THE SCARLET
WITCH VS REGENT
HERO UNDONE: A FALL FROM
GRACE
By Yenoc and Scarlet
WARNING: This story contains sexual situations
and violence
(nc, MF). It is to be read by
adults
only. If this sort of material is not
to your
liking, then read no further.
PART I.
Chapter
1. Prologue
The dictionary
defines a hero as follows:(a) a
mythological
or legendary figure, often of
divine
descent, endowed with great strength or
ability,
(b) an illustrious warrior, (c) a
person
admired for their achievements and noble
qualities,
and (d) one who shows great courage.
Those
are clear and concise definitions of the
term...however,
they are merely words. Two
questions
need to be answered to really
understand
the meaning of the title. First..what
is a hero?
The dictionary covers that one fairly
well.
Second..what circumstances would cause a
person
to step forward from the masses and risk
life and
limb to help other people? The answer
to that
one will not be found in any dictionary,
for it
has as many answers as there are heros.
A hero
or heroine is more than just an idea...
more than
just a person with special powers and
abilities.
What extreme series of events would
make a
person don a mask or costume and set out
to fight
crime, injustice, and the forces of
evil and
darkness in the world? This valid
question
is very difficult to answer.
There
are infinite occurrences and cycles of
life that
might contribute to a man or woman
becoming
a hero. What possesses a person to
become
such? Perhaps they are simply in a
position
where they can make an impact on
society...make
a difference. Or perhaps they
have no
say so in the matter. It is often said
that a
person cannot escape his or her own
destiny...that
we all are put upon this Earth
for some
specific reason.
Can a
person escape destiny? Perhaps the
question
to ask is...should they escape
destiny?
If a man or woman does have special
powers
or abilities, should they not use
those
gifts for the benefit of all mankind?
There
are no guarantees in life..each of us
could
walk out the front door one day and be
struck
down by a car. Fate can be a fickle
mistress.
The dictionary
defines a villain as:(a) a
villein..a
free common villager or village
peasant
of one of several lower feudal classes,
(b) a
person of uncouth mind and manners, (c) a
deliberate
scoundrel or criminal, and (d) a
scoundrel
in a story or a play.
Who can
say whether a person chooses villainy,
or destiny
prescribes it to be so. Perhaps we
all are
merely actors in the play of life.
Whether
they are called metahumans or mutants,
beings
with costumes, powers, and abilities are
lumped
into one of two categories...they are
either
heroes or they are villains. Either way,
they either
were born with the powers that set
them apart
from the rest of humanity, or they
have abilities
created through training,
scientific
means, or accidents.
The
supernatural forces of Order and Chaos each
have their
own agents in the endless battle
between
good and evil. Heroes and villains may
merely
be pawns in an eternal game.
Our
personalities, upbringings, and values define
who we
are and what we believe. There is little
doubt
that a drastic life event, such as violence,
the death
of a loved one, or some major betrayal
can shake
the very foundations of a belief system.
Perhaps
this can be what leads to the creation of
a hero,
or even a villain.
Heroes
and villains are definitely set apart from
the rest
of humanity. We worship them...we loathe
them.
These individuals are idolized or detested.
They are
the stuff of dreams or the making of
nightmares,
but above all else...they are still
human
beings. They breath and feel just like the
rest of
us; they experience happiness and tragedy
as do
we all.
A hero
or heroine could be a person who has been
trained
to adopt the role and sets out to protect
and
serve.
A villain
can simply be a person who is too tired,
hungry,
and cold to give a damn any more. They are
not on
the winning end of a situation and decide
they have
nothing to lose by taking a chance and
gambling
with their lives.
Be they
heros or heroines, they feel the strains
and pressures
of every day life the same as the
rest of
us, and, as we all know, a person can only
be pushed
so far before they crack under the
pressure
and push back. The mental strain alone
for these
champions of justice must be incredible!
There
comes a time in everyone's life when they
hit a
trouble spot that tests their mettle.
When a
person hits rock bottom they have two
options:
they either climb out of the dark pit of
despair,
or they drown in it and become a different
person.
There
is no set rule that says the good guys always
win, for
they often lose or reach a stalemate in
their
encounters with villains.
Heroes
and heroines are human above all else, and
they can
fail just like the rest of us. This is
the story
of one of these poor souls; it is but
one example
of how a crime fighter can lose their
way on
the path of Light and plunge into the abyss
of Darkness.
The moral of this tale...we can all
fall from
grace.
Chapter
2. Trial Of The Damned
Four of
the five active Avengers were gathered at
their
New York City mansion for an unusual purpose.
They were
being petitioned for possible membership
by an
alleged superhero named Regent. What was
occurring
was a trial of sorts to determine the
man's
worthiness to join the mighty Avengers.
Captain
America, of course, led the proceedings.
The other
members present were Hawkeye and the
siblings
Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. Thor,
God of
Thunder, was absent on some mysterious
mission
in Asgard.
The Scarlet
Witch was dressed in her usual costume
consisting
of a rose-colored body stocking over
which
she wore a leotard, calf-high boots, long
gloves,
cloth tiara, and full cloak, all crimson
in color.
The female
Avenger wore a circular disk in the
center
of her tiara and an oval broach on her
cloak's
collar below her comely chin. Both pieces
of jewelry
were made of silver-colored adamantium
centered
with large rubies. She carried a five-
foot-long,
adamantium scepter crowned with a
tennis-ball-sized
ruby.
