"Did you not watch the news?"
"I did."
"Then..."
"Our battlefield is overseas, Locke!"
"..."
Locke wanted to laugh.
Just like the FBI, who walked out into the world under the pretext of needing to investigate overseas whenever federal citizens required it, how could the CIA not want to make a return?
After all...
Flaunting one's power overseas carried risks, whereas flexing your muscles at home was far more satisfying.
If the CIA did not have such intentions, then their secret bases wouldn't be popping up all over the country. The CIA can only handle foreign affairs?
Heh.
That's what they say on paper, but anyone who truly believes it is a complete fool. After all, in the words of the CIA, sometimes by the time they receive information, the terrorists have already infiltrated the country.
After saying this, Mr. Nobody chuckled over the phone. "Alright, this matter involves the supernatural. If we aren't careful, we'll end up holding the bag. On the surface, we don't have law enforcement power, unlike a certain agency that can use Homeland Security as a front, where someone will always clean up after them if something goes wrong."
Locke nodded.
That's more like it.
Everyone here is a professional, so why speak in riddles?
However...
Holding the bag?
The corners of Locke's mouth turned up slightly. "What if I can help the Agency establish a dialogue mechanism with the witches?"
Mr. Nobody froze slightly, putting down the craft beer in his hand. "What do you mean?"
Locke said, "Exactly what it sounds like. So, any thoughts?"
"Where are you?"
"The witch academy."
"...Specifically."
"Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies."
"I land in half an hour."
"Good."
Locke uttered a word, hung up the phone decisively and cleanly, and walked back toward the dining room.
The witches needed a stable environment for his mission to be completed. Force might strike terror into people's hearts, but it would definitely not create a stable environment.
Especially in the United States, the system of happy education had produced far too many brain-dead humans. In fact, there was no shortage of such brain-dead individuals even within the Pentagon, the House of Representatives, and the Senate.
Therefore...
The CIA needed to step forward at this time.
A good CIA, if utilized properly, was actually an excellent weapon. This was also one of the main reasons why Locke had been willing to join the CIA back then.
He needed the CIA to grind out missions globally, and he also needed the CIA to do some work occasionally.
Returning to the dining room.
There was plenty of laughter and conversation.
Locke walked over and just happened to see Madison displaying her telekinesis, lifting a candlestick from the dining table and bringing it into her hand to hold it.
Seeing this, Gwen let out a slight exclamation. "I thought witches could only use one kind of ability."
Just moments ago, Madison had opened her right hand, displaying her pyrokinesis.
"For the most part, yes."
Cordelia said with a smile, "In fact, what more witches excel in is spellcasting and potions. Witches like Madison, who awaken with multiple abilities right from the start, are still in the minority."
Gwen looked curiously at Zoe. "Zoe, then you..."
Zoe smiled.
Madison looked at Locke, who was leaning against his chair with his arms crossed, and said to Gwen, "Gwen, Zoe's ability is actually very unique. She has the ability of a Black Widow."
Gwen froze slightly. "A Black Widow?"
Madison said, "Yes, just like how a Black Widow will consume the male spider after mating, Zoe does the same."
Gwen's mouth opened slightly.
Locke also displayed an appropriate amount of surprise. "A very miraculous ability."
Cordelia seemed to perceive something and looked at Madison thoughtfully.
Hearing Madison state her ability in a joking tone, Zoe forced a smile.
Just then.
With a thud.
The room door was pushed open. The few people who were talking and laughing turned to look, and right before their eyes, they saw Fiona, whom they had driven out this morning, making a return.
Cordelia, Zoe, and the others instantly stood up.
"You have been exiled."
"Exiled? What a joke. I am the Supreme Witch!"
"..."
Looking at this somewhat tense atmosphere, Gwen frowned, and then looked at Locke beside her with a bit of curiosity.
Locke was spinning his chair.
Fiona's gaze suddenly snapped directly onto Locke, who was spinning his chair and looking at her. "So, you're the one? My daughter's lover?"
"What?"
Hearing these words, Gwen instantly felt completely out of sorts. She was somewhat shocked, but there wasn't a single shred of doubt; she just found it profoundly unscientific.
After all...
Cordelia was already in her thirties. Furthermore, compared to Cordelia, if Locke really wanted to cheat behind her back, wouldn't a young and beautiful Carrie be a better choice?
After her initial shock, Gwen also looked toward Fiona.
This old woman, she did not like her.
Gwen directly gripped Locke's right hand and looked at Fiona. "Locke is my boyfriend!"
Fiona looked toward Gwen.
The transparent fine hairs on the back of Gwen's hand instantly stood up alertly like radar.
Fiona raised her hand.
Boom!
A burst of witch's fire ignited instantly.
"What business do you have here..."
