5609/Changeling: What You Become Pt. 2

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Changeling: What You Become Pt. 2
Date of Scene: 20 October 2018
Location: Unknown
Synopsis: A team of Birds of Prey and SHIELD agents go to rescue Skye. They succeed but not before the base is shaken to pieces by a sudden Quake. The team somehow manages to survive.
Cast of Characters: Hawkeye (Barton), Shadow, Quake, Melinda May
Tinyplot: Changeling
Tinyplot2: Leviathan


Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Over the last couple of days there had been back and forth between Cranston International Shipping and Argos Laboratories. Regarding a new bio fuel the lab was developing. One thing led to another and through some work by one of the Shadow's agents, an invite was exteneded to Deep Star One, their underwater laboratory where the project was taking place.

The ride over had been on a boat but the final leg to the facility itself was aboard a mini-sub, where the party going to the lab sits in the cramped confines as it speeds towards the lab. Judy, their guide explains.

"We had some recent damage to the lab dome, we're working on repairing it as you can see," she points out the sub window to where divers work on the dome. "Anyhow, our labs are still intact and will be ready for your inspection when you arrive," she explains.

Shadow has posed:
    Natasha had been keeping uncharacteristically quiet during the journey by corporate jet, other than occasionally fingering the girasol ring the Shadow had informed SHIELD would indicate her status as one of their agents.

    The moment they emerged to meet Argos' representatives, however, she stepped forward with a confident bearing and a professionally sculpted smile, every inch the charming outgoing CEO looking to add a new profit venue, introducing Clint and May as 'Kevin' and 'Mei Ling', her secretary and personal assistant, and Lumley as 'Doctor Leslie Clutch... Or was it Wesley? I keep forgetting. Several PhDs, very clever man...' and the SHIELD agents could almost /feel/ the change in attitude from the Argos representatives shift from 'suspicious by default' to 'dismissive'. She has been keeping the conversation centered on her almost the entire ride, chatting with the representatives about CMS' commitment to a better world, and how she was very impressed with the potential for a biofuel that would drastically cut down on pollution (and costs), and what endorsement by a company the size and reputation of CMS could do for Argos' own prospects...

    As the sub descends toward the dome she nods. "Oh dear. I hope the damage hasn't set back your research efforts?" Then, almost as an afterthought as if she has to remind herself to think about people, "Was anyone injured?"

Quake has posed:
"Three," Dr. Leslie Clutch intones, looking rather pained as he pushes his glasses back up his nose. "Three PhDs. Two Masters. And a Bachelor from Harvard I'd prefer not to talk about."

Geekling had two flavours: nerdly, and dear gods you people are beneath me. It was easy to see which Lumley had chosen. It suited his mood on this mission, having long ago lost all fucks he had to give over this particular fight with HYDRA.

He was there with two goals: Get the girl. Fuck HYDRA. Not necessarily in that order.

Melinda May has posed:
May, in her disguise as a personal assistant, nods to the Argos representatives almost absently before focusing on the phone in her hands as if there was absolutely nothing of interest here and she is merely waiting for Cranston to give her something to do. She glances up and over the very real reading glasses perched on her nose from time to time, though it seems more like a check to make sure she's not missed Natasha requesting something.

Anyone glancing at her phone's display will see what looks like a simple little time-waster game and occasionally pages that look like Facebook, as if she were trying to check for online updates despite their current location. In reality, the game and Facebook interfaces are directly linked to whichever computer system is tracking their movements, and she's using the excuse of tinkering on her phone to ocnvery useful intel back to their current Overwatch.

Oh, and she's stuck wearing high heels again. Someone please give her a reason to punch people.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Bet it was Woman's Studies right?" "Kevin" says with a smile for Leslie. "Those classes are never what people think they're about."

Looking out the window, Kevin adjusts his watch as he stands to take a look at the dome. Seeing the damage he flinches, pushing his hand through his black hair. "Wow, yeah, really hope nobody was hurt," he says in echo of his boss.

Judy shakes her head. "Thankfully no, and the water doors closed to protect the rest of the facility," she says before the captain lets her know they're about to dock and she ushers everyone to their seats.

The docking is swift, the captain seems to know the process backwards and forwards and a short time later they're escorted into the base. The corridors are drab but look functional. "Welcome to our docking facility," Judy gushes as she leads them through it. "This handles our in coming and outgoing craft, though we'll eventually be installing a sea elevator to make getting supplies and people to and from the surface more efficient."

