Part 29

Targets of Opportunity

By Skytower

Wanda took her usual seat at the conference table and squirmed slightly. Steve hadn’t talked about the rape and Needle and Thread had been too drunk to remember anything. But she knew and while it ate at her it didn’t eat at her as much as she thought that it should. In fact she wanted it again. Wanda knew forbidden magic and she fingered the vial hidden in the folds of her cape. She was horrified at herself for making a love potion but at the same time she couldn’t stop herself. Even now as she looked at the people in the conference room Wanda found her mind wandering.

The Beast… He was exotic with his blue-hair covered body. He had been a party animal when he’d first joined the Avengers but he’d settled down since then. Beside him Hawkeye… Too plain. Wanda thought that sex with him would be vanilla at best. She didn’t even think about Tania, Jen, Jan or Carol. Wanda wanted men. She wanted super powered men.

But not ducks, Wanda thought as she tried not to stare at Howard and Bev. I draw the line at ducks.

The door opened and Wanda felt her heart skip as Reed Richards entered the room. Reed. He was powerful, smart and the thought of what his rubber body could do thrilled her.

“Thanks for coming,” Jenifer said and her voice snapped Wanda out of her erotic reverie. Again the idea of what she was contemplating horrified her, but again she couldn’t help it. Wanda squirmed a bit in her chair. Sooner or later she knew that Sue Richards was going to corner her about Johnny and Wanda wasn’t looking forward to it.

But what can I say, Wanda asked herself. I don’t even know why I did that to him.

“Do they really believe that Wolverine and Marvel Girl attacked them last night?” Reed asked.

“They do and so does Abby,” Jenifer said. “And frankly with the number of people showing up on White Owl and Crimson Valkyrie’s door…

“I never asked anyone to do this,” Carol said.

“You didn’t have to,” Cap said. “The problem is that no one talked to each other before going to see them.”

“Most of us are used to operating on our own,” Jan said.

“So the question is are they right or is someone good enough to manipulate all of you?” Howard asked and his question surprised all of them. “Assuming Ms. Marvel there didn’t just off the lady on the boat then someone had to impersonate her, get in and out of her place undetected, have her switch clothes, drink enough to look like she’d really been on a bender.” He paused and lit a cigar ignoring the looks being thrown his way. Wanda decided that she liked him. If nothing else the duck was a totally honest being.

“They would’ve had to know when Thor was going to show up so they could have a thug there afterwards, they would have had to know when Prof X and Rogue broke into White Owl’s apartment and when they’d leave and they’d have to have a way to make Crimson and White Owl remember it differently.”

Howard blew smoke toward the ceiling and shook his head.

“All that’s so far out I have a hard time believing it.” He said.

“Never the less that must be what’s happening,” Reed said. “It’s the only theory that fits the facts we have.”

“What kind of booze do you keep in your place?” Howard asked Carol.

“None,” Carol said stiffening. “I don’t drink anymore.”

Howard nodded and looked thoughtful.

“Ok,” he said. “That’s two breaking points in all of this. Where’d you get the booze and how’d they get into your place?”

“I’ve scanned her apartment,” Reed said. “There was no trace of any teleportation that I’ve ever seen. Dr. Strange has canceled out any mystical teleportation.”

“So it’s something you’ve never seen before,” Howard said. “Something you haven’t even thought of seeing before.”

Jenifer’s cell phone rang and she answered it.

“But who and why?” Wanda asked.

“You people collect enemies like a dryer collects lint,” Howard said. “You tell me.”

“It can’t be HYDRA,” Cap said. “Every informant we’ve talked to says they have no idea whats going on and they don’t have the time with the Fiorrelli family going after them.

“What about U1trawoman?” Jan asked and then added, “The other U1trawoman?”

“She’d have no reason to do this,” Tania said. “If it was against me yes, but she’s never even met Carol. Anyway she’s not this subtle.”

“We’ve got another problem,” Jenifer said snapping her phone shut. “Destiny’s body vanished from the morgue last night.”

“Vanished?” Jan asked.

