Unlike other agents, Natasha may have little integrity, but that's a typical trait for spies. However, her determination to atone for her sins is unmatched in S.H.I.E.L.D.
...
In the valley where the Ten Rings are located.
"Did you hear something?"
Asked a terrorist standing guard under a cliff.
Another terrorist holding an AK-47 nervously replied, "I heard it too. It sounded like a snake crawling! Could it be on the wall behind us?"
"Why don't you check?"
"Why don't you? Don't think I don't know snakes attack the first person who moves."
"Ah!"
"What are you doing?"
The terrorist cried, "I feel... something crawling on my foot..."
John, holding the AK-47, watched in horror as his comrade suddenly collapsed.
"A real snake?"
Soon, John realized he was wrong.
The attacker wasn't a snake but a purple vine.
What the hell?
How did a plant grow in this godforsaken place?
John cursed, looking at his unconscious comrade.
He couldn't tell if a snake or the vine caused the unconsciousness.
Just as John was about to investigate, a vine crawled along the wall, reaching him silently.
The purple vine quickly wrapped around John's neck. He dropped the AK-47 and used both hands to grab the vine, trying to tear it off.
A small cut appeared on John's hand as the vine's leaves lightly sliced his skin.
After bleeding, John stopped struggling and didn't scream. He lay peacefully on the ground, his calm breathing proving he was still alive.
Having escaped the nuclear blast, Containment Item-307 started feeding again.
A silent hunt spread through the valley. Due to expending too much energy during the escape, Item-307's replenishment was slow and cautious.
By the time the Ten Rings members noticed something was wrong, Item-307 had quietly devoured over a dozen people.
"Boss, we found John's clothes and gear where he went missing, but no bodies."
A terrorist reported to the bald leader.
The bald leader asked grimly, "Found the culprit?"
"No, boss. Could it be the Americans coming for the playboy?"
The bald leader's eyes lit up, thinking it made sense.
"Order everyone to gather. We'll guard the playboy's cave. Don't give the enemy a chance to pick us off one by one."
After speaking, the bald leader led a group to surround Stark's cave.
...
Two hours earlier...
After boarding the plane, Coulson immediately contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, bypassing others to reach Director Nick Fury directly. He reported the situation and secretly sent the surveillance video from the base.
"Director, this is a high-definition video captured by the latest contact lens camera. It shows Containment Item-307 feeding."
With May's help, Coulson perfectly sent the intel.
At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Fury watched the video, frowning.
The purple plant looked mysterious and harmless—no sharp teeth, no thorns.
But soon, Fury witnessed its terror.
A fully armed agent team was wiped out in less than 10 minutes by this bizarre plant, including the time it took to digest the team.
The most unbelievable thing was that it was not afraid of fire. Although not immune, it was still quite remarkable.
From Coulson's report, Fury learned that the mysterious Foundation, like S.H.I.E.L.D., specialized in containing anomalies.
Whether legal or not, its functions conflicted with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s.
From both a personal and a director's perspective, Fury could not allow such an organization to exist.
Always seeking to control everything, Fury began to think about how to deal with the Foundation.
Containment Item-307—Carnivorous Ivy?
It looked like a bioweapon.
Could it have been created by a research lab, and then the Foundation stepped in to take the credit?
Such tactics were all too familiar to S.H.I.E.L.D.
When detecting a lab developing black tech, S.H.I.E.L.D. would initially stay put, waiting for success before swooping in to claim the research and results.
The Foundation's so-called containment was just a version of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s methods.
The only difference was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s actions were more legal.
"This time, Coulson has really caught a big fish. Containing anomaly 307? Great! Once I know your headquarters, your achievements will be mine!" Fury laughed.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s growth began by swallowing the behemoth Hydra.
Now, another organization comparable to Hydra had emerged. If S.H.I.E.L.D. could absorb or assimilate it, they might become Earth's true shield, not just America's.
But first, I need to get the playboy out.
Thinking this, Fury picked up the phone and contacted S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Middle East base.
As an organization with global bases, the chaotic Middle East was no exception.
Coulson and May's every move hadn't escaped Beichen's notice.
From the start, Beichen's goal was for Coulson to relay Tony Stark's whereabouts to S.H.I.E.L.D.