Part 10

For Sale: White Owl

By Skytower

Athena's head was fuzzy. She wasn't in the hospital anymore, she knew that. The hospital did not keep her tied up like this. Athena remembered being in her hospital bed. Being half asleep in her bed in the hospital and seeing Tania get up and leave the room. She’d fallen back to sleep only to be woken up when the alarms sounded. Athena remembered sitting up only to have a nurse rush into the room and press a smelly pad to her face.

Chloroform!

Then darkness.

She lay on her side and ropes ran around her ankles, knees, wrists, elbows, and chest and into her crotch keeping her immobile and un-comfortable. A gas mask was over the lower half of her face and though she couldn't smell what it was Athena was sure that it was keeping her fuzzy. Whatever she was traveling in jostled from time to time and the tank that held the gas kept hitting her on the head. She had no idea how much time had passed since she had been grabbed. With everything she had Athena tried to get the mask off of her face by rubbing her face against the wood. But it was strapped tightly and she had only started when light intruded into her world again. The cover of the box she was being carried in was opened and in the harsh sunlight Athena looked up into a beautiful woman's face. The woman had red hair green eyes and a fair complexion. Through Athena’s drugged brain floated a name: Green Banshee. A super villainess with a lust for gold and a love of subterfuge and slavery. The woman bought and sold anything she could steal but above all she loved to sell human beings.

"There you go," Banshee said smiling to show crooked teeth. "Hey Bonnie lass. I'm betting that Hydra will pay 10 million for you. Maybe more. Or someone will." Athena struggled vainly against the ropes and the gas and a smile lit Banshees face. Reaching into the box she stroked Athena's hair and then with her other hand turned the valve on the gas canister. Athena felt her eyes close and then she didn't feel anything at all.

"We have a problem," Modok said.

"Damn it was all going so well," Tina said.

"If it were easy we'd be ruling the world by now," Mystique said putting her hand on Tina's.

They were both sitting by Modok's command table in the control room of A.I.M. headquarters. On the main screen in front of them was a VBay auction notice. Green Banshee's auctions were rare but prized among the super villain set. Her specialty was police, FBI, CIA, NSA agents and superhero sidekicks and even more rarely super heroines. The lead draw in this auction was White Owl.

"We were so busy with the Scarlet Witch and Ultra Woman that we never thought to double check on her status in the hospital," Tina said. "We have to get her back for project I to work."

"But we have to get her back in a way that does not reveal ourselves," Modok said.

"We could buy her," Tina suggested. "And then let her go or let her escape somehow."

"She'd see through that," Mystique said. "They are not fools after all, even if they play the parts of fools most of the time. It is a stretch to have the Scarlet Witch escape from Zola."

“That plan will have to change,” Tina mused.

"Only super villains know of this auctions location," Modok said. "There is a chance that a superhero will track them down but a slim one."

Tina started to feel sick. It had been going so well and now it was going to implode. All her work, her new friendship with Mystique it could all be gone because of one slave trader. She desperately searched her mind, running through everything she knew about White Owl and suddenly Tina got an idea.

“What if a supervillain bought her and she did escape,” Tina said. “Not us, nothing to do with AIM. White Owl has ticked off a lot of supervillains. The best thing would be for the supervillain to buy her and for White Owl to escape in transit.”

“In transit to where?” Mystique asked.

“The Keep.”

“You want to involved U1trawoman in this?” Mystique asked and there was a hint of worry in her voice.

“U1trawoman hasn’t been seen or heard from since she battled Thor and Hercules in Hades last year,” Tina said. “She’s big, brash and she’d be just arrogant enough to fly back toward the Keep carrying White Owl. All we have to do is make sure that the Avengers spot her and we can do that.” She turned to Mystique. “You can be her for a night.”

“I can’t match her strength.”

“With an exo-field you can,” Tina said, her voice rising. The plan was forming perfectly in her mind. “For a short time anyway. It’ll make you just strong enough for a quick fight and loss and you can drop a hint that you’re strength was drained a bit in hell. Then we run.”

“It seems workable,” Modok said.

Mystique seemed unsure but Tina squeezed her hand.

“We’ll have a shadow portal set up,” She said. “You’ll be out of there when ever you need to be.”

“All right,” Mystique nodded. “You’ll come with me to the auction though, U1trawoman will look more convincing if she’s got one of her flunkies with her.”

“Warcat would be the easiest to mimic,” Modok said.

“Right,” Tina said hoping that they didn’t notice the fear in her voice.

