Chapter 31: S.H.I.E.L.D.
Senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson led an elite tactical unit into the small wooded area.
"Stay sharp," Coulson ordered.
The team moved with practiced precision, forming a loose perimeter as they carefully swept through the trees.
Coulson surveyed the devastation around them, his expression grave. A battlefield this badly torn up meant whoever had fought here was no ordinary opponent.
Minutes later, the sweep was complete. They found no one. Whoever had clashed here was long gone.
Coulson instructed the agents to split into pairs and search for evidence, while he branched off on his own.
With night-vision goggles in place, he combed the woods slowly. Then something caught his eye. A strand of white webbing clung to the trunk of a tree.
He stepped closer and reached out to pull it free. Even putting his full strength into it, the web did not budge.
Helpless, Coulson could only carefully feel the spider silk with his fingers.
"Sticky. Extremely adhesive. Just like spider silk," he murmured, recording its properties.
His brow furrowed. "This looks a lot like the webbing Spider-Man uses…"
His thoughts drifted to the masked vigilante who had appeared across New York over the past two days.
"Agent Coulson, we've got something here," a voice crackled through his earpiece.
"On my way," Coulson replied.
He released the webbing and headed quickly toward the agent's position.
"Agent Coulson, we found dozens of shotgun shells," one of the agents reported, pointing at the ground.
Coulson crouched and picked one up, examining it closely. The slug was visibly warped.
"This round hit something extremely hard and was crushed on impact," Coulson concluded.
As he stood, he noticed a fine white powder clinging to his hand. Looking down, he saw more scattered across the ground.
"What's this residue?" he muttered. After a moment's thought, he gave an order.
"Collect the powder."
"Yes, sir."
The team moved quickly to comply.
"Agent Coulson, we've got another find over here," his earpiece chimed again.
When he arrived at the second location, he found a dagger lying in the dirt.
"The blade is bent," Coulson observed. "That kind of deformation only happens when it strikes something solid."
He scanned the area and noticed that several nearby trees had been pierced clean through by something sharp. Judging by the damage, they had all been struck at the same time.
"Enhanced individuals," Coulson murmured. Everything pointed in that direction. Only someone with powers could cause this level of destruction.
"Agent Coulson, there's blood here," an agent called out, pointing to a dark drop on the ground.
"What?" Coulson's eyes lit up. Blood meant a potential identity.
"Collect it carefully and bring it back," he instructed.
"Yes, sir."
Once the agents were busy gathering evidence, Coulson slipped away to a secluded corner and opened a secure channel.
"Coulson," Nick Fury's voice came through. "What happened out there?"
"Director Fury, multiple individuals engaged in a fight at this location," Coulson reported.
"Did you catch them?"
"No. By the time we arrived, they were already gone."
"Did you find anything useful at the scene?"
Coulson immediately summarized everything they had uncovered.
After listening, Fury fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Hm… Coulson, what's your take?"
"At least three people were involved in the fight," Coulson answered.
"Walk me through your reasoning."
"First, the webbing confirms Spider-Man was definitely present. Secondly, based on the shotgun shells and the dagger, I believe at least one highly skilled combatant and a superhuman engaged in a battle."
He continued without pause. "According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files on Spider-Man, he doesn't use firearms or weapons, nor does he possess the ability to withstand shotgun blasts or destroy multiple trees simultaneously. Therefore, I suspect at least three people were present… and I believe Spider-Man and the skilled combatant were working together."
"Why do you think that?"
"Judging from the damage, the superhuman attacked with ruthless abandon. It was completely one-sided. Yet we didn't find any bodies. I suspect Spider-Man intervened to save the other person at the last moment." Coulson explained.
"Good."
Fury nodded in satisfaction. Coulson's conclusions closely matched his own.
"Coulson, return here," Fury instructed.
Late at night, aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
"Director Fury, you wanted to see me?" Coulson asked as he stepped into the control room.
"The analysis on the white powder came back. Care to guess what it is?" Fury said, sitting in his chair.
"White phosphorus?" Coulson ventured.
Fury shook his head.
"Then I'm out of guesses," Coulson admitted.
"It's pulverized shotgun ammunition. Crushed into dust."
"What?" Coulson froze in shock.
"That would take an enormous amount of force. At least ten tons, if not more."
He had known the enhanced individual was powerful, but this went far beyond his expectations.
"Not ten," Fury said calmly. "At least twenty-five tons. Our scientists estimate that's the minimum force required to compress shotgun slugs into that state."
Coulson's expression tightened.
"Director, this enhanced individual is extremely dangerous. With that level of strength and defensive capability, if he acts out, S.H.I.E.L.D. may not be able to stop him."
"It's not 'may,'" Fury replied bluntly. "With our current assets, we simply can't."
"Then how can you be so calm?" Coulson asked, puzzled by Fury's demeanor. "The U.S., maybe even the entire world, could be under threat from someone like this at any moment."
"Because you're jumping to conclusions. We don't know who this enhanced individual is. We don't know what actually happened out there. And we certainly don't know whether he's good or evil."
"But he fought Spider-Man," Coulson argued.
"And what does that prove?" Fury shot back. "We know almost nothing about Spider-Man either. All S.H.I.E.L.D. has on record is that he's strong, can climb walls, and shoot webs. And what else?"
"We don't know his identity. His motives. We don't even know if he's human."
Fury leaned forward slightly, his tone firm.
"Coulson, Spider-Man's only been active for a few days. He appeared out of nowhere. How are we supposed to trust someone like that? How do we decide whether he's a hero or a threat?"