Coulson strode into the branch office established in New York. The massive eagle emblem gleamed with reflected silver light. Looking at the long name beneath the symbol, he wondered whether he should suggest to the director that they change it to something shorter and easier to remember. The name Homeland Strategic Defense, Attack, and Logistics Agency was simply too much of a mouthful.
"Hey, long time no see, John." Coulson smiled as he greeted a middle-aged man.
"What a rare visitor, Phil. Looks like yesterday's Mutant incident really caused quite a stir, or Director Fury wouldn't have sent you here." Senior Agent John Garrett laughed heartily.
The burly middle-aged man, who resembled a Western cowboy, was a top-tier Level Eight agent. He had joined the special agency established with the approval of the World Security Council at the same time as Coulson, and now served as an administrator at the New York branch.
"Yeah. Magneto, who's at the top of the danger list, made a far too grand entrance. And it happened during the high-level summit of world leaders, with an important figure killed as well. The White House is furious..."
Coulson gave a wry smile. The vacation he had finally managed to get had gone down the drain because of this. He had planned to take a holiday in Provence with his girlfriend, but now he could only postpone it again.
"We're already tracking down Erik Lehnsherr. This leader among the Mutants has always been someone we've watched closely, but they're too powerful. Ordinary low-level agents can barely conduct surveillance on them. As for the Mutant Academy in Westchester, it's even harder to control. Every agent sent to watch it acts as if their memories were deliberately erased. They don't remember anything."
Garrett shook his head helplessly. These highly