a high position in SHIELD, couldn't accomplish such a feat, could he? So the notebook's final claim of SHIELD's destruction is just absurd.

"I would conspire with Director Fury to destroy SHIELD?"

"Why would we do that!"

"How could we possibly achieve it!"

Black Widow, after receiving the message from Coulson and driving towards the SHIELD building, reacted very differently from Zhou Cheng.

Because she couldn't see and wasn't specifically informed, Coulson had no idea what Nick Fury was holding in his hand.

But when Coulson described Nick Fury's reaction to her, Black Widow instantly understood.

Director Fury must have received a notebook just like hers!

So without delay, Black Widow grabbed the strange notebook and sped toward the Triskelion.

But what she didn't expect was that the notebook updated while she was still on the road.

Unable to contain herself, she immediately began to read it.

For someone of her caliber, multitasking behind the wheel, and checking the notebook's contents wasn't an issue at all.

But the more she read, the more shocking the news she found.

SHIELD was destroyed!

Why?

How could this happen!

These were the first two thoughts that crossed Black Widow's mind.

She and Nick Fury were both "veterans" of SHIELD. What reason or position would they have to destroy SHIELD? There was absolutely no logic to it!

Black Widow's brows furrowed deeply as her mind raced, trying to make sense of the incomprehensible.

Could it be... because of HYDRA?

After racking her brain, Black Widow could only think of this possibility.

The notebook had mentioned HYDRA spies within SHIELD and had even hinted that the spy was someone in a high position.

Otherwise, how could a Level 7 agent like Black Widow end up working for HYDRA?

So, was there a possibility that Director Nick Fury was actually a HYDRA mole, which is why SHIELD was destroyed?

This idea was so bold, it even startled Black Widow.

After much thought, this was the only possibility that came to her mind.

Otherwise, she couldn't understand why Nick Fury would destroy SHIELD.

Of course, even with this hypothesis, there was another huge hole that remained unexplained.

Why would she be involved?

She wasn't with HYDRA!

Could it be that Nick Fury deceived her into carrying out certain key missions, which led to this outcome?

The possibility was not entirely out of the question.

Divided management was Nick Fury's style after all; many agents often complete their assignments without knowing the ultimate purpose.

So, in the future, was she manipulated by Nick Fury?

Is this how it happened?

Could it really be the case?

No!

It can't be!

Black Widow's mind was in turmoil; she could not accept, nor did she want to accept, this sole possibility she had considered.

Shaking her head, she put the shocking thoughts aside and focused even more on the notebook, attempting to find concrete answers.

But such thoughts proved to be inaccurate as well, for everyone knew that HYDRA was long gone.

Even earlier sections of the notebook mentioned HYDRA spies within SHIELD, but now, the notion became even more absurd.

There are more HYDRA spies in SHIELD than there are SHIELD agents?

SHIELD should be called HYDRA?

Such statements seemed to be hysterical ramblings!

Was the writer suffering from delusions or drunk when writing the diary? It's preposterous to smear one's own name to such an extent!

Nick Fury was one of SHIELD's most outstanding agents. Under his management, SHIELD might not be perfect, but it was definitely one of the safest and most secure places in the world. Black Widow hesitated to claim that SHIELD could be absolutely impervious to the infiltration of other intelligence agencies. After all, no one could make such a guarantee against this pervasive issue.

Even sometimes, for the sake of the bigger picture and long-term planning, Nick Fury would deliberately maintain spies from other agencies that have infiltrated.

However, Nick Fury could assure one thing.

That in some core, critical areas, it was SHIELD's people who were in control!

Indeed.

Even if SHIELD is infiltrated by some forces and has some rotten elements within, they still have the situation well in hand.

The diary even mentioned mockingly that there were more undercover agents than actual employees—ridiculous to the extent that Nick Fury didn't even feel like commenting.

Even if a dog took his place, it couldn't possibly be as incompetent as that, could it?

Using such a metaphor wasn't even an insult to him but to the dogs!

After all, how is it possible for there to be more undercover agents than actual members? Who's infiltrating whom?

"It's hard to imagine that SHIELD has been infiltrated to this extent," mused the Black Widow, feeling a sting from the revelation.

She had known about SHIELD's high-level agents being Hydra moles and understood that Hydra's infiltration was significant.