The
mutant/witch was a buxom, athletic woman
standing
five-foot-seven-inches tall. She sported
gold-flecked
blue eyes and long auburn hair. No
doubt
the males in the room found her pleasing to
the eye.
The Scarlet
Witch peered closely at Regent,
examining
the six-foot-tall, muscular, fair-
skinned
man in his mid thirties. He was rather
handsome
with broad shoulders, brown eyes, and
short,
closely cut brown hair.
Regent's
kevlar costume consisted of a tight,
black
cowl, pants, and long-sleeved shirt with
thin,
red, vertical, evenly spaced stripes
emblazoned
on a large, white rectangle on his
chest.
He was also wearing leather boots, a wide
belt,
and short gloves, all red in color.
As Regent
slowly pulled the cowl back up over
his head
to once again conceal his ruggedly
handsome
features, the Scarlet Witch gazed at
the bottom
half of his clean-shaven face, and
felt a
twinge of attraction towards the
petitioner.
Wanda
Maximoff silently chided herself for the
instinctive
reaction, thinking suddenly of her
boyfriend,
Magnnus, and how much they cared for
one
another.
Regent
had already thoroughly explained and
demonstrated
his powers to the panel of
Avengers.
The product of military super-soldier
experiments
using drug and radiation therapy,
he had
the strength of ten men, possessed
augmented
agility and senses, was abnormally
fast,
had super quick reflexes, and healed
faster
than other, more normal, humans.
The petitioner
carried a round shield with a
black
a circle around the outside edge,
surrounding
a red circle with a solid, black,
circular
spot in the middle. The three-foot-
diameter
shield was more than what it seemed,
being
indestructible and having certain
'mystical'
properties.
Captain
America made a low, throat-clearing
sound
to get everyone's attention. The well-
muscled
leader of the Avengers was dressed
in his
familiar red, white, and blue costume
and carried
his own circular shield. His
winged
cowl covered his blonde hair.
Cap's
blue eyes twinkled as he smiled down at
Regent
and pleasantly asked, "Why do you want
to be
an Avenger, Regent?"
Regent
stood tall and tried not to give the
impression
that he was nervous. He stood
before
the assembled Avengers feeling as
though
he was on display at a zoo..he couldn't
help but
being self-conscious in front of this
group
of champions.
The petitioner
stared directly at the American
icon,
trying not to look at the other Avengers,
though
he could feel their intense gazes upon
him. The
man was silent for several moments as
he carefully
gathered his thoughts.
Even sitting
down, Captain America looked so
proud
and regal, but Regent saw him as smug and
arrogant.
People, due to the similarity of their
origins
and powers, were always calling him a
second-rate
Captain America wanna-be.
Regent
had tried to live up to the legendary
heroism
of Captain America for his entire
career,
but had never been able to catch
the one
break that would establish him once-
and-for-all
as also being a bona fide hero.
He was
sick to death of being measured by
the standards
people associated with Cap.
Consequently,
Regent felt only jealousy and
resentment
toward the American hero. He knew
he would
never measure up to the great Captain
America;
he was tired of living in Cap's shadow.
The petitioner
swallowed hard and prepared his
answer.
He had tried several times in the past
to join
the Avengers, but he was always turned
down..deemed
not good enough to be in this
exclusive
club. He believed they were jealous
of him.
"I want
to be an Avenger because I want to help
people
and make a difference in the world,"
Regent
said softly and then lowered his eyes
slightly.
Captain
America nodded quickly and confidently
replied,
"That is the bottom line of why we
formed..but
I suspect there are more questions
to be
asked. Pietro?"
The Scarlet
Witch's brother, Quicksilver, shook
his head
slowly and scowled. He was dressed
in
his light
blue body suit which had a white
lightning-like
stripe running diagonally across
his chest
and around his waste.
Pietro's
gloves and boots were also white; he
wore tight,
dark blue shorts over his body suit
trimmed
with white at the top to merge perfectly
with his
waist stripe.
Quicksilver
ran his hand through his silver-grey
hair and
stared with icy blue eyes at Regent as
he asked
with a superior tone in his voice, "More
importantly,
why do you think you deserve to be
an Avenger?
Only the best of the best can ever
hope to
obtain this status!"
Regent
glared angrily at the white-haired mutant
and tried
to prevent the bile from rising into
his throat.
'How dare this mutie freak address
me in
such a manner!' he thought. He had to
summon
all of his self-control to fight the urge
to slam
his fist into Quicksilver's smug face.
Regent
had to wonder how the offspring of the
villainous
Magneto, self-proclaimed most
powerful
mutant on earth, ever got to be a part
of the
team of mightiest heroes on the planet.
Had their
standards sunk so low? Regent had had
only one
run-in with the nefarious Master of
Magnetism;
it had been a humbling experience and
had nearly
cost him his life..ever since that
encounter
he had harbored a strong dislike of
mutants.
Chapter
3. On Thin Ice
Regent
didn't try to hide the look of utter
contempt
on his face as he intently studied
Quicksilver
and then loudly barked, "I have
paid my
dues in the trenches, as have you all.
I have
fought the likes of Doctor Doom, Kang,
and even
the monstrous Ultron, a construct
created
by one of your own former members,
Henry
Pym, A.K.A. Yellowjacket! I have risked
my life
time and time again to battle evil and
help people.
I've given up everything to be a
hero,
that is why I deserve to be an Avenger!"
