[ S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, Washington DC ]
"No, I mean make movies. Big ones. Disaster flicks! So that when people are sitting in a comfy theater chomping on popcorn, they'll subconsciously recognize that someone out there is quietly keeping the world from falling apart."
Coulson blinked. "Movies?"
Daisy was already animated, tapping the table like a pitch queen at Marvel Studios. "Yup. Take Costa Rica—our lovely, oversized-jungle, bug-infested Costa Rica—and switch it up a bit. Keep the island, but swap the agents for scientists, toss the real baddies, and add... dinosaurs! Giant ones. Screaming ones. You know, the classics."
She gave him a fast rundown of a certain beloved prehistoric theme park. Poor Coulson looked like someone had told him Steve Rogers was actually Canadian.
"Does... that even make sense?" he asked, eyes wide with bureaucratic panic.
Daisy smirked, "Of course it does. First, it scares the daylights out of people—reminds them the world's not safe. And why is it safe? Because people like us make sacrifices. Second, we toss the local government a bone. The place is already wrecked. Let them turn it into a theme park! Third, lighten things up around the office. We've all had enough doom and gloom—someone farts and we all dive for cover. We need a laugh!"
Coulson, to his credit, didn't faint. He just stood there, blinking, and then quietly stepped out to consult the Director himself.
While he was gone, Daisy opened her tablet, already brainstorming casting choices. She wracked her brain trying to remember the original cast.
Half an hour later, Coulson returned, looking like he had just negotiated peace with a gang of rabid squirrels.
"The Director says you can do it," he reported. "But it has to be under your name, you handle all coordination, and ideally use fresh faces—rookies only. SHIELD will provide funds and tech."
Daisy gave him finger guns. "Deal."
Then, halfway out the door, she spun around with a grin. "Oh right, Coulson—I heard you were once a director?"
"That was undercover, Daisy."
"Great! That makes you perfect. You'll direct this baby. I'll be the producer. Just dust off those skills, and... action!"
Coulson opened his mouth to object but Daisy had already flounced off like a boss with a budget.
He stared after her. "Me...? Directing dinosaurs?" He groaned, knowing full well he'd now need to update his resume.
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Daisy's first stop was to wrangle her fake BFFs. Maria Hill looked like someone had caught her mid-sneeze and hadn't let her finish. Sharon, on the other hand, perked up.
"Movie? Jurassic Park? You mean that island?" she asked.
"The very one," Daisy confirmed, eyes gleaming.
Hill chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. Daisy noticed—and also noticed how Maria kept sneaking glances at her and looking away.
Unfortunately, neither of the elite agents could appear on-screen. Too recognizable, too risky. Hill mumbled something about how even face-blind people might still notice.
Daisy nodded. "Fine, we'll stay behind the scenes. I don't like being on camera anyway."
Hill's voice was a little softer. "You'd be great on screen, though."
Daisy raised an eyebrow, teasing. "Are you flirting with me, Agent Hill?"
Maria blushed and looked away. "What if I am?" she muttered under her breath.
Daisy's grin lingered long after that.
They couldn't star, but Hill and Sharon could help in other ways. Sharon reached out to the Costa Rican ambassador. Hill shook her web of contacts and arranged for advertisers to come on board.
Fifty million dollars landed in Daisy's lap within one afternoon.
In SHIELD-speak, it was pocket change. In indie-film terms? A small fortune.
The OG Jurassic Park cost 63 million back in '93. But Daisy's version didn't need Spielberg. SHIELD had agents who could act, build sets, design effects, and run security.
A new company was established—Skye Pictures. The maid filed all the papers. James Wesley saw the funds and wisely asked zero questions.
SHIELD held 70%. Daisy took 30%, spent nothing up front, and still got to run the show. The film crew? Sourced from SHIELD's finest oddballs. Script? Written from memory. Slightly foggy memory, but she could polish it with the help of actual writers.
The original plan was to cast Fitz and Simmons as the scientist duo. Simmons? Perfect. She looked like she'd been born wearing a lab coat. Fitz? Well…
He tried. He really did. But acting wasn't his strong suit. He panicked in front of the camera, flubbed his lines, and had all the emotional range of a soggy cracker.
So Fitz was reassigned to the quirky mathematician role—the one who waves his arms a lot and spouts chaos theory. He was surprisingly great at that.
"Okay, who do we have left for the male lead?" Daisy mused, legs up on her desk.
She needed someone handsome. Charismatic. Could act. And didn't scream at CGI dinos.
Her mind served up an option like a cursed fortune cookie.
Grant Ward.
In her old timeline, he'd been her lover. In this one? A level 7 SHIELD agent. Handsome. Dangerous. Secret Hydra. Brilliant actor.
Also? His name was Grant. Same as the Jurassic Park guy. Cosmic joke or casting fate?
Daisy made a face. She had very mixed feelings about this. But hey—what better way to keep a suspected traitor close than by casting him in your movie?
"Let's go see if Grant Ward wants to be a movie star," she said aloud, already plotting her next move.
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