The next morning, Director Nick Fury propped his hands against his shiny bald head and stared at the report on his desk with a headache. He had thought the incident involving the alien girl had finally settled down, but it seemed to be stirring up more trouble.
Just last night, they had barely gotten the troublesome little girl Annie settled when several people who seemed even more troublesome appeared! According to the reports submitted by Coulson and Melinda, those people seemed to be sorcerers as well, and might even belong to some organization.
They knew magic and could use Mirror Space! Well... in any case, as far as S.H.I.E.L.D. was concerned, these people were extremely dangerous! They could draw circles and suddenly appear behind you to engage in close combat! Even Melinda, a combat expert of exceptional skill, had been caught off guard by their circle tactics!
The good news was that they had ultimately been captured with ease by the little girl Annie.
According to the report from Agent Hill, the Level Nine agent who had gone to provide support last night, after she and the combat team jumped out of the helicopter, all they could do was bring back the five people who had been bound on the beach, struggling helplessly and unable to move!
Agent Hill was currently in the special cells beneath S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, where she was in charge of interrogating the five people. In fact, the interrogation had already continued for an entire night. Apparently, it had not gone smoothly, because those people refused to yield to either force or persuasion, while Hill had not dared use overly harsh methods. As a result, the matter had reached a stalemate for the time being.
Nick Fury knew how capable Hill was. Hopefully, she would uncover some useful information soon. After signing his name on the report, Director Fury was about to call in his secretary to file it when he discovered that the entire space in the office had suddenly begun to twist.
What was this...?
Nick Fury grew alert, and the gaze of his remaining eye sharpened. Could this be the Mirror Space mentioned in the report? He understood at once. Someone was behind this! And they were probably connected to the five people they had captured!
With that thought, he swiftly drew his Colt Python from his waist, turned, and aimed it at the other side of the office. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure beside the sofa. He swore there had definitely been no one there a second ago! Yet now, a bald, middle-aged woman in a hemp robe was standing there!
Although she looked kind and benevolent, and happened to have a gleaming bald head just like his own, Director Nick Fury did not care about any of that. No matter how harmless she looked, nothing could stop his sights from settling on her—well, on her bald head! As far as Director Fury was concerned, there was no principle that bald people should not hurt other bald people.
"Relax, friend! Don't be nervous. Believe me, I mean you no harm. I only came here to have a proper, open conversation with you." The bald woman smiled at Nick Fury as though the revolver aimed at her head did not exist.
"Who the hell are you?"
Looking at the distorted space around him, Nick Fury's expression turned solemn. His instincts told him that this was the Mirror Space mentioned in the report. It really was a remarkable spell! Although he spoke while observing his surroundings, the hand holding his gun did not waver in the slightest. The muzzle remained trained firmly on the woman's head. If she made even the slightest suspicious move, he would fire immediately!
"You intend to speak with me like that? Please! Your weapons may not pose any threat to me." The bald woman continued smiling as she gestured toward the revolver still aimed at her head.
Nick Fury fell silent for a moment. He looked at the surrounding Mirror Space and weighed his options before reluctantly putting away his treasured Colt Python.
After all, he was in a situation where the enemy held the advantage and he was helpless. As an ordinary human, he truly seemed unable to resist these mysterious freaks with special abilities. Since that was the case, it was better not to embarrass himself any further.
"Is this how you people negotiate? I can't see any sincerity from you at all!"
As the esteemed Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he had actually been kidnapped by someone of unknown origin! And in his own office at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, no less! It was impossible for him not to be furious. Looking at the distorted Mirror Space around him, Nick Fury could only curse inwardly: Damn sorcerers! Damn bald people! Uh... ahem, he seemed to be bald too. Fine, that one did not count!
"This is merely an appropriate measure to avoid disturbance from outsiders, is it not, Director Nick Fury?" The bald woman continued speaking unhurriedly, smiling as she looked out the window at the S.H.I.E.L.D. employees who remained hard at work, completely unaware that anything was wrong.
"First, allow me to introduce myself. You may call me The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme from Kamar-Taj."
"The Ancient One? The Sorcerer Supreme? I'm sorry, but I've never heard of you!"
Director Nick Fury strode back to his desk, slammed his pistol down on its surface, and sat back in his director's chair. He stared coldly at the Sorcerer Supreme, who remained completely at ease.
