Biting Remarks

"I brought wisdom and war, Agent Coulson."

"This is only a rescue mission. There's no need to..."

The agent struggled to control the emotions stirring deep inside him, entirely because the sight before him had far exceeded his plans. He quickly reviewed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence analysis department's assessment of Salomon, along with the operational plans and materials Nick Fury had left behind for him. Agent Coulson reached an expected conclusion. "You already guessed I would come looking for you, didn't you? Or have your spies already infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Just as you regard me as a friend, I regard you the same way. That is why I will not tell you of certain excessively terrible futures. Because I'm a fucking Prophet, understand?" Salomon did not deny the second possibility. He invited Agent Coulson and Daisy Johnson aboard the Assault Transport that had already landed. Between the gunship's twin-mounted Large Caliber Explosive Rounds machine guns, its absurdly long cannon barrel, and its visibly thick black armor, Agent Coulson believed he should avoid clashing with Salomon whenever possible. Salomon promised he would not reveal Coulson's base location to anyone else, and such a guarantee was more credible than any law of the US Government.

"Jemma Simmons's disappearance concerns an incident that could potentially wipe out humanity." He never mentioned Stephanie's idea, lest Agent Coulson turn his attention toward her. Stephanie's identity would not be difficult to investigate, but Salomon did not want anything to go wrong for the Malik family at this crucial stage of laundering its reputation. "That is precisely why I brought this Helicarrier."

"Why can't we be honest with each other, Salomon?"

"Because some things are too horrifying for ordinary people, Agent Coulson. Ignorance is the greatest bliss—I only understood that saying much later. If you blindly pursue transparency of information