Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.

"Hey you're still here!" Sam smiled at Maddie, who paused in her furious writing to send him a sly smile.

"For now," She said mysteriously.

Rhodey looked confused, but Sam grinned.

"My pep talk totally worked then!" Maddie's eyes widened.

"Sure." She said brightly after a long pause. Sam propped a hand on his hip.

"They wouldn't let you quit then?" He guessed. Maddie shrugged.

"You tried to quit?" Rhodey's face brightened in understanding. "Well how did that work for you?" He teased.

"Obviously," Maddie gestured to the empty lab she sat in, "it DIDN'T work. But it's fine," she shrugged. "I have an idea." She nodded to the pieces of paper in front of her.

Rhodey looked at one. "A bunch of names?" He gave her a side eye. "You're not going to disappear with a new identity, are you?"

"First of all," Maddie rolled her eyes. "Those are guys names. Second of all, that's Plan F. This," Maddie pointed to the other papers, "Is still plan B."

"So what is this then?" Rhodey poked the paper that had the names on it.

"That…is a list of people who exist in this dimension that ALSO existed in my dimension."

"Anyone fun?" Sam leaned over to take a peek at the names. His eyes widened at one.

"You know this guy?"

"In another life…" Maddie tilted her head and smirked. "Yeah."

"Was he also filthy rich and crazy smart and insanely good-looking?" Rhodey pressed.

Maddie smiled. "Rich? No. Smart? Well…he wasn't dumb. But good-looking? Yes." Maddie's smile turned wistful. "Just as good-looking."

Sam and Rhodey shared a look. "So this guy…you gonna try and meet up with him? See if you guys can be close in this world too?" Sam wiggled his eyebrows at the word "close".

Maddie shoved him. "No, you gross old man." She turned back to the paper. "There wasn't really…anything there. I mean," Maddie leaned back, "There might've been, but we just…ran out of time." Maddie scrunched up her nose sadly, then she shrugged. "But it's fine. Love is for suckers. Revenge on the other hand…" Maddie smiled evilly. "Now that's for everyone."

Rhodey and Sam turned their attention to the other papers, and while Sam's smile widened as he read, Rhodey's frown deepened.

"I don't approve." Rhodey shook his head.

Sam laughed. "I do." He pointed at the title of the page.

"This," he told Maddie seriously, "is genius."

Maddie smiled smugly.

"I know."

"So what is it?"

"It's a list, stupid."

Pietro made a face. Maddie, too preoccupied with staring at her list, didn't notice. Wanda rolled her eyes. "But what is the list for?" She pressed.

"I'm trying to get fired." Maddie turned to her friends. "This list is my get outta jail free card. If I just do the things on the list, Steve will get so mad and tired of me that he'll fire me."

"Why don't you just quit?" Pietro huffed, crossing his arms. Maddie turned to shoot him a glare.

"Don't you think I tried that? Because I did try that."

"And they didn't accept?" Wanda guessed. Maddie huffed.

"Of course they didn't accept! Captain Underpants set my form on fire, and Romanoff ATE it."

Pietro snorted. "She didn't."

"She totally did!" Maddie poked Pietro in the chest, and Pietro took a seat next to one of his favorite people. After a moment, Wanda sat down at Maddie's other side. "And since they won't let me leave in peace, then I'll just have to leave this place behind in pieces."

"Maddie," Wanda began slowly, "What's so wrong with being here? With working with us?"

Maddie turned to Wanda. "It's," She paused for a moment, thinking. "It's not because I hate you guys, or I think I would suck at the work. It's just that all of this, the saving the day, the running, the science?" Maddie shuddered. "It's not my thing. It never has been. I'm a writer. I kill people with words, not swords."

"So what else are you going to do? You don't exist here, Maddie."

Maddie shot Pietro a glare, but then sighed. "You're right…for once." Pietro grinned brightly and raised a fist, and Maddie pointed a finger at him. "Don't get a big head, I said for once. And maybe I haven't thought all the kinks through, but I'd rather be making my own bad decisions than giving up control and letting someone else tell me how to run my life. What kind of a future evil world overlord would I be if I did that?"

Wanda and Pietro shared a look.

"A bad one?" Wanda tried, and Maddie beamed. "Exactly! Now," she pushed her list towards the twins. "What do you think of my list?"

