"A few years ago, Daniel came to my concert. He sat in the front row." Jemma Simmons and Agent Triplett escorted Audrey Nathan to a safe house, but Agent Victoria Hand was not there. She sat in the adjacent room, listening in on Audrey's description of Daniel through a surveillance device. Hand adjusted the winged skull brooch on her lapel, crossed one leg over the other, and continued listening to Audrey's voice through the monitor.
"After that, he came to every single one of my concerts. At first, I was honored—cellists usually don't have many fans." Hand gazed at the figure standing by the window in silence. "But then one night, he showed up at my doorstep. I was terrified. I begged him not to harass me. But he just stood there and said that I was his light."
Hand continued watching the figure standing by the window.
Audrey's words seemed to stir something in that silhouette. A struggle was evident—his shoulders trembled slightly—but he eventually regained his composure. Audrey continued, "At the time, I didn't understand what he meant, not until he blacked out our entire neighborhood. I ran. I sought help from the police, but none of them believed me. Then, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent appeared at my doorstep. I don't know why, but I instinctively trusted him. Maybe it had something to do with how handsome he was."
"You're quite charming, Agent Coulson." Victoria Hand rose from her folding chair. She was dressed in a crisp, professional women's suit, but unlike before, she now wore a pair of sleek black leather gloves. Various small, color-coded vials and a handgun hung from her belt, along with a hunting knife on the other side. Solomon had required every commander to possess combat capabilities—Hand only needed a slight enhancement.
The outfit Solomon originally provided her was not just a simple black business suit; that was merely for office work.
The field uniform for commanders was a black leather long coat, short-heeled boots, a blast gun, a rapier, and a lightweight exoskeleton that could be worn beneath the coat. However, Hand found it too cumbersome and only accepted half of the recommendations. It turned out this approach made her still look like an agent rather than a tech-crazed witch hunter.
"Can we get down to business now?" she asked. "Or do you want to go talk to her yourself?"
Fitz widened his eyes, fidgeting with the equipment in his hands. He eyed Hand with distrust—after all, he had never dared to look directly at Victoria Hand before. She was infamously ruthless within S.H.I.E.L.D.
"How do you expect me to trust you, Hand?" Agent Coulson turned around. "Agent Ward saved Fitz and Simmons' lives. We all trusted him. Now you, wearing a different badge, suddenly tell me that John Garrett is not dead and bring along a resurrection story. How do you expect me to believe you?"
"You yourself have experienced resurrection, Coulson." Hand was blunt. "The fact that I haven't had my strike team force your base's location out of you is trust enough. You know my nature—I don't care about camaraderie."
"But the thing that brought me back has already been destroyed, Hand." Coulson folded his arms. "Who was it?"
"It was our mutual friend—the one who does magic. He foresaw my death and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall years ago. He tried to recruit me back then, but I couldn't comprehend what he meant at the time—until I was brought back from death. I have to admit, his recruitment method was rather adorable… He performed a tea set dance for me, just like in Beauty and the Beast." Hand waved a hand dismissively. "I don't know where you've hidden your team, but he sent me with a message. He said he doesn't want to lose a good Call of Duty teammate."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"No idea. He always talks like that. Only at the right moment does the person involved understand the meaning—like an ancient prophet. At least we don't burn people at the stake anymore." Victoria Hand shrugged. "You should return to your base, Coulson. Grant Ward is Hydra. Let us handle Audrey Nathan's case. If you don't mind, my strike team can assist you as well."
"One last question, Hand," Coulson asked. "Who do you work for now?"
"For humanity," Hand replied. "He has already made numerous preparations, including reclaiming S.H.I.E.L.D. bases occupied by Hydra and constructing giant warships. He showed me the future catastrophe, so I believe in his vision."
"You do realize he's not an Avenger, right?"
"Yes, and that's precisely one of the reasons I trust him. At least he doesn't indulge in personal heroism."
"I'll transfer this case to you, Hand." Coulson hesitated for a few seconds before sighing. He relented. Though he appeared calm while discussing matters with Hand, he was actually eager to return. Fitz was frantically signaling him, but Coulson had already made up his mind. Solomon's credibility was high, and Coulson trusted his decisions. He only hoped that Melinda May and Skye could resolve the situation before he got back. "Including Marcus Daniels' files. I handed him over to S.H.I.E.L.D. so he could be rehabilitated, but the Fridge prison only enhanced his abilities. He's far stronger now than when he was originally captured."
"Sir!" Fitz mustered the courage to step forward. He glanced at Coulson, and after receiving approval, he continued. "We've already developed a device to counter Marcus Daniels." He explained, "It's a lighting control system for stages… Uh, he's afraid of light, especially strong light. This is a device designed by Bruce Banner—it adjusts the wavelength of light. Daniels' powers stem from a form of cosmic radiation, a type of negative energy. It's highly unstable but incredibly powerful. He can manipulate darkness fields to control electricity, which means…"
"He can easily kill with a mere touch. I know—I read that part of the report." Hand remained expressionless. "I understand his powers better than you do, and I also know their source. We've prepared specialized weapons." She turned to Fitz. "If you're willing, you can stay and help us calibrate and inspect the special equipment."
Coulson agreed to the suggestion, as the base's security clearance was too high to contact directly. He had no idea what the situation there was like, and even if Fitz went, he might not be able to participate in the fight. However, Fitz vehemently objected, stammering through an argument, and only then did Coulson reluctantly agree to take him and Simmons back to the base.
"Now, leave this matter to me. You should head back, Agent Coulson. Oh, and Leopold Fitz…"
Agent Fitz halted, his back stiffening.
"You did well. You're an outstanding S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."
Fitz let out a long breath, feeling the cold sweat on his back.
Before leaving, Coulson said, "Promise me one thing—don't tell Audrey about me."
Hand met his gaze.
"She's moving on, Hand," he said. "I can't drag her back down."
"I understand." Hand nodded. "That is the cost of becoming an agent."
"By the way," Fitz asked curiously before they left, "can I see that special equipment before we go?"
"It's a plasma handgun—a plasma-based weapon," Hand said. "Experimental. Specifically designed to counter shadow entities."
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