Hawkeye
snorted contemptuously! He wore his
familiar
dark blue costume trimmed with purple.
His blue
eyes twinkled at the base of the horns
on either
side of the H emblem in the center
of his
cowl.
"Unlike
the others I still maintain my
dockside
contacts, Regent! I know you're
involved
in illegal smuggling activities,
if not
more. You're a criminal, not a hero,
and the
Avengers are not interested in
criminals
as teammates!" Hawkeye chortled.
Regent
snapped his head around to glare at
Hawkeye,
the team's resident smartass and
rebel.
The pressure was starting to get to
him and
his forehead was beaded with sweat
under
his cowl. 'How did this former circus
act find
out about my extra curricular
activities?'
he wondered.
Regent
had always been, at best, a second
rate hero,
and had been forced to resort to
dealing
on the international black market
as a means
of supporting himself.
"I have
no idea what you are talking about,
Archer.
It is true that I was brought up on
smuggling
charges a few months ago by the
authorities,
but they were never able to
prove
anything and the charges were dropped.
I was
set up by one of my enemies," the
petitioner
responded in a nervous tone of
voice...feeling
his resolve start to crack.
The Scarlet
Witch smiled faintly at Hawkeye
and gently
said, "Hawkeye, three of the four
Avengers
sitting here were at one time in
their
lives considered criminals. Regent,
explain
why you do not consider yourself to
presently
be a criminal, and continue to make
a case
as to why you should be an Avenger."
Hawkeye
snorted even louder! "I tell you this
Cap-want-to-be
is presently committing crimes.
There
are shipments of contraband to and from
Asia linked
to him, and stolen, experimental,
medical-related
equipment is rumored to be in
his
possession!" he emphatically proclaimed.
Quicksilver
glared in anger and acrimoniously
asked,
"Is this true, Regent? Are you trying
to make
fools of the Avengers?"
Captain
America calmly said, "Now hold on you
two, this
is a civilized proceeding. Are
you
linked
to any illegal activities, say in the
last year,
Regent?"
Regent
fumed under his cowled mask..the sweat
dripping
down the sides of his face. 'So many
questions
thrown at me at one time..this is
the worst
admissions hearing I've attended
yet!'
he thought, looking first at Captain
America,
trying to lock eye contact.
"Captain,
I give you my word as a hero and
a man
that I am not involved in any illegal
activities.
I have dedicated my life to
trying
to stamp out evil. I strive to make
the world
a better place..to make some small
contribution
for the betterment of mankind.
I came
across an international smuggling
ring last
year, and the men who ran the
ring want
to see me dead or discredited,"
the petitioner
answered carefully, trying
to sound
convincing.
Regent
hoped that Cap was buying his snow job.
He was
trying to tell the Avengers' leader what
he hoped
Cap wanted to hear. He then turned to
Quicksilver,
fighting the urge to use his shield
to sever
the mutant's head from his shoulders.
"The only
fools I see in this room, Quicksilver,
are you
and the Robin Hood asshole. Neither of
you has
ever cared for me, nor I for you. Each
of you
has played intricate parts in keeping me
off this
team for years. I am not a criminal!"
the irked
applicant replied, seething inside.
Regent
then scowled at Hawkeye and spat
vehemently,
"You, I just plain hate! You always
were a
pompous ass, even when we merely crossed
paths
in the past. You are the one with the
criminal
past..I recall bringing your punk ass
to the
police more than once. If you have a
personal
problem with me, let's take it outside
to settle
it..not in here!"
Regent
finally looked piercingly at the Scarlet
Witch..taking
a moment to admire the beauty of
this tall,
buxom heroine..the only one to even
try and
give him a chance at these proceedings.
He felt
his manhood stir despite the tense
situation..he
couldn't help but notice how
gorgeous
she was.
"And you,
dear Scarlet Witch, I wish to thank
for at
least giving me the benefit if the
doubt
and a chance to explain myself. I am
grateful
to you, lovely lady," he said softly,
smiling
slyly. Wanda Maximoff blushed slightly
and nodded
silently.
Captain
America shrugged, looked down at the
notepad
he had been writing on, and softly
said,
"Well, Scarlet, I think I know what the
others
think. You're usually level headed,
what's
your take on our applicant here?"
The Scarlet
Witch gasped slightly and lowered
her radiant
eyes. She answered softly in a
quivering
voice, "We all know too well the
troubles
my split identity crisis is bringing
the Avengers.
You don't even dare call me by
my given
common name anymore, fearing it will
trigger
the personality change...so now I am
forever,
Scarlet. I sadly believe we can take
no further
risks at this time, and I am not
convinced
that Regent is not breaking the
laws of
this wonderful land."
The
crimson-clad Avenger continued with a
heavy
heart, saying, "Also, Regent is at any
rate rather
volatile in temperament. I must
sadly
vote not to consider his petition to
join us!"
Captain
America nodded and said in a decisive
tone,
"So be it, the Avengers reject your
request
for membership once again, Regent.
Also,
I warn you we will be looking into the
allegations
of illegal activities that Hawkeye
has uncovered.
You may leave!"
Regent's
eyes widened abruptly at the unexpected
turn of
events...they rejected him, AGAIN!! He
started
to tremble as his rage mounted...he
clenched
his fists and tightened his jaw..walking
rigidly
up to the table where the Avengers sat in
judgement...his
eyes filled with rage, his face
became
a mask of contempt.
