Harry received Daisy's distress text and hurriedly pulled his friend Sean to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s temporary command center. Coulson was usually a reasonable man, at least on the surface, and he also knew full well that this Umbrella founder had deep connections.
So even after hearing that the blond man who had barged in was supposedly a Norwegian doctor and an avid fan of Norse Mythology—a far-fetched explanation even on its face—Coulson still chose to let him go, returning all the research materials and equipment along with him.
It was not out of fear or apprehension. Keeping this inexplicable intruder around would not yield any more useful information, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had long since backed up the data on the Astronomical Anomaly. It had no further value to exploit.
As long as there was no direct conflict between them, Coulson saw no harm in doing Sean a favor. Just as Director Fury often said, a clever hunter had to let the prey lower its guard before seizing the right opportunity.
"Vacationing in New Mexico?" the middle-aged agent probed casually. His superior had always maintained a certain degree of suspicion toward this young man.
"Of course. This is a place the American people should remember. In 1680, the Indians drove out the Spanish. More than a century later, this land became part of the United States. Sixteen years after that, the Civil War began here. Then, in 1945, the United States detonated its first atomic bomb in this very place, ushering in the nuclear age."
Watching Dr. Selvig and Jane lead away the blond man, Sean spoke in a tone full of emotion, casually summarizing centuries of turbulent history in a few light remarks.
"This place bears too many traces of history. It is worth seeing."
Harry stood beside him, dumbfounded. Hearing Sean spout