Bloodbound

4. The Inventor

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It had been a year since Wanda started working for Rogers Innovative. The other staffs have been kind and friendly, especially Howard. That man tends to get little too friendly sometimes. The first day they met he had flirted relentlessly. She had walked into the lab to meet the master mind behind the inventions. She saw a man bent over small whirring cuffs. When she called out, he got startled. "Fuck" he shouted. It was followed by an apology, "Sorry. You startled me." After a pause he added, "May I know who you are beautiful?"

"The woman who decides whether your inventions are worth or not" chided Wanda.

"Oh, let me make your work simple then" he smiled playfully "Meet Howard Collins, the famous mind behind The Rodgers Innovative. I'm the reason this company is still going" he boasted. "Where are my manners? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance..."

"Wanda Maximoff"

"Wanda" he repeated.

"It was nice meeting you" she smiled. After a pause she added "I got to get going. Got the whole building to see."

"I could accompany you to make sure you don't get lost"

"That's very cheesy. Which century are you from?" she laughed as she turned to leave.

"Hey" he called back to her. When she turned, he put on a charismatic smirk and added, "How you doin'?

"I guess good" shrugged Wanda with a playful smile.

As she closed the door, she heard him muttering to himself, "You're losing your charm, Howard."

Wanda liked the scientist's intelligence and sass. They got along really well give that they have to work together most of the time. Even though she used to get Howard's plans and papers at her desk, she likes to hang out at his lab helping him frame ideas and driving him towards the outcome. They became good friends as time passed.

The usual stack of blueprints didn't reach her desk at 10 in the morning. She thought of going to the lab and collecting it herself but decided to wait for a good measure of fifteen minutes. She coordinated the setting up of conference room for the meeting in afternoon. She revised Steve's schedule for the upcoming week. Time passed but there was no sign of anyone bringing the material. So, she got up to go down to the lab by herself. Since she had frequented the lab many times, she knew the route like the back of her hand. She walked out of her office to the elevator. Her mind had been preoccupied that she collided with someone coming out of the lift. She looked up to see Steve. She apologised, "I'm so sorry, Steve"

"No problem. I too should have looked. Sorry." Steve gave a strained smile and made his way to his room. Wanda mentally scolded herself for not paying attention and entered the lift. She pressed the floor button for the lab.

She walked into the lab and called out, "Hey Howard. The papers didn't reach my desk in the morning. I came to collect it myself"

"It's nice seeing you too"

"Where the papers?" she asked. "I have lot of work today. No time to chat."

"Over there. On the desk." He pointed to the desk next to the coffee maker

"Thanks, and bye" smiled Wanda as she collected the papers and left the lab.

Back at her table, Wanda set to work quickly. She planned to catch up with the lost time. She didn't notice the time passing. She was engulfed by her work. She went through every blueprint that Howard provided. Some inventions would change the world as we know it. Some would destroy whole civilizations in mere seconds. She wondered what would happen if everything was created unchecked. There is chemical formula for gases that would make humans go mad with thirst for war. There are plans to build perpetual machines, if that's even possible. There are times she though she will go crazy by looking at his ideas. There was so much power that letting it go unchecked will lead to problems. No wonder Steve emphasised the importance of her job she thought to herself.