The Helpless Grant Ward

"Your power lets you travel through space. Does that mean the theory is feasible? Could it work for other dimensions too?" Old Pym asked Daisy in rapid succession, his tone tense.

Daisy could understand the old man's urgency. His anxious questioning was probably for his missing wife, Wasp. Unless it required some major sacrifice, she would definitely help if she could.

After pondering for several seconds, she looked up and asked, "The Subatomic Realm?"

Old Pym nodded repeatedly.

Daisy did not dare make any rash promises. "A world so tiny it is almost conceptual—even if it can be done, it cannot be done now. The demands it places on vibration and perception are too high. My ability cannot achieve that level of precision."

The topic was somewhat heavy. Daisy had not completely extinguished Old Pym's hopes. Cisco had connected to the Speed Force dimension and rescued The Flash. Since her ability was similar to his, she should be able to do it too.

She smiled lightly. "There will be hope. Please take good care of yourself."

Old Pym smiled, seemingly accepting her answer.

Yet his heart remained heavy. The Subatomic Realm had no concept of time or space, but people did. People had lifespans. If his wife had been assimilated by the Subatomic Realm, then even if she were rescued, she would no longer be his wife. If she had not been assimilated, then her lifespan had likely run out, and she was gone anyway.

Neither outcome was good, but having hope was still better than having none.

Daisy recovered her strength, and Old Pym resumed his calculations. They checked for omissions and filled in the gaps, combining theory with practice as they ran the numbers for a third time.

Hank Pym had studied every theory in modern physics. He was practically an encyclopedia of quantum physics, and Daisy gained enormously from learning alongside him.

If her calculation skills improved and her energy control became more effortless, crossing spatial distances and appearing on another planet would not be difficult.

However, cosmic teleportation required knowledge beyond the scope of modern physics. Earth's spatial technology was still only at the stage of theoretical groundwork. If she waited for humanity to develop it step by step, Daisy probably would not leave Earth in her entire lifetime.

Fortunately, the Cosmic Cube existed. The reason Daisy had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. was to see this miraculous creation with her own eyes. If she could imitate even a fraction of its power and gain teleportation abilities herself, her safety would increase dramatically. She could advance to attack and retreat to defend; if Earth could no longer be saved, she could even flee to an alien planet.

Daisy even had another thought: obtaining an Infinity Gem. In the Marvel world, it was almost embarrassing to greet others without having at least one Infinity Gem.

Too many people had their eyes on the Cosmic Cube, making it difficult for her to make a move. The remaining gems also each had an owner. Only one Infinity Gem was currently unclaimed: the Power Stone, still resting on some unknown abandoned planet.

Rather than letting Star-Lord obtain it, she might as well keep it for herself.

The Power Stone could replicate all physical superpowers and infinitely elevate one's attack and defense. It was practically a perfect match for her vibration ability.

However, the Power Stone placed immense demands on its user's physique. The only one who could wield it freely was the Kree Kingo. Daisy had to strengthen herself to his level before she could control the gem.

It was still too early to discuss such things. According to the records Daisy had accessed from S.H.I.E.L.D., Star-Lord Peter Quill had been missing for eighteen years. Star-Lord received the mission to find the Power Stone in the twenty-sixth year after leaving Earth, leaving Daisy with a little over seven years.

Interstellar teleportation placed extraordinarily high demands on every aspect. By the end of her first day of study, Daisy could only teleport safely and steadily within a range of one hundred meters. Beyond that distance, all kinds of unpredictable dangers would arise.

"Practice refining your control over your ability first. Give me two days to look through the records," Daisy said, exhausted from head to toe. As a mental worker, Dr. Hank Pym was even more tired.

A day of experiments had confirmed the feasibility of certain theories, but most were still speculative concepts of modern physics, theoretical assumptions. Some were even the Old Doctor's own ideas. Now that more than half had been overturned and needed to be redone, he had to reorganize his knowledge once again.

Daisy immediately took her leave. After practicing without interruption, she felt as though her head was about to explode. Two days of rest would be just right.

Changing into a somewhat formal business outfit, tying up her hair, and putting on glasses, she looked like a white-collar office worker as she headed to check on the film crew.

Problems among the modern U.S. military were frequent. Many young people who returned to the cities from the front lines suffered from post-war trauma, and the percentage rose year by year. But honestly, they only served for two or three years before they could go home.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were different. They were people of the same age, equally affected by the wider environment, yet they faced endless missions and even more terrifying pressure of life and death. There was no path upward and no such thing as retirement. They could die in some foreign land at any moment, leaving not even their bones behind.

They could only cultivate hobbies to pass the time and relieve stress.

They were all elites. Once they set their minds to learning something, they could become highly professional at it.

The film crew Coulson had assembled was exactly like that.

Among the agents, they could find talent for everything from singing and dancing to playing instruments. Some were skilled at cinematography, some enjoyed makeup, and others had conducted extensive research into the refraction of light.

At first, everyone thought it was a joke. But when they realized it did not seem to be one, they gradually began to take it seriously.

The male lead, Mr. Grant Ward, deserved special mention. Daisy's lover in the original timeline now felt as though he had been placed over a fire.

To conceal his identity as a spy, Mr. Ward usually maintained the image of a sunny, somewhat foolish young man. He shaved clean, kept his gaze relaxed and his brows slightly raised, and acted recklessly without much method, making everyone think he was merely an ordinary agent.

But now, playing the male lead had become troublesome for him.

Dr. Grant, the male protagonist in the film, was somewhat older than he was. Ward's makeup artist adjusted his brows, eyes, and sideburns, then told him to grow a beard. That alone transformed Mr. Ward's entire temperament.

With his deep gaze and neatly trimmed full beard, no matter how much he tried to conceal it, a trace of wildness still showed through in his expression.

No one suspected that he was a spy. They merely thought he was an excellent actor.

Mr. Ward really was an excellent actor, but he did not want to expose himself before the public!

He was extremely resistant to the assignment, but Hydra's higher-ups did not care about his personal thoughts. Even his adoptive father, Garrett, did not dare refuse their orders.

The mission was simple and direct: get close to Daisy Johnson and secretly investigate whether there was some conspiracy behind this film crew, whether it was some new trick Nick Fury was playing.

The higher-ups needed answers. Without them, they could not sleep at night. They did not mind sacrificing Ward for this, let alone now, when they were merely asking him to act in a film. There was no psychological burden at all.

Hydra was pushing him outward with all its strength, while S.H.I.E.L.D. was also dragging him into the lead role. Mr. Grant Ward gave a perfect demonstration of being unable to control one's own fate in the world. He could only play a role he had always fantasized about in this film: becoming a hero.