Daisy looked at Charles and asked, "So, do I have the same abilities as my mother?"
Charles shook his head, "No, your power isn't related to longevity. Yours is a combat-oriented ability."
"However, this power requires certain items to activate, so you haven't been able to sense it."
Daisy didn't doubt Charles's words; with his power, there was no need for him to deceive her now that she stood before him.
Now that she knew her origins, Daisy wanted to meet her parents and learn more. But she realized that meeting them could wait—there was something else she needed to do first.
SHIELD was despicable, but Coulson was not. He didn't deserve to die in this situation.
"Thank you for everything, Charles," she said, raising her wrist to reveal a limiting bracelet that prevented her from accessing any electronic devices.
"Besides that unknown superpower, I have another skill—hacking."
"But right now, I'm limited by this bracelet and can't get near any computers."
Charles smiled and called out, "Red Queen!"
A voice responded, "Master, decryption complete."
With a soft click, the bracelet on Daisy's wrist unlocked itself and slid off. Since she'd arrived at the base, the Red Queen had been working on decrypting it, and now it was fully unlocked.
Daisy blinked in surprise, "An AI?"
Charles nodded, "Indeed. A gift from Tony Stark himself."
Daisy could only shake her head in awe, marveling at the privileges of the wealthy. She gave Charles a thumbs-up in admiration.
"Charles, from now on, I'm on your side," Daisy said confidently, "But before we proceed, can I take care of something first?"
Charles looked at her and asked, "What is it, Daisy?"
Daisy chose her words carefully, "Coulson has been kidnapped. I need a computer to locate his position and relay this information to Ward and the team."
"SHIELD is SHIELD, but Coulson is Coulson. SHIELD has to pay for what it did to me and my mother, but I owe Coulson, and I want to help him."
Realizing what she was referring to, Charles understood. Coulson was likely being held by the Centipede organization in an abandoned nuclear test town in the desert.
"Daisy, do what you need to. The Red Queen will assist you," Charles said.
"As for everything else, let's focus on rescuing Coulson first, and then we'll plan accordingly."
"Come in," he called out.
The door opened, and a striking woman with Asian features and a confident stance walked in.
"Shizuka, this is Daisy," Charles said, "Prepare a room for her and set her up with a computer."
Shizuka glanced at Daisy and respectfully replied, "Yes, Lord Charles."
Then, turning to Daisy, she said, "Follow me."
Watching Shizuka lead Daisy away, Charles leaned back on the sofa, contemplating the next steps.
Arranging a meeting with Daisy's father would be straightforward, but Jiaying's situation would require careful planning.
And as for SHIELD's eventual downfall, Charles wouldn't pass up the chance to strike at a weakened opponent; he intended to claim the largest piece of the prize.
…
On the other side-
Raina approached Coulson, untying him with a smirk, "Today keeps getting more interesting, doesn't it?"
Coulson sat up, eyeing her cautiously, "So, are you my friend now?"
"I've seen how you treat friends," he said wryly.
Raina chuckled, "Are you talking about Mr. Po?"
Coulson nodded, "Yes."
Raina responded with a sly smile, "He was an unrepentant murderer."
"And what about those injected with the Centipede serum?" Coulson countered.
Raina met his gaze, "I gave them what they wanted."
"They wanted their bodies restored, to feel useful again."
"And in the end, they got what they wanted."
Coulson pressed on, "Did Akela Amador want a bomb in her head?"
Raina turned away, her tone cold, "Your superiors also use cruel methods for noble causes."
Watching her back, Coulson continued probing, "Who do you work for, Raina?"
"The Clairvoyant?"
Raina turned to face him again, "Yes."
"Who is he?" Coulson asked.
"I don't know," she replied, "Today was the first time I communicated with him directly."
She took a deep breath, "My heart is still racing."
Seeing her cooperation, Coulson pushed further, "He's directing you to create super soldiers?"
Raina didn't hesitate, "The Clairvoyant provides us with guidance, methods."
"Why?" Coulson asked.
"For a changing world."
"The world your organization has shaped. You've been doing this for decades, studying these changes. But it's all new to us."
Coulson pressed on, "And now? You have soldiers."
"You can make them stronger, control them, even kill them in an instant."
Raina nodded, "Yes, but we can't bring them back from the dead."
She moved closer, looking into Coulson's eyes, "You died once and came back to life."
"We want to know how it was done—don't you?"
Her words struck a chord in Coulson. He, too, had been searching for answers about his own resurrection.
Since then, something had felt… off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Sensing his hesitation, Raina pressed further, "I want to turn on the machine again."
"It can stimulate theta brainwave frequencies and help unlock the secrets buried in your subconscious."
"If you cooperate, you can ride those waves."