A week had passed since Su Zhan's return.
By now, his body had fully adapted. The abilities he'd devoured—sonic blasts, precognition, memory erasure, tracking—were finally back online. Every cell in his body hummed with energy, sharper and stronger than before.
He had no reason to use them yet.
But it felt good to know they were there.
Then one afternoon, as he sat in the car beside Skye, a familiar sensation hit him like a flicker of déjà vu—his precognition activated on its own.
A flash.
He saw himself and Skye sitting exactly like this.
The car door opened.
A man in a sharp suit smiled politely, extended a hand.
Phil Coulson.
Su Zhan could almost hear the words:
"Hello. I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D."
When the vision faded, he exhaled slowly. "Huh. Looks like we're about to get visitors."
Skye noticed his expression. "What is it? You look like you just remembered something."
"Nothing," Su Zhan said, smiling faintly. "Just a feeling. Someone's coming for us."
"A feeling?" she teased. "Since when do you have psychic premonitions?"
"Sometimes they're spot-on," he said with a wink. "Sometimes… not so much."
Skye rolled her eyes. "Then tell me this, Mister Psychic—did you feel we'd end up together?"
He grinned. "Nope. That one wasn't a premonition. That was fate."
She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Smooth talker."
Then—knock, knock, knock.
Three polite taps on the car door.
Skye froze, wide-eyed. Su Zhan just smirked. "Told you."
The door opened, and there he was—just like in the vision.
A calm, clean-cut man in a dark suit, polite smile, eyes full of that practiced government calm.
"Su Zhan. Skye." He nodded. "Phil Coulson. Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Agent of what now?" Skye asked, feigning innocence.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Coulson said smoothly. "We handle… unusual situations."
Su Zhan raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like me?"
Coulson's smile didn't falter. "Something like that. Why don't we continue this conversation somewhere more comfortable?"
The Flying Fortress
Su Zhan hadn't expected that to mean a plane.
But not just any plane—a mobile command center, sleek and armed to the teeth, hovering thousands of feet above the ground.
"Nice ride," Su Zhan said as he stepped aboard. "I was expecting a coffee shop, not an airborne fortress."
Coulson grinned, clearly proud. "Meet The Bus. My portable HQ. State-of-the-art. Fully functional lab, command room, and a bar."
"Now that's how you recruit people," Su Zhan said.
They were soon introduced to the others—Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, the tech geniuses of the team. Fitz, excitable and awkward; Simmons, all intelligence and charm, her white lab coat crisp as snow.
And she was… stunning.
Definitely prettier than she looked on TV, Su Zhan thought with a mental smirk.
Coulson gestured to the bar area. "Take a seat. I'll get straight to the point."
He leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "I'm forming my own team. You two would be valuable additions. And this plane—it's our base. Mobile, secure, fast. What do you think?"
Su Zhan smiled easily. "Nice offer. But you still haven't told us what you actually want."
Coulson's eyes flicked to Skye. "Honestly? I'm here for her."
"Me?" Skye blinked.
Coulson nodded. "Your reputation precedes you. Hacker extraordinaire. Rising Tide member. You've broken into some of the most secure systems on Earth—including ours. You leak classified data that could endanger millions. Just recently, you released information about several powered individuals. So I'd like to make you an offer."
Skye crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Let me guess—join or jail?"
"Not exactly." Coulson smiled. "I'm asking for your help. These leaks are drawing attention to something dangerous—something much bigger than we expected. We've tracked multiple incidents involving people with unstable enhancements—serum-induced powers that often end… explosively."
"Explosively?" Su Zhan asked, leaning forward.
Coulson nodded grimly. "Yes. These individuals are injected with something derived from the Extremis formula. Think of it as a viral super-soldier serum—but flawed. It grants power… and then self-detonation."
He paused. "Someone out there is recreating the virus. A new organization, well-funded and hidden. We need to find them."
"And you think we can help?" Skye said skeptically.
"You're the best hacker I know," Coulson replied. "You can find traces we can't. And as for Su Zhan—"
He hesitated, his tone turning cautious. "From what little we know, you've already survived Extremis exposure yourself… without side effects. That makes you extremely valuable."
Su Zhan tilted his head. "Careful, Agent. You're starting to sound like a recruiter and a lab technician."
Coulson raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fair point. But I'm not here to dissect you. I'm here to stop more people from dying."
Skye's brow furrowed. "So what you're saying is… people are being turned into living bombs."
"Exactly," Coulson said. "And we need to stop whoever's doing it."
Su Zhan smirked, lighting his lighter and watching the flame dance. "You really think we'll just say yes?"
Coulson's polite smile didn't waver. "We're 6,000 meters in the air. I'm just hoping you'll consider the safer option."
Su Zhan arched an eyebrow. "Was that a threat?"
"No," Coulson said smoothly. "Call it… persuasion."
For a tense moment, they stared at each other. Then Su Zhan grinned. "Relax, Agent. You've got guts—I'll give you that."
Skye exhaled. "You don't have to do this, you know. I can handle myself."
He turned to her, his smile softening. "I know. But he's right—if we can stop more people from getting blown to bits, it's worth it."
Then he looked back at Coulson. "We're in."
Coulson's shoulders relaxed visibly. "Glad to hear it."
"Good," Su Zhan said with a wink. "Because if you'd kept pushing, I might've tested how well this plane flies without wings."
Coulson gave a nervous laugh. "That's… not funny."
"Sure it is." Su Zhan leaned back, grinning. "You'll get used to me."