3
One Year Earlier.
Washington DC, Hyatt Regency.
Alexander Pierce and his eldest daughter danced together, both watching the room as they did so but talking to each other as they watched and danced. Both were the same height, even with Caitlin Pierce wearing daringly high heeled shoes that she wore effortless with grace and ease. Next to each other the resemblance was uncanny, Caitlin having inherited her father high cheekbones and his oval shaped faces, but Caitlin had a softness to her appearance, she possessed full lips and a poise and strength in her movement that seemed to command attention but always remained femanine, her father held a similar poise and strength but his came with years of experience and confident in himself, so as they moved they both mirrored each other but with invariable strength between them .
“If i knew better Father i could swear you were enjoying yourself.” Caitlin remarked.
“Hardly.” Pierce replied, side stepping, barely looking were he was leading them but doing so with ease. “ The only decent thing about this whole affair is i get to see you and your sister together…and know that soon i won’t have to put with 75% of the people here once Project Inight is in effect.”
Both looked at each other directly, a small sly smirk being shared between the two.
“Not much longer now and we can stop hiding in the shadows and acting like ghosts.” Caitlin stated with pride. “Soon, everything will fell into place and the world will understand the power of Hydra.”
“Yes.” Pierce nodded solemnly, stopped his dancing with his daughter, looking at her with conventation. “Finally.”
Caitlin said with concern. “Taking her name off Project Insight will only stop what is was meant to happen temporally Father, but you know what you must do. You-must-bring-her-in.”
Turning her head to right where Daisy and Whitehall danced, the tall fair-haired scientist looked intensely to the smaller woman as they danced and Daisy seemed to keep her eyes focused to anywhere else but where his eyes were.
“Otherwise she will be sacrificed, never knowing her true potential.” Caitlin fixed her eyes onto Daisy as she said this.
“I know Caitlin.” Pierce said firmly. “I’ve known far longer than you have about sacrifices.”
With jagged smirk on her face Caitlin twisted her head back to her father, to look into his stern face. “Yes you have Father and when the time come i’m sure that The Red Skull will truly see all you have done and what you have sacrificed but i do not want to sacrifice Daisy. Whitehall says-”
Pierce started to dance again with Caitlin, again his mannerisms and movement were solid and elegant, giving nothing away and showing nothing about the severity of the weight of the conversation he and his eldest daughter were having. “Don’t you trust me Angel? Whitehall may think what he wants, but Daisy is meant for more important things than what he knows, in time he will realise that, all of Hydra will Angel.”
“Angel?” Caitlin chuckled as she carried on dancing again. “You stopped calling me after China in 1997, i thought i had lost the right to being called Angel, which i always thought was ironic but fair.” Leaning more towards her Father she said softly. “I trust you Father explicitly and i know you will do the right thing eventually and see to it Daisy is ready…just remember that time is running out, everything has to be done before Project Insight is put into place.”
“It will be.” Pierce said with conviction. “I’ve never failed on a mission in 40yrs and neither has the asset. You…” He leaning into his daughter ear fiercely. “remember that before you dare question me Jugendlich.”
“Yes Father.” Caitlin replied obediently, lowering her head as she did. “Father,” Looking into his eyes, will genuine look of honesty, “if Red Skull were here he would see how you bought Hydra out of the shadows and bought it into its rightful place as the leader of Humanity.”
“Thank you Caitlin.” Pierce smiled, he kissed her forehead. “You make me so proud Caitlin, never doubt i see you as not only my daughter but the one who will take the new head of Hydra when i am gone.”
“But Father….” Caitlin exclaimed, slightly raising her voice. “You know there are others before me, Strucker, Whitehall and…”
“No…” Pierce said firmly. “I place more trust in you, as my daughter, to take my place when the time come, there is no-one else Caitlin. When Hydra hold its rightful place both you, Daisy will take Hydra further out into the Galaxy and find the Powers Eternal for us.”
As they both danced slowly Daisy and Whitehall again came into their view, the short Daisy Pierce was politely laughing at something Whitehall had said, maybe a joke or a comment but whatever it was it made her smile and look over to Alexander Pierce and Caitlin Pierce, for which she smiled at them, a truly happy beaming smile, no longer for her conversation with Whitehall but the sight of her Father and Sister dancing across the room from her.
“I cannot wait for that day Father.” Caitlin stated, smiling back at her sister Daisy. “I, we, will-not-fail-you.”
“I know.” Pierce replied. “So does Strucker.”