“Security tape was blank but the lock was sliced open and the security guard reports that he felt a ‘great weight’ on his mind and couldn’t stay awake.”

“Oh hell!” Carol cursed.

“This isn’t just against Ms. Marvel,” Howard said. “This is against all of you.”

He’s smarter than he lets on; Wanda thought looking at Howard and against her will her mind started to wander. He was short and that beak… We’re he and Beverly… They were married but the idea was impossible… Wasn’t it?

“We need to do a more thorough scan of Carol’s apartment,” Reed said. “Go further into the subspace, possibly even into the quantum subspace.”

“Do it here too,” Howard said. “They might be sneaking in and out of a lot of places. Maybe even the hospital.”

Yes, Wanda thought looking at Reed. Please come back.

“On the bright side their case against you is getting weaker,” Jenifer said. “Without a body…”

"It's getting harder and harder to prove because their evidence is vanishing and someone is making it look like my friends are doing it!" Carol nearly shouted. "Jenifer I want to be found not guilty because the evidence says I'm not guilty, not because of the evidence vanishes."

"Carol if they keep the evidence they have you will be found guilty," Jenifer said. "Look we know you're not guilty, my job now is to make sure you stay out of jail and that job just got a little bit easier."

"If I'm found not guilty because of lack of evidence my reputation is shot," Carol said. "You think anyone's ever going to believe I'm innocent?"

"Carol they don't think any of us are innocent," Jenifer said. "The press is gonna roast us anyway, you know that. Stop being naïve. The goal right now is to keep you out of jail."

"At what price?" Carol demanded. "I’ll be walking out there known as Ms. Murderer!"

"You'll be walking," Jenifer said.

"No I'll be running from this the rest of my life," Carol said. She stood up suddenly. "Let me know of any more good news comes down the pike."

"She knows you're doing your best," Tania said as the door slammed behind Carol. "But she's very frustrated."

"Frustration is part of us all right now," Hank said.

"Carol is innocent and she wants the world to know that," Tania said.

"Tania as a lawyer my job is to make sure she doesn't get convicted."

"Do you believe she's innocent Jenifer?" Tania asked.

"I do but that's not the point," Jenifer said. "Tania if I lose this case she goes into the prison system, probably in a power nullifier. Do you have any idea what would happen to her in prison without her powers? I'm doing everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. Whether she is guilty or innocent can't matter to me right now. She's in the system and I have to work with that system."

“I’ll go to the Baxter building and assemble the equipment I need,” Reed said. “I should have it ready by tonight.”

Tonight, Wanda repeated to herself.

Part 30

Kidnappings and seductions

"Nope, haven't seen her." The bartender said.

"Thanks," Howard said putting a $50 bill on the bar.

He hopped off the barstool and they left the bar. Howard was silent Beverly understood why. Though he was gruff and cynical to the core her husband had a strong belief in justice. He didn't believe in it as an abstract force but as a responsibility. When he saw something wrong his first instinct would be to run but it would be overridden by his moral outrage.

"Well that's the 30th bar we've gone to," Beverly said. "And we've been to 15 liquor stores. Are we wasting our time?"

"An alcoholic doesn't keep a bottle of rum in her apartment," Howard said. "We got Ms. Marvel falsifying a record, then going out and getting drunk, then going and killing a super villainess, and then going home. That doesn’t add up. She didn't have a bottle on her when she killed Destiny and we're running out of places she could've bought the stuff before and/or after she killed Destiny. With the time line we’ve got there are only so many places she could have bought the stuff. We all ready know that she didn’t get it from Avenger’s Mansion. So where did she get the bottle? We find that out Bev and we got our first clue to who is really behind all this."

"So another bar," Beverly said seeing that the sun was going down fast. She hoped that they’d be done with this before night came. There were some bars in New York she didn’t want to go to after dark.

"Another bar," Howard said.

They walked on in silence until they came to a sign proclaiming 'the Drunken Dragon Tavern'. Beverly pushed the door open and they walked in. The bar was a mock Middle Ages set up, with sawdust on the floor, oversized wooden furniture and banners proclaiming jousting champions hanging from the rafters. Beverly thought it was very tacky but she didn't say anything and they walked up to the bar. Howard hopped onto the barstool and the bartender – an overweight woman with grey hair and an eye patch walked over to them. She was wearing a pirate costume.