"Of course. You can understand me as the leader of a native Earth sorcerer organization called Kamar-Taj." Seeing Nick Fury's confusion, The Ancient One could only explain.
"In fact, the functions of Kamar-Taj and S.H.I.E.L.D. are fairly similar—at least, in some respects. The difference is that you protect the peace of the material world, Earth, while we protect the mystical world and prevent Earth from being corrupted by the dangerous Dark World."
"Excuse me, but Earth has a sorcerer organization too? And what exactly is the Dark World? How have I never heard of any of this?" Nick Fury could not accept his own ignorance. He was the esteemed Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.—how could there be a sorcerer organization called Kamar-Taj on Earth, and he had never known about it?
"The mysteries of this world are infinite. In this magnificent universe, we are all insignificant. Ignorance is not a sin. It is precisely because of this that we humans continue to explore the unknown."
There are plenty of things you don't know! Kamar-Taj had existed longer than the history of their nations, and even The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme, would not dare claim to know everything. What did a director of the mundane world amount to? The Ancient One did not say any of that aloud, however. She merely continued smiling as she looked out the window. She had come today to meet him and make initial contact, not to compete with him!
"Stop! Fine, explain your purpose, esteemed Sorcerer Supreme." Having once been a Level Ten agent, Nick Fury possessed an exceptionally firm will. He would not be misled by a few casual words from this stranger.
Still, he more or less understood her identity as a sorcerer. An alien sorcerer girl had already appeared, so another sorcerer organization native to Earth was not entirely impossible to accept.
"The five people captured yesterday were yours, weren't they?" He wanted to seize the initiative in the negotiations. He could not allow her to lead him around by the nose like this.
The Ancient One turned around helplessly and looked at the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who had interrupted her. This black man is difficult to deal with! She had not even had the chance to deploy her powers of persuasion!
"All right, that is indeed the case. The leader of the five people you captured is Daniel, a sorcerer from the New York Sanctum. I deeply regret what happened yesterday and the misunderstanding it caused between our two sides. But please believe me, this was merely their private action and does not represent Kamar-Taj. I hope your side will release them and resolve this misunderstanding." Since the other party was unwilling to exchange any more pleasantries, The Ancient One could only get straight to the point.
"Although that's what you say, it isn't a reason for us to release them voluntarily! You should understand that they attacked my people. You ought to pay some price for that!"
The art of negotiation was to seize the initiative, determine the other side's bottom line, and then use every available bargaining chip to pressure them into compromising or paying a greater price. Director Fury was thoroughly familiar with such negotiating tactics!
He could release the people. But the other side had to offer an equivalent bargaining chip in exchange! What he was considering now was how to demand something of equal value to those five people. Mysterious magical knowledge? More intelligence? He would need to think it over carefully.
"No, I think you've misunderstood. I already took those five people away long ago. I came here only to inform your side and hope that both parties can resolve this misunderstanding without causing any greater friction." After saying that, a red circle appeared behind The Ancient One. She stepped backward into it and disappeared. As she vanished, the entire Mirror Space in the office returned to normal.
This... This was so shocking that Director Nick Fury stood there dumbfounded! What the hell, she had just left like that? He had thought she had genuinely come to negotiate, and had just finished working up a whole pile of conditions that he had not yet had the chance to bring up! And then she had simply left? What did she take the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. for?!
Her people had attacked his side first. After they were captured, she had not even mentioned an apology or compensation. Instead, she had rushed over to rescue them without a word, then come before him on her way out and said: I've already rescued them. It was all a misunderstanding. I hope you won't take offense! What kind of international joke was this? What did she take S.H.I.E.L.D. for? This was blatant lawlessness!
Director Nick Fury felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. had to gain control of a force of supernatural beings as soon as possible. An unofficial, unrecognized, lawless wild sorcerer organization like Kamar-Taj had to be shut down immediately! It had to be disbanded, and all its illicit property and books confiscated! They absolutely could not be allowed to continue developing like this!
"Director! Something's wrong! Those five people suddenly disappeared!" Maria Hill, a Level Nine agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., hurriedly pushed open the door to the director's office. She was just about to make her report when she saw the director's unpleasant expression and froze.
"About that... I already know. You can go for now!"
Before you continue