Special thanks to to akagami hime chan, WinterBarnesCaptainRodgers, Vintage Vixxin, Emersonian, Katie MacAlpine and tuckerjnp1 for reviewing the story, and to everyone who has added the story to their favourites or following the story.

Devil's Backbone

Chapter 4

"I'll go to my apartment and pack a few things. What's my cover story, Steve?" He asked cautiously. He just prayed that Fury didn't force him to pretend to be working for HYDRA. He couldn't do that again. It had taken five months of therapy with Christina Raynor and Amalia Begovic to accept that the Winter Soldier was a part of him, but he was the one in control.

"We're working on it, don't worry," Steve said reassuringly. He nodded and left. He knew Steve and the rest would look after Alpine. This had not been how he had been expecting his day to go. At the very least it would get him away from Tony.

Ana had lost count at how many people she had planned with, but Melina Vostokoff was already annoying her. For some reason, she was vaguely familiar, but dismissed it.

"Where is the Power Broker? We were supposed to have a meeting at the Brass Monkey this morning," the woman asked coldly. She had a distinct Russian accent.

Ana put her glass of wine on the coffee table as she regarded the older woman in front of her. She seemed to be under the impression that she could intimidate her by using her own connections.

"The Power Broker is currently rotting at the bottom of the ocean, Melina. Now, you can abide by the rules that are now in place or go somewhere else to continue your mercenary and assassin life," she answered coldly.

Before she could say anything else, however, Melina suddenly pulled out a knife on her.

Ana dodged the knife being thrown at her body, rolling on the floor. Melina pulled a gun out as she bolted out of the house. Ana chased after her, pulling out her own Colt Python as she pursued her way through the streets.

She caught sight of her running to Low Town and sighed, climbing up the fire escape from her apartment. She then ran to the docks, where Melina would more than likely flee to, as she had a yacht there.

Melina could feel the air leaving her lungs as she frantically tried to escape from the Black Canary. She wasn't going to take orders from a woman who was trying to impose a code of pathetic morals on Madripoor. She saw her yacht up ahead, feeling relieved and thinking quickly, untied the ropes from the boat. She couldn't see the Black Canary anywhere - maybe she had lost her?

She started up the engine, sighing in relief, but she was rattled by the mysterious young woman. She couldn't help but feel like she had seen her before, but that was impossible.

She needed to get rid of the Black Canary if she wanted to keep her secret from being found out. Natalia and Yelena were the only ones who knew the truth, along with Dreykov. Alexei knew nothing - sometimes she wondered how she could have married an idiot like him. Melina set course for Hong Kong, just as she felt a burning sensation in the left side of her stomach. She looked down, realizing with shock that she had been shot.

Ana put the sniper rifle down, letting out a deep breath as she watched Melina escaping on her yacht. Maybe she couldn't kill her, but at least she had gotten a shot in before she left. Maybe it would scar. Hopefully, honestly. Before the scope was set, she noticed that she had caller her boat Black Widow. Ana rolled her eyes at the name, before leaning back, contemplating her next move.

Melina would more than likely ask one of her allies for help in trying to remove her as the new leader of the criminal underworld. She remembered the woman now though. There was no denying her cold blue eyes.

Ana sighed quietly, grimacing the at the oil stains on her blue jeans, and decided to head home to change. She was meeting Sharon in two hours to collect her artwork and antiques. Least she could do was show up looking like a normal person and not like she just dove headfirst into a garbage truck.

Natasha had been reading the files on all of the girls at the Red Room Academy when her phone rang. She answered the call quickly, surprised when she saw who was calling.

Melina?

A bit hesitantly, she picks up the phone. "What do you want, Melina?" she asked suspiciously. Her adoptive mother didn't speak for a moment, before her voice rang out loud and clear.

"I had to leave Madripoor after I refused to accept the Black Canary's new laws for Madripoor. She shot me after I tried to stab her, Natasha. Are you sure that all the girls the Taskmaster recruited are dead?" Melina asked urgently.

Natasha swallows for a second and runs a hand through her hair. "I…we thought everyone was dead, but they keep saying that Ana is alive and-"

"Damn it," she hears her curse from over the phone. There was silence for a moment before she speaks again. "If that is her, you and I both know exactly what happened…you and Yelena. I want you to make sure you keep that information between us for as long as possible. If they possibly find out what we did…they're never going to forgive you. You know that."