"Anyhow if you'd all come with me I'll take you right to our bio-fuel lab, where I think you'll see our new fuel will be just the thing to help CMS stay competitive..."

She leads them on to some elevators that sink down several levels. Kevin toys with his watch again, Fitz had told him the watch could produces a single, short EMP burst capable of shutting shutting down unshielded tech in a 50 foot radius. It was a one shot sort of thing though and he didn't want to waste it. Thankfully the groups comms and May's phone, were shielded.

Overwatch reports back to May, that so far only the boat they came on is on the surface and that four cloaked quinjets were above them waiting to swoop in if needed.

The elevator doors open up to a lab floor where various vats of green fluid are being churned and processed by folks in black lab coats. "Now if you follow me," Judy says leading the way down to the lab floor. "Dr. Winters will be happy to talk to you about our process."

As an automated cart rolls by Kevin, mentions, "We need to cover a bit more ground right?" he asks looking for an excuse to duck out and do some proper searching.

Shadow has posed:
    "Splendid!" Natasha beams, apparently oblivious to the chatter on the comm. "I've been looking forward to meeting her ever since I read about her in the Leading Women In Science article in the August edition of the Times. Biology, biochemistry and marine biology, correct?" She holds out a hand.

    "Kevin, the article, if you would?" she asks without even looking at Clint, then continues to Judy. "If it wasn't clear from the article that she loved her work here at Argos, I'd have considered hiring her myself..." She chatters on, treading a fine line between 'frivolous rich idiot' while keeping her questions just insightful enough to keep the bulk of attention on her -- and off her assistants...

Quake has posed:
When 'Kevin' mentions women's studies, Leslie sighs, leaning in towards his boss, "You assured me, Ma'am, that this wouldn't happen again. I do believe my contract comes up at the end of the month. I will remember this."

'Kevin' gets a *look*, then Leslie goes back to looking bored. He came for the biochemical engineering lab. Not to make small talk or be given the grand tour. He wasn't interested in the mundane.

In actuality, he's counting. People. Exits. Access points. Power terminals. Everything that they might need to find the girl and cripple the station.

Melinda May has posed:
The update from Overwatch on the pretend Faceboo app garners a small smile and a quick bit of typing, as if she were replying to something she just read... which is actually the truth. And what she's replying with is pretty much a running tally of the exact things that Lumley is making mental notes about. She's doing while seemingly not looking up from her phone except very occasionally.

Switching back to the little time waster game screen, she continues feeding data to Overwatch and looking completely distracted from her surroundings.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Kevin grins in the face of Leslie's glower. "Totally Women's Studies," he confirms for everyone nodding happily to himself.

He stays more or less like that until he's called upon to provide the article, he steps forward flipping open the CMS logo embossed tablet case and bringing up the file. "Here you are Ms. Cranston."

"Sorry, did you mean Dr. Winters or me?" Judy asks with a laugh. "Becuase we both love our work here." She leads the way down to Dr. Winters, the woman stands watching people work and seems about as happy as Leslie is when she sees the visitors.

"Hello," she greets. "Welcome to our lab," her attempt at welcoming is sort of painful. Plus they made her wear heels.

Scanning around facility so far, show's a small number of staff, access seems best through the dome or through the docking area. Inside, all the areas but the lab seem fairly low security, though in the lab there are more than a few security men keeping watch, standard sidearms, likely low velocity rounds if they're smart being underwater and surrounded by expensive equipment.

When nobody replies to his suggestion of spreading out, Kevin takes things into his own hands. "Uh, sorry to interupt, but is there a bathroom, I had a bit too much coffee on the boat."

Judy looks to Natasha with an understanding look. "Over there," she says pointing the way.

Shadow has posed:
    Natasha barely bats an eye. "Kevin, don't tease Doctor Leslie. We've talked about this, haven't we? Leslie, we've /also/ had this discussion before. You're a highly respected scientis, and 99% of the time I'm entirely happy to leave you to your /well-appointed and highly budgeted/ research facility and your research, with very little supervision as long as you keep up the monthly reports. But every now and then I /do/ need your expertise in the field. We all have to do things we don't want to do sometimes."

    She offers a smile at Judy and Dr. Winters. "You'll have to excuse him. He's a brilliant man in his fields, but... Not a people person. You know how it is..."

