Red in my Ledger

Chapter Nine

YEAR: 2010
DATE: May 29th

Dreykov called me into his office, saying he had a mission for me.
"What kind of mission?" I asked.
"Assassination."
"Target?"
"Anthony Stark."
"Stark? Why?"
"I believe it was you who said a couple of months ago that he needed someone to put him in his place. I decided that someone can be you."
"Okay."
"He is having a party tonight. You will sneak in and kill him. Do it subtly, secretively, it's not like he won't have security. So no fight, no guns. I think drug him. Poison."
"Okay."
"You'll need a dress... bring a gun just in case. And bring your phone."
"See, I told you a phone would be useful."
"Go now. You don't want to be late."
"Right."
———
I got to the party around the same time that most other guests were arriving.
I was wearing wearing a short red dress with a black leather jacket over the top, that concealed my gun and the poison. My hair was brushed in a way that hid the burns on my neck.
I settled myself at the bar, waiting for Stark to show up and perhaps have a drink.
He showed up half an hour late to his own party.
I watched him closely, but he never came towards the bar.
After a while, I noticed a woman that never let him get too far.
Natasha.
I hadn't seen her since Budapest. And I'd never seen her other than that since she had left. So we hadn't exactly caught up.
She was staying close by Stark's side, which I knew would make this whole thing much more difficult.
I considered something - there was nothing stopping me killing her too.
After staring for a minute too long, we accidentally made eye contact, and I tried to unsuspiciously turn in my chair.
She came and sat next to me and ordered a drink.
As she waited, she was looking me up and down, and I tried not to notice.
She got her drink, sipped it, and continued to look at me.
It was honestly very off putting.
"Hi" she finally nodded at me.
I turned to face her with a look of mocking shock.
"Moi? Désolé mais je ne parle pas l'anglais... C'est une grande fête, non?"
(Me? Sorry but I don't speak English... it's a great party, no?)
"C'est bien, je parle aussi français. Alors, comment connais-tu Stark?"
(It's fine, I also speak French. So how do you know Stark?)
"Tout le monde le connait, n'est-ce pas?"
(Everyone knows stark, don't they?)
"D'accord. Qu'est-ce que tu fais ici, y/n?"
(Okay. What are you doing here y/n?)
It had obviously taken her a moment to recognise me.
"C'est une fête. Je m'amuse."
(It's a party. I'm enjoying myself.)
"Cut the bullshit."
I rolled my eyes and got up to go.
"How are you alive?" she asked, grabbing my arm.
I pushed her hand off me and walked away without answering.
I got closer to Stark.
—
Natasha watched you, trying to figure out how and why you were here. Perhaps you had escaped. The Red Room was taken down, so you had the chance to get out of there. Finally.
But as you pulled something out of your jacket, she realised that was not the case.
—
I had the perfect opportunity.
Stark had set down his glass for a second as he greeted someone, and I could easily drop in the poison before he noticed.
I was about to drop the drug to dissolve in his glass when someone grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.
I dropped the pill, and Natasha stepped on it.
"Stop now" she warned. "Don't create a scene."
"Get off me now" I spat.
She ignored me and started dragging me away by the hand towards the exit.
I ripped her hand off my arm and kicked her backwards.
She quickly lunged forward again but I grabbed her shoulder and pushed her down to the ground.
She pulled me down with her, and she rolled over on top of me.
"Stop" she said, pinning me down.
I rolled over so I was on top of her, and I pushed my hands against her neck.
She tried to pull me off her, but my grip only tightened.
She managed to lift her leg and knee me in the back.
I briefly unclenched and she took the opportunity to push me off her.
We both got to out feet and I pulled the gun out of my jacket.
I pointed and fired without thinking.
The shot missed as I was pushed out the way while pulling the trigger, obstructing my aim.
A metal arm wrapped around my waist from behind and another covered my mouth.
Stark was in his suit, lifting me into the air as he hovered just above the ground.
