Sting of the Viper - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 34)

[tirepanted3]

Hi everyone. Here's the penultimate chapter of the Black Widow saga. It's a bit on the longer side, as there was a lot of plot and action to fit in, but I still managed to fit it all in a single post. Please enjoy.

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All I wanted was some diamonds.

That’s not too much for a girl to ask, is it?

It all started with a simple plan, just a basic heist. Ambush Janice Lincoln, the woman known as the Beetle, tie her up and steal her armor. Rob a jewelry store in disguise and pin the crime on her. Easy-peasy.

Except nothing’s easy-peasy when you live in a world filled with superheroes. Really tough for a gal to make a dishonest living when she can’t fly two miles without crossing paths with an Avenger or two.

In this case, the super-do-gooders in question were Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff and Kate “Hawkeye” Bishop, who were going to arrest me, before I offered to help them hunt down the target they were looking for – the aptly-named Chaos Cube.

I thought it would be an easy play. But now Natasha and Kate have been captured by HYDRA, and I’m in a locker room at Madison Square Garden, being held at gunpoint by a HYDRA foot soldier, who’s just been give the go-ahead to put a bullet in me.

On top of all that, the stolen police uniform I’m wearing is riding up my ass.

Anyway, my name is Felicia Hardy. I’m the Black Cat. For the moment, anyway. If I don’t think fast, I’m about to be dead meat.

The HYDRA woman sneers at me as she levels her gun. “So long, Black Cat.”

Gotta think fast. “Wait!” I cry out. “Before you kill me, don’t you want to… know where the Chaos Cube is?”

The woman laughs. “We know where the Cube is, you moron. It’s at HYDRA headquarters. Madame Hydra arranged a trap to trick Black Widow into investigating this area, under the assumption the Cube would be here. Then we grabbed her.”

Damn it.

She grins nefariously. “HYDRA always wins in the end.”

“Well, excuse me for thinking I could bargain,” I say dryly, glancing around for something to duck behind.

But the HYDRA soldier suddenly pauses, and looks at me strangely. “Say that again.”

“What?”

“Say the words ‘excuse me’ again.”

“Um… excuse me?”

Behind her green cowl, I detect a look of surprise on her face. “Oh my god… it is you.”

I’m suddenly very confused. “Do we… know each other?”

She pulls off her cowl, revealing a tan-skinned, mousy young woman with short, curly brown hair.

I immediately recognize her. That alleyway, several months ago. Not far from the Queen’s Gem hotel.

“I was assigned rooftop duty that night,” she says. “I was about to climb the ladder when someone tapped me on the shoulder and I heard the words ‘Excuse me?’… I turned my head just in time to see a fist, and then everything went dark.” She frowns. “I woke up in a dumpster, stripped to my underwear, handcuffed and gagged. Took hours for the police to find me.”

She looks at me. “That was you, wasn’t it? You mugged me for my uniform.”

Indeed I did. The night Kraven kidnapped the Spider-Family, where I had to go undercover as a HYDRA agent to rescue them. One of my more dangerous… and deadly escapades.

“It… wasn’t personal…” I start to say.

“I found out what happened later,” the woman continues. “All my crewmates were killed by Kraven’s gang. If you hadn’t mugged me and stashed me away… I’d be dead too.”

She lets out a chuckle. “Ironic, isn’t it? I thought it was the worst night ever… but it was actually the best. You saved my life.”

Wow. Maybe I do have some good-luck powers after all.

“So…” I say cautiously. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name…”

“Amelia.”

“So, Amelia. Does this mean you’re not going to kill me? Since I saved you once…”

Amelia pauses, considering my question.

Then she shakes her head.

“Sorry, but HYDRA ordered me to terminate you. You have to die.”

Crap. She’s a true HYDRA believer. I hate these people…

“But,” Amelia continues. “But… they didn’t tell me how I should kill you. So perhaps I can offer you a small chance at survival.”

How generous of her. “What’s that?”

“I’ll tie you up and stuff you in one of these lockers. You’ll have a few hours to try to escape – and it won’t be easy, I’ll make sure of that. But if you’re a resourceful woman, you may be able to escape before the whole stadium is reduced to rubble.”

“Well, that’s a nice thought… wait, what?” I stare at her in shock. “What do you mean, reduced to rubble?”

“The Chaos Cube, of course,” Amelia explains with a wicked grin. “It was all part of Madame Hydra’s plan. Lure the Black Widow to the stadium with a false tracer, then capture her and her friend. Then use the Cube, operated remotely from the HYDRA base, to destroy the stadium, once thousands of people are inside.”

Amelia’s eyes light up at the thought. “It will be HYDRA’s masterstroke. A message to all of America, and the world at large, that we are now in control. And we now have the means to spread chaos across the globe.”

I feel sick to my stomach. If Amelia didn’t have that gun pointed at me…

“Now turn around,” Amelia orders. “Cross your wrists behind your back. Make one funny move and I’ll shoot you dead. I should probably do it anyway – but it’s thanks to you that I’m alive to witness HYDRA’s glorious victory tonight.”

I do as she orders. Wish I could fight back, but…

At that moment, a loud banging sound comes from one of the lockers.

Amelia’s attention is diverted for one second – and boy, do I take advantage of that second.

I lash out, kicking the gun from her grip. She stares dumbly at her hands for a moment, then looks up in time to see me land a fist on her jaw.

“I hope that hurt,” I say as she crashes to the floor.

Almost immediately, though, she’s on her feet again, pulling a sharp knife from her belt. Uh-oh.

“So much for your one slim chance,” Amelia grins. “Now you’re a dead kitty.”

She slashes out with the knife, several times, forcing me back against the wall. In another moment, she’ll hit her mark…

“So long, Black Cat.” Amelia stabs at me with the knife. I jump out of the way at the last second, and she drives the knife into the wall.

As she struggles to pull the weapon free, I tap her on the shoulder.

Just like last time, she turns instinctively.

I wallop her with a fire extinguisher.

Then I stand, trying to catch my breath, over her unconscious form. These HYDRA creeps don’t fool around.

And now they’ve caught Natasha and Kate. And they’re planning to blow up the stadium in a matter of hours.

I can try to call SHIELD – maybe convince them to evacuate the stadium?

No… there’s no way they’d believe me. I’ve double-crossed them in the past, and they’re still probably sore about the time I infiltrated their facility and mugged three women (including White Tiger) for their outfits.

I guess it’s up to little old me to stop HYDRA.

Amelia’s radio buzzes again. “All HYDRA agents, gather at the south end. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

I eye the unconscious Amelia, in her green-and-yellow outfit, yellow gloves and boots, green cowl mask with tinted goggles, and yellow weapons belt. Looks like she’s still about my size.

Ten minutes… Not much time. Gotta work fast.

I work hurriedly relieve Amelia of her HYDRA uniform. Luckily, I’ve had experience stripping this woman before, so it doesn’t take that long.

Once again, I admire her color choice of underwear. Ruby-red socks, emerald-green boyshorts, a sapphire-blue sports bra and a diamond-white tank top. Classy girl. Too bad she’s thrown her lot in with terrorists.

I change out of the police uniform and get into HYDRA gear. The uniform, the gloves, the belt…

The boots… Hmmm…

As I’m reaching for the boots, I notice the HEART woman – Fiona, the so-called “Cowgirl” – lying unconscious nearby. She’s still wearing Tarantula’s black boots, the ones with the toxin-laced blades.

If I’m going to infiltrate HYDRA, I’ll need to be prepared.

I pull Fiona’s boots off her feet and quickly work my own legs into them. They’re black, unlike the yellow HYDRA boots – if I’m lucky, no one will notice.

Fiona and Amelia are still unconscious while I use Fiona’s lariat to tie them up. I gag them with the strips of the NYPD uniform I stole from Officer Anna Kefkin.

Banging from that one locker again. I guess Tarantula woke up. Well, she saved my life with her banging earlier. I’ll have to repay her for that someday. Unless I forget, which is likely. Hey, I’m a busy girl!

I stuff Amelia and Fiona into adjacent lockers. Then I hurry off down the hall.

I make it to the rendezvous point where a few other HYDRA agents are waiting in a large, nondescript truck.

“About time, agent,” one of them comments to me. “Get in, we’re heading back to base.”

