A Game of You, 2/6.
Title: A Game Of You
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Pairing: Gen (pairings mentioned and present, but not really a focus in the story)
Disclaimer: Not mine! Some comic backstory is incorporated into characterizations, but this is still primarily movieverse.
Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place after "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." The story was plotted and I started writing it before the second season of "Agents of SHIELD" began. I am jossed so hard by the MCU, but hey! Fic! :)
This is the fault of phoenixrising06/
romanovasledger and
futurerustfuture-dust during all of our characterization discussions, their watching Orphan Black and our headcanons for the Red Room. Also loosely inspired by this gifset, though I don't follow that plot at all. There is going to be violence, implied violence, and all sorts of fucked up stuff that is mentioned as part of the Red Room shenanigans.
Summary: A young woman is brutally murdered by the Vory in Saskatchewan. This is tragic enough, but she also wears Natasha Romanoff's face. And she's not the only one.
Prior chapter:
One - Twinning
Two - Collecting
Samantha Thomas' death set off waves in the intelligence community, all agencies certain that this was the cover identity for Natasha Romanoff after she went dark. She was dead, the Vory credited with killing her. They certainly gloated about it enough.
Nancy Forrest was an IT technician working in St. Louis for the county. She had auburn hair and green eyes, a pleasant smile on her face for the other county workers, and never made fun of the clerks for the stupid errors that they made. Prior to moving to St. Louis, Nancy had lived in Orlando and Houston. The heat eventually got to her, so she decided to move away from the deep South. The Midwest seemed like a nice enough compromise, though it could still get pretty hot in the summer. But there was snow in the winter, enough to give life to the vague and hazy memories she had of a childhood that never existed. In the six years she had lived in St. Louis, she had never come to regret the move.
She had little interest in the dating scene in this city. Or any city, really. Dating in general bored her, and playing the stupid games that went with dating didn't appeal at all. She had friendships with coworkers and neighbors, which kept her busy enough when not working. She tended to dress in business casual, even on her downtime, as opposed to a few other techs wearing jeans and polo shirts. Living alone, she sometimes took the extra calls or stayed late to check on the cable lines if connections cut out. And if additional cables were laid, or lines spliced or accounts hacked, none of the county officers knew for certain. Even the other techs admitted she knew about hardware and code than they did.
She arrived early for work after seeing the news feed regarding Samantha Thomas. She had never thought that she would actually see updates on names she tracked other than Natalia Alianovna Romanova's, and even for her she expected to see more under the Anglicized "Natasha Romanoff" than the Russian version. A chill ran through her when she saw the news feed, and sent off a quick message to Marcia and Nina.
Start collecting. Compromise may be imminent.
***
Marcia Packesein had lived in Berlin for ten years, and had managed to build a small but reputable business as a martial arts instructor. She had classes of young children, adolescents, adults six days a week, and had specialty classes for self defense every once in a while that were populated with women or older adults wanting to avoid being assaulted late at night. She was slender but strong, capable of felling a man over two meters tall even with her much smaller stature. Her black hair was usually tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her green eyes, and she was as comfortable in jeans and T shirts as she was in her gi. Occasionally she dated her neighbor, and he was always fun in bed. Neither really were looking for a committed relationship, just fun on the side or someone to bring along when a plus one was needed. His family members sometimes called her his girlfriend, and neither really corrected the mistaken assumption. It just made life easier for both of them.
She had a nice routine. Coffee and workout in the morning to loosen up, then she went to her dojo to start her day. Lunch was usually light, as was dinner. At various points throughout the day, she checked her mail and various news feeds. If there was one hobby she had, it was following international politics. Friends thought it was a strange interest, but she told them it was no different than following the antics of movie stars, which they did avidly. Marcia saw the political arena as a soap opera, and her friends could concede the point when she explained it that way. Politicians were constantly getting into scandals or making stupid remarks in public, which she found hilarious.
Still, getting the terse encrypted e-mail put her hobby to shame. Her blood ran cold as soon as she saw it, but she was able to pull herself together and finish her day's schedule.
As soon as she was home, Marcia dialed an international number. "Nina," she began without preamble. "Did you check your mail?"
There was a sigh on the other side of the line. "Yeah. We knew it was a matter of time, I guess..."
"What steps have you taken so far?"
"I put a call out to Thérèse and spoke with Nadine so far. Nancy will handle the US. Can you call the Eastern bloc?"
Marcia snorted. "Very funny."
It was obvious that Nina was about ready to laugh at her. "Well, they are east of me."
"Where should we meet?"
"They don't know, Marcia. Well, Olga and Natalia would possibly think the traffickers are involved again somehow. You can bring them in that way."
"If I don't kill Olga's lowlife boyfriend."
"Prison is not your friend."
"Nina..."
"I need to call Connie. Are you going to call Neveah?"
"I'll already have my hands full with Natalia's two!"
"Hey, the kids will all entertain each other!"
"Get Yelena on the phone, Nina, enough of this nonsense," Marcia snapped. She had no patience for children outside of her dojo. She could be infinitely patient while teaching, but otherwise, her nerves grated too hard with high pitched whines and screaming.
"Lena is actually out. You're stuck with me."
"Out?" Marcia prompted.
"Looking into a safe house large enough for all of us. She might have to get a few."
"I thought she had three!"
"Compromised by squatters of various flavors. Probably ordinary creepy homeless, but she's not taking any chances."
Marcia let out a slow breath, realizing she was far tenser than was healthy for her. "All right. All right. This is that serious, then."
"Did you really think Nancy is the type to go overboard on this?"
"No, I suppose not," Marcia said with a sigh. "I like my life here, though. I don't want to give it up. I want to stay."
"Just call it a family emergency. It's open ended, and it's not lying."
