Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1371 Double Trust (First Update)

The driver turned the steering wheel and headed north, leaving Lonner Regan Airport far behind. Agent Coulson wasn't surprised at all. This man never allowed anyone to interfere with his plans; Nick Fury's past personality had been even worse, but Agent Coulson felt he could tolerate it.

Out of respect for his role as a hostage, he felt it necessary to ask where the destination was. "Los Angeles," the passenger in the front seat replied without hesitation, revealing his ability to read minds, "Metropolitan Area, Gabe Reyes."

"He's a good kid." Agent Coulson subtly tensed his back. "You're not going to pull some low-level tricks, are you?"

The look in the rearview mirror was remarkably calm, but Agent Coulson still detected a hint of disdain. "I know you've used kidnapping before, but don't project your own methods onto others. Going to Los Angeles is simply because Robbie Reyes is looking for his blood relatives, nothing more."

"As far as I know, you once took Robbie Reyes away, and it seems you signed a contract with him."

Saying this is tantamount to admitting that he had contact with Robbie Reyes and the Dark Book. Interrogation isn't simply about demanding information; the interrogator should provide information appropriately to stimulate the interrogated person's mind, obtaining information through inducement. This was the first lesson Agent Coulson learned shortly after joining S.H.I.E.L.D. after graduating high school, and over the years it had become second nature to him.

The passenger in the co-pilot's seat seemed unfazed by the information he revealed, as if he already knew about it. However, he still mentioned some things Agent Coulson wanted to know. "That contract is designed to bind spirits, not humans. I cannot force Robbie Reyes, as the vessel of a spirit, to fulfill the obligations stipulated in the contract. He has a free soul, and no one can force him to do anything against his will. The attached spirit also protects his free will from infringement," the co-pilot said. "Robbie Reyes can only gradually understand his responsibilities through communication with the spirit, nothing more. Whether he is willing to fulfill his duties, and in what way, is entirely his prerogative."

"What exactly is that burning skull?"

"Even now, you don't give up any opportunity to gather intelligence?" The Precision Stand vividly rolled its eyes. "Do you remember our encounter in Salem? I can only tell you that the spirit possessing Robbie Reyes is an extradimensional being, but it doesn't belong to any extradimensional evil god, nor is it a follower of any monster you remember."

"You're not telling the truth," Agent Coulson said. "Based on your past actions, all extradimensional beings must be killed. Why is the spirit possessing Robbie Reyes an exception? Is there some unspeakable secret behind this?"

"I just didn't tell the whole truth. Did you expect to hear what you wanted to hear outside the interrogation room?"

The car silently drove out of Washington, D.C., towards the Bridenstine Seaside Park National Nature Reserve in Maryland. For the entire half-hour drive, Agent Coulson remained silent, as did the passenger in the front seat, until he spotted the Quinjet parked near the picnic area. He couldn't help but speak again. "They close at five in the afternoon. Even so, aren't you worried about the U.S. Air Force or tourists who haven't left yet spotting the Quinjet here?"

"Every intelligence agency in the world knows that the Quinjet is a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft." The precise double opened the back door for Agent Coulson. "Moreover, we've modified the aircraft and installed a fully automated pilot, so there's no need to worry about leaks."

"So you're willing to expose an agent infiltrating the new S.H.I.E.L.D. just to take me away?" Agent Coulson said, pointing at the driver who was driving away. "Don't you know that any rational intelligence officer would be suspicious of him?"

“Well said, but he’s not my agent.” The precise double didn’t elaborate, instead inviting Agent Coulson onto the ramp leading to the Quinjet. Agent Coulson, however, stood there, demanding an explanation. “He’s innocent. He was just manipulated by me. A few days off to investigate his background, and he’ll be back at work. Are you satisfied with that answer? Or do you want me to do the same to you? I won’t be so gentle with you, Phil Coulson. I’ll manipulate your brain’s electrical signals, manipulate your blood and muscles, and you’ll be fully conscious as you board the plane with me.”

"Why me?"

"Because Robbie Reyes trusts you, and that spirit trusts me. Robbie Reyes has always thought the spirit is a demon, so he's always been skeptical of what the spirit says. In essence, all ethereal entities are the same, and Robbie Reyes's caution is justified. However, he knows too little and has too many doubts. That spirit is very different. I need you to persuade him to believe what the spirit says."

"What about the lighthouse base?"

"I will instruct the soldiers not to harm those who surrender," the Precision Double said. "That's all I can do. You should hope Melinda May isn't too stubborn. Don't worry, I'll get you in touch with Lighthouse Base; you can make sure they survive."

"The C-10 to C-3 passageway is captured, the D-10 to D-1 passageway is captured, elevators A and B are captured, the E-5 ambush site is destroyed, the E-3 ambush site is destroyed, and all armed personnel have been wiped out." Melinda May glanced at the data and put down the data panel. "The losses are too great. We have already lost at least thirty lives outside, and ten more are missing. We cannot afford this loss. To protect the warehouse, we may have to lose at least twenty more lives, and the warehouse is very likely to fall again. This is the result of using machine guns and recoilless rifles. According to feedback from frontline personnel, the enemy has lost no more than five men."

"Contract the defenses and abandon the defense of the warehouse according to priority. I hope the critical items have already been evacuated."

“I can’t do it, Agent Hill.” Melinda May was furious. She struggled to restrain herself from asking Maria Hill why she was here, because she felt that answer could tear the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. apart. “Moving food and water to the various rooms has already cost almost all of our internal agents. We can’t waste lives and have our field agents risk their lives to protect things they don’t understand. Besides, some of the items on your list are enormous, and we can’t use machinery to move them right now.”

Maria Hill neither confirmed nor denied the answer.

She failed to point out Agent Coulson's oversights in deploying the defenses at the Beacon Base, or Melinda May's increasingly indecisive nature in recent years. Just as Victoria Hand had warned her, Agent Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. had now become a disorganized and undisciplined vigilante force, barely functioning on the remnants of the old S.H.I.E.L.D. organizational framework. At first, she thought it was just another lie, but the series of events from the defensive preparations to the present told her that Victoria Hand's contempt for Agent Coulson's team wasn't out of jealousy or other irrational factors, but rather a genuinely rational assessment.

"What about Daisy Jensen?" she turned to another person. "Has her aircraft taken off?"

"Mike (Alfonso McKenzie) hasn't sent the signal yet," Melinda May sighed. "But with Elena Rodriguez there, they should be able to break through B-3. We're certain the enemy isn't defending B-3; they're facing the same manpower shortage as us."

"Then we can only hope that Agent Coulson receives the message in time," Maria Hill sighed. "We also have to hope that the enemy is completely unaware of the purpose of the items in the Lighthouse base warehouse."

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(End of this chapter)