Bird, Eating Spider
A.N.: This idea came to me after watching the Black Widow movie. Now look. Does this fit the MCU timeline? Not really. Does this fit the AC timeline? Not at all. Just sshhhh, don't think about it too hard. Sit back and enjoy the show. Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or Ubisoft properties. Enjoy!
Yelena woke up in a cold sweat. She bolted upright, panting as she tried to blink away the flashes of gold light from her nightmare.
Not now. Why now? She had just finished this! It was supposed to be over! Tied off! She was finished! Done! No one left!
Fanny crawled up onto her bed, whining and licking her face. Yelena hugged her, scratched behind her ear, and sighed.
She had more work to do.
It took a good week of research, combing through repressed memories, and even a handful of hypnosis sessions, but she finally had a good idea of who had enabled the Red Room.
Abstergo Industries.
That was the logo on the badge their liaison had been wearing. They'd been a guest in the Red Room for a month or so. They'd had a golden dagger, kept on them at all times. Even Dreykov hadn't been allowed to touch it.
The first time they'd used it, she'd felt something wash over her like a wave. Up to that point, she'd done what was asked of her because she had to, because the alternative was worse.
But when that dagger glowed, it was like all she wanted to do was follow orders. Like it would be the happiest, most relaxing thing in the world.
Punch your partner. And she did.
Punch yourself. And she did.
Pirouette. And she did.
Who are your sisters? I have no sisters.
Who is your father? Dreykov.
To whom are you devoted? To you.
She'd experienced it before. Maybe she could fight it now.
There was a major Abstergo office in Rome. It had come up when the company rep was talking to Dreykov. A break-in. Their best operative dead. Something or other. She wasn't sure how or if it was tied to the Red Room, but it was as good a start as any. And, crucially, there was a bar right across the street.
Her beer had gone warm and flat. She tried to nurse it slowly, hoping it would trick her brain into building the liquid courage even as each sip was metabolized before the next.
She forced herself to keep her eyes on the building, looking for anyone familiar, until a figure sat down between her and the window.
She had been halfway drunk in her motel room when the phone rang. She gritted her teeth, clenched both fists, and picked it up.
"What?"
"Need something to do?" Miles.
"No."
"Don't care. Look, this is a simple thing to get you back in the field. Someone's been investigating Abstergo, and she's getting too close for her own good."
"You want me to scare her away?"
"Actually, I want you to bring her into the fold. She could be an asset, provided she could be trusted."
"Hmph. And where can I find her?"
"Looks like she might investigate the Rome facility. Coordinates for the meet point and drop point will be emailed to you."
That had been two days ago. Now Galina was trying not to look intimidating while she marched into a bar and scanned the room for anyone who was obviously on a stakeout. Sure enough, there she was, staring like a creep out the front window and taking miniscule sips from a mostly-full glass of yellow liquid, which might once have been beer.
She barely reacted when she sat down. Blinked twice, leaned back in her chair, and grabbed her glass but did not drink it.
Galina waited for her to speak, and studied her in the meantime. It was like a blast from the past.
It was like looking in a mirror. The woman who'd sat down didn't say anything. Just looked at her and waited. Yelena did the same.
This woman wasn't much older than she was. A few years, maybe. She was blonde, too, but her hair was a choppy bob. She probably cut it herself. While crying. And blindfolded.
She sat like she wasn't sure what to do with her hands. She wouldn't touch herself, and she carefully pointed her hands away from her or the other patrons, eventually settling to let them hang limp at her sides.
She was probably armed. Maybe wrist-mounted guns like her sister's. but if she wasn't aiming at her, she wasn't in danger. Yet.
"If you're going to buy me a drink, I should be upfront and say I don't go in for that kind of thing." Lightly, she drummed her fingers on the glass. She hadn't brought any weapons, but alcohol and glass in the eyes would be a good start.
"I know what you're doing here, Yelena Belova." She had a Russian accent. It made the hairs on Yelena's neck stand on end. No. No, she couldn't be; the Red Room was DEAD!
"If you know, then get out of my way, and I'll let you leave with both kneecaps," She took a second too long to say.
"I am here to recruit you."
"You did before, already." The woman screwed up her eyebrows at that.
"Whoever you think I am, I promise I am not." She paused before leaning forward, placing her hands on the table, still careful not to point them at either of them. She rolled up her sleeve.
Underneath was a bracer. It looked like it was made of a hard plastic. On it was a symbol, a sideways triangle, with an extra curve near the shorter side. It wasn't one she recognized.
"You're looking into Abstergo Industries but I cannot begin to explain how far you are in over your head. My organization has been fighting them for millennia. We fight for free will, and for the common good. Will you join us?"
Yelena drummed her nails on the glass again, mulling it over.
"You could pay me?" she asked. The woman nodded.
"A set amount per op, which isn't much, but room and board are free."
"And if I join you – IF I join – you could help me find something? Something Abstergo used on me?" She nodded again.
"We'll do everything we can."
"Tink tink tink tink tink," went the glass as Yelena considered her offer. Galina elected to give her time to think. Big decisions and all.
More from boredom than anything else, Galina glanced out the window at the Abstergo building, then did a double take. Fuck!
Five guards were out the front door and crossing the street.
"There are Templars coming, no time for thinking. Are you in or out?"
"What?" She leaned over to get a better look. Her eyes widened. "Shit."
"In or out?"
"In."
Galina stood and went to the kitchen, Yelena following after her as they snuck to the alleyway door, Yelena only pausing to grab some boning knives off the wall. For the sake of a clean getaway, Galina hoped she wouldn't have to use them.
For the sake of feeling out a new recruit, she really hoped she would.
They stayed close to the brick wall on their way out. But the enemy had gotten smart.
Three of the Abstergo guards approached from around the corner while the other two came up through the kitchen.
Galina engaged her blades while the guards brandished clubs and cattle prods. No one dared make a move.
There was a clang behind her, and that was all it took to break the spell.
She caught the first guy's prod between her wrist and the blade. Two stabs to the face. Tried to grab the prod on his way down but it spun the wrong way.
She was on the ground when the second guy approached, lifting a foot. She kicked up. Caught him right in the groin. She got up; he went down. Another kick, this one to the head, and he was out. Probably dead.
The third one was easy. Block her club with one hand, open her carotid with the other. She and Yelena both turned red.
"Phtoo! Not very subtle, are you?" Yelena wiped blood from her mouth with her already-bloody sleeves.
"Let's just get to the van. I have to take you home to pack."
"I'm just saying, it's-"
"Say nothing. The police will be here soon. We can't be here. Van's over there." She pointed to the non-descript, totally-not-at-all-suspicious windowless white van with an illegal tint that Miles had rented for her. Yelena gave her an exasperated look, but they got in the van anyway.
A.N.: please read and review! Thank you for your time!