Hydra's people all knew exactly what Pierce and Crossbones were, so Daisy didn't need to explain a thing to them. What she needed was to make sure the agents who didn't know the truth never figured it out—ever.
Nobody actually knew what mind control did anyway, so she could spin the story however she pleased and simply claim it had twisted Pierce's mind—that he'd never made a single one of those dirty political deals. That would both settle the mood inside S.H.I.E.L.D. and hand those politicians a fig leaf.
As for whether the politicians might quietly do Pierce in afterward—what business was that of hers?
For now, though, she had a whitewash to run. "Director Pierce devoted thirty years to S.H.I.E.L.D. What kind of spirit drives an accomplished diplomat to commit himself to this organization and serve selflessly as director for thirty years? A noble character. A great spirit of self-sacrifice."
Then she switched the screen to a short clip recorded earlier—and the man in it was none other than Nick Fury.
"I would take a bullet for him. He is our close comrade-in-arms, and the enemy is using vile means to insult his good name!" On camera, Nick Fury showed a flash of anger that was rare for him.
Right on cue, Daisy turned the camera back to herself. "You all saw what Director Fury said, didn't you? This is a frame-up by the enemy—an attack on the lifelong reputation of a beloved and respected elder. Director Fury would take a bullet for Director Pierce, and so would I."
I'd also be happy to put a bullet in his chest, Daisy added to herself.
Seeing Pierce more or less laundered, she pivoted and turned to Crossbones.
Unstoppable courage, always first into the fray—Daisy trotted it all out. She made a point of praising Crossbones's personal integrity too: not greedy, not lecherous, quick to shoulder responsibility—practically a smaller-scale Captain America, his character flawless and beyond reproach.
Most agents had relatively little contact with Director Pierce, but Crossbones was different—they were all in the same trenches, and everyone had seen what he was like day to day. So the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents believed Daisy's words at once.
It was all a frame-up by the enemy!
Two decent, honorable men, their minds bewitched by evil magic into saying such things on live television—it was a cruel thing indeed. For a moment S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fighting spirit surged; they meant to make Loki pay.
But different jobs called for different specialists—sending them after Loki would only get them killed. Daisy had already asked Captain America to raid the station, though unfortunately Loki had fled ahead of time.
"There's no enemy left here at the Daily Bugle," Captain Rogers reported to her.
Daisy thought it over. "The enemy might still use the stations to hit us and stir up chaos. I'll send Hawkeye to back you up—keep a close watch on the major networks."
She was run off her feet. Having stabilized things internally, she gave the same spiel to the various governments. In truth every leader knew what Pierce had said was real, but they had to pretend it was false; her story was the only workable solution on the table. So the world's governments all condemned Loki's evil deeds—though as for what they truly thought, whether they'd sooner deep-fry Comrade Pierce or draw and quarter him, heaven only knew.
The Pentagon, the White House, NORAD, U.S. Pacific Command—she worked through every one of their calls. Every move S.H.I.E.L.D. made touched interests on all sides, dragging in far too much; in the original timeline, Black Widow's decision to simply lay everything bare had really been anything but wise.
"Commander Johnson is quite capable—looks like we judged her right…" On learning she'd stabilized the situation, the various powers voiced their approval. The World Security Council breathed a sigh of relief, several members expressing admiration for Daisy's ability.
Steadying things amid such a mess proved this young Deputy Director was highly capable indeed.
Even Fury was surprised—had Daisy's standing already climbed this high? He soon steered the conversation back to forming the Avengers.
"Let's ask Commander Johnson for her view." Several councilmembers had no wish to see any Avengers formed. The two sides had been bickering for half an hour, neither able to sway the other, and now they badly needed a fresh opinion to consider.
Daisy didn't join their call right away—she was swamped, one phone call after another. Hill acted like her secretary, turning some calls away outright; for others, Daisy had to say a few words, while still others required lengthy explanations. In short, the two of them were run ragged.
By the time she entered the Council's channel, ten minutes had already passed.
Hearing the same old Avengers debate, she offered her view all the same.
"Forming it is fine, but it needs to be under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s oversight. A violent organization with the capacity to act on its own is no good for any nation or any individual." Her stance leaned a little toward Fury's, yet stayed just within what the Council could accept; she reckoned it was the best plan going.
But Fury still wasn't satisfied.
"The Avengers should be free. Their moral compass is what drives them to act, and we shouldn't constrain them. The Avengers shouldn't be a sword in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hand—they should be a line of defense for all humankind."
Daisy couldn't fathom Nick Fury saying something so naive. Maybe the mounting tide of disasters was putting too much pressure on him?
She thought a moment, then put it tactfully. "Nick, everyone thinks differently, and everyone's moral code is different. You can't hold every hero to Captain America's standard. Besides—have you considered their safety, once all the heroes are gathered in one place? If every trouble gets handed to the Avengers, what about the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who've fought seventy years for the safety of this world? Have you considered them?"
"There's nothing wrong with a concentration of force. But if the heroes band together, what about the villains? Won't they band together too? Scattered, the bad guys can be beaten by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with superior tactics and thorough training. But what if they all gather in one place?"
"Establishing the Avengers is bound to weaken S.H.I.E.L.D.'s voice—to the point where S.H.I.E.L.D. becomes dispensable!"
By the end, Daisy had more or less grasped Fury's intent. Perhaps he'd already sensed the undercurrents churning within S.H.I.E.L.D., and forming the Avengers was his way of sidelining it.
That, she would never agree to.
As long as S.H.I.E.L.D. existed, so did her power.
With S.H.I.E.L.D. behind her, she held countless privileges—the standing to land a phone call on any world leader's desk. Otherwise, who would give a damn who Daisy Johnson was? Disband S.H.I.E.L.D. and go coast in Stark's HR department like Hill? You've got to be kidding.
Fury mulled over her words, head bowed in thought for a while, weighed the Council's views as well, and finally said with sincerity, "The Avengers should be an important complement to S.H.I.E.L.D. The two aren't at odds."