The person in the front passenger seat did not watch the passenger in the back through the rearview mirror. Traffic in the District of Columbia was never particularly fast, and the luxury sedans passing back and forth meant that someone inside those vehicles was a player dancing across this fertile ground of money, power, and conspiracy. The passenger in the front seat tilted his head against the window, watching the red taillights in the traffic and the snowy-white light cast from roadside windows stream past like water.
"Do you know about the Life-Model Decoy project, Agent Coulson?"
"That project was terminated." Phil Coulson gave up on the idea of escaping, because he had never seen anyone escape from the man before him. "It was established to protect the lives of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, intended to replicate every outward aspect of a real person," Agent Coulson said. "I'm quite certain the project was terminated. S.H.I.E.L.D. encountered difficulties with the hardware design. At present, the closest thing to the Life-Model Decoy project should be the Avengers' Vision. As far as I know, Vision was based on Tony Stark's butler, J.A.R.V.I.S."
"You're honest, but not honest enough," the front-seat passenger said calmly. "Tony Stark perfected the Life-Model Decoy project. It has now been fully realized, and it even comes with unexpected capabilities."
Agent Coulson said nothing.
"I believe you once conducted an extensive investigation into me. You must have been very curious about how I could study at Merton College while handling official affairs in Latveria... Yes, exactly as you thought. It was an exact physical double, one using Salomon's identity. That double is sitting in front of you now."
"This is an android?"
"Barely. But my ability to control the double far exceeds the original design of the Life-Model Decoy project. This double