"What will it be?" She asked.

"Two scotches," Howard said. He pulled the picture of Ms. Marvel without her mask on and laid it on the bartop. "You ever see this woman before?"

"Think I have," the barkeep said. She pointed over to the corner. "I think I saw her the other night with Big V over there."

Beverly looked when the woman was pointing and saw a corner booth. Though partially obscured by the booth half wall she could make out a tall blonde woman sitting with another woman.

"Thanks," Howard said putting a $20 bill on the bar. He hopped off the barstool and they walked over to the corner booth.

"You have business with me?" The blonde asked. Now that they were closer Beverly could see that she was well-built and the woman beside her had jet black hair and was also well-built.

"We might," Howard said putting the picture of Ms. Marvel on the table. "Do you know her?"

"Ms. Marvel," the woman said. She had a slight accent that Beverly couldn't place. It sounded European. "The Avenger who was being framed for murder."

"You know she's being framed?" Beverly asked.

"Yes, I do. It is a magnificent frame up."

Every one of Beverly's survival instincts screamed at her to run. She suddenly recognized the woman. The blonde hair, the large chest and that trademark smirk. Beverly was about to say something to Howard when the woman looked at her. The look froze Beverly on the spot and she realized that neither of them was leaving.

"I'm impressed Mr. Duck that you managed to find the one flaw in the frame up. It is a pity that no one will ever hear from you again."

Beverly managed to get three steps before U1trawoman grabbed her in an unbreakable grip.

“How’s it going?” Wanda asked. She stood in the doorway of the lab and watched as Reed assembled a complex piece of equipment.

“Pretty good,” Reed said.

“Well it looks like you’re going to be a while,” Scarlet said.

“A few hours at any rate,” Reed said absently.

“Why don’t I get you something to eat,” Scarlet suggested.

“Thanks,” Reed said.

Wanda felt her heart skip as she walked toward the kitchen. Hank was with the X-men, Jan was out with Hawkeye and Steve following up some lead. That left Carol and Tania and they were closeted in Tania’s room talking. If the past few nights had been any indication they’d been in there all night.

“That leaves me and Reed,” Wanda thought as she fingered the love potion.

“Is that all you have?” Abby asked into the phone. She sounded as tired as she looked and Athena felt for her. She and Crimson had gone home and packed a few bags, she’d left her cat with a neighbor and they’d both gotten back to the courthouse in time to see Marvel Girl, Wolverine and Jenifer leave. They’d ducked back behind a building until it was clear and then had gone in and found out about Destiny’s body being stolen. Then they had waited hours while Abby tried to find them a safe house. It wasn’t easy because Abby was insisting on no SHIELD involvement and Athena was beginning to realize that SHIELD was everywhere.

“Ok,” Abby said, “I’ll take it.”

She put down the phone and stretched.

“Not putting us in a motel 6 are you?” Crimson asked.

“No, there’s a lake house in Maine,” Abby said. “Very remote and as far as I can tell only used by the Maine State Police.”

“Maine is very far away,” Athena said. “If we get into trouble…”

“Where else can we go?” Crimson asked.

“I don’t know but…”

Athena was interrupted by Abby’s telephone ringing.

“Hello,” Abby said picking it up. Athena saw her tense. “We’ll be right there.”

“She had protection,” Athena said as she and Crimson stood in the ruins of Le Joueur’s apartment.

“She thought she did,” Crimson said.

“Still think Maine’s too far away?” Abby asked as a crime scene unit went over what had once been Le Joueur’s apartment.

Athena gazed at the blasted walls and scorched plaster. It was a surreal feeling. She’d been held captive in this apartment twice, once for a few hours and the second time for a full weekend. She’d been chained to the bed that was now in two pieces and Le Joueur had whipped, tickled and tormented her in that bed. But that bedroom had also been the place where Athena had drawn four aces and won not only her freedom, but also the location of one of the largest child trafficking hubs in the state. A vicious gang had been broken up because of that. And Athena was sure that Le Joueur had thrown the game. The woman had always been tossing her tantalizing hints that she’d go legit and always pulling back from them. Athena wasn’t completely surprised to find out that she was worried about the gambler.

