White mist curled through the air, carrying a rich aroma—the scent only the finest civet coffee could produce. Coulson reclined his office chair and lay back contentedly, savoring this hard-won moment of relaxation.
It had been a long time since he had experienced the feeling of not having to worry about anything, of simply lying back and doing nothing.
Ever since Tony Stark had publicly revealed his superhero identity, the world had seemed to rot, drawing the attention of all manner of scavengers.
As a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and Nick Fury's trusted assistant, Coulson suffered twice as much whenever the director was exhausted.
But with the Mutant Underground Organization becoming semi-public, those with extraordinary abilities no longer acted so recklessly, while the racists who discriminated against superhumans had gradually begun to restrain themselves as well.
Around the time of the Desert Conference, many destabilizing factors throughout the world had been eliminated by some mysterious force. Even terrorists no longer dared to carry out massacres.
The greatest problem, the Frost Giants, also seemed to have become a thing of the past following Asgard's surrender ceremony. As for how the politicians would haggle with Asgard over postwar arrangements, that was entirely outside Coulson's concern.
So this comfortable time of lying back and drinking coffee today made Coulson feel as though he never wanted to get up.
He took a small sip of the civet coffee, closed his eyes, and felt its intense aroma linger in his mouth before warmly seeping into his very soul. It was practically a heavenly experience.
"Ah, that hits the spot~"
Coulson could not help sighing contentedly.
But this leisurely moment was quickly interrupted by a shrill voice.
"Something terrible has happened!"
The office door was slammed open by something, yet from Coulson's angle, he could not see