The lead provided by Leopold Fitz was extremely important—especially now, when the Immortal City had restricted information flow, making this solitary clue all the more precious. According to Fitz, if Barbara hadn't called and urged him to return quickly, he might have kept following that lead further. Daisy layered a black burqa over her agent bodysuit, attempting to disguise herself as a local woman in order to infiltrate the mission location.
However, Morocco is a Sunni country, and the burqa is an outfit associated with Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula. Her choice of disguise ironically drew attention instead. Unsurprisingly, she was stopped when trying to enter the house. Two men grabbed her arms while others pulled back the burqa looking for weapons. Daisy gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to fight back—for the moment.
"What are you here for?"
"I'm here to see Joseph Haddad," Daisy replied, watching as someone took her encrypted suitcase away for inspection. When the man searching her asked what it was, she said, "It's part of my deal with Haddad. I'm sure he wants what's inside that case."
"Tell me the password, and I'll decide whether he wants to see you," said a man with long black curly hair and a gray-white beard. "I suggest you cooperate, woman."
"I suggest you follow the terms of our transaction. I have an appointment," Daisy shook her head. She knew these men were unlikely to accept her explanation. "I'm the only one who can open this case, and no matter what, your boss is going to want what's inside." She added softly, "Last chance. Give me the case back, or you'll regret it."
"And what are you going to do?" the man laughed. "You don't have any weapons."
"This!" Daisy Johnson kicked the long-haired man in the stomach, yanked herself free, and punched the two men who had grabbed her arms right in the face. Using the combat techniques taught by Melinda May, she swiftly followed with elbow strikes to the back of their heads, knocking them completely to the ground. When the long-haired man tried to pull a gun, Daisy raised her palm and sent a powerful shockwave that blasted him across the alley, slamming him hard into the far wall.
She picked up the encrypted suitcase and delivered a kick to the jaw of one guy trying to get back up.
"Whew! That was cathartic! See? This is a weapon too," Daisy Johnson shrugged, picking up the handguns those men had dropped. She was finally able to vent all the frustration she'd bottled up at base. Her powers had been practically useless against magic—she still didn't understand how those in powered armor could remain completely unfazed by her shockwaves. "I'm really not cut out for infiltration missions, May," she said into her earpiece. "We need to change the plan. Plan B!"
"There is no Plan B, Skye," Melinda May's voice held a trace of amusement. Daisy's reckless methods reminded her exactly of her younger self—Coulson used to lecture her endlessly for this kind of behavior. "I'm directly above you right now, monitoring Joseph Haddad. Grab him quickly before they realize what's going on. I'll provide fire support if necessary, to prevent them from escaping the house. We must get him to reveal the artifact's whereabouts!"
"Got it!"
"Should we send someone to follow up, my lord?" Stephanie asked. "Even my father couldn't determine the monolith's origins. We have no idea what S.H.I.E.L.D. might find in Tangier."
"There's no need. Let them investigate." After the examination, Solomon put on the suit Stephanie had prepared for him. In her own room, she had a wardrobe dedicated entirely to him, stuffed with custom-tailored suits, each one a perfect fit. He pretended not to notice her satisfied look—after all, even his underwear was picked out by Stephanie.
"I plan to go check on Coulson now."
Mike didn't object to Solomon and Stephanie's request to visit, but for safety reasons, they still had to be accompanied. Stephanie and Barbara followed Solomon into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s medical ward. When Solomon walked in, Agent Coulson forced a smile, though his face was still pale and ghastly. "I heard I've been implanted with an enhanced biotech organ," he said. "With this arm too, am I going to become a robot in the future?"
"Still a long way off, old friend. I recommend taking alchemical potions—they'll help you recover faster."
"Thanks for the suggestion. It was just an accident—please don't blame anyone."
"Of course."
"There's one more thing." Coulson glanced toward Barbara outside the room. Barbara Morse gave him a look—in fact, when Solomon submitted his visit request, Mike, Barbara, and Coulson had already planned how to respond. Once the plan was set, Solomon was allowed in. Agent Coulson understood and said, "I heard Simmons and Fitz were rescued?"
"Yes, they're still undergoing quarantine procedures." The magus turned his head and glanced sideways at Barbara. Reading surface-level thoughts from ordinary people wasn't difficult for him—even without casting magic, his mental powers could sense part of what people were thinking. "Perhaps you know more than you're letting on, Coulson. Simmons brought back an astronaut. According to our investigation, that astronaut lived on that planet for many years. We can't be sure whether the NASA astronaut is deeply infected, and Simmons, who spent time with him, is also not exempt from suspicion. So they must undergo extended isolation and examination."
"I understand, I understand," Agent Coulson nodded. "But I hope the process finishes as soon as possible. S.H.I.E.L.D. still needs Simmons and Fitz."
"As soon as the results show they're uninfected, they'll be released," Solomon said with a smile. "Don't worry—even if they are infected, our scientists will find a way to fix it."
"Really?"
"Of course not. I only said that to comfort you." The magus's expression didn't change. He was sure Barbara Morse had heard him. When emotions run high, ordinary people can't control their thoughts. Unless someone is like Natasha Romanoff and has learned to partition their mind, key events tend to surface like buoys on the sea of thought—making it easy for spellcasters like Solomon to net them with ease.
"If someone is confirmed to be infected, we will resort to the most extreme cleansing measures."
"What cleansing measures?" Coulson asked warily.
"Burning."
"He wants to burn us?!" Leopold Fitz slammed his fist against the reinforced glass. But the thick glass didn't even tremble—his anger vanished like a stone sinking into the sea. He stared at Mike, who had come to the quarantine ward to exchange intel. "And Jemma? And that Will guy! I admit I don't like Will much, but…"
"We won't let them burn you, monkey boy," Mike sighed. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources were stretched to the limit—agents connected to the Avengers and dealing with Hydra intel couldn't be reassigned. Melinda May and Daisy were off chasing that lead. Simmons and Fitz were in quarantine. Even Hunter was off on a confidential mission. "But you have to go through the isolation process. Even if you are infected, we'll find a solution. Don't worry—everything will be alright."
"I think the lead in Tangier is critical, Mike." Fitz glanced at the quarantine ward's surveillance camera. "I hope Daisy and May can speed up. That clue might unlock everything for us."
"I'll pass the message along," Mike said, his tone full of meaning.
(End of Chapter)
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