Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 7: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Compensation

Alvin rubbed his chin, shot a sly grin at Coulson, and said, "How 'bout a cool million? Sounds fair, right?"

Coulson clutched his chest like he'd been hit by a truck. "You gotta be kidding me, Mr. Ye. S.H.I.E.L.D. ain't coughing up a million bucks for this. No way, no how. I was ready to dip into my own pocket, but a million? That's like my salary for the next decade."

Alvin wasn't buying Coulson's sob story. He shot back, "So, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s rep ain't worth a million? Maybe you should make a call and get the green light. I don't care about your paycheck. Or we can let the courts handle it."

Foggy, who'd been lurking nearby, practically jumped out of his skin. "Alvin, take 'em to court! Do it!"

No wonder he was hyped; this was the biggest case their firm had ever seen.

Coulson shot a helpless look at Natasha, then slunk off to make a call. Judging by his face, he was getting chewed out.

When he came back, he looked like he'd been through the wringer. "Half a mil, that's it. I'll have to write a ton of reports for this. If you don't like it, see you in court." He grabbed a beer and chugged it like a man with nothing left to lose.

Alvin noticed Matt's finger twitching and knew Coulson was full of it. After a moment, he said, "Agent Coulson, that offer's a joke." He glanced at Foggy.

Foggy got the cue and yelled, "Leave it to me, Alvin. We can get over $3 million easy."

"That's nuts. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have that kind of cash lying around. All you're doing is dragging this out forever," Coulson said, panicking. "Mr. Ye, I can apologize again. Please, cut us some slack."

"Dragging it out doesn't bother me, Agent Coulson," Alvin said coolly. "But we can talk. I'll take the $500,000, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has to meet a few of my conditions."

Coulson felt like he was about to step onto a pirate ship but had no choice. "Alright, shoot. I can't promise anything, though."

Ye Qing started counting on his fingers. "First, the local police station's gear is ancient. Look, Michael's still using a gun from the Stone Age. They just need some of your old vehicles, weapons, and equipment. Can you hook them up for free? They'll even write a nice letter to the mayor for you."

Michael and Scott were floored. Alvin's first demand was for them. They were stoked and touched. The city had pretty much forgotten about their precinct, giving them nothing but the bare minimum.

Their rundown station didn't even have a decent front door. Alvin's first ask was for them, and it hit them right in the feels.

Coulson looked at Alvin, totally baffled. He'd expected something crazy, but this? He agreed right away; S.H.I.E.L.D. had tons of old gear lying around, and as a Level 7 agent, he could make it happen.

Seeing Coulson agree so fast, Alvin grinned and said, "Looks like we're on the same page. Second thing, the new kindergarten down the block needs some security cameras. That shouldn't be a big deal for S.H.I.E.L.D., right?"

Coulson let out a sigh of relief and glanced around. Everyone in the joint was looking at Alvin like he was a hero.

Coulson straightened his collar and said, all serious, "You're a real stand-up guy. Let me reintroduce myself: Phil Coulson, Level 7 agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nice to meet you, Mr. Alvin Ye." He stuck out his hand for a firm shake, feeling less like he was getting shaken down.

Alvin smiled back. "So, we're good?"

"Yeah, compared to other stuff, these are nothing," Coulson said, dead serious.

"Third, and most important," Alvin said, locking eyes with Coulson.

"Lay it on me," Coulson said, bracing himself.

Alvin pointed at Natasha and said, "I want you guys to stay away from me and my restaurant. Can you do that?"

Coulson was floored. He'd just started to warm up to Alvin, and now he felt like he'd been sucker-punched.

He'd hoped for a smooth resolution, but things were going sideways. Sighing, Coulson said, "I can't promise that, but I can assure you we won't bug you without a good reason."

Alvin nodded. "That'll do. Foggy, sort out the $500,000 with Agent Coulson." He called out to Foggy.

"Hope we never meet again, Agent Coulson, Agent Natasha," Alvin said, nodding at the two agents, signaling them to scram.

Foggy and Coulson swapped numbers and hashed out the payment details. Jessica cheerfully showed the agents to the door. As they left, she mimicked Alvin's tone, "Hope we never meet again."

Watching the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents leave with their tails between their legs, the diners inside erupted in cheers and high-fives. They were all Hell's Kitchen locals and had never gotten this kind of respect from the government.

But Alvin had scored a win for them, making them feel like they were the real victors.

Alvin grinned and told Jessica, "A round of beers for everyone, on me!" The cheers got even louder.

Alvin placed a beer in front of Matt, tapped the glass with his finger, making a "ding" sound, and said, "Thanks, Matt. You were a big help today."

Matt looked up, smiled, and raised his glass. "You earned it, Alvin. You've made this neighborhood better. As a Hell's Kitchen resident, I gotta back you up. To victory!"

Alvin smiled and clinked glasses with him. "To victory!" He downed his beer in one go, then looked at Matt with some concern. After a moment, he said, "Maybe you should take a break, Matt. You're not a machine. Jumping around Hell's Kitchen every night isn't something a normal person should do."

Matt put down his empty glass, his pale face showing a bit of color. He smiled and said, "Then you should let your pet expand its territory. That'd lighten my load a bit."