Symbiotic Agent

"Can you break a wall with one punch?" Holm suddenly interrupted, his voice direct and cutting through Daisy's train of thought.

"What?" she stammered, momentarily caught off guard.

"Can you break a wall with one punch?" Holm repeated, and then added, "Or let's change the question. Can you throw a manhole cover like a Frisbee?"

Daisy froze. Break a wall? Throw a manhole cover like a Frisbee? No ordinary person could do such things. But then, the realization of what Holm was getting at began to dawn on her.

Seeing Daisy's moment of silence, Holm continued, "Exactly—you can't do it. Normal people can't do it. Not regular folks, not agents, not even most special forces."

He paused, leaning in slightly for emphasis. "But those lizard monsters can."

"A wall that's impenetrable for us would shatter with a single punch from one of them. A heavy manhole cover that'd take two or three people to lift—well, it's like a toy Frisbee to them."

"Their claws? They can rip metal straight off a car."

He studied her reaction, then asked pointedly, "So, what do you think makes you different from the 'ordinary' people you mentioned when facing creatures like that?"

"Maybe you've got tougher muscles that could serve as their chew toy?" he added with a wry smile that was almost painful.

Daisy pursed her lips, her eyes dropping to the floor. Holm's cold, hard words were like a bucket of ice water, dousing her enthusiasm in an instant.

Then Holm's expression softened as he continued, "Yes, we are different from ordinary people, but those differences mostly lie in our minds, in our ability to think."

"We need to play to our strengths. We're not here to show off our weaker sides and then hand ourselves over to these monsters as their next meal."

"Being bait might save an innocent civilian, but we have other options. If executed right, everyone can make it out safely," Holm assured her.

After his firm delivery, he took a long sip of water, his words lingering in the air. Daisy, though now beginning to understand his logic, found her earlier confidence slipping away like sand through her fingers. She slouched, her shoulders slumping, and her head hung low, feeling almost defeated.

Despite her tall frame, she now resembled nothing more than a crestfallen croissant—a croissant with long legs, Holm mused to himself with some amusement.

"How's your aim?" he asked, breaking the silence as he tried to redirect her focus.

Daisy raised her head slightly, her posture straightening as if on instinct. "My aim? It's good, I think. Really good."

"Perfect," Holm nodded approvingly. "The plan we've made is one thing, but out there, things can change in an instant. Remember, your top priority is to keep yourself safe," he reminded her gently.

He then reached into his pocket and handed her a piece of chocolate. With a smile, he said, "Here, have some chocolate. It'll lift your spirits a bit. Once you're ready, we can head over and get our gear. We'll need quite a bit."

Daisy took the chocolate, hesitated a moment as she looked at it, then unwrapped and popped it into her mouth. The rich flavor blossomed, a depth and warmth surprising her. She couldn't recall ever tasting chocolate quite this good before.

The novel taste seemed to melt away the tension inside her. When she looked up, she accidentally met Holm's soft, almost protective gaze. Embarrassed, she quickly looked away.

Reflecting on Holm's words, Daisy couldn't deny that her initial plan had been a little rash. Becoming an exceptional agent, she realized, would require more than bravery. She had a lot to learn and much to work on.

Unaware of Daisy's inner resolve, Holm merely observed her, quietly admiring her innocence and enthusiasm—traits he seldom encountered in the agency.

Though what he'd said to Daisy made perfect sense, Holm also kept to himself one more reason for his reluctance: a certain selfishness he couldn't quite shake.

Many would risk their lives for a stranger, but Holm had seen enough people who wouldn't. He respected those who would make the ultimate sacrifice, but deep down, he knew he wasn't one of them.

At most, he could accept moderate risk while ensuring his own survival. If forced into a situation where certain death awaited him, he knew he wouldn't be able to exchange his life for that of a stranger.

In a world full of shades of gray, Holm viewed himself as a shade that hadn't yet darkened to black.

Compared to SHIELD agents and Hydra operatives, Holm was, in a way, a bit more honorable. And then there was Daisy—a rare spark of white amid SHIELD's shadows.

Holm didn't quite understand what drove Daisy, this naive, bright "little rabbit," to want to be an outstanding agent. Perhaps she hadn't realized that, to be great in this field, one often had to embrace shades of gray—or worse.

A soft voice jolted Holm from his thoughts. "Are we leaving now, or should we wait a bit longer?" Daisy asked, her voice pulling him back to the present.

He looked over at her, noting how she'd sat up straight, her posture now full of resolve once more. Holm smiled, rising to his feet. "Let's go."

___________________

Midnight cloaked Manhattan in heavy shadows. Cold moonlight spilled from above, casting an ethereal glow over the silent city below.

Holm and Daisy stood atop a tall building, scanning the streets below through high-tech binoculars.

"It's been four days. Why hasn't this mysterious 'Dr. Lizard' shown up? No one's gone missing in the past few days. Do you think he's figured out that we're onto him?" Daisy asked, her voice tinged with frustration. She adjusted her large binoculars, which nearly covered her face. The device's red casing caught the moonlight, casting a warm, crimson glow that softened the cold sheen of the moon.

"Dr. Lizard" was the nickname they'd given to their elusive target. Daisy thought it fit perfectly when Holm first suggested it.

They didn't even know if this "doctor" was a man or a woman. But to conduct experiments like these, Holm had noted, someone would not only need a high level of expertise but also a rather unique strain of madness.

The term "doctor" might offend legitimate scholars, Daisy thought, but for this lizard monster, it felt appropriate.

While Daisy voiced her musings, Holm remained focused, also observing their surroundings through his own advanced binoculars.

Each was responsible for monitoring a designated area, eyes sharp for any signs of unusual activity.

The silence of the night deepened around them, their breath creating faint clouds in the cool midnight air. The weight of their mission pressed down, yet there was also a shared sense of anticipation as they stood together under the stars.

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