Trident Building Headquarters
Natasha Romanoff, having rushed back in a Quinjet, followed Nick Fury's instructions to the 17th-floor research lab of the Trident Building.
"Boss, what happened?" she asked, finding Nick Fury standing outside a clear glass observation window overlooking the laboratory.
"Remember what Su Che wrote in his diary about an ability named Olivia Temple, nicknamed 'Balrog'?" Fury questioned.
Natasha immediately replied, "I remember. According to Su's description, Olivia Temple is likely an enemy from another dimension with the ability to corrupt others. The diary stated that the more evil a person's heart, the more susceptible they are to her influence."
Nick Fury nodded grimly and handed her a report. "Su Che was attacked two days ago. As he told you after you revealed your S.H.I.E.L.D. identity, those bewitched by Olivia Temple are no longer human. I had Hill retrieve the attacker—who was mummified by Su—for our researchers to study. Initially, they found nothing unusual."
He gestured toward the dissected figure in the lab. "According to Su's diary, Olivia Temple draws energy from jewelry. So after the attack, I had S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites monitor all jewelry stores in New York. Last night, one on Seventh Street was hit. This," he pointed at the corpse, "is the perpetrator who single-handedly raided the entire store. When our agents moved to apprehend him, he displayed extreme strength and abnormal abilities. It cost us dearly to finally kill him and bring him back."
Turning to Natasha, who was scanning the report, Fury continued gravely, "The heart and head—common fatal弱点 (weak points)—were useless against him. One of our agents accidentally shot him in the back of the neck, and that killed him instantly."
"No heart, liver, spleen, lungs, or kidneys?" Natasha frowned at the report's dissection findings. Instead of normal organs, the corpse contained a three-meter-long, bloodthirsty, tongue-like proboscis lined with dozens of sharp teeth. "What is this tongue-like thing? Even legendary vampires aren't this grotesque."
"Still unclear. Researchers are testing it. We don't know yet if it's bloodthirsty, if the tongue-like projection is contagious or can transform others, or if there are other weaknesses besides the cervical spine." Fury met her eyes. "As Su said, those transformed by Olivia Temple are no longer human. They're more like humanoid monsters. If these monsters can turn ordinary people, Natasha, you can imagine the threat level."
Natasha's expression turned equally grave. "I've seen Resident Evil and the DC zombie universe comics. If a bite or scratch turns people into zombies, it won't be long before all of New York becomes a living hell. I understand. I'll go see Su immediately and have a serious talk with him."
(Author's Note: Whether in the Marvel movie universe or comics, DC comics exist, and vice versa—though I'm less certain about the latter since I haven't read many DC comics beyond the classics!)
Seeing Natasha grasp the severity, Fury nodded. "That's why I called you back. Su wrote in his diary that among all the Avengers, you hold a special place in his heart. Given his knowledge, I believe you can convince him."
"I'll go now." Natasha nodded solemnly and moved to return the report, but Fury shook his head.
"Keep it. Besides the lab researchers, only you, me, and Hill know about this."
"Nick, you suspect S.H.I.E.L.D. might be compromised? I understand." Natasha glanced at him. "Perhaps Su was right—S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't fully trustworthy yet. Thankfully, his diary shows he trusts me. Otherwise, if your fears come true, the consequences would be catastrophic. Still, I can't help but wonder about the 'me' in Su's world—what abilities does she have to earn such high regard from a superhero like him?"