"Miss Hill, I doubt you understand the honor to be inside of this building." The butler chuckled as Maria stared at the pictures on the walls.
Each one was a painted image of a person or family. When they walked into the reception room she sat on a lavish chair. "What exactly is this place?" She asked as she looked at the wall and saw a full portrait of a large family.
"This is the reception room. While the building is one of the ancestral homes of the Hilt Family. It is not the only one but we are the one located in New Jersey. It is impossible to locate this place on any map or satellite image." The butler explained as he opened a door and a chef rolled in with a platter of food and two pots, one for coffee and another for tea. "Tea or Coffee?"
"Ummm… Coffee?" Maria answered before frowning, "how is that possible? It should not be possible to do that if we even have some secret islands that the rest of the world does not know about."
"Magic my dear." The butler chuckled. "It is magic. The founder of the Hilt family was an extraordinary mage. It was him who cast the magic that protects the place. Only each patriarch or matriarch knows the magic involved. Of course the current patriarch knows, but the previous matriarch was rather… free spirited. So she broke many of the rules that were set up, including handing off the position early."
"The current patriarch, who is it?" Maria asked as she looked at the large painting portrait, it had several people around a table.
"Ahh, he is not properly depicted in any of the paintings. He was only a young baby when that one was painted." The butler looked at the photo for only a moment. "But I am having a maid bring the files for what has happened since Master Murdoc disappeared."
"Are there any members of his family that he knows that are still alive?" Maria asked as she glanced at the platter of tasty treats before deciding that she shouldn't.
"Umm… possibly." The butler nodded and then the door to the room opened up and Murdoc walked in.
"Possibly what?" Murdoc asked as he sat on the couch. He was holding a box that he dropped on the table. "The armory needs to be refurbished, I assume all of these weapons are outdated." He held up a revolver.
"Yes they are, but we do not have revolvers in the armory. We have them in the weapons exhibit. But not the armory. I assume you misunderstood since the weapons exhibit is where the armory used to be. While the armory was moved-" The butler looked at Maria and then back at Murdoc. "Somewhere else. If you would like I can ask if we can supply you with a weapon. But all we are allowed to supply you with is a means of transportation, clean clothes, and limited knowledge."
Murdoc frowned and then jumped when the revolver was pulled from his hand by a maid, "Hey! I was going to-"
The butler interrupted Murdoc putting a hand on his shoulder to push him back into his seat. "It is going back to the weapons exhibit. Now if you would wait a moment we can tell you all about your family. As soon as-" Almost as if on cue, one of the doors opened and a maid walked in with two folders.
"Okay, we have the folders of his two nieces and their families but that is all he is allowed to know. The… patriarch was quite specific about that this morning when he called with all of the instructions necessary." The maid explained as she handed off the folders to the butler who accepted them with a frown. Then the maid did a mocking salute and left stiffly, like she was mimicking a marching soldier.
The butler looked at Murdoc, "Do you want me to…?"
"Yes please read them. I can look at them later if I have further questions." Murdoc decided it would be more trouble than it was worth to try and get additional information when this new mysterious Patriarch would not permit it. But there was a good chance that he wanted to prevent information from getting to Shield.
"You have two nieces of direct relationship still alive. The first is Bellatrix; she went on to become the matriarch of the family during your absence. She followed in your footsteps and joined Shield. She along with her husband had no plans for children, but they eventually welcomed Ethan their son to the world. Then around the time he is entering high school both Bellatrix and her husband Sansin, who she met while working for Shield, died. Shield sites their deaths as necessary, propping them up as traitors. Their son Ethan is alive and working at the Baxter Building as an intern while he is building his own research facility in the city. He also happens to be the current and de facto patriarch of the Hilt family and the other two branches." The butler took a deep breath and closed the file before dropping it on the couch next to the stunned Murdoc.
"Bella? Rebellious monster Bella? The same one who would often go out and skin rabbits for fun?" Murdoc was deeply worried.
"The same." The butler nodded. But then he contemplated something before nodding, "after a certain… incident she changed. Unfortunately you will have to ask the Patriarch about it. He has made certain all information about it is contained. To the point that myself and any other staff only remember the day as a blank labeled the incident." He then opened the other folder.
"How is that possible?" Maria asked in bewilderment, expecting the butler to explain or not explain. But was pleasantly surprised when Murdoc jumped in to answer.
