Maria Hill was no fool.
Emerging from Chicago and climbing her way up to her current position step by step, while partly due to Peggy Carter's appreciation, was mostly a testament to her own capability.
Otherwise, following Nick Fury's death and during Alexander Pierce's temporary return, she wouldn't have shed her "Interim Director" title in such a short amount of time to firmly secure the seat as the current Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Even Alexander Pierce, who originally seemed to intend to move back into S.H.I.E.L.D., could only retreat to the second line and act as a World Security Council member once more.
Mr. Nobody's phone call was short, and the content disclosed was minimal.
But...
Hill had still deduced a possibility.
Mr. Nobody had already established a connection with that Peerless Assassin's crew, or potentially with the Dark Sovereign. Even if he hadn't, it was highly likely he had connected with the coven of witches.
Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain why Mr. Nobody would suddenly care about the matters of the Dolan Church.
If it were said that S.H.I.E.L.D. sometimes liked to engage in unprofitable ventures, then the CIA was the textbook definition of never waking up early unless there was a profit to be made.
If the reward for eliminating the Dolan Church wasn't higher than the benefits of allowing it to exist, the CIA would absolutely not involve themselves in this matter.
After all, if the media ever found out that the CIA was executing a mission domestically...
Heh!
It was estimated that the saliva targeted at Langley from within the House of Representatives and the Senate could completely submerge Langley.
Therefore, Hill had smoothly gone along with the current, directly telling Mr. Nobody the location of those fourteen individuals, and likewise, very cleanly and decisively letting Mr. Nobody know that she would arrive shortly.
After all, while this could be considered Mr. Nobody's credit, it was even more so a favor from S.H.I.E.L.D.
Compared to the CIA, S.H.I.E.L.D. needed to re-establish contact with supernatural forces to see if a certain cooperative agreement could be reached.
As for why she mentioned the New York Dolan?
Hill looked at a satellite photo on the tablet in her hand.
On this tablet, a silver-white Audi R8 parked by the roadside was exceptionally eye-catching, making Hill feel increasingly certain that her hypothesis about a certain individual might be correct.
It seemed that wherever this person appeared, major incidents would follow.
New Orleans, the coven?
Sure enough.
It's you again, Locke.
At this moment, Hill thought of Nick Fury, whose grave grass was already growing tall. Frankly speaking, if it were her, she would also feel that even if Locke didn't have a direct connection to the Peerless Assassin, the two definitely maintained a deeper layer of relationship.
Hill stared at that already iconic Audi R8 on the tablet, thinking to herself in this manner.
Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies!
"Nash!"
"Director."
Looking at the hung-up phone, Mr. Nobody subsequently clicked on the coordinate information sent over by Hill during the call. He glanced at Cordelia Goode, the headmistress of this genuine witch academy before him, and while handing the phone to Nash, spoke to Cordelia, "A friend's business is our business."
Cordelia looked toward Locke, who was sitting not far away.
Sitting on the sofa in the study, tasting the witch wine said to be personally brewed by the witches, Locke accepted the gaze projected by Cordelia and shrugged his shoulders.
Mr. Nobody spoke directly to Nash, who had taken the phone, "Apprehend them!"
Nash nodded, and along with Egorova—who was in fact already his fiancée—turned around and walked outside. On the phone in his hand, information to assemble for action was already flying toward the local CIA secret base.
Mr. Nobody smilingly said to Cordelia, "Ms. Goode, are you satisfied with this method of handling things?"
Using a pack of utterly unscrupulous, inhumane beasts to exchange for the witches' friendship.
This was a great deal.
No.
It was a highly lucrative deal.
One witch was far more useful than five agents.
Finishing the witch wine in his glass, Locke looked at Mr. Nobody, who was already visualizing a beautiful future where witches joined his team, and spoke up directly.
"I heard that Dolan Churches from all over the country are coming here, intending to take advantage of Cordelia's coronation as the Supreme Witch two days from now to catch all the witches coming to attend the grand event in one fell swoop."
Mr. Nobody looked toward Cordelia and said in a deep voice, "Starting tomorrow, a team of personnel will be stationed outside. Not to monitor, but to protect. Anyone entering this building without permission will be arrested immediately."
Cordelia opened her mouth. "There's no need for that."
Mr. Nobody shook his head. "No, Ms. Goode, you don't understand human nature."
Frankly speaking.
If Cordelia hadn't just told him that only women possessing the bloodline of former Salem survivors could potentially awaken a witch's talent, Mr. Nobody would have already been thinking about whether witches could be mass-produced.
What if other people or organizations found out?
Furthermore, if certain fanatical organizations found out about this witch stronghold, they would probably think about sending the witches to dissection tables for slice-and-dice research.
