"Damn it, what the hell was that?" Skye, Melinda May, and their team were preparing to leave their hotel after receiving intel from Daniel Davis when they were suddenly ambushed near a parking garage in New York. The garage was full of mirrors, and if Skye hadn't already awakened as an Inhuman, they would have been in serious trouble. Bloody Mary's abilities were far more dangerous than those of Tobias Ford, who had only been a minor threat.
The terrifying scream of Bloody Mary echoed through the parking garage, and among the team, only Skye and May were able to resist it. The others, especially the two women who had survived the Bloody Mary game, were left bleeding from their eyes and noses, incapacitated by the sonic attack. If Skye hadn't used her powers to blast Bloody Mary away, Fitz and the two women would have been done for.
Skye's plan had been to hold off Bloody Mary while May led the others to safety. Although Daniel had advised them to avoid mirrors, they were forced to use cars for quick travel, which made it nearly impossible to avoid reflective surfaces. In a modern city filled with cars, mirrors were everywhere.
It was a solid plan, but the two surviving women were too terrified to follow May's and Fitz's instructions. They panicked, running off in different directions while blaming each other for playing the dangerous game in the first place.
May and Fitz had no choice but to split up and chase after them. By the time Daniel arrived on the scene, the parking garage was in shambles. Nearly twenty cars were destroyed, all of them smashed beyond repair—a clear sign of Skye's powers at work.
"Will SHIELD cover the damages? Fortunately, there aren't any luxury cars here. SHIELD could afford it, but it would be a waste." Surveying the scene, Daniel couldn't help but wonder about the aftermath. In the U.S., car prices varied widely, with luxury vehicles costing millions, while used cars could be bought for as little as a thousand dollars. The affordability of cars was one of the reasons so many people in the U.S. could own one.
"This ends now." As Bloody Mary lunged at Skye, who had been knocked to the ground, Daniel arrived just in time. Golden chains appeared, binding the blood-red ghostly figure of Bloody Mary. Judging by the style and color of her dress, this Bloody Mary seemed to be from the same era as Captain America and Peggy Carter, with a dress that reflected the fashion of that time.
"You finally made it." Skye, lying on the ground and preparing to fight back, let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Daniel. She remained on the ground, too exhausted to move.
Skye's Inhuman powers were formidable. Within the Inhuman community, few could match her in a direct confrontation. The reason she struggled against Bloody Mary was partly because she was still relatively inexperienced and partly because Bloody Mary was a spiritual entity with the ability to move through mirrors. The shattered car mirrors all around them gave Bloody Mary a significant advantage.
"Stop screaming, you're getting on my nerves." As Bloody Mary opened her mouth to let out another scream, Daniel tightened the golden chains, causing her spectral form to unravel. Within moments, she dissipated completely.
"She won't be coming back for a while." Sensing that Bloody Mary was truly gone, Daniel reached out to help Skye up. However, when he took her hand, a flicker of pain crossed her face.
"The woman who's said to destroy Earth... what a joke." Seeing Skye's reaction, Daniel couldn't help but shake his head, thinking of the ominous title she would one day bear. Destroying a planet wasn't as easy as it sounded. Even someone as powerful as Whitebeard couldn't do it. Both Skye and Whitebeard were theoretically capable of causing massive destruction, but the toll on their bodies would be immense. In reality, they'd likely be incapacitated long before they could complete such a task.
The destruction of Earth later on was not Skye's doing; it was the result of the Kree and Talbot's actions. Skye was merely blamed for it.
"I didn't expect Coulson to bring you in." Not long after, May and Fitz arrived, having found the two surviving women. They had been tracked down by Coulson and his team.
"This type of enemy isn't something you can handle on your own. If you encounter anything like this again, it's better to call me sooner." May's expression remained as cold as ever, but she looked a bit worse for wear, her hair disheveled and traces of blood on her face.
May was once Coulson's top enforcer. While other agents like Agent 33 and Bobbi Morse were strong, none could match May. But now, Skye had surpassed her.
Originally just a hacker, Skye had grown significantly under SHIELD's guidance. Even Fitz and Simmons had grown, with Fitz now wielding a gun.
"Hmph." May responded to Daniel's words with a cold grunt, saying nothing more. She was someone who believed in actions over words.
"Fury has really made things hard for Coulson." Watching Coulson comfort the two traumatized college students with his usual gentle smile, Daniel couldn't help but think of Nick Fury.
When Fury was the director of SHIELD, he had Hill, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Sharon Carter on his team, with Captain America joining later. But when Coulson took over, all these people had moved to the Avengers, leaving him with a much less capable team.
If it weren't for Skye's awakening as an Inhuman and May's support, Coulson would have had no reliable agents at all.
"Thanks for your help this time." After ensuring the two women were okay, Coulson approached Daniel with a grateful smile.
"Let's hope they don't play such dangerous games again." Watching the women leave with the SHIELD agents, Daniel shook his head lightly.
"They probably won't."
