The ruins of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base were eerily silent, save for the crackling of distant fires. Loki's attack had left nothing but destruction, and the agents moving through the rubble carried grim expressions. Melinda May, however, had her eyes fixed on something unusual amid the debris.
A young man, no older than his mid-twenties, lay sprawled unconscious. His crimson hair was streaked with soot, but his futuristic trench coat remained unmarred. Strapped to his waist were two pistols with intricate designs that seemed to hum faintly, as if alive. Several sleek knives glinted in the dim light, their edges so sharp they seemed to slice the air. Beside him lay three black boxes, each the size of a small briefcase, their surfaces unmarked save for a glowing insignia of a dragon encircled by the letters "UNSC."
Melinda approached cautiously, signaling her team to hold back. As her fingers hovered near the weapon beside him, Hiro stirred. His hand twitched imperceptibly, reaching toward his pistols even in his unconscious state. Melinda froze, her instincts screaming danger. Whatever training he had, it was ingrained to the point of reflex.
When it became clear he wasn't waking, she motioned for the containment team. The young man, along with the boxes and weapons, was carefully transported to the Helicarrier under heavy guard.
---
Onboard the Helicarrier
Nick Fury stood in the medical bay, his arms crossed as he observed the unconscious stranger. Hiro Yamato, as the name on his chest plate read, was an anomaly wrapped in mystery. His crimson hair and youthful appearance contrasted sharply with the advanced and deadly equipment he carried.
"Status?" Fury asked.
"We've run every scan we have," an agent reported. "No match for his DNA in any known database. His equipment... well, that's a whole other story."
Fury raised an eyebrow. "Explain."
The agent gestured to one of Hiro's pistols, now resting on a secured table in the lab. "We've tried everything to disassemble it, but we can't even figure out how it works. It doesn't have any visible mechanisms or ammunition. As for firing it, nothing happens, no matter what we try."
"And the boxes?"
"Same problem. They're completely sealed, no visible seams or latches. We tried cutting into one with a plasma torch, but the material's impervious. It's like nothing we've ever seen."
Melinda May entered the room, holding one of Hiro's knives. "It's not just the boxes." She moved to a nearby steel table and, with minimal effort, dragged the blade across the surface. The solid steel split cleanly, as if sliced by a laser.
Fury's eye widened. "That was steel."
"Reinforced steel," May corrected, placing the knife back on the table. "And I barely put any force into it. Whatever this kid is carrying, it's decades—maybe centuries—ahead of us."
Fury turned back to Hiro, his mind racing. "And you're telling me you can't even touch his other weapons without him reacting?"
Melinda nodded. "He moved when I tried back at the base. Even unconscious, he's dangerous."
---
The Mystery Deepens
In the lab, Stark, Banner, and Romanoff examined the gear, each bringing their unique expertise to the table.
"I've seen alien tech," Tony Stark said, circling one of the black boxes. "This isn't it. This is... something else. It's like whoever built this wanted it to laugh in the face of anyone trying to reverse-engineer it."
Banner looked over one of the knives, his expression one of uneasy fascination. "This isn't a material we know. It's not vibranium, not adamantium. Whatever it is, it's not from here."
Natasha Romanoff observed Hiro from across the room. "And yet, he doesn't look alien. He looks... human."
Fury entered the room, his expression grim. "I want answers, people. Loki's on the move, the Avengers are coming together, and now we've got this wildcard dropped into our laps. If this Hiro Yamato has anything to do with Loki or the Chitauri, I need to know now."
Stark gestured to the badge on Hiro's chest. "That insignia—'UNSC'? Means anything to you?"
Fury shook his head. "Not a damn thing. Whatever this 'UNSC' is, it's not in any of our records."
As the team worked, the young man remained unconscious, his weapons and boxes resisting every attempt to unlock their secrets. The Helicarrier buzzed with speculation, but Fury couldn't shake the feeling that Hiro Yamato was more than a random survivor.
"This kid's trouble," Fury muttered under his breath, his eye narrowing. "The question is, whose side is he on?"