“Look at this,” Athena said bending down. She pulled over a stretch of torn carpeting and they saw three slices had been cut into the concrete.

“Looks like claw marks to me,” Crimson said bending down beside her.

“No one saw anything,” Abby said. “According to the neighbors a mysterious fog rolled in and they heard shouts and saw lightning bolts.”

“Yea, Maine is sounding good.”

“Definitely,” Athena said standing up.

It was midnight when Reed pushed the last sequence on the controller and the machine hummed to life. Wanda waited in the doorway with a tray that held a glass of wine and a plate of cheese.

“How soon will the scan be done?” Wanda asked.

“Sometime tomorrow,” Reed said turning to her. “Thanks. Luckily I had the components I needed otherwise I would have had to build them from scratch.”

He drank the wine and Wanda retreated into the corridor, by her movement inviting him.

“It’s late,” Wanda said. “Are you sure you want to go back to the Baxture Building?”

“I can…” Reed started to speak as he lowered his glass but stopped as the love potion took hold of him.

Wanda smiled. Reed didn’t really like magic. She knew that it offended his sense that the universe operated by science alone. But just because you didn’t like something didn’t mean that it couldn’t affect you.

“Why don’t you come sit with me,” Wanda said locking her eyes onto his and feeling his will fade. “We can have some more wine.”

“Yes,” Reed said hollowly. “That would be nice.”

Part 31

The Scarlet Witch versus the Invisible Woman

Dawn was beginning to break when Wanda got out of bed and slipped into her robe. One bed Reed slept on snoring slightly and Wanda sighed.

“Snoring too? Seriously Sue how do you put up with him?”

Getting Reed into bed had been easy but getting him aroused and active had proven to be a chore. The man just didn’t seem interested in sex at all. Not even after two bottles of wine to break down his inhibitions. Wanda had used every trick she knew and she still hadn’t gotten him going. Finally in desperation she’d used an old trick that she’d heard some of the wilder gypsy girls talk about when they had thought Wanda asleep. Going to her room she had grabbed a pair of wool socks and then wearing only them had shuffled around on the carpet around the bed for five minutes. Then she’d gotten on the bed and placed her fingertips on his balls. Electricity flashed, Reed jumped a little and the erection started. She’d done it twice more until it was solid enough to handle and after that some good old-fashioned mouth work had finally gotten him going.

But he hadn’t gotten going in the ways that she loved or even liked. She’d been excited about the prospects of his pliable body but Wanda had quickly found that pliable meant pliable. It had almost been like making love to a balloon animal in the shape of a man.

“From now on I just tie them up,” Wanda whispered ruefully. “It’s so unfair, Scarlet’s been drugged and it never stopped her from being aroused.”

She sighed and turned back to the bed. Wanda had stretched Reed’s arms and legs out and tied them to the four corners of her bed. That had been a good start and she’d mounted him but despite her efforts his penis had grown no larger than any other mans would have. Wanda had teased, bounced and caressed every part of him and the so called ‘Mr. Fantastic’ had mumbled equations! She’d never had a more un-satisfying night of sex in her life.

“Maybe it was the love potion,” Wanda mused as she started to tug at is arm to untie it. “Or maybe he’s just like every other guy… All those… Other…?”

Wanda stopped in mid-thought and sat down on the bed stunned as she seemed to wake up fully for the first time.

‘Every other guy?’ What was she thinking? Wanda had not had that many lovers in her life. Why did she suddenly think that she had? For a few minutes Wanda sat and tried to think but the thoughts and memories that had been there only a few seconds before slipped away from her like a dream. But as they did a fresh horror filled her as Wanda realized what she had done. This was the second man she’d raped.