Regent
suddenly raised his right hand over
his head,
and, in the blink of an eye..WHAMMM!!
His fist
came crashing down on the table top,
sounding
like the crack of thunder. The force
of his
blow shattered the table top in front
of the
wide-eyed Scarlet Witch, causing the
table's
legs to buckle and give way, and
sending
the table dropping noisily to the
floor.
"How could
you do this to me, you BITCH!?
I'm the
unstable one? Fuck you all! This
team is
comprised of former criminals..and
I'M not
Avengers material? This is bullshit!!
You will
regret doing this to me, Mutie slut!"
Regent
vowed venomously, glaring at the
astonished
mutant/witch with intense hatred.
Regent
turned to face Captain America as he
continued
his tirade, "And you! Mr. High-and-
Mighty!
You judge people and look down your
nose at
the ones whom you consider your
lessors.
Fuck you all! I am going to have
revenge,
mark my words. The Avengers will
rue this
day!"
With
that...Regent picked up the smashed
remains
of the broken table, and lifted
it over
his head with little effort. He
rushed
suddenly at the twin glass doors
that led
out onto the grounds, and hurled
the table
at the doors....CRASH!!!
The table
sailed abruptly through the glass
doors..the
wooden frames breaking apart and
glass
exploding outward onto the lawn!
Regent
rushed quickly to the wrecked exit,
and paused,
turning back towards the startled
panel.
"This is not over!" he threateningly
hissed
at the Avengers, and then ran outside,
escaping
quickly into the shrubbery.
The Scarlet
Witch stood slowly up..shaking..
overwhelmed
by the sudden turn of events, "I
do so
hope we have not misjudged this man..he
is obviously
passionate about joining our
team."
Hawkeye
chortled sardonically, "He's a crook
I tell
you. I know it!"
Quicksilver
quipped knowingly, "And obviously
a mutant
hater...such cannot be on this team!"
"Whatever
he is now, Regent was once a good
man..he
saved Daredevil's life once when the
Owl had
him in a bad spot. Sadly, however, I
must agree
with Clint..I think that, like so
many others
that enter in to the heroic
lifestyle..he
has turned to the dark side..to
crime.
I fear we haven't heard the last of
him!"
Captain America gravely observed.
Chapter
4. Infiltration
Regent
waited until the following week to enact
his plan
for revenge against the Avengers. He
decided
to hit the team where it would hurt the
most..with
the abduction of the Scarlet Witch.
He had
been stewing in his juices for the past
seven
days since his tirade at the Avengers'
mansion,
after Regent had been turned down yet
again
for membership. This last refusal had
been the
worst and most humiliating one yet.
Regent's
ego had been brutally crushed and
ground
devastatingly into the dirt by the
Scarlet
Witch's cruel betrayal. She had been,
or so
he thought, his only supporter in the
entire
room that day.
The tired,
but hopeful, hero had opened himself
up to
the Avengers' scrutiny and had bared his
soul;
he thought that he had made a connection
with Scarlet,
but that assumption had, evidently,
been wrong.
When the
gorgeous, crimson-clad Avenger had
cast the
deciding vote to deny him membership
into the
Avengers, it had caused something in
the
embittered, former soldier to crack, and
had sent
him even closer to the edge. Now his
sanity
was hanging by a fragile thread, and that
thin lifeline
threatened to snap at any moment.
After
he had trashed the Avengers' conference
room,
Regent knew that he would never be on the
team.
The group had not wanted any more bad
publicity
in the wake of the Scarlet Witch's
recent
duel identity crisis, so they had opted
not to
press charges against him.
It seemed
the Scarlet Witch had gone through
some sort
of traumatic experience at the hands
of a sadistic
arch villain by the name of Thorne.
As a result
of the torture she had suffered
while
his captive, Scarlet had succumbed to the
severe
mental strain and had developed a split
personality.
The young
mutant/witch's darker side had emerged
in the
persona of a villainess called Wicked
Wanda.
The wicked woman had the habit of coming
out to
play when Scarlet was in situations of
extreme
duress and/or peril.
The Scarlet
Witch had since become unpredictable,
never
knowing when her doppleganger might escape
to wreck
havoc on innocent people. This, combined
with her
dating of the former villain Magnnus,
had not
engendered trust or confidence in her
reliability
as an Avenger as of late. Captain
America
was not at all thrilled with the idea of
Scarlet
having the one-time villain as her current
beau.
Consequently,
the Scarlet Witch had gone into a
sort of
self-imposed exile, and remained behind
at the
mansion when the Avengers were called to
duty.
Regent
knew that the attractive young woman was
the only
hero at the HQ, so he came up with a
plan to
extract his revenge against the team
that had
rejected him.
Regent
had used his contacts in the underground
to obtain
the plans for the Avengers' compound.
He had
also purchased the schematics for the
estate's
security systems. The information had
been very
expensive, but he considered it a
sound
investment to help him take down the
traitorous
mutant bitch.
Now, Regent
was putting his invasion plan into
action.
He stood outside the stone outer wall
of the
estate. The wall was fifteen feet high
and three
feet in width, and consisted of the
strongest
grade concrete available..it was
reinforced
with meshed steel rods to make the
wall
stronger..to withstand any likely attack.
Regent
had noticed the two guards posted outside
of the
wrought iron gate that served as the main
entrance
to the compound. Thanks to an inside
source,
he knew that there were only six guards
on duty
that night as estate security. So that
left four
on the inside for him to deal with.
