The next day.
The wind rolled gently over a field of wildflowers along the cliffside, carrying the sharp scent of the sea. The waves below still crashed with the same eternal rhythm, but the hilltop was quiet now.
Daniel lay sprawled on the grass, back in his dark-blue business suit and white shirt. The golden fur, the armor, the staff — all gone. His Wukong form had receded. Beside him sat his black suitcase, looking strangely out of place among the flowers.
A groan escaped his lips as he stirred awake. His back protested after a night on the ground, and his head throbbed — not from injury, but from the flood of memories that weren't entirely his own.
He sat up, rubbing his temples. "Ugh… so that wasn't a dream." His mind replayed the events: the portals, the mirror dimension, the fight. "Dang… I really fought the Ancient One. And it was like… beating a kid." He chuckled to himself, then winced at the arrogance in his own voice. "Damn."
But the smile lingered. "Good to know she won't be coming after me anymore."
Daniel got to his feet and brushed grass from his trousers. His eyes fell to the suitcase. Flipping it open, he found a neatly arranged set of documents: a passport, national ID, birth certificate, credit cards — even a polished brass house key.
He whistled low. "Damn… the old man hooked me up. I was ready to forge a new identity from scratch, but this? He made my work way easier."
He sorted through the items with a grin, then paused. There was one thing he needed to check before anything else.
"System."
[Yes, Host.]
Relief washed over him. "Show me my data."
[Name: Daniel Lee.
Template: Sun Wukong (lv 5)
Titles: The Monkey King, The Anomaly.
Abilities: Sage's Body.]
His brow furrowed. "What's 'Sage's Body'?"
[Sage's Body: Super strength, super speed, extreme durability, accelerated healing, resistance to most damage, enhanced mind, and more.]
Daniel blinked. "So basically… I'm super strong now."
No one answered, of course. He shut the suitcase, picked it up, and started walking toward nowhere in particular.
"I need to get home. But since the Ancient One's out of the picture, I'm gonna have to find my own way back."
A thin strip of asphalt appeared ahead. A road. He followed it under the sweltering midday sun.
"Why is it so hot here, man?"
By the time he reached a small town, the heat had stuck his shirt to his back. Spotting a man reading a newspaper on a bench, Daniel approached.
"Hey, where am I?"
The man glanced up. "Oh, this is Cleveland, Mississippi. You look lost, son. Need a hand?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, no. Thanks. Just… anywhere I can stay the night?"
The man pointed down the street. "Doe Brothers Inn. Old place, but decent beds. Can't miss it."
"Thanks," Daniel said, already moving.
---
The Triskelion — Washington, D.C.
The headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. rose like a steel monolith over the Potomac River, its glass and concrete walls reflecting the midday sun. The building's edges were sharp, its lines purposeful — a fortress disguised as an office tower. Inside, the air was cool, sterile, and tense with unspoken secrets.
On the top floor, Director Nick Fury stood before a massive glass wall, gazing down at the city. His single eye tracked the moving dots of traffic far below, but his mind was elsewhere.
Behind him, Agent Maria Hill entered, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. "Sir, our agents recovered the satellite footage from the incident site."
She placed a folder on his desk. Fury didn't move for a moment, then turned, flipping the file open. The first page hit him with a still image: a golden-furred warrior locked in combat with the Ancient One herself.
His jaw tightened.
"Who," he murmured, "the hell… are you?"
To be continued…
---