The sound reverberated through the room, akin to the lowing of an elk or the mooing of a buffalo. Whether inside the facility or on the screen, it felt as though the world had paused. Countless souls stood in stunned silence, unable to do anything but stare.
Boom! Boom!
Footsteps echoed through the room, each step heavier than the last, as though a massive weight was pressing down on the hearts of everyone listening. The air grew tense, and an overwhelming presence seemed to manifest out of nowhere. Slowly, a creature emerged from the swirling white mist. It was colossal—its form a terrifying combination of animal and divine.
Its body was covered in a mix of pine green and cream-colored fur, patterned in intricate designs. Its neck was long and slender, resembling that of a deer. But instead of the usual deer's head, it bore a humanoid face, a face that radiated an ancient and unknowable power. Antlers crowned its head, intertwined with swirling black marble patterns, glowing faintly with blue light. Above its head, suspended in mid-air, were nine concentric circles of crystals and metallic spheres, shimmering like distant stars in the cosmos.
The creature moved forward, stepping out of its containment chamber with deliberate grace. It turned its gaze towards the team below, nodding ever so slightly.
The world seemed to bow in reverence.
The presence was so immense that it threatened to shatter the sanity of anyone who witnessed it. The question on everyone's mind was simple: What is this thing?
After a tense pause, the live feed exploded with shock and awe.
"Oh my God, what is this?"
"This is insane… Is this even real?"
"Is this a god? It's like something from Norse mythology!"
"Can such a creature exist in this world?"
In SHIELD's command center, Nick Fury's eyes widened, his usual stoic demeanor faltering. Natasha Romanoff had to lean heavily against the table to steady herself. Maria Hill gripped her notebook so tightly her knuckles turned white, but she couldn't look away from the screen.
Across the world, Kamar-Taj's magic apprentices were frozen in place. The Ancient One's expression was filled with shock and recognition.
Most wouldn't have noticed, but she could sense something in the creature's energy—a familiarity. As someone who dealt with gods regularly, she immediately recognized the unmistakable signs. This being… was a god.
And not just any god. The form it had taken was merely a fraction of its true might.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Loki stared at the screen with wide, bewildered eyes. He, who had long called himself a god, was now feeling something he had never experienced before. The sensation was unmistakable—the oppressive force from a higher god, descending upon him. For the first time in a long while, Loki felt small.
In the image, the stag-like entity turned its gaze to the task force below. Every person who met its eyes felt their heart race. Some even collapsed, overwhelmed by a sense of dizziness or terror.
When the creature finally opened its mouth, a low, humming sound filled the room. The air seemed to freeze.
Suddenly, the stillness was broken by an attack.
"Why?!" The giant leech screeched as it hurled its tentacles at the stag-like entity. The space around it distorted as if trying to prevent the attack. The creature buzzed again, the sound reverberating, and the battle began in earnest.
The stag-like god faced the giant leech, which seemed to have chosen this moment to strike. But it was not alone. A humanoid figure, wreathed in flames, surged forward, accompanied by a fiery wave that cut across the space. The cylinders surrounding the creature began to spin and clash with the black creature, metal balls and fire colliding in a spectacular show of force.
The three entities—deer-like, black, and flame-wreathed—engaged in a chaotic battle. Their powers intertwined in an explosion of contrasting energies, distorting the very fabric of space around them. It was a spectacle of gods and monsters, a true clash of titanic forces.
Amid the battle, the team realized they had only one option left: to escape.
"James, you…" Jack stammered, his voice trembling. He turned to James, who gave a strained but reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, we'll get out of here. But we need to go now!" James urged, his tone carrying a finality that left no room for argument.
Irantu, his face conflicted, glanced at James. He realized only then how mad James's plan had been—to let these powerful entities clash, hoping to escape amidst the chaos.
"Let's move!" Irantu ordered, signaling the others to start running.
The ground behind them scorched with flames. The heat was unbearable as they rushed forward. But it was not without consequence. As they sprinted, a black tendril whipped through the air, slamming into Nanku and sending her sprawling to the ground.
Jack tried to help, but Irantu grabbed him by the collar.
"We are reincarnated," Irantu said in a tone that was both urgent and resolute.
Nanku, still writhing in pain, continued to fire her weapon, her shots barely slowing the creature's relentless assault. James and the team kept moving, narrowly avoiding death at every turn.
The chaos was unimaginable. The stag-like creature stood its ground, its antlers deflecting the black tendrils that sought to crush it. At the same time, the burning figure hurled its fiery blasts, aiming for the leech-like creature, which countered with more black tendrils and metal spheres.
James's group made it to the stairwell, but danger was still closing in. As they ascended, a loud sound tore through the air—a metallic cylinder crashing against the wall just inches from Dr. Scott and a researcher. Another cylinder flew through the wall, slamming into Irantu, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Damn it!" someone shouted as they raced to avoid the incoming fire.
The flames below them intensified, spreading ever higher, but the team had no choice but to press on. They needed to escape this hell.
The cacophony of battle raged behind them—screams, metal clashing, and flames. At one point, the group saw a humanoid figure of fire, encased in metal, with flames bursting from its cracks.
Through the chaos, James pushed forward, his determination unwavering. The exit was near, but there was still much to do. The others had already started running, but James lingered behind, making sure they had time to escape.
Munru, noticing James's decision, turned back with a worried expression. "What are you doing, James?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
James gave her a calm, eerie smile. "I'm buying you time," he replied, though his tone carried an unsettling calmness. "Go ahead. Get out of here."
Munru hesitated, the weight of the moment sinking in. "James, your life… it's limited. I am reincarnated, too."
James's smile deepened. "Let me do my thing, Munru. I'll catch up soon. Trust me."
The urgency in his voice left no room for argument. Munru, reluctantly, turned and ran, leading the rest of the team toward safety.
James, now alone, slowed his pace. His eyes never left the horizon. Behind him, the sound of destruction grew louder, signaling that the end was near.
The audience watching the live broadcast could feel the tension in the air, their hearts racing. They knew what was coming.
In the command center, Nick Fury could only stare, his face grim. He knew James had just made a gamble—a gamble that might cost him his life.
Minutes passed. The battle raged on, and James stood his ground. As the metal cylinders and black tendrils continued their deadly assault, James never faltered. The air around him shimmered with energy, and the explosions grew ever closer.
Suddenly, the familiar hum of machinery filled the room. A massive burst of white light erupted from behind him, and the transmission abruptly ended.
The audience, left in stunned silence, watched the screen, waiting for more. They had seen enough to know that something monumental had just occurred.
Later, back in SHIELD, the aftermath of the mission unfolded.
Ross sat at a desk in his office, looking haggard and worn. He was debriefing with a man in a white coat.
"Tell me your name and identity," the man in the white coat asked.
Ross sighed deeply before answering, "Efram Ross, leader of Mobile Task Force Epsilon-11 Nine-Tailed Fox."
The man marked something on his file, then nodded. "Now, tell me about your mission."
Ross grimaced. "You haven't seen the video logs, have you?"
"No, not yet. They're still being sorted," the man replied.
Ross rubbed his temples. "It wasn't a good experience," he said softly. "I'll tell you this much—whatever Site-13 was, it wasn't a research facility. It was a... termination center. A place where anomalies are brought in, experimented on, and then destroyed." He paused, taking a deep breath. "With the incinerator that took up half the site."
Fury, watching the report from SHIELD's command center, couldn't shake the feeling of dread. Everything pointed to one undeniable conclusion: Site-13 had been a place for dealing with anomalous lifeforms. And now... it was gone.
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