"No, it's not. It's just..." She turned away, even though Nina couldn't see her, and ran a hand through her hair in an agitated manner.
"I know," Nina said softly in reply. "I do. Lena is checking into things, and we're not really in the active collection phase yet. I hope to god we don't get that far, but you need to be aware of it in case it does get there."
"Fucking hell." Was that a tear on her face? Marcia blinked rapidly to clear her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Marcia, really I am. It's not like I won't be losing my life here, too."
"I know," Marcia replied. "I'm not mad at you, please don't think that. I'm furious with these fuckers that keep trying to kill us."
"It's been ten years," Nina pointed out. "We had a good run."
"Yeah. I plan to make sure it goes for a longer one. I'll start making calls, then."
"Thanks. Stay in touch."
Of course she would. It was the only way they would all stay alive.
***
Alia Greystone cheerfully counted out the change at the register as the phone rang. Her husband Ethan picked up the phone, his rich baritone comforting to her ear. "Greystone Bakery. Ethan speaking. How can I help you?"
He was a tall, broadly built man with curly black hair, dark skin and a ready smile. His brother Trenton was just as tall, though not as broadly built, and was less personable in general. He preferred the kitchen anyway, so Ethan ran the front of the bakery. When their business in New Orleans picked up, Alia had been hired. She slowly got into the baking side of things as well; her prior training had been more culinary and restaurant work. It was a good fit, and Alia sometimes joked about the differences in their appearances. She was a full foot shorter than Ethan at five foot five, with skin almost alabaster pale, light green eyes and red hair. She was generally very slender, keeping her figure with all of the baked goods she ate by boxing, kickboxing and doing dance routines regularly.
Over time, she and Ethan had grown close, finally deciding to date. They clicked immediately and married soon after. For a while, regular patrons had pestered them about whether or not they were having children, though that died down when Alia began to show. She was seven months along now, and felt huge even if some patrons assured her that she was cute and not abnormally large for a first child.
"Hon, it's for you," Ethan called.
Clearing the transaction, Alia hopped down from her stool behind the counter and swapped places with Ethan behind the counter. "Alia speaking," she said cheerily as she picked up.
"It's Nancy. We've got a situation. As in, we might need collecting."
The bottom dropped out of her gut, and she turned away from the front of the shop to hide her stunned reaction. "What? Are you sure?"
"One of us is dead. Vory."
"English? I left that stuff behind."
"Um, sorry, Russian mafia."
Alia held the phone in a white knuckled grip. "Is it the same-"
"I don't know. I don't know a lot about anything right now, but the warning still needs to go out, you know? You need to be prepared."
"Nancy, I'm seven months along," she hissed.
"Maybe we can coordinate something close to you..."
"No, you don't understand. I need my doctor, my family... I'm not giving this up. Ever. I am not going to be cowering in fear because of a what if, and I keep myself safe."
"It might not be enough," Nancy warned her.
"I'll make it be enough. I'm not leaving."
"Alia..."
"No. Update me, keep me in the loop, but you're not taking me anywhere."
Ethan touched her shoulder and elbow in support and silent question; Alia whirled around, startled, and saw that the shop was momentarily empty. She let out a sighing breath and cut off Nancy. "I've got to go."
"Please be careful," Nancy said in a pleading voice, and that Alia could listen to. Nancy meant well, she knew she did, but she wasn't leaving her home. She wasn't going to bow down to fear ever again.
"I will," Alia promised. She hung up and gripped the phone tightly in her hand for a long moment, staring at it before looking up at Ethan. "I suppose I have some stuff to tell you," she said softly. "I don't think now is a good time, if someone walks in..."
"Trent can man the register for a while," Ethan said gently.
She blew out a soft breath, and managed not to swear aloud when she saw that her hands were shaking. Alia never got flustered in the shop, even with nasty customers packed into the front area like sardines. "It's probably better if he hears it, too. We're close to closing time," she began softly, not able to stop staring at her hands.
Ethan shook his head. "It's got you riled, we're closing now so we can talk."
It was short work to flip the front door sign to closed and lock up. Alia could do the count for the register in her sleep, and she felt as if she was floating in a dream. Trenton's suspicious glare didn't really register, not even when the three of them all sat in their living room. They lived above the shop in a two story apartment. Trenton's space was on the second floor, and Alia and Ethan took the top floor, since it had three bedrooms. She had already decorated one as a gender neutral nursery; they wanted to be surprised, and asked the ultrasound tech and doctors not to reveal the sex of the baby she was carrying.
"A long time ago, before I met you, I was in Europe," Alia began, feeling like she was setting the stage for a fairy tale. "I don't remember much of that, exactly. My memory was erased when I was kidnapped and set to be sold on the black market."
Trenton's tense stance unfolded in shock, and Ethan reached forward to grasp her hands in a reassuring manner. Whatever awful thing Trenton had thought she would talk about, this wasn't it. He never had cause to think the worst of Alia, but he hadn't liked the fact that she had no real history or family other than her cousin Nancy.
"I... I remember being grabbed, being shoved in the dark. Then prepped to be put on display for dirty old men to look at, to see if they wanted to buy me. None of them actually touched me, but I heard screaming in the next cell, crying in others..." Alia's voice shook a little, but she then looked up at Ethan, jaw firm. "I was saved, and I think they were Interpol. A young woman and an older man she met up with afterward." She licked her lips and continued. "I don't remember their names, I think the man was Ivan something. It didn't matter at the time, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. One girl was bad off, I think they said one died, I just wanted out as fast as possible, as far as possible. They took some of those bastards' money and gave it to me to start over. She said I didn't have a family, that those guys kidnapped girls no one would miss, that she would help me to go wherever I wanted. So I chose the US, and I don't know why I picked Baton Rouge, but then there was school, and the apprenticeship, the restaurant moving to New Orleans and then folding..."
