Squaring Off - Marvel: Earth-USB Saga (Part 33)

[tirepanted3]

Character references for new characters, where applicable, can be found in the second post. Be sure to revisit prior chapters for a refresher on other character references.





The show was not due to start for several hours, but Madison Square Garden was already getting crowded.

The venue, one of the largest stadiums on the East Coast, could hold some twenty thousand attendants, and already hundreds of early arrivers were filing seats, with thousands more waiting in line outside, eager to get in for the show.

The stadium was thus rife with security – New York police officers were stationed within and around the perimeter. Several other security contractors had been enlisted to help keep watch over the proceedings and that nothing suspicious occurred.

Silver Sable Security was one such contractor. They had been signed on to provide additional security at MSG a few weeks back, when the concert and surrounding events were first being coordinated.

Although Silver Sable herself had gone missing the night before, and her trusted deputy, Claire Acosta, was not responding to her comms, the rest of the team had agreed to the job and had to focus on it.

Besides, the team had new, more advanced security uniforms to show for their efforts.

So it was that one of Sable Security’s soldiers, Amy Chen, was patrolling her sector outside the stadium, watching for anything unusual.

“Agent Chen,” the voice came over her comms, recognizable as that of her team captain, Lina Abbas. “Status update?”

Amy spoke into the communicator embedded in her wrist gauntlet. “Chen here. All quiet.”

Status updated, she resumed her patrol.

Amy Chen was a tall and athletic Asian-American woman, with fair skin, dark eyes, and long black hair that reached mid-back. She wore the newest uniform of Silver Sable Security, consisting of black full-body armor, including gloves and boots, covered in a red Kevlar vest, along with red arm gauntlets, shoulder and knee pads. Several weapons pouches were strapped to her waist, and a nightstick was clipped to her back. A pistol was strapped to her right thigh, and a few smoke bombs were strapped to her left thigh. A small red “S” was emblazoned just beside her left breast.

In her uniform, Amy felt like a veritable Swiss army knife of weaponry. She was quite proud of her job.

As she turned to start a new leg of her patrol, however, her stomach rumbled.

Guess I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast, she thought wryly.

Glancing around, she saw an ice cream stand that had been set up near the stadium.

Ah, what the heck.

Amy approached the ice cream stand.

A lone woman stood behind the counter. She had tanned skin and dark hair, and was dressed in a colorful service uniform – a lavender shirt with short puffy yellow-and-pink striped sleeves and purple cuffs, a white apron with pink frills, and a white skirt with off-white shoes. A small pink and white service cap sat on her head. Her name tag read “Jara.”

“’Afternoon,” Amy nodded at her. “Got anything lowfat?”

The ice cream server nodded. “Of course. Would you care for a cone?”

“Just a cup,” Amy replied. “Plain vanilla. Nothing too fancy.”

“Coming right up.” The woman scooped out some vanilla ice cream from a jar behind the stand. She handed it to Amy in a paper cup with a small pink spoon.

“Very cute,” Amy smiled. “Reminds me of when my mom would take me for a treat after school.” She took a bite. “Tastes great, too!”

She turned to the ice cream woman. “How much do I owe you, Jara?”

“No money necessary,” the woman replied.

“Wow, amazing!” Amy took a few more bites. “This is really delicious. You sure it’s just plain vanilla?”

“More or less.”

Amy blinked. She was starting to feel woozy. “Hey… wh-what’s…”

She dropped the ice cream cup. Her head was spinning. “Something… I feel funny…”

“It will pass,” the woman assured her. “You’ll only be unconscious for a few hours.”

“What are you talking abou…”

Amy groaned and slumped over the front of the stand.

The woman known as “Jara” glanced around, then quickly grabbed the unconscious security agent by her shoulders and pulled her up and over the table, into the interior of the stand and out of sight.

She crouched down over Amy Chen’s body and checked to make sure the drug she had laced the ice cream with had not done any real harm.

Satisfied, the Black Widow pulled off her wig and photostatic veil.

“Sincere apologies, Agent Chen. But you do approximate my height and build rather closely…”

Natasha went to work relieving the security officer of her weapons and armor. It took a few minutes, as the straps and buckles of the Silver Sable Security uniforms were surprisingly complex.

All these new details and accoutrements… When I was a young woman, security guard uniforms were simple. Stripping them took maybe thirty seconds…

Nevertheless, within a few minutes, Amy Chen had been reduced to a black exercise bra and matching bikini panties.

Natasha hurriedly changed out of her ice cream vendor uniform and strapped herself into the armor of Silver Sable Security. She took a minute to ensure that every strap and buckle was in its proper place – a slight mistake could ruin the disguise.

Once that was done, she used the photostatic veil to make an imprint of Amy Chen’s face. She donned the mask, then retrieved the brunette wig she had worn as Jara. She donned the wig and combed the hair until it was the right wave.

At last, she was the identical twin of Agent Amy Chen.

Natasha used some of her Widow’s Line to bind the real Amy, and some black tape to gag her. Then she delicately pushed her beneath the stand, where she would not be alone.

After all, this was where the real Jara had been seated and sleeping for the past hour. The tan-skinned, dark-haired ice cream vendor was similarly bound and gagged with Widow’s Line and tape, though her underwear was more befitting to her profession – a vanilla-colored underwire bra with chocolate-colored frills, and strawberry-and-pistachio striped briefs.

“Thank you both for the use of your identities,” Natasha told the two sleeping women. “Apologies once again for any inconvenience this causes you. But it’s Avengers business.”

So saying, she stood and exited the ice cream stand, shutting the front and leaving a “CLOSED” sign hanging from the grate.

Then she returned to Amy Chen’s position, copying the woman’s gait precisely.

“Agent Chen, status update?” the team leader’s voice echoed in her ear.

“Chen here. All quiet,” Natasha responded in a perfect replication of Amy’s voice.

So far…

Then she spoke into a separate, private communicator.

“Felicia? Have you obtained your disguise?”

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

“Not yet,” Felicia replied.

”So what are you doing?”

“Oh just hanging around.”

”Excuse me?”

“Oh, sorry… I guess that joke only works if you can see me.”

Presently, Felicia was in her Black Cat costume, hanging above some rafters near the rear of the stadium.

”I’m not in the mood for jokes, Felicia,” Natasha’s voice crackled in Black Cat’s ear. ”Just find yourself some new clothes before your catsuit attracts too much attention.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if his glamorous outfit draws people’s eyes.”

