At this moment, from within the neighboring shrubbery outside the warehouse, Ward squinted his eyes. He heard two gunfire shots, but there were no screams of pain or sounds of anyone ducking for cover. Something seemed off.
He intended to observe the situation for a bit, yet within a few minutes, more intense gunfire erupted from within the warehouse. The sporadic screams of pain that followed left no room for Ward to bide his time anymore, recognizing the voices of some acquaintances among the screams.
Although Ward now possessed a special ability, he did not immediately resort to it. Instead, just like a regular man, he moved swiftly towards the warehouse and crouched to peek through a window.
The combat inside the warehouse was extremely fierce, as a group of agents, each armed with different weapons, were surrounding a man for an assault.
This man was incredibly agile, with considerable strength, but most significantly, he seemed to absorb every bullet that hit him.
Long-ranged weapons turned out to be useless. However, the Agents engaging in close-quarters combat weren't faring much better either. The man clearly had superior combat skills.
One swing of his fist floored an agent, then a quick elbow strike drove back Coulson, who was closing in. Dodging a swing from a female agent, he retaliated with a punch that knocked her out.
From watching, Ward could tell this man was a professional boxer. He also knew that his acquaintances wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.
Ward climbed in through the window. At this point, all the agents, including Coulson, had been knocked to the ground
"Who are you?" Ward asked as he drew his pistol from his belt, aiming it at the man, seemingly oblivious to his bullet-absorbing capability.
The man didn't respond. Swiftly, Ward moved closer, but the bald man showed no fear. As he contracted his core muscles to stabilize his body, he threw a punch that hit a yellow glow.
Ward's body was enveloped in a yellow glow, the residual Yellow Lamp Power within him. In an instant, he teleported behind the man, landing a punch that sent him flying.
Feeling the tide turning, the man attempted to escape. However, as he neared the back door of the warehouse, he saw a crate labeled "084" within his reach.
He hesitated, then made a quick dash towards it, intending to take the crate and flee. Just then, a dark figure pounced towards him, and Coulson's punch landed on the bald man's shoulder.
Coulson's surprise attack was successful, causing the man to stagger. Apparently triggered by the pain, the man roared and tensed his muscles, sending Coulson flying with one powerful punch.
Unsatisfied, the man jumped up and landed an elbow strike on Coulson's chest. The sound of breaking ribs was ominous. Coulson let out a painful scream as blood sprayed from his nostrils and mouth.
Ward instantly teleported behind the bald man, grabbing his neck and throwing him to the ground. Now, he could see that a large hole had been torn in Coulson's chest.
This bald man with special abilities was no ordinary man. His bare-handed assaults were lethal enough to kill an adult like Coulson.
Ward kneeled down, placing his hand on Coulson's chest. But unlike the Green Lantern Energy, Yellow Lantern Energy, despite being able to heal injuries sustained by the Yellow Lantern, couldn't replenish life force in ordinary people.
Moreover, Ward was not a real Yellow Lantern. He hadn't received any training, and he didn't know how to use this energy. As such, even as he anxiously tried to transfer energy to Coulson, Coulson's life force was still fading.
In the end, despite completely depleting his Yellow Lamp Energy, all Ward managed to do was slow down the worsening of Coulson's condition. Other agents, having recovered, carried Coulson to a vehicle.
The vehicle sped towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. However, Coulson was not a Yellow Lantern, he didn't know how to control this energy and use it to heal himself, nor did he know how to store this energy.
Moreover, the aftereffects of the Yellow Lantern Power weren't all positive. This type of energy could induce fear.
Lying in the vehicle, Coulson saw patients, contorted in pain, stagger out of the hospital rooms, looking like walking corpses. Their screams filled his ears as they bombarded him with questions.
Images that once scared him played out in his mind. His life-threatening injury had been frozen and the resulting physical and mental torment led Coulson to mutter, "…kill me...quickly…kill me…"
Coulson was arguably the only friend Ward had left at S.H.I.E.L.D. Naturally, Ward wanted to save him. But as Coulson's will to live decreased, the Yellow Lantern Power began to dissipate.
By the time the vehicle was less than a hundred meters away from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, the final trace of yellow light had vanished, and Coulson showed no signs of life.
With a violent punch on the door, Ward along with other agents rushed out of the vehicle and carried Coulson's lifeless body into the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Seeing this, Nick immediately cleared out the unrelated personnel, only allowing Natasha and Ward to stay.
By the time Shiller arrived, Ward was holding a syringe, ready to inject Coulson.
"Wait, don't use the serum yet. Let me take a look," Shiller stopped Ward and stepped forward. He used the Gray Mist to inspect Coulson's body, but alas, Coulson indeed showed no signs of life.