Chapter 29 – Coulson: Honesty is the Ultimate Weapon
Over the next three days, Aron's climb in ranked matches suddenly became incredibly smooth.
He didn't know exactly why, but every match had the same teammate, a user nicknamed Bald Little Baby.
And every time, it was him who made the difference.
"Great move, Bald Baby!"
"That blink that saved my life, genius!"
Aron laughed broadly, genuinely pleased with the teamplay.
They defended each other, helped out, shared resources, perfectly coordinated, as if they'd trained together for years.
Three days of playing with the same teammate, and Aron had jumped two major ranks, he was now among the elite.
Grateful for the cooperation, he sent him a friend request.
When they connected and unlocked each other's profiles, Aron was stunned.
In his ally's user biography, it read:
"My real name is Phil Coulson. Level 8 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Currently head of a special unit. Location: New York."
It was Coulson.
He had literally written everything. No codes, no secrets. Just… directly.
Aron stared at the screen.
"Phil Coulson?"
"Didn't Loki stab him in Avengers?" he muttered.
Then he remembered, this wasn't a pure movie universe.
In this reality, movies and series were mixed.
In the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series, Coulson survived thanks to "Project T.A.H.I.T.I." and later formed his own team.
And in that very team was that attractive Asian woman… what was her name again?
Skye.
Aron wasn't stupid.
It was clear: SHIELD was trying to recruit him.
Although he found it amusing, he had to admit, Coulson's approach was honest.
No games. No manipulation.
Three days of playing together, sincerely and friendly.
That, Aron respected.
But he couldn't help wondering:
"SHIELD wants me? And they send a bald old man?"
"Where's Skye?"
"Where's Black Widow?"
"What about that assistant from the Helicarrier?"
"So, you don't really want to recruit me. That's it."
Slightly disappointed, he sat on the couch and picked up his phone.
He opened the chat with "Bald Baby" and sent a message:
"Come on, queue another!"
Of course, he didn't plan on joining SHIELD.
But…
points are points.
---
On the other side...
Phil Coulson, now known by the username Bald Baby, had just finished another match with the team American First Batman.
In the command room, young hacker Skye sat in front of a monitor, typing at incredible speed.
"Sir, the scenario is set," she said.
"I've modified the code. Just don't overdo your behavior, act normal. If you get flagged, you're going down with your partners."
While she gave technical advice, Coulson leaned back casually, calmly typing commands. Though his reflexes were no longer teenage sharp, in the game he acted like a true team player.
Characters on screen dashed around, flashing, shielding, and killing with incredible precision.
Skye groaned.
"Sir, this… you call this a martial encounter? Seriously?"
Coulson ignored the comment and kept playing.
"Batman, red's for you!"
"Second floor is clear!"
"I'm blocking the entry, go for the kill!"
End of match.
Victory.
In public chat, an opponent left a comment: "This guy's got a dog! Everything was handed to him!"
---
Meanwhile…
While Coulson and Aron enjoyed digital victories, the Bureau of Catastrophe Control, an agency founded back after World War I, completed the main post-war cleanup.
Evacuated residents were returning home, accustomed to ruins and unpredictable attacks.
The city, despite everything, kept breathing. As if it had been just another day in New York.
But the problems continued on a higher level.
---
On SHIELD's space carrier…
Nick Fury stood over the tactical table while Agent Hill read the report.
"Sir, the Council has once again reduced the budget for Project Insight."
"Cuts have been introduced due to the city's financial losses, and construction on the three new space carriers has been officially paused."
Fury's face darkened. He was under pressure from all sides.
Demonic invasions, mysterious mages, everything was out of their control.
"What about the wizard, that… Daniel?"
"Still nothing. We've searched all databases. No data. No matches."
Fury clenched his teeth.
All unknown.
All frustrating.
"And Coulson? Any progress?"
Hill paused. She looked at the tablet.
"Actually… Coulson sent a report."
"He spent three days... helping to rank up through two tiers… in a game. Now they're among the top players."
Fury stared at her in disbelief.
"...What!?"