Coulson had always considered himself an office worker, except his job was a little different from the jobs ordinary people held.
At most, other people worried about salaries and overtime. For him, overtime was routine, and there was always the risk of getting killed.
For justice or some other reason, Coulson was not entirely sure himself. In any case, he had kept doing this job.
Because of this work, he could not have a normal life, normal social relationships, or even feelings.
He had once had a lover, a cellist.
They had even reached the point of discussing marriage, but Coulson had ultimately faked his death and left that relationship behind.
Because he knew that someone like him was destined to break hearts. The more that person loved him, the deeper the wound would be.
That was not some baseless worry or pretentious brooding. It was a sad fact destined to happen.
There were many other things he had given up as well. For example, he had never received anyone's thanks or gifts. From the standpoint of his work, he was supposed not to exist.
Receiving a gift for the first time in over ten years—a real gift, not a work tool disguised as one—naturally made Coulson very happy.
It was just that this gift...
Was it secondhand junk picked up at a flea market? Or something an elderly relative had discarded? That was hard to say.
It was somewhat impolite to think that way, but it was hard not to.
Who gave someone a wig as a gift?!
And a naturally curly silver wig at that!
No matter what, Coulson was a true gentleman. So no matter what he thought inside, he still maintained his usual mild and courteous demeanor. Even as he spoke, he tried to spare Leon, who had accidentally given the wrong gift, any embarrassment.
"⊙⊙! Wow! This is... so... thoughtful."
Carefully choosing his words, Coulson said, "I happened to be lacking a wig like this! This is... wonderful!"
Leon naturally saw that Coulson did not mean a word of it. Amused, he also did not want the gift he had given to be accepted, only to gather dust somewhere else.
He had sincerely given this gift!
So, making an exception, he explained his strange behavior. At this moment, he actually did not seem like a lunatic.
"Listen, Coulson. This is my gift, and I don't mean it as a joke... Well, maybe just a little bit. Hahaha!"
"But that isn't important!"
"What matters is that these are two items I've blessed."
Blessed?!
Coulson examined the two items in his hands once more.
Of all things to bless, why did you have to bless these?!
"What kind of blessing? Transformation?"
Coulson's guess was entirely reasonable. It was just that a blessing that turned him into an old lady might not be very suitable for him.
Leon pressed close to Coulson's ear and explained with both words and gestures. When he finished, Coulson's eyes went wide in utter disbelief.
"Really?!"
"Really."
Coulson immediately stuffed the wig and headscarf into a transparent bag he carried with him, then slipped it into his suit pocket. This time, his thanks were far more natural and heartfelt.
He laughed loudly and patted Leon on the shoulder. The two exchanged a smile, then let out strange laughter together.
"Hehehehehehehehe..."
The two technicians unconsciously stepped back half a pace. Those two were laughing in a genuinely creepy way.
After their friendly exchange, Coulson invited Leon to sit down. Following the gift incident, the relationship between Coulson and Leon had clearly grown a step closer.
That was also thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investigation report.
The information showed that while Leon acted decisively against criminal forces, he himself followed rules closely. Despite possessing such immense power, he still lived in a rundown rental apartment.
His cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D. also suggested that this young man who called himself Doctor Lister, whose real name was Leon Collins, was fundamentally someone willing to follow rules.
Perhaps he had his own code of conduct and standards for doing things, but he was willing to follow rules.
As for those gang members, they had broken the rules first, hadn't they?
Perhaps his methods were a bit ruthless, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s boss, the motherfucking hero Nick Fury, had no objection whatsoever.
After all, one of his old comrades and closest friends, the Punisher, was even more ruthless.
Leon at least left some people alive, and he had not exterminated every petty thug whose crimes did not warrant death. If the Punisher had handled the same matter, there was no need to think about it—every last one of them would have been sent straight to Hell.
Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. possessed nearly all of Leon's information. It was just that Leon's original self had been a low-profile shut-in, so the information itself was pitifully scant. It could not even fill a single sheet of A4 paper, and most of it concerned the period after he became the "Night Watchman."
Night Watchman.
That was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal codename for Leon.
Names could be wrong, but nicknames never were. Leon had slaughtered Hell's Kitchen in Brooklyn, once the district with the highest crime rate, into what was now the safest area around. Any criminal with even a little standing was either dead or crippled. The title Night Watchman was richly deserved.
Ever since Coulson learned that Leon was actually just a twenty-year-old kid, his softhearted nature had kicked in.
That was why he had been willing to take full responsibility for coordinating missions with Leon. Deep down, he also wanted to help him.
Leon naturally knew none of this, though he had not exactly gone to great lengths to hide his movements.
Therefore, Leon had expected that S.H.I.E.L.D. would discover his true identity someday, but that would not mean much.
From any perspective, S.H.I.E.L.D. could not possibly know the level of his strength. Even Leon himself could not say for sure.
After all, he had cheats!
Besides, while others might not know what S.H.I.E.L.D. was like internally, how could Leon not know?
He could not speak for the minor players, but he still remembered which big shots had eight extra heads growing from their necks.
So, this deception targeted only S.H.I.E.L.D., not certain Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., such as Coulson.
Declining Coulson's coffee, Leon took out a cup of Single-Log Wine Barrel specialty coffee from his storage space. He had discovered that compared to ordinary food, food and drink with special effects better brought out the Void Terror bloodline.
Taking a sip of coffee, Coulson still addressed Leon as Doctor Lister. "Doctor Lister, have you come this time prepared to begin our cooperation?"
Leon nodded. "That's right, that's right. I can teach the Sky Dance Technique, and I can teach the Transformation Spell. But like I said before, I'll teach you, but I won't guarantee that you'll learn it."
Coulson nodded, then immediately asked, "If our trainees learn one of your... skills, can we spread it through further instruction and teaching?"
This was less a question than a notification. Once they mastered such skills, how could they possibly not teach them to more trustworthy agents?!
But without Leon and the system, teaching them would be useless.
They would not be able to learn it.
So Leon put on a generous act and agreed immediately.
"Sure! No problem! Print it into books! Paint it on walls! Anything works~"
When Leon said that, Coulson became even more uncertain, so he asked another question. "Could it be..."
"That's right."
"You know what I was going to ask?"
"Nope!"
Coulson: -_-||...
Leon: ?⊙▽⊙
Before you continue