Of course.
These so-called fanatical organizations included a few secret departments like his within the CIA.
Therefore...
Mr. Nobody looked serious. "Cordelia, it's fine for me to call you that, right? You are Locke's friend, so naturally, you are my friend. Since Locke found me, then I believe we can map out a path for win-win cooperation. Perhaps after you become the Supreme Witch, we can settle some details of our cooperation."
Lock it down quickly.
If it's late?
Someone is about to come over and disrupt the situation very soon.
Perceiving Mr. Nobody's sincere attitude, Cordelia looked hesitantly toward Locke.
Locke raised his eyebrows, let out a yawn, and looked at Mr. Nobody. "Maria Hill is coming over? I have no goodwill toward S.H.I.E.L.D. I'll head out first."
He had only one objective.
Complete the mission.
As long as his mission was completed, and simultaneously ensuring that the Supreme Witch he personally backed wouldn't become his enemy in the future, as for what Cordelia wanted to do, that was her business.
Therefore.
Exactly how Cordelia wanted to cooperate with Mr. Nobody was Cordelia's business, not his.
"I'm leaving."
"I'll look for you later."
"Haha."
Having already walked to the door, Locke turned his head to look at Mr. Nobody who spoke, the corners of his mouth turning up as he said, "Mr. Nobody, perhaps you don't have a girlfriend, but I do."
Mr. Nobody: "..."
In the middle of the night, only someone whose brain had short-circuited would choose to keep an old man company.
I have a girlfriend.
And...
Unsure if it was an illusion, Locke felt that since Gwen inexplicably gained her spider-sense, even her endurance had improved to a certain degree.
But that was during noon and afternoon; time wasn't very abundant, and it hadn't undergone thorough verification and testing.
Tonight was an excellent opportunity.
Walking out of the study, Locke made his way to the witches' training hall. Inside, Gwen sat on a chair, and Nan, wearing a witch hat and her hair in braided pigtails, sat across from Gwen with a deadpan serious expression.
Locke blinked his eyes and walked to Carrie's side.
"What's this about?"
"Gwen wants to experience Nan's ability."
"Hmm?"
"Mind reading, and predicting the future or something."
Carrie shrugged her shoulders, then looked at Locke with some curiosity, using a voice only the two of them could hear to ask, "Salem witches all possess a specialty upon awakening. Why don't we have one?"
Locke looked at Carrie. "Who says we don't?"
Carrie blinked. "We do?"
She remembered that before she accepted Agatha's teaching, she could only use one skill, and that was utilizing crude technique to manifest dark magic orbs to use as bombs.
Look at the Salem ones.
Teleportation here.
Telepathy there.
Resurrection from the dead and whatnot.
Far too broken.
Locke curled his lips. "Our energy is endless. That is the ultimate talent."
Magic power was equivalent to ammunition.
And other people's ammunition was limited; only the ammunition from their M78 Nebula dimension was endless.
No matter how many abilities one had, without the support of energy, it was completely useless.
Take Salem witches—even say the current Supreme Witch Fiona—her abilities were powerful, right? But if Fiona went up against Locke, no, went up against Carrie.
Perhaps in the early stages Fiona would hold the upper hand, but within less than ten exchanges, as Fiona's energy depleted completely, the ultimate victor would surely be Carrie, whose energy remained consistently endless.
Nothing else to it.
The Salem dimension was currently slumbering; even the dimension supplying energy was asleep. Witches utilizing Salem's power, just like a transforming Ultraman, had a time limit.
As for Carrie?
Just like Glitter Tiga, even normal attacks could unleash ultimate finisher effects under the enhancement of endless energy.
"By the way."
Thinking of that Fiona, Locke raised his eyebrows. "Where is that Fiona? Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her?"
"She left."
Carrie shrugged her shoulders. "I originally wanted to pursue her, but after thinking about it, I didn't go. However, I placed a magic marker on her. Should we eliminate her?"
Regarding this point, Carrie wasn't surprised in the slightest.
After all...
Fiona had intended to make a move against Gwen just now.
If Fiona continued to live under such circumstances, it was absolutely not because Fiona's strength was formidable enough, but because Locke hadn't gone to kill her yet.
Therefore, Carrie believed Fiona couldn't survive, and thus provided a set of coordinates.
"Of course."
Locke nodded, letting out a scoffing laugh, but after thinking it over, chuckled, "Forget it. Let her stay one more night."
Heading back shortly, he and Gwen still had an experiment regarding endurance to conduct. According to estimated time, by the time they finished, it would probably already be four or five in the morning.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow."
"Alright."
...