Tania drank the chocolate shake and then set the glass back down on the night table. It was her third shake of the day and Tania was truly beginning to feel better. But she was wary. Over the past week she'd felt good only to have her body grow weak again quickly after only a short workout. Her endurance was gone. She couldn't help Wanda until she was back at full strength and so far full strength eluded her. According to Hank it was the combination of the electric shock and the neurotoxin but there was no real nerve damage. But knowing what was happening to her body didn't make it any easier to endure. The Avengers had been very good to her, especially Jan and Carol. They had both been through lengthy recoveries and knew exactly how she was feeling. Tania was feeling more and more of a bond with Carol. There was so much of the other woman to admire and they had a lot in common.

At least she had time now to go through the Internet and all her villain chat boards. There was always a chance that she could spot something about Wanda. Tania propped the pillow up behind her and settled the iPad on her knees. Also she could at last catch up with her favorite web comics. For a few minutes Tania browsed through days worth of storylines and then she exited out of Girls With Slingshots and opened the browser to her villain chat room. A subject line caught her eye instantly: 'White Owl auction set for tonight'.

It was hard to stay awake. It was harder to think. Athena remembered very little of the trip, only jostling and heavy impacts as the box she was in was occasionally dropped. Dimly she wondered why they didn't spring for some padding for so valuable a cargo. At some point the box was opened and Banshee carried her into a steel cage. Days passed and Athena was fed and taken care of but either the gas was stronger than she thought or they were drugging the food. At some point she was stuffed back into the box with the mask on her face. There was another trip and then the box was opened and Athena was put her into a replica of her costume. Then she was stood up and was affixed to a standing frame. The frame stood her up right with her legs slightly spread apart and her arms held high above her head and slightly back. It was an X-frame meant for display not torture. Athena knew the differences between the two. There were other women in the room as well each in their own X-frame. Athena saw a woman in a police officer's uniform, two women in business suits and a woman she recognized as a Playboy centerfold. There were others but they were beyond her ability to focus. Dimly Athena realized that it was going to be an auction and they were all for sale.

Prospective buyers walked in and out of the room. They were mostly men in business suits escorted by two of Green Banshee's guards. The men looked closely at the women, ran their hands over the captives’ bodies and discussed the various pros and cons of ownership versus cost. Athena wanted to get mad but the gas prevented that. It weighed down her mind with weariness and apathy, draining the emotions from her soul. It felt like the worst hot and humid day in August that she had ever gone through, when the heat made it impossible to do anything but lie on her bed and try to sleep. When Arnim Zola was escorted into the room Athena could do little more than moan as he squeezed her breast. Still even the gas had its limits. There was no way to stop the stab of fear that shot through Athena when the next duo was escorted into the room. The first person was a tall broad powerful looking woman. She wore skintight white suit with the symbol of the atom on her very large chest and black gloves and black boots. Her face was framed by blonde hair that flowed past her shoulders. A silver cape with a black lining struck Athena as a new addition to the costume. Her blue eyes looked at Athena as if she were choosing her next meal. Athena knew her as U1trawoman. The villainous U1trawoman. This woman had once captured and tortured Athena. Beside her was the feline woman Were-Cat. The feline woman wore a black and silver cape as well, but other than that only a black bikini. They looked at her, laughed and moved on. Athena had once gotten in a lucky shot and U1trawoman was not the type to forgive or forget.

Her captors thought that she was dumb. Wanda could tell that from the way they talked so freely around her. She was an amusement, a curiosity. But a dangerous one as one careless technician learned when he moved to close to her cage. But she had only been able to consume little of him before the fire sticks drove her back. Wanda did not entirely understand the words but she could understand enough. She was caught in a web. The cage was her cocoon. This was entirely wrong. The red could not keep her prisoner. It was against the natural order of things that they could keep her prisoner. They were her prey she was not their prey. But she would play along. She wove a web in and around the bars and pretended to like the hunks of meat they threw into her cage. The stuff nearly made her sick but she kept it down even if it weakened her. She waited, and watched. She watched them come and go and noted their routine. Their web must have a hole in it she reasoned with a cunning that her transformation had enhanced. All she had to do was find it. In the meantime she concentrated on spending her own webs. Wanda had found that she could make her webbing very strong and very shiny. If she concentrated hard enough she could feel a power within her and that power allows her to change things into other things. It reminded her of something but whenever she tried to concentrate hard enough to find out what it was she felt pain and quickly abandoned the effort.