Felicia glanced down. “Hang on. I spy with my little eye… an opportunity.”

A policewoman had just entered her line of sight, walking beneath the rafters. She stopped beside a dark green dumpster.

“Talk to you later, ‘Tash… I’m about to join the boys and girls in blue.” Felicia shut off her comms.

Officer Anna Kefkin had no idea she was being watched.

She was simply stationed at the post that was assigned to her by the NYPD. A dull shift thus far, which – unbeknownst to her – was about to get significantly less dull.

Anna Kefkin was a tall, slender woman with light skin, dark eyes, and brown hair tied back into a short bun. She wore a typical NYPD police uniform consisting of short-sleeved blue button-down shirt, black pants, black loafers, dark sunglasses, and a peaked black police cap with blue hatband and gold insignia. An NYPD badge symbol was sewn to her sleeve’s shoulder, and a grey metal watch adorned her wrist. Her belt was covered with small pouches, and included a holster for her gun. A radio strapped to her left hip connected to a communicator strapped to her shoulder.

Lithely, silently, clutching her own rope, Felicia lowered herself, upside-down, behind her target.

Anna stared straight ahead, hands on her hips. She appeared to be enjoying the cool afternoon breeze.

“Hey, lady cop,” Felicia piped up. “Need a break?”

Anna whirled in surprise. Her hand went for her holster.

Alas, she was a second too slow. Felicia tackled her, sending them both behind the dumpster.

There was no one else in the area to hear the sounds of struggling which followed – a fact for which Felicia was quite grateful. She did her best work without an audience around.

Ten seconds passed, and the fight was finished. Ten minutes passed, and Felicia was buttoning up the uniform shirt of the NYPD.

Once she had tucked her white-blonde hair beneath the police cap, she glanced over at the real Officer Anna Kefkin.

The brunette woman was dressed only in a white exercise bra and grey cotton panties. She had been bound with white electrical flex and gagged with a black kerchief.

“Excuse me, doll…” Felicia delicately reached over the unconscious officer and plucked the sunglasses from where they lay. “Not as fun as smarty glasses, but a helpful addition to the disguise.” She slipped them on over her bright green eyes.

Finally, she picked up the belt. She wrinkled her nose at the gun.

As a professional cat burglar – a classy one, as she often referred to herself – Felicia hated guns. She preferred her robberies to involve stealth, skill, ingenuity. Perhaps a series of backflips over and under a laser grid. Firearms just weren’t her style.

Still, she needed it to complete the disguise.

She carefully emptied the cartridges into the dumpster, then strapped the empty pistol into the holster. Then she snapped the belt and holster around her waist.

Although being a (sometimes) enemy of the law frequently required her to mug policewomen for their uniforms, Felicia had never gotten used to wearing cop uniforms. It always felt unnatural to her.

Still, she didn’t have too many options today.

Natasha’s voice came through in her ear again. “Felicia? Any updates?”

Felicia pressed her comms link while glancing down at the slumbering Anna Kefkin. “Well, I think I’ve just further soured my already tenuous relationship with the NYPD.”

“I take that to mean you’ve acquired your disguise. Good. Stay alert and start searching. I’ll check in on Kate.”

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

Kate Bishop was developing a cramp.

She had been crouched behind her van for nearly an hour, watching the employee entrance to MSG. Waiting, endlessly waiting.

When she, Natasha, and Felicia had conferred their plans of infiltrating the event the previous evening, it became clear that at least one of them would need to disguise herself as an onstage performer. Security disguises were important for backstage infiltrations, but the most likely place the Chaos Cube would be situated would be at or near the center of the arena, and the only people allowed close to that area were the ones signed on to do the events.

Kate had offered to take that position. After all, she knew there would be an archery performance at the event. She would blend right in.

But she had been waiting a while, waiting for an archer to come along, either a late arrival to the event or one stepping out on break. So far, no luck.

Kate surmised she could have an easier time by first infiltrating the venue under a different guise, perhaps by taking out a security guard the way Natasha and Felicia had planned to do, and locating an archer to mug from there.

However… given her track record of making enemies out of the people she mugged for disguises, Kate thought it was probably a good idea to limit the number of women to overpower, strip, and tie up on this mission. The last thing she needed was to make more than one new enemy today.

Shifting uncomfortably, Kate was beginning to have second thoughts – when the rear entrance opened and a lone woman stepped out.

As someone who was fascinated by archery and had studied up on New York’s rising talents, Kate recognized the young woman from a couple of magazine articles. She was Pamela Pierce – better known by her stage name, Artemis. A professional archer who had competed at the Olympics a few years ago.

Pamela was a tall, well-toned woman with light skin, brown eyes, and long blonde hair. Her archery uniform consisted of a yellow-green bodysuit with brown ribbing, including cowl (from which her hair spilled out the back), gloves, and brown boots. On her back was strapped a silver-grey bow and a brown quiver of arrows. A pair of back-up holsters were strapped to her thighs, and a “skirt” of brown straps dangled from her belt.

Talented girl… Watched her on TV a couple of times. Shame I have to do this…

Pamela had stepped away from the stadium, closer to Kate’s hiding spot. It appeared she was about to take a smoking break. She was out of the line of sight of any security cameras.

Kate drew an arrow from her quiver – a specialty arrow with a rope secured to the end. Hope this works… I don’t usually go for the trick arrows, but this one’s just what I need…

She nocked the arrow, aimed it, and let fly.

The arrow whistled through the air, the rope trailing behind it.

Pamela never saw it coming. Before she knew what was happening, the arrow had looped around her, the rope wrapping and pinning her arms to her sides.

“Wha… ULP!” Pamela felt herself sail backwards as Kate tugged on the “fishing line,” reeling in her target.

Pamela opened her mouth to scream, but any sound she was about to make was muffled by the chloroform pad Kate now pressed over her face.

Pamela struggled hard, but her hands were quite literally tied, and by the time what was happening dawned on her, she had already breathed in too much chloroform.

“Sorry about this,” Kate whispered as Pamela drifted off to sleep. “You’ll get your chance to perform again someday, I promise. But today, I need your spot on the archery team.”

Kate needed Pamela’s clothes as well, of course. Dragging the unconscious archer into the rear of the van, she worked fast, knowing she was already behind schedule.

Pamela’s archery uniform took a few minutes to remove, but pretty soon, the young archer was left only in a light green-and-white triangle bra and matching bikini panties with decorations of arrows and targetboards on both.

