At Michael Collins's home, Michael was restless. He could feel something was wrong controlling his condition was getting harder and harder. He looked down at the Centipede device on his wrist, unsure what to do. He'd already sent his son away, not wanting to risk hurting him.
Bang, bang, bang!
A sudden knock at the door made Michael tense up. He walked over and peered outside. A man and a woman he didn't recognize stood there.
"Who is it?" Michael asked warily.
"Michael, we're here to help you," Skye said gently.
Michael hesitated but opened the door.
"Hello, Michael. My name is Skye, and this is my boyfriend, Su Zhan. We're here to help," Skye explained softly.
"I don't know you, and I don't need your help," Michael replied, shaking his head.
Skye glanced at his wrist. "Listen, Michael, your situation is very dangerous. I know you've been injected with the Centipede serum, and while you seem stable now, it's only temporary. We need to confirm there are no problems. Otherwise, you could endanger yourself and others."
"Who are you?" Michael asked, his tone deepening.
"We're working with S.H.I.E.L.D. for now, but we're not really with them. I helped them find you. I hope you'll come to S.H.I.E.L.D. so they can study the Centipede serum in your body and find a solution-"
Before Skye could finish, Michael's face twisted with anger. S.H.I.E.L.D., research-he knew that never ended well. Realizing Skye had found him, he roared and lunged at her.
"Courting death!" Su Zhan sneered, instantly stepping in front of Skye and kicking Michael directly.
Michael tried to resist, but when Su Zhan's kick landed, it felt like being hit by a truck. He flew back, crashed into the sofa, and collapsed to the ground.
"How... how is this possible?" Michael stared at Su Zhan in shock, unable to comprehend how someone could be stronger than him.
"Nothing is impossible!" Su Zhan said coldly, appearing beside Michael and lifting him up effortlessly.
Michael panicked and struggled, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free. Anger made the Centipede serum flare up, his temperature rising as if he might melt or explode.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Michael shouted.
Su Zhan snorted, released him, and then chopped Michael's neck with a swift hand. Michael instantly collapsed, unconscious, and the dangerous heat in his body faded.
"Are you alright? Not scared?" Su Zhan asked Skye.
Skye shook her head. "I'm fine, but his condition isn't stable. He almost self-destructed just now. If you hadn't knocked him out, we'd have been in real danger."
"Let's take him back. Once he wakes up and calms down, we can talk," Su Zhan said.
Su Zhan carried Michael and, with Skye, returned to the plane and placed him in a special containment room.
Coulson said seriously, "His condition is worse than we thought. We need a solution quickly. If it weren't for Su Zhan, and he'd exploded, a lot of people nearby would have been hurt."
"You can absorb the Extremis virus-can you absorb the Centipede serum too?" Coulson asked Su Zhan.
Su Zhan pouted. "Maybe, but even if I absorb it and he's safe, what's the point? There are so many Centipede warriors who have been transformed by the serum. I can't possibly absorb every one of them, right?"
"Makes sense!" Coulson nodded, though he hesitated to speak further. He wanted to ask if he could study Su Zhan's body, but he knew Su Zhan would refuse-and he wasn't sure how Su Zhan would react. He didn't want to risk angering him.
"Anyway, I want to thank you both. If Skye hadn't found Michael, and if Su Zhan hadn't stopped him in time, many innocent people would have been hurt. Your abilities can help even more people, so I'd like to formally invite you to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as consultants for my team. Would you be willing?" Coulson asked gratefully and seriously.
Su Zhan shrugged. "Don't ask me-if Skye agrees, I'll agree."
Coulson looked at Skye, who hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. She had originally planned to join S.H.I.E.L.D., and now that the opportunity had come, she wouldn't refuse.
"Welcome to the team!" Coulson said happily.
One was a master hacker, the other a superhero-their addition would be a huge help. Originally, one of his candidates was Grant Ward, an action specialist, but with Su Zhan now on the team, Ward's role might not be necessary.
Su Zhan and Skye were assigned rooms. Since the rooms weren't very big, they didn't live together, but everyone knew they were a couple. Jemma and Fitz welcomed them warmly. As for Melinda May, although they hadn't met before, after a brief introduction she treated them as teammates.
Su Zhan was curious, though-he hadn't seen Ward, the Hydra agent hiding in S.H.I.E.L.D. "Did I replace Ward?" he wondered. He didn't know the reason, but it didn't matter; he never liked Ward anyway and would have taught him a lesson if he'd joined.
In any case, Su Zhan and Skye were now part of S.H.I.E.L.D., living and working with the team as consultants. Life would be much more convenient from now on.
As night fell, after saying good night to Skye, Su Zhan returned to his room to rest. Not long after lying down, he heard a knock at the door.
Assuming Skye was too lazy to get dressed, he opened the door shirtless and in shorts only to find Jemma standing there.