Wanda woke up in her cell, her head fuzzy but feeling alright. She opened her eyes and looked around. The cell was lit by a single bulb set into the high ceiling. There were four walls made of red brick and a set of bars that left the cell open for viewing. Beyond the bars was a dark corridor. Wanda was lying on a wooden bench and to her right was a toilet. A collar around her neck hummed softly and she knew that her powers were blocked.

But I’m free other than that, Wanda thought starting to stand up. A sharp pain shot through her butte and she jumped up and looked down. A bent nail stuck out from the bench. Wanda rubbed her ass and growled. She was wearing a sheer body suit that was laced with active electronic lights. Wanda went over to the bars and looked at the lock. Then she looked around the cell. Going over to the bench Wanda took hold of the nail. It wasn’t loose. Yet. She would show whoever it was what it meant to try and hold an Avenger! She’d been taught to pick locks by Captain America.

At the thought of Steve Wanda felt her stomach tighten and she had an image of him in her mind. His costume was off and…

Not now Wanda, she told herself. Later. Definitely later!

On a monitor screen Shadow Web watched as the fake Scarlet Witch worked on picking the lock. On a screen just beside that one was another screen that showed the true Scarlet Witch in her cell. Shadow Web smiled.

Part 11

Ultra Woman versus Ms. Marvel

Tania walked as quickly as she could down the corridor toward the mansion’s gym. She still clutched the iPad and anger powered her walk. It was bad enough that she had failed Wanda but it was torture to fail both Wanda and Athena. The mansion computer had told her that Carol and Jan were in the gym. It was time to talk to them, to remind them that she was a heroine not a child.

Tania stepped into the gym and saw Carol in her Ms. Marvel costume battling a large silver robot. She stopped as soon as she saw Tania.

"Want to give it a try?" Carol asked wiping sweat off of her forehead.

"No thank you," Tania said fighting down a wave of fear as she saw the robot.

Carol must have recognized something in the way that Tania had said it because she pushed a button on the robots chest and he walked away toward a closet.

"Not good with robots huh?" Carol asked.

"Not large silver ones," Tania said. She hesitated for a moment and then went on. "Dr. Droid made a special set of robots just for me. They overcame me, raped me, and…"

"I'm sorry," Carol said interrupting her. "robots raped you?"

"When an Amazon reaches a sexual climax," Tania said part of her wondering why she was revealing a weakness even to a friend "she becomes a normal woman for up to seven hours. A few of my enemies know this and Dr. Droid is one of them. He designed his robots specifically to bring a woman to climax. I was his prisoner for weeks. Had it not been for Wanda I would not have escaped him. She never told you of this?"

"No," Carol said "never. I guess there are some adventures we just don't talk about. I've been raped but not by robots, not physically."

"It is not easy to wear these costumes." Tania said suddenly remembering why she had come. She held out the iPad. "What are we doing about this?"

"We've got people on it," Jan said flying down from the ceiling and growing to full size.

"Why was I kept in the dark?"

"Because you couldn't have done anything," Jan said. "Not anything more than we're doing."

"I have sources," Tania said "that I could've checked. That I will check."

Tania clicked her bracelets together and felt the familiar rush of power as her nightgown and robe change to her Ultra Woman costume.

"Tania you aren't up for it yet," Carol said.

"She's right," Jan said "and you know it. Look we have Spiderman, She-Hulk, and Hawkeye on this. You need to rest."

"I am fine," Tania said fighting down her anger. "And I'm going to look for my friend."

"How about going a few rounds with me then?" Carol asked. "You win and we won't stop you."

"If that's what it will take," Tania said slipping into a defensive stance.

"No flying either of you," Jan said shrinking and retreating to a neutral corner.

"Okay." Carol said.

"Why not?"

"Because you might crash through the ceiling and our repair budget is strained right now," Jan said.

"Very well," Tania said.

For the first part of the fight Tania was mostly defensive. She didn't block all of Carols blows but she deflected many of them. She had never fought Carol before and Tania wanted to make sure that she was more skillful than the other woman. She knew she wasn't as strong right now. She landed a few of her own but mostly for show. As they sparred Tania found herself fighting fatigue more and more. But she also learned how Carol fought. Carol was strong and her movements fluid but they were entirely based on physical force and not grace. They were easy to predict but that didn't mean she could avoid all of the blows. By the time they stopped for a breather both women were sweating. Tania was relieved to find that she was not completely exhausted.

"You don't have to hold back," Carol said. "I'm used to coming out of here black and blue."

