The team had returned to the compound. The exploration of the base had ultimately led to more questions than it had led to answers. The team was feeling frustrated by the lack of progress, and ancy about the threat seeming to grow larger every second. They had gathered in the command room to compile the information they had been able to gather in order to decide what their next move should be.
"So, Hydra base back on line," Rhodey started the list. "We took prisoners who haven't been able to give us anything interesting yet."
"Dead guy in orange goop," Sam added. "Who is part alien."
"Another base on line, but we think that one is S.H.I.E.L.D." Rhodey said.
"We found enough evidence that it is, or was before it was attacked," Natasha added.
"So to sum up," Sam said. "We got a new bad guy messing with alien DNA and S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra are most likely involved."
"We don't know Hydra for sure," Rhodey said.
"But we can't rule it out." Natasha said.
"So, what's the plan Cap?" Sam asked.
"Let's ask Jamie about her knowledge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Stark, analyze everything you got from the lab and see if you can repair the phone. Rhodey, get in contact with intelligence agencies, see what they know about the base. Natasha, reach out to some ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to see what they can give you. Everyone else, pick a prisoner to question I'll take Jamie."
They dispersed.
Natasha stayed in the command room. She ran through the list of ex-S.H.I.E.L.D she trusted. The list was always short, but it was shorter these days. She called Fury first, but he didn't pick up, so she called Maria. It rang many times before she answered.
"Hello?" Maria said.
"Hi," Natasha replied.
"Miss me much?" Maria said. she sounded distracted.
"We raided the Strucker base, took 19 prisoners, intent undetermined. We also visited another base, Stark said it was online again." She paused.
"Which base?" Maria asked. Maria was a good agent trained for situations like this, but so was Natasha, and she could hear the urgency and panic that her friend was hiding.
"Does it matter?" Natasha asked.
"No, we just want to be prepared in case something goes wrong. A little late but Fury set up a safe house, maybe that's what you're seeing." Maria said.
"That's what Steve said." Natasha paused again.
"What did you find?" Maria asked.
"Nothing, the place was raided."
"What?" Maria suddenly sounded more interested. "What happened?"
"We were hoping you would know."
Natasha waited for her to confess whatever she was hiding.
"Send me whatever you found, I'll see if Fury has time to talk. We'll set up a video conference, work out this mess," Maria said.
"Fury didn't answer his phone."
"We're in the middle-" The line went dead.
"Hello?" Natasha looked at the phone and frowned, it was black, totally dead. She started toward the lab to talk to Tony about it when the lights went out.
Natasha stumbled by the sudden blindness, reaching out and steading herself on the wall. She pulled a gun from the back of her pants and held it ready in front of her. Feeling her way she made it down to lab.
"Stark, what the hell is this?" she asked, hoping he was still there.
"Nat," he replied. "Iron Man isn't working."
"What?" she said.
"Someone drained the power."
"Who could do that?"
"I don't know."
"You'd better figure it out fast. Did you see anything on the monster?" Natasha asked.
"No-"
Wanda burst in, her hands aglow. Behind her Sam and Rhodey held guns and Steve his shield.
"Stark?" Steve asked.
"Wanda, give me some light," Tony said, leaning over his computer. Wanda obliged.
"Why aren't the generators working?" Natasha asked as the remaining heroes formed a circle around Tony and Wanda, guns raised.
"Did you find anything, Nat?" Steve asked.
"I talked to Hill. She didn't give me anything but she was definitely hiding something. The call was cut a few minutes before the power went out."
The power switched back on.
"Huh," Tony leaned back. "I don't think that was me."
The power went out again. The room became more uneasy.
The lights began flashing on and off rapidly.
"It's not morse code," Natasha said.
"Maybe we should get out of here," Sam adjusted his hands on his gun.
"Let's split up," Steve said, pulling flashlights from a drawer. "Sam, you stay with Tony and Wanda."
"Where's Vision?" Sam interrupted. The team looked around, none of them had seen him.
"Natasha you find Vision, then bring him here. Rhodey, you take the back entrance, I'll take the front, Tony, put on your suit." Steve gave his orders. The team clicked on flashlights and moved to obey.
"My suit isn't working," Tony said.
"Neither is mine," said Rhodey.
Steve looked at Tony.
"Both suits were charging, when the power went out they were both out of power."
"We got hacked," Natasha said.
The lights were still flashing, but other electronic devices were still dark.
"Fine, no suits," Steve said. "let's move."
The power suddenly returned stronger than before, blinding them. They looked around. Tony immediately started working on his computer. The vents opened and needles shot out. The team fired their guns but the needles were coming from all sides, and one by one they slumped to the ground."
"Well," said a silky voice. "That was easy."