Ed POV
The next day, I sat across from Nora in the meeting room at Sanctuary. I was wearing my hero outfit — I'd decided not to reveal my identity to her, at least not yet. Too many layers to this situation.
She looked at me, desperation in her eyes.
"Please... you have to do something. Everything he did — he did it for me. That has to count for something, right?"
I exhaled slowly. I could see the pain behind her words. And honestly... I respected Victor for how far he was willing to go for love. But that didn't make it right.
"I get it," I said gently. "I really do. What he did... came from a place of love. But I can't just ignore everything else — all the people he hurt along the way. I have a responsibility. I can't keep him here without him facing justice."
"But he's brilliant," she pressed, hopeful. "He could help you. He could do so much good if he just had a chance."
"I know that, Nora. And I've thought about it," I admitted. "But this island, Sanctuary... it isn't just about second chances. It's about accountability, too. And some of the people here — they didn't choose the paths that led them to villainy. Victor did."
She went quiet.
"And believe me," I added, softer now, "I wish I could offer a different answer. But if I let him stay here, what does that say to the people he's hurt? What about their justice? What about their closure, knowing that the man responsible is being held accountable?"
Nora looked down, her hands clenched in her lap. I could see the conflict in her — torn between her heart and the reality I'd laid out.
"I'm sorry, Nora," I said quietly. "But Victor has to face what he's done. That's part of redemption, too."
"I understand, but what's going to happen to me? I know you won't allow me to stay on this island," Nora said softly.
I sighed, leaning forward. "You're kind of right about that. I've got people to protect. If you learned their identities and someone managed to get that out of you—people would be in danger. Right now, you don't know anyone's real name, and you've only seen one face. So, you've got two options: go to Gotham, lie about what you saw, say you don't remember anything… or stay here until Victor's sentence ends. If you wait, I'll bring him back here, and you two can be together again."
She looked down, considering. "I'd like to talk to Victor before I make my decision."
"That's fine," I said.
After she left, I made sure to notify the others—just in case someone accidentally walked in on her. When I turned back around, Church was already pulling up the file I had been reviewing earlier. The screen filled with the name: Kevin Thompson. Also known as Kilgrave.
This bastard had been hard to track down. He barely even had a real identity. He's been using his powers to do whatever he wants—no consequences, no accountability. But he slipped up. Church caught him on camera in New York. Purple skin and everything. He's staying in some fancy hotel like he owns the world.
I clenched my fist. "I'll be dealing with him tonight," I muttered to myself. "Too dangerous to leave alive… and if he ever escaped my prison, started mind-controlling people here…" I shook my head. "No. He has to die. Rapist. Abuser. No one's going to miss him."
The room grew colder. That familiar chill brushed over my skin, and I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.
"I see you found her. Took you longer than I thought," I said, glancing over my shoulder.
Darkblood stood behind me, his presence like a shadow that clung to the walls. "She's a skilled hacker. Knows how to cover her tracks. It wasn't easy."
He dropped a file onto the table. I picked it up and flipped it open. Everything I needed was there—Daisy Johnson, a.k.a. Skye. He even tracked down her father. Daisy was currently in New York. Her father, in Chicago, working as an underground doctor.
Good. I could work with that. Her father just wanted his family back. Daisy… she just wanted the truth.
"Excellent. We'll recruit the two of them right away," I said, still scanning the file. "Great work. As always."
Darkblood nodded once. "Who's next?"
"I need someone found—Jeremiah Danvers. He may have ties to the DEO."
Darkblood didn't say anything else. He simply vanished, slipping into the shadows like he was never there. I leaned back in my chair and continued reading.
After I finished reading the file, I stood up and teleported straight to New York. My first target was Daisy. She seemed like the easier one to approach—she liked heroes, and I figured she'd be more open to a conversation.
She'd been staying in Harlem for a while. Not in an apartment or a shelter. She still lived out of her van. After a few minutes of searching, I found it tucked in an alleyway. I walked up and knocked on the side door.
Knock. Knock.
She didn't respond, but I could hear her inside. Breathing pattern, heart rate—she was definitely awake.
"Look, I know you're not asleep. Just open the door, please," I said.
A few seconds passed. Then, the door creaked open. She stood there holding a taser... but dropped it the moment she recognized me.
"Hello, Skye," I said calmly. "I'd like to talk. May I come in?"
She blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Y-Yeah… of course."
I climbed inside and sat across from her in the cramped van.
"I'm guessing you're here to arrest me for all the hacking stuff," she said, voice low, trying to hide how nervous she was.
"No," I shook my head. "I'm here to recruit you. I want you to join my team—the Vanguard Initiative."
"The what?" she asked, confused.
"I've explained it way too many times already, so I made a short video about it—but to keep it simple: it's a superhero team. We've got metahumans, scientists, specialists. People with purpose. That's why I came to you. You're a skilled hacker, a fast learner, and more importantly… you've got a strong moral compass. I can also help you with your little identity problem."
Her eyes lit up with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. "Wait—wait. You want me on a superhero team? You have a superhero team? Wait—what do you mean you can help me?"
She rattled the questions off so fast I didn't even get a chance to respond.
"Okay," I said, holding up a hand. "First—breathe."
She did. A shaky inhale, then exhale. She was listening.
"Your real name isn't Skye," I told her. "It's Daisy. Daisy Johnson."
