"In fact, there have been several serious murders recently. The victims all died from excessive blood loss. The most common sign? Heavy bleeding from the neck. Other areas too, but the neck's the usual target."
Coulson pulled out a folder and laid down several close-up cri scene photos. A few were bloody enough to turn the stomach, but most clearly showed two small puncture wounds on the victims' necks—textbook vampire bite marks.
If this was the normal world, you'd think animal attack, maybe a serial killer with a flair for drama. But this was the Marvel Universe. Vampires weren't just fairy tales here—they were real possibilities.
Su Xiuyu glanced at the photos and then raised an eyebrow. "Since when does Holand Security handle murders like this? You're supposed to be a special ops agency, right? Shouldn't the NYPD be handling these cases?"
He shot Coulson a suspicious look. Deep down, he couldn't help wondering if that damn Black-Braised Egg—aka Nick Fury—was trying to trick him into sothing. Not that Fury would dare cross him outright, but the man was slippery, bold, and had the audacity to try just about anything.
"Mr. Su, please don't misunderstand," Coulson said quickly, clearly uncomfortable. "We're not trying to dump a case on you. The thing is, these murders have been piling up. NYPD hit a wall—no leads, no suspects. We stepped in, but we haven't had any more luck either. We've confird the attacks were man-made, but we still can't pin down the culprit. And based on our profiling, it's likely not the work of just one person."
Coulson gave a tired sigh, as if silently blaming Nick Fury for putting him in this position. The man had warned him to be respectful to Su Xiuyu, but hadn't said a word about how not to look like an idiot in front of him.
Su Xiuyu nodded slowly. "Alright. Sounds like a pain in the ass, but if we're talking supernatural involvent, then yeah—an A-rank mission makes sense. I'll take it. Fee's fifteen million. Up front."
He didn't feel the slightest guilt charging that much. If this really was vampire-related, then it was technically worth the price. And if not? Well, cheating Black-Braised Egg out of a few million felt more like a public service.
"Fifteen million? Isn't that a little steep?" Even soone as level-headed as Coulson couldn't help blurting it out.
"You can call Black-Braised Egg—uh, I an, Nick Fury. If he thinks it's too expensive, he's welco to find soone else." Su Xiuyu leaned back casually, looking like he couldn't care less.
Coulson winced at the nickna but wisely ignored it. He dialed Fury imdiately.
"Oh, and tell him sothing important," Su Xiuyu added lazily. "I'm calling this A-rank because it likely involves supernatural forces. If it's really vampires—or anything from that side of the fence—it's not gonna be so cosplay killer."
Coulson's face stiffened. The word "supernatural" wasn't thrown around lightly anymore. Not since the Kree invasion. Once upon a ti, Nick Fury and Coulson would've laughed at talk of powers, gods, and monsters. Now? They'd seen aliens crash through the sky. Nothing was off the table anymore.
Coulson took a deep breath and turned back to his phone call.
"...Yes, Mr. Su believes the case involves supernatural forces. He's setting it as an A-level mission and asking fifteen million."
"Make sure he knows—fifteen million after taxes. I'm not paying Uncle Sam to rob like a vampire," Su Xiuyu said lazily. "If you want my help, cover the damn tax."
Coulson's expression twitched. Even while on the phone, he couldn't stop himself from reacting. This guy was a nace.
There was a pause on the line as Fury considered.
Nick Fury wasn't hesitating over the money. Hell no. He was calculating the bigger picture. If this was supernatural, and Su Xiuyu was getting involved, there might be hidden stakes, unexpected players, maybe even more world-breaking revelations. He needed more than just results—he needed control, data, leverage.
"Fine," Fury finally said. "Approve it. And tell him we'll up the pay to twenty million—on one condition: we send soone with him."
Coulson blinked. "You're increasing the fee?"
"Yes. This isn't about pinching pennies. If Su Xiuyu's on the case, I want full visibility. But only one of our agents can tag along. Make that clear."
Fury hung up. He needed Coulson to step up now more than ever. After becoming Director, he realized how few people he could actually trust.
Coulson turned back, trying not to look stunned. "Mr. Su, authorization confird. The mission fee has been increased to twenty million. There's just one small request—we'd like to send soone with you."
"We're not a damn daycare service," Su Xiuyu replied bluntly. "We're a private team, not SHIELD interns. One person, max. That's it."
"Deal!" Coulson quickly extended his hand, not daring to push his luck.
"So," he asked, "when do we leave?"
Su Xiuyu raised an eyebrow. "We?"
Coulson froze. "Aren't... you going?"
"You think I'd personally waste ti on a side mission like this?" Su Xiuyu gave him a look like he'd asked if pigs could fly. "No, I'm sending Chisato. You'll leave tonight. Dayti's no good for tracking these things."
Coulson blinked. "Chisato?"
"Yeah. She's right there." Su Xiuyu casually pointed at the girl sitting beside him.
Coulson stared. He had noticed the young woman when he entered, assuming she was a relative or assistant—maybe so kid tagging along.
"Mr. Su... you're kidding, right? She's just a girl. This mission is dangerous—these criminals are savage. If sothing were to happen—"
"You're judging her based on looks?" Su Xiuyu cut him off coldly. "Cstronges stronger than you'll ever be. Honestly? Even a thousand Coulsons wouldn't match up."
He said it like it was simple fact.
In his mind, he added silently: Chisato's probably killed more people than you've ever even arrested.