Natasha was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I know." She glances down at the files again. "What was the encounter like?"

"Night and day," Melina states instantly. "It was almost like a different version of her then what I had seen before…Black Canary is ruthless. The bitch didn't even hesitate to shoot me…but it seems she doesn't remember exactly who I am if that doesn't happen to be Ana…you need to keep an eye out on her. If she finds out what you did, she might come for you next."

"I know," Natasha sighs quietly.

"I'm going to stay on the downlow for some time…I suggest you do the same. However, if you and Yelena can somehow keep her distracted from coming after me. If she ends up coming to America – stop her. She has too much power. If she remembers-"

"I know, Melina," she states, sighing. All of this was too much.

"Alright…then you be good."

The phone hangs up after that. Once she was gone, Nat lowers the phone and places her head in her hands, yelling out a silent "fuck!" before looking back at the files. The more people she talked to, the more it seemed that the girl was alive.

And if so, then she and Yelena needed to watch their backs. Everything could go to shit so quickly.

God…he hated preparing for missions like this.

Don't get Bucky wrong, he knew what came with the job when he ended up joining onto the Avengers with Steve. He probably could have retired and lived a remotely peaceful life, but he knew that eventually, he'd be dragged back in. So, he might as well just go with it.

But with something like this? He knew that his mission was going to be relying on his training. That he'd have to practically hunt down this poor girl and survey her. But if she was the person, they thought she was…she had to be watched. It was the smart decision to do.

At the same time, he wasn't looking forward to the memories it would bring up. Of his time in HYDRA and the Red Room. He didn't want to think about everything he had gone through. But he was sure that at some point, maybe he would be thankful for it.

Maybe.

He had gone through so much damn therapy to sort of be one with himself, and now that part was going to end up needing to be in the forefront for this mission.

And all of those thoughts had went through his head when he made his way back to the compound, his bag packed. He had already talked with Steve and the others, who had agreed to visit Alpine in shifts so he could get taken care of. That was all he really cared about. As long as Alpine was alive when he came back, he could do this mission without problem.

Hopefully.

Steve was the one to meet him at the quinjet, with the file on Ana in his hands. "We got some intel from Sharon about the new Power Broker's last location, regarding their penthouse near the water. She's still not giving us a name though – really don't want to piss her off."

Bucky raises his brow in shock. "Does this girl really hold that much power already?"

"I don't know, Buck. Just tread lightly."

Bucky sighs before placing his pack on his back. "Then what's my story?"

"Simple. I have a feeling that this woman doesn't know that the former Winter Soldier is working for the Avengers now if she just came out of that base. She's most likely still catching up on the news of the world. If she asks if you're with us, say you're not due to a fight with Tony. It's something she can easily believe."

Bucky nods quietly. It was something he could believe easily too.

"Alright…easy enough." He glances at the quinjet and then back at him. "Are we sure that we want to do this now?" he asks quietly, looking back at him. "We don't even know if this is the correct girl."

"It's worth a shot, Buck," Steve states. "You're going to be fine. I know you're only nervous to be doing this on your own. But you can do this. You're your own man. You got this."

Bucky feels himself smile a bit at the man's words. Leave it to Steve to somehow make this situation feel just slightly better.

"Just don't cause any trouble while I'm gone," Bucky warns.

"No promise," Steve responds back, patting the man on the back as he climbed onto the quinjet. "Keep us updated on what you find constantly. Sharon told me that there's an apartment she has a spare for in Madripoor that you can take for the time being while you're there. She said that you'll find the keys for it in a black motorcycle in the airport near the plane."

"Right, I got it. What name should I go by?" He asked finally. Steve frowned as he remembered what Fury had told them about the mission.

"Maybe something not too obvious, but she is Russian. Maybe you use a Russian name?" he offered. Bucky nodded as Clint came over with his identification records for the mission, and had even helped Sharon, Wanda and him make a wardrobe.

He knew what name to use. He hadn't remembered it for a while, but he had in Wakanda. He would use the name Yasha Surkov. He nodded at the name.

"I think I might change my story slightly as well, guys," he said firmly. Before he could go, however, Wanda appeared from beyond the compound, coming out with what seemed to be a pet carrier. Bucky's eyes lit up as he heard Alpine meowing. "I thought-"

"Bucky, you're being given an apartment," Wanda states, chuckling lightly. "You're allowed to bring him with you. Who knows? He might be your only friend."

