Chapter 625: Adjustments and Arrangements

After Natasha left, Nick Fury stood by the window, gazing at the sky outside the helicarrier, lost in thought.

Integrating the intelligence provided by Natasha and previously collected data, Nick Fury realized that the information on Charles Doyle needed to be updated.

The level of danger and urgency associated with him had now been elevated to the same level as Asgard's crown prince, Thor.

Charles Doyle was known by two titles: Supreme Merlin and the Ninja Immortal. Each of these titles represented a significant power.

Supreme Merlin - According to Tony's intelligence, Merlin is the ruler of the magical world and has, through his own efforts, created this magical realm, becoming the leader of all mages.

Nick Fury wasn't sure whether Merlin had discovered such a world or had really created it, much like the mythical deities. Regardless, it indicated a terrifyingly powerful being.

Merlin, a legendary figure, has left behind personal myths in what was once Great Britain—legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and Merlin the wizard.

Although Thor's appearance had shown Fury that mythical stories might not be entirely accurate, they did have some basis in reality.

It was clear that Merlin and mages were native to Earth, part of its local forces.

Charles Doyle had become the successor to such a legendary figure, inheriting everything from Merlin, including the magical world and its mages.

This reminded Nick Fury of the magical array incident in the Golden Ox Plaza, which might have had a lot to do with Charles Doyle.

What concerned Fury more was that the magical world had also experienced an alien invasion war.

According to Tony, that battle was more terrifying than the New York battle—stronger and more numerous enemies, lasting longer, yet still repelled by Charles Doyle.

That battle involved demons from hell using the magical world as a springboard to invade Earth.

From Tony's information, Nick Fury understood that even just the identity of Supreme Merlin made Charles Doyle more powerful than the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. combined.

Moreover, Charles had the ability to travel between two worlds, further demonstrating his immense power and his ability to escape at will.

This was just one identity. The other was the Ninja Immortal.

Initially, Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. thought this title was just a casual nickname, like Iron Man or Flame Warrior. But now, Fury thought otherwise.

He speculated that this title, like Supreme Merlin, represented Charles Doyle's status in the ninja world.

Charles Doyle might not be a descendant of high-ranking officials from the Land of Fire stuck on Earth, but rather the child of a deity or a divine successor from the ninja world.

Otherwise, those powerful ninjas, even the Hokage of Konoha and the various village leaders, wouldn't let him have such a title.

As for why other ninja villages didn't obey, Fury guessed it might be because Charles Doyle's identity was only fully recognized by Konoha of the Land of Fire, and other countries and villages hadn't fully accepted it yet.

As for rogue ninjas, they wouldn't follow the Ninja Immortal, just like traitors wouldn't obey a president's orders.

The ninjas currently on Earth showed terrifying power, easily overwhelming S.H.I.E.L.D.

Terrifying beasts, energy blasts more powerful than tactical nuclear weapons, and Charles Doyle's ability to teleport a nuclear bomb—all revealed their fearsome nature.

This war against alien invaders showed S.H.I.E.L.D. and the entire World Security Council that Charles Doyle was not afraid of nuclear strikes, and this was only the tip of the iceberg of the ninja world.

Combining these two forces, it was clear that Charles Doyle was as untouchable as Thor.

Thor was just a prince, a future heir, while Charles Doyle was already a ruler of his forces.

As for which was stronger, Asgard or the ninja and magical worlds, Fury thought it didn't matter. Both were beyond S.H.I.E.L.D.'s capacity to handle.

Fury guessed Asgard might be stronger, given its universal reputation and control over nine realms, while Charles Doyle controlled at most two worlds.

However, one thing was certain: Charles Doyle was an Earthling, and Thor was an alien god. Moreover, Supreme Merlin had the task of protecting Earth.

At this point, Charles Doyle had become someone Fury needed to fully ally with and avoid provoking. Any conflicts would be set aside for now.

If Charles Doyle ever tried to dominate Earth or became a supervillain threatening the planet, Fury wouldn't hesitate to call in his backup, Captain Marvel.

As of now, Charles Doyle's power and influence were still, in Fury's view, less than Captain Marvel's. She was just too formidable.

Thinking about the loss of the Tesseract, Fury decided to use the remaining Type-1 energy blocks to trade for resources with Charles's agency.

The Type-2 energy blocks produced would continue to develop weapons and enhance S.H.I.E.L.D.'s capabilities.

Just then, Hill walked over and said, "Director, the Security Council meeting is starting."

Fury nodded and asked, "Has Phil Coulson been sent to Tahiti?"

Hill replied, "Yes, he's been sent."

"Are you sure you want to activate the Tahiti program for Coulson?"

Fury looked at Hill and said, "We can't afford to lose Coulson, can we?"

With that, Fury headed to the meeting room to attend the Security Council's emergency meeting.

With Nick Fury's arrival, the Security Council Meeting officially began.

