MARIA HILL.

“Would you like to try, Agent Hunter? Please, feel free. Hours are long in here. I’m bored.”

“You’re right: you’re no strange to making hard choices. To not being popular.” Maria cants her head to the side. “I started a well planned and well executed program. You interfered and put everyone at risk.”

“I was thinking that dangerous people needed a place to go where we could neutralize the threats that they posed. I was thinking this was a shot at happiness and normalcy for people who’d never find it otherwise — even if it was a little manufactured.”

“According to you. There’s a team at S.H.I.E.L.D. of highly educated and accomplished people who believe otherwise. I would advise you to not let personal attachments interfere with your reasoning here.”

“You know, when they first subjected Hope Summers for residency, they did warn that she had a guard dog. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Du Paris.” Maria’s nothing if not polite in the morning. “You absolutely could snap my neck right now. There’s no way my guards would make it in here before you did so. It may feel good in the moment, but it won’t solve your problems. So, please. Make your choice. I won’t beg.”

Maria stares. She doesn’t flinch. Daisy Johnson is a threat, yes, but Maria’s had to face threats before. She’s the goddamn Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. The sky could fall at any second and it would be her responsibility to put it back up. While something like like this is more than irritating, it’s still manageable. Her hands are shackled to the table, but she still drums her fingers against the cold metal. “It’s not my mess. You derailed my plans. Everything has been derailed and that’s the incompetency of your people. We never would have left them caught between identities.” There’s a laugh. “Thank Agent Solomon for the nose job, by the way.”

“Gamora, right.” Maria know who he’s talking about. “The highly dangerous daughter of the man who wiped out half of the universe. You understand that she’s both a threat and a liability, don’t you? Maybe if she was still a Guardian someone could have vouched for her character, but that’s not the case, is it?”

“I don’t think it matters where the bar is. If S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted me gone, they would have fired me already. They won’t for one simple reason: I’m damn good at my job. They need people like me in positions of powers. This is justified, even if it doesn’t match your moral code. You may have to grow accustomed with not getting what you want. It’s a good life lesson.”

“I’m not saying anything. Lawyers advice.” Maria’s met with many of them at this point. They’re all saying the same thing: it’s fine. We’ve got this under control. It’ll be like last time. “I look forward to seeing you in the courtroom, Mr. Murdock.”

“You call it deplorable, I call it necessary. To each their own. I think your buddy Marc Spector’s done some pretty deplorable things, hasn’t he? Sometimes we find ways to excuse them because we know there’s no way around them.”

“I’m sorry, was it an apology you were looking for?” Her face is beat to shit, but there’s still a smirk on her split lips. “I won’t apologize for taking advantage of a possibility. You may act like a moral warrior, but you need to ask yourself how far you’d go if you had the chance.”