5
One Year Eariler
Washington
The morning so far for all had been like a step back in time, Alexander Pierce had woken up to find both his daughters downstairs in the kitchen laughing and eating breakfast, he had heard them as he had come down the stairs, at first feeling alarmed at the sound of people in his house, usually the Pierce household was peaceful and quiet but since Daisy had come home, the atmosphere and feeling of the house had become less museum like and more like what it had once been.
“You do know he still adores you Cat.” Daisy teased with a laugh.
“Ugh,” Caitlin replied with a snort. “That was a long time ago Daise, how could you remember that?”
“Because the poor man was a lost puppy around you, he-“ Daisy started when she saw her Father walk into the kitchen, a happy smirk on his face as he went to the already brewed coffee machine and poured himself a cup.
Chiming together, the Pierce girl said. “Good morning Dad.”
Coffee cup in hand, smile on his face, he looked at his two adult daughters, both like night and dark, one tall fair the other short dark, Daisy sat at their dinning table eating cereal, Caitlin stood behind the counter cooking scrambled eggs, both smiling at him. “Good morning girls. Can’t remember the last time we’ve had breakfast together and either one of you have woking up before me.”
Getting up from her seat at the table and walking over to her father, Daisy gave him a hug. “We thought we’d surprise you, we’re going to take you out for the day and spoil you.”
Hugging Daisy but looking at Caitlin as he spoke. “Sorry hun, I have to go into Shield today, there’s too much going on for a day off I’m afraid.”
Her expressing turning serious and worried Caitlin Pierce asked. “Anything I can help with?”
“Yes.” Pierce said with a nod. “Both of you can help me.”
Daisy looked up at her Father. “But it’s Saturday, you need a day off. Plus, what can i do to help besides getting in the way?”
Alexander Pierce smiled down at his youngest daughter. “Flower, today I’m going to show you part of the work Caitlin and I have been working doing, the work that going to change everything for the better.”
“Dad…” Caitlin said looked sternly at her Father. “Are you sure about this, i thought that we were going to make arrangements first?”
Ignoring the look on his eldest daughter’s face, Pierce continued to smile down at his daughter, in his blue eyes that was an element of long forgotten joy and excitement that had been replaced with work ethic and steel sense of responsibility to the cause he was fighting for and against. “Its like you said Cat, it’s time for Daisy to bought in…to see our work.”
“Am I going to have to sit in on meeting and take minutes Dad?” Daisy Pierce teased.
Standing from her chair and moving over, Caitlin Pierce looked down at her sister, with a happy smile on her face. “Daisy, don’t be ridiculous, we’re show you the real Shield and everything that we’ve been working for.”
Flicking her gaze back and forth from her Father and sister, Daisy smiled. “Okay, let’s make a day of it, after we can go to get ice-cream, like we used to.”
Both Alexander Pierce and Caitlin Pierce gave each other a sly look at each other, a smile playing on their lips, knowing what was going to happen that day and how this was the start of the future for them all now.
The start of the change was going to begin that day, Daisy Pierce wasn’t even aware.
Washington, The Triskelion
Traveling in to Shield central Washington Headquarters couldn’t have been more perfect, the weather was warm but not too warm, the drive from Normanstone Park in Washington to The Triskelion was short and easy, the lack of traffic meant that they only stopped at the lights that lead them towards the Potomac.
Like they would have done years before, Daisy sat in the backseat of the car, whilst Caitlin and Alexander Pierce sat in the front, with Pierce driving. There was no music in the car, every so often they would start talking to fill the silence, but the Pierce family, there being only three now, never had issues with silences. Every so often Caitlin looked over at her Father with an enquiring look. Throughout her adult life, Caitlin had never not known what her Father was planning, as his closest confidant, there wasn’t a word or a notion that her Father gave that she didn’t know what it meant, having been working within the circles and situation they both did, it was necessary and practical in doing so.
As they drove they went past dozens of familiar sites that Daisy recalled happy memory she had had as a child, Washington was a busy city, that as child never lacked for activities and things to keep Daisy busy and mind active.
“Hey Dad, why don’t we go to the Smithsonian tomorrow, we can try and find Grandpa in some of those pictures, its gotten some really good reviews.” Daisy said brightly from behind her Father and sister.
“Hmmm,” Pierce answered with as he turned a corner that lead to be directly in front of The Triskelion. “We’ll see Princess.” The entrance to the grand building was similar to entering into a either a Castle or Prison, both grand, great and guarded heavily.
Driving over on the bridge above the Potomac, Daisy looked down at it with fascination and curiosity, of all the buildings she had seen in her life, from the far east, the far west, ancient building and artistic architectural marvels that define the creators of their time, The Triskelion, was one of a kind, since she had first seen it being built and taken shape from all the old factories that had stood, and been modernised under different governments, before Shield had come in and taken over under the guise of the being a known political power but really as Shield, it was building in a place with the pretense there was nothing to hide, but she knew there was.
Every aspect of the building was impressive, the morning light reflected and bounced off the river and building, giving it a hollow effect, causing it to look more impressive.
Smiling to herself, Daisy knew full well, that her Father would want to go to the Smithsonian with her, it had been his idea to begun with to go there, she knew that he had lent them some her Grandfather belongs to show in the exhibition, to give people an idea what it was like to be in 101st Airborne Division in World War II.
