Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 5: What is S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Natasha strutted into the joint, turning heads with her killer looks and smokin' hot bod. The room's temp shot up a few notches.

Dahlia mouthed to Alvin, "Is she here for you?" She checked out the guys' reactions and whispered, "She's bad news!"

Alvin gave a silent nod, backing up Dahlia's hunch.

Jessica, busy pouring lemon water, muttered some choice words under her breath, starting with "b."

Matt, munching on his steak, glanced up and threw Jessica a sly grin.

Jessica, caught off guard, gave Matt an awkward smile, then remembered he couldn't see. Feeling a bit flustered, she noticed Matt's warm smile and encouraging nod, like he was saying, "You got this!"

Not one to get mad at Matt's teasing, Jessica poured him another glass of lemon water and sneakily swapped the pepper and salt shakers in front of him. She shot a glare at Foggy, who was cracking up, signaling him to zip it.

Meanwhile, Natasha and two cops made their way to the bar. The officers greeted some familiar faces and snagged an empty seat.

Natasha eyed the taken bar stools and sauntered over to a middle-aged dude who was gawking at her, whispering something in his ear.

The guy, trying to play it cool, grabbed his steak and moved to sit with someone he knew. His wimpy move got him a round of boos.

Jessica plopped a glass of lemon water in front of Natasha and said coldly, "Miss, we're outta steak today. How 'bout a sandwich?"

Natasha shot Jessica a smile, "Maybe you got it wrong. I'm not here to eat; I'm here to apply for a waitress gig." She turned to Alvin, "Mr. Ye, need a waitress who loves to smile?" She finished with a cheeky grin at Jessica.

Jessica stomped her foot, grabbed a cloth, and started scrubbing the already clean bar like it owed her money.

"I don't need a spy working here," Alvin said, turning to Foggy, "Foggy, you're a lawyer. Ever heard of a government gig called S.H.I.E.L.D.?

This Natasha chick claims she's with S.H.I.E.L.D. and wants to frame me and boot me outta here. Got any legal advice?"

As soon as Alvin spoke, the vibe in the place shifted. All the guys gave Natasha the stink eye, ready to pounce.

Foggy was floored by Alvin's words. Matt, who'd been quiet, finally spoke up, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is under the World Security Council. They handle bad guys or groups that threaten humanity. Their HQ is in the Triskelion in D.C. That's public info.

Even though their missions are hush-hush, unless you're into eating people, Alvin, you shouldn't sweat her threats. If she messes with your life, Nelson & Murdock would love to take S.H.I.E.L.D. to court for you.

But first, we gotta confirm this lady's legit. Her moves don't scream 'pro agent.'

If needed, I can call my FBI buddies. They've had enough of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s crap and are itching for payback. They'd love to stir the pot!"

Matt's words made Natasha's face sour. With Alvin outing her, her mission was already toast.

Not that she minded; she wasn't keen on staying undercover here anyway. Wrapping this up quick meant she could go after the jerk who nearly got her killed.

But now, Alvin had her curiosity piqued. Maybe she could keep testing him until Coulson showed up; this could be fun!

Natasha flashed a smile at Matt and said, "I just want Mr. Alvin to play ball with us. S.H.I.E.L.D. has that right. If you don't, we can forcibly lease your restaurant as a work site. The Supreme Court backs us on this."

Matt grinned confidently, "First, you gotta prove there's a real threat to human safety nearby.

With all due respect, Agent, your moves are so out in the open there's no need to stick around and hassle Alvin. And trust me, there are no criminals in your jurisdiction within two blocks of here."

Natasha shrugged, "This is my job, and you messed it up. If something goes down here, will you take the blame? Or those scaredy-cat cops?"

"It should be us. We're the law here. Miss Natasha, show your credentials. We suspect you're faking being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. A real agent wouldn't act like you!" The middle-aged cop stood up, staring at Natasha with his hand on his gun holster. The young cop, after a moment of shock, followed suit, hand on his holster, eyes locked on Natasha.

Ignoring the cops' glares, Natasha turned to Alvin and said, "Alvin, you totally botched my mission. My target is a Croatian named Zebediah Kilgrave, aka Purple Man, in the house across from your restaurant.

He's suspected of mind control. We've got intel linking him to several suicides in D.C., Miami, and other places. I was sent undercover to watch him. And you blew my cover. Our field agents will be here soon to nab him."

"Then nab him. If you know he's dangerous, why not just arrest him instead of watching?" Alvin felt a wave of relief hearing the target was Purple Man. This guy had already been fed to the corpse vine by him, saving Jessica from his control.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. observes and evaluates people with special abilities before acting. That's why I'm here, and you messed up my mission," Natasha said coldly to Alvin.

Alvin sneered, "Observe, evaluate? Sounds like a headhunting firm recruiting talent." He turned to the young cop and asked, "Scott, what would the police do if they knew about such a person?"

Young Scott thought for a moment and said seriously, "Make a plan, quickly capture or kill the criminal."

"See, even our cops know what to do, but you think about observing and evaluating. Let me guess, you wanna recruit this guy if needed?

And Miss, don't say I messed up your mission. You don't seem to want to carry out any mission at all!" Alvin said sarcastically.

"This is S.H.I.E.L.D.'s right. We can recruit criminals for reform and make them more valuable."

Before Natasha could finish, Jessica slammed her hand on the bar. The three-inch-thick wooden tabletop had a deep handprint. Jessica pointed to the door, gritting her teeth, and said coldly, "Get out, you're not welcome here!"

Matt and Foggy shook their heads simultaneously, clearly disapproving of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s approach. Letting a criminal go unpunished while wanting to observe, evaluate, and recruit him, completely ignoring the safety of ordinary people and the crimes he committed, was not the behavior of a responsible organization.