Nick Fury never could have imagined that shortly after assigning the codename "Ghost" to his mysterious target, that very same individual would materialize in his office and obliterate his head with a concentrated heat beam.
Thud.
Fury's headless corpse collapsed to the polished floor under the inexorable pull of gravity, the sound echoing through the suddenly silent office with grim finality.
While this wasn't Richard's first time killing Nick Fury across different universes, he still experienced a peculiar sense of satisfaction watching the S.H.I.E.L.D. director's life end. There was something deeply gratifying about eliminating someone who'd spent so much effort trying to manipulate events from the shadows.
After briefly studying Fury's motionless form, Richard activated his matter manipulation abilities. The vintage pager tucked away in Fury's jacket pocket responded to his mental command, flying smoothly through the air to hover before him.
To casual observation, the device appeared to be nothing more than a standard 1960s-era communication device—the kind of technology that had been obsolete for decades. But Richard understood its true significance. This seemingly primitive pager was actually sophisticated alien technology, capable of sending an emergency signal across vast interstellar distances to reach Captain Marvel, wherever she might be operating in the cosmic depths.
The device's functionality was intentionally limited—it could only transmit a single type of message, a distress call that would summon one of the universe's most powerful heroes to Earth. For Nick Fury's purposes, that singular capability had been more than sufficient.
Richard caught the pager as it floated within reach, examining the unassuming device for a few moments before storing it within his system space. The technology might prove useful at some future point, though he had no immediate plans for it.
With his business concluded, Richard made no effort to conceal the bodies or clean up the crime scene. He simply activated his teleportation ability and departed the Triskelion without ceremony.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters - Conference Room
The discovery of the bodies hadn't taken long. Agent Coulson, arriving to deliver a mission report to Director Fury, had found his superior's remains and immediately triggered the organization's emergency protocols.
Within the hour, news of both Nick Fury's and Alexander Pierce's deaths had spread throughout the entire Triskelion complex, transforming the normally bustling headquarters into a scene of controlled chaos. Every available senior agent had been summoned to an emergency briefing in the main conference room.
Agent Maria Hill stood at the head of the polished conference table, her typically composed demeanor showing subtle cracks under the pressure of the crisis. Around the table sat the organization's most trusted operatives: Coulson, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America, along with several other high-ranking personnel.
"Forensic examination has confirmed that both Director Fury and Minister Pierce were killed by high-temperature energy beams—essentially weaponized lasers fired with surgical precision," Hill reported, her voice maintaining professional detachment despite the gravity of the situation. "Based on the methodology and the timeline, we're confident these murders were committed by the same individual who previously attacked Minister Pierce."
She paused, consulting the tablet in her hands. "Director Fury had recently assigned this perpetrator the codename 'Ghost' and had just uploaded the completed investigation report to our central database before his death."
Captain America's jaw tightened, his shield resting against his chair as he processed the information. "Any leads on the Ghost's identity or motivations?"
"Unfortunately, no," Hill replied with obvious frustration. "However, the pattern suggests significant hostility toward S.H.I.E.L.D. as an organization."
Coulson leaned forward, his expression grave. "If we can't apprehend this individual quickly, there's a real possibility he might escalate to targeting political leadership. The President could be next."
Black Widow shook her head before Coulson finished speaking. "If his goal was presidential assassination, he would have struck there first. The White House's security measures are far less sophisticated than what we have here at headquarters. If someone can infiltrate the Triskelion and eliminate our director without triggering a single alarm, they could certainly penetrate the Executive Mansion."
She crossed her arms, her analytical mind working through the implications. "His target selection is deliberate. This is about S.H.I.E.L.D. specifically."
"I concur with Natasha's assessment," Hawkeye added with a nod. "The Ghost isn't interested in broader terrorism—this feels personal."
Hill acknowledged their input but remained focused on protocol. "Regardless of his ultimate intentions, we're required to notify the White House immediately. The simultaneous assassination of a Security Council minister and the S.H.I.E.L.D. director within our own headquarters constitutes a Level Alpha security breach. Emergency response procedures mandate immediate presidential briefing."
Captain America nodded reluctantly. "Follow standard protocol for now. What happens next will be determined by higher authorities than us."
"Notification is only part of our responsibility," Hill continued, scanning the faces around the table. "We also need to develop new strategies for locating this Ghost. If anyone has suggestions for investigative approaches we haven't yet attempted, now would be the time to share them."
The room fell into uncomfortable silence. Each person present understood the urgency of capturing their target, but they'd already exhausted their conventional methods. Without fresh intelligence or new leads, they were essentially operating blind.
After several moments, Hill sighed quietly. "Since no one has additional recommendations, we'll proceed according to established emergency protocols and await further orders from Washington."