“Archery-themed underwear? Girl…” Kate shook her head.

Still, she wasn’t one to judge. She returned to the task at hand, donning her costume, pulling on the gloves and boots. She then fitted the cowl over her head – true, she was a brunette, not a blonde, but hopefully most people would be too dazzled by the show itself to notice.

She glanced at her reflection in a pocket mirror and decided she didn’t look half-bad. At any rate, the costume was less ridiculous than Fifi’s archery outfit…

Kate used some white zip-ties to bind Pamela and silver duct tape to gag her. “I’ll let you out soon, honey… I just hope you’re not the revenge-seeking type…”

Grabbing Pamela’s bow and quiver, she stepped out of the van.

“Kate, are you there?”

Kate tapped her earpiece. “Hey, Natasha. Yeah, I got the uniform. Heading in now.”

“Good. Felicia and I are in position as well. Keep an eye out.”

“You sure we can trust the Black Cat? What if she finds the Cube and makes off with it on her own?”

“She won’t,” Natasha replied. “She knows I’d track her down and make her regret it.”

There was a seriousness to Natasha’s voice, even more than usual.

“One way or another, the threat of the Chaos Cube ends today.”

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

The van was neon green. The word “GRAPPLERS” was written across the side in bold pink letters. And the “L” of the word was in fact not a letter, but a woman’s flexed bicep in the shape of one.

It was, as Fiona had described it, “tacky in the extreme.”

And yet, the women of HEART were now in the van, pulling up to the garage entrance of Madison Square Garden. Disguised in the costumes of the real Grapplers, they waited with bated breath while the guard checked their papers.

Once he had waved them through, the five women breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Phase One complete,” Tyler announced as she drove down the garage ramp.

“I thought Phase One was mugging the Grapplers for their outfits,” Fiona replied.

“That was Phase Zero,” Luz replied.

“What? That’s not a thing!”

“Girls,” Tyler interjected. “Do not start bickering about trivialities. The point is, we’re inside. Now the real work begins.”

“I hope this ‘real work’ is no more difficult than squeezing my body into Letha’s costume,” Danika piped up. “This breastplate will have me sore for a week.”

Fiona rolled her eyes. “We know you have nice boobs, Dani, no need to brag.”

“Girls,” Tyler repeated, more annoyed this time. “Stop complaining about the costumes. These are the disguises we’ve chosen, and we’re sticking with them.”

She turned to Mei Lin. “You have the schematics of the area?”

Mei Lin nodded and unfurled a map. “Right here, boss.”

Tyler studied the map. “All right, here’s the plan: Danika and Mei Lin, you two scout the inner perimeter. Luz, Fiona, you two come with me to the main stage so we can get registered. We’ll scout the more public area.”

She looked up at her team. “Luz, are you sure these little electronic devices will work?”

Luz held up the special watch on her wrist. She had given each of her teammates a similar device. “Positive, boss. These things are attuned to special vibratory frequencies. As soon as you get within a twenty-foot radius of the Chaos Cube, it will start beeping. Whoever locates it will radio the others and we will get out of here with our prize.”

She glanced around. “Any questions?”

Fiona raised her hand. “Do we get to fight? I mean, since we went to the trouble to mug wrestlers for their costumes, do I get to kick Luz’s ass in the ring?”

“That’ll be the day,” Luz muttered.

“There will be no fighting,” Tyler replied. “We find the Cube and get out of here before the crowd shows up. Clear?”

Fiona looked disappointed, but nodded.

“All right. Let’s move, ladies.”

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

It was a matter of minutes before Tyler, Luz, and Fiona reached the main arena.

Several other fighters were already there, warming up for the big show ahead.

“I’ll sign us in,” Tyler whispered. “You two take a look around. And keep the bickering to a minimum.”

“Bickering? Us?” Fiona looked at her innocently, adjusting her Cowgirl hat. “Don’t know what in tarnation you’re talking about.”

Luz simply rolled her eyes. “If you don’t drop that fake Texan accent, we’ll need to split up.”

“Sounds good to me, li’l lady.”

Luz shook her head, then headed off for the western side of the perimeter. Fiona headed for the eastern side.

There were a few other wrestlers practicing on the sidelines as Fiona walked up. A couple nodded approvingly; most of them ignored her and focused on their exercises.

Fiona was wandering towards the side of the field, intent on looking for any alcoves the Cube could be hidden in, when another wrestler let out a flying kick into a wrestling bag that sent the bag sailing through the air, missing Fiona’s head by inches.

Fiona glared at the woman. “Hey! Watch where you’re kicking!”

The woman glared back. “Watch where you’re walking, senora.”

The woman was tall and muscular, with lightly tanned skin and brown hair. She wore a skintight red bodysuit that was emblazoned with a large design of a black spider, as well as black elbow-length gloves and knee-high boots. A black cowl tied over her face concealed her eyes behind white eyelets, two long ribbons of fabric trailing at the back of the mask.

Fiona looked surprised, as she recognized this woman.

“Say, you’re Jacinda Rodriquez… the Tarantula!”

The Tarantula was one of the most famous and vicious wrestlers in Mexico. Fiona had come across one of her fights on a late-night TV binge, and was impressed by the woman’s moves and skill.

Jacinda eyed at Fiona’s costume. “And who might you be?”

Fiona grinned proudly. “I’m Cowgirl, of course.”

Jacinda scoffed. “I’m busy practicing. Don’t bother me, Girl Cow.”

“Hey, that’s not what I said!” Fiona looked around nervously. If Luz had heard the words “Girl Cow,” Fiona would never hear the end of it.

“But it seems appropriate,” Jacinda smiled.

Fiona stomped towards Jacinda. “You take that back, before I…”

Immediately, Jacinda kicked out, stopping her leg just a few inches from Fiona’s throat.

Fiona gulped. Protruding from the toe of the woman’s boot was a six-inch black blade.

“Step back, senora. Or you’ll regret it.”

Fiona stepped back. She suddenly remembered why Jacinda was called the Tarantula.

The blades concealed in her boots were “stingers,” filled with paralytic toxins. A single cut from her blades could send a man twice her size to the hospital.

Fiona tipped her Cowgirl hat. “Carry on, ma’am.”

She turned and walked away quickly.

When she was a safe distance away, she glanced back. Jacinda had already returned to hitting and kicking another wrestling bag.

Fiona’s eyes narrowed as she watched the woman’s boots, and the weapons they contained.

