Chapter 89: The truth in Sharon's words
Daisy felt it was normal and agreed right away.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Daisy realised that Sharon had not only invited her but also brought Hill along.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment. It's worth noting that in public settings, they didn't exactly get along.
"Let's sit down and talk, shall we?" Sharon spoke softly.
Daisy was momentarily speechless. Even if you weren't here, I would have sat down already!
However, considering that in the eyes of outsiders, they hadn't reached the point of bickering upon seeing each other, she sat down somewhat awkwardly across from Hill.
Sharon pondered for a moment and then seated herself on Daisy's side.
"I don't know what issues you two have, but I hope we can all sit down and discuss. We used to have a very precious friendship, and I don't want to see you two like this now." Sharon rested her elbows on the table, her gaze shifting between the two.
Daisy sensed the goodwill from the blonde woman. After spending so much time together, she had long known that her initial suspicions about surveillance were unfounded. Sharon, aside from having some sort of father complex, was actually a decent friend.
Should they be candid or continue to hide things?
Daisy glanced at Hill from the corner of her eye.
The female deputy's expression still resembled that of an icy beauty on the surface, but beneath the table, she delivered a not-too-light kick to Daisy's leg.
*Cough, cough.* She feigned a couple of coughs, realizing that delving into deep topics wasn't suitable right now. She had to explain from a different angle.
"Well, actually, we don't have any conflicts..."
"What about you two?" Sharon clearly didn't believe it. With the odd expressions exchanged between them, who would believe that everything was fine?
"It's like this, initially... it was just a minor disagreement. However, rumours started spreading from who-knows-where, and they spread very quickly. So we wanted to see who was behind it all, and we've been maintaining the status quo." Daisy asserted earnestly.
After speaking, she extended her hand to Hill, indicating that their relationship was still good.
The female deputy also smiled and gave her hand a shake, but in the spot hidden from Sharon's view, she used her nails to pinch Daisy's palm.
Daisy was lucky she didn't cry out in pain. She quickly put on a smile, concealing her unnatural expression.
Sharon hadn't noticed their subtle actions, as she was reminded of something, and her expression turned somewhat melancholic.
"Actually... I know who's been behind pushing this matter." Her words surprised both Daisy and Hill.
Daisy was shocked because she thought Sharon had discovered the truth about Hydra, while Hill was merely curious about the puppeteer behind the scenes.
However, Sharon's next sentence left them both utterly baffled. "It's Nick Fury!"
"Who?" Daisy was utterly bewildered, her first thought being, "Could Fury be part of Hydra? Is Pierce the true loyalist of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
But she quickly realised that her thoughts were off the mark. While Fury wasn't exactly the paragon of morality, he wouldn't be part of Hydra.
"What evidence do you have?" Unlike the somewhat naive faith in Nick Fury being a good guy that Daisy held, Hill, despite having worked alongside Director Fury for some time, still had her own principles and boundaries. Everything needed evidence. If Fury had truly betrayed S.H.I.E.L.D. or made some moves, Daisy might overlook it, but Hill wouldn't. She would investigate to the end.
Sharon hesitated greatly. When she first learned this news, she was conflicted too. Now, the problem seemed to fall on the shoulders of her two friends.
"I can explain my reasons, but I hope you promise not to take any extreme actions and think about our past friendship." She spoke with great caution.
Former friendship? Daisy's thoughts automatically veered off track. She estimated that her "friendship" with Hill was still quite solid in the short term. She nodded and listened carefully to Sharon's words.
"The World Security Council has requested that Nick Fury select a successor. You, both of you, and myself are on the reserve list." Sharon first pointed to Hill and Daisy and then pointed at herself.
"Their dissatisfaction with Nick Fury has reached its peak, and they urgently want someone to replace him. However, there shouldn't be a major power transition. Therefore, the candidate must be approved by both the Council and Nick Fury."
Sharon gestured towards herself. "I was eliminated in the first round. The Council was concerned that my aunt's influence would overshadow them. The current candidates are the two of you."
"Hill is highly regarded by Nick Fury, but he only wants you as his deputy. He has no intention of letting you lead S.H.I.E.L.D. His level of trust in you is even lower than that of Coulson."
After speaking, Sharon looked at Daisy. "Daisy's advantage lies in being a minority, as the Council doesn't prefer a Caucasian to oversee such a large organisation. Additionally, Daisy has few connections, and she might feel overwhelmed by many tasks, making it easier for the Council to remotely control S.H.I.E.L.D. This is my aunt's analysis."
Sharon placed Daisy and Hill's hands together. "I don't know the outcome, but I hope you two won't hold any grudges because of this. Keep the competition within a small scope, okay?"
Daisy closed her eyes slightly, contemplating the implications. She knew most of these things, but she had been selectively ignoring them. Now that Sharon had brought them to the forefront, she had to act as if she didn't know while also awaiting Hill's response.
"I will take this matter seriously, but it won't affect our relationship," Hill promised with a double meaning.
Sharon looked at Daisy again, who quickly indicated that she would engage in healthy competition within the rules.
Feeling like she had resolved a bothersome issue, Sharon was pleased. She ordered the food to be served and told them to enjoy a good meal to celebrate.
During the meal, Daisy inquired about Sharon's plans for the future. Sharon was actually somewhat indifferent. Holding a fork, she imagined the steak as the head of a certain Council member and stabbed it several times.
"What else can I do? Unlike you, I can't make movies or start a company. I don't understand scientific technology either. I guess I'll become a field agent in the future. Regardless of which one of you becomes the big boss, make sure to look after me, okay!" She mumbled with food in her mouth, her words somewhat unclear.
Daisy chuckled softly. "You're probably overthinking it. In my estimation, Nick Fury won't step down easily, and the Council's plans will ultimately fail."
Then she glanced at Hill as if implying something. "As for our Commander Maria getting her position reinstated, the chances are quite high. For someone like me with no foundation, I'll definitely be kicked out afterwards."
Just a little bit of self-pity! Daisy found it all childish. She vividly recounted the miserable scene of her being kicked out of S.H.I.E.L.D., even capturing Hill's attention, as it did sound quite plausible.
However, Hill knew Daisy quite well and realized she was being fooled after a bit of thought. She frowned and said, "During the recent Nazi capture operation, everyone from top to bottom praised your leadership. Your chances of winning are quite high."
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