"Join S.H.I.E.L.D.? No way. I'd either end up as Hydra or a corpse." Watching Coulson leave, Daniel Davis shook his head in resignation.
He knew all too well what went on inside S.H.I.E.L.D., especially the field operations division Coulson wanted him to join. It was a Hydra hotbed. Among the various departments in S.H.I.E.L.D., the field ops team had the highest number of Hydra infiltrators, with loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents being a rare minority. Hydra avoided fully populating the team with their agents to minimize the risk of exposure. Otherwise, the entire field ops could easily have been a Hydra unit.
Other departments within S.H.I.E.L.D. were comparatively safer.
Had Coulson offered him a position in the tech division, Daniel might have considered it. The tech division had the fewest Hydra agents and generally didn't involve field missions, making it a safer choice.
Moreover, this division provided opportunities to access the Tesseract, the Space Stone, which fascinated Daniel. He was curious about whether his Op-Op Fruit abilities would work on the Space Stone.
The Infinity Stones' immense power was evident from the transformations of ordinary people into beings on par with Thor, as seen with Captain Marvel and Scarlet Witch.
"Thinking about that is a bit premature." Daniel dismissed his thoughts about the Infinity Stones. For now, they were far beyond his reach.
"Recruiting Rebecca into S.H.I.E.L.D., I wonder if they also recruited Jill, Chris, and Leon. If Chris and Leon joined S.H.I.E.L.D., that would be interesting." Daniel chuckled at the thought.
Chris and Leon would likely join the field ops team, which would be a nightmare for Alexander Pierce. Chris was notorious for his lethal impact on his own teams. If Chris took on more missions, he might decimate S.H.I.E.L.D.'s field ops team, causing Pierce to panic and potentially expose himself prematurely.
As for Leon, the vehicle destroyer, Pierce's Insight Helicarriers might self-destruct if Leon so much as touched them.
"That could really happen. Too bad I'm not a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. official; otherwise, I'd definitely recruit them."
Boom.
Daniel's thoughts were interrupted by a loud explosion. Turning, he saw a massive mushroom cloud rising above the mountains.
"A nuclear blast? That was quick." The sight of the mushroom cloud made it clear.
The devastation in Raccoon City and the transmission of virus-related information to the authorities had swiftly led to the decision to nuke the city.
The explosion drew everyone's attention at the temporary base. Many survivors, seeing the mushroom cloud, began to cry, mourning the loss of their home and loved ones.
In the aftermath of the initial chaos, survivors gathered to demand answers from the government.
This incident clearly wasn't normal. Survivors had seen zombies with their own eyes, and some had witnessed their loved ones turning into zombies.
"A nuclear plant meltdown caused the anomaly." The official explanation came quickly, nearly making Daniel laugh.
Even the nuclear explosion was attributed to the nuclear plant. The general public wouldn't know it was actually a government-initiated nuclear strike.
Umbrella Corporation had built a nuclear plant on the outskirts of Raccoon City, initially a benefit for residents due to lower electricity costs. Now, it was the scapegoat.
Comparing a city destroyed by a bioweapon virus to one destroyed by a nuclear meltdown, the latter was more palatable for the public. The government wouldn't reveal the truth, as it could lead to massive repercussions, potentially toppling the administration.
This explanation was bolstered by the precedent of the Chernobyl disaster, which also involved rumors of mutated creatures.
In the original timeline, even the president who attempted to reveal the truth about Raccoon City was assassinated, leading to another bioweapon outbreak.
"Rebecca, are you joining S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Daniel asked directly upon seeing Rebecca again. His use of "S.H.I.E.L.D." wasn't a slip; the acronym had been in use internally for years.
The full name, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, was the official designation, but "S.H.I.E.L.D." was the much shorter and more convenient internal term. Efforts to officially rename the organization to S.H.I.E.L.D. had been stalled due to bureaucratic complications, requiring unanimous agreement from the founding nations.
"Yes, and you? Coulson must have spoken to you too," Rebecca replied.
"I'm not interested in becoming an agent," Daniel said.
"Neither am I," Rebecca laughed.
Rebecca hadn't initially planned to join S.H.I.E.L.D., but Coulson's offer was too tempting. She had joined S.T.A.R.S. to gain experience and never intended to stay long. As a genius, especially in biology, Rebecca preferred working in a lab.
No organization on Earth could match S.H.I.E.L.D.'s advanced equipment and generous funding. For a young scientist, joining another research institute would mean years of waiting for recognition. In S.H.I.E.L.D., she could immediately become a lead researcher, focusing on bioweapons recovered from Umbrella.
Given S.H.I.E.L.D.'s origins in the Strategic Scientific Reserve, Rebecca couldn't resist the offer.
Had Daniel not known the truth about S.H.I.E.L.D., he might have been swayed by Coulson's generous terms. Coulson had a knack for persuasion, maintaining good relationships with the Avengers for a reason.
In Daniel's view, Coulson would have been a fitting successor to Captain America if he hadn't died.
"Refusing Coulson means my next steps are uncertain." The destruction of Raccoon City meant the orphanage survivors would be dispersed.
Other city orphanages wouldn't match the quality of Umbrella's.
"I should have taken some money when I had the chance." Daniel muttered, looking toward Raccoon City. He had been too focused on survival to think about such things.
As the temporary base lifted restrictions, news of Raccoon City's fate spread worldwide, attracting swarms of journalists.
While mainstream media lamented the disaster, some reported the truth.
However, the truth was quickly buried under expert commentary and various rumors, including theories of alien invasions and experiments.
Umbrella Corporation became a defendant in the Supreme Court, blamed for the nuclear plant disaster. As the plant's builder, Umbrella had to take responsibility.
This wasn't Umbrella's only accusation. Some sought to expose the bioweapon research behind Raccoon City's destruction. Umbrella's stock plummeted.
With most evidence vaporized in the nuclear blast, survivors' testimonies alone couldn't prove Umbrella's bioweapon research. Umbrella's formidable legal team ensured that the bioweapon lawsuit failed for lack of evidence, abetted by the government's cover-up.
However, Umbrella admitted to possible mismanagement of the nuclear plant and offered compensation. Most survivors accepted the money, swayed by the lure of cash.
In such a scenario, the few who continued to protest had little impact.
Daniel could have received a substantial sum, enough for a top-tier education. But unexpectedly, an uncle appeared, claiming guardianship and the compensation money.
Daniel had no memory of this uncle, but government officials verified his identity.
The uncle arrived with a personal lawyer, securing twice the compensation. However, it seemed Daniel wouldn't see any of it.
"Interesting. Let's see what you're up to," Daniel thought, watching silently. The uncle lived in New York.
Without this uncle, Daniel would have likely stayed in Colorado. Now, he had a chance to go to New York.
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