That is some badass footwear, babe…

“Fiona!” Tyler appeared in front of her abruptly, causing Fiona to jump. “Are you searching or not?”

“Yes, I’m searching!” Fiona replied indignantly. She glanced back, looking at Tarantula. “I just… couldn’t help noticing…”

“Noticing what?”

“Tarantula’s boots – they’ve got built-in weapons.” Fiona smiled. “I just think… they could come in handy. Maybe on a future heist.”

Tyler watched Tarantula fight for a few moments. Then she sighed.

“Fine. You may mug her for her boots. But not the rest of her costume, understand? We’re on a tight schedule.”

“Understood, boss. Boots only.”

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

Kate broke away from the other archers the first chance she got, and began roaming the halls.

If I were a little box with the potential for mass destruction, where would I hide?

She had stuck to the main hallways, aware that her Artemis costume could only get her so far. Natasha had obtained a security disguise, giving her better access to the stadium itself. But Kate would be vulnerable in a dangerous spot without a quiver of arrows at her disposal, and she couldn’t hide those beneath a security uniform. So she would play the part of Artemis as long as she could.

As Kate passed a storage room, she heard the door squeak open. A pair of hands shot out.

“Hmph?” Kate felt startled as she was handgagged and pulled into the storage room.

“Such a lovely costume, girl – but it would look better on me,” a woman chuckled in an Eastern European accent. “And probably squeeze less than the outfit I’m wearing now.”

Instinctively, Kate summoned her strength and broke free of the woman’s grip.

She glared at the woman who had attacked her – a muscular blonde in low-cut silver armor.

“Well, well,” the blonde grinned. “The little minx is stronger than she looks. A little help, Mei Lin?”

A second woman leaped from the shadows, grabbing Kate’s arms and pinning them to her sides. An Asian woman dressed in a judo uniform, she glared coldly at Kate. “She’s not that strong, Danika.”

“Who are you two?” Kate growled.

“That’s unimportant,” Danika grinned, cracking her knuckles. “The only thing that matters is that you are about my size, and I like your costume. So my friend and I will be taking it. Through force, naturally.”

I’m being mugged for my costume? Kate felt genuinely angry at the prospect. For a brief moment, she understood how Madame Masque, Fifi, and the various other women whom she had left stripped, bound, and gagged over the years probably felt.

“Not gonna happen.” Kate shifted her weight and suddenly bent low, pitching a surprised Mei Lin forward. She careened into her blonde comrade, sending them both sprawling.

Kate then reached for her bow and arrows – well, Pamela’s bow and arrows. A distinction that became clear within a moment.

Kate’s quiver contained a lot of “specialty” arrows, including ones with trailing ropes and ones that sprayed knockout gas. But Pamela’s quiver of arrows were quite ordinary – in fact, they had blunted edges for safety purposes.

You’ve got to be kidding…

By this point, Mei Lin and Danika had gotten to their feet. They now approached Kate from opposite directions, prepared for a fight.

“Put the toys down, little girl,” Danika smiled. “You may hurt yourself.”

Kate ignored the barb. “Two against one, eh?” she commented. “Doesn’t seem fair.”

“HEART does not fight fair,” Danika replied. “We fight to win!”

HEART? Is that an acronym? I can’t keep track of all these organizations…

Mei Lin eyed Kate strangely. “Your face – you look familiar.”

Danika’s eyes widened. “Now that you say it… yes. I know her face – perhaps from television?”

Then she smiled. “Ah! You are one of those superheroes… Buckeye!”

Kate groaned. “It’s Hawkeye.”

“Mei Lin, we get to steal the costume of a superhero!” Danika exclaimed. “Say your prayers, Buckeye.”

Kate tensed as the two women approached her. She held two arrows in one hand, gripping the bow with the other.

Danika chuckled. “You cannot seriously expect to stop us both, do you? Especially not with a pair of sticks and a rubber band?”

Kate nocked both arrows in the bow, at different angles drawing back the string. Neither was pointed at either of the two women.

“She does not even know how to hold the weapon!” Danika remarked. “Enough of this foolishness. Get her!”

Both women charged at Kate.

Kate let go of the bowstring, hearing the twang as both arrows let loose, flying through the air. They both ricocheted off the far wall at different angles, then rebounded, their blunted heads hitting both Danika and Mei Lin in the temples.

With twin groans, the two women lost their balance and fell to the floor.

Before either could get up again, each had received a swift neck chop, courtesy of the All-New Hawkeye.

Never underestimate a girl and her arrows.

It didn’t take much time for Kate to tie up the two women and ensure they would not cause any further hassle.

“Hawkeye.” Natasha’s voice sounded in her ear. ”Any status update?”

“Just came across a couple of clowns who tried to ambush me,” Kate replied. “Are you familiar with an organization called HEART?”

”No, but I can look them up. I assumed you’ve incapacitated them?”

“Sure. Gonna question them when they come to. Just be on the lookout, they may have friends. And they’re probably dressed as female wrestlers.”

”Copy that. I’ll warn Felicia as well.”

Their communique over, Kate turned her attention back to Danika and Mei Lin. “So who wants to regain consciousness first, hmm?”

A blur of movement from the doorway abruptly caught her eye.

“Huh?”

The next moment, Kate felt a sharp pain at the base of her neck. “Agh!”

Before she knew what had hit her, the world went black.

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

Jacinda Rodriquez took a break from her training, and headed for the locker room.

The room was empty at the moment, for which she appreciated. She preferred privacy in between bouts, to rest and recompose herself.

Opening her locker, she grabbed her energy drink and took a swig. Being a top fighter in two countries sure made a woman thirsty…

As she shut her locker, another woman’s voice called out behind her. “Wow! You put up one heck of a fight out there!”

Turning, Jacinda frowned at the sight of the newcomer. The woman called Cowgirl.

“Great job, Spider-Girl,” Fiona smiled.

Jacinda’s eyes narrowed. “The name is Tarantula.”

Fiona shrugged. “Spider-Girl, Tarantula… all you arachnid-themed costumed folks kinda blur together in my mind. Maybe some of you should consider another bug theme. Maybe a grasshopper or a millipede, or…”

Jacinda growled in response.

“Fair point. Hey…” Fiona glanced down at Jacinda’s black boots. “Nice footwear. How do they work?”

Jacinda gave her the side-eye. “They ‘work’ like weapons. I can activate the toe-blades by clicking my heels.”

