Chapter 102 – The Suspect S.H.I.E.L.D.

After hanging up the call, Smith Dole glanced at the three kneeling before him and called Fox to make arrangements.

"Fox, from now on, these three will officially join the Assassin Alliance."

Fox looked surprised. Just not long ago Natasha had been exposed as a spy — and now she and two others were joining?

Though puzzled, Fox still nodded:"Understood, I'll see to it."

"And these two?"

Smith explained:"This is the Iron Lady, Melina, Natasha's family. The other is the former Red Guardian, Alexei — also her family."

Fox gave Natasha a sidelong glance. So her whole family was defecting now, huh?

"Natasha, stay for a moment — there are things I need to discuss with you."

Before taking Melina and Alexei out, Fox pulled out a file and handed it over.

"These are three plots of land I've picked out in the suburbs of New York — eight, twelve, and sixteen acres respectively. Here are their locations."

"Which do you want for the new base?"

Smith flipped through the file. The plots got bigger and farther out in turn. Given the growing scale of the Assassin Alliance, he pointed to the largest:"This one — sixteen acres. Get it signed and start construction as soon as possible."

The Avengers' compound from that other timeline had been eight acres. His base would be double that. As for future Chitauri invasions of New York — Smith wasn't worried at all.

Fox nodded:"These plots are all ready to be contracted. But with sixteen acres and our planned scale, construction will take at least five to eight years…"

Hearing that, Smith frowned. That was far too long — he could collect all the Dragon Balls five to eight times in that time.

"No. Too slow."

"Contact Eastern construction companies and America's top ten builders. Pay them well, but I want one thing — work 24/7 without stopping."

"Grease the right palms so no one stops the work for noise, pollution, or whatever. I want the base finished within a year."

Fox was a little confused by the urgency but said:"That would drive the cost up tenfold or more."

Smith waved dismissively:"The core work goes to Eastern companies. Their speed will surprise you."

"If I didn't mind the politics I'd give them the whole thing — it would be even faster."

"In any case — Eastern companies in the lead, domestic ones supporting. I want construction around the clock."

Fox nodded:"Understood. I'll contact them at once."

Worried about the budget, Smith asked:"Do we have enough cash?"

Fox reported:"More than enough. The spoils from the High Table, the Hand, and Kingpin's empire are enough to build this base — even in one year."

Hearing that, Smith was reassured. It'd be a joke to go broke just building a base.

Melina and Alexei listened to this exchange, which reminded them of the great Soviet building drives of old.

After finalizing the site, Fox left with Melina and Alexei to begin the onboarding process — not least of which was learning the philosophy of the Assassin Alliance.

Once they were gone, Natasha smiled faintly and asked:"Boss, what would you have me do?"

Her choice of words made it clear she'd adjusted quickly.

"Natasha, do you understand the philosophy we follow?"

Natasha thought back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. files she'd read:"Nothing is true, everything is permitted. We work in darkness to serve the light."

Smith nodded and added:"Civilization is fragile. We must be its own guardians. We are the authors of our own actions — and we bear their consequences, be they glory or tragedy."

"When the masses blindly worship so-called truths, remember — there are no absolute truths. When they are bound by morality or law, remember — all chains can be broken. We sow in darkness to reap in light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

A faint glowing orb of ki formed in his palm.

"Beneath truth, all are equal."

Natasha nodded, a deeper understanding dawning.

Smith let the ki dissipate and said:"I once told you — justice is something we must enact ourselves, even if it means staining our hands with blood."

Natasha nodded again — hearing it a second time gave it more weight.

Then Smith asked:"What's your view of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Natasha's mind raced to read the meaning behind the question, but she answered:"Like any intelligence agency — ruthless, unscrupulous, untrustworthy. There are some decent people, but the system drags them into doing things that look right but may not be."

"I plan to leave. But with my identity… I'll probably have to fake my death."

This mission had shattered her trust in S.H.I.E.L.D. Red Room or S.H.I.E.L.D., it was all the same. There were some good people inside, but not many.

Hearing that, Smith knew she was ready to cut ties — and she'd already joined his side.

"I don't trust them either — especially your director, Nick Fury."

"He may well become the world's next big threat. I need you to stay inside and keep an eye on them for me."

That surprised Natasha. How could he even know about Fury? She thought of Coulson's reports — the Assassin Alliance seemed to know S.H.I.E.L.D. inside and out, and probably already had more agents embedded.

Her expression hardened as she asked:

"Is something wrong with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

…

(End of Chapter)

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