Chapter 57: Geneticist Dr. Morgan Miles
With the advanced defensive capabilities and strength enhancement system of her cutting-edge combat suit, Miss Stark easily subdued the Inner Demons. Even though she hadn't systematically studied hand-to-hand combat, relying on sheer strength to overpower her enemies wasn't a problem.
In the end, she didn't stop Mister Negative, Martin Li, from leaving. She believed that there was a deeper truth behind this situation. She convinced Captain Rogers to let Mister Negative go, hoping to expand their leads and uncover more information. At the same time, she discreetly placed a micro-tracker on him via the drone from her Quinjet.
By the time S.H.I.E.L.D.'s forces arrived, all they found was a mess—the university campus had been turned into a battlefield. The Quick Response Team, though not S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents, were well-versed in cleaning up after battles. Securing the campus, removing bodies, washing away bloodstains, and transporting captured or dead Inner Demons to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prison were tasks they handled with ease.
Miss Stark used her phone to remotely pilot the Quinjet, bringing it down to the campus square. She gathered a few key figures for an impromptu meeting to determine their next steps.
"So, what's the status?" she asked.
"Cleanup is about 80% done. Whether dead or alive, all Inner Demon members have been taken away by the logistics team," answered Brock Rumlow, his face showing signs of fatigue. Miss Stark nodded lightly in acknowledgment.
Turning to Professor Delaney, she addressed him next. "Professor Delaney, we know the Inner Demons were after 'Devil's Breath.' What exactly is it?"
Having been asked the same question repeatedly, first by Mister Negative and now by Miss Stark, Professor Isaac Delaney seemed flustered.
"To be honest, that project isn't under my control, so I don't know the specifics," he said, still shaken by the night's events. "But I can tell you who is in charge of that project—Dr. Morgan Miles."
Clearly rattled after everything he had been through—the Halloween party, the Inner Demon attack, and now S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement—Delaney was struggling to stay composed.
"As far as I know, he's being protected by Silver Sable International under Mayor Osborn's orders," Delaney continued. "Though 'protected' might be putting it generously. It's more like house arrest."
The professor looked exhausted, both physically and mentally, but at least he was cooperative and offered a useful lead.
"Did you share this information with Mister Negative as well, Professor Delaney?" Miss Stark asked, her sharp gaze fixed on him.
Delaney, clearly not someone with a strong will, looked down and admitted, "I think... yes. Dr. Miles might already be in danger, but there's nothing I could have done."
Under Miss Stark's penetrating stare, Delaney quickly folded, blaming his weakness for his willingness to share the information.
"Dr. Morgan Miles... Silver Sable International, huh? This is getting more interesting," Miss Stark muttered thoughtfully, beginning to suspect that Norman Osborn had been playing her all along.
Fortunately, Miss Stark had business ties with Silver Sable International, so she decided to reach out to Silver Sable directly. However, to her surprise, the call was abruptly cut off, leaving nothing but a busy tone.
"No need to call. I'm already here," a voice behind her announced.
Everyone turned in the direction of the voice, and there stood Silver Sable, the head of Silver Sable International, a skilled Russian mercenary. Behind her were two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from the Quick Response Team, looking a bit exasperated.
"Sorry, ma'am. Silver Sable's people forced their way in," one of the agents explained.
Miss Stark had previously told the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that Silver Sable International was an ally, leaving them in an awkward position when Silver Sable's people insisted on entering.
"The Inner Demons have set their sights on Dr. Morgan Miles, whom you're supposed to be protecting. Do you have any intel to share?" Miss Stark asked Silver Sable.
Silver Sable shook her head slightly, not offering a direct answer. Instead, she asked a question of her own. "Before that, I'd like some answers. Who exactly are you people?"
"Miss Stark, you don't seem to be the simple businesswoman you claim to be."
Silver Sable International had interacted with S.H.I.E.L.D., who had been posing as FBI agents while dealing with the chaos caused by the Inner Demons. But today, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't even bothered with the disguise—they were operating openly. This, coupled with the strange circumstances, had left Silver Sable puzzled.
She had dealt with Miss Stark in the business world, but the woman now seemed far more complex than she had first appeared.
"We're a secret organization—S.H.I.E.L.D. Our job is to protect ordinary people," Miss Stark replied, deciding to lay her cards on the table. She felt that transparency would facilitate dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.
However, she didn't reveal too much about S.H.I.E.L.D., offering only a vague explanation. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a special organization tasked with safeguarding world peace by keeping supernatural threats hidden from the public.
"Are you with the U.S. government?" Silver Sable asked, her suspicion growing.
"No, we answer to the United Nations. We're an international peacekeeping organization," Miss Stark clarified. Although she wasn't telling the full truth, she wasn't lying either. S.H.I.E.L.D. operated under the World Security Council, which was part of the United Nations and supported global peace efforts behind the scenes.
Under Miss Stark's blend of half-truths and persuasive tactics, Silver Sable's resistance gradually weakened. In the end, she accepted S.H.I.E.L.D. as an ally and agreed to lead them to Silver Sable International's temporary command center.
Soon after, the combined convoys of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Silver Sable International were on the move, their procession speeding through the city streets.
Miss Stark didn't board the Quinjet this time. Instead, she used her phone to remotely control the aircraft, ensuring it followed the convoy from above.
"According to our plan, we'll be relocating Dr. Morgan Miles to another base by noon tomorrow," Silver Sable explained. "Mayor Osborn requested this, believing that keeping the doctor constantly on the move is the safest option."
"Unfortunately, the Inner Demons may already know about your relocation plans. Fortunately, I've planted a tracker on Mister Negative, so we'll be able to monitor his movements at all times," Miss Stark replied.
By early morning, with New York's traffic light, the S.H.I.E.L.D. and Silver Sable International convoy arrived at their destination in about half an hour. The site was an office building in the southern part of 27th Street in Manhattan, which Silver Sable had transformed into a heavily fortified military outpost, complete with numerous armed security personnel.
It was clear that the Inner Demons had caused Silver Sable considerable trouble. With Washington allowing Osborn more autonomy, Silver Sable International had been granted significant privileges in the city. They were now legally allowed to station troops in New York, ostensibly to combat crime and maintain order.
Inside this makeshift fortress, Miss Stark and her team finally met Dr. Morgan Miles.
"Dr. Miles, we're from the U.N. Security Task Force, investigating the Inner Demons," Miss Stark introduced herself. "The Inner Demons have targeted your research. We need to know—what exactly is 'Devil's Breath'?"
Dr. Miles looked weary as he gazed at the group standing in his room. He sighed softly and shook his head.
He knew that Norman Osborn had pulled him into a dangerous mess, and there was no way for him to escape it on his own.
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