Coming into the building through the car-park Daisy had a sudden thought of how much of The Triskelion she was going to see today and thinking what she was Hong to be shown, would it be some model for defence system to help in the protection of Earth, since the battle in New York last year Daisy had found her Father and Sister had been busy then ever, conversation and messages took days and weeks to completed or started, her Father’s traveling internationally to help with funding and meeting was more prominent than she had ever known it and as for her sister, Caitlin Pierce’s work was even more secretive than ever before, with not even the most basic of coded conversations between the sister occurring, telling Daisy then it was far beyond anything she had known them working on.
Alexander Piece parked his vehicle in a prominent but hidden place in the car park, around his vehicle were other similar four wheel drive black or silver cars, all clean, new and all separated from the other vehicles. This stuck in Daisy mind as odd, there was nothing usual about this, higher up members of Shield would have separate areas to park, but from against a wall in a place from away from the exist seemed odd. She stood still looking at the wall that the car was park in front of, something seemed off still, she couldn’t put her finger on it though.
“Daisy.” Alexander Piece said next to her as she looked at the wall. “Everything okay?”
Looking back at her father she titled her to the stand and said. “That wall…its not real is it?”
A smile formed on Pierce’s face. “Thats correct Flower.” He walked towards the wall and run his hand over it, a small flicker of light followed his hand, then after a moment the wall moved up and away to reveal a entrance. “What was the give away?”
Daisy stepped next to her father and touched the wall. “The wall had two panels to it, theu didn’t match, the door was made to look like cement but it was painted and warped.”
“That all?” Caitlin asked, hands behind her back, looking at her sister as if she testing her.
“No….” Daisy smiled. “I also know Dad hates parking in front of walls and wouldn’t choose to unless he had to.”
“Very good.” Piece smiled. “Old military habit I picked up from your Grandfather.” Extending his hand towards the inside of entrance Pierce smiled at both his daughter. “Shall we?”
Entering into the Triskelion from her Father’s specialised entrance was novel to Daisy, she found herself in front of her Father and Sister, walking through the metal tunnel into the base of the building. Daisy felt the floor was slopped and instead of going up or straight they were entering further down into the building, not at all alarm at this, as there was no need to be, she continued on, until she came to another doorway. Stepping in front of her Alexander Pierce did two things, he waved his hand of an ultraviolent light beam and then punched in a code in a 3D panel that slide out.
In what Daisy knew to be her sister’s professional tone, Caitlin Piece said. “After New York everything has been reevaluated, reassessed, reviewed and reproduced. Everything in the last year has been stepped up and there is nothing that we don’t have control of anymore. We’re almost perfect.”
The door in front of them opened.
“We just have to put them in the field and we’re ready.” Caitlin continued.
Stepping through the doorway Daisy was greeted by the giant underground of the Triskelion, which she had always known was where aircrafts were kept, but instead of just the Quinjets she had grown accustom to seeing, there in the forecourt of hundreds of combat ready Quintets and where they had entered in were right underneath one was 3 giant Helicarriers, fully armed with heavy gunnery, black, shiny and menacing.
Finding her mouth opening Daisy could only look up. There amount of armoury from below was unbelievable, nearly every inch was covered with weapons. Around her dozens of people worked, cargo filled with probably more gunnery, everyone was carrying on as if the sight in front was nothing out the ordinary.
“This…” Alexander Pierce said proudly standing next to Daisy. “Is Project Insight. The next step in World Security and fully erasing any and all threats. These are next generation Helicarriers.”
Still looking up Daisy asked. “Dad, are you expecting another Alien invasion any time soon?”
Chuckling from behind Caitlin replied. “We’re always expecting an alien invasion Daise, this is just to keep the peace on Earth and stopped any likelihood of what we’ve seen of the last few years.”
Twist around away from the sight before her, she found her Father and Sister staring at her intensely, with the same serious look in their steel blue eyes. “What’s that then?”
“Aliens fighting their wars here, involving us.” Pierce said.
“Scientists turning themselves in genetic mutations and destroying cities.” Caitlin chimed in.
“Billionaires making armoured suits and terrorists trying to steal them, causing havoc and death in the process.” Pierce continued.
“Scientists trying to make themselves Gods and fool the world that they are one.” Caitlin spite angrily.
Looking back and forth at the two of them, Daisy had never seen the look the two had on their faces, angry, sterns and determined faces. “What are you talking about? You think that threatening people with giant guns is going to stop all that happening again? This won't stop that from happening, this make people frightened and angry.”
Alexander Pierce stepped towards his youngest daughter and put his hand on her shoulder. “No Flower, it won’t stop people trying but it will show people that we have the control and that we are in charge, on Earth and to anyone else who comes trying to take over. With these,” pointing with his free hand to the Helicarrier above them, "we will show that we know what is best for everyone."
A cold physical and mental shake run through Daisy’s body as she looked up her Father, the words he was saying, how he was saying them were frightening because behind her she knew he meant them and he had the means and the weapons in which to do so. Daisy was dumbfounded, she knew had to talk to people, to negotiate and to revolve but standing in front of her Father and sister, at that moment Daisy could not find the words to argue, to protest, to question, to even try to fathom what or how they thought what they were was right, she could not think where to begin.
Instead she found herself looking at her father, looking into his eyes and seeing someone she didn’t know, and for the first time she felt truly frightened, right down to the core of her being, that her Father, and her sister, were the creators/orchestrators of the monstrous armoured flying vehicles of death behind her and felt what they were doing was for the good of all.
For Daisy then, everything changed.
But this was only the start of the change, this was only the tip of what was to come.