Coulson arrived back at headquarters and proceeded to the director's office, where he knocked and entered, leaving his earpiece and phone in a drop-box outside.
Fury was just finishing a conversation, "… as instructed. We need any information you can get in case our man has been compromised. Backup is on standby." He then looked up, spotted Coulson and indicated for him to close the door.
Once Coulson closed the door, there was a hissing sound and the low buzz of some kind of electrified field switching on. He was not surprised. Instead, he took out his gun, removed the clip and ejected the remaining cartridge before placing both in front of Fury with the muzzle of the weapon pointing to his right.
Protocol X was designed for situations where psionic, psychic or other mental powers are in play and people need to confirm that they have not been compromised.
Fury looked slightly relieved, but proceeded with protocol, "Re-confirm status, agent."
Coulson responded with, "All green. Confirmation code: Zeta, Lema, Beta, five, two, four."
"Good." he said, picked up his phone and listened while he was given a report immediately from the techs that were waiting for him on the line. Fury seemed to sag into his chair in relief. He put the phone down, disconnected its cable and said, "You're clean. The techs inform me that there doesn't seem to be any psionic or psychic powers trying to breach. Now I want your report."
Coulson looked at the director and asked, "Handling Protocol 15, Subsection C?"
"The room is clean, I checked myself. We're black until further notice. Do I need to be worried?" Fury asked, one eyebrow raised. "Widow has made contact, we have a response team on standby and snipers at the ready."
"No need to be worried, sir. We have seemed to luck out with this one. Full voluntary control. Willing to co-operate as long as we can keep his secrets off of any record." Coulson looked apprehensive for a moment. "Sir, I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"What is it?" Fury sat upright, ready to get back on the phone in a second.
"We have a case of level ten, Code C restricted access information." Coulson responded.
Sitting back and staring angrily at Coulson, Fury said, "You mean, you can't tell me something to maintain our relationship. With a Protocol X powered? That's highly unconventional and goes against many of our mandated rules."
"I understand that, sir, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He's also told me the weakness of his version of Protocol X. He needs eye-contact." Coulson said as he slipped out his sunglasses and put them on for effect.
Fury was intrigued and nodded in understanding. "What can you tell me?"
And with that Coulson sat down, took off his sunglasses and started explaining the situation to Fury. "Harry Potter seems to have been transported from a parallel universe through means I am not aware of, but suspect to be connected to the intel I cannot divulge at this time."
Fury just looked at him, considering this. "So he doesn't belong to a foreign agency. It was his arrival that we picked up on the sensors. He's the one that knocked our men out and destroyed their instruments. He's been lying to us and you want us to give him the benefit of the doubt?" Fury was not happy. When he was told Coulson had gone black, he had worried. Coulson had never gone black before. When Coulson implemented Protocol X, he had worried that he'd soon lose his right hand man. And now the same man was basically advocating his freedom. "Explain."
"From what I understand, his world was all but destroyed. By one man. That man was tempting to breach into our world, but he was able to stop him, on his own. The scorched part of the beach is where Agent Potter dispatched of his remains." Coulson was doing all he can not to reveal anything he mustn't.
"Agent Potter?" Fury asked with a raised eyebrow.
"He was, before its downfall, an agent sworn to his government to uphold the law. The government he worked for were like him. Protecting both normal and enhanced from enemy enhanced. Sir, from what I understand, I suspect his government abused his skills, some of which were unique to him even there. He has a mistrust of those who deal in information and keep him in the dark. He does not wish to be a weapon." Coulson informed him.
"The government in charge will not always be able to give a soldier the reasons for sending them to battle. It's as much for the soldier's protection as the people they serve." Fury stated.
"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Coulson asked.
"Go ahead."
"Sir, Harry was the only survivor of an entire world. They must have known his power, his importance to the fight. When they chose to use him for their gain instead of saving their world, they disabused him of the illusion that the government knows best. If we're to employ him, and I couldn't stress enough how much you need to do that, we cannot, ever, make him go against his code. He's a hero warrior sir. Not a soldier." Coulson said solemnly.
"Hero warrior? You sound like a fan. Are you sure you weren't compromised?" Fury asked.