"It's not the Amazon way," Tania said not wanting to admit that she hadn’t been holding back, she just didn't have her full strength to use in the fight.

"Amazons fight," Carol insisted moving in for another a punch.

Tania saw the blow coming and would have used up the energy to block it if she hadn't recognized it as a feint. She let the blow come, shifted her weight and pivoted around spinning out of the way. She didn't counterattack because she knew that's what Carol would expect. Instead she danced back and waited for the next attack.

"Pretty fancy there," Carol said. "Are we sparring or dancing?"

"There is little difference where I come from," Tania said grimly. "And you planted a lot of blows on me so far and I'm unhurt. Do you still think I'm weak to go out?"

"Put me down for the count and I won't," Carol said. "Until then you don't walk out of here even if we have to tie you to the bed."

Tania could feel fatigue battling against her rage and she realized that fatigue was going to win soon. She had to end it quickly.

Carol moved in toward her again and Tania set her feet solidly on the floor. Carol moved in passed Tania's guard and landed a double blow to her stomach. Tania fell back and Carol slammed her right fist into Tania’s jaw. Tania fell back again and Carol threw a left punch at her jaw. Tania seized the wrist, shifted her weight and pivoted around again. She was now behind Carol and holding her arm behind her back. Her right hand moved under Carol's right arm and up behind her neck. Tania pulled harder forcing Carol's left arm further up her back. She seized Carol's left wrist with her right hand. At the same time Tania leaned into the back of Carol's legs with her own forcing them to buckle. Carol went down face first and as she did so Tania moved her legs between both of Carol's so when they landed on the floor Carols left leg was caught between both of Tania's legs. Carol struggled but her right arm could do nothing and Tania's grip on her left wrist was solid. She couldn't roll over to the right to break the hold because one of her legs was pinned between Tania's and she couldn't roll to the left to break the hold because Tania's arm blocked that move. She tried for a few minutes straining every muscle but Tania's hold was solid.

"Submit?" Tania asked. "Admit that I can go out on my own?"

"Not," Carol grunted "yet!"

"Hey," Tania protested as they started to lift off the floor "no flying."

With another grunt Carol settled back onto the floor and Tania strengthened her hold. The minutes stretched on. Carol tried to roll over and failed. She tried to use her right arm but it was hopelessly trapped. She couldn't do much with her left arm but flex her fingers. She tried wrenching free and failed. She twisted her legs trying to free them and failed. She tried stretching but Tania just held on. She had all the leverage she needed and Carol had none of it. But Tania could feel her strength failing.

"Submit and let me go," Tania said realizing that in another minute her strength would fail and Carol would break free. "I've proven that I can handle myself haven't I?"

"In a fair fight," Jan said.

Suddenly Jan was on top of them both. She was full-sized and grabbed Tania's hands and pulled away from Carol's. Carol rolled over and grabbed Tania in a bear hug. While Carol held a struggling Tania Jan pulled Tania's arms behind her back and clamped manacles on Tania's wrists.

"Let me go!" Tania shouted.

"How many villains do you know fight fair?" Jan demanded. "Look at yourself Tania, are you really in shape to fight? I'm not superhuman I shouldn’t have been able to pull your arms behind your back."

Tania started to strain against her bonds and then realized it was hopeless. They were right.

"I …" Tania started and then let herself go limp. "I can't help." Tears started to sting her eyes and Tania blinked them away. "My friends are in trouble and I can't do a damn thing. So much for Ultra Woman."

Jan unlocked the manacles and Carol helped Tania stand up. Tania was steady for a moment and then almost fell over again. Cursing her weakness she let Carol hold her upright.

"Come on you need to go back to bed," Carol said.

Tania wished that she could protest but she didn't have the strength.

Part 12

The Auction

A part of Tina was enjoying herself. She and Mystique were in the middle of a room full of supervillains. Because of who everyone thought that they were both Mystique and Tina were given instant respect. It was what Tina had wanted her entire life and more it was respect from villains she’d always admired.

“I’ve no objection to your taking over the US,” The Mandarin said in a slightly accented soft voice that still held steel in it, “but Iron Man will always be mine to do with as I will.”

“I don’t have any ambitions,” Mystique said and Tina admired how she matched the originals trademark smirk, “for conquest at the moment. You can have the man in the can any time you wish.”

“He will prove to be far more dangerous than you think asian,” Dr. Doom said and Tina was amazed that a man in armor moved silently enough to catch her off guard. “Stark’s lackey is resourceful.”

“Strip him of his armor and he is but a man,” The Mandarin scoffed.

