Clay Quetman, an eighth-level agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., was one of Nick Fury’s earliest recruits. Due to his age, he had seldom gone on missions in recent years. However, with S.H.I.E.L.D. severely understaffed, he accepted this search and rescue mission.
After three days of searching along the flight path and exploring all marked islands, Quetman was losing hope of finding Sharon Carter alive. On the return flight, he spotted an unmarked island on the map. Adhering to the principle of leaving no stone unturned, three helicopters landed on the island, and dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. rescue team members began a thorough search.
At dawn, Yasuo looked at Sharon Carter, still asleep in his arms, with a satisfied smile. But moments later, his expression grew serious. His Wind Swordsmanship had given him the awareness of others landing on the island. Unsure if they were friends or foes, he cautiously nudged Sharon awake and signaled her to be quiet.
Sharon, being a ninth-level agent, could stay alert for days if needed. However, Yasuo’s presence had made her let her guard down completely. Seeing Yasuo’s serious expression, she knew something was up and quietly followed him out of the cave. Even if it was enemy reinforcements, she had faith in Yasuo’s ability to defeat them. To her, Yasuo was practically superhuman, having single-handedly taken down an entire mechanized unit.
Upon leaving the cave, they saw several S.H.I.E.L.D. rescue team members in standard uniforms. Still cautious, Sharon signaled Yasuo to subdue them without causing harm.
Moving swiftly, Yasuo used his Flash ability, striking the rescuers with the back of his sword three times in quick succession, knocking them out cold. Sharon searched them and found emergency phones, communicators, IDs, and firearms, confirming they were genuine S.H.I.E.L.D. members. Relieved, she woke them up.
Ten minutes later, Sharon, Yasuo, and their captive, Koba, boarded the rescue helicopter. Stephen, however, remained forever on the island, leaving Yasuo vowing to make the enemy pay dearly for this. They learned from the rescuers that Koba was actually a low-profile S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Yasuo’s mind turned to Hydra, promising to make them regret targeting him. He decided that upon returning to New York, he would seek out Hydra for revenge.
Back on the plane, Yasuo felt no appetite, his thoughts consumed by the previous crash. Sharon found his tension amusing, knowing how formidable he was despite his anxious demeanor. Their bond had strengthened through their life-and-death experiences.
Finally, they arrived at a military base near New York. Yasuo and Sharon disembarked, Yasuo feeling the fatigue of their journey and longing for a good night’s sleep, preferably with Sharon by his side.
As they walked off the plane, Yasuo noticed another plane landing nearby. Unlike their low-key arrival, this one was met with luxury cars, beautiful women, and numerous armed soldiers. Yasuo recognized the iconic mustache and injured arm of the man being escorted off the plane.
Sharon, seeing Yasuo’s familiar expression, asked, “Interested in that guy?”
“No, he just looks familiar,” Yasuo replied instinctively.
Sharon explained, “That’s normal. He’s often in the tabloids. Tony Stark, the world’s most famous playboy, CEO of Stark Industries, and America’s biggest arms dealer. He was kidnapped by terrorists in the Middle East three months ago and has just been rescued. Quite the story.”
Yasuo knew who Stark was and had invested everything in Stark Industries during the kidnapping. Seeing him in person for the first time was unexpected, making Yasuo think about speeding up his own plans.
He also recalled that Stark’s return would soon be followed by a press conference where he would announce the end of Stark Industries’ weapons division, causing their stock to plummet. With a girlfriend now, Yasuo needed money and didn’t want Sharon to always foot the bill.
His thoughts turned to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s owed mission rewards. With Sharon being a ninth-level agent, he could now visit S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to claim his due.
Leaving the military base, several S.H.I.E.L.D. cars were waiting. Sharon asked, “Want to be dropped off first?”
“I’ll escort you back to S.H.I.E.L.D. New York isn’t exactly safe,” Yasuo said, finding a plausible excuse to accompany her.
Sharon, thinking he was referring to Koba, felt warm inside, appreciating his concern.
As their convoy of three black cars drove off, a middle-aged man observed from a distance. He made a call, saying, “Abort mission. Red Freak is still with Sharon Carter. Repeat, abort mission.”
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