"Alia," Ethan murmured, rubbing her arm gently.
She flashed him a desperate, watery smile. "I have to believe I was meant to meet you. That we were supposed to be a family. Why else go through all that, right? But now Nancy called, said that one of us is dead. So if someone is tracking down these girls and killing us..."
"No," Ethan said, shaking his head. "Nobody's comin' to take you from us, Alia. You're my wife, we're together in this." He gave her a rueful smile. "Explains why the kickboxing."
Her laugh was more like a hiccup, and she brought his hands to her lips as some tears slipped down her cheek. "I'm not leaving, I'm not hiding. I'm not some helpless girl with no memory, I'm not alone now. I'm somebody, dammit. And I'm not going to run off into hiding, being scared so my baby is born afraid."
"You're family," Trenton said, his voice ponderous. "We get security on the place, we make sure nobody weird or strange follows you. I'll call my boys, we'll get your back."
Alia shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Trent." She knew they didn't always get along, that he was too prickly and standoffish. But they were family, and that mattered. That was possibly the only thing that did.
***
Nina got off the phone with Connie, who lived in London and was an office worker. She wasn't interested in leaving the metropolitan city for someplace defensible in the countryside, there was a ton of paperwork she had to do, bills to pay, and both a girlfriend and boyfriend she had no intention of leaving behind.
Nina resisted the urge to hurl her phone across the room, and ran a hand through her brown hair instead. Occasionally she put in highlights, but her shade was a rich mahogany that cascaded in thick waves down her back. Some fluke of genetics had apparently given each batch of girls a different hair color, but they all carried the same green eyes, slight build, slightly shorter than average stature and angelic features. She trained with weapons as well as hand to hand with her girlfriend regularly, and she deceptively looked fragile.
"That does not look like a happy face."
Speak of the devil...
Whirling around, Nina pulled her girlfriend in close. "Lena," she said happily before seizing her mouth in a kiss. "It's going to be a shit storm."
Yelena Belova sighed. She was blonde, blue eyed, slightly taller than Nina and far deadlier. She had been a star pupil in the Red Room, second only to Natasha Romanoff, and managed to escape when the entire organization was burned to the ground. Most of their resources and personnel were obliterated in one fell swoop, though other outposts had remained. Tapping into them had been easy, especially when Ivan Petrovich supplied all the necessary access codes and passwords. He had removed the triggers, protocols and implanted suggestions as best as he could, but he wasn't a personality programmer. She retained her memories and whatever of the personalities the Red Room had supplied up until its demise; some of those had come in handy over the intervening years.
"They're not coming, are they?"
"I only got a chance to talk to Connie so far. And check in with Marcia."
Patting Nina's shoulder, Yelena nodded. "They won't want to move. They're independent and very clever, just like the original. For now, chatter says that the Vory is laying claim to killing Natasha Romanoff. They don't know what they've done."
"But if anyone else sees the others..."
"If that was the way you all get found out, it would've happened already."
"But Samantha..."
Sitting on the couch abruptly, Yelena shook her head. "We can't assume anything. Natasha dumped incredible amounts of information into the internet. SHIELD has imploded and Hydra is snapping up the remnants of the agency however they can." She ran a hand through her blonde hair. "It's as bad as the old Red Room days."
"You said Ivan got rid of their tech..."
"Whatever he knew about and could part with. I took care of the rest."
"I don't like this," Nina whispered.
Yelena stood again and went to Nina's side, cupping her face in her hands. "No one will ever hurt you, Nina. Never. I swear on my life."
It was the only thing the girls in the Red Room had to bargain with, Nina knew. It wasn't really theirs, not when the Red Room could make them over into whatever they wanted, but that was the only thing they had any control over. It was the greatest pledge any Red Room girl could make, and was a sign of how seriously Yelena was taking this.
Nina covered Yelena's hands with her own. "No word yet about anyone seeing weird things. Like Samantha being killed was a fluke."
"I'm not willing to believe that. Are you?"
"Nope." Nina pulled Yelena closer and kissed her tenderly. "They're not going to want to leave their lives, Lena."
"They may have to if they want to live."
"Lena, spending the rest of our lives in hiding may not be an option. Would you really want us all to disappear?"
A pained expression flashed across Yelena's features. "If it meant you lived, yes."
"But what good would it be if I was away from you? If we never saw each other again?" Nina hooked her hands into the waist of Yelena's fitted jeans. "What if we took the fight to them? Instead of cowering and hiding, we collected the fighters among us and took them out? I think we can pull it off."
"Sparring in our gym isn't the same as going after the Vory or Department X."
"They're not the only ones we'd have to get rid of," Nina pointed out. The corners of her lips quirked. "If SHIELD is gone, who's going to stop some power hungry megalomaniac from creating another Red Room? From kidnapping and torturing little girls for kicks? From selling off whoever they can't use any other way?"
"I've been culling the herd," Yelena replied stiffly, bristling.
"Let me help you. Let the others help you."
Yelena wrenched herself away. "I won't risk you that way."
"It's not your call to make," Nina told her evenly.
"Yes, it is!"
Nina gave Yelena a level look. "Because you're the arbiter of we can and can't do."
"Nina..."
"No, no, I get it. I'm not some big, bad assassin. I'm only an English teacher here in Madrid. I'm not cool like you. Any training they might've imprinted isn't there, and I had to learn everything from scratch." There was bitterness evident in Nina's voice, and her entire body thrummed with tension. "But this is my life, Lena. I'm the one that gets to choose what to do with it. And I choose to take it to those fuckers and get rid of them once and for all. Because maybe then we'll all be safe, and maybe then I can marry my girlfriend."