    She sighs at Clint as he makes his excuses. "... Please try not to get underfoot, these people are working on important business and if I have to apologize to them because you tripped over someone's test tubes I will be very disappointed at your next performance review..."

    She turns her patented People Person smile on Dr. Winters. "Ah, Doctor! I'm so pleased to meet you. Your article on the possibilities of cultivating algae for biodiesel was /fascinating/ even if I needed Leslie's help with some of the more technical parts. I have to admit, though -- one of the reasons that most maritime cargo transport still uses diesel despite its relative heavy pollution factors is because almost no other type of fuel short of nuclear comes even close to delivering as much energy per litre. Are you confident that your biodiesel process can come within shouting distance?"

Quake has posed:
'Leslie's' lips pinch into a tight line.

"As you say." The Ma'am pointedly left out. "If you don't mind, I came to investigate the laboratory. I'm sure you can all make chit chat without me."

He says 'chit chat' like he's been asked to teach basic multipication to a bunch of high school drop outs who are only there for community time served. And provided he's not interfered with, 'Leslie' spends his time fanning out in the lab, pretending to observe and check out materials and equipment, while unobtrusively placing the grain of rice sized bugs he's been entrusted with to disseminate in advance of the actual rescue part of the mission.

Melinda May has posed:
When 'Kevin' asks for a bathroom, May actually looks up from her phone and over her glasses at him. Her expression makes it clear she is neither surprised nor amused by the younger assistant's overindulging in coffee or by his tiny bladder. But, as her attention has been pulled away from her phone, she takes the moment to look at Dr. Winters and offer a seemingly passive smile hello. And then her attention returns to her phone.

She goes back to 'Facebook' again and types in another update, indicating that the bugs are being planted. Hopefully they'll be able to glean useful information from the computer systems here... like a floorplan.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Yes ma'am," Kevin says about teasing doctor Leslie. He turns to the doctor. "Sorry, doc, nervous habit, don't like tight spaces," he lies.

Natasha gets the same reply as he starts off towards the bathroom, "Yes ma'am."

Dr. Winters for her part seems to brighten considerably when she's asked a /real/ question. "Uh, well," she says a little stunned for a moment before she launches into details on how their new process improves the combustability of the fuel to a level that was not quite at the same level as disel, but close, and for a lower cost.

"To say nothing of the environmental benefit, which comes with it's own PR advantages."

"It promises to be revolutionary," Judy chimes in, despite a glower from Winters. She has no time for PR jargon.

May's wish comes true, Overwatch provides the floor plan, complete with changes made since Argos took over, it looks like there's signifigant changes to the lower levels and small rooms that look like they could be cells.

The lab staff, don't seem to mind as Leslie wanders and Kevin b-lines to the washroom. The security men keep an eye on them though.

Well until they have something else to worry about....

---

Down below, in the level with the cells, a black grey casing begins to chip away off of a woman held in a plastic covering her like a bell jar.

The men around her in black lab coats, standing with Karl, who watches impassively.

Her insides buzzing like a cloud of bees, the woman is mere moments from waking.

Shadow has posed:
    Natasha nods along with the explanation, even if it's clear that at least half of the higher-order chemistry is going over her head, but she bravely manages to keep up whenever the explanation dips back down into things like efficiency or pollution coefficients. "I see," she half-lies. "There would still be a minor drop in efficiency, but the cost might offset that -- and once the EPA verifies the lower pollution rate, the reduction in fees and the PR coup would pay for it several times over. Would there be any redesigns needed, or could the mixture be used in a conventional diesel engine with only minor alterations to the engine?"

    She idly scratches at the back of her neck, a perfectly ordinary gesture from someone trying to think -- except for the fact that back during the plane ride she'd promised to use that specific gesture to signal "I'm about to ask a question that might start trouble."

Quake has posed:
'Leslie's' infiltration of the lab is thorough. He makes sure to stop at all stations that have computer access - conveniently this totally fits in with his cover. And his attitude towards the lab techs there is only slightly more favourable than that he's given 'Kevin', which is to say somewhat exasperated, and much on the lines of they're taking up his valuable time. Periodically he makes a 'hnnn' noise at something he sees. Ocassionally nodding. Very much in lines of this is intersesting, or we can streamline that. All the while covertly slipping those bugs down.

----------

Meanwhile, down in the lab..