I enter the truck and immediately notice Natasha and Kate lying on the floor. They seem to be awake, and they’re not restrained with ropes or gags – but they look frozen. Like they’ve been put under a spell.

Don’t worry, ladies, I’ll figure out a way to set you free! Somehow.

The truck drives along for a bit until we’re deep into the forest. Then the driver turns on the invisibility shields, the vehicle sprouts wings, and we’re airborne.

HYDRA certainly has their talents. Too bad they waste it on pure evil.

Guess we’ll be at their base in a few minutes. Just gotta stay cool and think up a plan…

*******************

“You don’t really have a plan, do you?”

“Of course I do. Now could you get your tail out of my face?”

Elaine scowled. “Get your face out of my tail!”

“I don’t understand why you insisted on bringing your Scorpia costume,” Claire replied. “You’re a fugitive, remember? SHIELD is after you since you busted up the Garage. Wearing that costume makes you easy to identify.”

“We went to all this trouble of stealing back this costume,” Elaine said indignantly. “No way I’m giving it up now.”

The two Silver Sable lieutenants were currently crouched in the bushes behind Madison Square Garden, a venue where several members of Silver Sable Security had been recruited to provide armed protection. In order to find the missing Silver Sable, Claire had reasoned they would need to pull them off this job.

But the SSS members were not answering their comms, for some reason. So Claire and Elaine had to head to MSG and try to reach them in person.

“Why don’t we just bust in and let me Scorpia costume do the rest?” Elaine asked. “I can handle myself in a fight, you know. The cops won’t stand a chance.”

“You’re in enough trouble already,” Claire said, increasingly annoyed. “We’ll have a lot to sort out with the authorities once this is over. For now, we keep a low-profile. If we want to get inside the stadium, we’ll need disguises.”

“Well, better find them quick… I’m half-certain these bushes are poison ivy…”

“Shh! Someone’s coming!”

Two someones, in fact, judging by the footsteps. Claire and Elaine crouched down in the bushes, peeking discreetly through the hedge.

A pair of costumed women stepped into view. Claire recognized them from Sable’s files. They appeared to be at MSG to perform in the swordfighting event.

The first woman was Adelynn DuQuesne, known by the codename Swordswoman. She was a tall and athletic French woman with pale light skin and long blonde hair. She wore a black-and-purple skintight costume with elbow-length gloves and knee-high boots, with fishnetting covering the exposed parts of her arms and torso. She also wore a black helmet with a silver-grey visor that obscured her eyes. A sword was clipped to her belt.

The second woman was Kateri Deseronto, known by the alias Coldheart. She was a tall and fit woman with light skin, blue eyes, and long black hair. Her costume consisted of a blue sweater that hung over one shoulder, a white skintight leotard, and blue gloves and knee-high blue boots. She also wore a blue eye mask and had a blue belt clipped around her waist. Protective gold-yellow banding spanned the length of her arms and legs. She carried two swords, one clipped at each hip.

“Let’s hurry it up,” Adelynn said as they walked down the pathway. “I need to warm up before the fencing act tonight.”

“Maybe we could grab a bite, too?” asked Kateri, who was walking a few paces behind her. “I always fight better after a good meal.”

“Ugh, not me – I do my best combat on an empty stomach,” Adelyn replied. “Besides, we’re already running late.”

“Well, I hope they at least have a snack bar, so I can…”

At that very moment, Scorpia’s black tail burst from the bushes and wrapped itself around Kateri’s mouth.

“Gllmmpphh!” Kateri’s words were cut short as she was pulled into the bushes.

“What was that, Kat?” Adelynn turned around. Her friend was no longer in sight.

“The hell?” Adelynn instinctively reached for her sword. Just as her fingers circled around the hilt, however, another set of fingers circled around her mouth. With a bewildered “Hhrrmmpphhh??” she was pulled roughly into the bushes.

The bushes shook for several long moments as two professional swordfighters found themselves at an unfortunate disadvantage in a fistfight.

All was then still for several minutes, save the chirping of the birds overhead.

Finally, Claire and Elaine popped up from the bushes. Claire was fitting the Swordswoman helmet over her head; Elaine was affixing the Coldheard mask over her face.

Overall, the disguises were pretty good fits.

“How come you get the cooler costume?” Elaine groused. “I look like a Saturday morning cartoon reject in this thing.”

“You’re the brunette, so it makes more sense for you to wear Coldheart’s costume,” Claire replied. “The better question is, why do you feel compelled to wear the Scorpia costume underneath?”

Indeed, Elaine had fitted the Coldheart outfit over her own signature costume. This had created complications with her costume’s tail, which was now bunched up behind her, giving her ass a rather enlarged appearance.

“Oh? You don’t like?” Elaine struck a pose. It was no secret Claire found her body pleasing to look at – even if Claire herself hated to admit it.

Claire’s cheeks turned red. “You’re going to get in trouble. What happens if you sting yourself in the ass by accident?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m immune to my own stings, remember? I’d be a pretty stupid supervillain if I let myself get tripped up like that.”

Claire rolled her eyes. “Um. You were a stupid supervillain. Remember? That’s why you changed sides and joined up with Silver Sable’s team. You were an utter failure as your own woman.”

Elaine scowled. “Don’t talk down to me, Acosta. Do you know what I can do to you with my tail?”

Claire grinned. “Actually… I’d love to find out.”

Now it was Elaine’s turn to have her cheeks go red.

“Enough of this prattle,” she said in annoyance. “Let’s get a move on.”

She exited the bushes, and Claire followed.

They left behind the real Swordswoman, dressed in a gunmetal-blue sports bra and slate-grey bikini panties, and the real Coldheart, dressed in an ice-blue triangle bra and snow-white hipsters. Both women had been bound with white zipties and gagged with silver duct tape.

Once they had entered the stadium, Claire glanced at her tracker.

“Okay… I’ve got a read on Lina’s heat signature.”

“Which one’s Lina?” Elaine asked.

“Lina Abbas, head of tonight’s MSG security detail.” Claire frowned. “She’s not answering her comms. Follow me.”

As they headed down the hall, Claire’s brow continued to furrow. “I’m getting a read on a second Silver Sable Security woman as well – Sherry. She’s also not responding.”

“Maybe they’re giving you the silent treatment,” Elaine deadpanned.

Claire didn’t laugh. She stopped in front of a door marked STORAGE. “Their heat signatures suggest they’re both in there.”

Elaine whistled. “Maybe we’re not the only lesbian couple at Silver Sable Security.”

Claire scowled. “We’re not a couple, you dimwit. And I don’t think they are, either. More likely…”

She worked the lock on the closet door and opened it. Inside, amidst some burlap sacks and garbage bags, were two hapless women in their underwear, struggling against mercilessly tight green ropes and mewling into dark green duct-tape gags.

Lina Abbas was the team leader, a slim but well-toned woman with fair skin, brown eyes, and shoulder-length black hair. She was clad in an orange T-shirt bra and white cotton panties. Sherry was a pale-skinned blue-eyed blonde with a closely cropped pixie cut. Her underwear was more of a “grunge” variety – a black full-cup bra decorated with red skulls, and red boyshorts with a black skull image in front.

“Great. Just great,” Claire scowled.

She reached over and pulled the duct tape from Lina’s mouth, causing the woman to wince in pain.

“The hell happened?” Claire demanded.

“HYDRA,” Lina blurted out. “They ambushed us… Two women. They had guns.”

“You had guns,” Claire replied.

“Yes, but theirs were bigger.”

Claire groaned. Then she glanced over at Sherry. The blonde was struggling to be set free.

Immediately, Claire felt uncomfortable. The last time she had seen Sherry bound-and-gagged in her underwear was when the Silver Sable Security team had been ambushed at the Hutton Brickyards gala. Claire, Sherry, and a few other SSS agents had been mugged for their uniforms and left trussed up in a crate. When Claire had regained consciousness, she found Sherry had been tossed into the crate in such a way that her face had landed on Claire’s ass.

It had been an awkward briefing the next morning.

Elaine also remembered that night. She noticed the uncomfortable way Claire was looking at Sherry, and grinned.

“Revisiting fond memories, Claire?”

Claire glowered at her. “Oh, shut up. Check the surrounding area for any of our other agents. We really dropped the ball here.”

Elaine nodded, winked at Sherry, and hurried off.

