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Ethan watched T'Challa and his guards leave the arena.
Only after they were gone did the tension fully fade.
Storm walked up to him first.
"You did well," he said simply.
Grant nodded hard. "That last move was clean. He didn't even see it."
Ethan rolled his shoulders. "He's good. Really good."
Sharon let out a long breath she'd been holding.
"Good thing you won"
Coulson and May approached next.
Coulson smiled. "Well. That went better than expected."
May looked at Ethan closely. "You held back until the end."
Ethan didn't deny it. "I needed to see how he fought first."
May nodded once. "Smart."
The Wakandian referee announced the duel finished, and the arena slowly began to clear. Wakandian guards dismantled the wooden stands with practiced efficiency.
Storm handed Ethan his coat.
"Ready to go?"
Ethan slipped it on. "Yeah. Lets just go home."
On the way back, inside the car:
Coulson finally asked, "So… what exactly was in that bag?"
Ethan answered casually, like it wasn't a big deal.
"Klaue's head."
The car went quiet.
Sharon's eyes widened as she looked at him.
"…You're serious?"
"Completely," Ethan said. "Ulysses Klaue. He broke into Wakanda years ago. Stole Vibranium. Killed a clan leader."
Coulson nodded slowly. "That explains T'Challa's reaction."
"T'Challa and the clan leader's son were close," Ethan added. "That's why I knew he'd appreciate it."
May leaned back in her seat.
"You didn't just win a duel," she said. "You earned trust."
Ethan looked out the window. "That was the point."
Coulson smiled faintly.
"Wakanda, Vibranium trade, and a personal favor from a prince. Fury is going to have a lot of questions."
"Then take Sharon with you," Ethan shrugged.
For a moment, Sharon's hands tightened on her lap.
Coulson glanced at Ethan, who was sitting calmly, still looking out the window.
"Are you upset?" Coulson asked carefully. "Because she told us about Wakanda and Vibranium?"
Ethan finally turned his head slightly, glanced at Sharon, then looked back outside.
"If I was upset," he said calmly, "I would've fired her."
Sharon blinked.
"Then again what gave you the impression that I'm angry?" Ethan asked.
Sharon let out a breath of relief.
"You weren't talking to me the whole time. I thought you were mad that I told SHIELD about Wakanda and Vibranium."
Ethan almost rolled his eyes.
"Tell me something," he said. "When was the last time we had a long conversation? And how long was it?"
Sharon froze, then slowly realized what he meant.
"I'm a hardcore introvert nowadays," Ethan continued. "I spend most of my time alone in my basement. We talk maybe once a month—or only when some problem arises in the company that needs my attention. And you thought me not talking for a single morning meant I was angry at you?"
"As for the fact that you told S.H.I.E.L.D. about it, I already knew something like that would happen if I kept you as my secretary. So why would I be upset when you were just doing your job?"
Sharon's face turned red.
"…Sorry."
Coulson chuckled quietly.
"You should spend more time with people," Coulson said to Ethan. "You don't really have friends. Even Grant—he's your age, but he just treats you like his boss."
Ethan frowned.
"What do you want me to do? Go out and find a girlfriend?"
Coulson nodded seriously.
"Yes. Exactly."
Ethan stared at him.
"You can't live with only machines and work," Coulson continued. "You've been locked in your basement for years. You need a normal social life."
Ethan leaned back in his seat.
"…That sounds exhausting."
Sharon smiled slightly.
"But he's not wrong."
Ethan sighed.
"I'll think about it."
Coulson smiled.
"That's already progress."
The car stayed quiet for a few minutes after that.
Johannesburg's streets passed by outside the window—busy and loud—but inside the vehicle, everything felt calm.
Grant broke the silence first.
"So… home base?"
"Yes," Ethan said. "I want a shower and sleep. I feel like my whole upper body is wrapped in layers of sand."
The others nodded in agreement.
Storm nodded. "Fair."
Coulson glanced at his tablet.
"Fury will want a report. Full details."
"Give him the summary," Ethan replied. "Duel finished. Trade secured. Klaue problem solved."
May looked at him from her seat.
"You make it sound easy."
"It wasn't," Ethan said. "But it's done."
Sharon hesitated, then spoke.
"So… I'm going with Coulson to talk to Fury?"
Ethan nodded once.
"You were here from the start," he said. "Coulson and May joined later."
Then he added, casually,
"By the way, Coulson—take Grant with you."
Grant's voice came through the comms from the other car.
"Why me?"
"I want you to join SHIELD," Ethan replied.
There was a short silence.
"You're sending Grant to be a SHIELD agent?" Coulson asked, surprised.
"Yes," Ethan said calmly. "The person who leaked my location when I visited my mother might still be inside SHIELD. I need to find that person."
May narrowed her eyes.
"And you think Grant can do that?"
"He's never been seen by my side before," Ethan explained. "No one in SHIELD connects him to me. He can move freely, observe, and dig quietly."
Coulson raised an eyebrow.
"So you're sending him to spy on SHIELD… and saying it directly to our faces."
Ethan stopped walking and looked at Coulson.
"It's been over a year," he said. "You still haven't found the mole. So yes, I'm sending him."
Grant spoke again through the comms.
"…You sure about this?"
Ethan answered without hesitation.
"Can you handle it or not?"
Grant gave a short laugh.
"Yeah. I can handle it."
"Good," Ethan said. "Take him. Just make up a cover story—say you found potential talent in Johannesburg or something."
Coulson thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. We'll do it."
May looked back at Ethan.
"You really don't trust us, do you?"
Ethan shook his head.
"It's not about trust. It's about results."
Grant's voice came through one last time.
"Guess I'm a SHIELD agent now."
Coulson smiled as he said.
"Welcome to the circus."