Yelena sighed. "Nina..."
Pulling a face, Nina pushed Yelena away and threw up her hands. "What? That's your favorite excuse, isn't it? They'll track your name on the paperwork. You're not a citizen or a national. Or what the fuck ever. I've given up asking you."
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"Then let me help protect myself!" Nina cried. She ran her hands through her hair in an agitated manner. "I mean, I know I haven't been at this as long as you, but I'm not new. I'm not a baby, I'm not a complete idiot. Constantly hiding and living in fear is not living, Lena," she added softly, reaching out for Yelena. "I know you just want us safe. But maybe tucking us away in the country somewhere isn't the way to do it, either."
Sighing, Yelena let herself be pulled in closer, and she touched her forehead to Nina's. "What would I do if they took you away from me, Nina? What would I do if they killed you?"
"Burn them all," Nina replied promptly.
She couldn't help but laugh, and Nina wrapped her arms around Yelena. "I'm more innocent than the original, sure. But I can still be vicious if I need to be. And don't forget. What would I do if they took you from me?"
Acknowledging that truth, Yelena nodded, her expression softening a bit. "Then I guess we're still stuck together."
Nina laughed a little at Yelena's playfully aggrieved tone. "I guess we are. Gonna let me make an honest woman of you?"
"When I deserve it," Yelena replied, tucking Nina's hair behind her ears. "When you're all safe and there are no threats hanging over your heads."
"It might be a long time, Lena. You can't let those assholes dictate our happiness."
Yelena didn't have an answer for her, but that was just as well. She wasn't the only one with connections by now, and Nina was definitely willing to use hers.
Which is how she found herself sitting in the plaza square two weeks later, waiting for a contact that Nancy insisted would be trustworthy.
"Hola, señorita," a voice said behind her. "A yellow rose, to complement your spectacular beauty," he added with a smile, extending the flower out to her.
Nina smiled at him and took it, then tucked it into her hair. A silly little gesture, but one that confirmed she was the one Nancy wanted him to meet. "Nina."
"Ah, yes you are," he purred, Spanish accent thicker than before.
"And you are?" she prompted when he made no move to introduce himself. He was tall and lanky, with dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin. He was handsome and knew it, if the smirk on his face was any indication, which would have been an immediate turn off if she was interested in men at all.
"Javier Uraynar," he said with a slight bow. He sat down on the bench beside her. "I've never met your sister, señorita," he murmured. "Nancy and I only spoke in text or on the phone. She said you look like her, and I am dazzled by your beauty."
"Nice save," Nina replied, managing not to roll her eyes. "But I have a girlfriend."
"Ah. Very well. I may dream of you, yes?" he asked with a playful smile.
Now she did roll her eyes. "How can you help me, Javier?"
He took her hand in an intimate gesture and raised it to his lips. "You can at least look as though you're meeting a lover, yes? If there are indeed eyes on you..."
She got his meaning right away, but pulled her hand back. "Maybe you're the lover that has to make it up to me. You're not trying hard enough."
Javier's eyes twinkled. "Oh, I do like you. Nancy wasn't sure if you could play a role, but I see there is far more to you than she is aware of."
"It helps to have the proper motivation."
"Staying alive is certainly that," he replied with a grin. Standing up, he extended his hand out to her. "I propose a café, we talk of things so that I may enter your good graces. Then I see how best I can help you stay alive."
"There's my girlfriend and other sisters to consider," she said slowly, taking his hand. "Some of them have families and don't want to leave them."
"You see? Much to discuss and plan for."
"What's in it for you?" Nina asked suspiciously.
Though he laughed, Javier had a flinty look in his eyes. "Any opportunity to get back at the Vory or Hydra should not be wasted. In some areas, the two work hand in hand."
"Who did they take?" she whispered, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
"You would not know them," he replied shortly.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, touching his chest lightly and looking up into his face with an earnest expression. "I really am. I'm not just saying it because I want something from you."
His expression softened and he brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "I know, Nina. I am not angry with you, but with those who believed they can own the world. So it would be my pleasure to ensure that they do not do this again."
"There aren't many out there who are willing to go up against Hydra."
Javier's grin was fierce. "But they exist, and I am one of them. We do what we can, little by little, until it is enough. They are a many-headed beast, so they must be attacked on many fronts at once to be eliminated."
"You think it can be done?"
"I've managed to eliminate a few nests of Vory." He laughed at Nina's obvious startle in response to his words. "Yes, it can be done. Difficult, but it can be done." He led her to a café near the plaza, walking at a leisurely pace.
"So now what?" she asked, frowning slightly.
"So now we take a stroll, learn your strengths and weaknesses. And then we plan, because the Vory are some distance from here, but Hydra is not."
"Wait, they're not?"
"Of course not."
"The reports on the news all made it sound as though Hydra was destroyed in this country..."
Javier snorted derisively. "Propaganda. How could the government eliminate Hydra if they don't even know who their agents are? They have cells everywhere, and also have worked to change the minds of other agents they find."
"Then how do we undo that?"
Running a finger gently along the slope of her nose, Javier grinned. "There are ways, but it is long and difficult. I have turned one against them, who also works to try to undo the reign of terror they leave behind. And if we wipe out information about you and your sisters along the way, so much the better."
"Hydra is evil, for sure," Nina told him, returning his smile. "I'll do whatever I can to help, and I know my girlfriend will, too." She gave his arm a confident squeeze, beaming a little. "She's much better than I am at combat tactics, hand to hand, planning... I learned all that stuff from her, and she learned all of it from master tacticians."
"Bueno," he said with a wide smile. "So let us begin."
