Daisy swore she had never experienced anything in her life. She was currently aboard an unmanned shuttle, soaring past Earth’s atmosphere and docking with an enormous spaceship.
Dazed and overwhelmed, she wandered through long corridors filled with bizarre, alien technology. Eventually, Daisy reached the heart of S.W.O.R.D.’s headquarters—their central command.
"Looks like you made the right choice," Gene said with a smirk, noticing the stunned look on Daisy’s face.
"Huh? Oh... yes. Definitely," Daisy stammered, still trying to process everything. "So, I’m officially a part of S.W.O.R.D. now? Aren’t you worried that I might leak your identity or spill top-secret info?"
Gene’s V-shaped visor flashed with red light. "My policy has always been: trust those I use, and never use those I don’t trust." He paused, then added with confidence, "And I know you’re not that kind of person, Miss Johnson."
God knows what kind of person I really am, Daisy thought silently, but she kept her expression neutral.
Still, Gene’s words hit a nerve. Although S.H.I.E.L.D. had recruited her, she was never truly trusted. Most of her missions were minor, easily expendable. But Gene—he didn’t just accept her, he believed in her.
"Uh... Mr. Mason," she said after some hesitation, awkwardly picking a name to address him with. "So... what exactly is my mission? I mean, you probably know I’m pretty good at reconnaissance..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Daisy felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. ’Good at reconnaissance’? Way to say you suck at everything else, Daisy.
"You don’t have to worry about that," Gene said reassuringly. "A warm and welcoming family awaits you here. And... I’ll help you find your real parents."
Daisy’s head shot up in shock, her eyes fixed on Gene’s glowing red visor. "Wait... what? You... you’re serious? Mr. Mason, do you really mean that?"
"Absolutely," Gene said calmly.
With a wave of his hand, a holographic screen materialized before her, displaying the image of a refined middle-aged East Asian woman.
"Is this... is this my mother?" Daisy whispered, staring at the image, her mind racing. She had always suspected she had Eastern heritage.
Just as she was about to ask more questions, a voice echoed through the entire base—an urgent message from Skynet:
"Strike Team, Strike Team, prepare for deployment. Atlantis forces are initiating an invasion."
Atlantis? Daisy was momentarily stunned. Wasn’t that supposed to be something out of fairy tales?
The doors burst open, and a squad of costumed heroes marched into the room, geared up for battle.
"Hey, you must be the newbie," said one with a friendly grin. "Peter Parker. Most folks call me Spider-Man."
"James Barnes. Codename: Winter Soldier," said another, nodding coolly.
"Yo, I’m Pietro. And you’re really—OW! Sis, why’d you hit me?"
"Apologies," Wanda said with a polite smile. "I’m Wanda. That’s my brother. He tends to get ahead of himself."
Another said calmly. "You may call me the Mandarin."
"I’m Captain Supreme. Steve Rogers," said a man in a modified stars-and-stripes uniform.
Daisy stood frozen, wide-eyed. This group—these were some of the most classified individuals in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s archives, most of them existing only in redacted reports or whispered rumors.
And now she was standing among them.
Strike Team. That was the name she caught. So this was the elite unit of S.W.O.R.D.
Feeling their collective gaze, Daisy hesitated... then pointed at herself, incredulous. "Me?"
Three seconds later, she had accepted it—through her semi-reliable powers, she had stumbled into becoming part of an elite superhero squad. Somehow, this was her life now.
Meanwhile, for the citizens of New York, today was just another quiet, uneventful day.
No alien invasions. No cataclysmic battles. Maybe a few superpowered scuffles here and there, but that was par for the course. Residents had long grown used to having enhanced individuals in their midst.
In Manhattan, the city’s elite went about their routines—chatting about real estate purchases and new cars, sipping lattes in their high-rise offices.
Then someone pointed out the window, his voice uneasy.
"Hey, guys... what the hell is that?"
Out on the water, an entire army of armored oceanic beings advanced toward the shore in precise formation. Anything floating on the sea was torn apart as they passed.
"Valiant warriors of Atlantis," a commanding voice rang out from a rising sea vessel, "it’s time we taught those arrogant land-dwellers a lesson!"
Massive underwater warships surfaced one after another, racing toward Manhattan with terrifying speed.
Armored Atlantean soldiers riding sharks and dolphins surged from the water, roaring war cries as they charged the coastline.
A colossal energy beam erupted from one of the warship turrets, tearing clean through a skyscraper.
The Atlanteans had arrived.
The war between land and sea... had begun.
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