“Why are you dressed like a knight, Claire?” Lina asked.

Claire’s response was a single, drawn-out sigh.

******************

After what seems like a dozen eternities – but is probably just around fifteen minutes – I finally feel the HYDRA-copter landing.

A panel slides open in the side of a mountain, and the pilot guides us in, touching us down on a landing pad.

The hatch opens, and I follow the other snake-garbed henchpeople out onto the pad. I glance at the symbols on the wall. Yep, I’m in the HYDRA base all right.

This place makes my skin crawl. But there’s no turning back now.

Natasha and Kate, still paralyzed by whatever magic spell they were hit with, are also carried off the plane.

“All right, everyone back to your stations!” the team leader commands. He glances at the two men carrying Natasha and Kate. “Get them downstairs. We’ll have them prepped for the labs soon.”

Prepped for the labs – I don’t like the sound of that. Gotta rescue them, fast.

I’ll probably need a change of clothes to get to the lab area. Maybe I can corner some HYDRA girl scientist, tie her up, and steal her clothes. Hopefully she has smarty glasses. No scientist disguise is complete without—

“You!” The HYDRA team leader points at me.

I freeze. “Y-yes, sir?”

“Follow them to the labs, make sure everything is ready for Black Widow’s operation.”

“Uh… of course.”

Well, okay then. That was easier than I thought.

Oh well. I probably need to conserve my supply of zipties and duct tape anyway.

I follow the two burly HYDRA men carrying Natasha and Kate to the elevator.

Natasha and Kate can move their eyes – I can see them glancing this way and that – but otherwise they seem to be frozen under a magic spell. I didn’t know anyone at HYDRA knew magic.

Wish I could reassure them that I’m here to rescue them, but I can’t even wink at them under these red-tinted HYDRA goggles. Besides, I’m not so sure of anything right now. I’m just one cat burglar against the most powerful terrorist organization on the planet.

“Boss had a great plan, didn’t she?” the HYDRA man carrying Kate remarks as we step into the elevator. “Lure the Black Widow into the open with the threat of blowing up a stadium, then catch her off-guard.”

“And now we’re gonna blow up the stadium from miles away, anyhow,” the other replies with a laugh.

My eyes narrow as I remember Kingpin’s explanation for the Cube when I first learned about it. Of course – it has long-distance capabilities. HYDRA doesn’t need to situate it in the stadium for it to create damage. They can do it right from their own hideout!

They set a trap, and I’m the idiot who helped Natasha and Kate walk right into it.

These HYDRA guys are still laughing. I want to kick their asses, but then the elevator dings and we’re on the lab floor.

There’s a young woman standing there, with a wicked sneer on her face. “About time you showed up. Take her to Sinclair’s private quarters!”

The woman is tall and toned, with light skin and freckles around her cheeks, piercing blue eyes, and shoulder-length bright red hair. She wears a skintight red top with black shoulder straps, black tights, arm-length black fingerless gloves, and thigh-high red boots. There are several red bands on her arms and grey metal straps along her boots. She carries two pistols and has a half-dozen sharp knives strapped to the sides of her torso.

I recognize her from the news. It’s Sinthea Shmidt, also known as “Sin.” A ruthless mercenary and assassin who has lately allied herself with HYDRA.

A few years back, Sinthea led a Serpent Squad infiltration of SHIELD to rescue her boyfriend, Crossbones, from custody. She mugged a SHIELD agent for her uniform. At the time, I remember admiring her determination and tenacity – but looking back, she’s nobody worth admiring. Also, “Sin” is a stupid nickname.

Sinthea looks at me. “You, help me to fetch our other prisoners!”

I glance over at the two thugs who are lugging Natasha and Kate away. I need to rescue them, but…

“Stop standing around and follow me!” Sinthea says, irritated.

Sinthea’s got guns and knives and who knows what else. Best to stay on her good side at the moment. I follow her.

We walk down the corridor and past several other rooms toward the holding cells. Part of me is wondering who these “other prisoners” are.

We stop by one cell near the far end. I glance inside and force myself not to react.

Sitting inside the cell, her back to the wall, is Silver Sable.

And lying on the cot in the corner is a young blonde woman. I can’t quite make her face out, but if I had to guess… it’s that girl Natasha mentioned. Yelena Belova.

“Rise and shine, ladies,” Sinthea says with a cruel grin. “Let’s get you up and prepped for the experiments.”

Silver Sable glares at her. “Go to hell.”

“Sweetheart, when HYDRA is done with you… you’ll be begging for hell.” Sinthea beckons a couple of nearby guards over from their post. “Unlock the doors.”

The two HYDRA guards assigned to watch over the holding cells are both women. One is tall and slim and dark-skinned; the other short and pudgy and light-skinned. Can’t make out their faces behind their green cowls. They hurry to comply.

“Have these two caused any trouble?” Sinthea asks them.

“None at all,” the short guard grins. “One of them tried luring us into the cell so she could use the old ‘knock us out and steal our uniforms’ trick, but we were too sharp for her.”

“Very good.” Sinthea taps her ear abruptly, as if receiving a message on her earpiece. “Yes, I’ll be right there.”

She turns to me. “Make sure these two are brought to the labs. I’ll be waiting with Sinclair.”

She heads back down the hall, leaving me with the two genre-savvy HYDRA guards and the prisoners.

The guards unlock the doors and enter the cell, guns drawn. “Hands behind your head, Silver Swan.”

“Sable,” the woman growls. She’s still as angry as I remember her. Although considering her predicament, it’s hard to blame her.

I should do something, fast. But what?

As the two guards handcuff Sable, one of them turns to me. “Hey, newbie – grab the other one, will you?” She gestures at Yelena, who is still lying on a cot with her back turned.

I approach Yelena, my mind racing. She’s curled up, facing the wall. I’m not sure she’s even awake.

“Er… hello?” I whisper.

Getting no response, I reach out to place a hand on her shoulder.

Immediately, her hand shoots out and grab my wrist. Before I know what’s happening, she springs up and twists my arm around my back. Then she wraps her free arm around my neck.

“Hey!” I twist back, trying to prevent her from putting me in a chokehold. I already don’t like this gal.

“You think you can do experiments on me?” she hisses into my ear. “I am done being a lab rat.”

Then she turns to the guards holding Sable. “Let her go,” she says darkly, “or I’ll kill your friend.”

In response, the two guards laugh.

“Go ahead, kill her! You think that’ll stop us?” the taller one says.

“You’ll never get out of here alive,” the shorter one adds. “But it’s fun to watch you make a desperate – aggh!”

She’s interrupted by Silver Sable’s knee in her stomach.

The taller guard reaches for her gun. “Why, you… Oof!” She gets Sable’s elbow to the face.

Over next several moments, I witness a handcuffed Silver Sable fighting a pair of armed guards.

It’s not much of a fight – Sable hits hard and fast. Within ten seconds, the two HYDRA guards are unconscious on the floor.

Damn. She’s an incredible fighter. Almost as good as Natasha. Remind me never to get on her bad side.

Oh yeah – I did mug her for her costume and underwear once. I guess that technically qualifies as her “bad side.” But she’ll never know…

Sable turns to Yelena. “Good work. Knock that one out as well.”

“Whoa, wait, wait!” I say, still trying – unsuccessfully – to break Yelena’s grip. (How is this girl so strong?) “Silvy, it’s me! Felicia, remember?”

Sable pauses, raising her eyebrows. Then she groans. She reaches over and pulls off my cowl. “Hardy? What the hell?”

“I’m here to rescue you,” I say. Not entirely a lie, after all.

She scowls at me. “Is this your attempt to placate me over the Kelly fiasco? Do you know how foolish you made my team look?”

She doesn’t know about the Oscorp mugging, but she’s still mad about the time MJ and I escaped her clutches when she was working for Robert Kelly. “Hey, you shouldn’t have been working for that guy.”

“You humiliated us! Tied up two of my best agents and stole their uniforms!”

“Oh, right… Paula what’s-here-name?”

“Paulina Wilkerson.” Sable shakes her head. “She claims you’ve mugged her on two separate occasions… What is wrong with you?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you make your mercenaries wear such stealable uniforms!” I protest. Then I glance at Yelena. “Could you please let go?”

Sable sighs. “Yes, let her go.”

Yelena loosens her grip, allowing me free. She still glares at me.