“I wouldn’t mind that,” Tina said playing the sex starved Were-Cat’s role and hoping she had put enough throat into her voice.

“I need more of a man,” Mystique said.

“You’ll need a doctor soon.”

Tina’s heart jumped and so did she as she and Mystique whirled around to face the real U1trawoman and Were-Cat.

“You know when I got the security confirmation for this auction I wondered why,” U1trawoman said walking around Mystique and smiling. “Why get a confirmation to an auction I had decided not to go to?”

Plan B, Tina thought as she pressed a stud on the lining of her cape and explosions shook the building.

Athena snapped to attention as the effects of the gas suddenly vanished. She felt a sharp pain in her breast and pulled out a small needled. Athena looked up in time to see a security guard run out of the room. Beside her the other women started to stir just as the room started to shake.

Tina and Mystique ran through the crowd of suddenly confused supervillains as shouts of; ‘Who would dare!’ and ‘They shall pay!’ and other outraged phrases rang in the air. Neither of them dropped their disguise as they headed for the one exit that wouldn’t have explosives planted near it. They made it through and out into the alley as the old hotel started to crumble.

The Colonnade Hotel had been one of the best in the city, but that had been eighty years before. Now it was a crumbling façade hanging onto a rotten skeletal structure in the worst part of the city. It had been the perfect spot for a clandestine slave sale.

Had been, Tina thought to herself as she heard the structure fall apart behind her. If things had gone according to plan B White Owl would be leading her fellow captives out the other side of the building. Tina knew that the heroine was too smart to try and fight all of the supervillains that had gathered.

Tina and Mystique rounded the corner at the end of the alley, heading for a door in the next building that hid a shadow portal. They had nearly mad it when U1trawoman landed in front of them and took each woman by the throat.

“Hello,” She said pleasantly and Tina’s stomach lurched as she and Mystique were suddenly carried straight up into the air.

The cool evening air quickly became cold as they climbed and Tina clawed futilely at U1trawoman’s grip. At some point her image inducer failed and the image of Were-Cat faded. Beside her Mystique went through shape after shape but could not free herself either. When the air was cold enough to make them both shiver U1trawoman stopped and tossed them both in the air. Tina screamed as she realized that they were thousands of feet high. The next moment the scream was jerked to a stop as U1trawoman took hold of her ankle.

“Enjoying the view?”

Tina stared at the city so far bellow her and tried to get her voice to work. But her entire being was filled with the idea of how high up that they were.

“U1trawoman we can explain!” Mystique shouted.

“No you can’t.”

Tina screamed as U1trawoman let go of her ankle for a moment and then grabbed it again.

“We’re with Modok!” Mystique shouted.

“So what?”

“We could work together!”

“Not interested,” U1trawoman said in a bored tone of voice. Tina couldn’t tell if she were truly bored or just acting. Again her stomach lurched as the woman let go of her ankle again.

“We can give you White Owl as a willing slave!” Tina shouted as her mind finally fought through her panic.

“I could break her on my own.”

“Not break her,” Tina shouted hearing the slight interest in the powerful woman’s voice. “No torture! She’ll come to you and beg you to help her! She’ll do anything you say!”

“Now why would she do that?” U1trawoman asked and this time there was definite interest in her voice.

“Because you’ll be the only one capable of protecting her from the X-men!”

Tina screamed again as she was flipped over and U1trawoman took hold of her wrist. Beside her Mystique was flipped over as well.

“Now I’m interested,” U1trawoman said smiling.

Part 13

Ultra Woman and MS. Marvel take a bath

Tania hated the way her body felt as Carol helped her up the stairs. She was having trouble walking and there seemed to be no strength in her limbs. Worse she felt a bitter self-hatred. She was Ultra Woman, she'd been an Amazon scout, she lived on her own for years in a hostile environment. Now she could barely walk up a flight of stairs! Her friends needed her and she was helpless!

I had won, but for the Wasp, Tania protested to herself and realized that as a hollow lie.

The lie triggered a new wave of despair. She hadn't won. In another few minutes she would've been too tired to hold Carol down. Could she ever again be Ultra Woman? Was this it for her? Was another Amazon going to replace her as she had replaced others? And would that be so bad? The beatings, the bondage, the constant danger… What good had all that brought her? Tania had enjoyed one true lover in her years as Ultra Woman but dozens of men had used her body for their own pleasure. Where was the reward in that?

Carol helped her into the room and over to the bed. The room seemed to swim around her and Tania fell back onto the bed with a weak sigh.