Her entire body was afire with the feeling of thousands of bees buzzing along each and every one of her cells. She could swear she can feel them all individually. Can feel them all vibrating in agony as they're tormented and twisted, unbound and rejoined...

Only to Skye, it's all just a level of pain and awareness that has her trapped in that endless scream, mouth thrown wide open as the feeling creeps over her, engulfing her, and freezing her in time.

Until she isn't. Instead, that fire becomes a chill ice that spreads from her, outward to everything around her. That same buzzing. Everything in it's own fashion screaming for her attention. A pulsing throb of noise and pressure that has her throwing up her hands to protect herself..

And in that moment she gasps awake, everything around her exploding outward in a shower of shards of glass and laboratory equipment. The tubes around the one she was held prisoner in shattered into bits, leaving a passed out mutant in one, and poor Bob - how very human he was - dead, slumped over and bleeding from eyes and ears from the shockwaves that now engulf the station shuddering it to its very core and structural foundations.

Karl and the rest of his observing minions, in their observation station, are down for the count, but not visible to poor Skye who is slowly coming to the conclusion that she was wrong. So very wrong.. and Karl was right.

She'd been changed.

Melinda May has posed:
May, again focused on her phone, smiles slightly to herself as the floorplan with changes comes through to her from Overwatch. Again she taps at her phone while Dr Winters yammers on, sending a message to Overwatch to inform the others. Especially Barton.

Then, after a moment, she looks up from her phone again to address Natasha with a tinge of Hong Kong posh accenting her words. "I should go find Kevin. He must have stopped for more coffee." And, unless Cranston tells her not to, she's going to do exactly that.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Winters carries on, explaining the changes that would be needed to accomodate the new fuel, yet more expenses but ones she felt were balanced by the long term savings, then it came to the question. Judy is about to step in before Winters stops her, "Go ahead Ms. Cranston, I am sure it won't be a problem," she says of the question that hung pending.

Lesley's tour isn't interupted but one of the more eager security men makes his way over to try and keep a closer eye on him around the computers.

Kevin for his part makes it to the bathrooms before everything goes to hell.

It feels like a bomb went off at first, the ground and everything else shaking violently, but it doesn't stop. It just keeps going and going. Alarms begin to sound, people scream, the security men look around, some grab people and try to get them to cover, other, move to cover the doors, in case this was... something? They weren't sure, no one was.

The guy near Leslie, reaches an for the agent, growling, "What the hell did you people do?" of course it's the guests fault.

By the washrooms, Kevin, looks for May, ready to act if she gives the go ahead, he's already moving quickly towards one of the guards sizing up his weapons.

That's when one of the walls begin to crack and water begins to shoot in jets as the crack widens.

---

Downstairs, men start picking themselves, up one of them is Kowalski, he's bleeding from his ears, and when he stands he has to hold himself up at the wall.

His mouth moves but nothing can be heard over the rumbling. He reaches for his gun and finds it gone, he staggers looking for another one.

Up in the observation area, Karl, stands, he's missing an arm, wires dangling from his elbow, and his faceplate is shattered on one side, leaking blue fluid. The doctors around him are in worse shape, bleeding from a dozen cuts brought about by flying glass.

He steps over them jumping down to the floor of the laboratory and advances towards Skye.

Shadow has posed:
    "Actually, I was wondering about your containment protocols," Natasha admits, sounding distantly concerned. "I couldn't help but notice on the way over to the surface platform - if I remember my charts correctly, this facility would be almost directly on top of the locus where the North Pacific Drift splits off of the Kuroshiro current. If any kind of contaminant got into the water here it'd be all along the entire West Coast within days, and into Japanese waters by the end of the week, and there'd be almost nothing anyone could do about it after the fact..."

    She smiles into the sudden silence, then shrugs apologetically. "When 80% of your business depends on the movement of the seas, you learn to pay attention to the streams whether you want to or not..."

    When the tremors hit, she's as surprised as everyone else and thrown violently off her feet, stumbling into Doctor Winters and knocking /her/ over as she recovers by grabbing onto the nearest solid surface.

Melinda May has posed:
May is headed toward the restrooms to meet up with Barton there when the entire place starts to shake like a bomb's gone off ... or like a major tectonic shift. That isn't stopping and making it nearly impossible to keep her feet in these damned shoes.