“How did you find us?” Sable demands.

“I’ll explain everything while you two get into your new outfits.” I gesture at the two unconscious HYDRA guards. “Hurry up, those sleeping beauties won’t be unconscious forever.”

Sable nods and kneels down, beginning to strip one of the fallen HYDRA cronies. She glances at Yelena. “Come on. We can trust the Black Cat… for now.”

Vote of confidence, I suppose. That said, Yelena doesn’t look especially trusting of Sable, either. I wonder what her deal is… but I know better than to ask.

Still, Yelena bends down and starts stripping the other guard of her outfit.

Over the next few minutes, while Sable and Yelena get dressed, I explain everything about the HYDRA ambush at the stadium, and how Natasha and Kate have been kidnapped and are being held for… “experiments” at this facility’s labs.

“Natasha… captured?” Sable looks incredulous as she binds and gags the two HYDRA guards with torn white bedsheets from her cot. (I suppose I don’t need to tell you that the two HYDRA women are dressed in green bras and panties with their company logo printed in white on the bra cups. What fanatical losers.) “That’s impossible. The Black Widow would never let herself be caught, not even by HYDRA.”

“I think HYDRA threw a few curveballs our way,” I explain. “When I last saw Natasha, it looked like she was under some kind of spell. HYDRA has a sorceress in its ranks.”

Yelena smiles for the first time since I’ve seen her. A smile of cruel satisfaction. “Natasha Romanoff… captured by HYDRA. And she calls herself the Black Widow.”

For some reason, this girl’s ego irritates me, and I can’t stop myself from responding: “You were captured by HYDRA too, Barbie.”

At this, Yelena’s face darkens. She glares at me.

I brace myself, preparing for some sort of attack.

Instead, she simply looks at Sable. “I have my disguise. Are we ready to go?”

Okay, no attack. Still, there’s something unsettling about this girl…

“Come on,” Sable says, pulling the green HYDRA cowl over her face. “Natasha has saved my skin more than once in the past. We need to rescue her.”

Leaving the two guards on the cots, covered by spare blankets, Yelena and I follow Sable down the corridor. To the passing glance, we’re three HYDRA agents heading for the labs.

We reach the main laboratory after a couple of minutes. It doesn’t take long to find the room we’re looking for.

Natasha and Kate are lying on a couple of metal tables. They’re not strapped down, but they’re also not moving, which means the paralytic spell they were hit with hasn’t worn off yet.

In a corner of the lab, her back turned to us, is Sinthea, talking on her phone. “Yes, boss, they’re all set. Just waiting for Sinclair to get here. Should be any minute now.”

Sinthea hangs up and turns to face us. Her eyes narrow.

“Well? Where are the other prisoners?”

I pause for a moment, trying to play dumb. “…Other prisoners?”

“Yes! Silver Sable and the Black Widow cosplayer.”

I can feel Yelena tensing beside me. Girl, don’t do anything crazy…

“They tried to escape,” Sable says quickly. “We were forced to terminate them.”

Sinthea eyes her suspiciously.

She approaches Sable, one hand on her holster. “And you didn’t think to raise the alarm?”

“No need,” Sable replies coolly. “We took care of them ourselves, and radioed medical to dispose of the bodies.”

Sinthea stares at her for a few moments, as if trying to peer under her cowl. I hold my breath.

At that moment, a set of rear doors slide open.

Sinthea looks up and smiles at the newcomer. “Ah! Hello, Madame Sinclair!”

Into the room walks a tall and imposing woman, with light skin and black hair. She’s dressed in a long red form-fitting cloak over a black bodysuit, with a golden metal torso, a gold-rimmed dark red breastplate with a skull insignia in the center, and gold wrist gauntlets. Most of her face, outside of her nose and mouth, is obscured by a tall golden mask with a yellow jewel fitted just above her eyes.

With a wave of her hand, the woman causes the frozen figures of Natasha and Kate to rise up, flipping them onto their stomachs.

Oh great. This must be the sorceress. I’ve heard of her as well – Madame Elisa Sinclair.

“Very glad I used an invisibility spell to infiltrate the stadium myself,” Elisa notes. “If I hadn’t shown up, the Black Widow would likely have overpowered the HYDRA squad.”

“I don’t know why we can’t just shoot her,” Sinthea grumbles. “She’s completely at our mercy! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“Indeed it is, my dear Sin,” the sorceress responds. “But we need to take full advantage of it. We have captured an Avenger, and we cannot simply kill her. Especially not when I can make good use of her for HYDRA’s purposes.”

She approached Natasha with a sinister smile. “I will cast a hypnotic spell on the Black Widow, forcing her to become my puppet. She will return to Avengers Mansion, with none of her teammates the wiser. She will then use her expert assassin skills to take them all out. The world’s most powerful super-team, destroyed by one of their own members!”


I try to keep a straight face while listening to this woman’s plan.

It… can’t work, right? Natasha has too much willpower to be hypnotized. And I know she used to be an assassin, a long time ago, but she would never – could never? – take out the Avengers. Right?

Too much speculation. We need to act now. I try to catch Sable’s eye; she nods.

Before we can do anything, however, Elisa pauses and glances around.

“Something… is wrong,” she says. “There’s a presence in this room that should not be here.”

She glances in our direction. Uh-oh.

“Those three!” she exclaims, pointing at us. “They’re not real HYDRA agents! They’re imposters!”

Exposed by magic. I guess we’ll need to fight.

Sable grabs Sinthea, while Yelena and I prepare to charge at Elisa. But before we can do anything, she waves her hand, muttering some words of incantation.

Immediately, the three of us are thrown back against the wall, getting the wind knocked out of us.

“Keep them under watch,” Elisa orders Sinthea. “I need full concentration on Black Widow while I perform the hypnotic spell. If any of them move, shoot them.”

Sinthea grins. “With pleasure.”

She draws both her guns and approaches us. “Grab the sky, girls,” she laughs.

We raise our hands.

Nearby, Elisa places a hand on Natasha’s forehead and begins muttering another incantation. She’s deep in a trance, preparing to manipulate Natasha’s mind.

We need to stop her, and fast. But how, with Sinthea holding all of us at gunpoint?

Hmm… point…

I glance down at my boots. The ones I stole from Fiona. The ones she stole from Tarantula.

I’ve got only one chance.

I catch Sable’s eye, hoping she can create a momentary distraction. She doesn’t understand, but she nods, imperceptibly.

“You won’t get away with this,” she tells Sinthea. “HYDRA will fail. It always does.”

Sinthea laughs. “HYDRA cannot fail,” she declares. “Every loss merely strengthens us. Every setback is a chance to grow. And by tomorrow, all our losses and setbacks will have resulted in the ultimate victory!”

Her attention on Sable leaves me a moment to click my heels. The toe-spikes spring free. I kick out, catching Sinthea at her lower thigh.

“Agh!” Sinthea recoils at the sharp pain, momentarily fumbling with her weapon.

Sable springs up and grabs her wrist – but the knockout drug is fast! Sinthea groans and, within moments, slumps in Sable’s grip.

Sable turns to me, ready to ask for an explanation, but knows that there isn’t time.

Elisa is still in a trance, focused on Natasha, and hasn’t noticed our incapacitation of Sinthea. Sable and I are about to attack her – but we’re not fast enough.

Yelena moves like a rocket, diving at Elisa before either of us can reach the table. She tackles the sorceress, sending them both to the floor.

Her trance broken, Elisa seems confused and discombobulated. Yelena raises her fist, preparing to strike.

But Elisa shakes off her dizziness just in time. She whispers a spell, sending Yelena flying backwards.

An enraged Elisa gets to her feet, glaring at us. There’s no way we can reach her in time, not before she shouts another spell and turns us into chickens or whatnot.

“Ahem.”

Elisa turns to the sound behind her.

Natasha is standing upright, no longer under the paralysis spell now that Elisa’s concentration was broken too long.

And she looks angry.

Elisa gulps.

She opens her mouth to cast another spell, but Natasha hits her with a sharp neck chop. Elisa groans and drops like a sack of grain.

Kate has also been freed from her spell. She glances over at the three of us, and specifically at me. “…Felicia?”

I remove my HYDRA cowl. “Surprise.”

Silver Sable removes hers as well. She nods at Natasha.

Natasha nods back. Then she walks over to the masked Yelena, who lies on the floor in a daze.