Natasha walked over and pulled the gun out my hand, then she followed as Stark flew me out of the room.
Two more people followed - I recognised them as Pepper Potts and Colonel Rhodes.
We got to a private room away from the party, where Stark held my hands behind my back as Natasha tied me to a chair.
The four adults stood together staring at me.
"I called the police" Pepper informed. "They're on their way now."
"You gotta be older than you look" Stark guessed as he stepped closer to me. "What are you? 25? 26?"
Behind my back, I reached for my watch with one hand, and just about managed to press a button that alerted someone of my location.
He stepped closer to me, and I looked up at him.
"I'm eighteen" I said.
"What?" he turned in confusion to the others. "Why the hell does an eighteen year old girl want me dead?" He turned back to me. "And why do you look so familiar?"
"What's your name?" Rhodes asked.
I looked at him, but didn't answer.
"Y/n" Natasha said.
"What?" Stark faced her quickly.
"Y/n, I thought you died."
"No. Sorry. Your attempt on my life didn't work" I said.
"You know I wasn't trying to kill you. If I had known you were going to be there..."
"It wouldn't have stopped you."
Natasha slowly stepped towards me, and I looked up at her.
"You never cared Natasha. You just couldn't wait for the chance to get rid of me."
"You know what's not true."
"You have no idea the shit I had to go through because of you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Fuck you Natasha. I am going to kill you" I enunciated every word in anger.
"Okay I've heard enough-" Stark approached, but he was blasted back, along with the others, as the wall behind them exploded.
I leant forward onto my feet, then jumped back, smashing the chair I was tied to. I pushed the ropes off me and stood up.
I ran over to where the Winter Soldier was standing by the hole in the wall he had just made.
He picked me up and ran until we were by his car.
We got in and he started driving away.
"Thanks Weiner" I smiled at him.
"What were you doing?"
"I had a mission... to kill Stark... oh now Dreykov's gonna kill me. Shit" I realised that I had failed a mission. I hadn't failed a mission before. I was terrified what Dreykov was going to do.
"It'll be okay. Did he tell you why you were killing Stark?"
"I don't know. Apparently it was my idea, I said something a while ago... I never liked him, and then Dreykov sent me to kill him. But I failed that."
We drove in silence for a while.
"I think I remember Stark's parents" he said. "Maria and Howard. I remember... I..."
He glanced at me and trailed off.
"You what?" I asked. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing" his eyes stared back at the road.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah it's nothing."
I shrugged and didn't think much of it.
He took me back to the Hydra base, where unfortunately Dreykov was waiting for my arrival.
"Considering you needed to call for help, I'm guessing you didn't complete your mission."
I hung my head low shamefully.
"That is not acceptable. You must be punished."
"Of course. I'm sorry."
My arms were held behind my back and I was taken to another room. I looked back at the Winter Soldier just before I walked through the door.
—
The Winter Soldier watched you be taken away, and frowned as he could do nothing.
He waited for someone to come and deal with him.
Moments later, he heard your screams cry out from the other room.
Without thinking, he stepped towards the door, but the Hydra agents showed up and stopped him.
"She's a kid" the Soldier frowned.
"Actually she's 18. Not a kid anymore" Rumlow smirked. "And you know, after this, she'll probably pass out. And it's so much easier to have fun when she's passed out."
The Winter Soldier punched Rumlow, then put his hands behind his back so he could be taken away.
Rumlow groaned in pain, before stepping in the room you were in.
—
I screamed until it stopped, then I resorted to breathing heavily.
"Tell me why you couldn't finish the mission" Dreykov sighed.
I took a deep breath before answering.
"Natasha was there. I think she's working as Stark's assistant. She stopped me before I could get to him."
"Damn it Natasha!" Dreykov yelled, and in anger he turned on the machine again.
I clenched my teeth together, my whole body shaking, until I gave in and screamed through it.