S.H.I.E.L.D. Trident Headquarters.
Coulson and Melinda knocked on the Director's office door with solemn expressions.
Although this mission had involved no danger whatsoever, professional standards required them to maintain the necessary seriousness when facing a Level 7 Mission.
"Come in."
Upon receiving permission, Coulson and Melinda exchanged a glance, opened the door, and walked inside.
"Director, we are here to report on the mission."
After closing the door, Coulson and Melinda approached Director Nick Fury's desk. Coulson placed a neatly organized document on the desk.
Even for a mission requiring Level 7 clearance, there was usually no need to report directly to the Director. But this mission was different; everything about it felt strange.
And this was a mission personally assigned by the Director.
"What did you find?"
Coulson and Melinda were astonished to see that the Director, who was almost always unsmiling before them—or rather, before all agents—strict with himself and equally strict with others, was actually...
He was smiling!
Coulson could not help rubbing his eyes. Nick Fury was not completely incapable of smiling in daily life. In fact, when he was younger, he had practically been a joker. But given his current position and status, his smiles were more often laced with sarcasm.
Yet now, with the professional judgment of a veteran Level 6 Agent, he could say with absolute certainty that the Director was smiling because he was happy.
Before even reading the mission analysis, merely learning that they had returned had made the Director happy...
Coulson was touched for one second before realizing—
That was absolutely impossible.
The Director was smiling because of the mission itself.
Melinda wore an equally strange expression. She discreetly glanced at Coulson, whose expression was exactly the same as hers—
If the mission target had been a woman, fine. Even if it had been a man, that would not have been entirely unacceptable.
But they both knew that the actual mission target was the orange cat named "Goose."
The Director was thinking about someone else's cat?
Or did he have some unusual fetish?
Hiss—on further thought, that was terrifying!
The expressions of the two people lost in wild speculation obviously did not escape the One-Eyed Man, Nick Fury.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he gave a light cough.
"As outstanding agents, letting your minds wander during a mission report makes me question your professional standards."
"Ah, sorry, Director."
Only then did the two realize that they had yet to answer the Director's question.
"Although that plant shop appeared to have no issues, we did indeed discover quite a few suspicious points."
Coulson looked at Melinda. She gave a slight nod and took out a USB drive.
"Director, this is the video footage."
Nick Fury nodded. Melinda inserted the USB drive into a port on his desk, picked up the remote, and pressed several buttons. The display on the wall began playing the video.
It showed everything that had happened during their visit to the Emerald Dream plant shop, from the moment they entered until they left.
"Quite an interesting clerk."
After watching the video, Nick Fury gave the expressionless Coulson and Melinda a subtle look.
"Setting aside the effects of that potion, Melinda, your instincts were correct. Goose did react when she heard my name."
A gratified expression appeared on his dark face.
"How touching. The little one still remembered me."
"You mean you know that cat?"
Melinda nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps she was once your pet? But I believe you are not the type to abuse your authority. Otherwise, the threshold for a Level 7 Mission would be far too low."
More than merely too low—it would be a complete joke.
However, both Melinda and Coulson clearly remembered the strange behavior of that interesting clerk at the end of the mission.
Sure enough, Director Fury once again revealed the sarcastic smile they knew so well. He pointed at the paused image on the display, showing Melinda about to reach out and pet Goose.
"Actually, at first, I truly was immensely relieved that you had both returned safely."
Fury stood, slipped both hands into the pockets of his black leather trench coat, and slowly walked over to the display.
"Agents, what makes you think this is necessarily a cat?"
He pointed at the adorably cute Goose on the screen.
"Is it because she looks like a cat, meows like a cat, eats canned cat food, and has living habits entirely consistent with those of a cat? Perhaps she also needs her feline vaccinations and wears a cat collar?"
"Director, I believe that if she meets all those conditions..."
Coulson moved his lips before deciding to offer his opinion.
"Then she really is a cat."
"..."
Fury shook his head noncommittally.
"Fine. But if you are scratched by an ordinary cat, how long does it usually take to heal?"
"It should not take very long. About... one or two weeks?"
Coulson was not entirely certain, because he preferred dogs.
"More or less. But Coulson," Fury said, pointing at his black eyepatch, "do you remember when I lost this eye?"
"You once said it was the price you paid for trusting someone else for the last time. If I remember correctly, it was in 1995."
Coulson glanced at the surprised Melinda and shrugged.
"At the time, the Director and I were both still low-level personnel."
"So the truth was not as meaningful as the Director claimed."
Melinda pinched her chin thoughtfully.
"Those three scars... were caused by an orange cat?"
With things laid out so plainly, as a Level 7 Agent, Melinda naturally thought of this seemingly absurd yet very likely truth at once.
"And I had always treated your words as a motto to inspire my agent career."
Coulson covered his forehead.
"You were right, Melinda. Reality truly is more absurd than novels and movies."
"Hey! You two!"
Nick Fury put his hands on his hips. Fortunately, no one could tell from his dark face that he had blushed for a moment.
"That is not the point. The point is that those scars remained completely unchanged even after thirteen years, and I have tried every possible method!
Goose is no ordinary orange cat!"
He gave a light cough, satisfied to see his two subordinates become serious again.
"She is a cosmic creature, a Flerken. Let me put it this way, Melinda—if that clerk had not intervened, judging by Goose's current expression..."
He looked at the display again. Goose's expression was exactly the same as it had been thirteen years ago, when he had foolishly reached out to touch her.
"The next moment, being left with scars would have been the least of your worries. She could easily destroy an elite force armed to the teeth."
"The Flerken's danger rating is 'extremely dangerous,' and in this rating system, an ordinary agent's rating..."
As if recalling an unbearable memory, the corner of Nick Fury's mouth twitched.
"Is no danger."
Melinda let out a long breath. In other words, she had very likely just escaped death once?
A cosmic creature? A Flerken?
Keeping something so dangerous at home as a pet cat—of course a Level 7 Mission was a Level 7 Mission!
"And judging from the clerk's reaction, at the very least, he knew about Goose's special nature. Not only was he unafraid, he could even give Goose orders..."
Nick Fury narrowed his one eye and turned to Coulson.
"What did the latest investigation into the shop owner, Oaks Lin, uncover?"
The story starts getting recommended today...
This is the first time it has been recommended this early. The word count is a little low, but getting recommended means everyone's follow-up reading has been strong. Keep it up~
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