After learning the secret about the Mind Scepter, Kaecilius didn't hesitate. He quickly gathered his followers and headed straight for Washington, stopping just outside the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion Building.
He didn't teleport straight into the building through a dimensional gate—not because he didn't want to, but because it was impossible to sneak in undetected.
There's no doubt the Triskelion Building is one of the most heavily guarded and mysterious places on the planet. It's home to countless powerful artifacts and classified tech. Many have tried to infiltrate it over the years yet, none have succeeded.
Or at least, no one has ever heard of anyone succeeding. Maybe someone managed it quietly. Or maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. just keeps a tight lid on those stories.
The most "normal" way to get in is by becoming an agent. That lets you walk through the front doors, but even then, strict security protocols mean you can't just wander anywhere. One wrong step, and security will be on you instantly.
Alternatively, you could get in as a prisoner. Sure, there are even more restrictions, but it might actually bring you closer to your goal. Disguises and stealth missions typically fall into one of those two approaches.
But either way, it's not easy. S.H.I.E.L.D. might look like it's only protected by checkpoints and guards, but that's just what you can see. There are hidden agents, advanced tech, and even superpowered watchers scanning every corner of the facility.
There's a reason someone like Hawkeye, with no powers, is a core member of the Avengers. When it comes to security, he's one of the best.
So for someone like Kaecilius, the cleanest option would've been to teleport directly inside using space magic. Unfortunately, even that route was already locked down.
"Damn Ancient One," Kaecilius muttered to himself.
Just from the defensive runes around the building, Kaecilius could tell who had set them up. The Ancient One had worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. to build this barrier, not because of the Mind Scepter, but because of him— Kaecilius.
Ever since his betrayal of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One had maintained a close relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D., helping them defend against threats just like him. Kaecilius had the strength to try and break the protective circle, but if he hesitated for even a second, the Ancient One could strike him down instantly.
He wasn't weak. With Dormammu's support, Kaecilius had entered the legendary tier of magical strength. But the Ancient One had experience on her side. She'd lived longer, studied deeper, and carried an arsenal of powerful relics. Going up against her directly would be suicide.
Kaecilius knew better than most how terrifying the Mirror Dimension was. One wrong move, and he'd be stuck there forever.
Still, just because he couldn't teleport inside didn't mean he had no options.
"You all stay here," he told his apprentices. "If I'm not back in thirty minutes, create chaos outside. It'll help cover my exit."
His followers nodded without a word and dispersed into the shadows, positioning themselves around the building. They'd been trained for this. If needed, they knew how to draw maximum attention from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s guards and buy their master a chance to escape. How much damage they could do... that would depend on how things unfolded.
Daniel had no idea Kaecilius was about to break into the building and go after the Mind Scepter. You'd think something like that would be on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar. Maybe it was. Maybe they were already prepared, but they still didn't expect Kaecilius to be so bold.
At the moment, it was Brock Rumlow handling internal security. Everything looked tightly locked down on the surface, but Rumlow himself wasn't stressed. That's because the real scepter wasn't even here anymore.
Nick Fury had already ordered it transferred to a different S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. In fact, it had been secretly moved well before that. Even if someone broke into HQ and found the location it was supposed to be moved to, they'd still come up empty.
So all the tight security was mostly for show. They looked ready on the outside, but mentally, they were completely relaxed.
"Wait, Nick Fury's not even at HQ right now?" Daniel stopped in his tracks and asked. That didn't sit right with him. He expected Fury to be overseeing the diplomatic talks with Asgard. Even if he wasn't directly involved in the back-and-forth, he should've been keeping tabs on the situation.
"After Agent Coulson was injured on the Helicarrier—trying to stop Loki—Director Fury brought in top medical experts to help him," Maria Hill said softly. Her voice cracked a little. She knew the full truth.
The experiment was risky. Most people didn't survive it. Even if it worked, the side effects were devastating. That's why the program was originally shut down. But now, to bring Coulson back, Nick Fury had restarted the whole thing.
"Coulson..." Daniel muttered. Phil Coulson—the man everyone thought had died during the battle on the Helicarrier. The future Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Right now, Coulson was likely undergoing the Tahiti Protocol. He would be resurrected, but not without a cost.
People might wonder: if he was dead, how could he come back? And even if he did, would he still be Coulson?
Technically, he wasn't fully dead. Medically speaking, brain death isn't declared until six minutes without oxygen. There have been cases where people were revived after an hour, though brain damage is usually permanent.
But the Tahiti plan used Kree blood—an alien substance with powerful healing properties. It could minimize brain damage to an astonishing degree.
So in a broad sense, Coulson never "died." His body was just repaired, though it came at a heavy price.
From a spiritual standpoint, his soul definitely left his body. But it returned before the window closed. There might be some loss of soul energy, but that could be replenished by the body's own reserves.
Humans are fragile. A wound that would kill them instantly might not even faze a Kree or an Asgardian. That's why their life force is so much stronger.
"You okay?" Daniel looked over at Maria Hill. She seemed off—quiet and a little shaken.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, snapping back into her usual sharp, no-nonsense tone. Then, with a teasing smirk, she added, "Right now, the highest-ranking person at HQ is Secretary-General Pierce. Want to meet him? Or are you scared?"
She laughed. Daniel just shook his head calmly.
"If we end up negotiating with the World Security Council, fine. But I'm not reporting to Pierce. I'm tied to the White House, not S.H.I.E.L.D."
He didn't care about Pierce's title. Daniel's official position was in the Pentagon. The White House was his chain of command. As far as he was concerned, Pierce had no authority over him.
"Alright, no more jokes. Let's head to the armory and see what's going on," Maria said, her smile fading.
The Rapid Response Commando Team was supposed to be Nick Fury and Maria Hill's elite unit. Captain Rogers had been working with them. Or rather, they were supposed to be helping him.
If Daniel hadn't shown up and shaken things up, they wouldn't have realized the team had slipped completely out of their control.
Alexander Pierce technically oversaw the team now, but there were too many skipped protocols and backdoor deals. The chain of command was a mess.
How this gets cleaned up depends on Nick Fury, but that didn't stop Maria from taking immediate action. Especially when she had a personal score to settle.
When Maria Hill and Daniel showed up at the storage area, Brock Rumlow looked like he'd swallowed a lemon.
"Agent Rumlow, we're reviewing the Rapid Response Commando's armory. You have fifteen minutes to prep," Maria said, deadpan and direct.
She wasn't here to play nice. Rumlow could tell immediately that she was here to make trouble. And it wasn't just her—she'd brought Daniel and Agent M for backup.
Rumlow already knew Daniel wasn't on his side. But Agent M was the real headache—an IRS agent now tasked with auditing S.H.I.E.L.D. finances. His presence meant this wasn't just some routine inspection.
Still, Rumlow kept his cool and smiled tightly. "Isn't the general audit done at the end of the year?"
"This is a special case," Maria replied coldly. "And I have the right to do a spot check. Unless you'd prefer I call Secretary Pierce and ask him personally?"
"No, no need! Of course you can check," Rumlow said quickly, backing down.
They all knew this was a rushed move. But with the Mind Scepter on the line, they didn't have much choice.
Minutes later, they were inside one of the underground storage rooms. The walls were lined with submachine guns, grenades, even mortars.
Rumlow sighed in relief. Everything looked normal.
But then he caught Daniel's eye across the room. There was something about his gaze that made Rumlow's heart skip a beat.
Something wasn't right.