Prelude to the series: As Daisy Johnson awaits confirmation
as SHIELD Director, Maria Hill brings up the Avengers Initiative. Hill’s
concern is the mindwipe problem which she sees as an essential part of the
program. Daisy sees many ways it can go wrong because similar projects have
been attempted. She also raises the issue of consent. Hill points out that if
the chosen Avengers say no to the invitation, they still possess knowledge of
the Secret team; she then suggests planting the tech on them first so that if
they decline the offer, it can be erased from their memories. Daisy can go
along with that. Hill suggests they start with Morse, Barton, and Romanoff and asks
to do a field test—and wonders if they should be using it on themselves….
Now: Daisy Johnson visits the grave of Senator Reb Ralston
(killed by A.I.M. in issue #3) and meets Nick Fury. She blames herself for
Reb’s death but Fury tells her Reb knew what he was risking. He suggests she
can just walk away from SHIELD as she owes them nothing….
Daisy has Manifold teleport her inside Funtime Industries, a
former lab for Tony Stark. She is there to steal the device Stark used to make
a copy of his brain and she plans to do the same in case SHIELD tries to take
her memories from her….
On the Helicarrier Iliad, Acting Director Maria Hill
is summoned by Agent Danny Fricks to see what the Psi-Division has discovered
while monitoring Daisy Johnson’s mind. She gives orders to capture anything
they uncover and dismisses an agent for questioning the legality of the
operation. Manifold is able to download to a disk 62% of Daisy’s mind and she
speculates on the mess it would make if they tried to put it back. So, then she
has Manifold put it back. Her mind of suddenly full of jumbled information,
including a vision of Kobik….
One week later, Maria Hill receives the gift of a small box
of chocolates from Daisy Johnson (referencing a joke between them made earlier
in the issue)….
In Kiev, Daisy locates the Winter Soldier and offers him
something she knows he will be interested in as it concerns someone he cares
about….