See more on my P@treon.
[email protected]/Dreamerlord Just replace @ with a
******
As they stepped out of Fury's office, Barbara glanced at Coulson.
"So… who's the candidate in your mind?"
Coulson checked his phone as they walked.
"Someone who's been working way too hard to prove herself. I think she deserves a break."
Barbara peeked at the screen, then nodded.
"Agent 13, huh? Yeah… you're right. She always felt she had to live up to her family name. I still remember seeing her at the academy—working harder than anyone else. She really did need a break."
Coulson slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"This assignment will keep her close, but out of direct fire. And it'll give Ethan someone reliable to keep an eye on him."
Barbara smirked.
"Let's hope he's not the handful Stark is."
"God, I hope not," Coulson muttered as they continued down the hallway.
Back at Ethan's villa…
Ethan was sprawled comfortably on the couch, a fresh box of pizza open beside him. The TV cast flickering lights across the room as he mashed buttons on the controller.
"Man… I wonder when Robert's gonna get me that company," he mumbled around a mouthful of pepperoni, eyes glued to the game.
Until Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. finished handling the paperwork, there wasn't much for him to do except wait—so he passed the time the same way any bored teenager with sudden wealth would:
Pizza, games, and pretending not to think too hard about how insane his life had become.
He leaned back with a sigh.
"Hope it doesn't take too long…"
The game's victory fanfare chimed loudly.
"Well… at least something is going right today."
Just as Ethan reached for another slice of pizza, his phone buzzed against the coffee table.
He paused mid-grab, frowned, and picked it up.
CALLER ID: Robert Flair
"…Finally."
He cleared his throat and answered.
"Yeah?"
Coulson's calm voice came through the line.
"Good evening, Ethan. Just wanted to inform you—everything on our end has been processed. The company registration will be complete by tomorrow noon."
Ethan sat up straighter. "Seriously? That fast?"
"You're a priority case," Coulson replied. "And I also have the documents for you to sign. I'll bring them personally tomorrow morning."
"Alright, thanks," Ethan said, trying not to sound overly excited.
"And one more thing," Coulson added. "You'll also be meeting your new secretary soon. I've selected someone appropriate."
Ethan groaned. "Dude… I said after I get busy. Not before."
"She won't start work immediately," Coulson reassured. "Just an introduction. Think of it as future planning."
"Fine. Whatever," Ethan muttered. "As long as she doesn't show up at eight in the morning or something."
"…See you at eight in the morning," Coulson said calmly.
"WHAT?!"
But Coulson had already hung up.
Ethan stared at the phone for a solid five seconds, then fell backward onto the couch with a groan.
"Great… rich life or not, adults are still gonna ruin my sleep."
The next morning came far too early.
Ethan's eyes cracked open to the sound of the villa's doorbell—sharp, obnoxious, and way too energetic for 8:00 AM.
Ding-dong.
Ding-dong.
DING—DONG.
Ethan sat up like a zombie resurrecting from a crypt.
"…Coulson, I swear—"
He dragged himself out of bed, hair sticking out like he'd survived a hurricane, and shuffled toward the front door while squinting against the sunlight sneaking in through the curtains.
He yanked the door open.
Coulson stood there in a neat suit, holding a folder of documents.Beside him stood a blonde woman in a professional outfit—white blouse, black skirt, and a sharp yet polite smile. She looked fresh, awake, and way too ready for the day.
Ethan blinked at her.
Then at Coulson.
Then back at her.
"…I remember saying I don't need a secretary for now."
Coulson ignored the complaint and gestured to the woman."Ethan, this is Sarah Lane. She'll be your future secretary when the time comes."
Sarah extended her hand politely."Good morning, Mr. Ethan. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Ethan stared at the perfectly manicured hand, then at his own—still holding a half-crushed energy drink can he'd brought from the nightstand.
"…One sec."
Ethan dropped the can behind the door, wiped his palm on his shirt, then shook her hand properly this time.
"Hi. Yeah. Ethan Cliff. Nice to meet you," he said, trying to sound less half-dead.
Coulson pointed toward the hallway.
"Get ready. We need to take you to see your company today."
Ethan nodded, rubbing his face. "Gimme… some time," he muttered before stumbling off toward his room.
The moment he disappeared, Coulson and Sarah settled onto the sofa.
Sarah glanced at the hallway, then leaned toward Coulson.
"So… I'm supposed to protect him?"
Coulson nodded. "Yes. His identity is delicate. Fury wanted this to be absolutely secure. Very few people inside S.H.I.E.L.D. know who he actually is."
Sarah's expression shifted into something more serious.
"So I'm basically his shadow."
"Exactly," Coulson said quietly.
He folded his arms.
"Except few in S.H.I.E.L.D. others don't even know your real face. Thanks to your stubborn refusal to use your family name for influence, you stayed in the shadows as Agent 13. No fame, no spotlight, no public records tied to the Carter legacy."
Sarah nodded slightly.
"That's why you were approved for this," Coulson continued. "No one will ever suspect you're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Not even other agents. To Ethan—and to the outside world—you're just Sarah Lane, a normal secretary."
Sarah or Sharon Carter nodded.
"It makes a perfect agent for this job."
Coulson returned the smile.
"And that's why Fury signed off on you. You're clean. Invisible. Exactly what Ethan needs."
"With you working beside him, even if someone investigates him, all they'll see is a rich kid with his hot secretary."
He said it bluntly, and Sarah—Agent 13—nodded without reacting.
"Is his life in danger?" she asked.
Coulson's expression turned serious for the first time.
"There was an attempt on his life. S.H.I.E.L.D. intercepted it in time. After that, every record connecting him to us was erased. His mother made sure he grew up far away from this world."
Sarah's brows drew together. "But the attempt changed things."
"Exactly." Coulson nodded. "We're not taking any more risks. That's where you come in."
He leaned back slightly.
"Not only will no one suspect you're S.H.I.E.L.D., even if someone scans your face, nothing will come up. And on top of that—you're one of the finest agents we have."
Sarah absorbed that quietly, posture straight, eyes focused.
"Understood," she said. "I'll protect him."
Coulson exhaled softly, relieved.
"That's what I'm counting on."