Chapter 106: The Ghost (Part 2)

"Enough. You can't beat me," Daniel Davis remarked, watching Ghost struggle to rise after he had pushed her to the ground again. He sighed, shaking his head in mild frustration.

Ghost's quantum phase-shifting ability was undoubtedly impressive. However, since she was merely a highly trained but otherwise ordinary individual, she had little chance against someone like Daniel, whose physical capabilities had been significantly enhanced. Against regular foes, or even most powered individuals, she was nearly unbeatable. But Daniel, aware of her tactics and wary of her abilities, easily outmatched her. If not for the concern of her potentially escaping, Daniel wouldn't have even needed to use the Mirror Dimension.

Had Daniel wanted to kill her, it wouldn't have been difficult. Ghost could not maintain her quantum state indefinitely. To research her unique condition, however, Daniel needed her cooperation, as her peculiar ability made it challenging to contain her.

Even Daniel, with his abilities, could only trap her using the Mirror Dimension. Perhaps someone like the Ancient One could have other methods to restrain her, but for now, this was Daniel's best option.

"Your body's condition is quite unusual, but I can help you," Daniel offered. Ghost, poised to attack again, paused at his words.

Restoring her body to normalcy was Ghost's deepest desire. She became S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agent primarily because they promised to cure her. Yet, despite years of assurances, they had never succeeded.

"Can you really do it?" she asked, removing her helmet to reveal her face—a striking woman with long brown hair. Ghost's desperation had driven her to believe even a slight chance for relief was worth the risk.

Though her quantum phase-shifting was a powerful ability, it came with severe drawbacks. Ghost had to wear a specialized S.H.I.E.L.D. combat suit to function normally and spend her rest periods in a specially designed room. Eating and sleeping were confined to this controlled environment.

"Of course. Let me show you," Daniel replied, moving closer and placing a hand on her shoulder, channeling his magical energy into her body.

Resolving Ghost's quantum instability scientifically would be a daunting task. Quantum mechanics, while a field of study for many nations and organizations, including S.H.I.E.L.D., had seen little progress in practical applications over the years. Even Hank Pym only developed the quantum tunnel in the timeline of *Ant-Man and the Wasp*.

However, using Kamar-Taj's magic made addressing her issue considerably simpler. Ghost's body was filled with quantum energy, making her an excellent candidate for Kamar-Taj's teachings. If she learned their magic, she could not only stabilize her condition but potentially retain her phase-shifting abilities.

Nonetheless, Daniel had no intention of teaching her Kamar-Taj's magic. As Mordo had once said, too many sorcerers could become a problem.

For someone like the Ancient One, resolving the issues of both Ghost and Janet van Dyne would have been trivial, provided one could locate her and convince her to intervene.

"What is this?" Ghost gasped, feeling the changes within her body. She looked at Daniel in disbelief.

"Alexander Pierce, huh? That guy has some nerve. I haven't even dealt with him yet, and he's already making moves against me," Daniel thought aloud, seated on his living room sofa, sipping coffee as he pondered the situation.

Ghost had confessed that S.H.I.E.L.D. sent her, but not under Nick Fury's orders. It was Alexander Pierce, the former director and now a member of the World Security Council, who had given the directive. Their goal was simple: obtain the enhancement serum.

"Did something slip up with Peggy Carter?" Daniel guessed. Given Carter's status as a founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D. and her recent rejuvenation alongside Steve Rogers, it was unlikely that this went unnoticed by Fury, and consequently, Pierce. Pierce, with his level ten clearance, would undoubtedly be privy to such significant developments.

Whether Fury knew about Ghost's mission was unclear to Daniel. He wasn't fully aware of the current intricacies within S.H.I.E.L.D.

"I understand. For now, go back. To fully resolve your issue will take some time. Just report to my lab each day. Starting now, you'll be fine for the next three days without your suit," Daniel instructed.

"Thank you," Ava Starr, known as Ghost, expressed her gratitude and left.

"Don't mention it. It's mutually beneficial," Daniel waved dismissively. He had aided Ghost out of his interest in researching her condition. S.H.I.E.L.D. had supported her partly due to her potential as an elite agent and partly to study her unique abilities. If her condition were publicly known, scientists worldwide would clamor to study her.

While Ghost's abilities could be valuable to S.H.I.E.L.D., they were less so to Daniel. What she could do, he could replicate and improve upon.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. losing a top agent… I wonder what the one-eyed man's reaction will be," Daniel chuckled. Though Ghost had left, she was unlikely to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. Daniel had subtly convinced her that S.H.I.E.L.D. would never cure her, as her condition made her valuable to them.

Such a notion wasn't far-fetched. If cured, Ava would become an ordinary person, useless to S.H.I.E.L.D. They invested heavily in her because of her unique abilities.

Ava's well-being wasn't Daniel's primary concern. He wasn't some hero, and Ava wasn't Ada Wong. Helping her was more than enough; her future was her own to secure.