A high-level agent being an undercover mole signifies more than just one individual—it's like spotting mold on bread; the problem is not just the single spot of mold.

The bread surrounding the mold has long been rotten through.

A high-level agent being compromised is indicative of Hydra's astonishing penetration.

But even with this knowledge, the Black Widow never imagined the infiltration could have reached such an alarming level.

Infiltrators outnumbering the actual agents? Could you believe such a thing?

If it weren't for the fact that many events recorded in the diary had been verified, Black Widow wouldn't believe it either.

Still, she harbored plenty of skepticism about this shocking intelligence.

It was too alarming.

How could SHIELD, an international giant, be penetrated like this?

If even SHIELD could be infiltrated to such an extent, what about other agencies, organizations, and industries?

If Hydra had such capability, they could practically rule the world, couldn't they?

But perhaps if the infiltration mentioned in the diary was real, it might explain why she and Director Fury ended up destroying SHIELD.

SHIELD in such a state could not truly be called SHIELD anymore.

There seemed no other solution but to destroy it!

It made sense!

Logically, the fact that Director Fury destroyed SHIELD made sense!

It turned out that Director Fury wasn't Hydra; he was an authentic SHIELD agent all along.

This was clearly stated in the diary.

Black Widow felt relieved.

Yet, another question arose.

Considering the Director's robust capabilities, how could SHIELD have ended up so thoroughly compromised?

Was this the SHIELD Director she knew?

Looking closer, the prestigious Director Nick Fury, a towering figure in the eyes of many and an imposing individual, even before the always cocky Tony Stark, didn't dare misbehave.

But deep down, he could just be a failed leader who achieved nothing.

Not to mention SHIELD.

The Black Egg climbed his way up with the help of his Skrull subordinates, finally reaching the position of director, only to end up playing SHIELD out of existence.

A failed leader who achieved nothing?

Nick Fury's already dark complexion grew even darker with reluctant acceptance.

He had never been so underestimated or looked down upon!

He was SHIELD's Director, a significant figure in all of America.

The immense power he wielded was enough to profoundly impact the world, where his word could decide the life or death of many.

To someone as globally revered as Tony Stark, adored by countless, as momentous as he was, it only took Nick Fury's disinterest for Stark to lose everything.

And so for senators, military chiefs, and business magnates and so on.

These real big shots in the eyes of ordinary people were no different.

Before Nick Fury, they only had one choice: whether he, the big Black Egg, wished to deal with them.

If Nick Fury did not wish to, all was well.

But if Nick Fury decided to take action against someone, it was as good as done.

No one could stop him!

And yet, to say he achieved nothing? Could someone really understand what they were saying?

However, when Nick Fury's gaze continued down the page and landed on the name "Skrull," his dismissive smile suddenly froze.

What was going on?

How would Satan know about his development of Skrull subordinates?

This was on par with Nick Fury's thought to establish the Avengers as a top-secret only known to him!

Not revealed to anyone else!

Then how could Satan know about it?

Could it be that Talos and the others leaked the information?

That shouldn't be!

Their identities were unknown to anyone on Earth, except for Nick Fury himself.

Why would Talos and his crew reveal it carelessly?

But if that wasn't the case, how did Satan come to know?

That's right, although he didn't want to admit it, the diary spoke the truth.

Nick Fury's ascension to the directorship of SHIELD was significantly aided by Talos and the Skrulls.

His lauded achievements, enough for a promotion to director, were largely completed with the help of the Skrulls.

"Skrull underlings?"

"Aren't the Skrull aliens?"

Tony Stark froze upon hearing this in the comfort of his mansion.

The term "Skrull" had been mentioned before in the diary, and Iron Man was familiar with it as an alien race.

He also knew that Nick Fury had been involved in the conflict between the Skrull and the Kree.

But the specifics of that war were unknown and of little consequence to Tony Stark, who had assumed it ended and was a matter of the past, being a war between alien races.

But now he realized that Skrulls were working for Nick Fury?

Was the man, the so-called Black Egg, that stellar?

To have alien underlings?

Even climbing to the position of SHIELD's Director with the help of these aliens!

Unbelievable!

Nick Fury had indeed played an extraordinary hand!

Despite the diary's demeaning depiction of Nick Fury, much like it did with Tony Stark, Iron Man had a newfound respect for Nick Fury.

Fury was indeed no simple man.