Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Nick Fury stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, calmly watching the agents hard at work below.
As one of the few people who knew how treacherous and unpredictable this world was, only this kind of control gave him even a sliver of security.
Knock, knock, knock!
Hill knocked on the door and walked straight in. "Sir."
Nick Fury quickly composed himself and turned to look at her. "What is it, Agent Hill?"
"The Tree of Knowledge has undergone some changes."
"What?"
"I don't know how to describe it. You should see for yourself."
Hill projected the images from her tablet into the air. As Nick Fury looked at the two projected pictures, his brow unconsciously furrowed.
Both images showed radiant, lush trees. Their size and shape seemed unchanged, yet comparing them revealed subtle differences.
"You see it, Fury. The second tree has more... yellow leaves than the first, as though it had gone from spring to autumn." Hill pressed her lips together, choosing her words carefully. "This has never happened before. The professors studying the Tree of Knowledge all agree that it might be some kind of omen. For example... Catastrophe."
"What besides catastrophe?"
"Death and decay."
"Motherfucker!" Nick Fury complained speechlessly. "I knew those experts and professors were unreliable, but I didn't expect them to be this perfunctory."
"Fury, you had people who believe in science research mysticism. This is naturally a blind spot in their knowledge."
"It was the only option." Nick Fury sat down. "When did this happen?"
"Last night."
Fury stared intently at the yellow leaves on the second tree, pondering the revelation it offered. One speculation after another flashed through his mind.
Just then, the phone on his desk suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts.
"Gaius?" Nick Fury glanced at the caller ID, and