AN: It was actually kind of a good thing that I made the last chapter shorter, because if it had been with this chapter as originally planned, it would have been much longer than usual. Anyway, this chapter sets up some stuff that some people have been asking for since the first arc. Read and find out what I'm talking about. Oh, and in other news, I crossed 200 reviews, just under 250 follows and favorites, and have over 75,000 total views. Thanks to everyone.

Chapter 7

Hangman climbed through the hole in the window made by his team. The rifles they carried used compressed nitrogen to fire a closed grapple across the distance between the two buildings. The cable connected to the grapple was actually an insulated wire that allowed the operator to open the hooks on the grapple, and lock or spool the wire. Once the team was anchored on the outside of the wall, Dragon used a glass hammer to shatter the window, and the team entered.

"Get to the Cat." Hangman ordered. "Signal, how much time do we have?" he asked into his radio.

"The silent alarm is on, but the police won't be there for at least twelve minutes. Plenty of time." Signal said calmly.

"Perfect."

Dragon was over by a glass case with another cat statue inside it's housing. The smaller Asian man had a screwdriver, a voltmeter, and a pair of wire cutters and strippers in is hands and was kneeled down working at a small electric keypad on the lower portion of the case. Hefty stood behind him looking over his shoulder.

Hangman paced around, looking out for anything out of the ordinary. So far it was all going according to plan, but this was a critical juncture. Signal found out that the police were investigating them as well as an insurance agency. The heat was on, and though the final cat they were steeling was in a private collection, unconnected to their Dubai jewel heist, and unlisted from insurance, if authorities put the picture together, they could be looking at a sting at this precise moment.

Hangman heard a whizz and a soft thump. He turned back to the window they came through and saw two individuals he didn't expect to see and was certainly unhappy that were there. He immediately recognized Black Cat and the White Queen. The former burglar, and former Hellfire club member were not the type of women to always follow the rules, and certainly had the knowledge from their former criminal activities to figure out the Jade Syndicate connection between he thefts, and about the private collection with the cat.

This was bad news for the Jade Syndicate operatives. The Syndicate had information on as many super humans that they could, just in case of an event like this, but normally they expected an individual of average ability relative to other super humans. One of the world's most powerful mutants and one of the worlds best thieves was a very difficult situation to overcome.


Black Cat looked at the three guys in tactical gear before her. Vests full of high grade military or corporate equipment, balaclavas to conceal identity, quick entry into a location with no one else inside. The guys with the gun was probably the Metal Man, the smaller dude was the Monkey, the big guy was possible muscle, but based of the toolbag he had with him, could also be a wheelman. These guys were pros, and if they were as good as Black cat though, they probably had a plan for meeting people like her and Emma.

"Look Cat, they're dressed like you." Emma stated playfully.

"Oh please. Black tactical gear is so cliché in the heist game." Black Cat said. "I am much more fashionable."

The guy with the gun just looked at them for a second. "Would it be too much to hope that you two are turning back to your former lifestyle?" he asked as though it was an impossibility.

"Nope. We're here to stop you." Black Cat stated proudly.

"Okay then. Dragon, take the girl in black, Hefty, just break the glass." The metal man said as he pulled out his gun and changed out magazines.

The smaller guy quickly turned around and sprinted at Black Cat before launching a front kick at her. Cat dodged but the small man then used a spin kick to force her back even further. The big guy at the case pulled a hammer out of his tool bag and just started wailing at the glass.

"Emma, you gonna do some mental stuff here?" Cat asked as she retracted her claws and started to swipe at the guys she was fighting.

Emma smiled and brought down her crystal defense. She started to reach out with her mind a was stopped for a second. A piercing pain penetrated her skull and she screamed in a manner that could wake the dead. Everyone stopped for a second and just stared as she transformed into her crystal body. Everyone was still looking at her as she stood up.

"There is something up here." White Queen stated.

"No shit." The man with the gun said. He aimed at Emma and pulled the trigger. The bullets were far more powerful than normal. Not only did the bullets hurt like hell, but they actually caused her skin to crack.

"What in the hell?" Emma asked out loud.

"High pressure powder with depleted uranium rounds." The man said. "Sure to make an impact."

While the White Queen started to throw fists at the gunman, Black Cat started to fight the man in front of her. The guy was fast, trained and was the endurance to keep attacking, putting her on a constant defense. Meanwhile the guy with the hammer just kept hitting the glass. The two groups were solely focused on stopping the other.

The big guy hit the glass with one last smash, and the glass gave way. "I'm in!" he shouted.

The gunman, who had been shooting at Emma fired two rounds at close range at her head. The impact did what Black Cat though was impossible and knocked Emma out. "O2 in, N out he shouted."

"Queen!" In her moment of concern, the small man performed a high kick to her jaw, knocking Black cat to the ground, seeing stars.

The Jade Syndicate members pulled more oxygen canisters out of their vests and started to breath into them. The man with the gun pulled another canister and opened a valve. Black Cat started to get lightheaded shortly afterward.


Hangman dropped the Nitrogen canister grenade, a specialty weapon developed by his old employers at Hydra. Simple science really, the nitrogen displaced the oxygen in the air making it hard to breath, eventually causing people to lose consciousness. When it came to most super humans, most of them still needed air. Those that didn't were either cosmic beings like the Silver Surfer, robots, or gods. Either way in those cases you stopped what you were doing and just ran away. They got lucky this time, but it was time to get going.

