Daisy did not consider herself to be a truly amazing SHIELD Agent or anything like that. She did her best, but she felt like she still had a lot to learn, even after all the time she'd spent under Phil Coulson's tutelage. To be fair, her… recruitment into SHIELD had not exactly been 'normal'.
One might even call it hostile, given she was part of a hacktivist group called Rising Tide working under the pseudonym 'Skye' before SHIELD got their hands on her. At first, Daisy had been far from cooperative. But over time, she'd had her eyes opened to the way the world really worked… and come to terms with the fact that SHIELD weren't the bad guys that she'd originally thought they were. Their work, as much as it had pained her to admit it, was important. More than important, it was necessary.
… Yeah, if her former hacker friends could see her now, Daisy knows that they would all be disgusted with her. Wrinkled noses, dismayed looks, and sneers would be the order of the day if they ever saw her wearing the form-fitting SHIELD Uniform and using everything Coulson had taught her, along with her powers, to keep the world from burning up under the craziness that seemed to be everywhere one looked these days.
Maybe they'd even be a little right to. Daisy had to admit, finding out that SHIELD's entire STRIKE Team had been HYDRA, along with some of the World Security Council… that had been distressing. But at least it wasn't anyone on Coulson's team and the rot in SHIELD had turned out to be pretty contained. At least someone like Director Fury was still working hard to safeguard the world from monsters, both internal and external.
That's why when Phil told Daisy they needed her to watch over the Director because her specific powerset made her an excellent knife in the dark, Daisy had gone for it. Phil had made it clear to her that it was a voluntary mission and that she could choose to reject it… but Daisy could tell that he was worried about the Director's safety, especially after how things went down with HYDRA.
Daisy didn't know everything there was to know in regard to that but listening in on Fury's conversation with first She-Hulk and Storm and then his latest guest, she was starting to put together some pieces just a little bit.
This is all to say, as Daisy steps into Fury's Office and lays eyes on THE Natasha Romanoff for the first time, she's trying not to be too star struck. Where Daisy considers herself to be a below average SHIELD Agent carried by her powers, Natasha Romanoff… well, she's the stuff of legends.
The Black Widow, one of the most dangerous women in the world… a femme fatale without equal, a graceful killer and assassin that SHIELD had collared and put to work for them. Of course, if Daisy had followed Natasha and the Director's conversation correctly, then it sounded like the Black Widow might have slipped her leash.
She was prepared for that bit. She was prepared for a lot of stuff thanks to Director Fury giving Daisy permission to listen in on his conversations while on this assignment to protect him unless otherwise signaled. However, as Daisy looks between Agent Romanoff and Director Fury curiously, the last thing she's prepared for… is the realization that Natasha has two heartbeats.
Gasping, Daisy's mouth runs before her mind can walk, blurting out the realization the moment it comes to her as she stares at one of the most dangerous women in the world with wide eyes.
"You're pregnant?!"
The heartbeat is faint, to be fair. She's not very far along at all… and yet, Daisy's powers aren't wrong. Natasha Romanoff is definitely pregnant.
There's a brief pause as silence falls over the room. Natasha tenses up and for a moment Daisy thinks she might just wind up getting her neck snapped by the Black Widow of all people. At the same time, a blush rises to Daisy's cheeks and she also thinks she might just die from embarrassment if Natasha doesn't decide to kill her for her faux pas.
Finally though, the silence is broken… not by either of them, but by Fury cursing.
"Jesus fucking Christ. You didn't know, did you?"
Wait, what? Daisy stares on as Natasha turns to Fury… and smirks slightly.
"I knew I wanted it. Why do you think I jumped ship in the first place?"
Daisy's eyes dart between the two as the Director and Black Widow have a bonafide stare down for several long moments, more passing between the two of them in silence than Daisy can ever hope to comprehend. Finally, Fury just nods.
"We're going to pretend Agent Johnson never said that. I never heard it. And neither she nor I will speculate about it outside of this room. Is that clear, Agent?"
