In the S.H.I.E.L.D. office, Nick sat behind his desk, reading the report Natasha had brought him. It contained a long list of names, quite a few of them crossed out in red. Nick reviewed it carefully, then looked up and said, "Eighty percent of the targets have been dealt with, correct?"
"Yes. The integration of Symbiotes and agents has shown initial results. Seventy percent of our Field Agents are now equipped with Symbiotes, and Gortal works very well with them. This has greatly enhanced the agents' basic physical capabilities. Combined with portals, every Field Agent has become an Assassin who comes and goes without a trace."
"The remaining twenty percent of the targets are still under surveillance. Once the time is right, the agents will strike. Although many people are paying attention to these bizarre deaths, most believe they were committed by a mysterious serial killer. Still, some clever people have noticed what the victims had in common. How do you intend to divert their attention?"
Nick smiled from behind the desk. "There's no need to divert their attention. We only need to do what we should do. Soon enough, they'll discover that death isn't the thing most worth worrying about."
The sensor lights in the corridor flickered on one after another. Urgent, chaotic footsteps carried all the way from the stairs into the spacious, brightly lit conference room, where department heads and key agents from across S.H.I.E.L.D. filled the seats around the table.
Nick soon entered, reached out, and tapped the table. Everyone looked up at him. Nick swept his gaze around the room and said, "All right. I believe everyone knows we're here today to discuss restructuring New York's superhero teams. Does anyone have any good ideas?"
"Why don't we simply bring all superhero teams under S.H.I.E.L.D.?" One