Chapter 148: The Fall of Garrett and Ward (Part 2)

"Phil, you can't just believe an outsider's baseless accusations. We've been friends for years, and I came to take custody of the prisoner on orders from HQ. I can't just ignore those orders," Garrett protested, hands raised in a placating gesture.

"I want to believe you, John, I really do. I've never doubted you before. But now, given these suspicions, I'm sure you won't mind undergoing a full HQ investigation," Coulson said after a long pause, his eyes fixed on Garrett.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had strict protocols for prisoner transfer. Sending an eighth-level agent to retrieve a captured prisoner was unusual; eighth-level agents were elite, tasked with critical operations. Coulson had found it odd but had trusted Garrett due to their friendship and the legitimacy of the orders.

However, Daniel's words had sparked doubt. While Coulson didn't believe in precognition, he understood the logic behind internal leaks and betrayal.

"We've been friends for years, and you trust a stranger over me?" Garrett began, but Daniel interrupted him.

"Enough with the drama. The truth is simple to uncover. Use truth serum. As an eighth-level agent, you must have undergone truth serum tests before," Daniel said, tapping his wand on the table, his gaze shifting to Ward.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, especially those above level six, underwent rigorous screening, including truth serum tests. Although not foolproof, they could still reveal hidden intentions, unless one was highly skilled in counter-interrogation techniques like Black Widow or Hawkeye.

"By the way, Ward has been under your command for a long time. He is suspicious too. Disarm him," Daniel added, pointing his wand at Ward. A burst of invisible force knocked the gun out of Ward's hand.

Ward had been aiming at Triplet, but could easily switch targets. Better to neutralize the threat.

"Ward isn't a traitor," Fitz shouted.

"I didn't say he is, only that he's suspicious. A thorough check will confirm," Daniel replied calmly.

While Ward had potential for redemption, Daniel wasn't inclined to gamble on it. Unlike Fitz, Simmons, or Skye, he had no emotional ties to Ward and preferred a straightforward solution.

"Incarcerous," Daniel cast the binding spell, ropes snaking around both Garrett and Ward, restraining them.

"Why not tie me up too?" Triplet asked, watching the scene unfold.

"As a descendant of the Howling Commandos, I trust you're not a bad guy," Daniel said. Triplet was one of the few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Daniel remembered, mainly because he sacrificed himself to save Skye in the original storyline.

"You'll need to undergo a review, but no need for restraints. If Captain America found out I restrained a Howling Commando's descendant, he'd probably give me hell."

The Howling Commandos were Captain America's elite squad in WWII. They played a crucial role in his wartime exploits.

"Howling Commandos?" Coulson and May were shocked, staring at Triplet. They knew him but hadn't known his lineage.

While they were processing this revelation, Daniel dialed Fury again.

"What's the issue now?" Fury's irritated voice came through.

"I've found a lead on the Clairvoyant," Daniel explained, summarizing his deductions about Garrett and Ward.

"I see. I'll send a team to retrieve them. But next time, inform me before taking action," Fury said, exasperated.

Daniel had overstepped his authority by detaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents without proper protocol.

"I acted to prevent their escape or taking hostages. Besides, I suspect they have ties to certain individuals," Daniel hinted.

"I get it. But still, follow protocol next time."

"Got it," Daniel agreed.

"Keep an eye on them, Coulson. A team will arrive soon to take them."

Three Quinjet fighters soon surrounded Coulson's plane, indicating Fury's serious concern about Garrett and Ward.

"Leave Triplet here," Daniel instructed as the retrieval team prepared to take Garrett and Ward. They reluctantly complied after Daniel mentioned Fury.

As Garrett and Ward were led away, Garrett's glare promised vengeance.

"How will HYDRA handle this? Will they strike their own?" S.H.I.E.L.D.'s action team was mostly HYDRA infiltrators. Alexander Pierce wouldn't let Garrett and Ward fall into Fury's hands; the damage would be too great.