Natasha holds out her hand to help Yelena up. Yelena visibly recoils.

“That was quite a noble attack,” Natasha says. “Sinclair did not see you coming. Thank you.”

Yelena removes her cowl. “It wasn’t about saving you. I just… I hate seeing people experimented upon.”

“As do I.” Natasha extends her hand. “Come now, rooskaya. We may have our differences, but we are not enemies. Certainly not where HYDRA is concerned.”

Yelena hesitates for another moment.

Then she reaches out and grasps Natasha’s hand, allowing the older Black Widow to pull her up.

Kate looks at me in surprise. “Guess I misjudged you, Hardy. You really came through for us.”

I shrug. “I told you I’m a good guy now, remember?” (Albeit one who still commits burglaries now and then, but why bring that up?)

“How did you all get here?” Kate asks, glancing at Sable.

“It’s quite a long story,” Sable replies.

“Um, I think the stories will need to wait,” I say.

I quickly tell the others what Amelia told me about HYDRA’s plan to attack Madison Square Garden.

Natasha nods. “We’ll need to work fast. Grab the Cube before HYDRA has a chance to use it.”

“The Cube could be anywhere in this base,” Kate replies. “The only person who has unfettered access to it is Viper – that is, Madame Hydra herself.”

Natasha nods. She thinks for a brief moment, then glances over at the unconscious figures of Elisa and Sinthea.

“Kate, it would appear you are approximately the same height and build as Sinthea Shmidt.”

Kate nods. “Looks like it.”

“Take her costume, quickly. Use some chemical dye to redden your hair, and take my photostatic veil to mimic her face. Then lead Felicia and Yelena to the HYDRA holding vault and order the workers to bring you the Cube. Say you’re working on Viper’s orders.”

“Sounds like a plan. What about you?”

“I will take Elisa Sinclair’s clothes. Her mask should cover most of my face and make the veil redundant. I will make my way to Viper’s chambers, neutralize her, and impersonate her. From there, things should be relatively easy.”

She bends down and begins stripping Elisa of her costume, while Kate approaches the unconscious Sinthea to do the same.

Sable looks surprised. “Er… Natasha. Are you sure you should go alone? Viper is the deadliest and most ruthless woman on the planet. She has no super-strength, yet she’s fought Captain America to a standstill on more than one occasion.”

“I’m aware of how dangerous she is,” Natasha replies. “I will handle her. I need you, Silvija, to make contact with the outside world – specifically, the people at Madison Square. Do you have agents stationed there as security?”

Sable nods. “As a matter of fact, there are a few members of Silver Sable Security at MSG. HYDRA blocks most outside signals, but I can reach the control room in this disguise and override the suppression. I can contact Amy Chen, she’s one of my top agents…”

“Unfortunately, you may have difficulty reaching Agent Chen,” Natasha replies without looking up. “I had to neutralize her earlier today in order to obtain her uniform.”

Sable frowns. “Was that necessary?”

“I would not have mugged her otherwise. Please tell me you have some agents you can contact who are not currently incapacitated.”

Sable sighs. “I probably have a few.”

“Good. Hurry up.”

Within minutes, Natasha and Kate are donning their new disguises.

I must say, Kate looks quite convincing as Sinthea Shmidt, especially with the veil and hair dye added.

Too bad the real Sinthea can’t be awake to see how she’s been replaced. She’s currently in the lab closet, stripped to a red sports bra and matching bikini panties, both emblazoned with black skull-and-crossbones logos. She’s bound with black copper wiring and gagged with silver tape.

Seated across from her is the similarly unconscious Elisa Sinclair, stripped to a green underwire bra and black panties. She’s been tied tightly with Widow’s Line and gagged with several thick strips of white cloth. We’re not taking any chances with her – so long as she can’t speak or move her limbs, she can’t cast any spells to free herself.

Natasha fits Sinclair’s mask over her face. “Good luck, all of you. And remember, time is of the essence.”

******************

Claire had just regrouped with Elaine in the Madison Square Garden lobby when her comm buzzed. A special frequency, one she had not heard in a while.

She answered in trepidation. “Boss? Is that you?”

“Of course it’s me.” Silver Sable sounded impatient, with a tone of urgency in her voice. “Claire, where are you now?”

“At MSG, along with Elaine and a few of our other agents,” Claire responded. “A bunch of them got anbushed… We’ve spent the past hour trying to track them down…”

“That’s not important right now,” Sable interrupted. “Claire, listen closely: you must get everyone to evacuate the stadium. This is a matter of extreme urgency.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Claire shooed away Elaine, who was trying to listen in. “And where are you, anyway? I haven’t heard from you since—”

“I will explain everything later,” Sable replied. “For now, do as I say. Make sure that everyone is out of the stadium as soon as possible.”

“But how do we…?”

Alas, Sable had disconnected her comms.

“What the hell’s going on?” Elaine demanded.

Claire quickly explained Sable’s orders.

“How are we supposed to get everyone out of here?” Elaine asked incredulously. “The stadium is filling as we speak! And no one will listen to us.”

At that moment, a man in a suit and tie – likely one of the event’s coordinators – shuffled past them, glancing angrily in their direction.

“What are you two doing, dawdling out here?” he demanded. “You need to be getting ready for the show!”

“S-sorry,” Claire replied. “We were just grabbing some air…”

“Well, grab it on your own time! SHIELD has just arrived!”

Elaine’s eyebrows raised. “They did?”

“Yes! They’re performing a security sweep on the perimeter. Don’t know why, but unless you want to face some unwanted questions, get to the arena!”

Claire nodded. “Yes, sir.”

As the man hurried off, Claire glanced at Elaine. “Why would SHIELD be here? You don’t suppose… they’re after us? Following our hospital breakout?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Elaine replied. “This is a densely populated event, and considering all the chaos that’s been happening around the city lately, it makes sense that SHIELD would send a few agents to check up on things.”

Immediately, Claire brightened. “Actually… this is perfect! We can alert the SHIELD agents, let them know they need to alert everyone evacuate the building! They have federal authority, no one would dare question them!”

“Good plan,” Elaine nodded. “Except… there’s no way SHIELD would listen to us either. And they would probably arrest you, since you assaulted one of their own agents last night.”

Claire’s face fell as she remembered her mugging of Agent Alisande Morales. “Crap… What else can we do?”

Elaine grinned. “I think you’re close to getting it,” she said, eyes twinkling. “If we want anyone to listen to us… we’ll need to look like SHIELD agents.”

Claire looked at her in shock. “No… not again. We’ll get in so much trouble...”

“Got a better idea?”

Claire was silent.

“That’s what I thought. Follow me!”

*****************

SHIELD agents Heather Sante and Daisy Dugan had been field partners for over a year.

Thus far, neither one had seen much action. They were generally regulated to security sweeps, much like the one they were currently engaged in now, walking through the corridor along the southeast wing of MSG. But SHIELD paid well, and neither woman was the type to complain when handed a paycheck.

“See anything unusual?” Heather asked her partner.

A svelte but fit woman with light skin, dark eyes, and shoulder-length brown hair, she was the more reserved of the duo, dressed in the standard-issue black skintight bodysuit, with white gloves, boots, and assorted belts and leg straps.

“Yeah,” Daisy replied with a chuckle. “The price of a hot dog in this place.”

A similarly athletically built woman, Daisy had light skin, blue eyes, and pixie-cut red hair. Her black SHIELD uniform was generally similar to Heather’s, but with one major difference – she had opted to go sleeveless, the better to allow her arms freedom of movement. She sported a pair of high-tech electronics on her wrists, as well as a radio receiver on her upper left bicep.

Heather sighed. “How can you think about food? We just ate an hour ago.”

“Hey, crime-fighting works up an appetite,” Daisy shrugged. “And SHIELD doesn’t exactly serve the best meals…”

Heather stopped, holding up a hand. “Wait… Did you hear something?”

Instinctively, both agents reached for their guns, as the sound of footsteps echoed towards them.

Into view stepped Elaine, still in her Coldheart disguise.

Heather and Daisy relaxed, though Heather still looked at Elaine suspiciously. “Who are you? One of the performers?”

“Indeed I am!” Elaine grinned. “Coldheart the sword-lady, at your service.”