***
***
To Chapter Three - Sliding
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Pairing: Gen (pairings mentioned and present, but not really a focus in the story)
Disclaimer: Not mine! Some comic backstory is incorporated into characterizations, but this is still primarily movieverse.
Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place after "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." The story was plotted and I started writing it before the second season of "Agents of SHIELD" began. I am jossed so hard by the MCU, but hey! Fic! :)
This is the fault of phoenixrising06/
romanovasledger and
futurerustfuture-dust during all of our characterization discussions, their watching Orphan Black and our headcanons for the Red Room. Also loosely inspired by this gifset, though I don't follow that plot at all. There is going to be violence, implied violence, and all sorts of fucked up stuff that is mentioned as part of the Red Room shenanigans.
Summary: A young woman is brutally murdered by the Vory in Saskatchewan. This is tragic enough, but she also wears Natasha Romanoff's face. And she's not the only one.
Prior chapter:
One - Twinning
Two - Collecting
Samantha Thomas' death set off waves in the intelligence community, all agencies certain that this was the cover identity for Natasha Romanoff after she went dark. She was dead, the Vory credited with killing her. They certainly gloated about it enough.
Nancy Forrest was an IT technician working in St. Louis for the county. She had auburn hair and green eyes, a pleasant smile on her face for the other county workers, and never made fun of the clerks for the stupid errors that they made. Prior to moving to St. Louis, Nancy had lived in Orlando and Houston. The heat eventually got to her, so she decided to move away from the deep South. The Midwest seemed like a nice enough compromise, though it could still get pretty hot in the summer. But there was snow in the winter, enough to give life to the vague and hazy memories she had of a childhood that never existed. In the six years she had lived in St. Louis, she had never come to regret the move.
She had little interest in the dating scene in this city. Or any city, really. Dating in general bored her, and playing the stupid games that went with dating didn't appeal at all. She had friendships with coworkers and neighbors, which kept her busy enough when not working. She tended to dress in business casual, even on her downtime, as opposed to a few other techs wearing jeans and polo shirts. Living alone, she sometimes took the extra calls or stayed late to check on the cable lines if connections cut out. And if additional cables were laid, or lines spliced or accounts hacked, none of the county officers knew for certain. Even the other techs admitted she knew about hardware and code than they did.
She arrived early for work after seeing the news feed regarding Samantha Thomas. She had never thought that she would actually see updates on names she tracked other than Natalia Alianovna Romanova's, and even for her she expected to see more under the Anglicized "Natasha Romanoff" than the Russian version. A chill ran through her when she saw the news feed, and sent off a quick message to Marcia and Nina.
Start collecting. Compromise may be imminent.
***
Marcia Packesein had lived in Berlin for ten years, and had managed to build a small but reputable business as a martial arts instructor. She had classes of young children, adolescents, adults six days a week, and had specialty classes for self defense every once in a while that were populated with women or older adults wanting to avoid being assaulted late at night. She was slender but strong, capable of felling a man over two meters tall even with her much smaller stature. Her black hair was usually tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her green eyes, and she was as comfortable in jeans and T shirts as she was in her gi. Occasionally she dated her neighbor, and he was always fun in bed. Neither really were looking for a committed relationship, just fun on the side or someone to bring along when a plus one was needed. His family members sometimes called her his girlfriend, and neither really corrected the mistaken assumption. It just made life easier for both of them.
She had a nice routine. Coffee and workout in the morning to loosen up, then she went to her dojo to start her day. Lunch was usually light, as was dinner. At various points throughout the day, she checked her mail and various news feeds. If there was one hobby she had, it was following international politics. Friends thought it was a strange interest, but she told them it was no different than following the antics of movie stars, which they did avidly. Marcia saw the political arena as a soap opera, and her friends could concede the point when she explained it that way. Politicians were constantly getting into scandals or making stupid remarks in public, which she found hilarious.
Still, getting the terse encrypted e-mail put her hobby to shame. Her blood ran cold as soon as she saw it, but she was able to pull herself together and finish her day's schedule.
As soon as she was home, Marcia dialed an international number. "Nina," she began without preamble. "Did you check your mail?"
There was a sigh on the other side of the line. "Yeah. We knew it was a matter of time, I guess..."
"What steps have you taken so far?"
"I put a call out to Thérèse and spoke with Nadine so far. Nancy will handle the US. Can you call the Eastern bloc?"
Marcia snorted. "Very funny."
It was obvious that Nina was about ready to laugh at her. "Well, they are east of me."
"Where should we meet?"
"They don't know, Marcia. Well, Olga and Natalia would possibly think the traffickers are involved again somehow. You can bring them in that way."
"If I don't kill Olga's lowlife boyfriend."
"Prison is not your friend."
"Nina..."
"I need to call Connie. Are you going to call Neveah?"
"I'll already have my hands full with Natalia's two!"
"Hey, the kids will all entertain each other!"
"Get Yelena on the phone, Nina, enough of this nonsense," Marcia snapped. She had no patience for children outside of her dojo. She could be infinitely patient while teaching, but otherwise, her nerves grated too hard with high pitched whines and screaming.
"Lena is actually out. You're stuck with me."
"Out?" Marcia prompted.
"Looking into a safe house large enough for all of us. She might have to get a few."
"I thought she had three!"
"Compromised by squatters of various flavors. Probably ordinary creepy homeless, but she's not taking any chances."
Marcia let out a slow breath, realizing she was far tenser than was healthy for her. "All right. All right. This is that serious, then."
"Did you really think Nancy is the type to go overboard on this?"
"No, I suppose not," Marcia said with a sigh. "I like my life here, though. I don't want to give it up. I want to stay."
"Just call it a family emergency. It's open ended, and it's not lying."
