Chapter Ten
"And it feels so real from the outside looking in, And it feels so real from the outside From the out From the out tyrant..." Tyrant, OneRepublic
It didn't take long for me to find a place to rest. I couldn't stay at a hotel, not without getting caught. So my second best bet was staying hidden in whatever alley seemed suitable enough. I huddled in the corner of a building to keep away from people passing by. This was never going to be an easy life, that much I had gathered. Hopefully sleep would be easy to come by, though I doubted it would help. I had a feeling that my dreams were going to be surrounded by nightmares.
. . .
"Think she's dead?"
"Doubt it. See? Her sides are moving."
"Good, than let's make this fun."
Instinct told me to swing a dagger I was keeping hidden in my boot. Three men had found me, and their eyes widened in shock when they saw the dagger I was holding. Without warning I twisted around and leaped onto the taller goon, ignoring his cry as I slid my dagger across his throat. The moment I released my grip he fell, dead at my feet. The two remaining goons stared at me in horror, realizing what I could do.
They ran before I could attack, much to my relief. Glancing down at the body I felt guilt gnaw at my stomach. Five people I've already killed, and I felt no remorse for their deaths. It was in my job description, to fight people until there was no fight left in them. And I was actually enjoying it.
I shuddered at the thought as I cleaned off my dagger. It was time to move, yet again. This time towards my next target. If I kept moving at this rate I'd get there by daybreak. It was still dark out, which told me that I would have plenty of time.
For the next few hours I started wandering aimlessly, or so it seemed. I knew exactly where I was headed, towards the outer regions of the city. The scientist in question lived by the ocean. He was close to Tony Stark's mansion, but not close enough for them to be friends. Of course after reading all the stories on the genius, I'm not surprised. Tony wasn't one to get along with another unless it benefited him somehow.
I stopped as the sun began to rise, signaling the start of another day. Traffic ran smoothly across the road as I waited for a crossing point. The house in question stood over a cliff overlooking the ocean. This scientist even had his own private beach. Wish I had that kind of money. About all I had was the cash Master had given me, and that wasn't much. And it wasn't even my own cash. For now I would keep it tucked away unless there was an emergency.
Once I reached the other side of the street I peered inside the window, careful not to attract any attention. I'm sure the scientist had this place rigged, especially when word got out about what happened to his comrade. I scoped the area out to make sure he didn't have any bombs or other manners of destruction to hurt me with. Thankfully it seemed like he was pretty peaceful for the most part.
"I'm finished with my homework daddy!" I stiffened on instinct when I heard the squeaky voice. Peering around the corner into a window, I noticed a little girl was sitting at a desk holding up some papers. She looked to be around nine and was staring up at a man who looked to be in his thirties. Suddenly the guilt I felt earlier returned, only now it was ten times worse. I dropped everything and walked away, leaving the happy family behind.
I wouldn't kill if there was a kid involved. The thought made my stomach twist with disgust. Even if I could easily kill a child I wouldn't. That just wasn't in my... nature. And yet just as suddenly as I had turned, an overwhelming urge to take down the scientist rushed through me. It was like a loud buzzing noise in my ear that only I could hear kept telling me to turn back. The same thing had happened yesterday when I killed James.
"There is no turning back now..." Master's voice rang in my ears. Oddly enough it was strangely soothing as I walked forward, towards the mansion. "Do you think society would accept you if we set you free? They will always see you as what you truly are."
Suddenly I pulled out a small gun I'd been keeping up my sleeve. Along with the countless knives and swords I kept, I needed long-ranged weapons as well. This one was perfect for a moment like this. Kill them all, and leave no witnesses behind. Those were the orders Master had given me.
With the speed of lightning I aimed my gun towards the window. The scientist in question was still at his desk, oblivious to the threat looming not five feet away. There was no hesitation this time as I pulled the trigger. Seconds later and the bullet flew through the window, shattering glass and hitting it's target. Time felt like it had slowed down when I heard the girl screaming in shock and fear. The quiet thud of a body sounded moments after, sending shivers through me.
Once the threat was taken down I leaped through the window, ignoring the sobbing that sounded from behind. At the desk were the papers I had been looking for. Formulas and research were written down on the papers, telling me that this scientist had been the brainchild of the project. But with these files we could easily recreate the serum he had discovered and created.
"You're a monster!" The girl's words sent chills through me, but I quickly pushed the fear aside. I turned around and kept on a straight face, ignoring the horrified look when she saw my scars.
"You have no idea how right you are," I muttered. The girl wasn't given a chance to respond. Gingerly I aimed the gun at her, but it was pointed towards the floor. Even through the loud ringing in my ears, I still knew this was wrong. The moment I pulled the trigger the girl collapsed, either from exhaustion or shock. But at least she wasn't dead, I hoped.
I glanced over my shoulder when the sound of sirens wailed in the distance. How the hell were the cops always finding out so quickly? Than I noticed the security cameras placed inside the home. An alarm system must have gone off. Holding back a groan of annoyance, I decided to take the chance and grab the paperwork before the cops arrived. I couldn't very well get captured for a second time, especially if it was the cops. Unlike SHIELD I'm sure the police would not hesitate to kill someone like me. I was of no use to them, especially after breaking so many laws and killing so many innocent people.
