Time seemed to stand still.
After what felt like an eternity, Coulson didn't feel the expected pain, and the sense of restraint on his body slowly dissipated. He cautiously opened his eyes.
The silver-white automaton, with its blade-like hands, had retracted them at some point. Now, it stood silently about a meter away, accompanied by a man in a dark robe.
"Hey, May, you okay?" Coulson asked, his voice calm as he touched Melinda's shoulder.
"Huh—" Melinda took a deep breath before answering. "Coulson, I'm fine."
But as she spoke, her gaze landed on the dangerously poised silver doll and the man who had appeared next to it.
"You… who are you?" Melinda demanded, her hand instinctively reaching for her gun. She aimed it at the man, her nerves on edge.
"Who am I?" The man sneered and, with a nonchalant air, sat down on a chair by the desk. Frowning, he added, "I should be the one asking that. Do you know that trespassing in someone's home isn't something normal people do?"
As he spoke, the silver doll turned its gaze toward them. Its expression—if it could be called that—darkened, and Patch's eyes became sharper, a dangerous glint appearing.
"Master, I don't know when these two strangers broke in," the doll reported, its voice mechanical. "They even went so far as to open the magic jar meant to heal your heart."
Patch's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh? They found my magic jar," he muttered, before looking at Coulson and Melinda again. He gave them a calculating glance. "It seems you two aren't just ordinary people, are you?"
"Now, tell me," Patch continued, standing up, "why did you break into my home while I was away?"
He paused for a moment, glancing at Melinda with an irritated expression. "And can this lady lower her weapon? I don't take kindly to people pointing things at my head. Besides, that toy you're holding doesn't pose any threat to me."
The moment he spoke, Patch's gaze shifted to Melinda, piercing her with such intensity that it froze her in place. Her hand dropped the gun as if she were no longer in control of it.
Coulson, noticing Melinda's reaction, frowned slightly. He then took a few steps forward, maintaining his composure. A slight smile played on his lips.
"Mr. Patch Meiwes," Coulson began, his voice steady. "We have no intention of infringing on your privacy. However, some of your recent activities have attracted the attention of my department, so we're here to investigate."
Despite the near-death experience moments earlier, Coulson's agent instincts kicked in. He had recognized the man before him and had quickly regained his calm.
"Special behavior? Investigate me?" Patch raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Coulson and Melinda. "Are you with the FBI?"
Coulson shook his head.
"CIA?"
Coulson shook his head again.
"Then who exactly do you work for?"
"I'm Agent Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Coulson replied smoothly, pulling out his credentials. He then pointed to Melinda. "And this is Agent Melinda May."
Patch blinked in confusion. "Strategic... Homeland... what? Can you repeat that?"
"Uh..." Coulson smiled awkwardly. "It's a bit of a mouthful, but you can just call us S.H.I.E.L.D."
When Coulson said the name, Patch's pupils contracted sharply, and his expression darkened.
"Hiding for so long… I didn't expect to be targeted by them."
The full name of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, as Coulson had just mentioned. Its origins, however, were much older. The precursor to S.H.I.E.L.D. had its roots in ancient Egypt, formed in tandem with the rise of Hydra, but it wasn't until World War II that the organization truly took shape. Founded by Howard Stark, the inventor and founder of Stark Industries, along with Peggy Carter, Steve Rogers' old ally and lover, and a handful of other prominent figures, S.H.I.E.L.D. originally served as a countermeasure against the Nazi regime and Hydra.
Over time, however, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s role evolved. While its primary focus was once limited to military operations, it had grown into a vast, multi-faceted organization—one that acted as a bridge between the known and unknown, tasked with ensuring global security and safeguarding the Earth from both earthly and extraterrestrial threats.
Four years ago, when Patch first entered the dangerous world of Marvel, he had anticipated that powerful organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. could become a serious threat to him. The sheer scope and reach of the agency made it a constant concern.
Even now, after transforming from a small-time street hero into a formidable wizard, Patch still didn't take S.H.I.E.L.D. lightly. The organization was unpredictable, and its resources were vast. He knew better than to underestimate them—who knew what secrets they had at their disposal?
When Patch first donned the cape and began working as the Caped Man, he had always expected that S.H.I.E.L.D. would eventually take notice, but he hadn't anticipated it would happen so quickly.
Patch began running through his recent activities. From his recollection, none of his larger actions had left clear traces. He'd been careful—too careful for any organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. to track him down easily. But now, he found himself wondering what had given him away.
"Was it the men in suits I incinerated?" he thought. "Did they somehow trace that?"
"Could it have been the transaction I made that day? Was it captured by a satellite?"
"Or maybe… something else?"
His mind raced with countless possibilities. What had tipped off S.H.I.E.L.D. to his existence?
Although extremely surprised, Patch's expression remained unchanged. UU Read Book (www.uukanshu.com) shrugged and said, "So, Mr. Agent, what exactly do you want to do with me? I'm a law-abiding citizen of the Federation, and as far as I can tell, I haven't done anything to disturb the peace or break the law."
Coulson, maintaining his serious demeanor, responded, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is an organization focused on protecting the security of the world. In pursuit of that mission, we sometimes refrain from informing the public about certain matters, for the greater good. You could say that S.H.I.E.L.D. operates across the globe, defending against the unknown... And you, Mr. Meiwes..."
Coulson's voice grew more intense. "Don't you think you, yourself, are a rather unusual case? At least, from the perspective of us 'ordinary' people?"
Patch, pretending to be confused, replied, "I'm unusual? What are you talking about?"
"We're not joking, Mr. Meiwes."
Melinda, who had been standing silently off to the side, stepped forward and handed Patch a phone with an icy expression. "Mr. Patch Meiwes," she said coldly, "We'd like an explanation for this."
Patch took the phone and saw the footage. It was a video of him dealing with a gangster one night, extracting money from the man's body after beating him down.
After watching the video a couple of times, Patch furrowed his brow. He clearly remembered destroying all the cameras in the area that night. How could this footage exist?
Without dwelling on the question, Patch handed the phone back to Melinda. He acted casual, as if unfazed, and said, "Interesting. The cloaked figure in the video certainly has some impressive abilities, but..." He glanced at both Melinda and Coulson. "What does that have to do with me?"