Now it was Daisy’s turn to look suspicious. “Hey… I know that voice. You sound kinda like that woman who robbed the Garage the other night… The Lizard Lady!”

Elaine scowled at this. “The name is Scorpia, not Lizard Lady!”

Then she blinked. “Er… I mean… Coldheart! Obviously…”

Heather and Daisy exchanged a glance.

Then they quickly reached for their guns.

“Freeze!” Heather yelled.

Elaine grinned. “No… YOU freeze!”

So saying, she grasped the hilt of one of Coldheart’s weapons – the so-called “cryonic swords” that she used in fighting.

She pointed the sword at the two SHIELD agents. Immediately, there was a flash of cold light.

The next moment, Heather and Daisy stood frozen in place. Their eyes glanced back and forth in shock. But the rest of their bodies were like statues.

Claire popped out from her hiding spot, stepping into view. “Wow… Those swords really work.”

She approached Daisy and waved a hand in front of the woman’s face. There was no visible response.

“If I remember correctly about Coldheart’s weapons, these two should be frozen in place for about thirty minutes,” Elaine said. “Plenty of time for us to make use of their uniforms.”

“Badass,” Claire smiled. “You’ve really come through this time.”

Elaine grinned in response.

“Sorry, ladies,” Claire explained to the two motionless SHIELD agents. “This is all for a good cause. I think.”

She and Elaine carried the two frozen women into a nearby closet and began stripping them of their uniforms – an unexpectedly difficult task, considering that the women’s limbs refused to budge.

“Dammit!” Claire frowned, trying to separate Daisy from her bodysuit. “How the hell am I supposed to strip this woman if her arms and legs are in fixed position?”

“Just do your best,” Elaine replied, as she herself struggled to strip the similarly unmoving Heather. “And don’t rip the suit, we need them undamaged.”

“Forget what I said earlier,” Claire grumbled. “This technique of yours is idiotic! Next time we’ll just knock them out with neck chops.”

“Oh, you’re so boring and old-fashioned,” Elaine scoffed. “At least we don’t have to waste time binding and gagging them!”

“Whatever. Just shut up and keep stripping.”

It took more time than anticipated, but eventually Heather had been reduced to her neon-pink exercise bra and matching boyshorts, and Daisy to her dark green plunge bra and white hiphuggers.

Elaine did not bother binding and gagging them, but she couldn’t resist leaving them in a position that left Heather’s hand grabbing Daisy’s ass. Claire simply shook her head in exasperation.

“Sayonara, girls. And I love the sleeveless outfit!” Elaine grinned as she finished donning Daisy’s uniform.

Then both women exited the closet, hurrying to find the SHIELD squad leader.

*****************

Viper stood in her office, watching the monitor screen behind her desk. She took a deep breath, preparing for her finest moment. The moment that would prove, once and for all, that HYDRA was on top of the world.

The woman once known as Ophelia Sarkissian and now known by worldwide notoriety as Madame Hydra had engaged in devastating acts of terror before, but never one quite on this scale. And all thanks to a small Cube in her possession.

Viper took a deep breath, savoring the moment. She loved power, she loved terror, and she loved chaos. And HYDRA was about to deliver all three in spades.

The rest of HYDRA’s leadership circle – especially the Supreme Hydra – would all have to cede their respect to her. She would be the undisputed queen of global disorder before this night was done.

Viper was a tall and slender woman, though with obvious muscle to her figure. She had light skin, green eyes, and dark green hair. She wore a dark green figure-hugging jumpsuit with a high neck and bare shoulders, dark green opera-length gloves, and light green knee-high boots. A pair of light green weapons belts crisscrossed her waist, and a pair of holstered guns were strapped to her thighs.

Her reputation as the deadliest woman in the world did not come easily – rather, it was one she had earned across several years of finely honed terror. Although she had no natural superpowers, Viper was an expert combatant, skilled in every form of martial arts. She was also a professional markswoman and toxicologist, a brilliant mind in the art of poison. Through controlled exposure across many years, she had developed a natural immunity to all poisons and toxins known to humanity, allowing her to wear her specially designed brand of poisonous green lipstick at all times – which in turn allowed her to render plenty of men permanently helpless with a simple kiss.

Her lipstick was once her signature deadly weapon – but she had since made many others her own as well. And now, she would add the Chaos Cube to her repertoire.

A knock came at her office door. She frowned.

“I am not to be disturbed!” she said angrily.

“Madame Hydra,” a voice came from behind the door. “This is a matter of extreme urgency.”

It was Elisa Sinclair’s voice – one of her top lieutenants, and her most powerful sorceress.

“Enter,” Viper commanded, pressing a button on her desk. “And make it fast.”

The doors slid open, allowing the red-garbed, golden-masked woman to step inside. They promptly closed behind her.

“Speak,” Viper ordered. “What is wrong?”

“Madame,” said the woman in a perfect rendition of Elisa Sinclair’s voice. “I have reason to suspect that the Avengers are preparing to attack this base!”

“Ridiculous,” Viper frowned. “The Avengers have no idea we’re situated here. The only one who knows is Black Widow, whom you’ve turned into a mindless puppet.” She paused. “That is, I assume you’ve had no trouble getting inside Black Widow’s head?”

“None at all, Madame,” the woman replied.

“In that case, I…”

Viper paused, then narrowed her eyes. Something – something felt off.

Immediately, her hands flew to her guns.

Natasha swiftly removed her mask, flinging it at Viper. It knocked the guns from her hands, sending them skittering across the floor.

Viper scowled as the imposter’s stern face and red hair came into view. “Well, well… the Black Widow.”

“Ophelia,” Natasha said coldly. “I don’t suppose you’d care to surrender?”

Viper hissed in a manner not dissimilar to her namesake. “Do not ever use my birth name.” She clenched her fists. “I’ve killed for less.”

“Your killing days are over,” Natasha said. “Now where is the Cube?”

Viper chuckled.

“I should call my men in here to execute you,” she asserted. “But you and your fellow Avengers have been a thorn in my side for too long. I will take special pleasure in killing you myself.”

Natasha assumed a fighting stance. “I pity you, Ophelia. So much talent and devotion, all used for evil. With your extensive knowledge of toxicology, you could create medicinal cures for the world.”

Viper laughed, a long, cruel laugh that echoed across the room.

“Trying to appeal to my better nature?” she mused. “I respect that, Romanoff, as futile an attempt as it was. I promise to make your death a memorable one.”

Natasha quickly launched a Widow’s Bite at Viper. The HYDRA woman ducked, narrowly avoiding the blast. In the same fluid motion, she bent down and grabbed one of her guns.

Natasha dove behind the desk as Viper fired several rounds, the bullets driving small holes into the floor. One hit the monitor screen, shattering it.

“You’re as good as dead already, Romanoff,” Viper said furiously. “I began pumping poisonous gas into my office three minutes ago. I’m immune to its effects, but you should be slowing down any moment now.”

Natasha leaped up from behind the desk and kicked the gun from Viper’s hands.

“Unless I had the foresight to wear SHIELD’s latest customized nose filters,” she replied. “Your tricks do not work on me, Ophelia.”

With a growl, Viper grabbed Natasha’s ankle, swinging her around and sending her flying towards the far wall. Natasha swiftly pivoted, hitting the wall with her feet and ricocheting off it.

Viper blocked Natasha’s jiujitsu blows, backing herself up against the monitor wall.

She grabbed a shard of glass from the broken monitor, aiming it for Natasha’s throat. Natasha grabbed her wrist and twisted it, forcing Viper to drop the shard.

With a roar of pain, Viper grabbed Natasha’s neck and, with a speed that surprised even the Black Widow, slammed her down on the desk.

“You’re not my type,” Viper snarled. “But I suppose my original killing method still works just fine.”

So saying, she seized Black Widow’s cheeks and planted a kiss directly on Natasha’s lips.

Natasha kicked out, sending Viper crashing into the far wall. Then she sat up and wiped her mouth.

“Too late,” Viper grinned. “My venom is fast-acting and only needs brief skin contact to do its job. There is no cure, no antidote. You will be dead in sixty minutes.”

“Well, then.” Natasha got to her feet. “I suppose I should make the most of them.”

She dove at Viper, who had not yet gotten to her feet, and swiftly embowed her in the stomach. She followed this with a perfectly-placed karate blow, right below Viper’s left ear.

