Chapter 194

.

Note: Wanda and Frank are both from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

.

Wanda was grateful when she discovered that the Council approved the partition plan. This meant that when she did rescue her husband and children, she could safely bring them to Antarctica. They could live in Doctor Doom's New Latvaria, or Magneto's mutant state. No doubt life could be difficult in either world, but they'd be together as a family. Wanda had heard that there were worlds in which Magneto was her father, but they had no familial cnnection to him here. But he was welcoming of all mutants, so it was a good plan. Ofcourse, she had to rescue them first. And they were trapped in a kingdom ruled by a dirty cop, and populated with hundreds of drug addicts who did his bidding. Wanda asked for help from a man named Frank Castle, better known to some as the Punisher. She explained her situation to him, he seemed eager to help.

.

Frank: God knows I don't mind wasting a bunch of drug addicts who sold their own kids. I'm just suprised you didn't use your big powers on them.

Wanda: We kill them in Hell they just wind up in the torture chamber.

Frank: Sounds like where they belong.

Wanda: And they can come back, seeking revenge.

Frank: But it buys us time, maybe frightens some of the others away. Besides, it doesn't sound much different from my service in Afghanistan.

Wanda: Yeah, I heard you're an ex-marine

Frank; There are no ex-marines, except maybe Lee Harvey Oswald. Once a marine, always a marine.

Wanda: I stand corrected.

Frank: Anyway, drugs weren't common amongst the Afghan people, but a lot of them embraced religious fundamentalism, at least a lot of the ones who shot at me. And there were times I wondered, were we doing more harm than good? We kill one insurgent, three more kids ready to take his place. You ever hear the expression "There are no athiests in fox holes?"

Wanda: Yes, I've been in a few situations were I asked God for help. He didn't seem to come.

Frank: I had a lot of those moments over there. I preferred to think that God was on our side. Problem was, we were up against people who were just as convinced that God was on their side.

Wanda: What did you do about these questions?

Frank: When the bullets started flying, those questions went out the window. I just did what I had to do to keep myself, and my fellow marines alive. I tried to adapt to civilian life, but after my family was murdered, I just did what I thought I had to do to keep the good and innocent people safe from the bad ones. One time, I was buying assault weapons in this gun shop. The salesman tried to up sell me, he started talking about pornagraphy. When he said he had kiddie porn, I murdered him.

Wanda: I'm a mother, I can understand. But can you be trusted to work well with others?

Frank: As long as you don't rape or murder children, we're good. We could make a plan of you like, about rules of engagement. Truth is every soldier has a strategy, until the first shot is fired. Truth is, you want me on your side, things will probably get messy.

Wanda: I want your help. And I promise to help you find your wife and children as well.

Frank: I appreciate that. Truth is, I'm hoping we don't find them there. Maybe I deserve to be in Hell, they don't.