Chapter 12. Cooperation and Nick Fury’s Concerns
"So, what do you need in order to join S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Nick Fury asked, raising an eyebrow.
Upon hearing the question, Noah smiled and replied, "I don't intend to tie myself to the responsibilities of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. I value my freedom and don't like being controlled."
Nick Fury understood Noah's stance but knew that someone with powers as unusual as his needed to be kept under control. Moreover, Noah possessed crucial information about the future that Fury needed to learn. Just as he was about to speak again, Noah interrupted him:
"I don't want to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but if you ever need my help, I'm willing to assist. However, that will depend on my mood."
"Oh? And how exactly do you think you can help us?" Fury asked with interest.
"I'm particularly interested in supernatural occurrences: alien invasions, rampaging monsters created by mad scientists, or villains who get their hands on dangerous weapons and try to take over the world. If you come across any of that, feel free to call me," Noah explained.
He wanted to use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vast intelligence network to find himself high-level tasks. Since S.H.I.E.L.D. would only contact him for serious issues, these missions would need to be at least B-level.
"What you're describing—is this all in the future?" Nick Fury asked, thoughtfully.
"Alright, I accept your terms of cooperation, but I want to know more about the future. What do I need to give you for that information?"
"The future? Actually, I haven't seen that much. What I've already told you is almost everything I saw. But I can tell you one more thing: in the future, there will be traitors within S.H.I.E.L.D., and you'll be on the brink of death," Noah said.
He intended to use S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources to seek B and even A-level system missions. But for now, considering that probably half of the agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. belonged to HYDRA, he decided to stir up some trouble for them.
"What?! Do you know who these people are? And how can you be sure they're traitors and not just external enemies?" Nick Fury was shaken. He always believed he had full control over S.H.I.E.L.D. and didn't want to believe Noah's words.
"Because these people were wearing S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms, and I saw them working alongside you. So I'm sure they're traitors. But as to who they are, I don't know yet. If I see more details in the future, I'll let you know," Noah shrugged, showing that this was all he knew.
"By the way, Coulson, the guy with the bow, and the redheaded woman—they'll be on your side in the future. I saw that too," Noah added.
"Natasha, Barton, and Coulson?" Nick Fury thought, realizing Noah still had a lot of untold knowledge, but right now, what worried him most was whether there really were traitors in S.H.I.E.L.D. Hearing Noah's words, he said:
"Coulson, wrap up the operation. Gather all the information on everyone involved in this mission and make sure they don't speak about it to anyone."
"Yes, Director," Coulson replied. He was also curious about the possibility of traitors within the agency, and there was no guarantee that some of them weren't involved in this mission. He nodded at Noah and handed him a business card.
"Noah, here's my phone number. If you need anything, feel free to contact me. We'll be going now," Coulson said, offering his contact info.
"Wait, Coulson, don't forget to check up on those two," Noah said, still suspecting they might be HYDRA agents.
Coulson nodded and left Noah's house.
...
When Coulson returned to headquarters, he headed straight to Nick Fury's office.
"Director," Coulson began as he entered.
"Coulson, get in touch with Barton and Natasha. Have them temporarily put their current missions on hold and come to my office," Fury said, his face serious.
Hawkeye, Clint Barton, wasn't on a mission today, so he arrived quickly. He nodded to Coulson and asked Nick Fury, "Director, is something important going on?"
"Yes, there's a pressing matter we need to discuss. Take a seat, we'll wait for Natasha," Fury replied.
Barton turned to Coulson, wanting to ask what had happened, but Coulson just shook his head. Barton shrugged and sat down, waiting for Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, to arrive.
Natasha was currently on a mission, keeping an eye on Tony Stark, so it took her a bit longer to arrive. After about half an hour, she entered the office, saw Barton and Coulson, and after greeting everyone, addressed Fury:
"Director, what's going on?"
Once everyone had gathered, Fury nodded to Coulson, who closed the door and activated the anti-surveillance devices.
With a faint hum, the devices activated. Nick Fury looked at the three of them with a serious expression and said:
"I've brought you here today for something important. Coulson, brief them on Noah."
"Alright, Director," Coulson responded.
Natasha and Barton listened with interest, realizing that this was indeed a serious matter if Natasha had to pause her mission watching Tony Stark.
"Noah is…" Coulson began, recounting the events of the day, Noah's abilities, and his visions of the future.
"Seeing the future? Do you really believe that's possible?" Barton asked in disbelief.
"He's telling the truth. I've already confirmed it," Nick Fury replied, his tone grave.
"Wow… So it's real," Barton muttered, understanding that if the Director had confirmed it, there was no room for doubt.
Natasha remained silent, listening closely before asking, "Director, is this important because of Noah himself or his visions of the future?"
"Noah saw that in the future, there will be traitors within S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury said.
"What?! Who are these people?" Natasha and Barton exclaimed in shock.
"We don't know yet," Fury responded.
"That's why I've brought you three together. You're the only ones I can fully trust. Starting today, you'll be tasked with secretly investigating any possible signs of traitors within the agency. Of course, don't stop your current missions to avoid suspicion."
"Understood," they answered in unison and, following Fury's signal, left the office.
After they departed, Nick Fury pulled out his old-fashioned pager, the one he used to contact Captain Marvel. Today had brought him too much information: first Noah with his supernatural powers, then the hidden organization Valoran, and finally, traitors within S.H.I.E.L.D. and an impending Earth crisis. All of this made his bald head ache slightly.
...
Coulson left Noah's house, and Noah received a notification that his mission was complete.
[Mission complete. Summoner receives 500 units of Essence.]
"Another 500 Essence! Now I can do a tenfold summon! Awesome!" Noah exclaimed in excitement.
After a few days, he was finally able to perform a tenfold summon once again. Wasting no time, he opened the summoning interface, rubbed his hands together, and pressed the summon button.