Dazed, but still conscious, Viper tried to counter, but Natasha swiftly put her in a headlock, cutting off air and blood flow to her brain. She tightened her grip, even as Viper tried breaking it.

“It’s over, Ophelia. Give it up.”

Viper struggled for several long moments, but she could not match Natasha’s strength or determination.

Finally, she slumped in the Black Widow’s grip.

Natasha dropped the unconscious Viper to the floor. Then she took a brief, deep breath. She could feel the poison spreading through her body.

Slow, steady… She willed herself to calm down. Slowing her heart rate, slowing the venom.

She approached Viper’s desk and opened one of the drawers. A bit of rummaging, and she found what she was looking for – a small bottle of green hair dye.

“This will do for now,” she murmured, glancing over at the defeated Viper. “And your clothes will do the rest…”

*****************

Yelena and I follow Kate into the weapons hall of the HYDRA compound.

Judging by the way people visibly shrink back at the sight of Kate, her Sinthea disguise seems to be working perfectly.

That photostatic veil is top-notch – I wouldn’t mind using it for a heist or two. I would just need to find a way to swipe it with no one noticing…

I notice Yelena glancing in my direction. Even from beneath her HYDRA cowl, I can sense her brow furrowed. I guess she still doesn’t trust me.

I should try making friends.

“Uh… thanks for not shooting me back there,” I whisper. “In your cell. Great job taking care of those guards.”

Yelena doesn’t answer.

“I just want to say… I’m impressed by your work,” I tell her. “I heard about the way you stole the Cube, fought Scorpia… You’re my kind of gal.”

“I’m no one’s ‘gal’,” Yelena replies, irritated. “I have no allies. Maybe…” She pauses. “Maybe I never did.”

I don’t know how to respond, so I keep quiet. Something about this girl still troubles me.

Kate approaches a HYDRA guard standing in front of a door marked “Authorized Personnel Only.”

“Step aside,” she says in her best imitation of Sinthea’s voice.

The guard shakes his head. “Sorry, Sin. No one is allowed inside until Madame Hydra gives the orders. She gave me strict instructions.”

Kate frowns, as do I. I suppose we could tackle this guard, but there are others around… And they’ve got quite a few guns. I doubt we could handle them all…

We back away.

“Are we sure the Cube is in here?” I whisper.

“Has to be,” Kate replies. “It’s the most secure holding room in HYDRA. If only we—”

“Let them in,” a commanding voice calls out.

Into the room walks a tall woman dressed all in green, including her hair. Her green eyes sweep the room, affixing the guard with a cold glare. He gulps.

“I said, let them in. I will follow.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

He steps aside and presses a few buttons on the keypad to open the door.

Natasha gives us a barely perceptible nod. I must say – her disguise skills are incredible, even when she’s not using the photostatic veil. I get chills looking at her, and have to remind myself that she’s not the real Viper.

We enter the weapons storage room, with Natasha following behind.

“Shut the door behind us,” she commands the guard. He obeys without question.

Once we’re alone, Natasha nods at us. “Find the Cube. Quickly.”

We’re off and searching. I rummage through some incredibly costly-looking weaponry. No idea what HYDRA would be planning to do with half this stuff. I only hope we never find out…

“Found it!” Yelena proclaims.

She holds up a small metal object that I instantly recognize as the Chaos Cube.

“Perfect,” Natasha smiles at Yelena – and Yelena uncomfortably looks away. “Kate, take the Cube and store it in a protective lockbox. We can’t risk anything damaging it.”

“Got it.”

“Now let’s find Sable and move quickly,” Natasha continues. “You all need to escape here as fast as you can.”

“Um…” I pipe up. “Don’t you mean we need to escape?”

Natasha shakes her head. “Unfortunately...”

Then, without warning, she collapses to the floor.

Kate and I stare at her, then glance at each other in shock.

Yelena, too, looks shaken.

“N-Natasha?” she calls. “Black Widow?”

[tirepanted3]

Most of these characters in this story are based on actual characters from Marvel Comics. Links below.

Adelynn DuQuesne/Swordswoman

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Swordswo ... Earth-616)

Kateri Deseronto/Coldheart

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Kateri_D ... Earth-616)

Lina Abbas

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Lina_Abbas_(Earth-616)

Sinthea Shmidt/Sin

https://marvelcomicsfanon.fandom.com/wi ... Earth-101)

Elisa Sinclair

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Elisa_Si ... rth-61311)

SHIELD Agent Heather Sante

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Heather_ ... Earth-616)

SHIELD Agent Daisy Dugan

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daisy_Dugan_(Earth-161)

Ophelia Sarkissian/Viper/Madame Hydra

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Ophelia_ ... Earth-616)

[rufusluciusivan]

Called it. I knew these genre-savvy HYDRA guards were asking for trouble. USB karma has struck again. Badass moment from Silver Sable though. Can't look any more badass than by utterly trouncing two trained women while handcuffed...

Called it. The Tchekhov Boots were indeed Tchekhov Boots.

Though it appears the H.E.A.R.T. ladies were indeed booted out of the story.

Ah, the first person narration by Felicia... How I've missed you...

“Hey, it’s not my fault you make your mercenaries wear such stealable uniforms!”

They hated Felicia because she told them the truth.

Felicia's history with Silver Sable and her company has got to be one of the funniest parts of this chapter.

Glad to see a few more "performers" joined in the USB fun. Elaine and Claire always deliver. Their banters are still great. They're my second favorite duo of this arc, just one step behind Yelena and Silver Sable. The mental image of Elaine using her scorpion tail to gag and pull a woman out of sight is also incredibly sexy to picture. (Same with the mental image of the girls pulled into the bushes and knocked out "offscreen" with only the sound effects, but that one was a given... )

I love the design of Swordswoman. (Though I'll give her a D- for name creativity. Could she have made a little effort to find a better alias? ) Plus, gunMETAL blue panties and GREY bra? And ICE blue bra and SNOW white panties for Coldheart? The appropriately-themed underwear return!

Also glad to see that a few SHIELD Agents returned for one (last?) encore. So nice of them to drop by. It's basically becoming a competition between SHIELD and Silver Sable Security to see which one is the "lawful neutral" faction who gets mugged the most. Plus Heather and Daisy have nice designs. Coldheart's swords also allowed for a brand new way to neutralize sentries! Love the imagery of them frozen like statues, but still conscious. Hopefully, they don't get forgotten when the building is being evacuated...

(The Scorpia-misnaming is becoming a running gag, and I'm loving it.)

Sinthea's design is also very good - I have a thing for redheads - but I say it's a risky move from HYDRA. Who in their right mind would hire someone who can be so easily impersonated by Natasha? And of course the ultimate joke is that she's not impersonated by the redhead among the heroines. Then again, who other than Black Widow could do the face-off with Madame HYDRA herself?

Speaking of Ophelia. The way you describe her really sells the idea she's one of the world's deadliest women. A bit of a shame she ultimately has so little screen time, but the limited time and dialogues she had were put to good use to make her look like a legitimate world-wide threat. Her fight with Natasha was a cool moment, and the dialogues are great at hinting the history these two have with only a few lines. My favorite part is the "I outsmarted your outsmarting"-moment - when Hydra says she filled the room with poison gas before Natasha even entered the room, only for the latter to retort she's already wearing nose filters. I know that on Earth-USB, Gwen/Ghost Spider is supposed to be the one who devises contingency plans for her contingency plans, but she could learn a lesson or two from these girls!

"You will be dead in sixty minutes.”

“Well, then.” Natasha got to her feet. “I suppose I should make the most of them.”

Love this exchange. Wouldn't feel out of place in an action blockbuster.

However I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the poor sap who will discover Ophelia. There's no way she'll let them live to tell the story of how they found her in her skivvies...

Discovery scenes always have a special flavor, especially when they play a part in the plot and aren't just an "epilogue" kind of thing, and the one featuring the long-awaited (by me) Lina Abbas has extra flavor. Nice callback with Sherry also. A bit of a shame they weren't involved in the mugging of SHIELD agents (for the greater good, of course!). Missed opportunity from HYDRA though. A storage room with burlap sacks, and they DON'T use them to conceal the women they mugged? Such negligence... I expected better from people in gaudy green jumpsuits.

We finally reach the moment when the storylines collide. I've been eagerly awaiting the moment when the teams would regroup.

