First Mission

The first person he asked was his old subordinate, Phil Coulson, whom Fury considered to be the most loyal to him.

Regarding the issue of leadership, Coulson had a prepared response: "Sharon Carter will definitely be loyal to the country and won't go against her own principles. Maria Hill and Daisy Johnson will also follow orders. Miss Hill would make a good executor, while Miss Johnson has an overly aggressive nature."

Fury neither confirmed nor denied, recording Coulson's words seriously, then he connected himself to a second agent.

"Miss Johnson's combat abilities are impeccable. With proper training, she could even replace my position. The other two don't possess significant combat talents," was Hawkeye's report.

"They're all quite average. Relatively speaking, Daisy is slightly stronger," were Melinda's exact words.

"How much longer do I have to babysit these three ladies? Boss, hurry up and send me on a mission!" Black Widow vented her frustrations.

After listening to the reports, Nick Fury weighed the strengths and weaknesses of the three women in his mind.

All three of them had strong qualities, that was beyond doubt. However, when considering their core qualities, he valued Hill more. They had worked together for a while, and their cooperation was quite smooth.

However, Hill was independent-minded; she wouldn't blindly follow orders.

Sharon had few flaws, but her strengths were almost non-existent. She was average at everything, not particularly outstanding.

Daisy had her fair share of issues too. She was aggressive and tended to solve everything through combat. From a field agent's perspective, she was very useful, but from a leadership position, Fury believed Daisy would bring him a fair share of trouble.

Headache! Nick Fury's face darkened. He put away the files and prepared to observe them for a while longer.

...

Back at the academy, Daisy's life returned to its normal rhythm. Her training in combat and quantum physics continued without pause. Considering future prospects, she even learned a foreign language, like Old Norse.

This language was said to have been created by Odin himself, who hung from a tree and meditated for nine days and nights before inventing it.

In the Marvel world, learning Old Norse certainly wouldn't hurt.

"Why are you learning such an obscure language?" Sharon couldn't understand. Why did Daisy's interests vary so wildly?

"Curiosity, plain and simple." Daisy explained without a trace of sincerity.

She found both combat and languages easy to learn, but quantum physics presented too many obstacles. Relying solely on the academy's curriculum would be too slow.

Moreover, many contemporary theories appeared flawed to her. She really wanted a top physics expert to help her systematically sort things out.

Daisy subtly presented her request to Coulson; she saw him as something like a college advisor.

"A top professor in physics? Aren't the professors at the academy good enough?"

She smiled a little shyly. Theories needed practical application, and with her abilities, she could connect theory to reality on her own. Those professors could only analyse from a purely theoretical standpoint. Honestly, she looked down on the S.H.I.E.L.D. instructors a bit, finding them rigid and just sticking to the script.

"Alright, I'll ask around for you," Coulson agreed.

Daisy thought the kind-hearted Coulson would need to report, screen, find suitable candidates, and then do the convincing. This process would take at least a few days. However, she didn't expect to be summoned to the meeting room later that afternoon.

The meeting room wasn't crowded; surprisingly, she recognised everyone there.

Phil Coulson, Black Widow, Hill, Sharon, and herself, totalling five people.

Daisy was about to say she wouldn't go on a mission, but Coulson signalled her to hold on.

He activated the large screen, showing a few pictures of a somewhat gaunt old man.

Coulson seemed to be addressing everyone, but he was actually speaking to Daisy, "Dr. Hank Pym, an authority in biochemistry, quantum physics, robotics, artificial intelligence, and entomology."

Daisy raised an eyebrow. Of course she knew about Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man. According to Marvel's official canon, he represented the pinnacle of human intelligence.

He was on the same level as Iron Man Tony Stark, Reed Richards from the Fantastic Four, and the Hulk, Bruce Banner.

This kind of character was undoubtedly more than qualified to teach her. However, from the current situation, things likely wouldn't be that simple.

The original Ant-Man must be in trouble and needed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s assistance. Daisy nodded to show that she would participate in the mission.

Pretending not to notice her reaction, Coulson continued, "Dr. Pym used to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. He's one of our predecessors and he recently ran into a bit of trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Mentioning a mission, Black Widow suddenly became more lively; she really didn't want to continue teaching.

"He's gone missing. The analysis department believes he's been captured by some organisation or individual."

"Who captured him?"

"Don't know."

"Where was he captured?"

"Don't know."

Black Widow and Coulson exchanged questions and answers, quickly sharing information.

"Dr. Pym was last seen at his laboratory in Hungary. You can go there to gather clues." Coulson handed the tablet to Black Widow, indicating that he had finished explaining the mission.

Black Widow asked incredulously, "Us?"

Coulson gave a mysterious smile, "Yes, the four of you. They're all still young and need you to lead them."

Seeing that Black Widow seemed a bit unwilling, his expression turned serious, "This is an order from the higher-ups."

Daisy was speechless for a moment. Damn superiors! Bringing together top agents, war heroes, a deputy officer in training, and herself, a bystander, for a mission. Who else could give such an order besides an idiot?

At the same time, she gained a new understanding of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efficiency. The old doctor had probably been missing for a while; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so convenient. She had made the request in the morning, and they had a mission that afternoon.

Who knew how long this task had been sitting on Nick Fury's desk? Daisy estimated that he probably didn't value Dr. Pym at all.

She pondered over the team configuration again. A top-level agent leading three not-so-inexperienced rookies. It felt a bit like Marvel's version of the Seven Shadows! She wondered if this mission was their Water Country...

While she was lost in thought, the others all displayed a spirit of obedience and began to prepare their equipment.

"We set out in fifteen minutes. Bring your weapons. This is a real battle!" Black Widow reminded them a bit grumpily from behind.

Daisy returned to her room, wondering what she should bring. Unlike her previous mission to Puerto Rico, she now had an organisation behind her, and there wasn't much she needed to prepare.

She strapped the modified Chiappa Rhino revolver "Love and Hate" to her waist, put a Glock in her boots like all the other female agents did, and carried two daggers and some bullets with her. Her undergarments and combat suit were soft and packed into a shoulder bag. Her preparations were complete.

As she stepped out, she noticed Sharon carrying a large camouflage bag, like the U.S. military deploying to Afghanistan.