CH: 010 - A Women’s Intuition

I apologize for the previous copy chapter I uploaded; please find the new chapter attached.

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{Chapter 010 - A Women's Intuition}

Triskelion Base – SHIELD Headquarters, Washington D.C.

The towering SHIELD headquarters stood like a silent sentinel in the heart of Washington, D.C.—a monument to secrecy, security, and power. Deep within its fortified halls, in a private high-security chamber lined with holographic projectors and encrypted screens, Director Nick Fury stood alone.

Clad in his signature black trench coat and adorned with his ever-present eyepatch over his left eye, Fury radiated authority. His gaze, sharp and unwavering, was fixed on the floating virtual screen in front of him. The screen displayed a high-resolution recording of a recent confrontation: Aiden Graves engaged in combat with John. The fight was fast, brutal, and unlike anything standard SHIELD agents were trained for.

With a subtle press of a button on the sleek remote in his gloved hand, Fury froze the video at a moment where Aiden unleashed a burst of unnatural power. The room dimmed slightly as the holographic glow highlighted the destruction caused by Aiden's ability.

Fury's face remained unreadable.

He lowered the remote and picked up the thick file folder on the table beside him. Embossed on the cover in red ink were the words: CLASSIFIED – LEVEL 10 ACCESS ONLY. Inside were documents, surveillance photos, energy signature readings, and psychological evaluations—all about one man: Aiden Graves.

Within SHIELD, there existed a closely guarded database known only to high-ranking operatives: The Enhanced Individual Monitoring List. Commonly referred to simply as "The List," it contained dossiers on nearly every known powered individual on Earth. Some were allies. Others were potential threats. All were monitored.

And now, Aiden's name had been quietly added.

A firm knock interrupted the silence.

"Come in," Fury said without turning.

The door opened, and Agent Maria Hill entered. Her presence was composed and professional as always, her blue SHIELD uniform crisp and precise. As a Level 9 Agent and the right hand of Fury himself, Maria Hill was one of the few individuals who had access to top-level operations.

"You called for me, sir?"

Fury nodded slightly, still staring at the paused frame of Aiden mid-fight.

"What's the status on the Initiative?" he asked without preamble.

Maria stepped forward, a tablet in her hand. "Everything is proceeding as planned. Logistics are in place, and it shouldn't be long before the team is assembled and operational."

She paused, then added, "But Director… are you certain this is the direction you want to take? It's a bold move. Risky, even for you."

Fury finally turned to look at her, his one eye narrowing. Rather than respond to the question, he asked his own: "What about the candidates?"

Maria, recognizing the shift in focus, handed over the tablet she brought. "These are the latest profiles."

Fury took it, scanning the data as holographic portraits and bios flickered in front of him.

Melinda May – codenamed The Cavalry, an elite operative with a reputation for deadly efficiency and zero tolerance for nonsense.

Leo Fitz – a brilliant engineer and weapons specialist whose tech had already saved lives in the field.

Jemma Simmons – a biochemist with deep knowledge of alien biology and toxins, with nerves of steel under pressure.

Grant Ward – Level 7 Agent, master in hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, and field operations. Loyal, though with a rigid sense of duty.

Daisy Johnson – an underground hacker formerly known as Skye, now a rising asset in SHIELD's new wave of unconventional operatives. Currently affiliated with the cyber-activist group Rising Tide.

Fury considered them all in silence for a moment.

Then, he spoke.

"Add one more to the list. Aiden Graves."

Maria's brows lifted slightly. "Sir, I don't think—"

"He's already entangled with Daisy," Fury interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "Trying to separate them now could destabilize the team dynamic before it even forms. Besides…"

He turned back to the paused image of Aiden, his voice lowering a notch.

"His abilities are unlike anything we've seen. Not tech-based. Not enhanced by serum or mutation—something else entirely. His power is raw, predatory, and evolving."

He looked back to Hill.

"We don't know who he is. We don't know what he wants. And that makes him dangerous."

Maria hesitated, but nodded. "Understood. I'll add him to the candidate roster."

"Good. Then pass the list to him," Fury said, his tone leaving no room for questioning who he was.

"Yes, Director," Maria responded firmly. "I'll deliver it personally."

As she turned and left the room, Fury stood alone again, gazing at Aiden's frozen image on the screen.

A quiet tension lingered in the room. The game had already begun.

And SHIELD wasn't just watching.

They were preparing to move.

---

"She seems to be very familiar with you," Daisy asked suddenly, her voice light but edged with curiosity, like a dancer's toe tapping gently on a line she wasn't sure she wanted to cross.

Aiden chuckled softly, tilting his head as he looked at her. "Honestly, I thought you'd ask about what just happened. I didn't expect your first concern to be… her."

"A woman's intuition is rarely wrong," Daisy said, her eyes narrowing with a faint smirk. "I noticed the way she looked at you. It wasn't just a look. It was the kind of gaze that lingers a little too long."

Aiden leaned back against the railing, his tone turning a bit more serious. "If you ask me, it wasn't desire—it was a mix of suspicion and calculation. She came to invite us to SHIELD, but I don't think they want to play nice. So I turned her down." He looked her directly in the eyes. "But she knows who you are… and who you're with. That alone says something. Still, it's nothing we can't handle. Let them try. Anyone who wants to touch you has to get through me first. And that's a hill I'll gladly die on."

Daisy's lips curved into a slow smile. The little knot of jealousy that had started to form in her chest melted away in an instant. "You always know what to say, don't you?"

Aiden just winked. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just saying what I feel."

