Inside S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Through the one-way glass, Coulson and Melinda May observed the lounge.
Kai was sitting inside, casually playing a game on his PSP, looking every bit the slacker.
Melinda May, arms crossed, said dryly to Coulson, "This is the 'Flash' you specifically requested?"
Coulson smiled. "Kai's abilities are incredible, and he's got a good heart. He saved countless civilians during the Battle of New York. I think, May, he'll make a great teammate."
May's expression didn't change. "Choosing the team members is your business, not mine. We agreed that I'd transfer from administrative work to this team you're forming — and my role will only be the pilot."
"Of course, of course," Coulson said, maintaining his calm smile. "Then let's go meet our new team member."
Inside the Lounge
When Coulson and May pushed open the door, Kai looked up from his PSP, feigning surprise.
"Hello, Kai," Coulson greeted warmly. "Long time no see. I remember the last time we met was during the Battle of New York."
"Oh, don't look so shocked that I'm still alive," he added with a grin. "I actually faked my death back then. I've been recuperating in Tahiti. Director Fury thought my 'death' would help unite the Avengers."
He paused for dramatic effect. "Although, I really did stop breathing for forty seconds."
Agent Maria Hill, who walked in right after, shot him a deadpan look. "To be precise, it was eight seconds, Coulson. Stop adding time every time you tell that story."
She gave Kai a polite nod and placed a small device on the table. As it activated, a holographic projection flickered to life.
It showed surveillance footage from inside a supermarket. A man in a hoodie was arguing with someone. Suddenly, the hooded man grabbed his opponent — a much larger man — and lifted him effortlessly with one hand.
Panic erupted as people fled in every direction.
Moments later, the hooded man clutched his head in agony. His skin glowed red, as if molten lava flowed beneath it. Then — boom — he exploded, obliterating the area around him. The footage cut to static.
Hill deactivated the projection and turned to them. "The incident occurred in New Jersey. Seven dead, thirty injured. Director Fury wants your team to investigate immediately. And according to intel, this wasn't an isolated case."
Kai leaned back lazily in his chair. "I just got here and there's already a mission? Man… so troublesome. And that guy can self-destruct? Sounds terrifying."
His tone, however, was laced with sarcasm rather than fear.
"It is terrifying," Coulson said lightly. "But since this isn't an isolated case, we need to move fast. I'm not worried about what's already happened — I'm worried about more people like him showing up."
May stood up silently to prepare for departure.
Kai glanced at the clock. "There are still two minutes until lunch break. I say we leave after lunch."
Coulson chuckled and nodded. "Fair enough. Kai, welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. Try the cafeteria food — you might like it."
May gave them both a look of disbelief. "A mission involving exploding people, and we're stopping for lunch. Wonderful."
Still, she said nothing more. Coulson had already told her about Kai's easygoing, sometimes lazy nature. And she'd seen the news footage — how he'd saved civilians during the New York invasion.
For all his quirks, May couldn't deny it was reassuring to have someone that powerful on the team.
Aboard the Quinjet
They didn't leave until after lunch.
As May piloted the Quinjet, Coulson explained, "Eventually, we'll have our own aircraft — a custom one for this team. But since this mission's urgent, we're using the Quinjet."
He gestured to the two people sitting nearby. "These are S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists and our team's tech experts. This is Jemma Simmons, a biochemist. And this is Leo Fitz, our mechanical engineer. Most of our gear depends on him."
Simmons and Fitz eagerly stepped forward to shake hands. They were thrilled — it wasn't every day you got to work alongside an Avenger.
Kai greeted them politely, then slouched back into his seat, slipping fully into his Kizaru-inspired persona — calm, detached, and entirely unbothered by the mission ahead.
Meanwhile, in Malibu
Inside Tony Stark's oceanfront villa, Happy Hogan was pacing nervously.
"Tony, I'm telling you — that guy Killian is bad news," Happy said, his voice rising. "This time I'm serious!"
Tony, adjusting the gauntlets on his latest armor, barely looked up. "You've said that a hundred times, Happy."
Ever since his promotion to Head of Security, Happy had been seeing threats everywhere. Pepper even joked that complaints to the security department had doubled since his promotion.
When she mentioned it, Happy had genuinely thought she was complimenting him.