This story has been up already, but I decided to revamp it a bit, glam it up and put it out there once more.
There is a bit of a longer note at the end of the chapter.

Hope you're enjoying this little brainchild of mine.

September 12th, 1943 - Austria, Kreischberg - HYDRA Weapon Facility

The air was heavy with the scent of copper and decay intertwined with engine oil and the moistness of the mold on the walls. The facility was old and the walls were more likely to hold the cold of Austria in instead of protecting from it, therefore it was always a bit colder than comfortable, especially during the crisp autumn they experienced this year.
The screeching noises from the large halls, where the prisoners worked on the weapons and planes, almost drowned out the hard click of her heels on concrete. Slender, toned legs; a flowing skirt that stopped an inch beneath her knees; an equally brown blouse tucked in; honey-blonde hair pinned up and full lips painted a sinful, deep red. The woman had an air of no-nonsense and quiet confidence about her, reminiscent of a predator patiently awaiting for the lethal strike, all coiled muscles and sharp eyes.

It had taken all but one week for the whole facility to learn, that Doctor Irene Schneider could shoot looks colder than a winter blizzard and if one wanted medical attention at one point or another, one should not dare to provoke such a look. The first who did and ended up in medical had his wound sewn together without any pain killers or anaesthetics to numb locally, although the supplies were there. It was a painful and memorable affair, a warning example not to mess with the beautiful doctor.

Her secure steps led her without failure to Arnim Zola's make-shift office. A soft rap of her knuckles and she was asked in.
"Guten Abend, Doktor (good evening, doctor)", she said as she entered, the piece of paper, that had somehow found it's way into her purse during her stay in the nearby village, held tightly in her slender fingers. The stout man looked up from his notes.
"Ah, Fräulein Schneider (Ah, Miss Schneider)", he greeted and Irene suppressed a twitch of her lips. She had worked hard for her doctor's degree, certainly not so that presumptuous men could ignore it.
"Wie war Ihr kleiner Ausflug ins Dorf? (How was your small trip to the village)", he asked with a smile on his lips, his eyes shamelessly roaming her figure. Irene shook the feeling that crept down her spine and made her skin crawl.
"Ereignisreich (Eventful)", she said and showed the doctor the paper. "Ich muss mit Obergruppenführer Schmidt sprechen. (I have to talk to Obergruppenführer Schmidt)"
Zola handed the piece of paper back and nodded slowly, before he agreed: "Das wäre tatsächlich eine gute Idee. (That would be a good idea, indeed)" He offered up a chair and his personal communication system with a frown on his face. His radio was the only secure way to contact the head of their organisation and with such delicate information, one could not be careful enough.

"Obergruppenführer Schmidt, bitte kommen. (Obergruppenführer Schmidt, come in please)", Irene began the radio signal. "Obergruppenführer Schmidt, bitte kommen. (Obergruppenführer Schmidt, come in please)"
"Zola?" Johann Schmidt's voice cracked through the radio.
"Irene Schneider hier, Obergruppenführer Schmidt. Es tut mir leid Sie stören zu müssen, aber Sie hatten Recht. Der Feind hat mich um Hilfe gebeten (Irene Schneider here, Obergruppenführer Schmidt. I am sorry to bother you, but you were right. The enemy has asked for my help.)", Irene immediately explained the situation. They had both anticipated this particular request for quite some time now.
"Sehr gut. Ich erwarte regelmäßige Berichterstattung. Zola wird Ihnen das Funkgerät zur Verfügung stellen. (Very good. I expect regular reports. Zola will provide his radio for that.)", Schmidt instructed in a sharp tone. Irene's lips twitched slightly. They had agreed on a plan of action a few months ago, when Irene had joined HYDRA. "Natürlich, Obergruppenführer. Ende und aus. (Of course, Obergruppenführer. Over and out.)", Irene replied with a nod, that was of course unseen except for Zola, who in all honesty was more interested in how close Irene's backside was to him, than what she said or did.
"Enttäuschen Sie mich nicht, Doktor Schneider. Ende und aus. (Do not disappoint me, Doctor Schneider. Over and out.)"

Irene took a deep breath. Schmidt's not so subtle threat was as clear as the mountain lakes around. Then she stepped away, brought a fair bit of distance between herself and Zola, before she turned to him. "Sie wissen nicht zufällig, wo ich Kleiber finden kann? (You wouldn't know where to find Kleiber, would you?)", she asked with a rise of her left eyebrow.
"Vermutlich in den Hallen (Probably in the halls)", he replied and glanced at the watch on his desk, "Es ist Zeit für seine Inspektionen. (It's time for his inspections.)"
"Danke, Doktor (Thank you, doctor)", Irene thanked with a nod and made her way out of the office.
"Aber natürlich, Fräulein Schneider. Besuchen Sie mich gerne öfters! (Of course, Miss Schneider. Do come more often!)", he half-shouted after her, as she didn't wait for him to finish whatever he said before leaving. Once the door clicked shut, Irene took another deep breath. Having that sleazy weasel around was more than nauseating. She shook the thought and squared her shoulders.
HYDRA had recruited her for two very specific reasons, one of which had just presented itself and it was time to act, Irene was eager to start. She needed to find Kruse, so she could inform him about the latest developments and warn him in advance, that she soon would need transportation to the front.

A sly grin found it's way on her lips, as her eyes turned colder yet and any HYDRA officer she met shied away from her with a respectful nod. Finally things started to come together.

A/N:
Heya fellas,

it's been a while. But I'm back in the MCU!
After I haven't touched this fic in way too long, I dusted it off during quarantine and went over it. Editing a bit, changing the formatting, etc. Instead of just doing the changes, I decided to take the whole fic off of the platform and re-upload the edited version chapter by chapter.

For now, I try to upload every other week. Though I do have other projects I'm working on. So bear with me as I try to bring a bit of boredom-relief in times of Corona!

I hope you liked this prologue. It's short and sweet and only meant as a sort of appetiser. But maybe it made you curious enough to stick around.
I'd love for you taking a chance with this. Slow Burn / Enemies to Lovers is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, so this is going to be one of those ones.

And yes, I'm a sucker for the anti-hero!

Any sort of feedback is sincerely welcomed; favourites, follows, reviews. I'd love to interact with you fellas!
So for now, stay safe, stay healthy. Don't spread the virus, spread love!
Read ya soon,

Murphy