"But… Aiden, you're amazing," she said with wonder. "Pyro was supposed to be this powerful mutant, and yet you crushed him like it was nothing. And you even absorbed his ability? You can control fire now?"

He smirked, flames subtly dancing across his fingertips like fireflies. "Of course. If you want, I'll show you a private firework show tonight. Just you, me, and the stars."

Her eyes sparkled. "Deal."

---

That evening, under a sky painted in twilight purples and deep blues, Aiden led Daisy up to the rooftop of the building. The city stretched beneath them like a sleeping beast, and above them, the stars blinked as if they were jealous of the fire he was about to unleash.

With a flick of his wrist, fire spiraled into the sky—an elegant blaze that shimmered and twisted before bursting into a radiant explosion that spelled: I love you, Daisy.

She gasped, her hands covering her mouth, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes—not from sadness, but from awe.

"I… I think this is the happiest moment of my life," she whispered.

Later, lying in Aiden's arms with the night air curling gently around them, Daisy sighed and whispered playfully, "Be honest… am I prettier than Black Widow?"

Aiden couldn't help but smile. It seems that all women in love are the same, even Daisy is not an exception. Aiden laughed, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Ah… jealousy, the spice of love."

"I'm serious," she pouted.

He didn't answer with words. Instead, he tilted her face up to his and kissed her—deeply, possessively, like she was the only thing that mattered in any universe.

When they finally broke apart, breathless, Daisy looked utterly dazed, clinging to him like she wanted to melt into his soul. "Don't ever leave me," she murmured.

Daisy looked at Aiden with a bewitched look, leaning hard on him and even wanting to be able to blend the two of them into one!

"It's freezing," Aiden whispered into her ear, "let's go inside before you catch a cold."

"Only if you carry me," she teased, draping herself against him.

He swept her into his arms without hesitation. "Your wish, my queen."

---

Back in the car, the romantic silence between them simmered like wine left to breathe. Daisy expected something more—expected him to press forward, to seize the moment.

But Aiden simply set her down carefully, touched her cheek, and didn't go any further.

"You… don't want to?" she asked, a little breathless, a little flushed.

"I do. Very much, you have to know that every day with you is a test of my willpower for me… " he murmured, brushing his thumb along her jawline. "But I don't think we should do it here. Some things… some firsts deserve more than a backseat. I want to make memories with you. Beautiful ones. The kind you'll never forget."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"You're too good to me…" she whispered. "I love you, Aiden."

And in that moment, as her heart fully opened to him, Daisy knew—he wasn't just her lover. He was her home so she spoke her secrets.

"Aiden… I—there's something I've never told you," Daisy said, her voice trembling ever so slightly, like a violin string plucked too tight. She sat beside him, the soft moonlight painting her face with a pale glow. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. I just… I didn't know if I should. It might put you in danger."

Aiden turned his head to her slowly, his eyes calm, unreadable, but focused entirely on her. "What is it?" he asked gently, even though deep down, he already had a good guess.

Daisy inhaled deeply, as if pulling courage into her lungs. "The reason I became a hacker… why I got so obsessed with codes, with secrets, with unlocking what's hidden... was because I wanted to find out who I really am. Who my parents are. SHIELD has the best database for something like that, but it's sealed off from the world. So I joined Rising Tide because I believed people deserved the truth… because I needed the truth. About myself. I thought that maybe if I exposed SHIELD, I could force the answers out. But now, I'm thinking of doing the opposite… joining them. Because that might be the only way I'll ever learn the truth about my past."

She paused, her voice faltering. "But if I go… I don't know what that means for us. For you."

Aiden reached out and took her hand in his, his grip warm, steady—like an anchor in a storm. "Then I'll go with you," he said without even blinking. "No hesitation. No second-guessing."

Daisy's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Just like that?"

"Wherever you go, I'll follow," he said with a confident smile. "And as for SHIELD... you don't need to worry about me. If they think having me around helps them keep an eye on me—fine. Let them watch. It won't change what I do. Besides," he leaned closer, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, "you think I'm going to let you walk into the lion's den alone? Not a chance."

Daisy's heart fluttered in her chest. "But what if it gets dangerous?"

"I've already been in danger. I've faced fire and monsters. But the only thing that ever truly scared me… was the thought of losing you."

Her breath caught in her throat.

"So if joining SHIELD gets you one step closer to the truth," Aiden said, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, "then I'm in. Not because I trust them. Not because I need something from them. But because I want to stand by your side, wherever that road leads. That's the only thing I care about."

Daisy leaned into his touch, her voice barely a whisper. "You're really doing all this for me?"

"For you?" he smiled, his tone turning teasing. "I'd jump off a building for you. Joining a government agency sounds kind of tame in comparison."

She giggled, eyes sparkling with tears and laughter. "You're unbelievable."

"No," he said, pulling her closer until she was resting against his chest. "I'm yours."

"Thank you, Aiden…" she whispered, her voice laced with emotion. "I don't think I've ever felt this safe with anyone before."

"Then don't run from it," he said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't hide from me. Whatever secrets you're afraid of, we'll face them together."

"Deal." Daisy smiled, her heart finally finding a rhythm of peace.

"Now sleep," he whispered, brushing her hair back and wrapping his arm around her. "We've got a world to shake up tomorrow."

"But I'm not sleepy…"

"Then pretend," he said, smirking. "Or do you want me to lull you to sleep with another kiss?"

Her cheeks flushed pink. "You're such a flirt."

"Only for you."

And with that, under the soft glow of starlight, she closed her eyes in his arms—her doubts melting away, knowing whatever future awaited her, Aiden would be there.