The plane quickly reached its destination. Since there was no airport nearby, May landed the plane on a relatively flat dirt road in Peru.
Fortunately, the Bus's capabilities allowed it to take off and land without requiring a proper runway.
After landing, Coulson and his team drove two vehicles towards the Llactapata Inca archaeological site under the guidance of the locals. Upon arriving at the destination, everyone got out of the cars.
As soon as he stepped out, Ward said, "There are tire tracks about 40 meters back. I'm going to check if they belong to this vehicle."
He wanted to ensure no one else was involved.
May looked around and remarked, "This area is too exposed. I'm going to find a more secluded spot to park."
She then restarted their vehicles, intending to find a safer place to park.
Meanwhile, Fitz and Simmons, who had also stepped out of the car, didn't share the others' caution. Instead, they were acting like tourists, eager to spot some wild capuchin monkeys, as Peru is known for its abundant monkey population.
The two of them chatted and laughed as they approached the archaeological site, standing in front of a massive Incan temple.
Skye, walking alongside Coulson, commented, "We should warn the locals. They're already dealing with anti-mining rebels and brutal Peruvian guerrillas."
"I could send out a message."
Coulson, still walking, replied, "Remember when that antimatter meteor almost hit the Miami coast and nearly destroyed the entire city?"
Skye, confused, answered, "No, I don't remember that."
Coulson looked at her and said, "Exactly, because we contained the situation and kept it under wraps."
Skye asked, "So why am I here?"
Coulson explained, "If the news leaks out, I might need you to divert public attention. Get people to focus on something else."
Skye understood, "You mean, do the exact thing I usually oppose."
Coulson nodded, "Exactly."
As Coulson gazed at the temple in front of them, a thought crossed his mind: Since an 084 object had appeared here, could there also be a related teleportation array from the Shinobi world?
Based on the intelligence they had gathered, teleportation arrays were said to be hidden in certain ancient temples and structures. Coulson wondered if they might encounter one this time.
Despite SHIELD's long search, they had never come across such an array. He couldn't help but wonder if this would be their lucky break.
While Coulson was deep in thought, he noticed a man emerging from the temple entrance. Stepping forward to greet him, Coulson said, "Good morning, Doctor."
"I'm Agent Coulson from SHIELD. I hear you've found something interesting." As he spoke, Coulson pulled out his credentials and showed them to the man.
The archaeologist glanced at Coulson's ID before saying, "I don't even know how to explain it. This temple is at least 500 years old, filled with artifacts from before the Incan era."
"But there's one item that shouldn't be here, and it looks like it could be dangerous."
Coulson pointed to the temple entrance and said, "That's exactly why we're here."
The archaeologist then led Coulson into the temple, where they saw an object embedded in the wall.
The archaeologist pointed to it and said, "It's completely untouched."
Coulson walked closer to the object, noticing strange patterns surrounding it. He asked, "Who else knows about this?"
"Only the local government—they're the ones who contacted you," the archaeologist replied.
Coulson carefully examined the patterns around the object before asking, "Aside from this item, is there anything else unusual?"
The archaeologist thought for a moment and then said, "The carvings on this wall seem off. I'm not sure if it was a mistake by the original creators or something new."
He pointed to the designs around the object and explained, "This doesn't seem to be from the Inca period, yet it appeared here in the temple along with the object."
"But it's probably just a minor archaeological issue," the archaeologist added, downplaying the significance.
Coulson pondered this information before saying, "Sir, I need you and your team to evacuate the site until we determine the object's danger level."
Nearby, Simmons and Fitz were already operating their scanning drone, which had flown over to the archaeologist.
The archaeologist looked at the small drone with curiosity, but Simmons quickly cautioned, "Don't touch it."
Coulson reiterated, "For your safety, please leave."
The archaeologist nodded and left the temple, aware that this place wasn't safe, especially with the discovery of this strange object.
Skye, who had been searching online, commented, "I've scoured every data stream—there's absolutely no mention of this thing online. It's unbelievable."
She moved closer to the wall, eyeing the object, and reached out to touch it, but Fitz warned, "Careful! You really shouldn't touch it."
Skye paused and looked at Fitz.
Simmons chimed in, "The unidentified object is embedded in fossilized rock, so it's likely been here for at least 1,500 years."
"That makes it a thousand years older than the temple itself—maybe it's extraterrestrial."
Fitz countered, "Maybe, but based on its design and craftsmanship, it looks more like something made in Germany."
Meanwhile, Coulson examined the patterns surrounding the 084 object and instructed, "Fitz, use your equipment to scan and map all the patterns in this temple related to this object."
"Yes, sir. But this thing seems to be part of the temple."
Coulson shook his head, "No, it reminds me of the patterns we found at the last 084 site," referring to the runic markings left behind by the Bifrost.
Outside the temple, Ward had returned after inspecting the tire tracks. Seeing May at the entrance, he reported, "The tire tracks match the professor's."
He then asked, "Where's your sidearm?"
Understanding Ward's concern, May stepped off the stairs, joined him, and said while scanning the surroundings, "If I need a gun, I'll just take one."
Ward nodded, "Right, I forgot you're a Cavalry."
May shot back, "Don't call me that."
"Sorry," Ward apologized.
As Ward moved toward the nearby jungle, he continued, "I've heard stories about you—what happened in Bahrain. That operation."
"Coulson was smart to bring you back."
May silently headed toward another part of the forest.
Ward pressed on, "It's good to have someone you can trust watching your back."
When he got closer to the source of a noise, Ward quickly grabbed a soldier hiding in the bushes and threw him to the ground.
May, on the other side, swiftly took down two soldiers hiding near her, disarming them.
As three Peruvian soldiers were subdued, several vehicles arrived, and more Peruvian soldiers quickly disembarked, aiming their guns at Ward and May.
Ward held his hostage, while May stood her ground with two guns drawn, ready to confront the soldiers.
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