Bucky rolls his eyes but thanks her all the same. Steve was smiling, so he must have known about the plan as well. Little schemers. Well, at least he got to have his pet with him. That was all that matters.

"I'll keep that in mind," he chuckles a bit before nodding to them. "Thank you. I'll let you know when I land." They nodded and said goodbye to him. Bucky waved at them, before picking up Alpine and boarding the quinjet. It doesn't take long for them to take off.

He just hoped that he didn't fuck this up or make the Black Canary suspicious about his true intentions. The last thing he needed was another fuck up like when he, Sam and Zemo visited Selby at the Brass Monkey.

He shuddered at seeing the way she had looked at him, like he was a sex slave. He'd thrown up after she had touched him. He shook his head and stroked Alpine through the pet carrier, letting out a deep sigh. He wasn't about to let his memories corrode his vision now. He had a mission to do.

Madripoor was a country that thrived on crime, and a few had been weary when Ana had taken down the Power Broker and setting down some ground rules. Ana was a decent person. She wasn't great, she wasn't horrible, but she was decent, and she had her morals. She stood by them no matter what people said.

The teachers and trainers had despaired at the knowledge that she refused kill other girls in her class. Or harm an animal or hurt dissident prisoners that were used as target practice for betraying or attempting to flee the motherland. She had nightmares about the lives she had taken during those years - men, women, and children. She saw their faces, each time she closed her eyes. She wished she could take everything back.

But the least she could do it makes sure that the Red Room Academy would never continue.

She had a hacker called the Phantom on her payroll to hack into the Avengers facility to find everything on the Red Room. Especially, on the Black Widows and the woman called Melina Vostokoff. She wanted to be prepared if the woman came back and tried to kill her.

Oh, who was she kidding? It was only a matter of when.

Ana decided to run herself a bath tonight, as she was going to be hosting clients in four hours-time.

Bucky arrived at the Madripoor airport after eight hours, and carefully but gently placed Alpine in the back of his motorcycle. He found the keys that Sharon had left for him and made a note to thank her as soon as he had settled in. He started driving his way to High Town, observing all of the beautiful and expensive houses, penthouses, or apartments. Christ, half of the people living here had some serious cash. And then the other was consumed by crime. A true paradox.

He drove to the townhouse apartment, which was secluded and very private. A part of him wondered how Sharon had pulled this but who was he to ask when given something great like this?

Bucky parked in the garage, before picking up Alpine, both going inside the house. Alpine ran out of his cat carrier the moment Bucky opened it, happy to be free. He was relieved to see the fridge and cupboards were fully stocked with food and drink. Alpine had cat food, biscuits, a basket, and toys.

Sharon, Steve, Sam, Fury, Clint, and Wanda along with the others were really making it look like he was settling in Madripoor. He smiled slightly as he looked at Alpine, who was investigating the surroundings.

"This our home for the moment, Alp," he said quietly, to which the cat meowed back. He texted Steve, Sam, Sharon, and the others to let them know that he had arrived at the house safely, before heading into his bedroom.

After unpacking his suitcase, as well as seeing the wardrobe fitted with clothes to his taste, he had to admit that the others knew his taste. Nothing too flashy, everything simple. It was exactly what he needed.

Natasha and Yelena had added a few pieces as well. He was happy to see the clothes he had worn before at Sharon's art gallery were hanging up. He was going to have a warm shower before meeting up with Sharon and being given information on the mysterious Black Canary. It was all that he needed to do to make sure that this mission ran smoothly.

Ana had a nice hot soak in the bath that was filled with bubbles and turned on the shower. She was going to visit Sharon and Conrad to get some information on Melina as soon as possible. There was also a rumor going around that the Winter Soldier had arrived in the city. She was curious as to know why. The last time she had seen the Winter Soldier was when she had been twenty or twenty-one years old.

Her memories were still foggy.

She hated to admit how much she barely remembered from her past, but at the same time it's not like she was surprised. The HYDRA handlers had made sure to wipe her mind clean so many times. The same with the Red Room. There was no denying that there were parts in there that were permanently lost.

However, split seconds of clips would appear in her mind about the Winter Soldier. At first, it felt like just a ghost story. But now that she was starting to really let her mind wander and think as hard as she could…the Winter Soldier was never harmful to her.

