The reason Nick Fury entrusted the TAHITI project to Solomon Damonet was entirely due to Natasha Romanoff's recommendation. As an agent who had personally experienced resurrection, Romanoff did not hide this fact from Nick Fury. Instead, she openly acknowledged it, and the man responsible for her revival, Solomon Damonet, became the most valuable advisor to the TAHITI project.
Though Natasha's words were sharp as ever, her hands didn't stop moving as she handed Solomon a thick file. The mystic, completely unbothered by the concept of confidentiality, casually sat on a park bench and flipped through the documents. Originally, the TAHITI project was intended to aid severely injured Avengers. It was initiated before the formation of the current Avengers team and had saved the lives of numerous agents. However, a more accurate description would reveal that these agents underwent illegal human experiments. Afterward, they all suffered from severe mental illnesses, including delusions, mania, and paranoia.
"I don't have those symptoms, thanks to you." Natasha, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses, blinked. She had only learned about the TAHITI project yesterday, but she was certain that Solomon had known about it long beforehand. "No one's eavesdropping right now, so tell me: why were you so determined to leave the Helicarrier at that time? Did you already know about Agent Coulson's sacrifice? Or did you foresee what the TAHITI project entailed?"
"I can foresee things, ma'am, with remarkably high accuracy." Solomon continued flipping through the photos in the file. All agents subjected to the TAHITI experiments had descended into madness, compulsively drawing certain patterns in every imaginable location, never ceasing. Comparing the drawings revealed an eerie similarity among them, though no clear pattern had been identified. The researchers hadn't focused much on this aspect. "Premonitions—glimpses of fate. I don't divine through tea leaves or flames but access the very roots of this world." The mystic explained, "Knowing parts of the future is perfectly natural for me, so I prepare for things before they happen. Are you absolutely sure no one's eavesdropping?"
"I'm certain," Romanoff replied. But Solomon didn't take her word for it. He extended a finger, chanting a spell as a soft blue light swept over her body. This spell, "Technological Detection," functioned like Detect Magic but targeted technological devices. Solomon used it to check for listening devices.
"What's this?"
"No listening devices. Now, I have a proposal for you, Natasha."
"You're calling me by my first name for the first time, mystic." Romanoff brushed her red hair aside. "You've always called me 'Agent Romanoff' or 'ma'am.' I suspect your proposal will be as ill-timed as your sudden politeness."
"This will benefit you," the mystic responded, unfazed by her sarcasm. "I presented this proposal to Agent Victoria Hand before, and now I'm extending it to you. I foresee SHIELD's collapse. After that, someone like you will need a safe haven, a protective organization. Coincidentally, I'm planning to establish an organization to combat worldly black magic entities, addressing the gap in mundane power left by Kamar-Taj. I can't do this alone. Though I will provide magical technical support, I need an executive—a skilled agent with exceptional organizational abilities. I've chosen Victoria Hand for that role, but the leadership position is yours to take. This would be a truly altruistic organization. To me, humanity is unified—there will be no political leanings, and regional conflicts will be irrelevant. The only enemies will be black magic entities and extraterrestrials."
"When did this idea come to you?" Natasha asked, unmoved by his words. She was naturally cautious, and while she wouldn't dismiss Solomon's proposal outright, she would scrutinize it thoroughly. His accurate predictions had earned her attention, even if she remained skeptical.
"A long time ago. Honestly, I first thought of it during a bus ride on my first mission. Long bus rides are rough; I figured a Quinjet would be much more comfortable." Solomon chuckled. "So I've already started recruiting talent—you know as well as I do how dire your situation could become if SHIELD collapses."
"And how did Agent Hand respond?"
"Oh, she reported it to Nick Fury," Solomon said nonchalantly. "Fury dismissed it as an attempt to scare him. He argued that managing and organizing requires study, and I've never studied those things—which is true. But I can find people who have. I don't mind Hand's betrayal; it's her duty. I've foreseen her fate, and she'll accept my proposal in due time. You, however, are different, Agent Romanoff..."
"Say my name."
"Alright, Heisenberg." Solomon smirked, slipping in a "Breaking Bad" reference. "I don't want you telling Nick Fury about this. Nor do I want him taking it seriously. His dismissive attitude suits me. Right now, you're aboard a leaking ship, and I'm offering you a chance to jump onto another. You can either throw away the new ticket and sink with the old ship, or you can become the first officer on the new one. It might be smaller, but it's far safer. I don't expect an answer now; take your time and think it over."
"So your way of retaliating against Fury is to build an army of Van Helsings within SHIELD? Are you going to arm them with crossbows?" Romanoff tilted her head. "Fine, I'll agree, but I need to know how long this ticket stays valid."
"For you? Indefinitely."
"Oh, how sweet of you. That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. You know, you sound like a nerdy high schooler in love."
"F*ck off. Now, you can tell Fury that I've accepted the TAHITI project."
"Tell me why you accepted it. Don't give me that look. Fury will definitely ask, and I need a solid reason."
"Because of the prophecy," Solomon replied. "In it, Agent Coulson saves humanity, so I'll save him. That should be enough to satisfy Fury. Remember my offer—it even comes with a 'no hell-bound fate' perk."
"So the brat accepted the TAHITI project just because Coulson will save the world? What kind of reason is that!" Nick Fury suddenly snapped. "Does he think treating me like this is justified because I won't save the world? Ungrateful kid!"
"Sir, I think he has a point," Romanoff said from her seat. Above her was a thick layer of concrete. This was one of Fury's secret bases. Two days had passed since the SHIELD director's disappearance, and Fury had been tirelessly making calls and investigating. When Romanoff returned, she found Fury with bloodshot eyes, and Solomon's reasoning only added fuel to the fire.
"Brat, brat..." Fury muttered as he poured over physical documents. Watching this, Romanoff couldn't help but think Solomon was right: there really were problems within SHIELD. She began to seriously consider the mystic's proposal.
"I need to make an appearance tomorrow," Fury sighed. "That brat completely derailed my plans! Damn it! I could've conducted a long-term investigation!"
"So what's the problem? You know SHIELD is my refuge; I have a right to know." Romanoff withheld some information as she carefully weighed Solomon's proposal.
"You're starting to think like a soldier instead of a spy, Agent Romanoff." Fury shook a file at her. "I've found plenty of clues, but none point to the same person. There's a rogue faction within SHIELD, and I need to root them out without disrupting our operations. Best case scenario: it's just a small group. Worst case? It's a CIA, FBI, or some intelligence agency's infiltration. Why the USA? Because, of course, they fund us the most."
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