The stone
wall spanned the entire length of the
complex,
so Regent was able to find a nice
secluded
spot encompassed in shrubbery from
which
to launch his invasion. His shield was
strapped
to his back and he wore an extra gear
belt around
his waist; it contained additional
tools
he planned to use.
The rogue
hero took a deep breath and looked
upward
to study the top of the wall; it had
a red
brick overhang at the crest.
The unbalanced
man took a couple of steps back,
and tensed
the muscles in his body..his knees
bent slightly
as he assumed a semi-crouch. His
arms hung
loosely at his sides.
With a
loud exhale of breath, Regent sprinted
toward
the wall, his strong, athletic legs
supporting
his frame with ease. As the wall was
approached,
he leaped high into the air and
soared
upward. His gloved hands grabbed the
brick
overhang, and he hauled himself up to the
top of
the wall where he laid out prone, trying
to make
himself as small as possible.
Regent
was at the back of the estate, and had a
partially
unobstructed view of the rear of the
large
mansion. He waited several minutes before
moving
to make sure his presence had not yet
been detected.
Sure that
he was safe for the moment, Regent
scanned
the immediate vicinity and saw that the
way appeared
to be clear of obstructions, namely
the
guards.
The rogue
hero looked from left to right at the
wall-top,
seeing raised stone columns on either
side of
him. On the columns were mounted infrared
motion
detectors that were pointed down to the
ground.
The detectors
would pick up the slightest
movement
or disturbance on the outer fringes of
the compound;
the guards wore special badges
that allowed
them to pass through the detector
scans
without setting the alarms off.
The motion
detectors were spaced out every
eight
feet along the stone wall, but since they
did not
cover movement on the top of the wall,
Regent
was safe.
Regent
opened a compartment on the gear belt
and took
out a pair of night vision goggles.
He slipped
the goggles on around his head
and lowered
them over his eyes.
The entire
compound was suddenly bathed in
a light
green hue as the darkness parted
letting
him observe the grounds through the
goggles
as they absorbed every source of
available
illumination and magnified the
light
ten fold.
Now able
to look into the shadows, Regent
immediately
saw the hidden cameras mounted on
the lower
branches of the trees..capturing any
activity
on video tape; activity that was also
being
monitored by a guard stationed inside
the mansion
at a communications panel.
Regent
crouched on the top of the wall and
launched
himself into the air, propelling
himself
forward into the nearest tree. His
hands
latched onto one of the upper branches
that projected
outward and resembled a
flagpole
in girth.
His hands
grabbed the branch firmly, and he
initiated
a full body swing three times around
the branch,
like a gymnast, before releasing to
land on
a wider tree branch slightly closer to
the
mansion.
Squatting
on the branch, he glanced down to see
a camera
a mere five feet below him on a smaller
limb.
Regent knew he had to stay in the tops of
the trees
to avoid the cameras. He jumped and
leaped
from tree to tree as he methodically made
his way
across the estate property..moving closer
to the
main building.
When he
was within twenty feet of the rear of
the mansion,
Regent did a forward flip out of
the last
tree and landed on his feet back on the
ground.
That was when two of the outside guards
came around
the corner of the house and spotted
him. Both
men were huge and muscular, looking
mean and
athletic.
They each
were attired in long-sleeved, waist-
length
jackets with the Avengers circular A
symbol
on the sleeves. They wore black-rimmed
caps on
their heads, grey pressed trousers,
and black
polished shoes. Additionally, each
guard
wore a gun belt around his waist with
a hand
pistol that discharged energy pulses
in the
hip holsters.
"You there
halt!" the first guard yelled out
in an
authoritative tone. He was Caucasian, and
clean
shaven with short black hair. He had a
very
determined look on his face. "Shit!" Regent
spat and
back flipped abruptly away from the
guards
as they drew their guns.
Chapter
5. Confrontation With Armed Guards
The guard
who had addressed Regent was already
taking
aim with his pistol. His partner, a tall
black
man with a bald head and mustache, was
holding
a walkie-talkie in his hand and trying
to call
for help. Regent only had a second to
take all
this in as he sprang into action.
He quickly
slipped the straps for his shield off
his shoulders
and dropped abruptly to the ground
just as
the first guard pressed the trigger on
his gun
and fired a blast at Regent's position.
The bolt
of blue energy passed within an inch of
Regent's
head and smashed into a tree, splitting
the young
sapling down the middle as it was
fried
by intense heat. Regent rolled nimbly on
the soft
ground and came abruptly up under the
gun-wielding
guard.
He quickly
delivered hard upper cut to the man's
chin with
his fist and the man was sent hurling
helplessly
backward into a large tree. The force
of the
blow sent him sprawling to the ground
unconscious.
The other
guard froze in place..his mouth agape
as he
witnessed the rapid dispensation of his
partner.
The man was too stunned to find his
voice
and call for help.
Regent
quickly held his round shield up in front
of his
chest at an angle and hurled the weapon
like he
was tossing a discus in the Olympics.
The shield
soared swiftly across the air and
slammed
hard into the wide-eyed guard's arm, the
impact
causing him to suddenly drop the walkie-
talkie,
abruptly ending his chance to call to
for aid.
The man clutched his now broken arm and
cried
out in pain.
Regent's
shield sailed on past the injured man,
and then
arced about in the air back towards
the groaning
guard. The shield, as it came back
along
a trajectory that would return it to its
owner,
glanced off the back of the guard's head,
throwing
him forward with tremendous force and
knocking
him out cold.