Thinking at least a few choice curses, she tucks her phone away and races toward Clint's last location as best she can, all affectations of the personal assistant gone. "Barton, go. Lumley, get to Cranston and both of you head for the exit. Now."

Quake has posed:
Two things Skye notices: Everything is trembling, and she doesn't hurt.

Given the beating she took, the second is something of a confusion to Skye in that she understands the mechanics of injury: You get hurt; it takes time to heal, unless someone does something to help that along, or numb your pain. Neither have occurred. It's a confusion. Was that what she'd become? A healer? Like her mother?

The first though, she hasn't yet attibuted to herself. All she knows is the station is shaking and threatening to rumble itself apart, and she had a window of opportunity to escape.

Stumbling over the bits and broken pieces of lab equipment, she leaves poor Bob. It's clear he's dead. She doesn't want to leave the poor mutant, though, to Karl's clutches, and tries to free him until it's clear she's either succeeded, or has to flee.

Skye suspects Karl will follow her regardless, only now beginnning to put bits and pieces together about his oddness. She'd focus on it more, but the noise of everything around her, and within her, is overwhelming.

She needs to get out of here. Now! Starting to get desperate, with or without the mutant, Skye scans for an exit, and makes a mad dash for it.

-----

'Leslie' is about to snark at one of the security folks when the tremors hit, Leslie throwing up his hands in an 'it wasn't me' gesture, looking innocent for the moment, until May's words come through over the roar of confusion. Flat of palm to one security guard's nose, thrusting the bridge of the thing into his frontal lobe. One gun aquired. <<Copy>>

It was mission go now. Fuck 'Leslie'. Lumley was born to this.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
That's all Clint needed to hear, Kevin is dropped in an instant, and Clint grabs the guard, slams his head against the wall, then, grabbing the man's gun, he pulls the trigger putting a round in the guy's knee. He turns then and drops another guard with a headshot. With the low velocity rounds and the guards wearing vests there's no other way.

"Weapon for you," he nods May towards the guard. "Where are we headed?"

Though as far as options went the stairs to one side, or the elevators to the other seemed like good options. The crack in the wall was growing and more water was pouring in.

Winters for her part, goes down quickly, she wasn't steady on those heels. When she sits up she, looks at the crack in the wall with widening eyes. "Oh god, those currents you mentioned..." she says to Natasha. Realizing her work was all going to be spilled into the sea.

To say nothing of everyone drowning.

The base continues to shake, more water pours in, time was growing short.

---

Downstairs, the mutant looks dazed, and cries out in pain when Skye comes near, clutching his body like he was trying to keep it from exploding. "Get away," he screams, or so it seems the rumbling drowns him out, but his lips spell out the words clearly.

He staggers towards the door ahead of Skye. At least he was running from her in the right direction.

That's when Karl comes, fighting some unseen force he comes towards her, aritifical body, shaking violently, parts falling off. "Stop, you're doing this it's you," he swings wildly at her, fighting the vibrations in his own body and those surrounding Skye.

He doesn't connect so he tries again.

Kowalski just keeps crawling towards a weapon.

Shadow has posed:
    Natasha blinks herself back to focus, apparently unaware that her 'scientist' just killed someone. "... That can't have been a quake, the nearest faultline is at least a hundred miles away..." she mutters, then her eyes widen as Doctor Winters' statement sets in. "... Tell me you /do/ have proper containment procedures..."

Quake has posed:
Lumley mows through interference. Gun. Fists. It's more of the first security guard, or a twist of neck. Shooting knees might be kinder, but it leaves them able to shoot back at you. Lumley isn't playing that game. He's had his fill of HYDRA over the years, and this is personal, if rather clinically detached of him.

--------

Skye, meanwhile, is confused. Epically so. What Karl says registers, but she can't believe it's true. Unless, her mind says, unless it /is/ true. Only she's not sure how to tell, and with Karl advancing on her the way he is, taking swings, she can't think. Can't think. Can't think.

"Stop it!" she screams, hands coming up over her ears. "Stop! I have to think. I can't think."

Desperately trying to slow her breathing and the rapidfire beating of her heart beause even if Karl is a liar (and she's not so sure he is lying about this, given the devestation around her and her being unscathed) she's not going to manage anything if she can't string two thoughts together in a row.

"Come closer and I'll level this place," she threatens him, not sure she can (rather certain she can't) but hoping it will be enough to stop Karl in his tracks and let her get a grip on herself. And if he isn't lying, perhaps dull the roar and the tremors of the station around her.