That last question is directed rather pointedly at her. Eyes still wide, Daisy just nods. See, this was what she meant about not being a truly amazing SHIELD Agent. In fact, she was starting to think she was even worse than she'd originally believed.
"Yessir!"
Still, she could follow this order. She WOULD follow this order… to her grave, if need be. Whether that was sooner or later. Glancing over to Natasha, Daisy winces as the red head stares her down intensely for a moment, pinning her with her gaze. Then… Natasha just smirks, this time much more emphatically.
"Very well."
Daisy shivers, even as Fury sighs. After another heartbeat, the Director just shakes his head.
"Right. Introductions. This is Agent Daisy Johnson, callsign Quake. And though I'm sure you already know who she is, this is Natasha Romanoff, callsign Black Widow."
Daisy doesn't fail to miss that Fury leaves the 'agent' off when introducing Natasha, to be clear. She's just smart enough to not actually bring it up. Regardless, Daisy nods at Natasha, trying her best to salvage the terrible first impression.
"N-nice to meet you."
Natasha's smirk becomes a full blown smile and the red head chuckles.
"I'm sure it is. Tell me, Agent Johnson… what is your heart's desire?"
Uh… what? Daisy glances over at Fury… but he just lifts his eyebrow at her, leaning forward over his desk with his hands steepled before him as he watches the exchange. Looking back to Natasha, Daisy considers the question for a moment.
"That's… a big question I suppose. My heart's desire?"
Back at the start, when she was still Skye, all Daisy had wanted was to figure out who the hell she really was and where she fit in the world. Over time, thanks to Phil and SHIELD, she'd learned a lot about all of that. She'd found a proper family with the team after discovering that where she'd come from… wasn't worth looking back at any longer.
Although… she'd be lying if she said she hadn't been feeling… restless of late. Maybe it was seeing Leo and Jemma get closer and closer, until FitzSimmons stopped being just a term of endearment to describe the two scientists and became reality after they got married. But Daisy would be lying if she said she hadn't looked at them and wondered if she might… ever find something like that.
Of course, standing in Director Fury's office, being asked a question like that by the Black Widow of all people, Daisy isn't going to answer with something as trite as 'I want a hunky boyfriend who will love me like my teammates love each other'. Yeah, no, she wasn't THAT dumb.
Instead, Daisy goes with something a bit more generalized… but no less real.
"P-Purpose, I guess? I want… to know my actions and my life have purpose."
God, that sounds stupid as soon as she says it. But if Natasha is judging her for it, the gorgeous (and pregnant!) femme fatale doesn't show it. Instead she just smiles and nods before looking back to Fury.
"Yeah, she'll do. Assuming I was right and you were considering her for the liaison position."
Daisy's eyes move back to Fury, who grunts as he lowers his steepled hands from in front of his mouth and looks between them both for a moment. She'd heard everything that the Director and Black Widow had said to each other of course, so she sort of understood what was going on. What she didn't understand was why she was being considered for the mission.
"Agent Johnson… Quake. You know what happened these past few days. HYDRA was exposed and dealt within in the same twenty-four hours. And then all of a sudden our allies are breathing down our necks, telling me that in the midst of all that, a cosmic power that could be capable of threatening the entire damn world, has shown back up and taken residence in one of Earth's most powerful telepaths."
Daisy swallows and nods to make it clear she's following so far. She hadn't known ALL of that solely from the conversations she'd been listening in on, but she'd known most of it. The rest was just… context at this point.
"Of course, Romanoff here has… extensive contact with the telepath in question. So she's come by to try to set the record straight. And seeing as SHIELD does in fact have its hands full already… I need to limit the resources I spend on this situation, especially if it turns out to be a witch hunt like Romanoff claims."
Again, Daisy nods. She's following along at least. Fury can't trust Natasha because Natasha is off the reservation. And apparently, she left SHIELD so she could go and get pregnant? Would SHIELD not have let Natasha get pregnant while she was an Agent or something?
