"Huh? Where'd he go? Did he run off?" Coulson searched everywhere for Saitama, trying to find him again. But amid the crowds on the street, Coulson couldn't spot him anywhere.
"Heh." Coulson couldn't help sneering. "I knew it. All that stuff you did earlier was an act. You were deliberately pretending to be like that to let me drop my guard."
"As I thought, Saitama is definitely no ordinary person. What matters most is his intelligence. It looks like we'll have to be especially careful with our investigation into him." Coulson couldn't help but sigh.
Coulson had decided that Saitama was a deeply calculating man. He even believed that Saitama had been acting the whole time, deliberately pretending to be an ordinary person, when in truth he was exceptionally capable. Coulson even suspected that Saitama might have undergone specialized training, just like the agents themselves.
If not, how could Saitama have noticed Coulson tailing him? That meant Saitama must have received specialized counter-surveillance training. And then there was how he'd vanished in an instant right before Coulson's eyes. Saitama must have received specialized training in that, too.
"Could Saitama be an agent trained by some country or organization? Considering his acting skills and his abilities, it's certainly possible." Coulson muttered to himself, then nodded.
"Wait, Saitama had also been in contact with Tony Stark. He deliberately rescued Tony from the Middle East. So maybe Saitama and Tony have already formed some kind of special relationship." The more Coulson thought about it, the more serious the situation seemed.
At last, Coulson couldn't hold back. He quickly pulled out his phone and contacted his superior, Nick Fury.
"Coulson, are you contacting me now because you've made progress on the investigation I assigned you?" Nick Fury's voice came through the phone.
"Director. I haven't made any progress on the Translucent case, but I've discovered something extremely serious." Coulson looked grave.
"Something extremely serious? Tell me." Hearing Coulson's solemn tone, Nick Fury thought something major might have happened and became serious himself.
"Director, do you remember Saitama? The bald guy?"
Nick Fury's face darkened on the other end of the phone. "Him again? Coulson, you've brought him up in front of me plenty of times already. Go on. What's going on?"
"I suspect Saitama may be an elite agent trained by some country or organization."
"What?"
"I looked into Saitama's records. But other than information dating from after he recently arrived in New York, I couldn't find out anything else. I even used my highest-level access at S.H.I.E.L.D., and it was still the same. I also discovered that Saitama has extremely strong tracking and counter-tracking skills, and that he's an incredible actor. I even think he could win an Academy Award for Best Actor if he went into movies." Coulson quickly gathered his thoughts and explained everything he wanted Nick Fury to know.
Nick Fury's expression grew more and more serious. "Coulson, are you sure?"
"Yes, Director. And that's not even the most important part. The most important thing is that he's been in contact with Tony Stark."
"He's been in contact with Tony Stark?" Nick Fury's voice rose slightly.
"Yes. Don't forget, Saitama was the one who rescued Tony Stark from the Middle East. So I even suspect that the force behind Saitama was responsible for Tony Stark's trouble in the Middle East. Their goal was to create an opportunity for Saitama to get close to him. I even suspect that Saitama and Tony Stark have already formed some kind of special connection, or reached some agreement that we don't know about." The more Coulson spoke, the smoother he became; even ideas he hadn't considered before slipped out as he talked.
Nick Fury's expression grew increasingly grave, his manner more and more solemn.
Tony Stark was America's biggest arms dealer. Stark Industries manufactured countless advanced weapons, but since the company was based in America, it had ties to the U.S. military. Restrictions prevented Stark Industries from selling weapons abroad. Of course, some deals happened under the table—selling weapons to certain terrorists, for example—but many people turned a blind eye, as long as Stark Industries didn't sell weapons to hostile countries. Well, every country besides America counted as a hostile country to them.
So Tony Stark was, in fact, extremely important.
If agents from another country had infiltrated even Tony Stark's circle, it would be an absolute disaster for America. Nick Fury had no choice but to take it seriously.
As for S.H.I.E.L.D. being a global agency in name and supposedly not limited to one country—well, that was beside the point. Its headquarters were in America, and its founders were American. So although S.H.I.E.L.D. supposedly belonged to the whole world, it belonged to America even more.
If something benefited another country but threatened America, Nick Fury and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. still took it very seriously, and might even make it a top-priority target.
A glint flashed in Nick Fury's one good eye. "Coulson, put the Translucent case aside for now and hand it over to the others. Keep Saitama under close watch. The most important thing is finding out who's behind him, what connections he has, and what forces are backing him. Those are our top priorities. As for Tony Stark, I'll make arrangements to have someone look into his situation."
"Yes, Director. Don't worry. I'll keep Saitama under close watch. No matter who's behind him, I'll investigate them thoroughly and take them down." Coulson gave his assurance with utmost seriousness.
"I'm counting on you, Coulson."
Nick Fury hung up and immediately sent for Black Widow Natasha.
The office door opened, and Natasha walked in. "Director!"
"Natasha, I have an extremely important assignment for you. I want you to infiltrate Stark Industries and keep an eye on Tony Stark. His every move, and anyone or any organization he contacts—all of it is a priority."
"Yes, Director!"
Natasha accepted the assignment and left. Before long, she would be at Stark Industries, using every means at her disposal to get close to Tony Stark.
As for Saitama, he had no idea what Coulson had imagined because of him. At that moment, he was facing Skye's interrogation.
"Saitama, we have money now. We're rich. Really rich, so we don't have to keep buying these discounted things anymore. Honestly, Saitama." Skye looked at the discounted items, feeling both exasperated and amused.
"But I just happened to come across them." Saitama looked away from Skye.
"Just happened to? Was it really a coincidence? Or did you know when the discounts were and deliberately come here to shop?"
"Um, well, it really was a coincidence..."
Before you continue