Controlling herself Wanda finished un-tying Reed. He lay nude on the bed and as she looked him Wanda tried to see the man who had been her friend for years. A cold feeling filled her as she realized that they were in one of the guest rooms, not her room. There was no denying it now; she had planned this. More Wanda realized with a numbing horror, she’d be doing more of this. It didn’t matter if it were wrong or not.

Wanda turned to the mirror over the dresser and opened her robe, admiring her full breasts, wide hips and the triangle of well-groomed hair between her legs. She finally had a body that could bring men in, she had the power to bring them in and she was going to bring them in no matter what!

Unable to stop herself Wanda began to think of ways to improve the love potion. She pushed past the part of her that was disgusted and thought only of the men that she was going to have. She gazed at Reed again and as her eyes drank in the well conditioned body she thought of trying again. Surely there was some way to arouse him?

Maybe some coffee would help me think, Wanda thought going to the door and starting to pull her robe closed. He’s going to satisfy me if I have to…

She opened the door and froze. On the other side of the door Sue Richards froze her hand raised and ready to knock. Sue was wearing blue skirt, white blouse and blue coat. Wanda realized that she was wearing nothing at all under a very thin robe. That would have been bad enough but she saw Sue’s eyes drift past her to the bed. Very quickly those eyes showed puzzlement, realization, understanding and rage and then Wanda didn’t know what was in them because she was staggering back into the room with blood spurting from her nose.

“You bitch!” Sue growled and came after her. Her fist slammed into Wanda’s jaw and then her stomach. As Wanda doubled over Sue grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the dresser.

Wanda should have stopped. She should have retreated and tried to explain. But the Wanda who would have done that wasn’t there. The Wanda who was there looked at Sue and saw the perfect blonde haired, blue eyed beauty who had always had the easy life, the life where everything was handed too her. That Wanda found a fury in her soul equal to Sue’s.

She blocked Sue’s next punch and slammed her own fist into Sue’s stomach and then she hit lower when Sue drew back from the blow. Sue’s eyes went wide but she didn’t give ground. Her fist shot toward Wanda’s jaw and Wanda grabbed it.

From that point it was a wrestling match and the two enraged woman traded blows as they enveloped the room in a cyclone of feminine fury. Even as mad as both of them were though some remnant of their friendship stayed with them. Sue did not put up a force field or turn invisible and Wanda did not cast any spells. Or perhaps it was that neither of them could think clearly enough. It was a primal rage that enveloped them, one that reached back into a time when growls were words and action was not hindered by thought. All that Wanda could think to do was to beat Sue senseless and take Reed for her own and for her part all that Sue could think to do was to beat Wanda senseless and then beat Reed senseless. At some point they fell onto the bed and over Reed who woke up when Wanda’s blow missed Sue and hit him in the groin.

“What is going on?” Tania’s voice came from the doorway but Wanda and Sue were beyond hearing.

Wanda tackled Sue and the momentum of her charge carried them into the window and through it. They were on the second floor of the mansion and only Sue’s quick invisible force field cushion saved them from slamming into the pavement. Almost instantly they were up and at each other again.

“Stop!” Tania shouted flying down and pushing them apart. She stood between them and kept them apart with a hand on each shoulder.

Wanda locked her own furious eyes with Sue’s and might have gone at her again but a sudden flash distracted her. She looked and saw that a crowd had gathered and the flash was from at least a dozen camera phones and full sized cameras. Suddenly Wanda became aware that her robe was torn and open. Sue’s blouse had been torn open in the fight and her bra had been pulled out of position exposing one breast.

“Come on!” Tania shouted grabbing both of them and flying back through the open window.

“I’m fine!” Wanda growled as Hank ran a scanner over her body.

She would have sounded more convincing, Tania thought, if her voice didn’t have a nasal twang to it. Sue’s punch hadn’t broken Wanda’s nose but it had bloodied it and she sat on the medical bench with her nose pinched shut. Sue had collected Reed and gone and Tania didn’t want to think about what was going on in the Baxter Building right now.

“Wanda you just had drunk sex with Mr. Fantastic,” Steve said and Wanda drew her torn robe more tightly around her body.

“Who I see is my business Captain,” Wanda said.

“Not when we might have a security risk,” Steve said. “This is not you Wanda.”