Melinda May has posed:
May takes the weapon Barton indicates without even slowing down. "Overwatch, find the epicenter of these tremors." If it's somethign inside this structure, they need to find it and stop it. Before they all drown. She's already presumed that while she's doing that Barton will be locating Skye to get her back. And that's totally what he's supposed to be doing.

Pausing at a junction where two hallways meet, she kicks off those horrid heels and pulls a pair of 'emergency' flats out of her stupidly small and trendy purse.

MUCH better.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
It the upstairs lab, the crack breaks open even wider, more water gushing in.

Winters nods quickly. "Yes, it's in the control room, through there," she points past the fountain of water, to a glassed off control room.

For Lumley's part he's definitely not lost a step in his twenty years on the run, he drops the remainder of the security men in the lab. The floor seems clear, though with the water, rushing in, he, Natasha and Dr. Winters may need to get moving quickly.

Clint looks back at the water rushing in. Then without further delay he kicks open the door to the stairs and heads downwards.

"C'mon hold together," he says to the base as he leaps whole flights of steps on his way down.

Overwatch reports to May. "The source is downstairs, at the lab and prison level."

---

Downstairs Karl seems desperate. "No, you must stop now," he dives at her, trying to grapple her and bear her to the ground.

"Kowalski, find a gun and shoot her or we're all going to die."

The Hydra soldier, scrambles for one of his comrades weapons, raising it, only to find it shaking apart in his hands. He goes for another.

Shadow has posed:
    Natasha nods, helping Doctor Winters to her feet and guiding her toward the control room. Yes, that torrent of water is bad, but who-knows-how-many gallons of unrefined biodiesel into the ecosystem will be /worse/. "Come on!"

    An entirely unintended and fortuitous side effect of this is that it keeps the good Doctor distracted from the fact that 'Doctor Leslie' has managed to kill or maim four security agents in the space of one minute behind her...

Quake has posed:
Skye is getting more frantic the more Karl advances on her, and he doesn't seem to be listening to the fact that he's part of the problem. In fact, he's the entire problem.

"Stop," she pleads again, wild-eyed and backing up. "I can't think. I need to stop and think. Just stop pushing at me."

Everything was pushing at her. Clamouring for her attention. And were she in her right mind, and not post-stress of this magnitude, she might have snarked at Karl that this was exactly what he wanted.. wasn't it?

Only snark is the last thing on her mind, and if Karl won't listen.. Skye turns, looking for the exit, choosing to flee instead of appeal to any sort of reason with the.. machine? Thing? Computer?

There wasn't time to dwell on that thought. She needed to get away.

-----

Lumley is off towards the epicentre. May has a point: if they don't stop this, they're all going down with the ship, and there won't be a girl to rescue.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
The water pushes Winters off her feet but Natasha is made of sterner stuff. She makes it through, reaching the control room.

Winters arrives a few seconds later, drenched and shivering. She begins rapidly pointing to controls as she walks Nat through the process of locking down the chemicals in the lab.

The wall splinters and more water pours through, Winters swallows, "It's not going to hold," she says. "Go," she tells Natasha. "I'll shut things down, just go," she moves to shove her aside and take over the shut down process.

---

Karl doesn't give up. The vibrations are shaking him apart but he keeps coming.

"Skye," he says his voice sounding more electronic now as more and more parts of him have been sheered off. "Stoop."

A shot rings out then and Karl stands wobbling, on his feet a moment then topples to the ground. Kowalski aims the gun at Skye but it breaks apart too. He flings the remains away and runs, leaning heavy on the wall for an exit beneath the gallery as Skye staggers out towards the hall.

As Lumley, May and Clint, arrive on the laboratory level, the mutant rushes towards them, yellow eyes wide. "You're going the wrong way, it's a monster!" he sprints towards the stairs.

Behind him Skye makes her way into the hall.

---

That's when the base splits like an egg...

A few hours later the team will be found in a raft by the quinjets floating above the ruins of the base. The story of how they got from the lab to the raft quickly becoming another SHIELD legend, like The Cavalry story, changing with each telling but the facts remain the same, the lab was destroyed, the ocean was saved, and the team all lived to be plucked from the ocean to be taken back to the Triskelion's medbay half a world away.

Though the story is far from over.