"The white stone controls time," Matt said.
"The black one felt like space—distance, movement, teleporting."
"And the gray one… she said it could create things. Like life."
Phil exhaled slowly.
"What else did you see?" he asked.
"The space stone showed me things," Matt said.
"Stars… ships flying through space. Then another planet."
He swallowed.
"It had two moons. The place looked like a wasteland."
"And there was this giant statue—like an octopus, or something with tentacles."
Phil's eyes widened slightly.
"Can you draw what you saw?" he asked quietly.
Matt nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "I think I can."
Matt finished the drawing and slid the paper across the table.
"That's what the big statue looked like," he said.
It was the HYDRA symbol.
Of course, Matt acted like he had no idea what it meant.
Phil stared at the symbol for a long moment.
Is HYDRA connected to this? he wondered.
No… HYDRA is supposed to be long dead.
He looked back up, keeping his face calm.
"Is that everything?" Phil asked.
"Yes," Matt replied. "That's all."
Phil nodded, clearly filing the information away for later.
"Alright," he said. "I'll arrange a proper identity for Kora."
Kora looked surprised.
"…Really?"
"Yes," Phil said. "If she's going to live here, she needs papers that can survive background checks."
He turned to her.
"Do you plan on staying with Matt?"
"I want to live with him," Kora said immediately.
Phil nodded again.
"Okay."
Then he continued, "In that case, I suggest you join S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy—that's the name of my organization."
Matt raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet.
"At the Academy," Phil explained, "you can learn many things. You don't have to become a field agent like me. You could work at a desk, in research, logistics—anything."
Kora considered it, then nodded slowly.
"That… sounds good," she said.
Phil turned to Matt.
"You'll be joining too," he said. "Especially now that I know you have powers."
Matt shrugged casually, though inside he was already planning the same thing.
"Yeah," he said. "I was thinking about it anyway."
Phil stood up.
"Good," he said. "Then it's settled."
Then Phil paused and gave Matt a flat look.
"Also," he added, "are you a one-year-old kid who eats anything he finds? Why did you go and touch an unknown stone?"
Matt opened his mouth to respond, but Phil was already pulling out his phone.
"I'm calling someone," Phil said. "You're getting a full medical checkup. I need to know if that thing contaminated you—or worse."
"I don't think that's necessary," Matt said quickly.
"It is," Phil replied firmly.
"You said you were jumping through time. For all we know, there could still be leftover radiation in your body. Or you could randomly disappear again."
Before Matt could argue further, Kora spoke up.
"Yeah, Matt," she said worriedly. "I think it's a good idea. Who knows what that stone did to you?"
Matt looked between the two of them and sighed.
"…Fine," he said. "I get it."
Phil nodded, satisfied.
"Good decision," he said. "You'll thank me later."
Matt muttered under his breath, "I already regret this."
Kora squeezed his hand gently, smiling.
"Stop complaining," she said. "You survived time travel. A checkup won't kill you."
Matt just helplessly nodded.
Phil was already talking on the phone.
"Yes," he said seriously. "Possible exposure to an unknown artifact. Time-related effects. I want a full scan."
He listened for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. Prep the room."
Phil ended the call and looked at Matt.
"Eat," he said. "Then we're going to a nearby S.H.I.E.L.D. base."
Matt blinked."…Right now?"
"Yes, right now," Phil replied. "Medical first. Questions later."
Matt nodded, knowing there was no escape.
After finishing quickly, they got into Phil's car.
The drive was quiet.
Matt sat in the back seat with Kora, holding her hand. She stayed close to him, clearly nervous but trying not to show it.
"Everything will be fine," Matt whispered.
"I know," she said softly. "I trust you."
Phil drove for a while, then took an exit Matt had never seen before. The road became emptier. No signs. No buildings.
"This doesn't look like a hospital," Matt muttered.
Phil didn't answer.
A few minutes later, they stopped near what looked like an abandoned warehouse.
"This is it?" Matt asked.
Phil got out of the car.
"Follow me."
Inside the warehouse, there was nothing but dust and old crates.
Phil walked to the center of the floor and pulled out a small device. He pressed his thumb against it.
Beep.
The floor suddenly shifted.
A hidden platform lowered itself silently, revealing a deep shaft with bright lights running downward.
Matt's eyes widened.
"…Okay," he admitted. "That's cool."
They stepped onto the platform.
As it descended, Matt realized something amazing.
This place didn't just go down one level.
It kept going.
Underground floors passed by—each more advanced than the last.
Labs.
Armored doors.
People in black uniforms with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo.
"woah this is more cooler that I thought it to be" Matt wasn't lying seeing it on screen and seeing it in real life is totally different experience.
The platform finally stopped.
Phil led them out into a wide, clean corridor.
"This base is not public," Phil said. "Only S.H.I.E.L.D. agents know it exists."
They entered a medical room filled with strange machines and screens.
A woman in a lab coat looked up.
"Agent Coulson," she said. "You're early."
"Better early than sorry," Phil replied. "This is my nephew. Run every scan you have."
"So," the doctor said, glancing at her tablet, "he's the one who came into contact with an 0-8-4?"
Phil nodded once.
"Yes."
Kora frowned."What's an 0-8-4?" she asked.
Phil didn't take his eyes off the room where Matt was being led.
"An 0-8-4 is S.H.I.E.L.D. classification," he explained calmly."It can be an object… or a person. The only thing they all have in common is this—"
He paused.
"They don't belong to Earth."