“What you think I’m being controlled?” Wanda demanded and Tania wondered if she only imagined the note of hope in Wanda’s voice.

“It’s happened before,” Hank said. “We both know it’s possible and we don’t know everything that Zola did to you.”

“If I am being controlled how do we tell?” Wanda asked. “Call Charles?”

“The electronic age is great for scandal,” Carol said coming into the room. She handed an electronic pad to Steve. “There were a lot of camera phones outside.

He winced and Wanda grabbed it from his hands. Tania looked over her shoulder. The picture was of her holding Wanda and Sue apart. Wanda’s robe was open exposing everything while Sue’s torn cloths allowed her to retain more modesty. The headline of the blog was blunt and tasteless.

‘Catfight over Mr. Fantastic!”

“Damn them!” Wanda cried throwing the pad against the far wall.

“Wanda what were you thinking?” Carol asked. “Sue’s your friend!”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Wanda snapped. “I was… I was…”

“Maybe not in control.”

They looked at Tania and for a moment there was silence.

“I’ll call the professor,” Hank said.

“Wait,” Tania said and looked at them all for a moment. “I have my own way,” She said.

Stepping away from Wanda Tania raised her arms and held out her hands as if she were holding a hoop.

“Aly Afae,” Tania whispered.

A woman faded into existence. She was Tania’s height but slimmer and her dark violet skin, white hair and pointed ears betrayed her drow heritage. She was dressed in an Ultra Woman costume but there was a spider in the center of her tiara. She faded into existence in the same pose as Tania but she was holding a golden rope. The drow smiled and her eyes were full of love as she dropped the rope into Tania’s hands and vanished.

“Hello and farewell my little sister,” Tania said in a language that she knew none of the other people in the room understood.

“Who was that?” Carol asked as Tania turned around.

“An old friend,” Tania said. She held up the rope. “Once a person is bound with this rope they must obey and they must tell the truth.”

Wanda held her wrists in front of her.

“Go ahead.”

Wanda felt a cold chill fill her as her wrists were tied together. Deep within her on a level of consciousness only the greatest telepath could have discerned a part of her huddled in fear. The rope’s magic took hold and it spanned her entire mind, both that part of Wanda that was still locked into the hideous form of a drider and the modified copy that occupied the body sitting in the medical bay at Avengers mansion. But it also took hold of the spark that was the woman who had held that body before. The desperate, angry AIM agent who was now forced to face herself in a way she had never been able to before. But that woman was still only a spark and the primary mind was still a copy of Wanda’s true mind. So it answered.

“Who are you?” Tania asked.

“Wanda Maximoff,” Wanda replied.

“Is anyone controlling you?”

“No.”

And that was the truth since the copy of Wanda’s mind was free, but it followed desires and rules that Wanda’s true mind did not.

“Why did you sleep with Reed?”

“Because I wanted too.”

“Why?”

“He’s powerful,” Wanda heard herself speak the words and even though they were true she hated that they were true. For even in the copied mind there was awareness of right and wrong, made all the more powerful because that copied mind was still linked to Wanda’s true mind. “He’s strong, he’s handsome and I wanted him.”

All of that was true as well, but Wanda knew that she was holding something back, but it was something she didn’t know. Just as she didn’t know about the bionics that mimicked the powers of the true Scarlet Witch, she didn’t know about the computer in her womb. She didn’t know that she was just a copy of the true Scarlet.

“So you did it completely of your own free will?”

“Yes.”

“What about Sue?”

“I didn’t care.”

Tania untied her wrist and Wanda looked down. She couldn’t look up and see the disappointment that she knew was on the faces of her friends.

“You’re not being controlled,” Tania said.

“But you got some serious problems,” Carol said.

“I know,” Wanda said. “Steve, as of now I’m leaving the Avengers. I need to get help.”

“Where will you go?” Tania asked.

“Away,” Wanda said.

She got up off of the medical bed and walked numbly out of the room.

“Wanda wait,” Steve called going after her.

Tania coiled up the rope but she didn’t miss the look’s that Carol and Hank shot her way.

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