“Neat! Do you also have to say ‘there’s no place like home’?”

Jacinda glared at her. “These boots are not a joke, you silly Western girl. The blades contain a paralytic toxin. I can deliver a shock to anyone this side of the Hulk. I suggest you take this seriously.”

“Oh, I certainly do,” Fiona nodded.

As Jacinda turned to leave, Fiona piped up again. “One more question – what’s your shoe size?”

Jacinda raised an eyebrow. “Why is that any of your business?”

“I just don’t want them to pinch – I hate aching feet.”

“What the hell are you talking abo – URKK!”

Fiona’s neck chop was swift and sudden. Jacinda had no time to react.

Her head hit the floor, completing the process of sending her to dreamland.

“Boy, you’re slow on the uptake, aren’t you?” Fiona noted. “I guess women being mugged for their costumes isn’t as common in Mexico.”

She leaned down and grabbed Jacinda’s heels. “Well, I’m happy to introduce you to this custom of the USA!”

Dragging the unconscious Jacinda behind the lockers, Fiona eased off one boot, then the other.

The rest of Jacinda’s Tarantula costume looked cool, too – but Fiona remembered Tyler’s warning: [i[Only her boots.[/i]

Fiona sighed. “Maybe next time, doll…”

She kicked off her Cowgirl boots and pulled on the Tarantula’s footwear. Then she stood.

“Here goes nothing, Auntie Em…”

She clicked her heels. Immediately, the two blades sprung out from the boots’ toes.

“Cool!”

Fiona clicked her heels again, and the blades retracted.

“Ooh, I’m keeping these. Could come in handy on a date… Guys these days get a little too handsy…”

She glanced back at the unconscious Jacinda. “Thanks, babe. But it’s time to store you away.”

She used her lariat to tie up Jacinda and reappropriated her bandanna as a makeshift gag. The Cowgirl costume could be used in many ways!

Then she stashed Jacinda in an empty locker. “So long, Spider-Woman.”

She shut the door with a grin.

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

Felicia strode down the corridor, shifting her police belt uncomfortably at her waist.

This doesn’t fit as well as I thought it did… Guess Cop-Lady had one too many donuts on her shift…

She was walking past one of the women’s locker rooms when she heard the voice. “So long, Spider-Woman.”

At this, Felicia froze. Spider-Woman?

For a moment, she thought the voice was referring to Gwen, although her superhero codename had changed a while ago to Ghost Spider. There was another superheroine known as Spider-Woman – someone named Jessica Drew – but she operated on the other side of the country, in San Francisco. Although Black Widow was also technically a “Spider-Woman”… And so was the newer Black Widow, Yelena Belova… who by Natasha’s explanation wasn’t the actual Black Widow…

God, all these superhero names are so confusing. Who can keep track of all this?

Felicia shoved the thoughts of confusing continuity and similarly-named superheroes out of her head and entered the locker room.

Standing by the lockers was a redheaded woman in a cowgirl uniform. Her outfit looked like something out of the Old West – except for her shiny black boots, which appeared quite modern.

The woman had her back turned to Felicia, and had just finished twirling the dial on one of the lockers. Then she turned around.

“Oh!” The Cowgirl jumped at the sight of Felicia in her police uniform. “Sorry, officer, you startled me.”

“And what Western did you just step out of?” Felicia inquired.

“Oh? Oh!” The woman paused, as if suddenly remembering something. “No worries, ma’am,” she said, suddenly adopting a Texan accent. “I’m just here for the big show!”

Felicia nodded. “Sure thing, Annie Oakley. What’s in the locker?”

“The…” The woman glanced behind her. “The locker? Nothing! Just my trusty lariat…”

“Who’s the ‘Spider-Woman’ you were talking to?”

The Cowgirl blinked. “I… don’t know what you mean. Can I go now? Gotta get back to the stage.”

She tried to sidestep Felicia, but the Black Cat held firm.

“Slow down, Calamity Jane. Just wanted to ask you a couple questions.”

The Cowgirl nodded. “No problem, officer. I got nothing to hide.”

She clicked her heels. “In fact, I always put my best foot… forward!”

Blades sprung from the toes of her boots, and she kicked out. Felicia had just a moment to dodge.

“What the hell?”

Cowgirl grinned. “Sorry, officer. But you get to be the test subject for my new footwear.”

She kicked out again. Felicia instinctively jumped back, her face narrowly avoiding the blade by inches. The Cowgirl was backing her into a corner.

Great. I’m stuck fighting a supervillain. This is so not my jam…

Felicia suddenly wished she hadn’t discarded the bullets from her weapon.

The Cowgirl stepped closer, and swung out her foot once more. Felicia jerked her head back to dodge. Her police cap fell to the floor, letting her long platinum-blonde hair spill down past her shoulders.

The Cowgirl stopped kicking. She suddenly looked at Felicia in surprise.

“Hey! I know you!”

Felicia blinked. “Huh?”

“You’re the Black Cat! The best cat burglar in New York! I’m a huge fan!”

She stepped back and removed her Cowgirl hat. “If I had known it was you, I would never have attacked you. You were my original inspiration to become a thief!”

“I’m sorry… Who are you?” Felicia asked.

“Oops, where are my manners? Fiona McCormick. I’m a member of HEART.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s an acronym. Stands for Humans Engaging All… something something. I dunno, Tyler came up with the name.” Fiona smiled. “We were spying on you, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Infiltrated the venue to find the Chaos Cube you were looking for.”

“Aha.” Felicia was starting to understand. “And I don’t suppose you plan on handing it over to SHIELD?”

“Of course not! There’s money to be made from that Cube.” Fiona paused. “Say… how about a team-up?”

“I… beg your pardon?”

“You’re a thief, right? I know you’re just working with the heroes to steal the Cube yourself. Why not join our team? We’d love to have a woman with your skillset in our ranks.”

Felicia thought for a moment. “If I say yes, will you promise to stop attacking me with your toe knives?”

“Oh, these?” Fiona chuckled, glancing at her feet. She clicked her heels, letting the blades retract. “Sorry about that. Just stole these off Tarantula.”

She stuck out her hand. “Whaddaya say? Partners?”

Felicia stuck out her hand as well.

Then she used it to punch Fiona in the stomach. Fiona groaned and doubled over. Felicia pounced on her with a sleeper hold.

