On the Quinjet—
At that moment, Ward rushed over to Coulson and reported:
"Coulson, based on footage from the road surveillance system, Rooster Roy and his men are heading toward Queens, New York."
"Our analysis indicates their likely target is Charles Agency on 71st Avenue in Forest Hills."
"Facial recognition also picked up a woman in Roy's car, but we have no data on her."
Hearing this, Coulson's expression grew grave. Events were unfolding toward the worst possible scenario.
"Get to the command room immediately. Bring Sif to confirm whether the woman is Lorelei."
After speaking, the two hurried out.
…
At this moment, Sif was still fuming in her room. Ward pushed the door open and entered.
"Sif, we've found a lead on Lorelei. Come and confirm if it's really her."
Sif glanced at Ward and nodded.
"Alright."
…
In the command room-
Coulson, Ward, Sif, and May had gathered. Fitz and Simmons, however, remained in the lab, continuing their work on repairing the collar.
Ward brought up the surveillance footage, displaying the images captured by roadside cameras.
Sif examined the woman on the screen and immediately said, "There's no mistake. That's Lorelei."
"Where is she now? Let's go catch her."
With the target confirmed, Ward added, "Our analysis suggests they're heading to Charles Agency."
Sif murmured, "Charles Agency?"
"Charles...?"
"Is this agency related to Supreme Merlin, Charles Doyle?"
Coulson clarified, "It is his property. But don't worry. Charles Doyle no longer resides there. Lorelei won't have the chance to control him."
May chimed in, "While Charles isn't at the agency, his subordinates, including Konoha's ninjas, are."
Hearing this, Sif exhaled in relief, "As long as Supreme Merlin isn't there. If Lorelei ambushed him unprepared, it could cause chaos across the Nine Realms."
Ward shook his head, "Even if Charles isn't there, his subordinates are not to be underestimated. Many of them are extraordinarily powerful."
However, Sif dismissed his concerns with a slight shake of her head, "No need to worry. Anyone but Supreme Merlin is insignificant."
"Still, we must act quickly. The more people she controls, the harder it'll be to deal with her."
Clearly, Sif underestimated the capabilities of ninjas, confident in her ability to defeat them.
Coulson stepped in to coordinate, "I'll have the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stationed near Charles Agency intercept her. I'll also prioritize sending female agents and those skilled in ranged combat."
"However, due to time constraints, we might not be able to deploy a large team from the base."
Sif interjected, "Then let's move immediately."
Coulson turned to May, "Set a course."
May swiftly headed to the cockpit, preparing the plane for takeoff.
…
Meanwhile-
Lorelei listened as Roy enthusiastically shared information about Earth and its superheroes.
"Besides the ninjas here, we also have the powerful Avengers. Each of them is an extraordinary individual," Roy explained.
Curious, Lorelei asked, "The Avengers?"
Roy nodded, "Yes, they're a team that includes Captain America, who can easily lift a car and wields an indestructible shield capable of deflecting any attack."
"There's Hawkeye, a sharpshooter with perfect aim; Crossbones, who wields dual batons; and the beautiful but deadly Black Widow."
"Then there's the mighty Hulk, the flame-wielding Blazing Hero, the mythical Thor, and Iron Man."
Evidently, Roy was unaware that Blazing Hero had already died.
Lorelei caught two key details in Roy's description: first, Thor Odinson, prince of Asgard, was among the Avengers; and second, the team included a female member.
"How strong is this Black Widow?" Lorelei inquired.
Roy shrugged, "I'm not sure, but she's probably not one of their strongest members, likely on par with Hawkeye or Crossbones."
"She might have used some kind of physical enhancement serum, though I'm not sure which ninja village it is from."
Relieved to hear that Black Widow didn't seem particularly formidable, Lorelei dismissed the Avengers as a potential threat. She then asked, "Are all these Avengers in New York?"
Roy shook his head again, "I only know that Iron Man, Tony Stark, has his company in New York. As for the others, I'm not sure. I haven't seen any news about them in a while."
Disappointed, Lorelei realized that Roy, despite his bravado, held little sway on this planet.
"How far are we from Charles Agency?"
"At the next intersection, we'll reach Forest Hills, Queens. Once there, we'll soon see the sign for Charles Agency."
As the two continued their conversation, a group of snipers stationed atop a nearby building had already taken their positions.
"Targets are within firing range," reported snipers A, B, and C in unison.
Their earpieces buzzed with the commander's orders: "Take the shot!"
All three pulled their triggers, sending sniper rounds toward three distinct targets: the car's tires, Roy, and Lorelei.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The bullets tore through the air. Lorelei, sensing danger, quickly ducked to avoid the shot aimed at her.
Roy wasn't as lucky—his head exploded on impact, painting the windshield with red and white gore.
A tire blew out as well, causing the vehicle to veer out of control. It collided with a fire hydrant before slamming into a wall, finally coming to a halt.
Everything happened in an instant. The car Roy had been driving was rendered useless, and his accompanying henchmen immediately hit the brakes, rushing toward Lorelei.
"Bang!"
Lorelei kicked open the warped car door and emerged unscathed.
At that moment, over a dozen heavily armed S.H.I.E.L.D. agents charged forward, aiming their weapons on Lorelei.
"Look at me. What are you doing?"
Most of the agents suddenly froze mid-action, captivated by Lorelei's enchantment.
However, three female agents remained unaffected and instinctively pulled their triggers.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!"