Fortunately for Ava, she had Bill Foster, her adoptive father, and a quantum realm expert who had always supported her. Before leaving, she had notified him of her plans.

Ava's story was tragic. As a child, she survived a quantum tunnel explosion that killed her parents, leaving her in a perpetual quantum state. The root cause was Hank Pym's Pym Particles.

The Strategic Scientific Reserve had indeed produced many brilliant scientists.

Daniel had initially considered two treatment plans for Ava. One would fully restore her to a normal human state, and the other would use magic to stabilize her condition, allowing her to retain her abilities.

Daniel chose the former—it was simpler and less involved. He had no particular reason to invest the effort required for the second option, despite Ava's striking beauty.

Another option was training Ava in magic, but that was dismissed outright.

"Connect me to Fury," Daniel instructed Red Queen after a moment of contemplation. If Pierce wanted to play games, Daniel would give him a proper response.

"It's rare for you to contact me," Fury's voice came through.

"A thief broke into my house today."

"Hmm?" Fury was unimpressed, considering Daniel's choice of topic trivial for the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was constantly dealing with more pressing matters.

"Her name is Ava Starr."

The moment Daniel mentioned Ava's name, Fury's demeanor shifted. He immediately stood up in his office at the Triskelion.

Fury knew the name well. Ava, or Ghost, was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top operatives, responsible for numerous seemingly impossible missions. Even Black Widow paled in comparison in terms of infiltration skills. Ghost's abilities made her invaluable and were only deployed under level ten clearance. If Fury hadn't ordered her deployment, the answer was clear.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Fury quickly accessed the S.H.I.E.L.D. system. Seeing no formal mission orders for Ghost, his expression darkened—a subtle change, hard to discern against his already dark complexion.

The absence of official orders indicated that Pierce had bypassed him, giving Ghost a private directive. This was a matter of significant concern.

"How is she?" Fury asked, his tone more urgent than usual, suspecting Ghost might have been captured. Given her abilities, the idea seemed far-fetched, but Daniel's call suggested otherwise.

"She's fine. I felt sorry for her and decided to help. Speaking of which, you should come over. I have some information I think you'll find interesting," Daniel replied, cutting the call before Fury could respond.

"Fury, what brings you here?" Pierce greeted as Fury entered his office at the Triskelion's top floor. Surprised but smiling, Pierce stood to welcome him.

"You deployed Ghost," Fury began bluntly, cutting to the chase. "Why were there no formal orders?"

"Oh, that. I was just about to file them. I got caught up and forgot. You know why I did it," Pierce replied after a brief pause, quickly formulating his excuse.

"Is this the only time?" Fury's trust in Pierce wavered. This incident planted seeds of doubt—if Pierce could circumvent protocol once, he could have done it multiple times. Ghost's unique capabilities required official authorization for every deployment.

"Just this once. I got overly excited upon hearing the news," Pierce lied smoothly, wondering who had informed Fury. Pierce had been confident Ghost wouldn't fail, and his current frustration stemmed from her unexpected capture.

"So, since you're aware, Ghost must have reported back. What's the status?" Pierce asked, unable to hide his excitement. Obtaining the enhancement serum could accelerate Hydra's plans significantly.

"I did tell you he's a sorcerer, right?" Fury reminded Pierce.

"You did," Pierce confirmed, puzzled by Fury's point.

"Magic includes unknowns we can't anticipate. Otherwise, I would have acted sooner," Fury explained. Daniel's abilities made him a complex threat, one Fury hesitated to confront without more information.

"So, Ghost failed," Pierce concluded, his expression darkening further.

"He cured Ghost."

Pierce's face contorted with anger. Ghost was crucial to Hydra's operations within S.H.I.E.L.D., handling many

 covert and critical tasks. During Pierce's tenure as director, before more stringent protocols were enacted, Ghost was utilized to her utmost potential.

The room fell silent. After a few moments, Fury exchanged a few more words with Pierce and left his office, heading to Daniel's mansion via a Quinjet.

"My apologies for this incident," Fury began as he met Daniel. Unlike someone like Stark, who might stubbornly refuse to apologize, Fury saw no issue in offering one when necessary. It was a gesture that cost him nothing and often smoothed over conflicts.

After all, Daniel had saved Peggy Carter, despite Fury's personal frustrations over the complications her return caused. Peggy's influence within S.H.I.E.L.D. was significant, with many agents still loyal to her.

"Did Peggy expose my activities?" Daniel asked directly.

"No, we inferred based on the available data," Fury admitted. Though Peggy wouldn't reveal much, Steve Rogers might be less guarded, not known for overthinking unless absolutely necessary.

"Peggy's case was an exception. It was achieved through magical means. But that's not why I called you here today. I've come across some information that I believe will interest you," Daniel said with a knowing smile.

"What kind of information?"

"For this information, I'd like to exchange it for a Quinjet from S.H.I.E.L.D.," Daniel proposed, revealing his terms instead of the details.

"I need to know what the information is," Fury responded after a thoughtful pause.

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