The boundless starry sky should have been as calm as Erik Selvig once observed many years ago.
But tonight, that peace was destined to shatter…
—————
Joint Dark Energy Mission – Western Division
Project Pegasus
NASA's Space Radiation Facility
S.H.I.E.L.D. Accelerator Control Center
These weren't separate initiatives.
They were all parts of a single, covert operation overseen by S.H.I.E.L.D.—a facility hidden in plain sight.
Called a secret base, yet the truth was paradoxical.
With thousands of scientists and personnel on-site, sprawling across nearly 900 acres of desert terrain, how could such a place really be secret?
It was "secret" not in its visibility, but in its purpose.
Because what went on inside—the experiments, the object of study—was a truth not meant for the public. Not for any one government. Not even for most of S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.
This was a secret meant to be buried... forever.
Nick Fury stood at the observation deck, taking a long, measured breath.
Today, they were about to resume active experimentation on the Tesseract—an ancient relic of unimaginable power.
Many years ago, the Cube had been recovered from the Arctic after the fall of the Red Skull. It had since changed hands—found by Howard Stark, then locked away by S.H.I.E.L.D. as its secrets remained elusive.
But Nick Fury was never one to waste potential.
Of course, he'd never admit the price he paid to keep it safe.
He'd never say that it cost him an eye… or that a certain alien "cat" named Goose had anything to do with it.
A flerken, not a cat, he reminded himself—one that coughed up the Tesseract like a hairball after swallowing it whole.
Even now, Fury maintained that Goose didn't blind him. That it was just a scratch. Just... an accident.
What mattered was that the Tesseract was now under his control.
Hidden for years, studied only in theory.
But with the growing threats from beyond Earth, he could no longer afford to keep it locked away.
Fury's expression darkened as he recalled recent events.
The Hulk had emerged. Thor had descended from the sky. The Destroyer had razed a small town in New Mexico.
And then there was the message Carol Danvers received.
Captain Marvel—his emergency backup. His cosmic trump card.
She'd made it clear: she couldn't always be there. And she couldn't intervene in every matter of Earth's sovereignty—especially where Asgard was concerned.
Because technically, Earth—Midgard—was part of the Nine Realms.
Asgard's jurisdiction was ancient and cosmic. They'd protected Earth in the past, yes. But that protection came with an unspoken implication: Earth was under Asgard's domain.
Nick Fury wasn't about to accept that.
The Earth was no one's territory.
Not Asgard's. Not the Kree's. Not anyone's.
If they were going to negotiate with cosmic empires, Earth needed leverage. A deterrent.
And the Tesseract—housing an Infinity Stone—was just that.
With the right scientific understanding, it could power weapons, shields, and technologies years—centuries—ahead of Earth's time.
Fury needed this advantage.
And so, the Cube was brought back into active research.
He left his office, boots echoing down the steel hallways, and made his way toward the lab.
On the way, he encountered Dr. Erik Selvig—renowned astrophysicist and expert on wormholes and cosmic phenomena.
"Director," Selvig said, slightly startled but relieved. "Just the person I was hoping to see. There's something you need to look at."
Dr. Erik Selvig adjusted the massive astronomical telescope at the center of the observatory, speaking urgently to Nick Fury, who stood beside him with arms crossed.
"Tonight is... different, Director," Selvig said, tapping rapidly on the console. "I've detected a strange meteor—no prior warning or signal. What's more... its trajectory is heading straight for Manhattan."
Nick Fury's one eye narrowed. "Tell me you're joking."
Selvig pulled up the image on the central screen. "I wish I were. The object... it resembles a human form encased in what looks like crystalline ice. At the very least, it's humanoid."
"How long until impact?" Fury demanded.
"Thirty-three minutes. Estimated point of contact—right over the New York Stock Exchange."
Fury cursed under his breath. "Another one? What is this, an alien VIP welcome party? First Thor, now this?"
Selvig nodded grimly. "It could be similar."
Fury turned on his comms. "Coulson, mobilize a special response team. You'll lead it with Romanoff. Get to Manhattan. We don't know what's coming, but it's coming fast. Secure the site and prep for emergency containment."
"Understood," Coulson's voice crackled back.
---
[Scene: Manhattan – Coffee Shop]
Phil Coulson was sipping coffee across from the cellist he'd been quietly seeing, when the call came in. With a sigh, he stood abruptly.
"I'm sorry. Duty calls."
"But—" she started, but Coulson was already gone, vanishing into the night.
---
[Scene: New York Stock Exchange – Moments Later]
A convoy of black S.H.I.E.L.D. SUVs stormed the intersection, agents spilling out as local police cordoned off civilians. Natasha Romanoff stood waiting, arms crossed, already in tactical gear.
"You made good time," she said dryly as Coulson joined her.
"Had to. The director's not thrilled about another unidentified object entering our airspace."
"I was busy investing in Stark Industries," Natasha added. "Ever since Tony outed himself, their stocks have been exploding."
"I bought a few too. Not many—S.H.I.E.L.D. salary doesn't exactly cover blue-chip tech stocks," Coulson joked, then paused.
His eyes turned skyward. "There."
A fiery streak cut across the sky, bright and fast.
"Track its trajectory. Clear the area. And get Stark on the line—we'll need air support if this thing's hostile!"
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Let's hope it's another Thor-type and not something worse."
Coulson sighed. "With our luck? Probably worse."
---
[Scene: Rooftop Overlooking Manhattan]
A blast of repulsors echoed through the night as Iron Man descended beside Coulson in a flash of red and gold.
"Wow, what a night!" Tony Stark grinned, helmet retracting. "One minute I'm swapping snark with Oscar winners, the next, a cosmic iceberg is heading toward Wall Street. Is this a meteor strike or a financial metaphor?"
Coulson remained stone-faced. "This isn't a joke, Tony. That thing is decelerating—which means it's not just a rock."
Tony's smile faded slightly as he turned his gaze upward. "Yeah... that's the worrying part. Meteors don't slow down. Intelligence or tech—either way, it's not falling by accident."
He pointed toward the sky. "Brace yourselves."
---
[Scene: Incoming Object – Above Earth]
Inside the time-space capsule, a figure stirred—Heisenberg, an interdimensional operative, absorbed the system's welcome.
> "Emergency activation complete. Welcome to Marvel Cinematic Universe 199999."
"Objective: Ensure the stable operation of this universe."
"Rewards: Five minutes of absolute invincibility per year of maintained stability."
Heisenberg blinked at the floating UI.
> "Current timeline: Three months post-Avengers Initiative."
> "Impact in 10... 9... 8..."
"What does that even mean—'maintain the universe'? This place has literal gods, super soldiers, and flying billionaires!" he muttered.
But the time for questions was over.
A sonic boom echoed through the district as a glowing pod crashed gently onto the pavement—its energy dampened, its trajectory carefully controlled.
Time-space crystals dissolved into mist as the pod's occupant was revealed—a naked, humanoid figure standing tall, steam rising from his form.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents raised their weapons instinctively. Natasha narrowed her eyes in curiosity. Coulson kept his hand near his sidearm.
Tony, already scanning the figure with his suit's sensors, muttered, "Well, that's not a Skrull..."
And in the center of the landing zone, Heisenberg opened his eyes.