Master, there are spies outside, let me out to take care of them!

S.H.I.E.L.D., here at the Trident Headquarters in the United States, the office of the renowned Director Nick Fury.

The famous one-eyed bald black man, the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Director Nick Fury, was currently sitting behind his director's desk. His left hand held a document, and he was silent, his expression shifting uncertainly. He felt he couldn't make up his mind, his right index finger unconsciously tapping on the desktop. The document in his hand happened to block half of his black face; no one knew what his one unblinded eye was seeing or thinking.

Just then, two short, rhythmic knocks sounded. It seemed the person he was waiting for had arrived! Nick Fury looked up, relieved, and abruptly closed the document, tossing it onto the desk. He swiveled his chair to face the door before saying, "Come in."

With two clicks, the door was opened by the newcomer and then gently closed.

A man and a woman, two sharp and capable agents, stood before the director's desk. One of them, dressed in a black suit, leather shoes, and a tie, looking like a successful professional, was S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 6 Agent Coulson, Phil Coulson! The other, wearing a black tactical skin-tight leather suit and combat boots, was Melinda, Melinda May. She was one level higher than Coulson, a S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 7 Agent.

Both were Director Nick Fury's capable right-hand agents, trusted confidants, commonly known as the director's lackeys.

"I called you both here to handle a rather tricky mission together. Especially you, Melinda. You have experience dealing with similar incidents. So..." Nick Fury only spoke halfway, then paused to think again, but ultimately looked firmly at Agent Melinda.

Although Director Nick Fury himself felt that assigning this kind of mission to Melinda again seemed a bit heartless, he had no choice. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have many suitable candidates right now.

Besides, since she chose to be an agent, sometimes she couldn't have too many choices! An agent, an agent, could also be called a special operative or a special worker. A worker can only ever be assigned tasks by the boss. If a wage earner wants to pick their work, they might as well just become the boss themselves!

"Especially me? So, what exactly is the mission?" Melinda was a bit puzzled. There were so many agents in the bureau, and only she was suitable? That clearly didn't make sense! Somehow, the director's words today gave her a bad feeling.

"Alright, you two should take a look at the file first." Having said that, Nick Fury didn't want to explain further. He directly picked up the document he had tossed on the desk and, with a slap, threw it onto the desktop near the two of them.

"Alright, Director!" Coulson reached out, picked up the file, and opened it directly. He began to read it carefully, with Melinda leaning in to look together.

The file wasn't long, only three pages. The first page had three surveillance screenshots, each with a red circle highlighting a little girl, about seven or eight years old, wearing a red princess dress and a red hood. She was playing with different children in three different places and at different times in a park. Below the photos, small letters indicated the location: Central Park in New York.

After looking at the first page, Coulson and Melinda looked up at their director, confused, not understanding his intention.

These were clearly just normal pictures of a child! Could this little girl be the daughter of some wealthy businessman or official? Kidnapped and needing the two of them to rescue her? But that shouldn't be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction! They should go straight to the FBI or the NYPD, right? S.H.I.E.L.D. was a global defense organization; they didn't handle kidnappings! On the contrary, they had kidnapped quite a few people themselves! And everyone S.H.I.E.L.D. had kidnapped and forcibly detained was no ordinary person!

Seeing Coulson look up at him, Director Nick Fury didn't explain further. He just gestured for them to continue reading. The later documents explained things clearly enough; he was too lazy to say more.

This file was originally handled by Hill. He just happened to pass by and saw it. He himself didn't know why, but he was inexplicably compelled to take it over. Anyway, he just subconsciously felt that he should handle this matter. Otherwise, something bad was bound to happen!

This kind of mission normally wouldn't require Director Nick Fury's attention, but he trusted his instincts. Maybe it was the keen sense cultivated over years of being an agent? That was the only explanation now. What else could it be?

Still puzzled, Coulson and the other had no choice but to continue to the second page. The content on this second page was much more interesting. There were a full five screenshots. The first was of the little girl alone on a swing in the park after dusk.

The second showed three black thugs surrounding the little girl on the swing. One of them was holding a lollipop and extending it to the girl. Although it was a very cliché method of luring a child, this kind of low-life trick was indeed very effective against ordinary little girls.

The third showed the little girl trying to turn and run away, while the three thugs dropped all pretense and blocked her path.

The fourth showed the little girl spreading her small hands towards the three thugs?

The fifth picture was... Coulson blinked, trying to confirm if his eyes were playing tricks on him. No! Because he saw the little girl shooting a huge flame from her hand! That flame actually burned the three scumbags into a charred mess? Although the surveillance screenshots were a bit blurry, seeing this, Coulson roughly understood something.

He immediately flipped to the third page. On the third page was a photo of the little girl eating a large ice cream in a shop. Clearly, this photo wasn't a surveillance screenshot but a candid shot taken by an agent observing from outside the shop, using high-definition equipment through the shop's floor-to-ceiling glass.

"So, Director! Is this little girl a mutant? Is her ability to control or release flames?" Coulson and Melinda both looked at Director Nick Fury, hoping to get more valuable intelligence from him to proceed with their work.

"Based on current intelligence, perhaps. But it's not yet confirmed. Maybe she's relying on some special device?" Nick Fury thought for a moment, then added:

"Most importantly! So far, our database has found no information related to this little girl! She has no birth certificate! No school records! No medical records! No insurance! And no electronic or paper files! It's as if she just appeared out of thin air! This is clearly very unreasonable! So, I need you two to make contact with the target, preferably to probe her background! That's why I'm sending you both out together!" Nick Fury's one-eyed gaze swept over the two in front of him, finally locking onto Melinda.

"So, Melinda! You have relevant experience. Although the target hasn't shown any loss of emotional control or ability control that endangers public safety so far, if an uncontrollable situation arises, you can adapt."

"Adapt? You mean kill this little girl? Like that little girl last time?!" Melinda's tone wavered, as if the director's words had touched some unbearable memory of hers—the little girl on the island of Bahrain who had forced her hand.

"I'm afraid so." The director's one eye continued to stare at Melinda. "You should know that when necessary, we have to do this. We can only do this."

"Alright, Director. I think we roughly know what to do." Coulson closed the file helplessly and tugged at Melinda beside him, signaling her to leave before she angered the director further. "So, are we going to first investigate the target's background? Figure out her abilities? Her origins? And then, uh, adapt?"

"Good! I'll take this mission! But, Director! I hope that after this mission is over, you will agree to sign my application for transfer out of the field team!" Melinda shook off Coulson's hand and glared hatefully at Director Nick Fury. She had almost forgotten about that incident! But now, this bastard in front of her had ruthlessly torn open the scar in her heart!

"Of course, I can! No problem at all!" Taking back the file Coulson handed him, the director was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. This was what she deserved. So be it.