Chapter 723: Coulson is back!

Paris, France-

After a period of unhappiness following the news of Kabuto's betrayal, Ward threw himself back into his work with renewed intensity.

"Agent Ward, we've tracked down the package's location. We need to abort the mission," came the voice of another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent through his earpiece.

Ward, speeding toward the target location on his motorcycle, responded, "I can retrieve the package in five minutes."

The agent on the other end, who was coordinating the operation, warned, "Others are also five minutes away."

"They've posted the coordinates online."

By the time this conversation ended, Ward had already arrived at his destination. Parking his motorcycle, he said with a smirk, "If the mission were easy, it wouldn't be any fun."

Ward took off his helmet and pulled out a tray from inside his jacket as he entered the hotel's restaurant.

He quickly changed into a waiter's uniform, while updates about the target's position continued to come through his earpiece from his S.H.I.E.L.D. colleagues.

"Red tie, by the window."

Following the team's instructions, Ward approached the target, carrying the tray, and asked, "May I take your glass, sir?"

The target glanced at the waiter before him and nodded.

Ward smoothly took the used glass, placed it on the tray, and walked away. The cloth on the tray immediately scanned the fingerprints from the glass.

With the fingerprints secured, Ward made his way to the target's home.

Upon entering the apartment, he heard a woman singing in the bathroom, but he paid no mind to it. Ward twisted the tray in his hands, and the bottom edge of the tray transformed into a scanner, which he used to sweep the room.

Soon, Ward detected a safe hidden behind a painting.

He removed the painting, revealing the safe's keypad, and promptly entered the password. He then placed the cloth that had scanned the fingerprints onto his hand and pressed it against the fingerprint scanner.

A soft "ding" signaled that the fingerprint had been accepted. The fireplace below the painting began to rise, revealing a hidden compartment behind it.

Inside, Ward found stacks of cash, gold bars, and several unopened briefcases.

In the center of the cash piles was a small black pouch—the target item. Ward grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket.

As he exited the secret compartment, a woman dressed in a nightgown walked in. Without missing a beat, Ward said, "Your fireplace is broken."

Just then two armed guards burst through the door.

Ward reacted instantly, hurling the tray at one guard with such force that it knocked him out. He then swiftly disarmed and subdued the second guard with a few quick moves.

The woman in the nightgown, unfazed by the confrontation, returned to her room to change clothes and calmly walked out.

Ward's earpiece crackled to life with a delayed warning from his teammate: "Ward, just a heads up—you might have company nearby."

Ward glanced at the two unconscious guards on the floor and dryly remarked, "Oh, really?"

With the threats neutralized, Ward left the apartment and made his way to the building's rooftop, where he boarded a helicopter to leave Paris.

…

S.H.I.E.L.D. Field Office, Agent Hill's Outpost-

Ward sat at a round table, waiting for further instructions from Agent Hill. Agent Hill asked, "What does S.H.I.E.L.D. stand for, Agent Ward?"

Ward calmly responded, "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

"And what does it mean to you?"

Ward smirked and said, "It means someone really wanted our initials to spell out 'shield.'"

Noticing that Hill was not satisfied with his answer, Ward continued, "It means we're a line of defense, standing between the world and the much weirder world. We keep people from knowing things they aren't ready to know."

"And if we fail, we make sure to keep them safe."

Ward then pulled out the target item from his pocket, "Like this Chitauri neural link."

"We got to it before the bad guys did."

He slid the neural link across the table toward Hill.

Hill picked up the item, examined it briefly, then stood up and asked, "Do you know who Von Strucker planned to sell this to?"

As she spoke, Hill placed the Chitauri neural link into a case held by another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent standing nearby.

Instead of answering her question, Ward asked, "I'm more interested in how the Rising Tide learned about this. Aren't they just a bunch of hackers? Has something changed?"

Hill turned to Ward and shook her head, "Everything's changed."

"The Battle of New York was the end of the world as we knew it. Now it's a new world."

"People are different now. They have access to advanced technology, enhancers, and secrets they're not ready to handle."

Ward wasn't particularly concerned about any of this.

Leaning forward, Ward looked at Hill and asked, "Why was I pulled back from Paris?"

Hill glanced at him before answering, "That's a question you'll have to ask Agent Coulson."

Ward sighed, "Come on, I have Level 6 clearance. I know Agent Coulson died during the Battle of New York."

"I read the full report. After all, he and I were both overseers for *that person*."

At that moment, Coulson stepped out from the shadows and said, "Welcome to Level 7."

Ward stood up, shocked, unable to believe his eyes.

Coulson smiled and said, "Sorry, that corner was pretty dark, and I just couldn't resist."

Ward moved forward and gave Coulson a hug, "Man, it's so good to see you alive."

Coulson hugged Ward back, joking, "Did you mourn for me?"

"Yes, I did, buddy."

Ward playfully punched Coulson in the chest, but Coulson didn't flinch.

After Coulson had been revived, Director Nick Fury had sent a physical enhancement serum to Coulson on the island of Tahiti. Freshly revived, Coulson underwent another physical enhancement.

Now, Coulson was an enhanced individual, on par with the likes of Hawkeye, Captain America, and Crossbones, although he was not particularly known for hand-to-hand combat as an agent.

"Director Fury faked your death to rally the Avengers," Ward remarked.

Hill added, "The death of a mutual friend can effectively unite people."

The three of them left the office and proceeded to another level, passing through a door after facial recognition confirmed their identities.

Coulson, still smiling, said, "And it wasn't as dramatic as it sounds. I was only dead for 40 seconds."

Hill countered, "It was just eight seconds, but you make it longer every time you tell the story."

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