"Welcome to the Ohio base… Ms. Khan. Let's hope you're as good as your word."
The heavy gate finished closing behind them with a metallic thud, sealing the base from the world outside. Kamala blinked against the floodlights glaring down from the concrete towers. Three people stood before her—survivors, but clearly more than that.
The woman who had spoken wore a tactical suit, her hair tied back neatly. Her expression was calm and precise—the kind of person who had seen too much to be surprised by anything anymore. Beside her stood another woman, younger, with a sharp, unimpressed look and blonde hair pulled into a messy braid. And to their right, a broad, red-bearded man in a crimson combat suit leaned casually against a steel crate, arms crossed and grin cocky.
The first woman stepped forward. "I'm Melina Vostokoff," she introduced smoothly. "This is Yelena Belova… and that overgrown bear is the Red Guardian."
"Hey!" the man barked in mock offense. "Overgrown? I prefer the term majestic and battle-hardened."
"Whatever," Yelena muttered, rolling her eyes. "You were majestic twenty pounds ago."
Kamala stared, realizing who they were—former Widows, Russian superspies, and the Soviet-era super-soldier himself. Somehow, they'd survived. "You guys are—"
"Yes, yes, heroes of the past," Red Guardian interrupted with a grin. "We can exchange autographs later. For now, tell me, little spark—what is this miracle device you're carrying?"
Kamala hesitated, then held out the small, Pym-tech keychain. "This. It's supposed to send a signal—Riri said it might reach someone off-world. Maybe a cure, maybe reinforcements, I don't know. But we need S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system to power it up."
Melina studied her, then glanced at Blade Knight. "And him?"
"He saved me," Kamala said. "From… everything."
Blade Knight stood silent beside her, his expression unreadable, the white of his eyes gleaming faintly beneath the base lights.
Melina gave a small nod. "Come. You can explain more inside."
As they walked through the underground corridors of the Ohio base, Kamala noticed the hum of machinery and the faint buzz of static from overhead. Dozens of monitors flickered with data streams. A few exhausted survivors worked nearby—engineers, agents, and scientists, all with the same hollow look of people who had been surviving on fear and caffeine for too long.
But something else drew her attention—the silence outside. "How… how did you keep them from breaking in?" she asked, finally giving voice to the question clawing at her mind.
Melina didn't slow her pace. "We didn't keep them out," she said simply. "We control them."
Kamala blinked. "Control them? You mean… the zombies?"
Yelena smirked. "You sound shocked."
Melina tapped a nearby console as they entered a large circular room filled with screens and server cores. "A project I developed years ago for crowd suppression," she said, her tone clinical. "It emits a specialized radio wave—low frequency, designed to disrupt specific neural responses in humans. It was meant to pacify hostile individuals… but after the fall, I discovered it works far better on the infected."
Kamala's mouth fell open. "You can control them? Like… tell them what to do?"
"Not directly," Melina replied. "It keeps them docile, static—like you saw outside. If I shut it off…" She paused, looking up at one of the flickering monitors that displayed a live camera feed of the outer wall. Thousands of still forms stood waiting beyond the gate. "…They'll remember they're hungry."
A cold shiver ran down Kamala's back.
Red Guardian clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, little spark! Melina's machine works beautifully. As long as we have power, no zombie dinner tonight, eh?"
Kamala forced a nervous smile. "Y-yeah. That's… comforting."
Blade Knight remained silent as they reached the central control room. His gaze wandered over the walls, the air tense around him, though Kamala couldn't tell why.
Melina gestured toward a scanning table. "Let's see what this device of yours actually does."
Kamala placed the keychain gently on the scanner pad. It whirred softly as beams of blue light swept across its surface. Data flooded the nearby monitor. Yelena leaned closer, reading the rapid scroll of alien code.
Melina's brows furrowed. "Pym technology, yes… but the signal matrix is not terrestrial. It's encrypted—directed toward something… off-world."
The Red Guardian tilted his head. "Off-world, like… aliens?"
Kamala nodded. "That's what Riri said. It's supposed to reach an organization in space—maybe they can help."
After a moment, Melina exhaled, adjusting her glasses. "Confirmed. The data signature matches one used by the Nova Corps."
Kamala's eyes widened. "Nova Corps? "
Melina said. "If activated, this signal would reach them—assuming our satellite array still works. But regretfully we can't set it from earth; we need to go to space."
Before Kamala could ask 'why', Blade Knight suddenly straightened, his head tilting slightly as if hearing something beyond human perception. His hand moved to the hilt of his blade.
"She's found us," he said quietly.
Melina frowned. "Who?"
Yelena looked between them. "Yeah, who's she?"
Blade Knight's white eyes gleamed faintly under the blue monitor lights. His voice was calm, but the air grew heavier with each word. "The Scion," he said.
"Scion of whom?" Yelena pressed, a skeptical smirk tugging at her lips.
He looked at her, and even Red Guardian seemed to lose his humor at the sight of his expression. "Scion of the Dead Queen."
Before anyone could respond, the monitors flickered violently. One by one, every external feed distorted, static consuming the screens until a few flickered back to life.
Melina turned toward the largest monitor—and froze.
Outside the walls, the motionless horde had begun to stir.
Rows upon rows of undead were now turning their heads upward, moving in perfect synchronization. Their dull, lifeless eyes began to ignite with an eerie red glow, pulsing in rhythm—as if sharing one heartbeat.
Kamala's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my god…"
Yelena cursed under her breath. "What the hell is that?"
Red Guardian took a step closer to the screen, his jovial tone gone. "They look… organized. Like an army."
"They are," Blade Knight said grimly, drawing his blade. "The Scion has taken control. She commands the will of the dead."
Melina's voice trembled for the first time. "The radio wave—it's being overridden!"
Alarms blared. The control panels lit up red as error codes flooded the system. Kamala's heartbeat raced. "Can we stop it?!"
"Not unless you want to face her directly," Blade Knight replied, his tone colder now.
On the monitor, the red-eyed horde began to move.
And from the distance, through the haze of red mist and broken clouds, a numerous shadowed figure rose above the army; one of them looked like Captain America.
Blade Knight's grip tightened on his sword. "The Scion of the Dead Queen… has arrived."
~~~
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