“Sorry, Cowgirl, or whatever your name is, you kinda weird me out.” Felicia glanced up at the locker as Fiona drifted off to sleep. “Tarantula, huh? We really do have too many Spider-Girls in this world…”

Felicia reached for her communicator, and was about to contact Black Widow, when she heard the sound of a gun clicking behind her.

And a woman’s voice: “Don’t move.”

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

It too but a few moments of research on her Avengers communicator for Natasha to acquaint herself with HEART.

A mercenary group for hire, they were proficient at infiltration and grand theft. Just a few nights ago, there had been a major break-in at Stark Industries – and based on the security footage, it looked as though HEART was responsible.

“Is there no end to these troublemaking villainous groups?” Natasha murmured.

She studied the video footage from Stark Industries closely, and discerned the face of the woman who was likely the leader. She quickly cross-referenced that with SHIELD’s vast criminal database.

“Tyler Meagher – brown hair, blue eyes. Formerly a government assassin known as ‘Heart Attack.’ Now gone freelance.”

Natasha’s eyes narrowed. If Kate had just captured two of HEART’s mercenaries, their leader couldn’t be far behind. Probably dressed as another female wrestler…

Standing at the edge of the stadium, still clad in her stolen Silver Sable Security uniform, Natasha spotted what seemed to be a familiar face – Marian Pouncy, the former criminal known as Poundcakes.

Natasha had encountered Poundcakes a few years earlier, back on an Avengers assignment when Pouncy had allied herself with the Femizons.

It had been a tricky assignment – Natasha had been the point woman on the mission, and had opted to stealthily infiltrate the Femizons so she could easily allow her teammates access inside. After weighing her costume options, she had decided Poundcakes’ costume would make for a good disguise. She had ambushed the wrestler outside Femizon headquarters and stolen her costume, leaving the real Marian Pouncy bound and gagged in some bushes.

Seeing Pouncy in her black sports bra and panties that night had allowed Natasha to become familiar with the woman’s physique – and an impressive physique it was. More muscular than most women, including Natasha herself. Natasha had needed to use two layers of Widow’s Line to properly bind Pouncy and ensure she would not escape to raise the alarm.

Pouncy had since reformed and founded the Grapplers, a pro wrestling group.

Natasha studied the physique of the woman standing twenty feet from her.

This was not Marian Pouncy.

Natasha waited until the woman had turned and headed back into the inner recesses of the stadium, then quietly followed her.

Once they were alone, Natasha grabbed her shoulder.

The woman in the Poundcakes costume turned in surprise, locking eyes with Natasha. Natasha recognized those blue eyes from her phone. She pulled off the woman’s mask.

“Tyler Meagher, I presume. Leader of HEART.”

Tyler looked shocked. “I don’t know who you are… or how you know who I am… but go to hell!”

She gave a sharp jab to Natasha’s ribs – a pointless maneuver, since Natasha was heavily protected.

I must thank Silver Sable for providing me with such quality battle armor – even if I did need to incapacitate one of her officers to obtain it.

Natasha grabbed Tyler and pressed down upon a pressure point between her shoulder blades.

“Hey! Let… go…” Tyler’s voice began to weaken as the nerve pinch did its work.

Natasha did not let go. However, she did loosen her grip slightly as her attention was diverted by another woman, who attempted to lunge at her with an electric taser.

Natasha dodged and tripped the woman, sending her to the floor.

“Get her, Luz!” Tyler growled, still struggling to break Natasha’s grip.

“She’s gotten, boss!” Luz got to her feet. Natasha recognized her outfit as that of another Grappler, Titania.

With a snarl, Luz lashed out again with her taser, but Natasha used Tyler as a shield. Tyler groaned as the taser hit her in the neck, and slumped unconscious.

Shocked at what she’d just done, Luz reacted in fury, grabbing at Natasha’s hair. Alas, it was just a wig, part of Natasha’s Amy Chen disguise.

Luz stared in surprise as the wig came loose – and the photostatic veil with it. She stared in shock at the face of Natasha Romanoff.

“The… the Black Widow? We’re fighting the Black Widow?”

Natasha looked at her coldly. “Indeed you are. Do you wish to continue?”

Luz dropped her taser and raised her hands. “P-please don’t hurt me.”

“Smart girl,” Natasha replied. “I will not hurt you. However, you’ll be easier to tie up when unconscious.”

She reached out and pinched the side of Luz’s neck. Luz groaned and slipped to the floor.

It was indeed very easy to bind and gag Tyler and Luz in their unconscious states, using Widow’s Line to secure them and wrapping tape over their mouths.

Once Natasha had safely stashed them in a disused closet to await the authorities, she turned back to the task at hand. “Now, where could that Cube…?”

There was a blur of movement, just at the corner of her eye.

Natasha reacted instinctively, jumping out of the way as the crushing blow fell.

She looked up at her opponent – a tall, broadly muscular woman in a bright green HYDRA uniform.

“What on earth…?”

The woman lunged at her, but Natasha was faster. She did a backflip that would have done an Olympic athlete proud, and ricocheted off the wall, knocking straight into her opponent.

With a groan, the HYDRA woman hit the floor and lay still.

Natasha placed a foot on her chest. “Who are you? And how did you get in here?”

Footsteps sounded down the hallway. Natasha looked up to see two women in Silver Sable Security uniforms approaching her.

Luckily, Natasha herself was still in her own SSS uniform. She nodded at the two officers.

“I found this intruder. Don’t worry, she’s been incapacitated.”

The two officers glanced at Natasha, then at each other.

One of them nodded at her friend, almost imperceptibly.

Natasha noticed – just in time. She leaped for cover just as the two women drew their guns and began firing.

“There’s no escape, Black Widow!” one of them called out with a laugh. “We have you cornered! Hail HYDRA!”

Natasha tossed a pair of blackout bombs at the floor, and the hallway was instantly filled with smoke.

She had her night-vision goggles on before the HYDRA women could react, and took them on quickly.

A few well-placed kicks and judo chops later, the two women were on the floor, groaning.

Natasha glared at them. “Now, you ladies will tell me just how you – urgh!”

From inside her head, a bolt of pain erupted. Natasha felt paralyzed.

“I told you fools the Black Widow could not be taken down by ordinary means.” A woman’s voice, unfamiliar. “She’s a top-level combatant, after all.”

Natasha couldn’t move a muscle. She felt herself being levitated a few inches off the ground.

“You’re all lucky I’m a sorceress.” The woman snapped her fingers.

Natasha felt an explosion of pain, and her world went dark.

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

Inside the locker room, Felicia turned around slowly, her hands raised.