Her lips parted in stunned silence. "…Do you know who my parents are? Or where they are?"
"Yes and no," I answered. "I know who your parents are. Your mother… I haven't found yet. She's somewhere in the mountains—location's still unknown."
Her voice came out in a whisper. "And my dad?"
"I know where he is. And I will take you to him. But I'm warning you now—he's not what you're expecting. Still, I'll let him explain everything when the time comes. For now, I'm teleporting you to one of my bases."
"Wait, you have a secret base? Actually—wait, you said bases. Plural?"
"I did. And I could tell you how many... but for security reasons, let's keep that vague."
She nodded slowly. "Fair. But can you… bring my van too? It's kind of my home. I'd rather not leave it in an alley."
I nodded. "Not a problem."
I grabbed her and the van, and we blinked away—straight to one of my throwaway bases in New York. When we arrived, she opened the van door, stepped out cautiously, and looked around in disbelief.
"We're not in Harlem anymore," she muttered.
I stepped out beside her. "Correct. Now, listen: don't touch anything while I'm gone. I'm about to go get your father. And don't try to hack anything either. The system will alert me instantly."
She held up her hands in surrender. "I promise. I won't."
I teleported straight to Chicago. I landed in an alleyway, tucked behind a shady-looking clinic that doubled as a black-market surgery spot. There was a steel door at the end. I walked up and knocked on it.
"What's the password?" a voice growled from behind the door.
I smirked. "Yeah, the password is let me in before I hurt you."
"Fuck off."
Wrong answer.
I used my telekinesis to rip the door straight off its hinges and sent it crashing into the wall behind. A guy on the other side barely had time to register what was happening before I knocked him out cold with one quick strike.
I stepped inside.
There were criminals everywhere—people guarding stolen tech, guys cleaning weapons, one dude literally stitching a wound from what looked like a botched deal. I didn't waste time. Anyone who tried to stop me got knocked out without hesitation. I didn't kill them, just dropped them hard. I made my way down the dim hallway until I reached the reinforced door in the back.
I used my telekinesis again. Door gone. Crumpled like paper.
Inside, I saw him.
Calvin Zabo. He was standing defensively, a scalpel in hand, sweat on his brow. Next to him was a gang member holding a pistol.
"Easy now, Doctor," I said calmly as I stepped in. "I'm here to make you an offer you don't want to refuse."
Before the guy with the gun could even think, I yanked the weapon from his hand with a flick of my finger and slammed it into his skull—just enough to knock him out cold. He dropped like a sack of bricks.
Cal's grip on the scalpel tightened. "And what offer would that be?"
"A bit of revenge… and the chance to reunite with your family."
His eyes widened. "What? How do you know—?"
"I know a lot of things," I cut in. "Now put the scalpel down. Let's talk."
He hesitated. But after a second, he lowered his hand.
"Start talking."
"Your daughter—Daisy. I have her. She's safe. I'm not holding her hostage or anything like that. I brought her in because I wanted to give you a chance to finally see her again."
He looked genuinely shaken—hope flashing across his face—but his guard came right back up as soon as I said the next part.
"But there's more. In return, I want to meet Jiaying."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"Because I can help both of you take down Hydra," I said flatly. "And I want to talk to her about something bigger—something that could change the future."
He stared at me for a long moment.
"Take me to my daughter... and you've got a deal."
I nodded, walked over, grabbed his arm—and we vanished in a flash of light.
Teleported straight back to Daisy.
We appeared in the base. Daisy was in her van, laying on the small bed she'd made out of a door. The van door was open, and as soon as she saw us, she sat up fast. Her eyes locked on Cal—nervous, uncertain, but I could see the spark of hope flicker through her.
Cal looked like he was frozen in place. There was fear in his eyes, but it wasn't fear of her—it was fear of messing this moment up. And beneath it, there was something raw. Excitement. Pain. Love. All rolled into one.
"…Are you my dad?" Daisy asked softly.
"Yes," he said. His voice cracked on that one word. "Yes, I am. And you have no idea how long I've been searching for you."
He stepped forward slowly. Took a shaky breath. "You look just like your mother…"
He paused, then stopped short of hugging her. His arms hovered, unsure.
"I'm sorry. Can I… may I please hug you?" he asked, eyes brimming with tears.
Daisy gave a tearful nod. "I'd like that very much."
They closed the distance and finally embraced. A father and daughter, broken for years, finally together again.
I stepped away quietly. They needed this time, just the two of them. I didn't want to interrupt something that meant so much.
This was good.
Now I had Daisy—future Quake. One of the strongest Inhumans out there. Definitely not on Black Bolt's level, but still top-tier. And now, thanks to Cal, I had a path to Jiaying.
If I play this right, maybe I can talk her down from her whole "go to war with humanity" plan. Convince her to channel all that energy toward something better—like helping me take down Hydra and build a place for our people. Inhumans. Mutants. Enhanced beings. A real sanctuary.
And if she still needs a reason to say yes…
I can give her the ultimate one. Her other daughter.
I can't bring her back to life—but I can go back. Stop her from dying in the first place. Replace the body with an android. Fake the death. Make it look like she blew herself up in some freak accident.
No one would question it.
If this works, I won't just gain an ally—I'll gain someone who's willing to protect what we're building like her life depends on it.
Because to her—it will.