transformed his delight into a satisfied smirk. "Finally," he muttered, sitting up on his bed. "Level 5... and advanced permissions? Things are about to get interesting."
When Coulson returned to the interrogation room to re-examine Scott's body, his sharp eye caught something unusual—a diaper lying on the floor. Scott's pants, however, were perfectly intact. Confused and wary, Coulson backed out of the room.
"Notify the Biochemical Research Department! Seal the room and inspect that diaper thoroughly!" he barked into his communicator.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury was in his office, watching surveillance footage of Watson pulling civilians out of a raging inferno. His one good eye narrowed as he tried to make sense of the scene.
Suddenly, the emergency alarm on his desk flashed red. Fury immediately patched into Coulson's comms.
"Coulson, what's going on?" Fury demanded.
"Sir," Coulson replied, his voice tinged with incredulity, "the target is dead. There's nothing left but a diaper that appears to have... moved. The intruder is still being tracked."
"A moving diaper?!" Fury growled. "Agent Coulson, is this some kind of Halloween prank? Never mind. Just resolve it immediately."
Before Fury could finish, another call interrupted him. He glanced at the screen. Alexander Pierce. Fury grimaced before answering.
"Pierce," Fury said with a forced smile. "What's the urgency?"
Pierce's voice was casual, but there was a calculating edge beneath it. "I just wanted to check in, see if you needed assistance."
"Thanks for the offer, but everything's under control," Fury replied smoothly.
Pierce chuckled. "I also heard about a new superhero running around. What's your take on him?"
Fury leaned back, adopting a casual tone. "You mean the kid who dashed into a burning building to save people? He's brave, I'll give him that. Maybe if more people were like him, you and I could finally retire."
Pierce gave a dry laugh. "Fair enough. I'll leave you to it."
As soon as the call ended, Pierce muttered to himself, "Cunning as always, Fury." Reaching for a secure phone, Pierce dialed a number.
"Rumlow," he barked. "What's the status of your infiltration?"
"Boss, I've gathered intel on their objectives and movements, but there are still gaps," Rumlow replied. "Turn on the news. You'll want to see this."
Pierce did as instructed, switching his TV to the breaking news channel. A segment on Watson's heroic actions dominated the screen. Pierce's eyes narrowed as he scanned the accompanying footage and the files Rumlow had just sent over.
"So," he murmured, "that armor is his edge, huh?"
Elsewhere, Coulson and Clint Barton scoured every inch of the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility for leads. Back in the command room, Coulson addressed the gathered agents.
"Status report!" he barked.
"Sir," an agent replied, "no abnormalities in the interrogation room. The diaper has been tested—no viral agents or supernatural residue detected."
"What about the tech and medical teams?" Coulson pressed.
"The tech team found no devices on the body, and the medical team confirmed no physical injuries or toxins. Their conclusion is sudden brain death."
"Sudden brain death?!" Coulson threw his hands up in frustration. "So he just dropped dead for no reason? That's the best we've got?"
He glared at the screen replaying the interrogation footage. It showed Scott lowering his head moments before the diaper appeared on the floor. Coulson leaned in, replaying the moment again and again.
"What kind of power could kill a man and leave a diaper behind?" he muttered to himself. His headache worsened. "Once this case is over, I'm booking a spa day. This job is going to make me go bald."
Watson, meanwhile, was sprawled on his bed, basking in his recent success.
"Ding! +100 experience points! (200/200) Congratulations, host, you have leveled up to Level 5. New permissions unlocked!"
Watson grinned as the familiar system voice continued:
"Target eliminated: Scott (Hydra semi-finished product reformer). Gang annihilation task complete: Scott (1/1), Black Snake (1/1), Silver Snake (1/1). Advanced novice task complete. Rewards distributed!"
"Finally," Watson said, his grin widening. "Let's see what these new permissions can really do." He opened the system menu, ready to explore the arsenal of options that had just become available to him.