For the most part it was was a fairly basic infiltration mission, that kind Natasha had done countless times. The Moondragon compound didn't seem any different from others, except that it was nowhere near the high security type of place she was used to breaking into. The catch was that three agents had already gone in and not come out. The supposed leader of this compound, a sprawling, low-tech group of buildings hidden away from civilization in the mountains, was an unknown woman named Heather Douglas.
"We know something about her. Her parents died when she was young. Stayed off the grid after that, didn't resurface until now. Seems to think she's an alien, or at least talks to them. We can't find any evidence of that. She could just be crazy for all we know. But three SHIELD agents into investigate and never came out. She has close to two-hundred people in her compound with more arriving every week. They're completely self-sufficient. Nothing's coming out, not even any communication that we can tell."
"Why were we even looking then? A group of fanatical ludites living in the mountains doesn't seem like SHIELD business," Natasha asked Director Fury. Of course, if he was paying attention, there was a good reason.
"Because one of the things we do know about this Douglas woman is a few years back she tried talking to conspiracy theories online, warning them about a threat she called Thanos."
"That sounds familiar."
"Yes it does. We don't know what she knows or how she knows it, but I suspect if she's gathering people in the wilderness like this she's either planning for a threat or hiding from it. But we don't know now, do we? Because some good agents who shouldn't have been taken in by a bunch of unarmed survivalists never came back."
Natasha nodded. She knew the mission now was to go in and see what happened. "Okay, any other instructions?"
"Keep yourself unseen. I don't like SHIELD agents vanishing when all we can see is a farm full of mountain folk."
____________________________________________________________
Natasha made her way on foot for ten miles after being dropped off in the woods. Night had already fallen when she approached the compound and found it completely unguarded. Dozens of people farming in the fields were finishing up for the day as she arrived. She watched them, slow moving and deliberate, put up their tools and make their way to other buildings. In the distance she heard generators humming, electric lights burning in some of the windows of the wooden structures. On the way in they detected no radio signals as Director Fury had told her. She saw no signs of weapons other than simple farming tools.
The creepiest part, none of the people were making a sound. Natasha's keen vision could make out their expressions as blank, half asleep. They had thought this might be a cult, but judging by the way everyone moved Natasha now suspected that perhaps some kind of mind control was at work. If that was true, it would explain why highly trained SHIELD agents would have gotten captured by these docile, unarmed civilians.
When all signs of movement ceased, Natasha went through the fields to the nearest building to get a look. The lights had dimmed while she approached them, making her cautious, but the sounds of basic movements inside and people going back and forth in the windows told her she was still not seen, at least by them. They were going about the business of finishing up the day, probably going to sleep. They didn't look like they would be doing any late night reading.
As Natasha approached the first building, she saw a figure standing guard right by the door. The figure was unarmed, but stood determined if, like the others, half asleep. Even in the dark Natasha recognized-
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author
