In reality, Coulson didn't find much useful information at the scene. The shoe prints left by Wong on the asphalt were impossible to match, as those shoes were manufactured in Kamar-Taj and were low-level magical items with some protective properties. All he knew was the temperature at the scene, but this only increased his assessment of the threat level for the suspected mutant. Trace analysis revealed some red fibers at the center of the heat, but Coulson couldn't definitively link them to the case.
Coulson's admiration for Nick Fury deepened. Of course, his greatest admiration was that Nick Fury had lost an eye fighting aliens. (Coulson didn't know that Nick's eye had been scratched by a cat.)
As expected of the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he could accurately estimate the threat level without even arriving at the scene and dispatch an appropriately ranked agent like himself. However, these thoughts proved useless, and Coulson couldn't possibly write such corny flattery in his report.
There was some good news, however. Based on a comparison of body shapes, the person who robbed the senator and the one who left the shoe prints were the same. He had now determined that there were two mutants involved: one capable of emitting high temperatures and brightness, while the other could manipulate air or something similar. The damage that day extended beyond City Hall and into the suburbs.
The agent didn't believe in coincidences; it was impossible for two stranger mutants to be together that day—it was a coordinated operation.
This made Coulson sigh again.
Some mutants, after suddenly gaining powers, would do things they wouldn't normally do, like storming into a company and beheading a boss who exploited employees and demanded a 996 schedule, or running off to the alleys to commit crimes and form their own small gangs to bully men and women. Even those who led peaceful lives could easily turn antisocial, so S.H.I.E.L.D. would monitor those who hadn't yet committed any crimes.
This was a complex matter, as no one wanted their neighbors armed with submachine guns, RPGs, or other weapons. And even if they promised they wouldn't fire them, who would believe them? Mutants desire a peaceful life, but the mere exposure of their abilities creates a high risk of being reported.
Furthermore, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance system was highly inhumane, with cameras and listening devices installed in targets' homes becoming a common practice. Few mutants could tolerate the exposure of their privacy and constant surveillance. Targets often lost their jobs due to S.H.I.E.L.D. scrutiny, forcing them to resist. Overall, however, this surveillance system was highly effective. Under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s watchful eye, mutants' criminality was significantly reduced, with targets often neutralized by the S.H.I.E.L.D. team at the outset.
Coulson suspected that the mutants he was investigating were driven by poverty and forced to commit crimes. They targeted the bourgeoisie and individuals of high social status. Coulson's investigation revealed that Senator Ricky White's family had ties to the Salem Witch Trials. The two mutants had likely recently acquired their abilities and were unskilled in using them, which was why they resorted to using them in the suburbs. They probably didn't want to harm anyone; otherwise, the senator and his bodyguard wouldn't still be alive.
Coulson relaxed slightly at this thought. They were people in need, and he was confident he could calm the two mutants. The problem was, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't find them. Located in the suburbs, there were no surveillance cameras, and no cars were parked there, making dashcam access impossible.
Just as he was at his wit's end, a new lead arrived: Agent Sitwell contacted a waitress at the café across from City Hall. The brown-haired waitress recalled two customers dressed strangely the previous day. She was particularly impressed by one's voracious appetite and the other's good looks.
The café's surveillance footage had been transferred to a S.H.I.E.L.D. computer. Arriving at the café, Coulson took the tablet and examined the footage.
"Child?" Although the footage was blurry, after some adjustments by the technicians, Coulson was able to discern the height ratio of Salomon to the others. Salomon's face, captured in the footage, confirmed his suspicions. It was obvious that Salomon had made a mistake. He'd only remembered to cover his face at the robbery scene, but had forgotten to do so in the café—though that was understandable, as he'd assumed the action wouldn't be so brutal.
The brunette waitress nodded. "Looks about twelve or thirteen," she said.
Coulson nodded. He was glad he hadn't asked Melinda for help. Facing a mutant who was also a child would likely have brought back Melinda's painful memories of Bahrain. While the title "Iron Knight" was impressive, it left Melinda feeling mired in self-blame.
"What are they wearing?" Coulson pointed at the surveillance footage. "This fat man looks like an Eastern monk. I've seen that 'warrior monk,' and this kid… a wizard?"
The waitress shrugged. As mentioned before, Salem is a tourist town, so dressing like a wizard isn't unusual. And Salomon's red robes confirmed that it was Salomon in the center of the heat.
"Okay, thank you for your help. We won't interrupt you." After asking the waitress to leave, Coulson looked at Sitwell.
"What?" Sitwell blinked, but the light reflected from his eyes made Coulson unable to see his expression.
"Request a surveillance call," Coulson sighed. He really didn't want to attack a child, but he suspected these two mutants weren't particularly evil, and Coulson intended to help them as much as he could within his authority.
Sadly, even after exhausting all the surveillance cameras in Salem, they couldn't find any trace of Salomon and Wong leaving Salem. This nearly led S.H.I.E.L.D. to believe they were locals, or perhaps tourists in their own cars, since the target wasn't on any of the buses leaving town.
"We're completely out of leads," Sitwell said. "Let's check the identity database and run facial recognition."
Coulson was silent for a moment, then took a sip of coffee—how could this coffee be even more sour than instant coffee? A moment of distraction didn't interrupt Coulson's thoughts, and he eventually nodded in agreement. This mutant was incredibly dangerous. Coulson couldn't imagine the calamity that could ensue if the target lost control in a confined space like an elevator or a bus.
Coulson had to find him quickly.
After nearly an hour, when Coulson could no longer bear the waitress's smile as she served him incredibly sour coffee, Agent Sitwell arrived to remind him that the target's identity had been found. Coulson fled his seat as if he had been granted amnesty.
"That's the target," Sitwell pointed at the computer. Coulson looked over and saw the same face as in the surveillance video—
"Salomon Damonette,
English,
currently living in London,
date of birth: December 25, 1995."
-End Chapter-
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