"I refuse."
Dilos rejected the offer without hesitation. S.H.I.E.L.D. was a massive pitfall at this point. Not only were there still Hydra agents inside who hadn't been rooted out, but the restrictions on one's actions after joining were enough to make him turn it down.
In Dilos's plans, being bound by those restrictions would be tantamount to courting death. Everything he did would be monitored, and people would keep detailed records of his abilities in order to find his weaknesses... He had no desire for that to happen. Besides, he much preferred the freedom he had now.
Even so, an idea had occurred to him: maybe he could have a little fun with them.
"Is this how S.H.I.E.L.D. recruits people?" Dilos sneered. "You're a real rip-off. You don't offer the slightest incentive when you invite someone to join. Are you really trying to get something for nothing?"
"You can't even offer a monthly salary of several hundred thousand or a million dollars, and you still have the nerve to recruit me?"
Dilos's sudden change in tone caught several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Coulson included, completely off guard. They'd expected him to refuse, but they hadn't expected him to say that.
"Look at you. No social security, no life insurance, no year-end bonus, no details about raises or promotions, and you just ask me if I want to join S.H.I.E.L.D. Mr. Coulson, that's a pretty lousy way to do business."
By the end, Dilos's tone had turned teasing.
Coulson's eyes suddenly lit up. Though he sensed that something was a little off, his smile remained unchanged. "Of course. If you're willing to join S.H.I.E.L.D., those things can be negotiated."
"Then could you please completely destroy that dead lizard down there? I mean leave not a single drop of blood behind. And if anything