Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 6: This is Hell's Kitchen

Jessica's strength left everyone totally floored, and Fudge freaked out big time.

Thinking about how he always messed with Jessica, this seemingly harmless little girl, his neck started to throb. If she clocked him, he might as well be six feet under.

The middle-aged cop, Michael, rubbed his ribs with a smirk, like he was remembering something nasty.

Natasha was even more blown away. She never thought a little girl could pack such a punch. Not just anyone could leave a handprint on a solid table; she hadn't seen anyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. who could do that with just their bare hands.

The intel she got didn't mention this crazy strong girl. Actually, all the info about this restaurant in the intel was way off!

Just then, the restaurant door swung open again, and in walked a middle-aged guy in a suit, slightly balding, with a gentle vibe and a sincere smile.

His genuine smile made a good impression. The middle-aged guy walked to the bar, nodded at Alvin, and said, "Sorry for the trouble. I'm Phil Coulson, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Coulson then turned to Natasha, "Agent Romanoff, sorry about the outdated intel. It was almost a year old, and the Purple Man's been gone from here for a while.

I don't know what went down, but you still need to file a report to HQ to explain your passive behavior today."

Natasha, with a cold look, nodded without a word and turned to leave the restaurant. She didn't want to stick around another minute. Wasting so much time on outdated intel was just plain dumb! Someone was gonna pay for this!

Alvin looked playfully at the good-natured guy in front of him, the glue of the Avengers, Agent Phil Coulson.

"Why do you think you can just waltz in here, show off, and settle this so easily? Let me remind you, this is Hell's Kitchen, the Peace Hotel. No one messes up here and leaves without paying the price."

As soon as Alvin finished talking, Natasha, who had reached the door, was suddenly knocked back in, landing awkwardly on the floor with her legs splayed. The black giant wolf, Thor, was baring its teeth and growling at her.

Coulson quickly turned and drew his gun, pointing it at the giant wolf, Thor. Another giant wolf, Dom, slipped in through the door, circled along the wall, and positioned itself at Coulson's side, baring its teeth and growling.

"Mr. Ye, you need to think carefully. Are you ready to attack a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Have you thought about the consequences?" Coulson's smile vanished, but he didn't seem too scared. He just swung his gun, pointing it at the two giant wolves, and calmly questioned Alvin.

Alvin, smiling, didn't respond directly. "I have surveillance and recordings here, clearly showing how Agent Natasha abused her power to threaten a law-abiding citizen.

And you, Agent Coulson, think a simple 'sorry' can fix this? You're oversimplifying things."

Alvin then turned to Matt, "Matt, if I sue them over this, what would happen?"

Matt leisurely took a sip of lemon water and said, "You could sue them for abuse of power, threatening and intimidating the public, and now, for holding a citizen's pet at gunpoint!

The result would be these two agents losing their jobs, and S.H.I.E.L.D. would need to explain to the public why they disregard the safety of ordinary citizens during their missions. When the public refuses to cooperate, they abuse their power.

Hmm, maybe we could even get some financial compensation."

Matt's words made Jessica clap like she was at a concert. She now had a serious grudge against any group that wanted to recruit a creep like the Purple Man.

Matt's words made Coulson sweat bullets. This seasoned agent wasn't scared of dangerous criminals, but he was totally out of his depth against a lawyer like Matt, especially when he had neither the moral nor the physical upper hand.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had never been the favorite among other law enforcement agencies in America! Lately, things had been especially tense between S.H.I.E.L.D., the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Despite being in a tight spot, Coulson stayed cool. He didn't argue with Matt but softly said, "So, Mr. Ye, what do you want? How can we make up for my colleague's impulsiveness? She's bled and been injured for this country. I think you should know that."

Alvin waved his hand, signaling Thor and Dom to chill and head back to the door. He poured another glass of beer for Coulson and said, "You're right. Last week, I pulled her out of the water at the beach and called an ambulance for her."

Thinking the tension had eased, Coulson holstered his gun, sat at the bar, and took a sip of beer.

"The ambulance and the medical expenses I covered totaled $2,000. Matt, note that down. I want them to reimburse me." Alvin finished, and Coulson nearly spat out his beer, not expecting his extra words to cost him an additional $2,000.

"Oh, by the way, Fudge, you mentioned you know people in the media. Give them a call and have them come over. They might be interested in how S.H.I.E.L.D. operates. Also, consider this a commission; your law firm can take 20% of the compensation as a commission fee." Alvin smiled and nodded at the eager Fudge.

"20% is too little. How about 50%? Going up against S.H.I.E.L.D. carries some risk," Fudge bargained with a cheeky grin.

"40%, no more. Your efforts will determine the quality of the corner daycare's facilities and the caliber of the teachers we hire." Alvin decided firmly.

Fudge, excited, gave a military salute and said, "Understood. I'll notify the media right away. Alvin, you're a good man. I've decided to donate half of this commission to the daycare." He then took out his phone and started dialing.

Coulson, frustrated, scratched his thinning hair. When had they ever encountered such a situation? A civilian not only refused to cooperate with agents on a mission but also wanted to sue S.H.I.E.L.D.? Was there no law?

He hurriedly stopped Fudge from making the call, glancing at the number to confirm it was indeed FOX News' tip line.

"Mr. Ye, we can talk this out. Please don't escalate the situation. This was just the personal behavior of the agents and doesn't represent S.H.I.E.L.D.'s conduct.

We should sit down and discuss this. Maybe you can name a reasonable price, and we can settle this matter." Coulson pleaded with Alvin.

At this point, Natasha, who had fallen, stood up and positioned herself behind Coulson. She was curious about this unique restaurant owner.

In her experience, no one had ever faced S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pressure as calmly and confidently as he did.

The incorrect intel had led her to make many wrong judgments. Although she had quickly completed the mission, she still felt humiliated and intended to remember this grudge.

She waited for Coulson to settle the matter, planning to find the culprit who nearly cost her life. As an ace agent, she believed in getting back up where she had fallen.

Alvin felt a bit uneasy under Natasha's gaze. It wasn't fear, just the sense that being targeted by such a formidable person could lead to significant trouble in the future.