What if...? // K A T E L E N A

Chapter 11: Junior Demolition

Kamala groaned, "Yeah... I couldn't either. I tried it many times but It's like someone hit the off switch." She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping as she shared in America's frustration, her expression a mix of annoyance and helplessness.

"Maybe it's the chemical. We're too weak," Cassie added, her voice trembling slightly.

Kate blinked in disbelief, her eyes widening.

"Wait, you guys have powers? And your powers just... stopped working?" Her brows shot up, and she leaned forward, clearly taken aback.

"Yep. Welcome to our dysfunctional lives," Kamala said, a hint of dry humor in her tone as she rolled her eyes and smirked.

Kate nodded slowly, absorbing the information.

Gradually, a mischievous grin spread across her face, her eyes gleaming with newfound excitement and curiosity.

"Ha! Just remembered something," she said, deftly pulling a tiny suitcase from her belt.

"Well, I may not have superpowers, but I've got this." With a quick press of a button, the compact suitcase expanded smoothly into a full-sized one.

"Where did you get that? That's a pym tech." Cassie asked.

"Well, it's from hawkeye. How did you know?" Kate replied.

Cassie grinned knowingly. "Pym's my granddad."

Kate's eyes widened in realization. "That means your dad is Ant-Man?"

Cassie nodded proudly, a smile spreading across her face.

Kate was visibly impressed, her expression softening with admiration. "Seriously? Nice to meet you!"

Kate extended her hand for a handshake, her excitement evident in the way her hand eagerly reached out.

Cassie hesitated for a moment, unsure, but then reciprocated the handshake with a hint of amusement and awkwardness.

Kate shook Cassie's hand with both of her hands, her grip firm yet friendly. The handshake lingered a bit longer than usual, causing a moment of awkward silence.

Kate noticed she had been shaking Cassie's hand for a bit too long.

She quickly released Cassie's hand, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "Oh... Anyway, look what's inside this case."

She eagerly unlocked the case, revealing a collapsible bow, a quiver stocked with an array of high-tech trick arrows, and stacks of cash.

America's eyebrows shot up in curiosity. "Wow, that's a lot of cash. And arrows. No offense. Why not guns?"

"First, money is power. Second, guns are way overrated. Besides, Hawkeye is kind of my favorite Avenger. We even teamed up last year, plus, trick arrows are awesome," Kate replied, pride evident in her voice.

"In case you didn't know, we personally know an Avenger," Kamala chimed in, her voice tinged with pride as a smile spread across her face.

"I was with Captain Marvel. Yeah, in space. Pretty cool, right?" she continued, excitement evident in her tone.

Kate's eyes widened in amazement, her mouth slightly agape. "Wow, I wish I was in space."

Turning to America, Kate waited eagerly for her to speak, her expression expectant and curious.

"Me? Scarlet Witch tried to kill me,"

Kate frowned, caught off guard by the statement, but America continued nonchalantly,

"Don't ask, long story. But... Doctor Strange saved me. Now I've become a sorcerer, but whoever abducted us, they took my ring. So, I can't 'portal' us out of here," America continued, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mystery and adventure.

Kate looked at them, awe-struck. "Do you know how cool this is?"

Cassie, Kamala, and America exchanged amused glances, their eyes twinkling with shared amusement before breaking into wide, mischievous grins.

"Yeah... right?" they said in unison, their laughter ringing through the room.

"Okay, let's get out of here." Kate initiated to stand up

They stood up also, a sense of determination replacing the initial confusion.

They cautiously backed away from the cage door, the dizziness now tolerable. Kate raised her bow, her expression focused and intense.

Kate aimed carefully at the door and released a specialized arrow. The arrowhead impacted with precision, triggering a big explosion that blew the cage door wide open with a resounding bang.

"Nice work, Kate!" Kamala cheered.

Cassie chuckled, rubbing her ears. "Just a little warning next time, maybe? My ears are still ringing."

Kate grinned. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

Kamala laughed, shaking her head. "First junior varsity team, now a junior demolition expert. We're on a roll."

"Alright, team, let's get out of here. We might not have powers, but we have Kate and her exploding arrows!" America added.

Kate chuckled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with her new team.

As they made a step outside the cell, a loud siren blared, and red lights started flashing.

Kate muttered faded as her eyes widened in shock when she saw the image outside their cell.

Rows upon rows of other cells lined the corridor, each one containing women of various ages and backgrounds.

The flickering lights revealed glimpses of fearful and hopeful faces peering through the narrow barred windows of their cell doors.

Kate quickly peeked into several cells, her heart sinking with each glance. It was clear that they were not the only ones who had been abducted.

"There's so many of them," Kate murmured, a sense of urgency tightening in her chest. "We can't leave them behind."

-

End.