Symbiotic Agent

CREAKK…

Coulson pushed open the door of the hamburger shop and approached Home and Daisy with his usual friendly smile.

Seeing him, Daisy shifted closer to Home, leaving the other side of the booth open for Coulson.

"It seems the food here isn't to your liking," Coulson remarked, glancing at the mess on the table with a light sigh and a smile.

While he spoke, the staff member who had taken their order earlier came over. The employee swiftly removed the uneaten burgers and half-empty Cokes before wiping the table clean.

Observing this enthusiastic service, Holm grew thoughtful, a realization taking shape in his mind.

This unpalatable burger shop wasn't just any random restaurant. It had to have ties to SHIELD, perhaps even employing agents disguised as staff.

Daisy, however, paid no attention to these details. Fixing her gaze on Coulson, who now sat across from her, she couldn't wait to vent her frustration once the staff member walked away.

"It's not just a matter of taste—the food here is awful. I honestly can't understand how this place is still in business," Daisy complained, crossing her arms.

Listening to her rant, Coulson chuckled. "Actually, this place is run by SHIELD. Didn't you sense anything? That's on me—I should've given you a heads-up. I've been so busy lately, it slipped my mind."

He looked slightly embarrassed as he added, "The food here is deliberately bad. It's only meant to taste normal for SHIELD agents."

"Are you afraid the business might attract too many customers? This area is already so remote," Holm said, gesturing toward the deserted street outside. "Even if the food were good, it's not like people would flock here."

Coulson smiled at the comment. "It's just a precaution. There was this one time we opened a small dessert shop in a quiet suburb. The doughnuts were so delicious that they went viral online. Before we knew it, people were lining up every day."

He shook his head at the memory. "The agents running the shop were overwhelmed. They had to juggle making desserts and handling their real missions. In the end, we had no choice but to shut it down because it interfered with their work. Since then, any SHIELD-run food establishment is designed to be intentionally bad. It prevents unnecessary attention and helps maintain our cover."

As Coulson recounted this story, Home and Daisy exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of amusement and surprise. Neither of them had expected such an absurd backstory for something so trivial.

"Anyway, that's enough of that," Coulson said, steering the conversation back. "I'm here to discuss something important—and to invite you both to join a project."

At his words, Home and Daisy turned to look at each other, each processing the information differently.

Daisy seemed curious about the project, while Home found himself puzzled by the way things were unfolding.

He had expected today's meeting to revolve around his abilities, especially after his standout performance during the Lizard Man mission. Over the past month, he and Daisy had completed several smaller missions together, yet SHIELD had made no move to address his potential.

Even more baffling was HYDRA's silence.

SHIELD was straightforward to deal with—he was openly working for them. But HYDRA's lack of response was harder to figure out.

Previously, Grant Ward had been his sole contact within HYDRA. Ward had assigned him missions and relayed instructions. But since Ward had been exposed as a traitor and eliminated by Home himself, HYDRA had made no attempt to re-establish contact.

Sometimes, Home wondered if this was his chance to sever ties with HYDRA for good. Yet, deep down, he knew better.

HYDRA wasn't the kind of organization to let someone go easily, especially not someone they had trained so extensively. He was a valuable asset, and his track record of success only made him harder to replace.

Now that Ward was out of the picture, Home seemed like the natural candidate to step into his role.

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Home refocused on Coulson. Whatever was about to happen, it seemed unlikely they could avoid addressing his abilities.

Coulson didn't let them linger in silence for too long. After a brief pause, he elaborated on the project he had mentioned.

"I'm assembling a specialized team of agents to handle specific tasks. The project is still in its early stages—there are only three of us so far—but I expect more members will join in the future."

Home considered this for a moment. "So, it's like a special forces unit within SHIELD?"

"Exactly," Coulson confirmed with a nod. "Every member is handpicked by me. They're all ace agents with unique, exceptional abilities."

"Ace agents?" Home repeated, his gaze drifting toward Daisy, who sat beside him.

If this team consisted of elite talent, he couldn't help but wonder—what exactly was Daisy's specialty? Her connections, perhaps?

"What are you staring at?" Daisy asked sharply, noticing his gaze. "Do you think I'm not capable enough?"

Before Home could respond, she raised her fist playfully. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson."

Coulson laughed at their exchange before turning to Home. "You might not realize this, but Daisy is highly skilled with computers. She's a top-level hacker."

Home's eyes widened in surprise, and he turned to Daisy, who now wore a smug expression.

Her earlier irritation melted away, replaced by pride as she basked in his astonished reaction.

To be fair, Home's surprise was genuine. Despite their time working together, he had never guessed that Daisy possessed such an impressive skill set.

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