Regent
knew the men would be hurt when they
awoke,
but at least they'd be alive. He didn't
want to
kill anyone. The two guards at the front
gate heard
none of the short-lived commotion and
remained
blissfully ignorant that the compound
was under
attack.
His shield
had imbedded itself in a nearby tree
after
being deflected from its trajectory by the
walkie-talkie
guard's head, and remained wedged
there.
Regent was on his way to retrieve his
weapon
when a third guard suddenly emerged from
the bushes
with his pistol drawn and aimed at
Regent's
head. "Freeze!" the guard shouted loudly.
Regent
stopped abruptly in his tracks and slowly
raised
his arms into the air as he cautiously
turned
around to face the new guard. "I would be
careful
with that pea shooter if I were you,
slick,"
Regent calmly warned, measuring the man.
The guard
looked at him wide-eyed, and Regent
knew the
man was scared to death. "You just stay
right
there and don't move!" the guard yelled,
his voice
cracking.
Regent
slowly backed away from his weapon, and
circled
so that the guard was between him and
the black
and red disk. The guard
looked
somewhat
relieved.
"You're
that nut from last week who trashed the
conference
room. You don't have your toy to help
you now,"
the guard said more confidently, his
free hand
pointing to Regent's shield.
Regent
merely looked at the guard and smiled;
this creeped
the man out once more. Regent
abruptly
opened his mouth and quietly uttered,
"Return!"
The shield started to suddenly shake
and vibrate
in the tree, moving of it's own
accord.
The shield
trembled and shimmered as it slowly
worked
itself free of the tree trunk. Soon, in
an explosion
of wood and bark, the shield yanked
free from
the tree trunk and whizzed swiftly
back toward
its owner.
The shield
hummed as it darted through the air,
bashing
into the back of the guard's skull and
dropping
him in a heap to the lawn. The shield
sped back
to its master and came to rest in his
hands.
Regent
quickly put the shield on his back once
more and
continued his trek to the house. When
he was
within twenty feet of the back entrance,
he stopped
and adroitly pulled two round objects
from his
belt.
The rogue
hero purposefully lobbed the small
balls
onto the sidewalk, and they suddenly
erupted
with a flash of bright light. Smoke
spewed
from the balls and soon the area was
bathed
in a thin mist.
Regent
smiled broadly as he saw a serious of
crisscrossing
red beams covering the path to
the rear
entry of the mansion. His smoke bombs
had fulfilled
their purpose and revealed the
laser-beam
motion detectors that surrounded the
building.
If one of the beams of light were to
be broken,
loud alarms would go off like in a
disaster
drill.
Regent
nimbly flipped and vaulted his way amid
the
intersecting beams, making sure not to touch
any of
them as he moved swiftly along the path
towards
the building.
Finally,
the invader executed a perfect forward
somersault
and landed quietly on the back porch
of the
manor house. The back door was easy to
open with
a lock pick, and he silently slipped
inside
the house via the kitchen.
Regent
suddenly spied the interior guard; he was
leaning
back in his chair and snoring. The man
had fallen
asleep, and had not been watching the
video
monitors. Regent silently crept up behind
the guard
and clubbed him on the side of the
head with
his left fist, knocking the guard out
cold.
Regent
sighed softly in relief. He was inside
the mansion
and thought he was home free. He
knew that
the Scarlet Witch was likely in her
quarters
on the upper level of the complex..so
he made
his way purposefully to the main
staircase.
As he
silently entered the front hallway, he
abruptly
came face-to-face with a short,
middle-aged,
balding man with black hair. He
was clad
in blue pajamas and a green bathrobe.
Regent
knew this man was Jarvis, the Avengers'
butler.
He had met the manservant on several
occasions.
Jarvis
looked up at Regent with a start, he was
completely
surprised by the appearance of this
costumed
invader. Just as Jarvis opened his
mouth
to shout out a warning..Regent advanced
suddenly
on the butler and swiftly struck him
down.
Chapter
6. Takedown
The Scarlet
Witch suddenly opened the nearby
door of
the Avengers' situation monitoring
room and
stepped abruptly into the hallway.
Regent,
standing over the unconscious form of
Jarvis..having
just tied and gagged the butler,
looked
quickly up with a start as her heard the
door
open.
"Jarvis,
where's my tea..I thought I heard
something
out here...oh my...Regent!! What have
you done?
You're a fool to come here like this!"
Scarlet
exclaimed loudly, the anger apparent in
her voice.
She quickly wheeled and raced back
into the
situation monitoring room...intent on
sounding
an alarm.
Regent
raced after Scarlet, following her into
the monitor
room, and quickly took a small dagger
from his
belt which he deftly tossed into the
control
panel. "Hello Witch, I was hoping to run
into you,"
the rogue chortled sarcastically.
The Scarlet
Witch gasped loudly as bright sparks
abruptly
exploded from the expensive monitoring
equipment
that lined the entire back wall of
the
room..dozens of tv monitors suddenly went
blank.
She wheeled quickly to face the would be
Avenger
who had invaded her fortress.
Scarlet
addressed him sternly, "Regent, why are
you doing
this? Cap said you were once a great
hero...that
you saved several heroes lives...but
this...this
foolishness will likely result in
some jail
time...unless you stop and surrender
now. I
pray you haven't harmed anyone!"