"There is a machine that can be used to manipulate memories. It is extraordinarily complex. I once tried to understand how it works, but I am told-" Murdoc looked at the butler, "That I went crazy and someone had to erase my memory of what occurred."
The butler nodded, "Now then, your second niece: Christine. She went on to leave the family and become an exceptional chef and business woman. She, along with her husband, March, became the owners of a restaurant in New York. They still live there along with their three children: Melissa, Samantha, and Jonesy. All born in that order. Her leaving the family was permitted by the current patriarch after the fact. But he is also leaving open the opportunity for her children to rejoin should they wish to."
Murdoc sighed and nodded to himself. "I will go visit Christine first, I assume she will know where I can find Ethan. I need a bit more than the cliff notes." He told the man with a frown.
The butler shrugged as he tossed down the file. "That is your choice sir. I am only permitted to provide this information and a vehicle. Shall we go down to the garage, I will have one of the maids see about weapons while you pick the vehicle."
Murdoc nodded and stood up. But he then stopped moving as he realized something. "Actually I should get cleaned up first. I need a shower and some clean clothes."
—--------------------
The elevator dinged after going down one floor and it opened up. Murdoc frowned as he walked in with Maria. "This wasn't here- Oh my god." He spun around in a circle as he looked around.
Maria was equally as stunned. "How many cars are there?"
"Too many, Patriarch Hilt has most of these stored here simply for the time being. More than half of it will be leaving in a few months." The butler explained before turning to the pair. "Do you want something fashionable or something practical?"
After a moment of thought, Murdoc shrugged, "A bit of both if you have it?"
The butler thought for a moment before smiling, "We do indeed." He walked over to a shack and opened it. He then picked out a certain key and walked towards a specific area after closing the shack. "Come along!"
They followed after him and they soon arrived at a 1972 Chevrolet Camaro. Murdoc instantly smirked at the sight of the vehicle. "They kept my car?" He moved forward and looked in through the window but reeled back in surprise. "This is my car, correct?"
"It is indeed." The butler nodded as he clicked a button and the doors to the vehicle opened up. "Get in the passenger seat, I have to key it to your print and DNA. The vehicle has been… souped up? It externally still looks like a car. But internally it is far better."
Murdoc looked over the orange car with the dual black racing stripes one last time before climbing into the driver seat while Maria, still stunned and speechless, waited outside the car, moving over to the passenger side.
Murdoc looked at the screens, wheel, and obvious buttons that were around. "Okay, so what has changed?"
"I do not know, you will have to look at the instruction book. It is in the glove compartment." The butler pushed a button and the glove compartment opened up. He then put his hand on the windshield. A moment later the windshield scanned it and the car started up. Then he had Murdoc put his hand on the windshield. "All done. Now then where do you want to go first?"
"Umm… Christine's. I will go visit her first." Murdoc answered and then watched as he touched a screen a few times causing it to interact just like these new phones.
"You know." Maria popped her head in, over her stunned attitude. "I do not know what half of this technology is. But what does this car run on?"
"All our vehicles run on an altered Stark Arc Reactor. So you do not have to worry about fuel. But if the vehicle is damaged or stolen, you should report it immediately to the patriarch. But either seems unlikely." The butler explained while he finished what he was doing.
"How… Nevermind." Maria gave up trying to understand the situation. "I assume bullet resistant glass, paneling, and wheels?"
"I do not know the exact specifications. But Master Ethan has assured me that it could survive a shelling from a tank with ease. Although it might flip from the force." The butler told them. He then stopped and climbed out of the car. Maria climbed in a moment later and groaned when she sat down and leaned back.
"These are some nice seats." Maria spoke aloud while the door was closed and the butler leaned in through the open car window.
"Follow that path and-" He nodded to the other side.
Murdoc looked over and saw a smiling maid. He lowered the window and she presented him with a weapon that looked like a pistol along with a holster and a wire with a black block. Under the gun was a piece of paper. "Your requested weapon, a holster, charger, and instructions on how to use the weapon. He had them sent straight here from his lab." The maid then waited until Murdoc took everything off the platter she was holding. Then she turned around and left.
"Have a good trip Master Murdoc!" The butler nodded and stepped back.
The car roared to life and then they were off. Murdoc started off slow but as soon as he went up the ramp out of the hidden underground garage he pressed on the pedal and they went from fifteen to eighty in a second. "Woah!"