The heavy silence of the S.H.I.E.L.D. briefing room was broken only by the low hum of the projectors. The agents, analysts, and Avengers present had just witnessed something beyond human comprehension. The phenomenon had lasted only minutes, but the pressure it created had left countless people immobilized in fear.
Thor finally broke the silence, his voice grim.
"According to the reports, the coercion that spread across the city was not natural. That oppressive darkness… it could only have come from a powerful existence."
He looked around the table, his normally confident features pale. "Just the aura alone was enough to paralyze thousands. If such coercion can be substantiated into something physical, then the opponent's strength is far beyond what you can imagine. Stronger, even, than my father Odin."
The words weighed heavily in the air.
Thor leaned forward, his tone sharp. "The being behind this is most likely a Dimensional Master—a ruler of an entire dimension, a godlike entity capable of wiping out entire worlds with ease."
The room stirred. Maria Hill's face darkened, and even seasoned operatives glanced nervously at one another.
Thor's expression hardened. "And more than that… the coercion we felt was not just overwhelming—it was steeped in darkness and evil. That means this is not some benevolent cosmic being. This is the aura of an evil god."
He raised a hand, gesturing toward the holographic display that replayed the strange event over and over. "Yet the effect was contained to only a few blocks. That suggests the being did not come to Earth directly. What we faced was likely a projection, a duplication, carrying a fraction of its true power. Enough to terrify, yes—but far from its full might."
Black Widow narrowed her eyes. "If that was just a fraction…" She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.
Thor nodded grimly. "A Dimensional Master projects only what is necessary. It's the way of dimensional dominance—sending out fragments of their essence to influence lesser realms. Even a mere reflection can shake the Earth."
The implication was terrifying: if the projection had been allowed to manifest fully, it could have crushed their world without effort.
---
A Shadow of Hell
Thor folded his arms, golden hair falling over his shoulders. "The presence was most likely tied to one of the hell dimensions. There are many of them—the infernal realm of Mephisto, the dark abyss ruled by Dormammu, and countless others. I cannot yet say which lord cast their eye upon us. But make no mistake… whichever it was, the being is an enemy of life itself."
The thought sent a ripple of unease across the table. An evil god lurking just beyond their reality meant Earth was in constant peril, whether they realized it or not.
Thor continued, voice heavy with dread. "Even this small projection would be backed by the endless energy of its master. Such an avatar is virtually invincible. Even if destroyed, it could simply be remade. That is the danger of facing those who rule dimensions."
He let the words sink in. "We are talking about an entity against which even the combined might of the Avengers might amount to nothing."
---
The Vanishing Pressure
Captain America finally spoke, his voice calm but edged with urgency. "If that's true, then why did the coercion vanish so suddenly? Shouldn't it have lasted longer—or escalated?"
Thor frowned, shaking his head. "That is the mystery. The simplest explanation is that the duplication chose to hide itself. Dimensional projections are almost impossible to destroy outright, not when they are tethered to their deity. If it had been forcibly erased, we would have felt the battle shake the world."
His blue eyes locked on Steve's. "No such battle occurred. The streets are untouched. Therefore, the projection must have withdrawn of its own accord."
The logic was sound, and yet—unknown to them—it was completely wrong.
For the truth was that this projection had already been cut off from its master, stripped of the deity's backing. It had fought alone… and it had been annihilated.
---
Fear of the Unknown
Captain America folded his arms, brows furrowing. "So if it wasn't destroyed… then the being simply disappeared, waiting to return."
"Exactly," Thor replied, voice heavy. "And that is the worst possibility. It means the Dimensional Lord is concealing its true intent. Whatever it is planning… it will not be good for Earth. We are being targeted."
The atmosphere in the room tightened. The fluorescent lights seemed colder. Each Avenger, each S.H.I.E.L.D. agent present, could almost feel the invisible storm on the horizon.
---
Iron Man's Crisis
Iron Man leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, but his usually confident smirk was absent. Instead, his face was pale, his brows drawn.
"We can't afford to let this go," Tony Stark said, his voice unusually heavy. "We have to investigate. We need to know who this god is, what it wants, and how to stop it."
The others nodded grimly.
But inside, Tony's thoughts were running wild. He remembered his recent encounter with the symbiote, how easily it had been crushed by Nathan's intervention. That had shaken him. But this? The idea of an evil god who could destroy the world with ease? That rattled him to his core.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck.
I thought I was strong. I thought my armor made me untouchable. But compared to beings like this… I'm nothing. Just a man in a can.
His fists clenched under the table. I've been arrogant. I've been staring at the sky from the bottom of a well. That ends now.
Resolve burned in his chest.
I need more power. I need better armor. Nano-tech—it's no longer a luxury. It's survival. If I don't act now, Earth won't stand a chance.
In that moment, Tony Stark's mindset shifted completely. The seeds planted by Nathan's actions earlier now bore fruit. He was no longer building for ego or recognition. He was building to ensure humanity's survival.
Because of this crisis, the birth of the Nano Armor would be accelerated—much earlier than in the original timeline. Perhaps even before the Civil War.
This single change would ripple outward, altering history itself.
---
The Butterfly Effect
None of them realized it, but Nathan's presence—his interference with the natural course of events—was changing everything. Iron Man's technology, the Avengers' responses, even the very survival of Earth's future… all of it was diverging.
Like a butterfly flapping its wings, Nathan's actions had created storms in the tapestry of fate. The course of history was no longer fixed. It surged forward in new, unpredictable directions.
---
The Hidden Truth
The meeting adjourned with grim faces and heavy hearts. Each Avenger walked away burdened with thoughts of doom. They believed a storm was coming, an evil god preparing to descend.
But in truth, the "duplication" they so feared was already gone—erased from existence.
Even Dormammu, the ancient ruler of the Dark Dimension, had no idea what had happened.
The world braced itself for a disaster that would never come. And the one responsible for the misunderstanding?
---
Nathan's Laboratory
Far from the tense meeting rooms of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nathan was quietly at work in his hidden laboratory, surrounded by glowing artifacts and otherworldly devices. He looked perfectly at ease, as though none of the world's paranoia had anything to do with him.
Before him stood a sight so strange, it made even him raise an eyebrow.
Spider-Man—or rather, the little creature that had once been infused with symbiote energy—was no longer the same.
The figure in front of Nathan was small, pink and white, round and absurdly adorable. It looked less like a superhero and more like a cartoon mascot. Its large eyes blinked innocently, shimmering with a soft pink hue, while its plump body gave off the impression of a harmless pet.
Nathan's mouth twitched. "…What the hell happened to you?"
The little Spider-Man tilted its head, blinking up at him with childlike curiosity.
This was not at all what Nathan had expected. Not a demon, not a weapon of destruction—just something bizarrely cute.
It was as though the terrifying chain of events that had shaken S.H.I.E.L.D. had all led… to this.
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