Coulson looked back at Uchiha Chisato, her calm gaze eting his without a flicker of doubt or nervousness.
For the first ti, he believed it.
And suddenly, he was very curious about what kind of monster SHIELD had just brought into the field.
--------------
"Hello, I'm Phil Coulson."
Coulson extended his right hand with a sowhat helpless expression. Deep down, he had already resigned himself to the thought that this mission might end in disaster—and that he might have to play babysitter to a child.
"Uchiha Chisato," she replied curtly.
Though Chisato wasn't exactly emotionless, her lack of expression when eting strangers made Coulson feel like she already disliked him. Not that he could do anything about it—if a little girl hated you, well, you just had to suck it up.
"Coulson, wait for us in the car. I need a mont with Chisato."
With a wave, Coulson walked off, ntally preparing himself for the ss of a mission he was stuck with.
---
Inside the office, Su Xiuyu turned to Chisato.
"This mission is solo. I trust your strength, so manage the situation however you see fit. That said, I'll give you a heads-up—it's probably the work of a vampire. Think of them as enhanced humans who feed on blood. They hate sunlight and UV rays, so they typically don't show up during the day."
He paused for a second, frowning thoughtfully.
"Of course, there are exceptions. So species don't mind the sun at all... There are many types of vampires, and I can't be certain which kind we're dealing with. Bottom line—if things get dicey, don't hold back. Use the Flying Thunder God seal on your palm to summon ."
Indeed, engraved in Chisato palm was Su Xiuyu's Flying Thunder God seal—just in case she needed instant backup. Uzumaki Mito had one too, for the sa reason.
"Rember, if it cos down to it, go all out. Exposure isn't our biggest concern."
"Yes, I understand, Brother Xiuyu," Chisato replied with a faint blush. "Don't worry—I'll handle it quickly."
---
Outside, Coulson sat in his beloved car, watching as Chisato walked out of the building and got in.
"I'm sorry," Coulson began as he started the engine, "but honestly, I think soone your age should be in school—not doing missions like this."
He knew he was crossing a line, but the words just spilled out.
"You know, you don't have to take Mr. Su's orders. You could ask him to let you go back to school. Special ops like this aren't for kids."
Chisato's expression turned cold.
"Please don't comnt on my life. I might take it as you insulting Brother Xiuyu."
Now she really couldn't stand the chatty guy in the driver's seat.
"Mr. Su is your brother?" Coulson asked, puzzled. Their surnas didn't match.
"Brother Xiuyu is one of my clansn. Watch what you say about him. And for the record, I do know what I'm doing. You're seriously underestimating . Now, take to the scenes—I need to gather clues before the operation begins tonight."
Coulson sighed and hit the gas, deciding it was best to stay quiet.
---
They arrived at a fresh cri scene, the body still present from a murder discovered that morning. After flashing his badge, Coulson got clearance for both of them. The NYPD officers on scene gave him strange looks—bringing a kid to a murder scene? It didn't look great.
"Aren't you with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Why are you using an FBI badge?" Chisato asked casually as they walked in.
"We're a secret agency. Can't let ordinary people know about us, so we usually operate under the FBI—or sotis the CIA. Depends on the situation."
To the public, these were high-level secrets, but Coulson knew that compared to the power backing Su Xiuyu, this was small stuff.
As they made their way upstairs, Coulson glanced at her.
"Chisato Ms. Chisato. You said your last na is Uchiha. If you and Mr. Su are from the sa clan, why is his surna Su?"
"Does this have anything to do with the case?" she shot back.
"No, not really. Just curious. This is our second ti working together—I figured it wouldn't hurt to get to know each other better."
Chisato sighed. "Uchiha is a clan na. It's one of the two strongest clans—or maybe the strongest now. Brother Xiuyu is a special case. He's a full-blooded Uchiha, but prefers to go by 'Su.' Of course, you can still call him Uchiha Xiuyu if you want."
Su Xiuyu had already given her permission to share this level of info—nothing classified. Coulson was the type who'd pester endlessly if you left him in the dark, and Chisato didn't have the patience for that.
Coulson raised an eyebrow at the phrase "strongest clan." That was bold. And yet, with all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global surveillance and the resources of the Security Council, they hadn't found a single group nad "Uchiha" anywhere in the world.
The na sounded like it ca from a certain Eastern country. But even digging into their databases had yielded nothing.
Are they aliens? Coulson couldn't help but wonder.
---
"Then why are you doing missions at your age?" he asked again.
"Missions are assigned by ability, not age. And even if I look young, I've been on battlefields since I was under ten."
Coulson stopped walking.
Under ten... on a battlefield?
To him, sending kids into war was nothing short of cruelty. Never mind legality—it was inhumane.
"What about your family? They let you go to war that young?"
"My father died in battle. My two brothers almost died too. But we made it through, and our village has been peaceful for a while now."
Chisato kept quiet about the ti Su Xiuyu saved her—it was too personal. A pivotal mont in her life she preferred to keep close to her heart.
Hearing that made Coulson's chest tighten.
An orphan... with only a war-torn past and a quiet village to call ho.
He made a silent vow that once the mission was done, he'd try to help her in so way.
At the sa ti, the ntion of a "village" settling down didn't escape his notice. Coulson's instincts flared. Whether out of concern for Chisato or his growing curiosity about Su Xiuyu's mysterious group, he knew one thing:
Once this operation was over, he was going to dig deeper.
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