"Dr. Carter, calm down," Coulson urged, trying to explain to the enraged middle-aged man standing before him. However, Dr. Carter seemed uninterested in listening. Nearby, two men and a woman were rushing to treat the injured velociraptor as though it were an emergency patient.
"You made it," Coulson sighed in relief when he saw Daniel arrive. The tension in his expression softened. He knew that May's earlier decision to engage the velociraptors had likely been influenced by Daniel's presence.
"What's going on here?" Daniel asked, glancing at the group attempting to save the velociraptor, then turning back to Coulson.
Coulson quickly filled Daniel in, providing details he hadn't mentioned before, while introducing the furious man.
"This is Dr. Nick Carter, a renowned biologist and an expert in multiple fields, including mythology and ancient history. He's a high-profile academic," Coulson explained.
"And this," Coulson continued, motioning toward another man, "is James Lester, head of the Anomaly Research Center."
The reorganized SHIELD had lost much of its former influence. In the past, SHIELD would have been the primary organization managing such anomalies. But now, they had to collaborate with the local British authorities and the anomaly research team.
Before Daniel could respond, chaos erupted again. Despite May's earlier airstrikes, a few velociraptors had survived. Now, SHIELD agents were in pursuit, only to be blocked by more civilians, who seemed unconcerned about standing in front of armed agents.
"Step aside," May said coldly as she pushed a young woman out of the way and used her automatic rifle to finish off another velociraptor. Another one was quickly taken down by Lance and his team of SHIELD agents.
The SHIELD agents, now relieved that they were allowed to fight back, showed no mercy. They had already suffered significant casualties from the initial hesitation. With the velociraptors posing a clear threat, May had no qualms about eliminating them.
Meanwhile, the velociraptor that had been gravely injured by the Quinjet's cannon fire took its final breath.
"Do you even realize what you've done?" Dr. Carter shouted in fury, his face twisted with anger. His team echoed his sentiments, glaring at the SHIELD agents who had silently followed orders.
"The old SHIELD wouldn't have tolerated anyone yelling at its agents like this," Daniel thought, shaking his head. SHIELD was only still around because the world had changed too fast. With threats from aliens, Inhumans, and Asgardians, the world needed an organization with experience in dealing with the abnormal.
"The anomaly—is it over there?" Daniel asked, ignoring the heated exchange between Carter and SHIELD. He had no interest in the argument; he was here to deal with the anomaly, not to bicker with stubborn scientists.
Before Coulson could respond, Carter stormed up to him, yelling, "What are you SHIELD agents trying to accomplish here?!"
"Lester, is this the so-called expert you brought?" Carter fumed, turning his anger toward James Lester.
"Dr. Carter, please, calm down. I'm sure they had a reason for doing what they did," Lester replied, trying to placate the furious academic.
Lester then turned toward Daniel and asked, "Could you explain why you decided to attack the velociraptors?"
SHIELD had introduced Daniel as an anomaly expert, without mentioning his magical abilities or superhero status.
"Why did we attack? Well, that's amusing. Didn't you see those things killing people?" Daniel replied, his voice steady as he glanced at Carter, who was still simmering with anger.
"You're SHIELD's anomaly expert, right? If you're studying anomalies, then you should know that the world on the other side of the anomaly is from Earth's distant past. Any disruption to that timeline could lead to catastrophic changes, potentially even the extinction of the human race!" Carter argued, locking his eyes on Daniel, his tone filled with conviction.
It was now clear to Carter that Daniel was the reason SHIELD had chosen to engage the velociraptors.
Daniel's face remained expressionless as he looked at Carter, then turned to Coulson. "I don't have time to waste on this. Take me to the anomaly."
Daniel wasn't interested in arguing with someone who thought they held a monopoly on the truth. While Carter was undoubtedly a brilliant mind, his limited perspective prevented him from seeing beyond his scientific bubble.
Rather than wasting time explaining, Daniel preferred to finish the job. He had bigger concerns, whether it was returning to the Qin's Moon world or exploring a new dimension. There were better uses of his time.
Daniel's indifferent attitude left Carter fuming, but Coulson quickly stepped in, nodding to Daniel. "This way," he said, leading the way toward the anomaly. May and Lance followed closely behind.
---
At the anomaly site, several SHIELD agents stood guard. Fitz and Simmons were busy observing the anomaly with their equipment.
As scientists, anomalies like this were irresistible to both Fitz and Simmons. As soon as the velociraptors had been lured away, they had rushed out to investigate, forcing Bobbi to tag along for protection.
"I wish I could get closer to study them," Simmons said wistfully as she watched the ancient creatures roaming in the distance.
"If you want to go, just go," Daniel said casually, overhearing her remark.
"Really? We can go?" Simmons asked, her excitement bubbling over.
