0-8-4

July 14th 1988 - Earth

10Km outside Jiaying's Village 

As the three agents—Smith, Bond, and Hart—prepared for their mission to a remote village in China, agent Smith couldn't shake off a sense of unease. It was his first assignment after graduating from the SHIELD Academy, and the prospect of an international mission so soon felt overwhelming.

"Agent Bond, what was an 0-8-4 again?" Smith inquired, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"It's simply an object of unknown origin, rookie," Bond replied, his tone reassuring but tinged with a hint of dismissal. "They usually end up being nothing."

"Yeah, man, chill out already," Hart chimed in, attempting to alleviate Smith's concerns. "They wouldn't have sent just three of us if it was going to be dangerous."

Smith nodded, trying to quell the rising tide of anxiety within him. Ever since joining SHIELD, he had been told tales of the organisation's role in safeguarding the world from the supernatural and the unknown. As a level 3 agent, he was privy to only a fraction of the secrets that SHIELD harboured, leaving him feeling like he was barely scratching the surface.

Nevertheless, he steeled himself for the mission ahead, reminding himself of SHIELD's motto: "To protect the world from the strange and the extraordinary." With his fellow agents by his side, Smith hoped that they would be able to handle whatever challenges awaited them in the remote village. 

As they approached the outskirts of the village, an unusual stench permeated the atmosphere, triggering alarm bells in the minds of the SHIELD agents.

"This isn't good," Agent Bond remarked, his voice tense with apprehension.

"What the hell is that smell?" Agent Hart exclaimed, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Agent Bond's expression darkened as recognition dawned upon him. "I've smelt this before. It's a smell you only get in war zones, the smell of death."

The grim realisation settled over the team like a heavy shroud, dispelling any notion of this being a routine 0-8-4 mission. With a sense of foreboding, Bond instructed his team to prepare and gear up for the worst-case scenario, treating the situation as if they were entering a war zone.

"This has got to be the worst first mission I could get," Agent Smith lamented, his voice filled with resignation.

Their tension heightened as they approached the village, once serene and picturesque, now tainted by the presence of death. The lifeless bodies strewn across the streets painted a haunting picture of the carnage that had unfolded.

Moving cautiously, the agents ventured deeper into the village, their senses on high alert. As they neared the centre, two houses stood out amidst the desolation – one untouched by the violence and death, and the other surrounded by a disgusting display of corpses, an ominous aura enveloping the structure.

Suddenly, a woman's screams pierced the eerie silence, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Agent Smith. Without hesitation, he moved to rush to her rescue, only to be restrained by Agent Bond's firm grip.

"Stop! We don't know the situation," Bond cautioned, his voice steady and authoritative. "Let's focus and remember our training."

Agent Smith's instincts battled with reason as he reluctantly heeded Bond's advice, the urgency of the situation hanging heavy in the air. With their training as their guide, the agents steeled themselves in order to face the unknown.

As they approached within 20 metres of the two buildings, Agent Smith signalled for them to investigate the untouched building first, aiming to avoid any surprises before attempting to rescue the woman in distress. Sneaking around to the back of the building, they skillfully picked the lock and entered the premises. With Agent Hart keeping watch outside, Agents Smith and Bond began to search the building, each step cautious and deliberate.

Agent Smith's heart sank as he entered a room decorated to look like a nursery, fearing the worst for any children who may have been inside. However, his apprehension turned to relief as he laid eyes on two sleeping infants nestled within the crib. Swiftly contacting his teammates over the radio, he relayed his discovery.

"Sir, requesting assistance. I have found two babies alive and well upstairs in the second room to the right. Requesting further instructions," he spoke into the radio, his voice tinged with relief.

"Hold tight, Smith. Hart and I are coming up. We need to formulate an extraction plan to get them to safety," Agent Bond's response came swiftly, reassuring Smith as he waited by the crib, his gaze fixed on the slumbering infants.

As he watched over the sleeping children, one of them stirred, their eyes fluttering open. Panic surged through Smith, fearing the inevitable cry that would follow. To his surprise, there was no cry, it was David who had awoken, his gaze curious rather than fearful as he regarded the unfamiliar face before him.

'Ah, shit. What now, man…'