A young woman in a HYDRA uniform stood there, pointing a gun at her chest.

“I don’t think you have tickets to this event,” Felicia said dryly, trying to keep her cool.

“Shut up, Hardy,” the woman snarled. “And keep your hands where I can see them.”

Felicia looked surprised. “How did you know my…?”

“I said hands up!”

Felicia raised her hands. She pondered her options, and indeed there weren’t many. The HYDRA agent’s gun did not budge from its position.

The foot soldier’s radio buzzed. ”Status report, Agent 237?”

The woman spoke into a small communicator on her shoulder. “I’ve got the Black Cat in the lockers. She’s got a smart mouth.”

“We have Romanoff and Bishop. No need for anyone else. Kill your prisoner and get to the helipad.”

“Copy that.”

“Whoa, whoa…” Felicia took a step back. “Can we talk about this? You don’t have to kill me…”

“I do whatever HYDRA asks me to do,” the woman replied, a cruel grin on her face. “They want Black Widow and Hawkeye captured, and they want you dead.”

Felicia bit her lip as she stared down the barrel of the gun.

The missions with MJ were never this bad…

[tirepanted3]

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

Agent Amy Chen

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

Jara the ice cream vendor

https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Jara_(Earth-TRN1802)

Officer Anna Kefkin

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

Pamela Pierce/Artemis

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

Jacinda Rodriquez/Tarantula

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

(Sadly I could not find a picture showing her boots...)

[esercito sconfitto]

I love scenes with boots stolen, therefore thanks for debooting Tarantula ! and by the way asking . “One more question – what’s your shoe size?” when you have to steal THAT pair of boots is just great

[tirepanted3]

Yes, I figured you'd like the Tarantula scene. As soon as I learned that Marvel had a female version of Tarantula, and that her boots were deadly weapons, it just seemed like the logical place for a boots stealing scene (something I don't believe has been featured in the Earth-USB saga thus far). And Fiona's cavalier attitude before knocking Jacinda out was very fun to write.

[rufusluciusivan]

Looks like HEART is a textbook definition of small name, big ego. Oh well, their banters were as great as usual. I swear, in the scene of their arrival they seem to be trying to break the record of most quips in one conversation…

I like the fact their attempt to mug Kate ends up being a huge ‘Uno Reverse Card’ moment, with Kate just beating them up. Good way to showcase Kate’s strength – and growth. She did enter the story as a ‘victim of the week’ after all. She was even mugged OFF-SCREEN, the indignity!

Fiona’s fangirling around Felicia was quite a fun addition. A shame she didn’t get the memo from the time Charlotte attempted the same thing. Black Cat doesn’t take kindly to the competition, especially when they’re being weird about it.

I will however be calling Tarantula’s boots the “Chekhov’s footwear”. There’s no way the paralytic blades won’t have a role at some point.

Apparently Silver Sable Security updated their uniforms. To have more canon outfits, I wager. Good for them. :lol: It appears Lina Abbas’ time is about to come… Agent Chen’s scene was a highlight. SSS is like SHIELD, I always love these ‘lawful neutral’ factions of tough sentries. Their scenarios are often a highlight. I loved the mental image of Chen unconscious on the stand, and swiftly pulled over the table and whisked away.

I will commend Jara’s dedication to her job. Same with Pamela’s. Themed-undergarments always help a scene stand out.

The photostatic veil is back. The prodigal son returns.

Natasha is an interesting spin of the trope of the heroic infiltrator who has to mug innocent civilians and law enforcement – a lot more detached than other characters. Usually, they are a lot more emotional about it – either because they're reluctant (someone like Carol or Mary-Jane) or because they're still having fun (someone like Bobbie or Felicia). Natasha remains very professional about it. She doesn't like it, she's apologetic about it, but she's also all business-like about it. Her comment on how "in her days" uniforms were simpler and more practical is tons of fun, and also a way to remind she's a veteran when it comes to infiltration.

Felicia’s quips remain a fun addition. The “just hanging around” pun is downright criminal though. Stop channeling the writing for the Olsen Twins in Full House, Felicia!

There were not as many costumed people as I expected based on what happened in the previous chapter, but it helped Kate and Pamela’s scene stand out. I love the continuing trend of Kate making enemies / fearing she'll be making new enemies because of her uniform stealing-related hijinks.

The trick rope arrow is a neat gadget, but also comicbook physics at its finest. I won’t even try to understand how it can loop around someone...

Pamela Pierce… PIERCE… Comicbook names always walk the tenuous line between ridiculous and awesome…

Speaking of which, I love the joke about just how many arachnid-themed characters Marvel has.

Out of curiosity, is Natasha’s reminiscing of the time she mugged Poundcakes a reference to a canon scene?

The fight scene at the end was a good action moment. I liked how it displays Black Widow’s strength as a fighter. The detail that Luz just straight up gives up and surrenders when she sees she’s facing Natasha speaks volumes about her reputation.

Apparently, a good chunk of SSS agents have been mugged and replaced offscreen. Unless these two were undercover HYDRA moles all along.

Madame HYDRA’s arrival at the end? Does she have magic powers?

The missions with MJ were never this bad…

I don’t know Felicia… The time you were kidnapped by Magneto’s pro-mutant terrorists and about to be executed by Mystique sounds just as bad… Rose-tinted glasses maybe?

Damn cliffhanger… May I ask if you have an idea of the release date of the next chapter?

[tirepanted3]

Honestly, it feels like I may have miscalculated a bit with the introduction of HEART in this story. They're just so much fun to write and I'd like to keep incorporating them into the story, but they're largely secondary villains compared to the threat of that other five-letter-acronym organization. But their banter is among the most enjoyable parts of the series for me.

I really wanted to showcase Kate's "action hero" side in this arc, especially since she's a noted badass in the comics and deserves to be recognized as such. Her archery skills are second to none (even if the other Hawkeye won't admit it...).

Fiona getting googly-eyed around Felicia was one of those things that seemed to come naturally. As was Felicia's reaction to her. Felicia only partners with people when it can benefit her - and of course, when they aren't fangirly weirdos.

I don't think we've seen the last of Tarantula's boots, either. That's all I'll say for now...

Since we're incorporating Silver Sable's mercenaries into the story, I figured Amy Chen had to play a role, since she's been an ally of Sable in the comics since the '90s. (Unfortunately, most of Sable's other recruits from her "Wild Pack" days are men.) Love the thought of her being pulled into the ice cream stand as well.

