???
Listening to the prompt from the Scales of Fate in his mind, Eren's thoughts were flooded with question marks.
Were these containment methods serious?
If he had the strength described in Method 1, he wouldn't be hiding from gangsters, constantly on the run like this.
As for the forbidden item Silent Box mentioned in Method 2, he hadn't even heard of it, let alone used it to contain Moonlight DJ.
Method 3 seemed somewhat feasible.
But judging by the current situation at the Morningstar Bar, Eren estimated that he'd be done for before even getting close to Moonlight DJ.
And besides, the bar was now surrounded by cops—how could he even get inside?
Wait a second.
That man giving orders… wasn't he Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.? With that iconic receding hairline, there was no way Eren could mistake him.
Could it be that the situation at the Morningstar Bar had drawn S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention?
If that were the case, wouldn't it be even harder for Eren to secure the forbidden item inside?
No!
Eren shook his head.
If he took a calculated risk, it might not be impossible.
Forbidden items weren't native to this world, so the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were probably scratching their heads trying to figure out how to deal with this situation.
With that thought, Eren took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He began pushing his way through the crowd of onlookers.
As the commotion caused by Eren's movements spread, a young patrol officer in his twenties shouted, "This is an active crime scene! No pushing! Everyone, stay back! Hey, you! Yes, you! Didn't you hear me? Stop pushing!"
Ignoring the officer's warning, Eren squeezed up to him and said, "Officer, could you please call over Agent Coulson? The one holding the radio, with the receding hairline."
"Huh?"
The young officer, who had been ready to reprimand Eren, frowned slightly upon hearing Coulson's name.
Could this guy actually know Agent Coulson?
After a moment's hesitation, the officer said, "I can call him, but I can't guarantee he'll agree to see you."
"Thank you. Oh, and you might want to mention that I have intel about the issue inside the bar." Eren gestured toward the Morningstar Bar as he spoke.
"Intel about the bar? If what you're saying is true, I think the agent will want to meet you."
"Of course."
Convinced that Eren wasn't bluffing, the young officer ran over to Coulson.
"He claims to have intel about the situation inside the bar?"
Coulson glanced at the young man in the crowd, then nodded to the officer. "Bring him here."
Standing nearby, Ward frowned. "You really think that kid knows anything?"
Coulson smiled faintly. "Meeting him won't waste much of our time, and it's better than losing lives to gather information ourselves. Who knows? He might actually know something useful."
Soon enough, the young officer brought Eren to Coulson.
Instead of immediately asking about the Morningstar Bar, Coulson first inquired, "What's your name?"
"I'm Eren."
"Well, Eren, how exactly do you know my name? I don't recall ever meeting you."
Coulson fixed Eren with an unwavering stare, watching his microexpressions carefully.
"That's correct—you don't know me now. But in the future, you will. As you can see, I'm a diviner. Your name came to me during a reading."
A diviner???
Coulson's mind filled with question marks.
Beside him, Ward shrugged with a knowing look, as if to say, I expected as much.
Even Coulson seemed a bit exasperated.
"Alright, my little fortune teller, I'm not in the mood for games. If you actually know something about this strange bar, spill it. If not, you're free to leave. You wouldn't want to be charged with obstructing justice by the NYPD, would you?"
Eren wasn't intimidated by Coulson's subtle threat. He nodded earnestly. "Of course, I wouldn't waste your time if I didn't have real information. However, every successful divination comes at a cost. So…"
He held up his right hand and rubbed his fingers together, making the universal gesture for money.
Ward's expression darkened.
Great. A con artist daring to scam S.H.I.E.L.D.—he must have a death wish.
Clenching his fists, Ward raised an eyebrow at Eren. "Hey, kid, has anyone ever told you that you've got a lot of nerve—"
Before Ward could finish, Eren interrupted, "One hundred thousand dollars. For that price, I'll share what I've divined. Considering the payout for a federal soldier's death benefit, you'd still come out ahead."
"This time, I'm being sincere."
One hundred thousand dollars wasn't much to the wealthy, but it was no small amount either. Most families in the country couldn't scrape together that kind of money.
To Coulson, it sounded like highway robbery.
But, as Eren pointed out, from a certain perspective, it wasn't entirely unreasonable. A single soldier's death benefit would cost several times more.
If Eren's intel truly helped with this operation, the cost might even be worth it.
Still, Coulson wasn't about to let himself be taken advantage of without trying to negotiate.
"A hundred thousand is no small amount. I—"
Before Coulson could finish, Eren cut him off. "Fate doesn't offer discounts. The price is non-negotiable. If you think it's too steep, I'll leave now…"
Coulson: "...Fine. But your information had better be worth it. Otherwise, crossing a law enforcement agency is a mistake you'll deeply regret."
Ward, meanwhile, cocked his rifle slightly and sneered. "Coulson, you're too kind. If his information leads to casualties, he'll be facing prison time."
(End of Chapter)
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