"Step aside, FBI!" Just as Daniel was about to say something, a commotion erupted nearby. Both he and Coulson turned to see two well-dressed young men stepping out of a beat-up car. One of them flashed a badge and tried to push past the SHIELD agents. Given the situation, the agents looked to Coulson for direction. SHIELD might have lost some of its former glory, but it still outranked the FBI in matters like these.
Coulson apologized to Daniel with a smile before moving to intercept the men.
"Something's off about these guys," Daniel thought as he watched Coulson approach the two agents. At first, he hadn't paid much attention to them, thinking SHIELD could handle a couple of FBI agents. But as he observed them more closely, he noticed something wasn't right. Although he couldn't pinpoint what it was, he felt a strong sense of unease.
Deciding to follow his instincts, Daniel trailed behind Coulson.
"FBI, huh?" Coulson took the badge one of the young men handed him and, upon examining it, a peculiar smile spread across his face. His expression remained calm, but his eyes held a knowing gleam.
"This badge is well-made, but unfortunately, it's not what the real FBI uses." Before the younger man could respond, Coulson continued, his tone still friendly.
"Uh..." The younger man's face turned pale, and he shot a nervous glance at his companion.
"Are you questioning our identity?" The older man didn't react outwardly, but his eyes subtly narrowed as he glared at his partner.
"If it were someone else, they might not have noticed, but I happen to know what real FBI badges look like. You're young—better not do this again. Arrest them." Coulson ordered his agents to take the two men into custody.
"You can't do this! We're here for a reason! If you stay, you'll die here!" The older man suddenly shouted.
"Wait, tell me what you know," Coulson said, signaling his men to hold off.
"There's an evil spirit here. We're here to deal with her." The older man hesitated before revealing their purpose.
"Bloody Mary?" Coulson guessed.
"That's right. She's beyond your capabilities."
"If you mean Bloody Mary, we've already taken care of her. Now, who are you?" Coulson's interest was clearly piqued. He motioned for his agents to release the men and step back.
"You've dealt with her? How is that possible?" The older man ran to their car and opened the trunk, pulling out a device. His face paled as he examined the readings.
"We're demon hunters. I'm Dean, and this is my brother, Sam." The two finally introduced themselves. Even if they hadn't, Coulson would have quickly identified them based on their looks alone.
"Demon hunters?" Coulson glanced at Daniel for confirmation.
"They do have some power, though it's not particularly strong," Daniel confirmed after briefly inspecting the items in their trunk.
"Strange, could the feeling I had earlier be because they're demon hunters?" Daniel mused. The existence of demon hunters didn't surprise him. With gods, sorcerers, aliens, and even hell itself being real, demon hunters were just another piece of the puzzle.
"Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester... those names sound familiar." As Coulson chatted with the brothers, Daniel quietly repeated their names to himself.
"I can't remember. I'll think about it later." Deciding it wasn't important, Daniel set the thought aside.
"Coulson seems really interested. Is he trying to recruit them into SHIELD?" Judging by Coulson's smile and the conversation, Daniel guessed that Coulson might be trying to bring the brothers into SHIELD. Having them on board would mean not having to call Daniel every time they encountered
a supernatural threat.
But the Winchester brothers didn't seem interested in joining SHIELD. Despite that, Coulson warmly exchanged contact information with them, saying he might consult them in the future. The brothers agreed and left without any further conflict.
"Are there many demon hunters out there?" Coulson asked after the Winchesters had gone.
"Don't ask me. I'm a sorcerer, not a demon hunter," Daniel replied, shaking his head.
"How is she?" Onboard the Bus (616), Coulson immediately asked about Skye's condition after Daniel finished examining her. May, Fitz, and Simmons were all equally concerned.
Daniel had initially planned to leave after dealing with Bloody Mary, but he stayed on because of Skye's health. Simmons was a brilliant scientist, but her expertise in biochemistry and medicine couldn't compare to Daniel's.
"Her abilities come with significant side effects. I recommend she use them as little as possible. For now, the damage is mostly confined to her arms, but if she keeps pushing herself, it'll spread." Daniel's examination revealed numerous microfractures in Skye's arm bones, a result of overusing her powers during the fight with Bloody Mary.
"I'm fine! I know my own body—there's no need to make a big deal out of it." Skye tried to shrug off their concern, forcing a smile as she waved her arms.
"Stop pretending." Daniel lightly tapped her right arm, causing her to wince in pain, though she didn't cry out.
"Let me help you out." Shaking his head, Daniel produced his wand. Skye's condition could be easily treated with an Elixir of Angel's Breath, but that would be a waste. Instead, Daniel decided to use a combination of spells, potions, and other treatments.
The human body can heal itself, and with the support of the special arm braces Simmons had developed to mitigate the side effects of Skye's powers, her condition would improve over time, as long as she didn't push herself too hard.
"Don't even think about using the nanotech medical unit. While it could heal your arms, continuing to use your powers would only make things worse."
Daniel had donated a nanotech medical unit to Coulson's team, which was why Coulson no longer had the prosthetic arm and didn't need Captain America's shield. The nanotech had restored his arm completely.
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