Contact

The Homeland Strategic Defense, Attack, and Logistics Agency—S.H.I.E.L.D. From its name alone, it was clear that attack, defense, and logistics meant it had the authority to involve itself in anything related to national security. From police catching thieves to a Nuclear Bomb being transported into the White House, it all fell within its jurisdiction.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had officially been established during World War II, just like its sworn enemy, Hydra. Yet the histories of these two organizations, practically two sides of the same coin, could be traced all the way back to the Ancient Egyptian Civilization. In Evenson's view, their goals were nearly identical: protecting the safety of people around the world. Their philosophies, however, differed enormously.

S.H.I.E.L.D. believed that people needed not only safety, but freedom as well, and that the people should control the world. Hydra, on the other hand, believed that a powerful leader should rule everything. To gain security, people had to sacrifice their freedom, with every person in the world hanging off a central body like a zombie. The people did not need to think; the leader would think for them. That was their philosophy.

Still, these two organizations with such vastly different views had the same attitude toward threats: eliminate them. Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s moral bottom line was slightly higher than Hydra's.

"Uh, what was that agency called? Could you say it again? Or maybe abbreviate it?" That was Evenson's first reaction upon hearing the name of this absurdly impressive department. He was not putting on an act. The name Homeland Strategic Defense, Attack, and Logistics Agency had at least thirty syllables in English. It was practically a tongue twister; ordinary people really could not remember it after hearing it once.

Coulson shrugged. "You're not the first person to complain about that. You can just call us S.H.I.E.L.D."

Evenson spread his hands. "Alright. Just hearing the name makes it sound like a big deal. What does a department like yours want with a small businessman like me?" He had been prepared to come into contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. sooner or later, but being found this early still caught him by surprise. At that thought, he glanced at the Husky lying on the floor. Feeling his master's gaze, the Husky wrinkled his nose and wagged his tail twice. Evenson received the information: there were only these two, no one else. (Once again, this information came through their soul link and had nothing to do with the tail wagging.)

Only two people. It did not look like they intended to drag him away and slice him up. By now, Evenson had finally remembered who the two people before him were. Phil Coulson, the right-hand man of Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Fury, known as the model agent and the man who would eventually become Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And Melinda May, Coulson's close comrade-in-arms, though her future agent rank would be one level higher than Coulson's.

After all, it had been twenty years. It was already impressive that he could remember how the plot unfolded, let alone what people looked like. These two agents were relatively less famous. Even if Captain America or Thor stood before him, he could definitely recognize them in uniform. But in casual clothes? Who the hell would know which random nobody they were?

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been dedicated to protecting the safety of the world. Based on that principle, one of our most important duties is preventing people from learning information they are not prepared to know. We are a line of defense standing between this world and a stranger one." Coulson introduced S.H.I.E.L.D.'s philosophy, then fixed his gaze on Evenson. "That is why we came to you."

Evenson tilted his head. "Hmm, is selling counterfeit goods considered strange?"

"Selling counterfeit goods isn't strange. Selling counterfeit goods and making them sound like heaven on earth is strange. But no, that's not why we came looking for you. It's because..." Melinda got that far before Coulson took over and handed Evenson a phone. "Can you explain this video, as well as the disappearance of some Deadlock Gang members?"

Evenson took the phone and looked at it. On the screen was footage of him draining a Deadlock Gang member's soul before burning him into ash. He rewound the video and found that whatever had recorded it had probably been sitting there for some time. Judging by the angle, it must have been placed in a garbage heap. No wonder Hubbs had not noticed it. He must have mistaken it for trash. Damn it. When I get back, I'm flushing your fancy dog food down the toilet.

Sensing his master's malicious intent, the Husky named Hubbs immediately let out two pitiful whimpers, as if to say, We'll settle this when you get home. Who's afraid of who?

With no time to bicker with his dog, Evenson handed the phone back. "Didn't expect it, but it looks pretty cool on camera. Maybe I should go to Hollywood. It'd save me a fortune on special effects."

"Smooth talker." Melinda cursed lightly, then continued, "Do you still not understand why we came looking for you?"

"Wow. Right now?" Evenson leaned back in his chair, stretched lazily, and spoke in an exaggerated tone. "According to movies and novels, you should have seen my extraordinary talent and decided to recruit me at any cost. Or you think I'm a threat and want to eliminate me. Then I show off all sorts of skills, outwit an organization like the Gestapo, escape the tiger's jaws, charge into the enemy headquarters alone, destroy this evil organization, and hook up with one of their beautiful female agents while I'm at it." After saying that, he raised an eyebrow at Melinda, as if telling her that she was the beautiful agent.

"Should I say that it's only natural for a con artist selling fake goods to have such a rich imagination? Unfortunately, it isn't like that." As expected of the model agent, Coulson still maintained a calm smile despite Evenson's wildly imaginative remarks and being compared to both the Gestapo and an evil organization.

"Which part? You mean I can't hook up with her?" Evenson asked in surprise.

"Neither." Melinda was not angered by Evenson's frivolous tone and answered as though nothing had happened. As a Senior Agent, how could a few words like that stir her emotions?

"Really? Don't Americans love that sort of thing?" Evenson looked shocked, but then added, "Though now that I think about it, as a high-level intelligence agency, you wouldn't casually recruit someone just because they had some unusual abilities. Especially..." A flame appeared on Evenson's fingertip, then immediately went out. "Especially someone with abilities like mine. Bringing me inside would be as dangerous as bringing in a bomb that could explode at any moment."

"That analysis makes a lot of sense. So we came to eliminate you?" Coulson asked.

"Eliminate me? What did I do wrong? I killed a few gangsters committing a home invasion. Even a court would rule it self-defense. I just didn't use a gun." Evenson narrowed his eyes. "Besides, even if you intended to show your Gestapo nature, you wouldn't have come with only two people, especially after learning what I can do."

"How do you know there are only two of us?" Melinda stared sharply at Evenson.

Evenson laced his fingers together beneath his chin and returned her stare. "I just know."

P.S. I hope reading my novel gives everyone the feeling of watching a movie.