"No, it's not. It's just..." She turned away, even though Nina couldn't see her, and ran a hand through her hair in an agitated manner.
"I know," Nina said softly in reply. "I do. Lena is checking into things, and we're not really in the active collection phase yet. I hope to god we don't get that far, but you need to be aware of it in case it does get there."
"Fucking hell." Was that a tear on her face? Marcia blinked rapidly to clear her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Marcia, really I am. It's not like I won't be losing my life here, too."
"I know," Marcia replied. "I'm not mad at you, please don't think that. I'm furious with these fuckers that keep trying to kill us."
"It's been ten years," Nina pointed out. "We had a good run."
"Yeah. I plan to make sure it goes for a longer one. I'll start making calls, then."
"Thanks. Stay in touch."
Of course she would. It was the only way they would all stay alive.
***
Alia Greystone cheerfully counted out the change at the register as the phone rang. Her husband Ethan picked up the phone, his rich baritone comforting to her ear. "Greystone Bakery. Ethan speaking. How can I help you?"
He was a tall, broadly built man with curly black hair, dark skin and a ready smile. His brother Trenton was just as tall, though not as broadly built, and was less personable in general. He preferred the kitchen anyway, so Ethan ran the front of the bakery. When their business in New Orleans picked up, Alia had been hired. She slowly got into the baking side of things as well; her prior training had been more culinary and restaurant work. It was a good fit, and Alia sometimes joked about the differences in their appearances. She was a full foot shorter than Ethan at five foot five, with skin almost alabaster pale, light green eyes and red hair. She was generally very slender, keeping her figure with all of the baked goods she ate by boxing, kickboxing and doing dance routines regularly.
Over time, she and Ethan had grown close, finally deciding to date. They clicked immediately and married soon after. For a while, regular patrons had pestered them about whether or not they were having children, though that died down when Alia began to show. She was seven months along now, and felt huge even if some patrons assured her that she was cute and not abnormally large for a first child.
"Hon, it's for you," Ethan called.
Clearing the transaction, Alia hopped down from her stool behind the counter and swapped places with Ethan behind the counter. "Alia speaking," she said cheerily as she picked up.
"It's Nancy. We've got a situation. As in, we might need collecting."
The bottom dropped out of her gut, and she turned away from the front of the shop to hide her stunned reaction. "What? Are you sure?"
"One of us is dead. Vory."
"English? I left that stuff behind."
"Um, sorry, Russian mafia."
Alia held the phone in a white knuckled grip. "Is it the same-"
"I don't know. I don't know a lot about anything right now, but the warning still needs to go out, you know? You need to be prepared."
"Nancy, I'm seven months along," she hissed.
"Maybe we can coordinate something close to you..."
"No, you don't understand. I need my doctor, my family... I'm not giving this up. Ever. I am not going to be cowering in fear because of a what if, and I keep myself safe."
"It might not be enough," Nancy warned her.
"I'll make it be enough. I'm not leaving."
"Alia..."
"No. Update me, keep me in the loop, but you're not taking me anywhere."
Ethan touched her shoulder and elbow in support and silent question; Alia whirled around, startled, and saw that the shop was momentarily empty. She let out a sighing breath and cut off Nancy. "I've got to go."
"Please be careful," Nancy said in a pleading voice, and that Alia could listen to. Nancy meant well, she knew she did, but she wasn't leaving her home. She wasn't going to bow down to fear ever again.
"I will," Alia promised. She hung up and gripped the phone tightly in her hand for a long moment, staring at it before looking up at Ethan. "I suppose I have some stuff to tell you," she said softly. "I don't think now is a good time, if someone walks in..."
"Trent can man the register for a while," Ethan said gently.
She blew out a soft breath, and managed not to swear aloud when she saw that her hands were shaking. Alia never got flustered in the shop, even with nasty customers packed into the front area like sardines. "It's probably better if he hears it, too. We're close to closing time," she began softly, not able to stop staring at her hands.
Ethan shook his head. "It's got you riled, we're closing now so we can talk."
It was short work to flip the front door sign to closed and lock up. Alia could do the count for the register in her sleep, and she felt as if she was floating in a dream. Trenton's suspicious glare didn't really register, not even when the three of them all sat in their living room. They lived above the shop in a two story apartment. Trenton's space was on the second floor, and Alia and Ethan took the top floor, since it had three bedrooms. She had already decorated one as a gender neutral nursery; they wanted to be surprised, and asked the ultrasound tech and doctors not to reveal the sex of the baby she was carrying.
"A long time ago, before I met you, I was in Europe," Alia began, feeling like she was setting the stage for a fairy tale. "I don't remember much of that, exactly. My memory was erased when I was kidnapped and set to be sold on the black market."
Trenton's tense stance unfolded in shock, and Ethan reached forward to grasp her hands in a reassuring manner. Whatever awful thing Trenton had thought she would talk about, this wasn't it. He never had cause to think the worst of Alia, but he hadn't liked the fact that she had no real history or family other than her cousin Nancy.
"I... I remember being grabbed, being shoved in the dark. Then prepped to be put on display for dirty old men to look at, to see if they wanted to buy me. None of them actually touched me, but I heard screaming in the next cell, crying in others..." Alia's voice shook a little, but she then looked up at Ethan, jaw firm. "I was saved, and I think they were Interpol. A young woman and an older man she met up with afterward." She licked her lips and continued. "I don't remember their names, I think the man was Ivan something. It didn't matter at the time, I just wanted to get the hell out of there. One girl was bad off, I think they said one died, I just wanted out as fast as possible, as far as possible. They took some of those bastards' money and gave it to me to start over. She said I didn't have a family, that those guys kidnapped girls no one would miss, that she would help me to go wherever I wanted. So I chose the US, and I don't know why I picked Baton Rouge, but then there was school, and the apprenticeship, the restaurant moving to New Orleans and then folding..."