In fact, she was fairly sure he had protected her once. There was one mission Ana was sent on where she was meant to kill a political activist and his family, and she had refused – because of course she did. And he had stopped the Red Room from getting rid of her.

Why? She didn't know. How? Again, no idea. But that one moment stuck out to her particularly. She hardly remembered what he looked like. Most of the time he had worn this stupid ass mask. But if she for some reason did run into him again, maybe some sort of thank you was in order.

If she could ever figure out who he was.

Ana lets out a soft sigh of content as she lets her head rest against the water, before glancing back at the clock. She wouldn't stay in for too long. She had far too many things to do on her hand. Might as well get ready.

Bucky couldn't even remember the last time he had dressed this good.

Sharon was a big-timer over here, that much he knew for sure. Even in the same outfit as before, he felt like he stood out like a sore thumb. But he knew this was what it was like being in this place, so he needed to try and do that.

He had fed Alpine before he left, watching the cat fall asleep not long before Bucky had headed down the stairs and to the address that Sharon had forwarded him. When he had arrived, however, he was shocked to see that there were several other people there.

Most of which were outside the apartment, and many were inside as well.

Bucky had made his way through, trying to see if he could find her. And then there she was, standing at the bar, having what seemed to be a drink with a client looking over a painting. She turns to see him, and her eyes widen. "You're here – excuse me," she says softly to the woman, who dismisses her with a wave. She heads on over to where Bucky was. "I had no idea you were coming so quickly. Here, come with me."

She guides him through the crowds of people to where there was an office a decent amount of space in the back. There, she lets him in and closes the door before turning to him.

"James Buchanan Barnes," she states, coming over to her desk to lean against it. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again in Madripoor. Was your flight, okay?"

"Duty calls," he remarks lightly before shrugging. "It was alright. Alpine wasn't a fan though."

Sharon chuckles. "Usually, cats aren't but luckily he won't be flying for some time now." She crosses her arms against her chest, her brow raised. "I do know why you're here. You want to know more about mystery woman, huh?"

"It's only me here," Bucky states. "We need to track her down and see if our hunch is real. Is it?"

Sharon slowly nods, letting out a soft sigh. "You're right and wrong. I'm not entirely sure of her name. She's used several aliases before, so I can't give you that." Bucky curses inwardly to that. "But what I can tell you is that her name is Black Canary, or at least that's what she goes by."

That sounded remarkably familiar.

"Black Canary?" He questions, standing. "Was she-"

"Most certainly trained by the Red Room," Sharon confirms. "Her training matches up with what I've seen and heard her do, but I have no idea who she is. She's swiped her name off of every radar that I know. What I do understand is that her and one of my former clients aren't, ah…getting along so well right now."

Bucky's brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"Melina Vostokoff," Sharon continues. "She used to buy art from me for her fancy apartment here but ever since Black Canary showed up – not a single peep from her. It seems she's making all of the people disappear. Bit sketchy." She raises her brow at him. "Now do you see why I want to keep her in my good graces?"

Bucky feels himself let out a quiet snort, shaking his head. "Sam was right. Seems like she does have friends in high places."

Sharon chuckles a bit before shaking her head. "Good thing she does." She glances out. "Pretty sure she's supposed to actually come tonight. I know what she looks like but certainly not her name."

Bucky's brow furrows. "She's coming here?"

"I might be able to point her out for you in the crowd of people, but no guarantees. There's going to be plenty of buyers tonight." She grabs a glass of wine. "But until then, peruse and wait. I'll be sure to let you know if she's here – or if you run into her beforehand."

Bucky nods, thankful for the information. At least there was a chance. "Alright then."

"Yes. I need a favour."

Melina was a calculative woman. She knew that from the moment she had been trained years ago. However, she also knew when she was outmatched. And she knew that with Black Canary, there was no way she could take her on herself.

So she knew the next best thing.

Assassins to take on her mission. Better or worse known as the Elite Hunters.

They had agreed to her terms quickly, as long as she was able to pay them handsomely, to which she agreed. And soon, they were saying they'd make their way to Madripoor for her, heading directly to where that stinky little bitch was now. Melina had chuckled to herself, leaning back in her seat, thinking of the surprised face that would appear on that little woman's lips when she sees her death, coming right at her.

It wouldn't be long before Madripoor was back in her hands. Back with the people who should run it. Not some woman like her. And hopefully, the Elite Hunters would take care of that for her as soon as possible.

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