Backstage-
Tony removed his helmet, facing Pakura with a playful smile, "Care to join me for dinner, my lovely lady?"
Pakura replied, "Ten of your latest arc reactors, and I'll consider it."
Tony took a sharp breath at the high price, "I'm afraid I can't afford such an extravagant meal."
"Pass on my regards to that little rascal, Kankuro. I'm off." With that, Tony activated his suit and flew away.
Not long after, T'Challa entered in his Black Panther suit, preferring to keep his identity a secret.
"Mr. Black Panther, I see you're suited up again," Pakura said.
"Ms. Pakura," T'Challa began, "I wanted to confirm if Hidden Sand Puppet Shop still accepts vibranium as payment."
Pakura smiled, "Rest assured, as a long-time customer, we still accept vibranium."
"Thinking of making another purchase?"
Relieved, T'Challa replied, "No, not at the moment. But if you have any new products, please let me know."
Pakura nodded, "If we release anything new, you'll be the first to hear."
She then made a gesture suggesting he was free to leave.
T'Challa hesitated, then asked, "What is Hidden Sand's stance on the rogue organization, the Akatsuki?"
Pakura studied him carefully before responding, "What are your thoughts on the matter?"
T'Challa considered his observations of Hidden Sand and the group's recent actions, noting that their methods did not suggest any connection with the Akatsuki.
He then began sharing his insights into the Akatsuki's wrongdoings.
Seeing T'Challa's anger, Pakura asked, "So, you want us, Hidden Sand, to help you deal with the Akatsuki?"
T'Challa nodded, "Yes, I need your assistance."
Pakura thought for a moment, then replied, "This is a challenging task with a high-risk level, so there will be an extra fee."
T'Challa was taken aback, asking, "Shouldn't a terrorist organization like that be destroyed by everyone?"
Pakura nodded, "That's why taking on such a target costs more."
Feeling momentarily defeated, T'Challa asked, "How much?"
Pakura waved her hand and said, "Let's not discuss payment just yet. The real question is: how many allies have you contacted?"
"Our forces alone won't be enough."
Unsurprised, T'Challa replied, "I plan to contact other ninjas to join us."
Pakura nodded in approval, "If you get multiple groups involved, you may stand a chance. Never underestimate a rogue organization that's survived this long."
T'Challa nodded, "I'll be cautious. Once I've gathered enough support, I'll submit the mission request."
Pakura agreed to proceed.
…
Elsewhere-
Coulson arrived at the building where his surgeon worked, entering the doctor's car as the latter unlocked the doors and got in the driver's seat.
"Good evening, Doctor," Coulson's voice came from the back seat.
The doctor glanced at the rearview mirror, acknowledging, "Agent Coulson."
Coulson stated, "It wasn't a heart surgery you performed on me. I know about Tahiti."
The doctor seemed unsurprised, replying, "I always feared this day would come."
Coulson pressed on, "Afraid of what I'd do?"
The doctor replied, "Because of what I did."
"After the Battle of New York, you weren't just dead for 8 or 40 seconds, or whatever number they put in your file."
"You were dead for several days."
Coulson responded calmly, "That's impossible."
The doctor nodded, "Yes."
"But Director Fury did everything he could to save you. He assembled a team of scientists who worked day and night, using procedures no ethical doctor would consider."
Coulson said, "You were there."
The doctor nodded, "Director Fury called me in for the seventh surgery."
"We kept you conscious, monitoring brain activity."
"But you were in immense pain; the nerve damage was devastating."
Coulson, silent, finally said, "I wanted to die."
The doctor nodded, "We should have let you."
"The pain you endured was unimaginable."
Coulson asked, "Why did that machine operate on my brain?"
The doctor explained, "After everything you went through, we wanted to restore you to who you once were."
"So we implanted a pleasant memory, of a beautiful island."
"We didn't want you to live as a… a shell of a man."
In a steady tone, Coulson asked, "What have I become, Doctor?"
"Tell me."
The doctor replied, "You lost your will to live, and we tried to restore it."
"I'm sorry, Agent Coulson."
"I really am."
"You have no idea how sorry I am."
With that, Coulson opened the car door and left without another word.
Despite regaining some memories of the surgery, Coulson still felt there were too many unanswered questions surrounding his resurrection.
Although he remembered fragments of the procedure, his recollection of what led up to it and specific details of the treatment remained frustratingly unclear.
Attempts to gather information from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database proved futile; nothing useful surfaced.
Meanwhile, Coulson resolved to report his suspicions about Charles's knowledge of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Director Fury.
He suspected Kabuto or the Sound Ninjas may have accessed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal data without detection, and he feared this information-gathering might still be ongoing.
After all, Charles had never previously demonstrated any prophetic abilities.