HYDRA's infiltration meant eliminating Garrett and Ward might be a logical move to contain the fallout.

Just as Daniel predicted, the Quinjet transporting Garrett and Ward was attacked mid-flight. Both men vanished.

Daniel had kept Triplet and Quinn to avoid this.

"What?" Coulson, Fitz, and Simmons shouted in unison upon hearing the news.

"Looks like I was right. Maybe I have a knack for detective work," Daniel mused.

"Damn it!" Fitz yelled, realizing Ward's involvement in Skye's injury.

"Who are those people?" Coulson asked, furious enough to disregard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrecy protocols.

Coulson, usually strict with himself, was capable of fierce anger. In the original timeline, after Ward killed his girlfriend, Coulson abandoned his principles to hunt Ward down, eventually killing him on an alien planet.

"Ask your director. I can't disclose that. But here's a hint: S.H.I.E.L.D. has more people like Garrett and Ward," Daniel said before Apparating away from the plane.

"You think you can escape?" Daniel, hovering on his broom, smirked. He exposed Garrett and Ward to ensure events didn't spiral out of his control. Missing Skye's crisis was a wake-up call; he couldn't always anticipate everything.

If he were in another dimension and something happened, like Agent Hand being killed by Ward, it would be disastrous. Hand was his intended CEO, and finding another competent, responsible person like her would be tough.

Garrett and Ward's exposure also disrupted HYDRA. Daniel withheld information from Fury because it was futile. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s deep infiltration by HYDRA couldn't be eradicated without disbanding the agency and publicizing the information.

Even killing Alexander Pierce wouldn't suffice. Fury's attempt to preserve S.H.I.E.L.D. while purging HYDRA was unrealistic; it would only drive HYDRA deeper underground.

Fury understood this and disbanded S.H.I.E.L.D., preferring to rebuild from scratch.

"That bastard! I'll kill him!" In a hidden, dilapidated warehouse lab, the rescued Garrett raged, smashing everything around. He had been close to acquiring GH325 to save his life, but Daniel's intervention had ruined everything.

Garrett's quest for Coulson's resurrection secret was driven by his impending death; only GH325 could save him.

As Garrett vented his fury, Raina watched with a cold smile. Her admiration for the Clairvoyant had turned to disappointment upon realizing his supposed foresight was merely exploitation of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources.

Raina sought extraordinary powers, not predictions based on data.

"Raina, how many Centipede soldiers can we deploy?" Garrett asked, determined to retaliate against Daniel. He disregarded Pierce's orders to hide.

Garrett's allegiance to HYDRA was pragmatic, not ideological. He leveraged HYDRA for power, resenting the organization for making him a guinea pig in the Deathlok program.

This resentment fueled his disregard for HYDRA, focusing only on his ambitions.

"Eight, but three are unstable," Raina replied. The Centipede soldiers, while formidable, required extensive maintenance and relied on superhuman blood for stability.

Fitz and Simmons' work had helped stabilize Deathlok, providing data that advanced Raina's research.

"Deploy them all. Kill him," Garrett ordered, not needing to specify the target.

"Your Clairvoyant cover is blown," a familiar voice interjected. Sunil Bakshi, Whitehall's right-hand man, appeared.

"What do you want?" Garrett snarled at Bakshi.

"Mr. Whitehall wishes to meet. He's intrigued by the wizard. Perhaps we can collaborate," Bakshi suggested with a smile.

"Is that so? Fine. When do we strike?" Garrett, intrigued, agreed.

"Mr. Whitehall prefers discussing it in person for a flawless plan," Bakshi replied.

"Alright." Garrett led Ward and Bakshi away, instructing Raina to ready the Centipede soldiers.

"Mr. Whitehall, a pleasure to meet you." In a luxurious office, Garrett and Ward greeted the figure seated behind a grand desk, facing away from them.

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