One Year Earlier

I'm standing in my new office, gazing out over the water, still not quite believing that HYDRA have elected me one of their new leaders.

Now I am the one issuing instructions, however I have been tasked with retrieving SHIELD's rose by any means necessary, so I have scientists and agents now working for me.

The only trouble?

I don't trust any of them and the thought that one of them could betray me at any moment unsettles me.

Out on the horizon I see a dark object emerge from the water, jump on an arc and land back in the water and I see that my options are clear.

I need to have someone working for me that I trust, and the only person I trust?

Mya.

I grab my phone and keys off the desk and head for the door.

I should really let my current head of security know I'm leaving for my own protection, but I don't want him to know that I'm about to replace him.

I arrive at Mya's house and meander my way down the drive, pulling up outside.

I half expect to be shot on sight. I haven't been here in eighteen years, but I need to know if she'll help me.

I slowly climb out of the car and make my way to the front door and knock. There's no answer.

I knock again, louder this time. It's a big house and Mya might not have heard me.

I wait a few more minutes. Still no answer so she's clearly not in.

Slowly and glancing over my shoulder as I move, I creep around the house to the back and see my new target. I make my way forwards and into the fragrant flower garden before using my knife and cutting off one of the delicate head before making my way around the pool to the back of the house and breaking in through the rear door.

The house is cool compared to the heat outside and I head for the one room I know Mya will see the flower. The kitchen.

I rummage through the drawers to find something to write on and with. Eventually I locate a sticky note and a pencil and I scrawl a note.

Call Me.

I stick the note to the countertop and place the flower over one of the corners of the note and leave the way I came in, securing the door behind me.

It's late and been a long day and I'm starting to feel weary as I sit at my dining table eating my sandwich and I hear a scratching at my front door.

Immediately my senses are on high alert and my weariness wanes. I reach for my gun and click a bullet into the chamber.

As I silently pad to the door, I start to wonder who could be stupid enough to break into my apartment.

I position myself behind the door, reach for the handle and take a breath.

The scratching is louder now.

I turn the handle and pull the door towards me, levelling my gun, my heart racing.

The second I see the flame haired woman in my doorway with her eyebrows raised, I lower my gun and step back to let her in.

"You were a little loud picking that lock." I told her as she brushed past me.

"I obviously don't have the luxury of you being out. I got your message."

"The message was to call Mya, not try break into my place, nearly getting shot in the process."

"I have called, just not on the phone. Now are you going to tell me what's up?"

"I'm in up to my neck and I need your help to stay afloat."

"And in something resembling English?"

"I'm now a leader at HYDRA and I have been tasked with finding SHIELD's rose. I need a head of security I can trust."

"Why me?"

"Because I need someone to watch my back without stabbing something into it."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Help me look for the rose, watch out for spies and moles in my cell and keep me alive."

"Again, why me? What makes you think I can do that?"

I knew convincing Mya to help me with words was impossible, so I lift my gun and step towards her. She lets me advance, knowing that I won't shoot her, but when I am close enough I spin my gun in my hand and try to hit her around the head with the butt of it.

She uses her forearm to block my blow and thrusts the heel of her other hand into my ribcage, knocking the wind out of me.

Mya doesn't stop there. She twists so her back is to my chest, twisting the gun out of my hand, the cold hard metal clattering to the floor in the process, before she drops to the floor and sweeping my legs out from under me.

I knew she was going to do it so it hurts less as I hit the floor, but I need to show her why I need her.

"That's why. You have the skills I need. You're smart and you can read people like a novel."

"What about my job?"

"Tell them you are doing research." I suggest, shrugging my shoulders.

Mya picks the gun off the floor, takes the bullets out and empties the chamber.

"I'm a History teacher." She says holding her hand out to me. I take it and allow her to haul me to my feet.

"Tell them you're headed to Berlin to do some fundamental research into neo-Nazis."

"Boyfriend?" she asks me, eyebrows raised.

"Same thing, although I'm not against pulling his fingernails off and telling him where to go."

"There's no need for that." She warns me.

"Yet." I growl back.

So far I haven't liked any of Mya's boyfriends and I've managed to get rid of them. They always seem to lead to trouble. I'm pretty sure Mya suspects I have something to do with it, but she has no proof and hasn't seen me in years to accuse me of it.