"You really are out of it aren't you?" Carol asked.

"More than I realized," Tania said. "I feel useless, worn out… What am I Carol? What have I ever been?"

“You’re a heroine,” Carol said gently. “Just like me and just like me you’ve been through a hell no one deserves. You just need to rest and try not to be so hard on yourself.”

“How did you get through your hell?” Tania asked.

“Long baths, good friends… booze…” Carol said trailing off and looking at something inside of herself. “I don’t really know, one day I just woke up and… well no that’s not right. Some days I still wake up sweating from a nightmare. But they fade with time.”

“I hope mine will,” Tania said trying to sit up. “But I’ll start with a bath.”

"You rest a bit," Carol said as Tania’s pride failed to supply her with enough strength and her body started to sag again. "I'll get it started for you."

"Thank you," Tania said.

Carol walked into the bathroom and Tania lay back on the bed her mind and body confused. She seemed to drift into a sleep for a moment and then wake up again. Feeling a bit stronger she got up and walked into the bathroom. Carol was standing by the tub that was already half filled with water.

"Do you like bubble bath or bath salts?" Carol asked as she saw Tania.

Before Tania could answer she felt her knees suddenly gave out from under her and she fell forward into Carol, her weight carrying both of them into the water. For a short time there was a confused tangle of arms and legs and then Carol finally got hold of her and pulled Tania up.

"Whoa girl!" Carol said laughing. "If you wanted me in here that much…"

"I'm sorry," Tania said cursing her weakness. "I just…"

"It's okay," Carol said starting to pull her own costume off. She dropped it off the floor and got into the tub to help Tania with hers. "Just relax."

Her words seemed to carry the weight of an Imperial command and Tania felt her entire body succumb to the order. It was as if she were standing outside of her body looking in but at the same time in her body and not being able to do anything about it. She could move around some but only to allow Carol freer access to the rest of her body. A thrill ran through her and her body trembled as Carol washed down her chest.

What is wrong with me, Tania wondered desperately. But the question received no answer and her mind clouded over. The only thing that mattered was that Carol was close by.

"Thank you," Tania said later. She was lying on the bed and feeling as weak as a kitten. Carol had helped her bathe, then she had dried Tania off, gotten her into a nightgown and pretty much carried her over to the bed. Now she was wearing a robe and sitting next to her on the bed.

"It's okay," she said gently. "You should get some rest, do want me to stay with you?"

"No thank you," Tania said. "I think I just need some sleep."

"Right," Carol said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Carol shut off the lights as she left and for a few minutes Tania lay on the bed and let her mind drift. Then she blinked and sat up. With no sign of weakness Tania walked into the bathroom and picked up the wet costume that Carol had left on the floor. She took it back into her room stuffed it under the bed. Then she got back into the bed and lay down again.

Tania sat bolt upright and looked around the room in absolute terror. Her heart was pounding on her chest and her whole body was shaking. Almost hysterical with fear she struggled out of the bed and fell onto the floor, then she scrambled on all fours to the wall. Somehow she managed to get to her feet. She slammed her hand against the wall as she groped for the light switch. It seemed like an eternity before she found it and the lights came on and Tania looked around the room. It was completely empty. But Tania's heart did not slow. Every instinct, every fiber of her being told her that an enemy had been there. She would've bet her soul on it. A knock on the door made her jump.

"Tania are you still awake?" Carol called.

Tania opened the door and let her in. Carol saw the look on her face and a look of concern came over hers.

"What is it?" Carol demanded.

"I… I was sure there was someone in here with me," Tania said.

"No one here now," Carol said walking into the room and looking around.

"A nightmare," Tania said. "But more than that. Every so often, every time I close my eyes… Monsters! They haunt me! Carol I'm scared! Curse me I’m so scared!"

"While this might help," Carol said turning on the TV.

"The heroine White Owl was instrumental in capturing 10 super villains," the news announcer said. On the screen White Owl was standing next to an old office building while a woman with red hair was being led toward a police car. "And helped end a human trafficking operation run by Green Banshee."

"She's safe," Carol said "somehow she broke out, got a cell phone and called the guardians."

Tania felt her legs fall from under her and Carol had to catch her before she fell to the floor. Suddenly she was crying. The relief and the fear were too much and the only thing Tania wanted to do was to curl up on the bed and cry. She was aware that she was talking, but Tania didn't really know what she was saying.

Carol got her to the bed and lay down with her. Tania hugged the woman and let her emotions run out of her through her tears.

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