"I've not been compromised, sir. He gave me that information freely. He could have kept it to himself and we would never have known about his need for eye-contact. I don't even think we'd be able to detect it by our means. When I pointed that out, he said that he was giving me his trust, and that required that I keep some of his information in trust until such a time that SHIELD can prove itself to keep his information safe.
"As for me being a fan. He sure as hell deserves some. He's been in conflict with his enemy since his early teens as far as I can tell. But I'm not a fan. I respect him far too much for that. Sir, he's lost everybody he ever loved, and then everybody else died. From what I understand, his enemy used enhanced means to start a nuclear fallout. And he used his unique skills to stay alive for years, on his own, his soul purpose to avenge his fallen world. I cannot imagine I'd be capable of doing the same."
Fury's eye had widened. Hearing what this man had been through, he could not imagine the sheer grit needed to stay the course and not lose himself to madness. "And he told you this? You do realise he could be the one that destroyed his world and he's just getting in good with the next government he's about to set his sights on?" Fury asked, not wanting it to be true, but needing to cover his bases.
"I understand that, sir. I wondered the same thing. And I would not have believed him had he not freely shared some of his secrets with me. Things that could very well change the course of our world. Sir, while I can't tell you everything, I can assure you: he's a good man. And if you can't trust him, I strongly urge you to trust me. According to Harry, there's a high likelihood that something big is coming. Something we'll need him for. He doesn't know what, but he seemed to think that whatever it is, we'll need his experience and/or abilities on our side. To use his words: 'Are you the person I'm supposed to trust with the life of an entire world?'" Coulson said.
Fury was surprised at this. "You know I trust you Coulson. And having you vouch for him is telling. I'll definitely consider him an ally, but for us to use him I need to know his skills and abilities. We also need to know his source of information. If there's a threat to our world, we need to know what it is so that we can prepare."
"Of course, sir. He was willing for me to tell you most, but not all of his abilities. From there I should be able to extrapolate some of the skills that I think, but have not confirmed, that he might have. Firstly, he was trained as a field operative. Seize and capture, infiltration and extraction. Secondly, he has the ability to find and disable electronics, and can knock people out using means I am to keep silent about for now." Coulson said.
"You mean, that was not a part of his psionic or psychic abilities?" Fury asked with a frown.
"Kind of, sir. It's all related to his secret. I wouldn't call him psychic, psionic or even telepathic. Let's rather say, where he is from, there are skills and abilities we don't know about that can benefit us. I suspect his source of information falls within that range of skills, but to hear him speak of it, there is no more information to give. He just knows he's supposed to be here and to trust someone. Me apparently. I really wish I could tell you, though. It's actually rather exciting. I suggest we get him up to speed and start informing him of the world he's entered. Once he's ready we can start seeing where he'll be most useful. We have to handle the situation with care, however. I have a suspicion that if he feels threatened he can disappear from our radar and we'd never find him again." Coulson warned.
"Interesting." Fury said. "Okay. I'll think about it. Skills like his would be useful for extracting information as long as he keeps his eyes off ours. Are you sure there's nothing else?"
"Sir, if you were there you would understand. When he speaks of his past, you can see pain in his eyes like I have never seen. He was very close to broken when he arrived here. If we can make him an ally, maybe get him indebted to us, we might just have what we need to avoid situations like what happened at Puente Antiguo in the future." Coulson said dropping his last bombshell.
"He's that powerful?" Fury asked amazed.
"Probably more, sir. I don't know for sure, but from what he's told me the implications are immense." Coulson said with a real smile on his face.
"You look like a kid at Christmas time." Fury noted after he took a moment to consider the information he had just been given. Not since 1995 had he seen anything like what Coulson was describing.
"I'm not sure what you are referring to, sir." Coulson said standing up, his usual smile on his face.
Fury plugged his phone back in and dialled a code. The door unlocked and the shields protecting against both communications and psionic abilities was dropped. "I expect your official report and documentation on my desk first thing tomorrow."
"Sir, level ten, Code C restricted access information."
"Yes, I know. I'll still need your official report stating what you can. It'll also give me a better understanding of what to keep to myself." Fury replied.
Just then the phone rang and Fury instantly answered, "This is Fury." He listened and scowled when the person on the other side finished. "It seems our new friend has been busy." he said looking at Coulson.