An alien invasion meant war—probably the first "war against an external enemy" since S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded.
After receiving Nick Fury's orders, Coulson immediately felt the immense pressure. The slightest mistake could lead to a catastrophe that wiped out all of human civilization. He didn't dare waste a moment and immediately began gathering personnel within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Besides Natasha Romanoff, who had been specifically assigned to assist him, Coulson also called in many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite agents, forming a secret team to meet with Luo Xia at the AllSpark Company.
When he heard the news, Coulson's old friend, Level Eight agent Garrett, volunteered to join them.
"Weren't you going to look for Ward?" Coulson asked, puzzled.
"Ward may be important, but he's not more important than all of humanity. Coulson, we're old partners, and the troops under my command are stronger than your people. If this is a negotiation before a war, it makes sense to show some strength."
His words sounded righteous, but in truth, Garrett had already decided to get involved as soon as he heard the name AllSpark Company. Others might not know, but Garrett did.
He had sent Ward undercover at the AllSpark Company, which was why Ward had gone missing. He'd held back from taking action because Nick Fury had been in control of the whole situation. But now Nick Fury had handed the matter over to Coulson entirely, giving Garrett the perfect chance to get involved and figure out what was really going on with the AllSpark Company.
Coulson thought it over and agreed with Garrett's approach. He had dealt with Luo Xia several times and knew that this young man, who seemed far more low-key than Tony Stark, was actually prouder than anyone. He also seemed to harbor deep prejudice against S.H.I.E.L.D.
In this situation,