❝ your allies will die or go mad. you'll never know whom to trust. you'll never have a normal relationship. and if you do find love, as impossible as it is, you must remember one rule. the most important rule: never have kids. NEVER. ❞ - n.r.
COVERS...
"Part of me died in order to survive. I may grow again, but I may never be the same."
Seven Years Ago, Red Room Academy
"Natalia Alianovna Romanova is the best pupil of the Red Room Academy." Madame B. spat out in English as she argued with the older blonde man angrily, "She is the best I have ever seen. She is to be one of the best assassins in history. I will not allow a child to slow her success!"
The superior simply scoffed.
The madame was infuriated at his disregard for her, "Children create weaknesses! The Red Room takes away all weakness. We have never allowed for it and that is why, today, we are the best at what we do."
"Fortunately, then, that decision's not up to you." The graying-blonde haired man snapped at her face, creating the first time in Madame B.'s life that she had ever felt intimidated, "Do not test me, Madame. You know who I am. You know who I control. I can kill anyone. Do not make me put you next on my list."
Madame B. angrily clenched her teeth and straightened her shoulders.
It had been two months since Natalia's failed escape attempt. After James had healed from his injuries sustained while attempting to protect the girl and their child, he was transferred back to the Siberian Facility and brought into the Cryostasis Chamber where he was frozen once more. He would not be trouble again.
Natalia had been put into a medically induced coma to keep her from harm and from doing harm. The madame immediately attempted to have the wretched little thing removed from her student's body, but the superior stepped in before she had a chance to finish the job.
"This is about more than just your academy, and certainly more than any one assassin. This," he squinted thoughtfully, "this is a game-changer."
"Game-changer?" The madame repeated with irritation laced into her voice, "This is a game-ender!"
"No, no." The older man was slowly smiling now, "Once the child is born, Miss Romanova will return to her training as usual, with both her beliefs and allegiances in tact. She will never know that her precious child is not six feet under the earth."
Madame B.'s eyebrows raised in confusion, "She will not?"
The man's smile grew wider, "For now, you will pull her out of her coma and your doctors will inform Miss Romanova that you will allow her to keep it. You will allow the young mother to bond with the child within her womb until her time comes. When she goes into labor, you will make it look like her infant died in childbirth."
"The perfect lie." Madame B. looked back over at Natalia's unconscious form.
"Mmhm." The superior hummed and continued to smirk before he went on in his American accent, "The child will not prove an inconvenience to you or to the program. I have not forgotten how effective the Red Room is for the future. Besides, Natalia Romanova's reputation has not escaped my notice. I would not want her to be led astray, even by my own asset."
"Everything will stay as it is then." The madame could not deny that she felt the least bit impressed.
"Exactly as it is." He agreed, "And the child will then come with us."
Madame B. looked from Natalia over to the older man, "What will you do with it?"
He clasped his hands behind his back as his eyes squinted in thought, "The child will find use in other ways."
"Other ways?"
"This child." He shook his head with a small smile, watching the young woman and her swollen abdomen from the one way glass, "It can be used as leverage to a man who, until this moment, has had nothing to lose, except his mind."
"The Winter Soldier." The madame realized.
"Every man has a weakness and it often is that which is created of him." The man nodded as if he knew from personal experience before he went on, "After all, the child bred from two of the world's best assassins will certainly be a child worth keeping."
"A weapon only, then." The madame nodded in understanding.
The man raised an eyebrow over at her, "And leverage, Madame B., and leverage."
She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin higher.
The superior, Alexander Pierce, turned to leave but took a moment to pause and whisper into her ear, "Hail HYDRA."
Villain reveal, hm? How about "the superior"? Did you guess it was Pierce? Too obvious? And now you see why Natasha thinks her child is dead, it's so awful, isn't it? I can't wait for the reunion! Agh! Sorry for the slow update again! The next chapter we get back to Svetlana's perspective.
Funny Thingamabob (it's less movies now, but all the same):
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