I'm gonna be honest, the very beginning leaves me a bit mitigated plot-wise. On the one hand, I appreciate the unexpected call-back to an earlier story with Amelia's return - those cameos and easter eggs are always fun. On the other hand... It's plot armor at its finest!

The long-anticipated meeting between Natasha and Yelena finally takes place. I wish it was longer though, hopefully the next chapter will fleshen this out.

I liked how you tied Elaine's and Claire's part to the main characters'. These two are the dark horse ensemble I didn't know I wanted.

Of course it ends with a cliffhanger... Can't wait to read how everything turns out. For the poor sap who will discover Madame HYDRA of course. (Oh, and also for Black Widow's poisoning I guess... )

[tirepanted3]

Yeah, those genre-savvy HYDRA ladies were pretty much doomed from the outset. Don't joke about plot conventions unless you're absolutely sure you're above them! Was glad to give Silver Sable an opportunity to show off her fighting skills as well; she's a cut below Natasha, but no slouch in the action department.

Tarantula's boots kind of developed their own way into this chapter - I wasn't sure how to fit them in at first, but figured I'd need some way to justify them beyond "Fiona thought they looked cool" (especially since HEART doesn't feature into this chapter).

I couldn't resist returning to Felicia's first-person narration, where it was applicable. It was my entry point into the Earth-USB saga a few years ago, and it's still fun to write her inner monologue. Though it does get trickier as the stakes get higher and Felicia tries to keep her sardonic cool.

I was happy to call back to Felicia's prior history with Silver Sable, not only the Oscorp mugging but the scene with Paulina as well. I tried to squeeze in a lot of callbacks to prior chapters here, including to Sherry, Amelia, and other USB victims from the past. Continuity helps the world these characters inhabit feel more well-rounded.

Elaine and Claire are the gift that keeps on giving, and I'm glad you introduced their dynamic in earlier chapters, as they are a blast to write. Two women who can't (emotionally) stand each other, yet also can't stand to be (physically) without each other, forced into multiple USB escapades. They're also not as hampered by their moral compasses as some other characters, meaning they can be somewhat rougher with their unwilling uniform donors. (And of course I couldn't resist a classic pair of offscreen knockouts.)

Coldheart's underwear theme was definitely intentional; I'm not entirely sure if Swordswoman's was. Either way, she does have a great design, - always love a mask that covers the upper half of a face.

Heather and Daisy were a last-minute addition to this chapter. I wasn't sure if I'd get another chance to feature SHIELD here, and decided to make use of them when I could. I've lost track of how many SHIELD women have lost their uniforms at this point! The comedy of Elaine and Claire trying to strip women who were frozen in place was too good to resist.

Poor Scorpia - forever a minor-league character, forever getting her name mixed up with others. Some supers just can't catch a break.

Despite her red hair, Sinthea felt more like a Kate impersonation target, especially with the big climax looming. Hopefully she doesn't swear revenge on Kate like Fifi and Masque did, though - she's a dangerous woman to have as an enemy. The mention of her mugging a SHIELD woman for her uniform is a reference to a Captain America comic where she does just that:

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I do regret not giving Viper more of a presence in this story, considering that she is positioned as the ultimate threat, and also since she's quite interesting to write for. A genuinely evil and ruthless woman who gets a true thrill from generating terror and chaos. It was also great writing her showdown with Natasha - after several chapters of writing Natasha as the ultimate combatant, it seemed natural to feature an action climax in which she meets her match.

Didn't feel right to slow down the story at this juncture with an aftermath scene of Viper, but yes, good luck to whoever finds her... They'll need it...

Lina Abbas makes her debut in the saga, quick though it is. I would have featured her more, but we're at a late stage in the climax, so it was tough to feature too many characters in active positions. At least Sherry got off easy compared to last time...

I'm gonna be honest, the very beginning leaves me a bit mitigated plot-wise. On the one hand, I appreciate the unexpected call-back to an earlier story with Amelia's return - those cameos and easter eggs are always fun. On the other hand... It's plot armor at its finest!

I'd say Felicia's got nine lives.

Yelena will have more of a presence in the final chapter. She is the catalyst that drove much of this story, after all.

I hope to have the final chapter posted in late August (or early September, depending on my schedule). Endings are always tough, but I hope this one sticks the landing...

[rufusluciusivan]

I'd say Felicia's got nine lives.

So... Does she have luck-based power in the end?

I'd say the action was quite nice in this part. Natasha gets the detailed action scene, but I liked how Silver Sable gets her moment to shine. (And also, the boots get their moment as well. )

The callback to Paulina was a good moment. I like these reminders that the main characters have an impact on the world around them, and that other characters remember their... ahem... "escapades". Also, it allows me to use that reaction shot:



You have no idea how long I've been waiting to use it again...

I'm surprised and amsued (and happy) to see how organically Claire and Elaine have evolved from one-time USB victims to secondary characters. Their relationship was meant to be a one-time gag for the epilogue of the Magneto arc, but it has proven to be surprisingly solid - enough to carry a secondary subplot. I think that what they have is called a "hate crush". Though I'm sure deep down inside, they love and care for each other. REAAALLY deep down. That's what you get when two raging tsunderes are being raging tsunderes for each other. (But the sexyness definitely helps... )

Fun fact, Claire's design draws its inspiration from Claire Redfield from the Resident Evil series. And that's also where I got the idea of the joke that she has a... shapely bottom. (More accurately that's a joke from Code Veronica and especially its Dark Chronicles remake.) Hey! Capcom did it first!

A bit of a shame for Lina Abbas though. Had I known about her earlier, she'd probably have been introduced during the Orchis saga. But by the time I knew of her existence, Claire was already the designated second-in-command. Sad for Lina I guess. Claire at least got a sexy girlfriendout out of her ordeal, so I guess it balances things out for her; while all poor Lina won was a few hours trussed up among burlap sacks with a colleague for whom she has NO secret hate crush. Life's unfair.

And Sherry was indeed luckier this time, not that she'll see it that way. (Elaine would disagree - in fact she'd be quite jealous if she ever heard what happened to Claire and Sherry during the gala - but no kink-shaming please.^^)

Felicia too is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to sassy one-liners. The stakes prevent her from quipping as much as she could, but her inner-monologues make up for it, so the first-person narration was a good idea.



Yes, I was in the mood for memes today.

I'm crossing my fingers for the end of August then. I wish to know how it ends.

[tirepanted3]

So... Does she have luck-based power in the end?

We may never know for sure. But pity anyone who crosses her path.

Action scenes are difficult to incorporate into USB stories - ironic, since they're so definitive in superhero fare. But USB stories require stealth and subterfuge, whereas action scenes are typically loud and attention-grabbing. So I tried to give Natasha and Sable their moments to shine while still staying true to the spirit of the saga.

I love callbacks and try to make them where I can - in my head, the other Silver Sable Security woman that Felicia mugged in that scene with Paulina was Amy Chen, but I wasn't sure if that fit with continuity, so I omitted the reference.

The scene that inspired me to make Claire and Elaine regular characters, and to explore their relationship further, was actually their scene at the end of "Circus Tricks" where Claire tries to come to Elaine's rescue. Just felt like there was something worth digging into there. I just find it funny how these two women have such visceral dislike of each other yet also can't hide their physical attraction to one another. Perhaps there is some small aspect of their relationship that is emotional, but neither one will admit it.

I'm happy to keep writing Claire, even if she wasn't officially inspired by a Marvel character. The design of her inspiration is quite good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Redfield

Don't feel too sorry for Lina Abbas - she can always make a more prominent appearance in a future story. Although that would probably involve her getting mugged for her uniform again, so... you can feel a little sorry for her.

I think the way the scene with Sherry is written, it's meant to imply that Elaine knows about what happened at Hutton Brickyards and is teasing Claire about it. She likes making Claire feel awkward and embarrassed, and knows that Claire will have no choice but to tolerate it, so long as Elaine maintains a shapely figure and knows how to work her Scorpia tail...

Felicia's quips are the reason I do first-person narration wherever possible. Unfortunately, it will probably not be possible in the next chapter, which will be focused on wrapping up the story arc. But I'll try to squeeze in a few quips where I can.

This last chapter might take a bit longer to write than the last few, but I hope to get it done soon. Don't want to leave this project open-ended for too long.