A few minutes later, Natasha walked out of the Defenders' building and got into a black car before leaving.
Once in the car, her face noticeably calmed down. The anger she showed in front of Lynch was mostly an act.
Natasha didn't have many expectations about her relationship with Lynch. After all, how could a Black Widow hope for normal emotions?
Looking at the bustling crowd outside the window, a hint of envy briefly appeared on her previously expressionless face. But that emotion lasted only for a second before she reverted back to the cold, efficient Black Widow.
She lowered her head, took out a tablet, and opened a top-secret mission file.
Might as well use this opportunity to complete this urgent task.
...
Not long ago, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
On a massive ship, groups of researchers in white uniforms were busily adjusting some large equipment, while teams of black-suited, heavily armed agents patrolled the area.
At the center of all this activity was a circle of computers and unknown devices. The highest-ranking individuals on the ship watched a particular screen with tense expressions.
The screen showed a mysterious scene from the depths of the ocean.
The small light attached to the probe seemed insignificant in the pitch-black deep sea. Beyond the orange glow lay the vast unknown—an unfathomable mystery for humanity, which still knew so little about the ocean's depths.
As the probe continued descending, an awe-inspiring underwater landscape unfolded before everyone. Rare sea creatures swam leisurely past, massive skeletons of marine life, and ancient ships that had been submerged for who knows how long.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared on the screen.
"What was that?" Coulson, with his arms crossed, squinted and asked the elderly marine biologist sitting in front of the screen.
"I don't know, it was too fast," the gray-haired scientist shook his head. His old eyes had not caught what had flashed on the screen.
He rewound the footage to the exact moment and paused it. A blurry image appeared on the screen.
In the distance, a humanoid figure emitting light quickly darted past the screen.
"A human?" Coulson frowned in disbelief.
After all, this was not a shallow sea of just a few meters deep. The probe had followed a path down thousands of meters after a seabed earthquake.
At such depths, the enormous pressure would instantly crush any normal human. Survival seemed impossible.
"That's not a normal human," the old scientist said thoughtfully as he stared at the screen.
He then zoomed in on the footage.
"His skin... it's blue, and he's wearing some kind of specialized suit."
With his eyes close to the screen, the scientist carefully observed and spoke word by word.
Coulson, following his lead, leaned in to study the image and said, "A merman? Even the best divers in specialized suits couldn't survive in such deep waters..."
The deepest recorded human dive is only a few hundred meters. Even with advanced equipment, no human could survive in the depths of the ocean.
If they could, humans would have fully explored the resource-rich deep sea long ago, instead of remaining largely ignorant of its mysteries.
"...It's possible..." The elderly scientist mumbled to himself, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He then turned to Coulson with a thrill in his voice, "This discovery is incredible... whether this being is a merman or some other creature... from its appearance and outfit, it's clear..."
His whole body trembled with excitement, as though he had just discovered a new continent.
"This is a new civilization! They have a humanoid form, blue skin, and a high level of technology!"
While the scholar was thrilled, Coulson felt only a headache. Seeing this figure on the screen made him realize they had uncovered something problematic.
This fleeting figure might be the key to a hidden civilization that had existed for thousands of years!
As a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Coulson knew about many secrets hidden from the general public. He was aware that this world had aliens and advanced ancient human civilizations. Recently, even ancient gods had appeared in the world!
Because of this knowledge, Coulson was particularly wary of this unknown civilization.
Why had this civilization remained hidden for so long? With the rapid advancement of human technology, eventually, humanity would fully explore the oceans. When that day came, how could this civilization remain a secret?
If they didn't quickly learn more about this hidden world, humanity might face a catastrophic threat.
"The footage has disappeared!" The old scientist's surprised voice interrupted Coulson's thoughts.
"What happened?"
The screen, which had been showing the probe's dive, was now covered in static. The signal had been lost.
The old man fiddled with the equipment but couldn't find a clear reason. Hesitating, he said, "Signal transmission issues? Or...?"
"Continue with the plan. I'll be back shortly."
After one last look at the blank screen, Coulson instructed the scientist and quickly left the area to report to Fury.
Halfway down the corridor, Coulson suddenly stumbled and almost fell. Luckily, his agility allowed him to grab onto a nearby piece of equipment to steady himself.
Surprised, Coulson's mind raced. He hadn't tripped over anything or collided with anyone; instead, the ship had just shaken violently.
"What's going on?"
Gripping the equipment, Coulson shouted into his communicator.
"The rear of the ship has been attacked by an unknown object!"
"What?"
Coulson's expression changed. A sense of dread welled up inside him.
This was no small fishing boat—they were aboard a thousand-ton warship! It was almost invincible in the ocean, barely affected by marine life or harsh weather conditions.
What could have attacked the ship? Sea creatures?
Impossible!
Even the largest marine animals, like blue whales, were tiny compared to this steel behemoth. Attacking such a massive ship would be absurd.
Besides, highly intelligent and docile blue whales wouldn't foolishly attack a ship many times their size.
If not a sea creature, it had to be some other high-tech creation.
Humans? Or...
That hidden civilization?
Realizing this, Coulson's heart sank. Could it be that this civilization had discovered their exploration and was now trying to eliminate them to avoid exposure?
"We've identified it... it's a... massive whale!"
"A whale? How big would a whale have to be to almost knock me over?"
"Very large... estimates suggest it's over 50 meters long, weighing about 500 tons..."
"What?"
Just as Coulson was about to ask more questions, a much more violent tremor rocked the ship, sending everything swaying wildly.
"What's happening now? Tell me!"
Releasing the unsteady equipment, Coulson clung tightly to a nearby railing, urgently asking his team in the control room.
"They're moving fast! One, two... no!"
The team member's panicked report ended with a terrified shout!
Sensing that something was seriously wrong, Coulson immediately decided to head to the control room.
As he was about to let go of the railing and rush out of the room, the ship lurched dramatically, tilting the entire space by 90 degrees.
Then, through the communications channel, he heard the sound of water rushing in, mixed with chaotic shouting.
"It's a tsunami!"
"Why is there a tsunami here?"
"The ship is taking on water!"
"We're sinking!"
Thrown to the ground by the sudden tilt, Coulson's head smacked into the hard steel floor, leaving him dazed.
After a long moment, cold seawater brought him back to his senses.
Taking a deep breath, he dove into the water and swam for safety.
Thanks to his strong physique and mental fortitude, Coulson barely managed to escape the sinking ship.
But what he encountered next was even more terrifying.
The sea seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, its currents churning chaotically, with massive waves rising all around.
The enormous ship, dwarfed by the violence of the water, was being repeatedly rammed by three massive, terrifying creatures, rapidly dragging it into the depths.
As if that weren't enough, monstrous sharks swam around the sinking ship, ruthlessly tearing apart anyone trying to escape.
Coulson, lucky enough to find shelter behind a floating piece of equipment, narrowly avoided death.
Not long after, he surfaced, gasping for breath.
"Unknown sea creatures, sudden extreme weather..."
The overwhelming sense of dread still gnawed at Coulson. Ignoring the turbulent waters, he quickly pulled out a special phone to contact Director Fury and report the situation.
"Smack!"
Coulson's phone was suddenly knocked from his hand and fell into the sea, vanishing without a trace.
Before him stood a humanoid figure with blue skin, holding a strange weapon, pointing it directly at Coulson's throat.
"What are you?"