Wanda and Pietro perused the list, Wanda's eyebrow raising as she read, and Pietro's smile widening.

"This is genius." Pietro approved.

"I have horrible feelings about this." Wanda proclaimed.

"Perfect!" Maddie grinned.

"Hey Vision!"

Vision paused, slightly surprised. Maddie had never specifically called him out before. He turned to where Maddie sprawled against the large couch in the common room all of the recruits shared, and worn piece of paper in her hand.

"Yes, Madison?" He asked politely.

"Come look this over for me, will you?" She held out the paper, and after a moment, Vision moved to retrieve it.

Vision scanned the paper. "These are infractions worthy of termination." He inferred.

"Right." Maddie sat up and nodded, unaware that half of her hair stood on end. "But what do you think of the level of success each of the infractions have?"

Vision tilted his head. "Some of these ideas are quite…thorough, with high levels of success. But others will only end with minor punishments, and not the desired result of termination."

"Darn it." Maddie made a face. Then she brightened. "Well, do you have any suggestions?"

Vision watched Maddie's face for a moment. She blinked innocently, face open. Vision sighed and turned back to the paper.

"Number four. Perhaps add a level of permanent damage?" Maddie rose to her knees to read over Visions arm. She nodded slowly.

"Good. Anything else?"

"Perhaps a security breach? Those are always very serious. Or even the refusal to answer a call?"

Maddie grinned. "Brilliant." She took the paper back and began to add to the form. "Thanks Vision."

Vision nodded, proud to have been of help. But then he paused.

"What is the purpose for such a list?" He asked lightly.

"Oh." Maddie looked back up. "I'm trying to get fired. This list," She waved the paper, "is my ticket. And thanks to your wonderful suggestions," Maddie winked. "I'm sure to get fired now!"

Vision opened his mouth, momentarily speechless. "You plan to actually commit these infractions?" His voice was high with worry.

"Of course!" Maddie nodded, and Vision's heart sank.

Maddie hopped up from the couch and hurried away, probably to being wrecking havoc on the center, Vision thought, realizing that he'd just become an accomplice to Maddie's crimes.

After a moment, Vision shook his head. This wasn't something the Captain needed to hear about…right?

Especially not about Vision's complicity.

Besides, Maddie would never actually do anything that might cause damage…right?

Vision nodded and walked away briskly. Of course she wouldn't.

Everything would be fine.

And Steve DEFINITELY didn't need to hear about this!

"She's up to something."

Steve didn't look up from the report he was writing.

"She's always up to something."

"Yes, but this time…the others seem to be in on it." Tasha turned from the window she'd been staring to shoot Steve a look. Steve sighed and pushed his report away.

"And don't you think if it were something to worry about they would've told us?" Steve asked patiently. Tasha rolled her eyes.

"With anyone else, yes. But Sinclair's situation is unfortunate, and what with her feeling trapped and none of us able to help her, their guilt and sympathy may silence them."

Steve shook his head and rose from his desk to join Tasha at the window.

Downstairs, Maddie rolled away from Sam's kick and rose in a ready position, dark hair plastered to her face as she sparred with both Sam and Rhodey, Wanda cheering her on from the sidelines. Maddie went for Rhodey's face and when he dodged shoved the now unbalanced man into Sam, kicking Sam's legs out from under him at the same time. When the two men fell onto the mats, Maddie promptly climbed on top of them and raised a fist.

Steve chuckled and shook his head. "These guys like her. Plus, she's a great asset to the team. Maybe she didn't think so when she tried to quit, but I think she's starting to see her potential, and I also think," Steve turned to Tasha, "that she's finally accepting the situation."

"Well." Tasha couldn't help but quirk a smile at the scene before her, of Pietro chasing Maddie and Sam and Rhodey still on the ground, yelling for revenge. "I think she's just waiting."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Waiting for what?"

"For us to drop our guard."

"I think you're just paranoid." Steve shook his head and returned to his reports, leaving Tasha to watch their recruits rough house.

"I think this will not end well." Tasha finally muttered, moving away from the window and back towards her own stack of paperwork.

Usually, Tasha's predictions proved true. This specific prediction would prove true, in a way.

It would NOT end well. At least…it wouldn't end well for Maddie.

Will Maddie's evil plans work?! Or will they backfire? Stay tuned!

~CLC~