Hangman used a hand signal to get the cat in the bag and get out. Dragon ran over to the window, grabbed his grapple gun and started to rappel down the outside of the building, just in time for sirens to be heard in the distance. Hefty put the statue in a black duffle with newspaper for padding and started to move over to the window for their exit. As Hefty walked, Black Cat pulled a bolo out of her belt and wrapped up his legs.

As hangman saw it happen, he saw the leather wearing hero pass out. No longer able to stop their escape, Hangman ran over to his ally annoyed. He couldn't carry both the statue and Hefty, but the choice was easy. Carry his partner. They could always get the cat statue again, either at the evidence locker, or on route to it, but if Hefty was arrested, then it could blow everything. Hangman put Hefty on his shoulder and walked over to the window.

'Be seeing you around.' He though to himself as he jumped out the window.


Felicia was in a place that she did not recognize. It was night out, in some kind of oasis. There was a pool of water surrounded by the softest grass she had ever felt. Beyond that, palm trees were spaces evenly though the grass, the sand beyond appeared grey in the moon and starlight. Felicia was dressed in a plain white toga, and sandals. A woman sat on a marble bench by a few torches next to the water's edge. A black cat sat with her on the bench.

Felicia walked up to her totally confused. "Umm, hi excuse me. Could you help me?" she asked.

The woman turned and smiled. "Of course. Come sit." She said motioning to the spot beside her on the bench that was occupied by the cat. The cat meowed in annoyance as it moved out of the way. "Oh hush."

"Thank you." Felicia sat down and looked at the woman. She was certainly attractive. Long black hair, flawless olive skin, large brown eyes. She was dressed in a flattering red dress and wore blue and gold necklaces and bracelets. She had a large smile that was inviting and friendly. Felicia felt much more calm than she felt she should be.

"I'm Felicia." She opened with.

"It's a pleasure to me you Felicia. I'm Hathor, and my feline friend is Bastet." The woman introduced as she scratched the cat. "How can I help?"

"Well…" Felicia said looking around. "Where am I?"

"Well that seems like good place to start as any." Hathor commented. "This is a meeting place so to speak. I and others use it to communicate with mortals."

"Wait…so you're a go…"

"A Goddess yes, Egyptian. So is Bastet here, but she prefers this form." Hathor explained.

The cat meowed again.

"Are Emma and I okay?" Felicia asked.

"Yes, you and the shaman are perfectly fine." Hathor said with a smile. "I'm sorry about the headaches she got. Sometimes a shamans first encounter with a god can be painful."

Felicia was a little confused by that comment of Emma being a shaman. "She's not a shaman, she a telepath.

"Ah, well that may be, but in ancient Egypt, she would have been called a Shaman." Hathor explained kindly. From nowhere he produced to goblet and a skin of wine. "Would you like some?"

"Thanks." Felicia said a little nervously taking the glass. She took a sip and smirked in appreciation. "So what are you a goddess of? Just trying to get a feel for why I'm here."

"I am a goddess of many things. Womanhood, miners, fertility. The long and short of it is that I help with the bringing of people into the world, keeping some safe, and sometimes helping them with their passing, though that is Bastet's area mostly." Hathor explained as she took a sip from her own goblet.

"So why are we talking? I can't think of any reason why I would get such attention."

Hathor laughed. "Well you are trying to get our artifacts back into the proper hands of our faithful. That warrants a conversation." Bastet started to purr as she pet her.

"Trying and failing." Felicia muttered, disappointed in herself.

"Smallest of noble deeds means more than the grandest intention." The goddess said reassuringly. "Don't worry, we're going to help you out a little."

Bastet left Hathor's lap as she pulled off one of the gold necklaces from around her. She reached over and put it on Felicia. "There. Not really your color, but hopefully you'll like it." She said.

"Thank you, but…a…what's it do?" Felicia asked. She didn't know if this was real, or if this was a dream caused by passing out.

"Helps tip the scales in life to your favor." Hathor explained with a smile.

Felicia just stared at the woman with wide eyes, hoping for more of an explanation.

"Don't worry. You'll get it soon enough." Hathor laughed.


Felicia woke up. He head was hazing, vison was a little blurry. Emma was also getting up slowly, breathing heavily.

"Felicia!" Came the voice of Karin in her ear.

"Yes, I'm up. What the situation?"

"Police are closing in rapidly. I suggest that you and Ms. Frost leave the building as soon as physically possible. You won't be able to catch the Jade Syndicate in jail." Karin said.

"No duh. Emma. We gotta go!"

Emma nodded in understanding as she walked over to Black Cat and followed her out the window.

Seconds later police burst through the door, Det. Mickey McCann in the back. He had gotten a tip from someone named Karin, who claimed to work insurance lady from before, that the people who hit the dock might hit this private art collection. Looking around he saw broken glass, spent shell casings, a silver object that looked like a tear gas grenade, and a duffle bag with another cat statue in it.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked himself out loud.

AN: That's right, not super soldier serum, not science stuff, not mutant abilities, I'm giving Black Cat her powers using Gods and Magic. Why? Cause it's my alternate universe and I'll do what I damn well feel like with it. *walks away from computer giving the middle finger to anyone who doesn't like it.