Regent
stood stoically in the entry way of the
situation
monitoring room and gloated as the
machinery
sparked and smoked. He grinned
as he
watched
the Avenger's expensive equipment become
ruined.
Then he once more looked at the Scarlet
Witch,
and couldn't help but feel utter contempt
for her.
"I am
doing this because I am sick of being a
joke in
the hero biz!! I've done more good than
half the
members of this team have, and I get
squat
for my effort. I am sick of it and I want
revenge.
You betrayed me mutant, and you're
going
to pay!" Regent growled sardonically.
The
crimson-clad heroine was taken aback by the
rogue's
bitter accusation, exclaiming loudly,
"Betrayed
you...like hell I did..I tried to make
sure you
got treated fairly...I think you did!"
"You are
a liar just like all the other mutants
I've
encountered. None of you can be trusted!
The Avengers
have sunk to new lows..taking the
likes
of you and your brother onto the team,"
Regent
ranted angrilly, a foul taste in his
mouth.
The glaring
Scarlet Witch suddenly rushed Regent,
firmly
holding her scepter as if it were a short
staff,
her hands about shoulder-width apart. She
suddenly
struck the black and red clad man, who
still
had his shield strapped to his back, hard
with a
rapid series of blows..first to the lower
left ribs,
then to the right side of his jaw,
and finally
a quick strike toward the outer side
of the
right knee.
Regent
saw Scarlet suddenly snap into action,
and was
amazed at how quick she was...the blow
to his
ribs made him step back, but he was used
to pain
and took it in stride...then his head
snapped
back as the scepter cracked hard into
his jaw,
almost breaking it...he cried out in
pain..moving
away from the Scarlet Witch.
Regent's
jaw flared in pain as he gritted his
teeth,
trying to contain his ire...he turned
quickly
to take the last blow from the scepter
on his
thigh to spare the more vulnerable knee.
Yelling
at the top of his lungs in rage, the
rogue
hero suddenly rushed Scarlet..sending his
left fist
hard into her midsection, and a right
upper
cut toward her chin. Then he slipped his
shield
quickly from his back.
Chapter
7. Knockout
The Scarlet
Witch gave out a loud 'oooff' as the
air was
suddenly driven from her lungs from
Regent's
first hard blow. She managed to move her
head and
leap back just enough to make the second
blow just
graze her jaw, but she was still sent
sprawling
to the ground.
"Fool!!
You sound like any other mutant hating
imbecile...now
I will give you cause for hating
the Homo
sapiens superior subspecies," Scarlet
spat
contemptuously at the rogue standing above
her.
As Scarlet
laid on the floor, she quickly pointed
her scepter
at Regent and energized it with her
mutant
power, generating a beam of green energy
which
suddenly transformed into a column of
flames
which slowly flared outward towards the
shield
wielder, threatening to engulf and burn
him to
a crisp.
The cowled
combatant quickly pulled his shield
up in
front of him, holding it so that the disc
covered
his chest and shoulders. He firmly
planted
his feet and tried to brace himself as
the Avenger's
column of flame was encroached
upon
him...threatening to burn him to a crisp.
He ducked
his head behind the shield just as
the hot
flame crashed against it...THOOM!!.
There
was a rain of fire as the hot column
smashed
into the shield and, as the energy
column
was evidently a force beam as well,
knocked
the rogue backward with great force.
He was
driven through the particle board wall
and out
into the hallway.
Regent
crumpled to the hallway floor on his back,
shaken
and bleeding from the nose. He took a deep
breath
and quickly staggered back to his feet.
Suddenly,
his shield started to glow in the black
center
dot..he held the shield at the hole in the
wall and
aimed it at the Scarlet Witch.
The shield
abruptly crackled alive with energy,
and glowed
with a red aura. "Bitch, this shield
has more
than one surprise," Regent sarcastically
chirped
at the wide-eyed heroine who, realizing
she was
in imminent danger, was in the process
of planting
the base of her scepter on the floor
and energizing
it with her mutant power.
As the
Scarlet Witch was surrounded by a green
energy
field, which instantly transformed into
an ice
igloo, there was an eruption of energy
from Regent's
shield as it fired a red beam of
energy
at Scarlet from its black center..the
beam tore
through the hole in the wall and went
right
for the astonished Avenger.
As pieces
of particle board hanging from the
hole in
the wall burst into flame and instantly
incinerated,
Scarlet screamed in horror. Her
scepter's
defensive shield would not server her
well against
this threat! She quickly touched
her broach,
and with a slight flash of light and
small
gust of wind...disappeared!
The
concentrated red beam of energy easily
punched
a large hole through the ice igloo that
had been
meant to serve as a protective shield!
Steam
suddenly filled that area of the room as
the ice
vaporized!
Regent
had seen the Scarlet Witch vanish, and
cursed
aloud. He whirled quickly around in the
hall,
trying to see if he could catch her
reappearance...his
shield braced on his left
forearm
as he prepared for whatever came next.
The woman
was only making him angrier, and he
vowed
she would pay for it when he got his
hands
on her.
With a
slight flash of light and small gust of
wind..Scarlet
reappeared behind Regent! She
suddenly,
with all her strength, struck the man
between
his legs with an upward blow of her
scepter.
"You're no hero...you act like a
villain!"
the adrenalin-charged woman rasped.