Still, the point is, he's considering sending Daisy to figure out what's going on. To be SHIELD's eyes and ears wherever Emma Frost and Thaddeus Cummings are currently holed up, to make sure that giving their location to the Avengers and the X-Men isn't actually necessary.
"To be clear, this assignment is entirely voluntary. I may be sending you into the Lion's Den here. Romanoff is obviously compromised, but so long as she's not overtly hostile, my hands are tied."
Its Daisy's turn to raise an eyebrow as Fury just… says that right in front of the red head. A glance over shows that Natasha isn't taking it personally, however. In fact, she outright chuckles, looking more amused than anything.
"Of course, if they do try to fuck with you… you have my permission to do whatever you have to in order to escape."
Daisy doesn't quite blanch, but she does straighten up at those words, easily reading between the lines. Her powers… well, they were a bit strong. Scratch that, they were very strong at the top end. She had to be careful with them, all things considered. Fury was basically giving her surreptitious permission to… stop being careful if need be.
Of course, he's not quite surreptitious enough.
"Oh? You're a strong one, aren't you?"
Daisy flushes under Natasha's assessing gaze. Far from being afraid or worried, the Black Widow looks more and more entertained… excited, maybe.
Swallowing, Daisy tries not to let Natasha get to her. Instead, she focuses on the matter at hand and thinks over the mission being offered to her.
Ultimately, what really tips her over the edge… is the story that Romanoff had woven. It was a story of discrimination and prejudice. Of people being targeted and attacked for things outside of their control… more than that, for doing the right thing if all that had been said was actually true.
Daisy didn't like that. As much as she idolized the Avengers and the X-Men and as cool as she thought She-Hulk and Storm were in particular, she didn't like the idea of this all being a 'witch hunt' as Fury had called it. If they were wrong and Emma Frost wasn't a threat to anyone, then it wasn't fair that they were going after her so hard.
She had a chance to find out herself. She had the opportunity to go and figure out what was really going on. And sure there was some risk… but what was life without a little risk? Swallowing hard, Daisy nods.
"I'll do it, Director. I'll accept the mission."
Fury's shoulders slump a little bit, but Daisy can't quite tell if its in relief or exhaustion. Or both. Either way, he gives her a sharp nod.
"You are a credit to Coulson's training, Agent Johnson."
That, funnily enough, causes a swell of pride in Daisy's chest as she straightens and stands a little taller. Damn straight she is…
Looking over at Natasha, Fury grunts.
"I assume you have a way to get her to wherever they are, even if you don't actually know."
Natasha just smiles.
"Well. I don't. But Thaddeus does."
Fury opens his mouth but whatever he's going to say next, Daisy never actually gets to find out. One moment she's standing there in the Director's Office, Natasha to her right and Fury behind his desk. The next moment, Daisy is falling… falling through the floor as Fury's one working eye starts to widen.
The look on his face would be priceless if it wasn't because of her. But at least Daisy doesn't have to stick around to see what happens next. Instead, she falls into what literally looks like Hell… and then falls THROUGH that as well, before landing on a metal flooring.
Immediately, Daisy reaches out with her powers, trying to get ahold of her surroundings and a feeling for where she'd wound up. The ability to manipulate and control vibrations is something she's still learning to control even now, but she's had time to get the hang of it and she's gotten quite good at… mapping things.
Of course, then she realizes there's a guy in front of her, one that she can see with her own two eyes, no powers necessary. Daisy… stops in her tracks, staring at him as he stands there with a calm smile and extremely thick arms crossed over his chest. Blond and blue eyed and built like a fucking truck, the man can only be Thaddeus Cummings based on everything Daisy knows.
In that moment, she puts two and two together… and her mouth once again gets ahead of her brain. Its not her fault! She doesn't do good with surprises, so Daisy really can't be blamed for blurting out the first thing that comes to mind!
"… So you're the guy who knocked up Natasha Romanoff."