Strange Bar

Daisy walked all the way and found that this bar was full of women, dressed in increasingly colourful and even revealing outfits. Could all foreign bars be like this? She felt a bit dizzy and found it strange. Why would Dr. Pym come to a place like this?

After carefully inspecting the bar's layout, she realised it was similar to what she had seen in the information, although the decorations seemed slightly different.

She went to the bar counter and ordered a glass of whiskey to ease the awkward atmosphere from earlier, using the noisy environment to her advantage, while also surveying her surroundings out of the corner of her eye.

Hill casually ordered a drink, attempted to say a couple of sentences, but the loud music made it impossible for her to hear anything.

Helpless, she had to lean close to Daisy's ear to talk.

Her action was slightly delayed, and at that moment, Daisy happened to turn her head in her direction.

Unexpectedly, her earlobes and her lips made contact, leaving Daisy bewildered. This woman usually seemed unwelcoming to outsiders, so why was she secretly touching her ear? Did she have some undisclosed intentions?

Hill was dumbfounded, her lips slightly parted, and she momentarily forgot what she was going to say.

Ten seconds later, she rubbed her forehead with her fingers and finally regained her composure. In a hushed voice, she said, "Let's split up and investigate. I'll go ask around, and you check if there are any secret doors or hidden rooms in the bar."

Without waiting for Daisy's response, Hill quickly ran off to the other side.

Finally, that woman is gone! Daisy watched her leave and breathed a sigh of relief, while also realising the impending question she would have to face.

Man or woman? Men were quickly ruled out, as she couldn't accept that possibility.

Women were an option, especially since they were eye-catching. Lost in thought, she focused back on her task.

As soon as Hill left, Daisy took out her tablet and saw a heavily made-up woman approaching with the entrance wide open. The woman said something to her in Hungarian, but Daisy couldn't understand a word. Annoyed by the strong scent of perfume, she waved her hand impatiently.

The woman left, looking sulky.

Daisy inwardly cursed her as being mentally unstable. She hacked into the bar's computer, but found nothing. She could only search for clues in Budapest's police network.

She also shooed away two women who seemed to want to chat, wondering if Hungarian people were all so hospitable.

With the sound of high heels approaching, Hill returned.

"The staff said the bar has been rented out tonight for a party or something," Hill shared the information she had gathered. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she appeared a bit disarrayed. She had probably encountered the "hospitable" Hungarian people as well.

"In that case, we probably won't find any information about Dr. Pym here. Should we head back?"

"Let's continue the mission. We might find a regular customer who knows something," Hill assumed a leadership role, which Daisy felt was a bit presumptuous, but considering her own lack of experience, she didn't object.

The bar was becoming increasingly crowded, making her hacking attempt unfeasible. Trying to infiltrate in a public setting with just a small tablet might be possible for top-notch hackers, but Daisy didn't have that level of skill.

Putting away her tablet, sitting idly wasn't an option. They had only had casual interactions before and hadn't had deep conversations.

To avoid an awkward silence, Daisy engaged in small talk with Hill, despite not having much to say.

Curious about this legendary woman who has taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. multiple times in the original timeline, Daisy wondered about the experiences that set her apart from numerous exceptional agents.

The bar was now entering its preparation phase, with the music becoming mellower. They could finally converse without speaking directly into each other's ears, enjoying their drinks and conversation. Daisy's enhanced physique gave her a high tolerance for alcohol, while Hill's rigorous training made her quite resilient to it as well.

"I never got the chance to ask, but as the Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., your work must have been really busy, right?" Leaning on her elbow, Daisy rested her body against the bar counter as she inquired with curiosity.

Unaware of the effect of her posture, which exposed her side to Hill's gaze, Daisy inadvertently glanced at certain key areas of the female deputy director's body.

"It was indeed quite busy. The Director's demands were strict. Actually... I'm not the Deputy Director anymore, and there's not much difference between me and you," Hill had always been concerned about this matter. She just couldn't fathom what mistake she had made to be kicked out and sent back to school. Had she unintentionally committed some grave offense? She had no idea!

Daisy was also taken aback by her statement that she wasn't the Deputy Director. This was inconsistent with her memories, and it was a significant discrepancy.

Maria Hill was Nick Fury's most important aide, and if even this had changed, she couldn't be certain what the future held.

Her expression grew somewhat serious, and Hill misunderstood, thinking Daisy was sympathising with her. She put on a nonchalant smile.

"Without those responsibilities, executing missions is simpler and just as good."

The two didn't delve deep into work-related matters. Hill had her own principles of confidentiality, and Daisy simply wasn't interested. She could talk for half an hour about the origins of the Five Universal Gods, but mundane spy tasks didn't catch her attention.

After discussing work, they naturally moved on to talking about their families.

Happy people are often alike; unhappy people each have their own troubles.

Daisy's childhood was a story of overcoming violence and racial discrimination. To survive in an orphanage, one needed not only intelligence and strength, but also unwavering character, something her previous self possessed.

Hill was born in Chicago on a day when the temperature was below minus forty-four degrees. Her mother froze to death in the hospital that day, and her father never liked her. Even if the young Hill was exceptional, she never received a word of praise from her father. Their relationship was akin to strangers.

"Actually, your life as an orphan isn't all that bad. At least you don't have those heavy burdens."

"I envy you for having parents. Unlike me, all alone," Daisy insincerely chimed in.

They each downed a glass, sharing their grievances with each other, a means of building rapport.

In reality, there weren't many happily family-blessed individuals eager to become agents these days. Everyone had their own troubles, but they rarely spoke about them.

"I started training when I was sixteen, and I've had little semblance of a normal life since. Whenever I passed through New York, I merely rushed by, never paying attention to the lives of ordinary people," Hill's tone was full of envy toward the common folk.

Daisy smiled wryly. "Everyone has their own troubles. Normal people also envy your exceptional skills. Let me tell you, just two months ago, I encountered a deranged old woman who wanted to gouge out my eyes!"

This rather chilling topic instantly captured Hill's interest, and she was taken aback. "And then? Did that lead you to joining S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Daisy shook her head. "Yes and no. The deranged old woman escaped, but I reported her to the NYPD. I'm not sure if she'll seek revenge. Joining S.H.I.E.L.D. did have a sense of seeking refuge."