As I walked outside I noticed a small crowd of people were gathered around the other side of the street. That was when I noticed something different. My heart was racing with fear when I saw something flying in the sky, taking off towards the mansion. The spectators were watching in awe, clearly amazed at the sight of some strange creature flying in the air. That was when I nearly facepalmed.
Of course I should have remembered Iron Man. He was mentioned several times during training as a potential threat to the program. And seeing him now flying in the air made me realize just how risky this was. And I'm sure that he was part of the crew that captured me days ago.
With a sigh of annoyance I started running to avoid the crowd, noticing some familiar faces within. Most notably were the two people who questioned me during my captivity. Should I fight them now or flee? Suddenly the ringing in my ears only got louder, a warning sound telling me to kill before things got worse. I spat a curse under my breath as I started running again. The ringing in my ears was almost overwhelming as I ran away from the crowd, towards where ever my feet would take me.
The roaring sound of engine thrusters echoed in the distance. I glanced over my shoulder only to feel a pair of strong arms pick me up. It didn't take long for the ground beneath my feet to lurch as I was pulled into the air. I forced back a scream that threatened to escape my lungs.
"Wonder if I should drop you now or throw you into prison?" I didn't need to look up to see who was carrying me like an eagle would carry their prey. Iron Man's rough voice sounded from the helmet, and at this point I couldn't fight back even if I wanted to. "You're a tough kid, I'll give you that, but not tough enough." Without warning he dropped me on the flat roof of a building, sending me tumbling as he landed with ease.
"го ди инъ хелл," I muttered with all the anger I could muster. My legs were still shaking from the fact that I had actually been in the air. It was a strange feeling that made my stomach lurch. I wondered if this was what it was like to be on a roller coaster.
"Awe, I'm touched that you love me so much," Iron Man replied. I could almost hear the smirk in his voice. With a roll of my eyes I lunged forward and grabbed my dagger, ready to strike him down until he hovered in the air, just out of reach. "Did I say you could use your toys?" Iron Man waved a finger at me in an accusing manner.
"Enough." A new voice quickly joined us, and a sense of dread washed over me. "You're only making things worse." Natasha approached with caution as I glared at her, dropping the dagger seconds later. "We're not here to hurt you," she added in a softer tone. "We only want to talk."
"And here I was hoping she'd be a fangirl," Iron Man sighed. "Guess my job here is done." With that being said he took off once again, flying back towards his mansion nearby. Natasha only pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration once he was gone.
"Valerie... do you know why we are here?" I looked at Natasha in surprise when she played it cool. I knew her partner was nearby, keeping an eye on us both. If I made one wrong move he would not hesitate to kill me. So for now I decided to play along and keep a straight face.
"SHIELD is the enemy," I whispered. Natasha raised an eyebrow. Clearly she wasn't expecting me to talk so soon.
"What do you think SHIELD does to make us an enemy?" Natasha's question caught me off guard. Truthfully I wasn't sure how to answer that. Master had only said that SHIELD was the enemy. They would take what was rightfully there's with force if necessary.
"И вонът тальк (I won't talk)," I muttered. Natasha held back a sigh and shook her head.
"Веьре эге тоу нлп (We're here to help)," she replied in Russian. "Valerie, you don't belong in that program. What they did to you is-" I cut her off with a glare.
"You don't know anything about me!" I spat. "And don't act like you do!" Natasha's expression softened as she took a step forward. My eyes narrowed with hate; she just made a dangerous move.
"I know more about you than you realize," she murmured sympathetically. "Come with me, and we can tell you what is happening."
How could I ever trust her? She worked for the enemy. She was an enemy to Russia and the program. And yet I could see that she was clearly trying. Glancing over my shoulder I noticed that Clint was standing not far away on another roof top. He had his arrow ready in case I tried attacking. Finally I looked back at Natasha.
I could see pain in her eyes, as if she's haunted by a past of her own. I've read the files on her. Master had always said the Black Widow was a traitor to everyone. One day she would even betray SHIELD if given the chance. But seeing her now, I could tell that she was only human.
The ringing in my ears felt even worse now. I could almost feel Master's anger as my own as I raised my hands in surrender. Here I had no choice. If I ran her partner would shoot. If I stayed they would just send me to prison, where I rightfully belonged. At least if they brought me to SHIELD I would have a chance to escape again. Natasha only stared at me in disbelief when she realized what I was doing. She was probably expecting me to put up a bigger fight.
"Stand down, we're good here," Natasha suddenly whispered through an earpiece. She glanced over at me once more before looking back towards the other building behind me. Clint stood up when he realized the fight was over.
This fight was far from over. The glare I gave them was dangerously obvious. I would make their lives a personal living hell when I was taken into SHIELD's custody. That much I knew, and that much I would promise to Master.
AN: Here's a double chapter update! So yeah, she's captured again and all of that fun crap... only this time it's going to make a bigger emotional impact than she realizes. So big thanks to ellethwen of lothlorien and Spinosa for reviewing!