Dave sat in his office, his eyes fixed on the man across from him, maintaining a kind yet slightly tense smile.
"You said your name was Phil Coulson?" Dave asked, curiosity and suspicion brewing in his mind. The man nodded politely.
'Why is S.H.I.E.L.D. already on to me?' Dave thought, trying to figure out how his identity might have been compromised. 'Did I make a mistake?'
His mind raced through every possible scenario. Could Trish's arrival have alerted someone? Was it something in his recent actions? Before he could fully dive into his thoughts, Coulson's calm voice broke through, pulling him back to the present.
"Yes, my name is Phil Coulson. Did your father ever mention me?" Coulson asked, his usual polite smile on his face.
"No, he never mentioned anyone by that name. Actually, he never really talked about anyone," Dave replied.
"That's understandable," Coulson said with a sigh. "James always wanted to keep you away from the political and business struggles, letting you live a simple, comfortable life instead."
"do you now my father?" Dave asked lookin at him while inwardly he thought ' Was my father connected with SHIELD?'
"Yes, we were friends and colleagues," Coulson continued. "We worked together many times, even."
"And what else?" Dave asked, curious to learn more.
"Well, one thing that made your father truly respected was his compassion. He opened an orphanage, saving countless children—homeless, orphans, or those caught in struggles between opposing forces. He made sure they had a chance," Coulson added, his voice touched with nostalgia.
Diana, who had been silently listening, couldn't stop the tears streaming down her face.
Trish noticed and asked, "Were you one of those kids your Dave's father took care of?"
Diana glared at her, wiping her tears. "None of your business," she snapped.
Trish shrugged, in response while she wondered why Diana got angry.
"So, why are you here?" Dave eventually asked, growing tired of Coulson's seemingly endless chatter.
Phil paused for a moment, his tone shifting. "Well, you might not like this, but we suspect your father was murdered."
Dave's eyes narrowed briefly before relaxing. He calmly asked, "And who did it?"
"As I mentioned, we don't fully believe it yet, but we're 90% certain it was murder," Phil said, watching Dave's reaction closely.
Seeing no significant change in Dave's expression, Coulson nodded, though he couldn't help but wonder, Did James train his son to be this composed?
"So, you came here just to tell me that?" Dave asked, looking at Phil with a mix of curiosity and impatience.
"Yes," Phil confirmed, standing up. "And also to advise you to decline any invitations that may come your way. It's best to be cautious."
He handed Dave his card. "I've taken up quite a bit of your time, so I should be going. If you receive any invitations, feel free to call me."
As Phil exited, Dave glanced at the card and watched him leave. Turning his attention to the quest screen, he saw the notification about his father's death.
[New Quest: Revenge]
[Objective: Investigate your father's death and find the culprit]
[Reward: 5% increase in Dante template Fusion, 300 Template Points]
As Coulson left, both Diana and Trish entered the office. Diana, visibly concerned, asked, "What should we do?"
Dave looked at Trish and said, "Find out who killed my father."
Trish nodded, and added, "And what happens after I find the culprit?"
"Bring him here alive," Dave replied firmly. Trish nodded again and began to leave to start her investigation.
Diana, still worried, didn't stop them but inquired, "How can she help you with this?"
"She's more capable than she looks," Dave said simply as he returned to reviewing documents.
Muttering to himself, Dave added, "The only thing I might hate in this life is all this paperwork," as he sifted through the various documents and company encounters from the past month.
While Diana begin to teach him about various business related stuff.
*****
Knock, knock.
"Come in," Fury said.
Phil entered the office and approached Fury.
"How did it go?" Fury asked, looking at him intently.
"I didn't ask him directly," Phil replied.
"Why not?" Fury inquired.
"He seemed composed for someone whose father just died," Phil explained. "He also appeared… trained."
Fury nodded thoughtfully. "Given James's reputation, I doubt he would leave his only son untrained."
Phil continued, "It means we have more reason to invite him to join SHIELD."
"I know," Phil added, looking back at Fury. "But I wanted to see his reaction. I told him his father was murdered to gauge his response. I wanted to see how he would handle the information and if he would seek revenge."
Fury considered this for a moment. "And?"
Phil shrugged. "He didn't seem surprised or rattled. It looks like he's more capable than we initially thought."
"Hmm, still keep an eye on him," Fury said, nodding. "This is the least we can do for James's son."
"What about Tony Stark, sir?" Phil asked, his curiosity piqued.
"We've located him, but our agent reports that he's working on something significant. So, let's hold off on his rescue for now," Fury replied, glancing at the images sent by their infiltrator.
"It looks like some kind of exo armor," Phil noted, studying the images.
"Yes, and if he completes it, we'll definitely want him on the Avengers Initiative," Fury said with his same expression.
"But isn't his life at risk?" Phil inquired.
"No, we have more agents in place than terrorists," Fury said confidently.
Phil nodded, eager to see what Tony Stark would produce next.
While Trish using her Bewitching Devil Powers is already close to finding about the death of James.
Trish, seated on her dark throne, exuded an aura of cold authority. A man, kneeling before her with a perverted gaze, licked her feet as she looked down on him with disdain.
"Tell me, who ordered the hit on James?" Trish demanded, placing her foot on his head with an air of superiority.
The man, his face filled with both fear and longing, stammered, "Yes, my queen, please stand on me. It was Kingpin, the Wilson Fisk."
Trish's expression remained unreadable as she pressed her foot harder, causing him to babble incoherently. "He wanted James's wealth and his money-making talent. When James refused, Kingpin had him killed."
"And where can I find this Kingpin?" Trish asked, her voice steady.
The man's head, bloodied and battered, nodded towards the floor. "Fisk Tower but he usually resides In Hell's Kitchen," he replied just before his head exploded, splattering white and gray matter across the room.
Trish stood, her demonic power sweeping away the filth from her. Her eyes glowed with an Pink-black light as she murmured, "Wilson Fisk, you are next."
With that, she left the carnage-filled mansion, her heels clicking rhythmically as she headed toward her next destination.
****
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