The black-clad
infiltrator heard the Scarlet
Witch
reappear behind him too late..her scepter
was driven
up between his legs and smashed hard
into his
'family jewels'...he wheezed as the air
was expelled
from his lungs and his testicles
exploded
in great pain, feeling on fire! He
doubled
over clutching his battered groin, and
fell to
the floor to lie moaning on his side.
"Fucking
bitch! AAAagghh!!!" Regent shouted
loudly
in a high-pitched voice as he rocked
back and
forth as he laid crumpled on the floor.
The moaning
man slowly was able to refocus on
Scarlet...as
he rolled on the floor seething in
rage.
His right leg suddenly snapped upward and
out, his
boot driving into the Avenger's stomach
with enough
force to send her reeling back down
the hallway.
He painfully lifted to his knees,
and then
slowly rose to his feet.
His face
red with anger as his groin burned
like hot
needles had been stuck in him, Regent
held his
shield in his right hand and flung
it straight
for the slut's legs.
The Scarlet
Witch gasped as she was abruptly
thrown
backward and the wind driven from her
lungs
again. As she crawled back to her feet,
she watched
with widened eyes as Regent flung
his shield
towards her knees. She instinctively
leaped
high and bent her legs upward, allowing
the flying
shield to slide under her. 'Thank
heavens
for all the training sessions with
Captain
America,' she thought
There
wasn't time to say anything, Scarlet
quickly
gestured and cast a hex..a green sphere-
like
probability altering field instantly closed
in and
enveloped Regent from all sides. He was
suddenly
entrapped in a bubble of water.
Regent
held his breath as the water bubble
formed
around him...luckily his lungs had a
strong
capacity for holding oxygen thanks to the
experiments
done on his body while he was in the
U.S. military
special forces.
The former
hero pounded hard at the water bubble,
trying
to free himself. Regent saw his shield arc
in the
air behind the Scarlet Witch and clip her
in the
shoulder as it returned to him. He smiled
as he
watched the scepter drop from her hand.
The shield
continued on past the heroine, who was
busy rubbing
her shoulder, and zipped swiftly back
towards
Regent and the water bubble trap. The disc
slammed
into the force bubble, shattering it like
glass,
and sending the water all over the floor.
Regent,
now free, ran swiftly at Scarlet and drove
his shoulder
into her midsection.
The Scarlet
Witch oooffed again as the wind was
driven
out of her lungs a third time. She was
thrown
helplessly backward to land hard on the
floor.
The heroine
looked up glassy eyed at her attacker,
and, as
she gestured, asked, "Why?..Why, Regent?
Why are
you doing this? You could have
been a
great
hero...maybe someday an Avenger...yet you
let your
temper...your desires...your corporeal
needs...interfere
with those aspirations...Why??"
"I've
been the good boy all my life. Played by
the rules
and tried to do right by people. All it
got me
was slapped in the face by fate and sent
packing
by your precious Captain. It's payback
time,
Scarlet, and you are going to make me a
rich man,
mutant!" Regent raged with fury.
The Scarlet
Witch looked up in disappointment
and worry,
and then the frazzled female cast
another
hex. As green sphere-like
probability
altering
field formed around its target from all
sides,
Regent suddenly found himself surrounded
by pretty
colored lights..a dud hex..again at
the most
crucial time.
Regent
braced for Scarlet's hex, but when it
fizzled
out he laughed at the fallen heroine and
quipped
maliciously, "Well I guess you aren't as
powerful
as you thought you were." He walked up
to the
Scarlet Witch and sent his foot viciously
between
her legs to boot her in the mound, "And
that's
for smashing my balls, sow!"
"AAAAeeeeeyyyyyyy!!!
Bastard!! You will pay for
that abuse,
you filthy cur! I will turn you into
a toad...or
perhaps scatter your molecules across
the galaxy!"
Scarlet gasped through gritted teeth
as pain
swam through her loins.
The Scarlet
Witch slowly, weakly, staggered to
her
feet..focused with difficulty on Regent's
muscular
form...and slowly raised her hand and
began
a complex gesture!
Regent
backhanded the Scarlet Witch hard, and
sent her
sprawling back to the floor. He reached
into a
compartment on his gear belt and took out
a rag
and a small, blue plastic bottle...he
purposefully
removed the lid from the bottle and
quickly
turned it upside down to carefully dump
its contents
the rag...the cloth was soon soaked
with the
chloroform that he'd brought to silence
Scarlet
during her abduction.
Declaring
victory, Regent straddled the Scarlet
Witch's
chest..trapping the heroine's arms under
her as
she struggled. His right hand held her by
the neck
and his left hand placed the rag over
her mouth
and nose..holding it firmly in position
as she
breathed in the fumes and helplessly fell
unconscious...prone
beneath him.
Once Scarlet
was out, Regent quickly gathered his
gear together
and dragged the slumbering heroine
down the
hallway by her long auburn hair. He
thought
about the things to come. 'First a more
permanent
solution to keeping this mutant freak
helpless,'
he thought smiling slightly.
Regent
smiled broadly at the next thoughts, 'Then
the
'commodity' I need from the bitch for my
partners
in the Asian black market. After that's
taken
care of, I can really relax and see if this
bitch
is really as tight as I've had heard
through
the grapevine.'
'And,
oh yes,' thought Regent, grinning from ear
to ear,
'there is always Keldar, with his Arab
white
slavery contacts.' The rogue chuckled.
'Yes!
Its going to be this mutie bitch's last
fall!'
Regent gloated as he drug the unconscious
heroine
out into the compound.
END PART I.
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