Initiative 2030
Black Widow VII
She was not Natasha Romanov.
Vasilia Yusuprov was very good at blending. She wore street clothes, she had a very average face and she moved confidently but steady, NEVER run or hurry through crowds. It was personally noticable, and it made you easier to track via various suveilance.
Vasi, as she preferred, was in Washington DC on a mission and her target was, Miss America aka US Agent. 'Too bad she's no longer on the Washington DC team,' she mused.
Barbara Monroe's identity as Miss America was public knowledge, but her personal information was kept covert by the Initiative Program. And, one assumed, the black project people she did work for as US Agent.
"Map to the stars! Map to the stars!" one man was selling his wares.
Vasi paused. 'Nah, it wouldn't be...?' she mused.
"Yeah?" the man asked as she walked up.
"Your map, it has Miss America in it?" Vasi asked.
"Oh yeah. Actually she has two homes in DC," he told her.
Vasi bought the map, then headed off to investigate. As she walked she passed a hotdog stand, and found herself slowing.
"Hotdog, miss?" the boyish woman operating the cart called.
"I shouldn't," Vasi paid, "but thank you."
"Doing the tourist thing?" the vendor asked, having seen the map.
"Seeing the sights, yes," Vasi conceded.
"Relish? Mustard, tomatoes?" the woman asked. She winked, "All free of charge to a pretty lady like yourself."
"Tomatoes, relish," Vasi smiled as the woman finished her food. "Thank you."
The other woman did something behind the counter, then passed her napkins. "Have a nice day!" she called.
Vasi looked at the napkin and realized the woman had written, 'Call me' and her phone number.
As Vasi savoured her hotdog, she considered the map. There was one home basically out in the suburbs, and one nearer to the White House and so on. Clearly one was 'work' and one not.
'I'll try the one near the White House first,' Vasi decided.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Whiz was racing across the city, the gold dressed speedster searching for anything unusual. He ran by a woman having a hotdog, and kept going as his radio chirped.
"Anything unusual?" Thin asked.
"I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for," Whiz admitted.
I mean... Russia was freaking huge. And there was a huge variety of racial looks in their territory. With the right training an agent could pass as a US citizen, easily.
"Do regular passes by both of Barbara's homes," Thin ordered after a moment, "otherwise, just keep an eye out."
"Got it," Whiz agreed.
"Red Raven?" Thin checked next.
Red Raven was doing flying patrols over the city. "No unusual bio-signatures," Sam Carter noted, the man using the Red Raven's latest upgrade to scan the crowds.
"I wish we knew how much the current Black Widow is augmented," Thin admitted.
"You and me both," Red Raven agreed.
Red Raven's winged flight armor, in theory, could pick up the added electrical energy generated by types of biological augmentation. They had tested it on the heavily augmented Liberteen, and he'd spotted her a fair distance away. But if she was augmented subtly, or in some new manner they were unaware of, he might not see it.
"Well, continue patrols and call if anything comes up," Thin ordered.
Red Raven nodded, "Will do."
Diamond was off on a three day ski trip, and had turned his phone and messaging off. They were going to have an 'official' discussion on the definition of being 'on call' and if he really wanted to stay on the team.
Thin sighed, 'Being the temporary field leader sucks.'
"Thin, this is Frost Bite," the woman's voice said, "we'll need to bring Liberteen back to base. Medical issue."
Thin frowned, "What happened?"
"Vomiting food and blood. I'm calling the emergency techs," Frost added.
"All right, keep an eye on her," Thin ordered.
"I'll contact you once I know something," Frost hung up.
'The search is not going that well,' Thin thought as she lurked outside Barbara's main residence.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Vasi, not long after arriving, had realized that Monroe wasn't there. She WAS able to confirm it was the right place by the lurking superheroes.
'Do these people even know covert ops?' Vasi wondered as she watched, casually sitting on a nearby bench.
One of the first things you learn in spy school: do not sneak. Act like you belong, be confident, and people will just accept your presence.
Vasi got up and stretched, then casually ambled off.
This raised the question of where Monroe was. Out on a Defender's mission? Something covert as US Agent? Or...?
Something made Vasi react, and she moved aside just as she heard a soft SNIKT.
"Oh, good reflexes," a cheerful male voice noted.
He was, like her, good at blending in. Simple clothes, scruffy hair, a casual, relaxed manner. The only oddness being the claws coming out of his hands and wrists.
"Daken," Vasi recognized him instantly.
"Black Widow, I presume?" Daken smiled. "You're VERY good... but I picked up a scent I know is associated with Russia."
"Or I could be a decoy tagged with that," Vasi countered.
"Then I'll send flowers to the decoy's family," Daken shrugged casually.
Vasi was impressed he clearly didn't care about collateral damage. Still, she had to ask, "Are we really doing this here?"
"I slaughter you, I give up, get arrested, the President pardons me, rinse and repeat," Daken said with a wry smile.
Whiz popped up in a burst of speed and radioed, "Black Widow sighted! She's fighting Daken."
"Patriots, converge on their location!" Thin ordered.
"Oh come on," Daken muttered, clearly unhappy his fun was spoiled.
In a burst of unusual speed Vasi grabbed Whiz' arm, shifted, then used judo to bodily fling him at Daken, sending them crashing to the ground.
Casually Vasi slipped into the crowd, even as the heroes rushed in.
"Get off me you idiot," Daken complained.
"Sorry," Whiz said sheepishly.
Vasi concentrated on putting distance between them, while not running. She ducked down a alley, then took a side street as she wondered what tipped Daken off. Before leaving she had been put through a multi stage deep clean to try to remove all traces of the Red Room.
Admittedly, they had been more concerned over Logan, not his son Daken. Still...
Now, did Whiz get a good enough look at her to pick her out later? Daken, of course, had her scent. Damn it. Would be best to try to change her look, ideally before a search really took off.
"Hey! Over here," a voice called.
There was a woman's bar up ahead, 'The Venus,' and an extremely familiar figure was waving hello at her. "Barbara Monroe?" she asked.
Barbara smiled warmly as she walked up, dressed in casual street clothes. "Black Widow, I presume?" she said. Without pausing she added, "Come in and have a drink."
"You do realize I'm here after you?" Vasi had to ask, a bit thrown by her friendliness.
"Doesn't mean you don't need a drink," Barbara noted. "And the bar's neutral ground."
Vasi decided to roll with it and followed her in, but was wary of any ambush.
The bar was brightly lit, and only women were there. Not too crowded, so Barbara had no trouble finding them a table. "Beer?" she asked, "Or something stronger?"
"Vodka. Rocks," Vasi went with a familiar drink.
A... absolutely gorgeous blonde floated over, bringing a beer for Barbara and vodka for her. There was something almost supernatural about her beauty...
"Wait." Vasi blinked. "THE Venus?"
Venus, former 1940s superhero and kind of demigod, smiled warmly. "It's nice to be recognized," she noted. "This is my place, and the one rule is no fighting."
"Yes ma'am," both women agreed.
"Enjoy your visit," Venus waved, walking away like Marilyn Monroe.
Vasi stared, then shook herself.
"You get used to it," Barbara had some of her beer.
To be continued...
Notes: The Patriots team are friends of Barbara, so came out to help. Daken may have just turned up for the fight...