A council member asked, "Where have the Avengers gone, and what are the plans going forward?"

Nick Fury responded, "I haven't pursued their whereabouts for now. I believe they have earned the right to take a break."

A female council member inquired, "But Natasha, Barton, Chen Haoran, and Brock Rumlow are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Don't you know their locations?"

Nick Fury crossed his arms and said, "They need a break too, don't they? After all, they've just been through a battle to protect Earth."

Fury was fully aware of what these council members were after. He wouldn't disclose their presence on the helicarrier; otherwise, they would definitely try to reassign them.

Another council member asked, "What about the Tesseract?"

After a moment of silence, Fury replied, "The Tesseract is no longer in our possession. It has been taken to a place where it will receive proper protection."

At this time, a male council member said, "Nick Fury, you have no authority to make such a decision."

Fury shook his head, "It wasn't my decision. The Avengers didn't recover the Tesseract; it's not in our hands."

A council member asked again, "So you just let someone else take the Tesseract?"

"And what about Loki, the war criminal who should be punished for his crimes?"

Looking at the people on the screen, Fury said, "Loki will face the justice he deserves. This situation might fall under the extradition treaty. Of course, the council can try to contact Asgard to have them return their second prince."

Hearing Fury deliberately mention Loki's status as the second prince of Asgard, the council members didn't pursue this further but asked, "And the Tesseract?"

"It went to another place, one that is also under divine entity."

The council members were exasperated hearing about another divine entity.

The female council member asked again, "Do you realize the consequences of your actions? Letting the Avengers return to society—they are dangerous individuals."

"Indeed, their fame has spread worldwide and beyond," a male council member agreed.

"Isn't that our goal? A declaration, a guarantee," the female council member argued.

"What about the ninjas who appeared? They aren't part of the Avengers. Are we just letting them roam free?" she continued. "We won the battle, but what did we gain?"

For the council, the Avengers were considered a unit under S.H.I.E.L.D., albeit a somewhat uncontrollable one, but still within their sphere.

The ninjas, however, were another matter entirely. They seemed even more powerful and numerous than the Avengers.

To the council members, the war was an extension of interests. As the victors, they were looking for their share of the spoils.

Noticing that the council members had shifted their focus from the Avengers to Charles Doyle, Fury said, "Compared to the Avengers, the ninjas have their own organization and are even more formidable."

"But they are more willing to follow basic rules, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has a foundation of cooperation with them."

The female council member asked, "Have they also left?"

Fury answered, "No, they haven't hidden their tracks. After the battle, they returned to their original locations."

"Can we recruit them? Like forming a team similar to the Avengers?" another member asked.

Fury shook his head, "It's difficult. I've been trying for years but have failed. They prefer a cooperative relationship."

"As for our gains, we have acquired a lot of alien technology from this war. Trust me, this is a huge treasure."

"Their individual energy weapons, personal aircraft, energy bombs—all contain advanced technology that, once absorbed and digested, will greatly enhance us. And all these items have been recovered by S.H.I.E.L.D."

Hearing about the alien technology, the council members nodded. If they could convert that technology, it wouldn't be a loss.

The first male council member said, "Nick Fury, your task is to find ways to recruit them and win them over."

An idea flashed through Fury's mind. "Council members, I need financial support."

"Alright, we will allocate a special fund for you. For any other needs, you can apply through Councilman Pierce."

"Yes, Council members."

The meeting ended, and the video feed was turned off. Fury walked out of the conference room.

Hill approached with a tablet. "Director, you might want to see this."

Fury looked at the tablet, which was showing a video of Eddie transforming into Venom, fighting Chitauri soldiers near Charles's base, and rescuing people.

"Who's this?" Fury asked.

Hill shook her head, "We don't have his information yet, but he appeared near Charles's base. He's not a werewolf or a ninja, that's for sure."

Fury nodded, "Start a file on him. Gather intelligence."

"And investigate other individuals displaying extraordinary abilities during the alien invasion. See if any have slipped through our net."

"Yes, Director."

"But with the Avengers scattered, what should we do next? Some have gone far away. How do we handle situations like this?"

"They'll come back," Fury said, glancing at Hill.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I need them to."

Hill was silent for two seconds before turning and leaving, inwardly cursing Fury for his pretentiousness.

…

On the other side-

In the afternoon-

On the base's lawn, Charles Doyle, Thor Odinson, and Loki Odinson stood together. Loki was shackled with chains made by Yamato, surrounded by Jane Foster, Tsunade, Ginny, and others.

Thor looked at Jane, waved, and said, "Wait for me!"

Jane Foster reluctantly nodded, "I'll wait for you..."

Charles looked at everyone and said, "We're leaving."

A blue chakra energy appeared on the ground, instantly forming Merlin's magic circle. With a flash of light, the three disappeared.

After they left, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Minato Namikaze, who stayed behind, seemingly pondering something about the Merlin magic circle on the ground.