Coulson had just returned Captain America to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, still weary from the journey, when he was summoned to the director's office.
"What?! Wakanda's Vibranium reserves were stolen?!"
For once, Coulson stared at his director with an expression that plainly said, Are you kidding me?
Nick Fury looked at Coulson expressionlessly. "I wish I were joking too."
Coulson finally turned serious, his expression becoming exceptionally grim.
In Africa, Wakanda was a very unusual powerful nation. Thanks to its unique Vibranium deposits, along with the enormous resources it had traded for those deposits over the past few decades, the country's overall development had risen into the world's top ten powers in just a few decades. Its military strength, in particular, ranked among the best internationally.
How could a country that had grown rich through Vibranium possibly fail to guard it properly?
Coulson could fully imagine just how strict the protection and surveillance of Wakanda's Vibranium reserves had to be.
Yet despite such stringent security and surveillance, the Vibranium had been stolen.
The news was highly classified, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experts at gathering intelligence had still managed to learn a little.
"Wakanda's counterintelligence work is excellent. Even our people only know that the Vibranium was stolen, not exactly how much was taken." Nick Fury took a deep breath. This was yet another matter giving him a headache.
Coulson fell into thought at those words. He began running through every possible scenario in his mind, only speaking after quite some time. "Then the amount stolen was likely enormous—enough to cause extreme panic. Otherwise, given Wakanda's level of counterintelligence, news like this would never have leaked."
"That's right." Nick Fury nodded, then looked at Coulson. "But the question is, who has the nerve and ability to steal Vibranium?"
Coulson fell silent. After mentally reviewing everyone