Chapter 101: S.H.I.E.L.D. Under Suspicion
As the call with Tony Stark ended, Smith Doyle turned to the trio standing before him and called in Fox.
"Fox, from now on, these three will be joining the Assassin's League."
Fox was visibly surprised. Natasha had just been exposed as a spy not long ago, and now she was bringing two more people to join the League?
Despite his confusion, Fox nodded and said,
"Understood. I'll make the arrangements."
He looked at Melina and Alexei, curiosity in his eyes.
"And these two are?"
Smith Doyle introduced them:
"This is Melina, the Iron Maiden—Natasha's family."
"And this is Alexei, once known as the Red Guardian—also her family."
Fox shot a surprised glance at Natasha. So the whole family's defecting now, huh?
"Natasha, stay. I need to go over a few things with you."
Fox didn't immediately leave with Melina and Alexei. Instead, he pulled out a folder and handed it to Smith Doyle.
"These are three plots of land I've scouted on the outskirts of New York. One's 8 acres, one 12, and the last is 16. Here are the locations."
"Pick one to serve as the new base."
Smith Doyle flipped through the documents. Each site was larger and more remote than the last. But considering the League's growing scale and future needs, he decided quickly.
"Go with the 16-acre plot. Secure it and start construction immediately."
He recalled how the Avengers' compound in Endgame was about 8 acres—his would be twice that.
As for the potential Chitauri invasion in the future? Smith Doyle wasn't the least bit concerned.
Fox nodded.
"I've already made contact with the sellers. Once you give the word, we can sign the contracts."
"But with 16 acres and the scope of construction we're envisioning, if things go smoothly, it'll still take 5 to 8 years to finish…"
Smith Doyle frowned. That was way too long. In Dragon Ball, they could've made 5 to 8 wishes in that time.
"Unacceptable. Too slow."
"Contact infrastructure firms from the East, and also the top 10 U.S. construction companies. Pay them whatever they want—but I have one condition: 24-hour non-stop construction."
"Handle all the government red tape—noise, air pollution, whatever. I don't want anything slowing us down. I want to see that base completed in a year."
Fox hesitated, trying to process how absurdly fast that timeline was.
"That kind of timeline could increase costs tenfold or more…"
Smith waved dismissively.
"Prioritize the East's construction teams—they're faster than you can imagine."
"If I wasn't trying to avoid political messes, I'd let them handle the entire project. It'd be done even quicker."
"Anyway, Eastern firms lead the build, locals support. I want round-the-clock progress."
Fox nodded.
"Got it. I'll start making the calls."
Smith Doyle asked,
"Do we have enough money to cover all this?"
Fox replied confidently:
"We do. Between the assets we seized from the High Table, the Hand, and Kingpin, there's more than enough—especially for a one-year timeline."
Smith Doyle finally relaxed. Good. Would've been embarrassing to go bankrupt just building a base.
Listening to the exchange, Melina and Alexei were reminded of the Soviet Union's old glory days—massive, rapid development at any cost.
With the location settled, Fox left with Melina and Alexei to begin the induction process. There were plenty of steps involved, especially understanding the League's core philosophy.
As the two exited, Natasha turned and smiled.
"Boss, anything you need me to do?"
Smith Doyle noted the change in her tone. She's already adjusted to this new role.
"Natasha, do you understand the philosophy of the Assassin's League?"
She thought back to the files she'd read at S.H.I.E.L.D.
"'Nothing is true, everything is permitted. We walk in the shadows to serve the light.'"
Smith Doyle nodded.
"Civilization is fragile. We must be its guardians."
"We are the architects of our own actions, and we must bear their consequences—whether they bring glory or tragedy."
"When the world blindly follows so-called truths, remember: there is no absolute truth."
"When people's actions are bound by morality or law, remember: every constraint can be broken."
"We toil in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true. Everything is permitted."
As he spoke, a glowing sphere of energy materialized in his palm, radiating light—similar to a ki blast.
"Beneath truth, all are equal."
Natasha nodded. She finally understood the League's creed on a deeper level.
Smith Doyle let the energy dissipate and continued,
"I once told you—justice must be achieved by our own hands, even if it means bloodshed."
Natasha nodded again. It was the second time she'd heard those words.
Then Smith Doyle asked,
"Natasha, what's your opinion on S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Natasha's mind raced. She weighed her words carefully.
"Like every spy organization, they're ruthless and manipulative. Untrustworthy."
"There are good people working there—but they're still bound by the system, often doing things that only seem right."
"I plan to leave S.H.I.E.L.D., but with my position, the only way out is to fake my death."
This last mission had shattered her trust in S.H.I.E.L.D. In her eyes, the Red Room and S.H.I.E.L.D. were two sides of the same coin. Not all bad people—but definitely not many good ones either.
Smith Doyle nodded. Her answer told him everything.
"I don't trust them either. Especially your director—Nick Fury."
"He could become a future threat. I need you to stay in S.H.I.E.L.D.—and keep an eye on him for me."
Natasha was stunned. Smith Doyle knows about Nick Fury? They've never even met…
She thought of the information Coulson had passed on. Clearly, the League had more spies in S.H.I.E.L.D. than she'd realized.
She looked at him seriously.
"There's something wrong with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
---
—End of chapter—
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