"Sure," Daniel replied, taking the lead and walking toward the anomaly. Simmons, after a brief moment of hesitation, eagerly grabbed her equipment and called for Fitz to assist her.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Coulson asked nervously. SHIELD had already lost agents to the anomaly, and the thought of losing Simmons and Fitz was unbearable.
"Relax. I've got this," Daniel reassured him with a knowing glance. He wasn't about to explain the full extent of his powers in front of everyone, but Coulson seemed to trust him.
After a brief pause, Coulson followed Daniel through the anomaly, with Simmons, Fitz, Bobbi, Lance, and the rest of the team trailing behind.
---
On the other side, they found themselves on a ledge partway up a mountain, overlooking a prehistoric landscape teeming with ancient creatures.
"It's the real Jurassic era!" Simmons exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder. She immediately began setting up her equipment, eager to record as much data as possible.
"Don't take too long," Coulson urged, torn between his amazement at the scene before him and his anxiety about the anomaly closing.
"I'd love to get closer to them," Simmons said wistfully after setting up the instruments, her gaze lingering on the herd of creatures below.
"No way," Coulson snapped, his voice firm. They were close enough to the anomaly to make a quick escape if necessary. Straying too far could mean getting trapped if the anomaly closed, which had already happened to some unfortunate SHIELD agents.
"Alright, that's enough. Time to go back," Daniel said after a while, sensing fluctuations in the anomaly.
Although Daniel had the ability to reopen the anomaly if it closed, he preferred to avoid drawing too much attention to himself.
"Let's move," Coulson ordered. The team quickly packed up their equipment and crossed back through the anomaly. Just a few minutes later, it flickered and vanished completely.
---
"You are reckless! Do you realize the danger you've put all of humanity in?" Dr. Carter fumed during the debriefing meeting in the Anomaly Research Center's conference room. The atmosphere was tense, with SHIELD and the anomaly research team sitting on opposite sides of the table.
"How ridiculous. If humanity were so fragile, we would have gone extinct long ago," Daniel said calmly, leaning back in his chair. "You're assuming that killing these prehistoric creatures will affect the present or future. But what do you really know about time?"
Before Carter could respond, Daniel continued, "I've reviewed your data. Anomalies like this have appeared throughout history. Do you really think ancient humans would have had your level of scientific understanding to send every creature back through the anomalies?"
Carter, visibly irritated, fell silent.
"Are you trying to predict time? Do you think you're a god? Even Odin, king of Asgard, wouldn't claim such knowledge."
"What gives you the right to say that? How can you be so sure there won't be consequences?" one of Carter's younger assistants shot back angrily.
"Why am I so certain?" Daniel smirked. "Because I've consulted with Asgard on this matter."
Invoking Asgard silenced the room. No one dared question the authority of the alien gods.
"Westerners really do think the grass is greener on the other side, don't they? Or in this case, on other planets," Daniel thought to himself, amused by the effect the mention of Asgard had on the room.
"I can confirm," Dr. Carter finally said, his face serious. "I've experienced this firsthand. I've lived through the consequences of disrupting the timeline."
The room fell silent as Carter shared his story, recounting how he had once been in a world much like this one, but with crucial differences. He explained how small changes had led to a drastically altered future—a future where his colleague Claudia had become someone entirely different.
"That's not something I'm making up. I experienced it with my own eyes. What you're doing now could have catastrophic consequences."
Daniel remained unfazed. "I believe what you experienced is true. But it wasn't caused by time disruption. You accidentally crossed into a parallel world."
"A parallel world?" Carter echoed, clearly shaken by the idea.
"Exactly. You didn't change time—you ended up in an alternate reality. North mythology has
come true, and aliens have visited Earth. Is it really so hard to believe in parallel worlds?" Daniel said, standing up to leave. "I've given my explanation. Whether you choose to believe it or not is up to you."
Marvel's multiverse was vast, with many versions of Earth existing simultaneously. Some were normal, while others were more chaotic, such as the one with the X-Men.
---
"Now it's time to deal with Helen." Daniel thought as he left. Helen, Dr. Carter's wife, was the real issue SHIELD had called him in for.
Helen had disappeared nearly a decade ago, only to recently resurface with a dire warning of humanity's extinction. She had predicted catastrophic events linked to the anomalies, which had prompted the anomaly research center to reach out to SHIELD.
While Carter believed his wife's return was a miracle, SHIELD had a much more cynical view. They suspected Helen was manipulating Carter and using her "visions" for her own ends.
What Carter didn't know was that Helen had been living with one of his former students during her ten-year absence. Now she had reappeared, stirring up chaos with her apocalyptic warnings.
If the anomalies really posed such a threat, why hadn't they caused destruction in previous instances?
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