Strange Bar

Daisy walked through the bar and discovered that it was filled entirely with women. Each was dressed more gorgeously—and more revealingly—than the last. Are foreign bars all like this? Her head felt hazy, and she found it strange. Why would Old Doctor come to a place like this?

She carefully examined the bar's layout. It was roughly the same as what she had seen in the information, though some of the decorations seemed different.

She went to the counter and ordered a whiskey, using the noisy surroundings to ease the awkwardness from earlier while discreetly surveying the area.

Hill casually ordered a drink and said something, but the sound system was too loud for Daisy to hear a word.

With no other choice, she leaned close to Daisy's ear to speak.

Her movement was just a beat too slow, and Daisy happened to turn her head in her direction at that moment.

As expected, Hill's lips brushed against Daisy's earlobe. Daisy froze. Hill usually looked like she wanted no one near her, so why was she secretly kissing Daisy's ear now? Did she have some unspeakable designs on me?

Hill stared wide-eyed, her lips slightly parted. For a moment, she even forgot what she had been about to say.

After ten seconds, she vigorously rubbed her temples with her fingers before finally returning to normal. In a low voice, she said, "Let's investigate separately. I'll ask around, and you check whether the bar has any hidden doors or secret rooms."

Without waiting for Daisy's reply, she quickly ran off toward the other side.

That big sister had finally left! Watching her go, Daisy secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, she thought of the question she would eventually have to face.

Men or women? Men were immediately ruled out. She simply could not accept that.

Women, on the other hand, could be considered. They were certainly pleasing to the eye. After letting her imagination run wild for a while, she lowered her head and focused on her work.

No sooner had Hill left than Daisy took out her tablet and saw a heavily made-up woman in a low-cut dress approach her. The woman said something to her in a flirtatious tone.

Daisy did not understand a single word of Hungarian. Smelling the woman's pungent perfume, she impatiently waved her away.

The woman left dejectedly.

Cursing the crazy woman under her breath, Daisy hacked into the bar's computer system. There was nothing useful, so she could only search for clues through the Budapest police department's public network.

After sending away two more women who had come over to chat, she was utterly confused. Were Hungarians all this hospitable?

As the clack of high heels sounded, Hill returned.

"The staff said the bar has been booked for tonight. It seems they're holding some kind of party," Hill said, relaying what she had learned. Her hair was a little disheveled, and she looked somewhat bedraggled. She had probably encountered some "hospitable" Hungarians too.

"Then there's probably no news about Dr. Pym here. Should we head back first?"

"Continue the mission. We might find some regulars." Hill placed herself in the role of leader. Daisy thought she was being rather presumptuous, but since she had little experience herself, she did not argue.

More and more people filled the bar, and Daisy could not continue her intrusion. Maybe top experts could conduct hacks in public using only a small tablet, but she did not have that ability.

She put away the tablet. Sitting there in silence was not an option either. The two had only been casual acquaintances before and had never spoken much in depth.

To avoid an awkward silence, Daisy could only make idle small talk with Hill.

She was quite curious about this legendary woman who had taken over S.H.I.E.L.D. several times in the original timeline. What kind of experiences had allowed her to stand out among so many outstanding agents?

The bar had entered its preparation phase, and the music became softer. At last, they no longer had to speak into each other's ears and could drink and chat. Daisy's enhanced body gave her an excellent tolerance for alcohol, while Hill had undergone harsh training and drank with equal boldness.

"I've never had the chance to ask. You used to be the Director's Aide, so you must have been very busy at work, right?" Daisy asked curiously, propping up her elbow and leaning sideways against the bar.

Daisy did not realize that this pose completely exposed the side of her body to Hill's gaze. The Aide instinctively glanced twice at certain key areas.

"Work was very busy. The Director's standards were extremely strict. Actually... actually, I'm not an Aide anymore. I'm no different from the rest of you." Hill had always cared deeply about this. She truly could not understand what she had done wrong to be kicked aside and sent back to school. Had she unknowingly made some serious mistake? The problem was, she had no idea what it was!

Daisy was also startled by Hill's claim that she was no longer an Aide. It did not match her memories—far from it.

Maria Hill had been Nick Fury's most important assistant. If even that had changed, then Daisy could no longer be sure what the future would look like.

Her expression grew heavy. Hill mistakenly thought Daisy was feeling sorry for her and forced a carefree smile.

"Without all those responsibilities, simply carrying out missions is pretty good too."

They did not discuss work in depth. Hill had her own rules about confidentiality, while Daisy simply was not interested. She could ramble for half an hour about the origins of the Five Elders of the Universe, but she had little interest in all that messy agent mission nonsense.

Once they were done talking about work, they naturally began talking about family.

Happy people were all alike, while unhappy people each had their own misfortunes.

Daisy's childhood was practically an inspirational story of resisting violence and racial discrimination. Surviving in an orphanage required more than brains and strength; it also required an unyielding character. Her former self had done very well in that regard.

Hill had been born in Chicago. On the day she was born, the temperature had fallen below minus forty-four degrees. Her mother had frozen to death in the hospital because of it, while her father had never liked her. No matter how outstanding Hill had been as a child, she had never received a single word of praise. Father and daughter were like strangers.

"Actually, being an orphan like you isn't so bad. At least you don't have those burdens."

"I envy you for having parents. Unlike me, I've always been all alone," Daisy said insincerely, going along with her.

The two clinked glasses, sharing their troubles. It was also one way to draw closer.

In truth, these days, few people from happy families were willing to become agents. Everyone had their own worries; they simply did not mention them normally.

"I started training when I was sixteen. I basically never had a normal life. Every time I went through New York, I was only passing by in a hurry. I never paid attention to how ordinary people lived." Hill's tone was filled with envy for ordinary people.

Daisy gave a bitter laugh. "Everyone has their own troubles. Ordinary people envy you for your remarkable abilities too. Let me tell you, two months ago, I even ran into a deranged old woman who wanted to dig out my eyes!"

Such a horrifying topic immediately caught Hill's attention. Somewhat shocked, she asked, "What happened afterward? Was that why you came to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Daisy shook her head. "Yes and no. That deranged old woman got away. I reported her to the NYPD, but I honestly don't know whether she'll retaliate. Coming to S.H.I.E.L.D. was indeed partly about seeking refuge."