Marvel Mayhem

Chapter Fourteen: Unnatural Arrivals

              It was difficult for anyone's ears not to have popped every second they traveled down the longest elevator shaft in history. They were several miles beneath Liberty Island – well out of range for any Wi-Fi service. Liberty Base was undoubtedly the ideal place to keep hidden from any Hydra or Skrull agents. In her earlier years as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ciciley spent some years stationed at the base. She was not alone in those years, having been partnered with a fellow agent to keep surveillance in all corners of the world. 

              "It's been thirty whole years since I last stepped foot in this place," she reminisced as she exited the elevator with everyone else.  

              Sean frowned with recognition. "Wait. Thirty years? That's as long as I've been alive!"  

              Ciciley blushed. "Well, uh..."  

              Thankfully, she was spared of any explanation she could pull out of her behind with the loud cooing of Karter. He became fidgety in the arms of Chrissy. Once being a mother herself, Chrissy knew what that was a sign of.  

              "I think this lil' fella's getting hungry. Anyone got any formula?"  

              "Here." Mindy stepped in just in time, gently waving her left hand in the air and conjuring a baby bottle.  

              Chrissy smiled as she took it from her, going right to feeding Karter. "You are truly a living miracle, dear."  

              Mindy was humbled by her remark. It was not often she received such praise or was described in such a touching way. "Thank you," she whispered to Chrissy.  

              The group consisted of the Livingstons, Mindy, and Karter entered the decades-old, hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. base almost cautiously. It was a base S.H.I.E.L.D. owned, of course, which gave way for the possible chance that Hydra could have found out about it, despite Ciciley's assurance that they could not. Liberty Base was literally under everyone's radar and kept secret from the rest of the organization. And, according to Ciciley, it was just one of a few top-secret facilities authorized by Nick Fury, but it was the oldest one established.  

              As soon as they arrived upon an intersecting lobby, they stopped over the large, old-school S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia decorated on the floor. A dark-haired figure stepped out from an area Ciciley recognized as the surveillance room. And the figure herself was recognized by everyone, her presence coming as a shock.  

              "Genevieve?" They all exclaimed.  

              "You've survived!" Mindy noted.  

              "And...you got your hair done?" Sean observed with a questionably raised eyebrow. "What's up with that?"  

              Genevieve ran her fingers through her blackened hair in frustration. "I don't remember a thing after Blake and Sitwell attacked us back in Elendriel's apartment. They must've used some kind of mind-altering drug to wipe away whatever memories I had in the moments between the attack and my arrival on Liberty Island. Gotta give it to Hydra on making good use in S.H.I.E.L.D. resources."  

              There were looks of concern exchanged briefly among Mindy and the Livingstons.  

              "Um, there's something you should know, Genevieve." Ciciley apprehensively addressed. "That wasn't Blake or Sitwell that attacked. They're alien shape-shifters that call themselves 'Skrulls.' They made themselves up to look like them."