"Alia," Ethan murmured, rubbing her arm gently.
She flashed him a desperate, watery smile. "I have to believe I was meant to meet you. That we were supposed to be a family. Why else go through all that, right? But now Nancy called, said that one of us is dead. So if someone is tracking down these girls and killing us..."
"No," Ethan said, shaking his head. "Nobody's comin' to take you from us, Alia. You're my wife, we're together in this." He gave her a rueful smile. "Explains why the kickboxing."
Her laugh was more like a hiccup, and she brought his hands to her lips as some tears slipped down her cheek. "I'm not leaving, I'm not hiding. I'm not some helpless girl with no memory, I'm not alone now. I'm somebody, dammit. And I'm not going to run off into hiding, being scared so my baby is born afraid."
"You're family," Trenton said, his voice ponderous. "We get security on the place, we make sure nobody weird or strange follows you. I'll call my boys, we'll get your back."
Alia shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Trent." She knew they didn't always get along, that he was too prickly and standoffish. But they were family, and that mattered. That was possibly the only thing that did.
***
Nina got off the phone with Connie, who lived in London and was an office worker. She wasn't interested in leaving the metropolitan city for someplace defensible in the countryside, there was a ton of paperwork she had to do, bills to pay, and both a girlfriend and boyfriend she had no intention of leaving behind.
Nina resisted the urge to hurl her phone across the room, and ran a hand through her brown hair instead. Occasionally she put in highlights, but her shade was a rich mahogany that cascaded in thick waves down her back. Some fluke of genetics had apparently given each batch of girls a different hair color, but they all carried the same green eyes, slight build, slightly shorter than average stature and angelic features. She trained with weapons as well as hand to hand with her girlfriend regularly, and she deceptively looked fragile.
"That does not look like a happy face."
Speak of the devil...
Whirling around, Nina pulled her girlfriend in close. "Lena," she said happily before seizing her mouth in a kiss. "It's going to be a shit storm."
Yelena Belova sighed. She was blonde, blue eyed, slightly taller than Nina and far deadlier. She had been a star pupil in the Red Room, second only to Natasha Romanoff, and managed to escape when the entire organization was burned to the ground. Most of their resources and personnel were obliterated in one fell swoop, though other outposts had remained. Tapping into them had been easy, especially when Ivan Petrovich supplied all the necessary access codes and passwords. He had removed the triggers, protocols and implanted suggestions as best as he could, but he wasn't a personality programmer. She retained her memories and whatever of the personalities the Red Room had supplied up until its demise; some of those had come in handy over the intervening years.
"They're not coming, are they?"
"I only got a chance to talk to Connie so far. And check in with Marcia."
Patting Nina's shoulder, Yelena nodded. "They won't want to move. They're independent and very clever, just like the original. For now, chatter says that the Vory is laying claim to killing Natasha Romanoff. They don't know what they've done."
"But if anyone else sees the others..."
"If that was the way you all get found out, it would've happened already."
"But Samantha..."
Sitting on the couch abruptly, Yelena shook her head. "We can't assume anything. Natasha dumped incredible amounts of information into the internet. SHIELD has imploded and Hydra is snapping up the remnants of the agency however they can." She ran a hand through her blonde hair. "It's as bad as the old Red Room days."
"You said Ivan got rid of their tech..."
"Whatever he knew about and could part with. I took care of the rest."
"I don't like this," Nina whispered.
Yelena stood again and went to Nina's side, cupping her face in her hands. "No one will ever hurt you, Nina. Never. I swear on my life."
It was the only thing the girls in the Red Room had to bargain with, Nina knew. It wasn't really theirs, not when the Red Room could make them over into whatever they wanted, but that was the only thing they had any control over. It was the greatest pledge any Red Room girl could make, and was a sign of how seriously Yelena was taking this.
Nina covered Yelena's hands with her own. "No word yet about anyone seeing weird things. Like Samantha being killed was a fluke."
"I'm not willing to believe that. Are you?"
"Nope." Nina pulled Yelena closer and kissed her tenderly. "They're not going to want to leave their lives, Lena."
"They may have to if they want to live."
"Lena, spending the rest of our lives in hiding may not be an option. Would you really want us all to disappear?"
A pained expression flashed across Yelena's features. "If it meant you lived, yes."
"But what good would it be if I was away from you? If we never saw each other again?" Nina hooked her hands into the waist of Yelena's fitted jeans. "What if we took the fight to them? Instead of cowering and hiding, we collected the fighters among us and took them out? I think we can pull it off."
"Sparring in our gym isn't the same as going after the Vory or Department X."
"They're not the only ones we'd have to get rid of," Nina pointed out. The corners of her lips quirked. "If SHIELD is gone, who's going to stop some power hungry megalomaniac from creating another Red Room? From kidnapping and torturing little girls for kicks? From selling off whoever they can't use any other way?"
"I've been culling the herd," Yelena replied stiffly, bristling.
"Let me help you. Let the others help you."
Yelena wrenched herself away. "I won't risk you that way."
"It's not your call to make," Nina told her evenly.
"Yes, it is!"
Nina gave Yelena a level look. "Because you're the arbiter of we can and can't do."
"Nina..."
"No, no, I get it. I'm not some big, bad assassin. I'm only an English teacher here in Madrid. I'm not cool like you. Any training they might've imprinted isn't there, and I had to learn everything from scratch." There was bitterness evident in Nina's voice, and her entire body thrummed with tension. "But this is my life, Lena. I'm the one that gets to choose what to do with it. And I choose to take it to those fuckers and get rid of them once and for all. Because maybe then we'll all be safe, and maybe then I can marry my girlfriend."
