Infinity

Chapter 22

October 2008

3rd Person POV

"Sir, there seems to be strange energy readings from case 1659b."

A man named Phil Coulson said as he entered the large office of the direct of S.H.I.E.L.D. The director, a man with an eye patch named Nick Fury, looked up from his desk.

"Transport the device to our up-state lab and get our top scientists on it. That thing has been dormant for almost fifty years, they need to get it under control. If that thing is set off it could level half of New York. Keep me posted." The man nodded and hurried out.

Across town the glowing cube was being carefully monitored and transported to the off-site lab. For the past forty-eight years the Tesseract was being monitored and stored by S.H.I.E.L.D. The Tesseract had undergone more testing for a few years after the small explosion but was eventually deemed to dangerous and placed in cold storage, where it has been ever since.

The Tesseract is transported to the facility and the scientist are trying to figure out what is causing these energy spikes.

Director Fury soon arrives. "Talk to me, people."

He walks over the head SHIELD scientist. "We aren't sure what's causing it sir. We barely understand what we're looking at."

Fury sighs in frustration. "A team of my top scientist can't figure out why a glowing blue cube is shooting off energy. Do you even deserve to be here?"

The man flinched at the Director's words. "With all do respect sir. No one has ever understood the Tesseract."

Their conversation was cut short by the energy coming off of the Tesseract increasing rapidly. The energy tentacles were starting to loop out from the Tesseract and then come back in and the energy readings continued to climb.

"Sir, you may want to stand back, these energy readings are getting dangerously high."

The director didn't even have time to respond because a powerful energy wave erupted from the Tesseract sending a shock wave that knocked everyone to the ground. The scientists quickly check the readings without looking up at the Tesseract.

"The levels are stabilizing." Fury wasn't paying attention though because standing next to the Tesseract in scorched clothing was a short young woman, who looked to be in her early thirties. She had shoulder length black hair, freckles, and bright green eyes. There was something about her that seemed familiar to Fury, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Excuse me, but who might you be?" The director called to the small woman, who appeared to be disoriented.

At his word's though she looked over at the man. The scientists had also realized that they weren't alone, and everyone was tensely waiting for the woman to respond.

"Where am I? What is this place?" her voice was hoarse almost as if she hadn't spoken in days.

"I might answer your questions, if you tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

The woman appeared to be assessing her surroundings before deciding to respond. "I'm Marleena Edwards and I can't tell you what I'm doing here because I don't even know where here is."

That's it. That's how Fury knew her. She was one of the founders of SHIELD and best friends with Howard Stark and Peggy Carter, but she was dead. Wasn't she? She died in a lab explosion.

"Well, Ms. Edwards you are at an off-site SHIELD facility."

This seemed to confuse her. "SHIELD? And how did I get here."

Fury just nodded remembering that she probably didn't know the acronym since she died, or I guess vanished before SHIELD was even finished.

"SHIELD stands for the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division and as for how you got her. I would like to know that very answer. You see. You've been presumed dead Ms. Edwards, for almost fifty years."

After the director spoke, Eddie's face became as white as a sheet, and she finally collapsed. The director wasn't surprised. The woman just came out of a portal after being presumed dead during a mysterious lab explosion almost fifty years ago, yet it didn't look like she had aged a day. The Director hurried over to her and called for a medic. She was going to be okay, but there was definitely a mystery surrounding this woman that needed to be solved.

Eddie's POV

My mind became aware of an annoying beeping sound, but I kept my eyes closed and prayed that this was some sick dream. The sound of the door opening caused me to open my eyes. My heart fell. It was the same man with the eye patch.

We just stared at each other. I refused to break the silence. "I'm director Fury with SHIELD I'm sure you have questions, maybe we could answer each other's questions."

I nodded. "Sounds fair. What year is it."

He seemed slightly taken aback by my straightforwardness, but he hid it well. "It's 2008."

He pauses to let me digest his words before asking his question. "What do you remember from the accident."

I tried to think back but I couldn't. It was like someone erased most of my memories of the year before whatever happened.

"Nothing really. I know I was working on a project with the Tesseract, and I know there was a reason but everything about the project is just gone." We sat in silence for a moment. "Now your turn. What do you know about what happened?"

As an answer he dropped a file on my hospital bed. "See for yourself."

I picked up the file and opened it. My own face stared back. It was a picture taken of me when we first made IDs for the lab. It is one of the few pictures taken of me with my real smile. The reason I was smiling was because Howie kept making these ridiculous jokes, that were actually funny and the photographer cause it.

Moisture started pooling in my eyes and I blinked it away. I was not going to cry in front of this stranger. I looked away from the picture and began to read. It was written in Howie's handwriting, which brought the moisture back, but I once again blinked it away.

They really didn't have much more information than I did. Apparently, I was testing some machine on the Tesseract, that I had been working on and something went wrong and it exploded destroying the main area of the warehouse. Howie spent the next few years trying to figure it out based off the recovered pieces of machine and my notes, but he was unsuccessful since most of my notes were destroyed and coded.

After I finished reading, I looked up. "Did that trigger anything new." I just shook my head.

"No, sorry. I wish it did." He just nodded.

"What happened to everyone? Howie? Peggy? Jasper?" "

I'll have a copy of each of their files sent over but in summary, Howard and Maria died in 1991, leaving he hide a son."

I was saddened to hear about Howie's and Maria's fate but hearing about their son did make me smile. So, Howie and Maria had a son.

"Peggy and Daniel had three children and ran SHIELD for years with Howard's help. Daniel died in 1986, but Peggy is still alive and living in a facility in Washington D.C. And Jasper ended up opening and running over fifty banks all over the country and died in 1997."

Tears were threatening to spill over. It was just Peggy left and she was old and living in D.C. Fury seemed to realize that I needed some privacy.

"I'll send over those files. The doctors say they want to keep you overnight as a precaution but should be free to go in the morning. I'll have all the arrangements made. If you need anything an agent is posted right outside. I'll send an agent in the morning that will help you get settled and answer any other questions. Its good have you back Ms. Edwards, even if it seems otherwise." I just nod, not trusting my voice and he leaves. As soon as he is gone I breakdown.