Chapter 148: Task

Tony left Gulmira after dealing with all the armed men on the scene, as well as their Jericho missiles.

Zala, on the other hand, drove a truck with her weapons and ammunition slowly towards the location. She didn't witness Tony's display of power, but she did catch a glimpse of his figure flying away.

…

Meanwhile, at the Triskelion, Coulson had just received a call about a delivery. 

Curious, he went to the building's entrance and received a square package from a courier. With the caution expected of an agent, Coulson used a device to check for explosives before taking the package back to his office.

"Asshole!"

Coulson cursed loudly in his office and smashed a nearby water glass. 

Upon opening the package, he was faced with a transparent box containing Barbara's head.

Coulson hadn't expected Charles to act so decisively upon discovering a spy, let alone resort to such extreme measures.

Without hesitation, Coulson immediately reported this information to Nick Fury.

He quickly arrived at Nick Fury's office, where the atmosphere was somber. Nick Fury looked at Coulson and asked, "How do you see this matter?"

Coulson composed himself a little. He was somewhat saddened by the sacrifice of his colleague.

"Charles Doyle himself is a dangerous individual, having roamed the dark underworld since childhood. His rapid success upon entering the scene is enough to show that he is not a good person to deal with."

"Once a spy is exposed, things usually don't end well. The vast majority of them end up sacrificing themselves."

"Barbara must have been exposed for some reason, and Charles Doyle found out that she was affiliated with us. But for him to dare to do this, he must have some reliance and strength."

Upon hearing Coulson's words, Nick Fury slowly uttered, "Hidden Leaf Village!"

"Yes, Director."

"The Hidden Leaf Village must be Charles Doyle's trump card, as well as the source of strength for those powerful ninjas."

"After all, with the support of numerous senators and the power they control, he cannot be unaware of the strength of our organization."

"Yet, he still demands an explanation from us, indicating that he is not afraid of us."

"He may not even fear going to war with us, as he seems confident of victory or escape."

Listening to Coulson's analysis, Nick Fury's expression turned serious. "Coulson, do you know what you're saying?"

"Director, I'm just making what I believe to be a reasonable analysis."

"Obviously, neither the status of the High Table elders nor the so-called over 80% of the top assassins in America are the capital that he can use to confront us like this."

"It can only be the Hidden Leaf Village behind him, those ninjas who seem to have broken the limits of the human body one by one, providing him with the support to act this way."

Nick Fury nodded in agreement but pondered for a moment before continuing, "We haven't found this so-called Hidden Leaf Village yet, and we don't know where they are."

"We also don't know their scale or manpower."

"However, it's referred to as a village and it's unlikely to be very large, but if it's a village of tens of thousands of people, all with the strength of Rock Lee, it would be incredibly dangerous."

"Moreover, Rock Lee is just a Genin. There are even stronger Chunin and Jonin..."

Both of them understood that Charles Doyle's situation wasn't that simple. Although they couldn't determine the exact size of his group, it was certain that the number of people involved was substantial. 

Unfortunately, the information obtained by Barbara was too limited.

"Director, let me lead a team to visit. Since Charles Doyle wants an explanation, I also want to have a talk with him."

"Do you have confidence?" Nick Fury asked Coulson seriously.

After pondering for a moment, Coulson recalled his previous encounter with Charles and finally said, "Director, I trust my judgment. A straightforward and open visit won't provoke him."

Looking at Coulson's determined face, Nick Fury nodded and picked up the office phone. "Summon Natasha and Barton to my office."

Soon, a knock on the door sounded, and Natasha and Barton hurried in.

Nick Fury's face was grave and serious as he spoke, "Natasha, Barton, I called you both here today because a serious situation has arisen."

"One of our agents was discovered and killed by the enemy during a mission. The enemy even mailed the agent's head to Coulson, along with a note demanding an explanation."

Nick Fury, wearing a black leather coat and a black eyepatch, exuded a suppressive aura of darkness.

Barton's expression didn't change upon hearing the news. He calmly asked, "Who was it?"

Barton knew that Nick Fury had called them here, likely because the deceased agent was a colleague they were familiar with.

"Barbara Morse!"

Upon hearing the name, both Natasha and Barton were taken aback. Mockingbird was the only female agent in the agency who could rival Black Widow in skill.

She was also Barton's colleague and his ex-girlfriend.

Upon learning that his ex-girlfriend had been beheaded, Barton felt a surge of anger in his heart. Although he had found a new partner, she was still someone he had once cared for.

"Director, issue the operation orders. Should we aim to capture or eliminate the target on sight?" Barton asked, still feeling the fiery anger within him.

Realizing that he hadn't been clear, Nick Fury then briefed them on the mission's target: Charles Doyle. He instructed them, "Your mission is to lead a small team responsible for Coulson's safety. If any special circumstances arise, cover Coulson's retreat."

After learning about the formidable strength of Charles and his group, Barton realized that they were not ordinary individuals and that they couldn't be dealt with by sending in just any strike team. 

Therefore, the discussion of capturing or eliminating the target wasn't necessary.

However, Barton still harbored deep-seated anger towards Charles Doyle. If given the chance, he wouldn't mind avenging Barbara.

"Understood, Director!"

"Also, raise the secrecy level of information regarding Charles Doyle from the previous level 4 to level 7."

After receiving the Director's orders, Coulson led Natasha, Barton, and a team of special operatives to the office of Charles Doyle's Agency.

As the three of them departed, Nick Fury stood in his office on the top floor of the Triskelion, gazing out the window, his thoughts drifting into the distance.

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