Yelena sighed. "Nina..."
Pulling a face, Nina pushed Yelena away and threw up her hands. "What? That's your favorite excuse, isn't it? They'll track your name on the paperwork. You're not a citizen or a national. Or what the fuck ever. I've given up asking you."
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"Then let me help protect myself!" Nina cried. She ran her hands through her hair in an agitated manner. "I mean, I know I haven't been at this as long as you, but I'm not new. I'm not a baby, I'm not a complete idiot. Constantly hiding and living in fear is not living, Lena," she added softly, reaching out for Yelena. "I know you just want us safe. But maybe tucking us away in the country somewhere isn't the way to do it, either."
Sighing, Yelena let herself be pulled in closer, and she touched her forehead to Nina's. "What would I do if they took you away from me, Nina? What would I do if they killed you?"
"Burn them all," Nina replied promptly.
She couldn't help but laugh, and Nina wrapped her arms around Yelena. "I'm more innocent than the original, sure. But I can still be vicious if I need to be. And don't forget. What would I do if they took you from me?"
Acknowledging that truth, Yelena nodded, her expression softening a bit. "Then I guess we're still stuck together."
Nina laughed a little at Yelena's playfully aggrieved tone. "I guess we are. Gonna let me make an honest woman of you?"
"When I deserve it," Yelena replied, tucking Nina's hair behind her ears. "When you're all safe and there are no threats hanging over your heads."
"It might be a long time, Lena. You can't let those assholes dictate our happiness."
Yelena didn't have an answer for her, but that was just as well. She wasn't the only one with connections by now, and Nina was definitely willing to use hers.
Which is how she found herself sitting in the plaza square two weeks later, waiting for a contact that Nancy insisted would be trustworthy.
"Hola, señorita," a voice said behind her. "A yellow rose, to complement your spectacular beauty," he added with a smile, extending the flower out to her.
Nina smiled at him and took it, then tucked it into her hair. A silly little gesture, but one that confirmed she was the one Nancy wanted him to meet. "Nina."
"Ah, yes you are," he purred, Spanish accent thicker than before.
"And you are?" she prompted when he made no move to introduce himself. He was tall and lanky, with dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin. He was handsome and knew it, if the smirk on his face was any indication, which would have been an immediate turn off if she was interested in men at all.
"Javier Uraynar," he said with a slight bow. He sat down on the bench beside her. "I've never met your sister, señorita," he murmured. "Nancy and I only spoke in text or on the phone. She said you look like her, and I am dazzled by your beauty."
"Nice save," Nina replied, managing not to roll her eyes. "But I have a girlfriend."
"Ah. Very well. I may dream of you, yes?" he asked with a playful smile.
Now she did roll her eyes. "How can you help me, Javier?"
He took her hand in an intimate gesture and raised it to his lips. "You can at least look as though you're meeting a lover, yes? If there are indeed eyes on you..."
She got his meaning right away, but pulled her hand back. "Maybe you're the lover that has to make it up to me. You're not trying hard enough."
Javier's eyes twinkled. "Oh, I do like you. Nancy wasn't sure if you could play a role, but I see there is far more to you than she is aware of."
"It helps to have the proper motivation."
"Staying alive is certainly that," he replied with a grin. Standing up, he extended his hand out to her. "I propose a café, we talk of things so that I may enter your good graces. Then I see how best I can help you stay alive."
"There's my girlfriend and other sisters to consider," she said slowly, taking his hand. "Some of them have families and don't want to leave them."
"You see? Much to discuss and plan for."
"What's in it for you?" Nina asked suspiciously.
Though he laughed, Javier had a flinty look in his eyes. "Any opportunity to get back at the Vory or Hydra should not be wasted. In some areas, the two work hand in hand."
"Who did they take?" she whispered, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
"You would not know them," he replied shortly.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, touching his chest lightly and looking up into his face with an earnest expression. "I really am. I'm not just saying it because I want something from you."
His expression softened and he brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "I know, Nina. I am not angry with you, but with those who believed they can own the world. So it would be my pleasure to ensure that they do not do this again."
"There aren't many out there who are willing to go up against Hydra."
Javier's grin was fierce. "But they exist, and I am one of them. We do what we can, little by little, until it is enough. They are a many-headed beast, so they must be attacked on many fronts at once to be eliminated."
"You think it can be done?"
"I've managed to eliminate a few nests of Vory." He laughed at Nina's obvious startle in response to his words. "Yes, it can be done. Difficult, but it can be done." He led her to a café near the plaza, walking at a leisurely pace.
"So now what?" she asked, frowning slightly.
"So now we take a stroll, learn your strengths and weaknesses. And then we plan, because the Vory are some distance from here, but Hydra is not."
"Wait, they're not?"
"Of course not."
"The reports on the news all made it sound as though Hydra was destroyed in this country..."
Javier snorted derisively. "Propaganda. How could the government eliminate Hydra if they don't even know who their agents are? They have cells everywhere, and also have worked to change the minds of other agents they find."
"Then how do we undo that?"
Running a finger gently along the slope of her nose, Javier grinned. "There are ways, but it is long and difficult. I have turned one against them, who also works to try to undo the reign of terror they leave behind. And if we wipe out information about you and your sisters along the way, so much the better."
"Hydra is evil, for sure," Nina told him, returning his smile. "I'll do whatever I can to help, and I know my girlfriend will, too." She gave his arm a confident squeeze, beaming a little. "She's much better than I am at combat tactics, hand to hand, planning... I learned all that stuff from her, and she learned all of it from master tacticians."
"Bueno," he said with a wide smile. "So let us begin."
***
***
To Chapter Three - Sliding