Just as a flurry of past memories flashed through Leon's mind, a tentative call instantly brought him back to reality.
"Are you lost?"
Hearing the voice, Leon slowly raised his head and looked at the newcomer.
What met his eyes was a blonde beauty in a women's suit.
Her smooth blonde hair was tied into a playful ponytail. Her high nose bridge and slightly upturned lips made the brown eyes hidden beneath her willowy brows appear even more benevolent.
This was a young woman eager to help others.
Leon thought this internally, but replied aloud, "Oh! I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"
The blonde beauty smiled slightly and waved her hand, saying, "Not at all. I just noticed you've been standing here for quite a while, and you looked like you needed some help, so..."
"Oh, I see..."
Leon's heart stirred, and he also offered a smile, "Yes, I do need your help."
As he spoke, Leon seemed to remember something and suddenly extended his right hand, "Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet... My name is Leon, Leon Coulson. I'm a rookie who just joined the bureau."
The blonde beauty smiled, and without hesitation, directly shook Leon's hand, "Hello, I'm Sharon Carter, from the Operations Department."
"Sharon Carter?!"
S.H.I.E.L.D. truly was an active participant in various Marvel storylines. No sooner had he joined than he met Captain America's future girlfriend.
Leon sighed inwardly, maintaining his smile as he said, "Hello, Agent Carter. If you don't mind, could you tell me how to get to the Special Operations Department?"
"Of course!" Sharon Carter turned around and pointed towards the direction of the lobby, "Go through the lobby, to the corner of the southwest wing, take the elevator to the third floor, and you'll see the sign for the Special Operations Department."
After silently memorizing the route, Leon smiled and thanked her, "I see... Thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
Staring blankly at the departing figure, Sharon Carter also muttered softly, "A new recruit? I didn't expect him to be so young..."
...Speaking of which, as one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, the Hub's spaciousness was truly astonishing.
The lobby alone was large enough to build two standard football fields.
One could only imagine how vast the Triskelion headquarters in Washington was... Following Sharon Carter's directions, Leon walked through the bustling lobby, took the elevator, and arrived on the third floor.
As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Leon saw a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo hanging on the wall not far away, with the words "Special Operations Department" written below it.
This was the place... Taking a deep breath, Leon swiped his agent ID card on the scanner next to the automatic sliding door. With a "beep!" the door opened.
As soon as he walked into the Special Operations Department, Leon immediately felt all eyes in the office fixated on him.
Among those gazes, some were curious, some scrutinizing, some hostile, which immediately made Leon feel the "enthusiasm" of his colleagues... Perhaps because the space was too large and the number of people too small, the entire department looked a bit deserted. But a subtle, almost imperceptible tension still permeated the air.
Leon gave it some thought and found it made perfect sense.
After all, this was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Special Operations Department, which had the strictest recruitment standards, valuing quality over quantity.
"Is that the new guy? He's a bit too young, isn't he?!"
"Must be, didn't you see him still wearing his army uniform..."
"I heard he's only 20 years old and was promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant in less than 12 months..."
...Everyone sitting in the office
also kept their voices down, excitedly discussing the young newcomer.
Even among the elite gathered in S.H.I.E.L.D., Leon's resume was considered one of the most impressive.
At 17, he was admitted to the prestigious Virginia Military Institute for comprehensive training.
At 19, he graduated early from VMI with honors, and immediately joined the Ranger Regiment, one of the four major special forces of the United States.
In less than 12 months, he was promoted to first lieutenant, serving as the deputy company commander of the First Company, First Battalion of the Ranger Regiment, becoming the youngest deputy company commander in history, thanks to his outstanding mission performance and excellent physical fitness.
If he had continued to stay in the Rangers, he would probably have broken even more records.
Just as everyone was curious why he came to S.H.I.E.L.D., a burly figure stood up from his seat and, in a few strides, blocked Leon's path.
"Hello!"
Looking at the man's stern face and the name tag on his chest, Leon quickly realized that the burly white man standing before him was the person he was looking for.
"Oh, hello. I suppose you are Agent Barton, as mentioned by Director Coulson?"
His neat short hair, a resemblance to Jeremy Renner of over 90%, and his burly build—all these details unmistakably revealed the identity of the person in front of Leon.
"That's right, I'm Clint Barton." The man nodded, "You're the new recruit transferred here this time, Leon Coulson?"
"Yes, sir!" Leon saluted.
"Coulson has already told me about you. It's a bit of a hassle, but for the next two months, I'll be your direct superior. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me, understood?"
Hawkeye's attitude wasn't particularly good.
This didn't surprise Leon. From the "indifferent" display of favorability above his head, he could tell what attitude Hawkeye held towards his arrival.
He understood that no matter how brilliant his resume was in the Rangers, upon arriving at S.H.I.E.L.D., he was just a rookie who knew nothing. Without achieving results that earned his colleagues' approval, expecting respect from others was clearly a pipe dream.
So, he immediately snapped his legs together and gave his boss a proper military salute, "Understood! Sir!"
Barton looked Leon up and down, and after a moment, he withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and nodded, "Alright, I'll show you around first, and while we're at it, get you out of that ridiculous-looking uniform."
After taking two steps, Barton seemed to remember something, suddenly stopped, turned around, and said to a bewildered Leon:
"Also, this isn't the military; we're not big on saluting, so..."
"Understood!"
Leaving the murmurs behind, Leon followed Barton, first familiarizing himself with the work environment, then changing into a lighter S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform in the locker room.
It was a navy blue stand-collar jacket, with the S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle emblem printed on both arms. The form-fitting design and composite fiber material made the agent uniform, worn on Leon's tall, lean physique, further highlight his valiant aura.
However, no sooner had Leon changed and sat down than an unmistakable voice suddenly echoed through the office:
"Level 5 Alert! Level 5 Alert! Hostage situation at Osborn Tower, requesting immediate backup!"
At the same time, a long-unheard voice rang out in Leon's mind:
"Ding!