Behind the main building stood two additional buildings, connected by enclosed passageways.
Together, the three structures formed a ring—separate yet interconnected.
S.H.I.E.L.D.’s headquarters was not occupied entirely by agents.
A large portion of the personnel consisted of civilian staff members, who worked much like employees at any major corporation, each busy with their own responsibilities.
As Daisy entered the Triskelion, her instincts told her that several pairs of eyes had settled on her.
She removed her sunglasses.
Outside, she still needed to keep a low profile, but there was no point doing so here.
She would likely spend the next several years at this place.
Wearing sunglasses indoors every day would only make her stand out.
Joining S.H.I.E.L.D.
also meant entering HYDRA’s sphere of attention.
She had expected that from the beginning.
Unless she intended to live her entire life as an ordinary civilian, someone would eventually notice her.
Rather than scrambling to respond later, she preferred to hide in plain sight.
The surrounding staff behaved as though they hadn’t noticed her at all, continuing with their work.
Daisy knew the assessment had already begun.
If she wanted access to the academy’s resources, she first had to prove that she deserved them.
Outstanding instructors, professional training, and elite education were not offered to everyone.
In another timeline, nearly every student admitted to the academy had already distinguished themselves through exceptional ability.
Ordinary education was for ordinary people; elite training was reserved for exceptional candidates.
Daisy found that perfectly reasonable.
She calmly found a chair and sat down.
The Daisy of the original timeline had been capable of remotely hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s systems.
Now that she was physically inside the organization, failing to accomplish something would be difficult to justify.
She connected to the network, quickly searched the internal system, and located her destination in less than a minute.
“Child’s play.” She muttered quietly before stepping into a nearby elevator, riding it to the tenth floor, and following the corridor to the left.
After walking nearly eight hundred meters, another, slightly shorter building came into view.
The atmosphere here felt much more relaxed.
People from diverse backgrounds filled the halls.
Some prospective agents carried themselves with sharp, alert expressions, while others looked like absent-minded scientists, completely absorbed in their own thoughts.
Once she reached this building, the testing phase appeared to be over.
Daisy presented her credentials to a staff member, who verified them and handed her a key card.
Her room was on the third floor.
She noticed that the first and second floors housed male students, while the third floor was designated for women.
The fourth floor and above contained classrooms and laboratories, while the recreational facilities and training areas were located underground.
Her room number was 3106.
She found the room, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
It was a comfortable two-bedroom suite with a fully equipped bathroom and shower.
The accommodations exceeded her expectations.
After setting down her backpack, she immediately entered the bathroom.
Her first priority was checking for surveillance cameras or listening devices.
She possessed no formal espionage training, but her vibration ability gave her a unique advantage.
Electronic equipment produced vibration patterns distinct from ordinary household objects.
By carefully scanning her surroundings, she could detect anything unusual.
She inspected the bathroom twice before thoroughly examining every section of the walls and floors in both the bathroom and the bedroom.
The results were reassuring.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
had not installed any hidden surveillance devices.
She switched on the air conditioner and removed her jacket.
Using her powers continuously had left her hungry once again.
Looking down, she noticed the faint outline of abdominal muscles beginning to form.
Her predecessor had rarely exercised and had even carried a little extra weight around the waist.
Now, she estimated that about thirty percent of her improved physique came from training, while the remaining seventy percent resulted from the constant energy demands of her Superpower.
A neatly folded set of combat gear rested on the bed: a navy-blue uniform, black belt, two women’s athletic tops, socks, and a pair of combat boots.
The fabric felt remarkably light and highly elastic.
According to the accompanying information, it also provided infrared camouflage.
Daisy couldn’t help smiling.
After everything she’d been through, she had somehow ended up back in what felt like military training.
She picked up one of the athletic tops.
It felt soft and comfortable, with no unpleasant odor.
Still, she decided against wearing it immediately.
Having something that tight on all day didn’t sound particularly comfortable.
Instead, she changed into the combat uniform and boots.
More than anything else, she wanted a large meal.
The moment she stepped out of her room, the door directly across the hallway opened as well.
“Hi.” Standing opposite her was a blonde young woman about the same height as Daisy, wearing a friendly smile.
“Hi.” Daisy returned the greeting.
Judging from her familiarity with the place, the other woman had probably arrived earlier.
She extended her hand.
“Daisy Johnson.” The blonde shook it.
“Sharon Carter.” Sharon Carter?
Daisy paused for a moment.
The surname immediately caught her attention.
Peggy Carter’s relationship with Captain America was famous enough that almost everyone knew the story.
Curiously, Daisy asked, “Carter?
Are you related to Ms.
Peggy Carter?” The blonde laughed openly.
“Just a coincidence.” Daisy nodded politely, though inwardly she thought, Who are you trying to fool?
Peggy Carter’s niece looked remarkably young.
Peggy herself was now in her nineties, yet Sharon appeared only a few years older than Daisy.
The Carter family certainly had an interesting history.
Peggy had fallen in love with Captain America, and now this niece would eventually become involved with him as well.
As a descendant of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founders, Sharon displayed none of the arrogance that might have accompanied such a background.
She was cheerful, approachable, and knew exactly how to make others feel comfortable without seeming overly familiar.
“Daisy, you just arrived, right?
Have you registered for your classes yet?
I’ll take you.” Sharon’s enthusiasm caught Daisy off guard.
She felt too embarrassed to admit that she was starving and wanted nothing more than to find the cafeteria, so she forced a smile and allowed Sharon to lead her toward course registration.
As they walked, Daisy watched students pass by from time to time.
The academy felt surprisingly similar to an ordinary university campus.
Sharon clearly knew the place well and enthusiastically introduced many of the available courses.
“Sharon, what classes did you sign up for?” Daisy asked.
Sharon placed her hands on her hips and proudly replied, “All of them.
I’d recommend you do the same.
No matter what career path you choose later, every course here is useful.” Daisy largely agreed.
If she hadn’t come specifically to acquire knowledge, staying comfortably in New York would have been a far easier choice than putting herself through this rigorous training.
When the staff member displayed the complete course catalog, Daisy felt a headache coming on.
Even after surviving the relentless academic workload of her previous life, the densely packed list was overwhelming.
The academy offered eight primary fields of study: Field Operations, Science, Innovation, Espionage, Agent Training, Strategy, Combat and Diplomacy Although each department had its own focus, many subjects overlapped.
For example, the Espionage and Agent programs shared many foundational skills.
The difference was that Espionage emphasized intelligence gathering while minimizing exposure, whereas the Agent program measured success primarily by mission completion.
Likewise, the Science Department focused on theoretical research, while the Innovation Department concentrated on developing advanced technology and weapon systems.
Each discipline also contained numerous specialized subjects.
Every program required language training and basic combat proficiency.
Some emphasized psychology, while others required knowledge of polymer materials or other technical fields.
It quickly became clear that each department cultivated a different set of strengths.
At S.H.I.E.L.D., becoming an exceptional agent required far more than simply knowing how to fight.