"Enough!"
Locke narrowed his eyes, looking at Cordelia, who had blocked the path in front of Gwen.
Cordelia looked at Fiona with a deep voice. "What do you want to do?"
Fiona glanced at Locke, then looked at Cordelia and said, "Protect you all."
"Ha."
Madison laughed directly. "Protect? You probably want to kill us so you can keep sitting firmly in the position of Supreme Witch."
Fiona looked at Madison. "Little bitch, do you believe I can kill you once more?"
Madison stepped forward, her right hand opening as a burst of witch's fire also flared up. "Come at me then."
Four against one.
The advantage is mine!
Fiona let out two superficial laughs, looking back at Cordelia. "Thanks to that damned Dark Witch, the descendants of the Crusaders from the New York Dolan have already arrived here."
Cordelia frowned.
Carrie also frowned.
Locke, on the other hand, smiled.
The Supreme Witch was truly worthy of being the Supreme Witch. In less than ten sentences since her entrance, she had not only offended him but had even offended Carrie.
Impressive.
However...
Descendants of the Crusaders, New York Dolan.
So, the dozen or so strange individuals Gwen saw on the plane really were from the New York Dolan.
Seeing this, Fiona walked straight over, sat down in Cordelia's seat, crossed her legs, and lit a lady's cigarette. "The Council ordered me to come to the academy and protect it well. So if you have a problem, you can go to the Council. But now that the Crusaders are here, can you stop them?"
Cordelia fell into silence.
During the Salem era, the ones who killed them the most were the Crusaders. Formed within the Holy See specifically to exterminate witches, they might all be mortals, but they were mortals who could immunize themselves against the witches' abilities.
Then, relying on their powerful physical conditioning, they would rush in front of the witches and use the knightly swords in their hands to kill the poor witches one by one.
Gwen looked at the overbearing Fiona, and then at Cordelia, Zoe, and the others, who looked conflicted and somewhat frightened upon hearing the name of the Crusaders. She asked with some curiosity about the background of these Crusaders.
After listening to the explanation.
Gwen was somewhat puzzled.
Mortals.
Mortals who weren't afraid of witch magic.
Aren't they still mortals?
Gwen blinked. "We can call the police!"
"Hmm?"
Gwen looked toward Locke, trying to find a supporter for her stance. "I'm right, aren't I? We can call the police."
The Crusaders are mortals.
Are Cordelia, Zoe, and the others not mortals as well?
At the very least, Gwen felt that she had no way to distinguish from the outside what exactly the difference was between witches and mortals. If not for Locke, if she met Cordelia, Zoe, and Madison on the street, Gwen would only think that Zoe and Cordelia were sisters, while Madison was that Hollywood movie star.
"So..."
Gwen voiced her suspicion, then looked back at Cordelia. "We can call the police. Besides, my dad is a captain in the New York Police Department."
She did not like this overbearing Fiona, especially when Gwen suddenly remembered the matter of this Fiona seemingly having killed Madison before.
She was unwilling to sit in a room with a murderer.
Moreover, it looked like Cordelia and the others didn't like Fiona either; they just didn't dare to drive Fiona away due to the fearsome reputation of the Crusaders.
Gwen said, "If possible, I can have my dad look for Detective Thornton and have him arrange for patrol officers to increase the patrolling intensity here."
What era is it anyway?
Still talking about Crusaders?
The United States is governed by laws.
Let alone the Crusaders, even if it were the Pope, if you dare to kill someone on the street, try it. Especially when it gets dark, even the Pope can be shot into a hornet's nest.
But...
Cordelia shook her head. "It's useless."
Gwen frowned. "What?"
How could it be useless?
Gwen said, "Are you worried that the precinct will find out about your identities..."
Cordelia shook her head. "No, the Dolan Church in New York has always maintained contact with a mysterious agency. Several Salem witches who fled from Europe told us that people from the Dolan Church would even ride on the vehicles of that mysterious global agency and could command the police across the entire city to hunt them down."
"You mean to say the law enforcement agencies have always known, and have always been helping the Dolan Church hunt down and exterminate you?"
"Yes."
"..."
Gwen blinked, somewhat unable to believe it. No, the first half of the statement—that law enforcement agencies knew—Gwen believed. But the second half—that law enforcement agencies had always been helping the Dolan Church hunt down and judge witches?
Gwen did not believe this.
If George knew about witches and helped Dolan hunt down and judge them, Gwen would definitely be very angry. If they were hunting down the good kind of witches, Gwen would be even angrier.
Locke, however, listening to Cordelia's words, thought of a certain agency that was infamous in his book.
"That mysterious agency..."
Locke raised his head and looked toward Cordelia. "S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Cordelia: "..."
***
Bonus chapter
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