Oh my, I just realized that I forgot to include Jara with the list of characters taken from the comics! Just added her.

Obviously, no Natasha infiltration would feel complete without the photostatic veil. It makes disguises significantly easier.

Natasha's attitude towards mugging innocent women for their uniforms is fascinating to me. She is indeed very cold and impersonal about it, taking no joy and making no intentional quips at the expense of her victim. She simply treats uniform stealing as a means to an end, and does not think about the moral implications, although she does her best to ensure that her victims are not harmed more than necessary.

In the Earth-USB canon, Natasha is in her late thirties, and has been mugging women for their clothes since she was eighteen. After almost twenty years of uniform stealing, she has a very clear "seen it all" attitude, so it's fun to point out how things have changed from her perspective.

Felicia’s quips remain a fun addition. The “just hanging around” pun is downright criminal though.

It figures that a professional criminal would use criminal puns!

Couldn't think of enough ways to get more costumed women into this chapter, plus I did want to move the story along to the climax. Kate and Pamela's scene was fun to write, though, and I especially liked how Kate was apologetic about mugging a woman whose archery skills she respected. And the way the trick rope arrow works is... Kate is just really, really good at archery!

The joke about there being too many Spider-Women was my excuse to sneak in a Jessica Drew reference. I was hoping to feature her in this saga but it was getting kind of crowded. Sorry, Jess!

Out of curiosity, is Natasha’s reminiscing of the time she mugged Poundcakes a reference to a canon scene?

Not a canon scene, just a way of demonstrating how frequently Natasha mugs female supervillains for their outfits.

Really love writing action scenes with Natasha, although since a USB story is by nature focused on stealth and low profiles, there aren't many opportunities. She's the type of heroine who can't be stopped by anything short of magic (as we see here).

I was going to make a scene showing more SSS agents being mugged and replaced, but as stated before, wanted to keep the story moving. There should be a callback in the next chapter.

The voice at the end is not Madame Hydra's - not exactly, anyway. All will be revealed soon.

What can I say, Felicia has a short memory. That said, she also seems to have nine lives, so don't count her out just yet...

Damn cliffhanger… May I ask if you have an idea of the release date of the next chapter?

I worked hard to get this chapter done by the end of June (and just barely made it). Gonna try to have the next chapter finished by the end of July. And Chapter 35 (which will probably be the final chapter) should arrive in August. Gonna try to wrap up the whole story before summer is over.

[rufusluciusivan]

Given the way the events take place and end, a part of me is wondering if the whole operation at the Madison Square Garden wasn't a ploy to capture Black Widow. Either HYDRA actually didn't plant the Chaos Cube and lured her into a trap (anticipating she'd anticipate they were attempting to use it during this event); or they still planted the Cube, but Black Widow's arrival and capture was part of the operation as well.

The main remaining question however is how the Silver Sable/Yelena storyline will interwive with Natasha's. I smell Scorpia and Claire (and Felicia) will be the key.

I indeed picture Earth-USB Natasha as the strongest non-enhanced woman on Earth. (Well, technically she did receive some enhancing drugs as part of the Red Room Project if I'm not mistaken, but she remains in the "normal human" weight class.) Barring mutant powers and magic, she's the strongest human woman, and the best infiltrator.

Kate is also very badass in her own rights. Her arrows work perfectly in an infiltration story, given the fact they're completely silent. She feels like a perfect middle-ground between serious characters like Natasha and more humorous ones like Mary-Jane.

HEART started strong - perhaps too strong - and at some point forgot they're the side-villains. Though their defeat feels unusually fast given how much screentime they had at the beginning. On the other hand, their banters were indeed one of the funniest parts of the arc, so the story would've felt less without them. They're like the sauce on your fries - sure, you don't need it, but the dish isn't as tasty without it.

Silver Sable Security is a faction I like a lot, but it was a good call to not show their agents neutralized and replaced by HYDRA grunts. Made the arrival of HYDRA more impactful thanks to the element of surprise. But of course showing an aftermath in the next chapter is also necessary. Agent Chen was a great addition, but Lina Abbas' time has come...

Oh my, I just realized that I forgot to include Jara with the list of characters taken from the comics! Just added her.

Good grief. Marvel even has an ice cream vendor among their galery of side-characters. And what a cutie she is. The best-looking damsel of this chapter, actually!

And the way the trick rope arrow works is... Kate is just really, really good at archery!

I worked hard to get this chapter done by the end of June (and just barely made it). Gonna try to have the next chapter finished by the end of July. And Chapter 35 (which will probably be the final chapter) should arrive in August. Gonna try to wrap up the whole story before summer is over.

Great news. I also hope to be able to use the Summer vacations to upload at least one thing before the end of August.

[tirepanted3]

HYDRA's plans will be made clear in the next chapter. But you're not far off.

Scorpia and Claire will be back soon, too. As to how close they'll intertwine with the others... that remains to be seen. But their banters have become invaluable to the story as well.

I indeed picture Earth-USB Natasha as the strongest non-enhanced woman on Earth. (Well, technically she did receive some enhancing drugs as part of the Red Room Project if I'm not mistaken, but she remains in the "normal human" weight class.) Barring mutant powers and magic, she's the strongest human woman, and the best infiltrator.

Correct, Natasha is the peak example of what a non-superpowered character can be in the Earth-USB universe, both in terms of fighting (she knows nearly every combat method under the sun) and infiltration (disguises and impersonation of others comes naturally to her, even without her gadgets like the photostatic veil). Her weakness - so far as she has one - is on an emotional level, in that she is cold and distant by her nature.

I've always seen Kate as something of a comic-relief character, due to how she's portrayed in the comics - a good fighter, constantly wisecracking. She can hold her own fighting alongside Natasha while also adding a more down-to-earth element.

Can't imagine the saga without HEART, and glad I was able to add them. I do love these "wild card" teams, after all.

Poor Lina Abbas... There aren't that many named women in Silver Sable's retinue in the comics, so I suppose she'll need to be drafted for uniform donation duty.

Good grief. Marvel even has an ice cream vendor among their galery of side-characters. And what a cutie she is. The best-looking damsel of this chapter, actually!

Dig deep enough, and Marvel can provide USB damsels on every level. (Or of every flavor, to use an ice cream pun. )

Great news. I also hope to be able to use the Summer vacations to upload at least one thing before the end of August.

Ah, there's a tease I can get excited about.