Just after finalizing his cooperation with Tony Stark, Pepper Potts' transfer notification arrived.
Compared to the last time he went to Stark Tower to offer a few words of comfort, the money this time was the main course, while the previous amount had only been an appetizer.
Lance discovered an even better rule. He could remain in the Marvel Universe for as long as he wanted, only needing to sleep in the DC world to reset his condition.
That meant that as long as he chose to, he could stay here indefinitely, enjoying the sunlight of New York instead of returning to Gotham to breathe its smog.
The next day, Lance woke up as usual in his bachelor apartment in New York and headed to the law firm where he worked.
That's right. In this world, he was at least a legitimate practicing lawyer, even if he was still far from becoming a partner.
Even so, his status was far higher than that of a rookie lawyer just starting out in Gotham.
Since he had taken on Tony Stark's case, Lance naturally needed to prepare thoroughly. A two million dollar deal was not something just anyone could afford.
If he handled this case well, that two million would only be the beginning. More business would follow.
Lance's plan was flawless. But just as he sat down behind his desk, there was a knock on the door.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at the man pushing it open. His right hand quietly tightened around his cane while his body leaned lazily back in his chair.
"Who are you?" Lance asked. "I don't recall having any appointments today."
"Hey, Lawyer Prescott, no need to be nervous. My name is Coulson, I work for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Coulson said, raising both hands to show he meant no harm.
Lance glanced at the identification being offered but didn't take it.
His grip on the cane did not loosen. Instead, he stood up and tilted his chin toward the door.
"Now that's a mouthful, isn't it? Very well, let's talk outside. This isn't the place."
He took Coulson downstairs and sat with him in a nearby coffee shop.
Before the coffee even arrived, Lance got straight to the point.
"Speak. What do you want with me?"
The bluntness clearly caught Coulson off guard.
In the past, the people they questioned were either trembling with fear or desperately resisting. It was rare to meet someone like Lance Prescott, who was so indifferent and even slightly impatient.
"Uh, I mean, you…"
Lance cut him off with an impatient gesture. He picked up the coffee, downed it in one gulp, and immediately frowned at the bitterness.
"Damn it. Didn't I tell him to add more sugar cubes?" he muttered, irritation creeping into his tone. The dissatisfaction in his life only made his attitude worse.
"You… Agent…" Lance frowned, looking Coulson up and down before saying with clear dissatisfaction, "You came to investigate me, and you sent someone who can't even speak properly?"
"No, no, no." Coulson waved his hands repeatedly in denial. He clearly couldn't accept the insult and hurried to explain his purpose.
"We've heard that, as Tony Stark's lawyer, you've been going in and out of Stark Tower frequently these past few days. As the person closest to him recently, aside from Ms. Pepper Potts, we'd like to obtain some information from you…"
"Four million dollars."
"Pfft! Cough, cough, cough…" Coulson choked on his coffee, hurriedly wiping his mouth. "If you want to refuse, there's no need to make such outrageous demands."
"Outrageous?!" Lance stared at him in disbelief.
"Do you know how much Tony Stark pays me for my services? Two million. And you want me to sell out my client's information, risk losing my job, and you're not even willing to offer double as compensation?"
"Cheap," Lance concluded coldly.
He rolled his eyes, then stood up. "Next time you come to buy information from me, bring a check. Don't be so amateur."
With that, Lance turned and left, leaning on his cane.
Interestingly, Coulson didn't try to stop him.
After Lance was gone, Coulson pressed his earpiece and reported quietly, "Yes, that's right. He was very irritable. He seemed unwilling to let me enter his office. He kept deflecting, making excuses, and refused to provide any information about Tony Stark… Yes… yes… Of course something's off… Alright, understood…"
...
Lance returned to his office, sat down, and slammed his desk hard.
Swear to God, he had genuinely wanted to sell Tony Stark's information, but these S.H.I.E.L.D. agents didn't even know how to negotiate.
Four million was his opening price. Two million was his bottom line. Yet the other side completely ignored his goodwill and accused him of being uncooperative.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. was full of people who couldn't even bargain, then there was no point talking to them at all.
But four million dollars.
Lance gritted his teeth. His heart ached as if someone had just snatched a check right out of his hands.
He organized the information Tony Stark had given him and locked it away in his office drawer.
The information Tony Stark provided was concise, mostly things already known to insiders. In fact, it wasn't even as detailed as what Lance already knew, so even if it had been left in the office and discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, it wouldn't have mattered.
When he returned to his apartment that evening, Lance's instincts told him someone had broken in.
It wasn't a difficult ability to develop. As long as you offended someone in every lawsuit and left them wishing they could kill you, you would eventually pick up a sense for it.
Still, this group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents was fairly competent. At the very least, they hadn't planted any bugs or surveillance equipment. Lance chose to ignore it.
Even so, their actions only strengthened his resolve to move out as soon as possible.
It was time to change nests.
...
Inside S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury studied Lance Prescott's file while Coulson stood beside him, delivering his report.
"He keeps to himself. Very much so. No interest in hookers. There isn't even a single long hair in his apartment. No drugs, no alcohol, not even cigarettes. If not for the signs of regular habitation, you'd think the place was staged. Lance Prescott appears highly antisocial. According to colleagues and neighbors, he's arrogant, withdrawn, and extremely territorial."
As he spoke, Coulson handed over a stack of photocopied documents.
"This is what we recovered from his office tonight regarding Tony Stark. Unfortunately, it's worthless."
"Based on our investigation, his past has no overlap with Tony Stark's. Whatever he told Stark may have just been a lucky guess."
"A guess?" Nick Fury sneered. "Coulson, sometimes you make me question whether your Level Eight clearance is inflated."
"Prescott has a deep understanding of Stark Industries' history and even Tony Stark's psychology. The first time they met, he identified Stark's weaknesses within half an hour. The next day, he walked straight back into Stark Tower and even caused his AI butler to crash. And you're telling me that was luck?"
"So you want to recruit him?" Coulson asked.
"He knows how to handle Tony Stark, and that's exactly the kind of person we need." Nick Fury set the file down. "No matter what, find a way to bring him over."
"Understood."
"Good." Nick Fury's lips curved slightly. "Don't disappoint me, Coulson."