Chapter 5: Beware the Widow's Bite
It was a star-studded night at Gorgon castle as a lavish ball was being held. The guests were all extravagantly dressed, mingling and trading small talk over caviar and champagne. More guests were arriving at the massive gates of the castle, the entire walk practically blocked by a trail of stretch limos.
From the most recently arrived limo, a young woman emerged from the back seat. She was dressed in a long, sleeveless black dress with a slit that nearly reached her hip. A white fur shawl covered her shoulders as she gave the doorman a small nod, tucking a strand of fiery red hair behind her ear.
"Your invitation, fraulein." he requested.
Without a word, the woman reached into a simple black clutch, pulling out the invitation and handing it to him. He glanced over it, then handed it back to her.
"Welcome to Gorgon castle."
She gave a small smile, then walked into the castle. As she entered, she adjusted that same strand of hair again, simultaneously turning on an earpiece she'd hidden in her ear.
"Alright, I'm in." she whispered, her lips barely moving as she spoke. "Anyone care to tell me what I'm looking for?"
"Based on the intel we've been able to gather; the castle seems to be a front for a HYDRA facility." the SHIELD agent on the other end of the line replied.
"Bet Barton's still kicking himself for not making the cut." she chuckled, remembering the hissy fit her purple-clad team mate had thrown.
"Well Barton is a master marksman but when it comes to being discreet," the agent replied.
"He's sticks out like a sore thumb, I know." She interrupted.
As she mingled through the party, snagging a glass of champagne to appear inconspicuous, she noticed Thomann Gorgon, owner of Gorgon castle and suspected bank roller for the infamous terrorist organization HYDRA. He seemed to be ignoring most of the guests, his attention focused on one of the many security guards watching over the party.
"I've got eyes on the prize." she whispered, already beginning to mingle her way towards Gorgon.
"Make sure everything down below is ready for transport." Gorgon instructed. "My 'benefactors' demand everything arrives on schedule."
The woman gave a smirk, leaning against a support column and sipping at the champagne. Her eyes never left the guard as he nodded in response to his boss' instructions. She then set the glass aside, following the guard walked out of the main gallery where the party was being held and made his way into a private study. The woman stayed out of sight as the guard went over to a bookcase and pulled out what looked like a copy of Mein Kampf. As he pulled the book out, the bookcase itself started sliding to the side, revealing a secret elevator. The guard got inside the elevator and the bookcase slid back into place. As if it hadn't moved at all.
"Why is it always a bookcase?" the woman questioned with shake of her head.
She took hold of Mein Kampf, giving it a tug and unveiling the elevator again. She slipped inside, immediately losing her high heels as the car went down. She tied up her skirt, allowing her easier leg movement, then ditched the shawl as well.
"Now, let's see what Hydra's got hidden in the basement." she said to herself.
Finally, the car reached its destination. The door slid open and she wasted no time leaving it. She then made her way through what looked like a vast underground cavern. Before the woman knew it, she came up to a kind of hidden laboratory, full of scientists working on new kinds of weapons and technology. The woman could hardly believe her eyes.
"Remember how our intel said that HYDRA wasn't a major threat?" she whispered into her earpiece.
"Yeah?"
"Our intel was wrong." she explained. "Dead. Wrong."
"Find out what you can and get out of there."
"I'll do what I can."
She slipped through the cave, her bare feet padding on the cold floor as she silently did some recon. She slowly poked her head around a corner to see an empty computer terminal. She decided to take the opportunity to sneak over.
"What are you up to, Gorgon?" she asked.
She made her way over to the terminal and started trying to hack inside. It took a few minutes, but eventually, she was able to get in. She smirked, then cracked her knuckles as she skimmed through the files.
"Let's see what we've got."
As expected, she found several blueprints for different weapons, chemical compounds for gas, and even studies on germ warfare. However, one file caught her eye, one that made her jaw drop.
"Project Rebirth?" she asked aloud. "What on…"
"What are you doing here fraulein?"
The woman turned around to see a guard pointing a gun at her head. She tried thinking of a proper response that wouldn't get her killed.
"Looking for somewhere to powder my nose." she replied
"A bit far off for that wouldn't you say?" he asked.
"Well it was worth a shot." she shrugged off before kicking the gun out of his hand.
Before he could even react to what was happening, the woman struck him across the face. She then leapt into the air and double kicked him in the chest knocking him to the ground. As she landed on the ground herself, she used her hands to spring back up to her feet. As she stabilized herself, she looked down at her fallen opponent. Before she could turn back around to the computer, she heard a nearby door open and more guards came out.
"Great." the woman said to herself.
Thinking fast, she dove towards the fallen guard's gun and grabbed it. After rolling on the floor a bit, she came up, the gun in her hand and ready to fire. She unleashed several shots, taking down a few of the incoming guards. As she continued firing, the gun was shot out of her hands. She turned to see several more guards entering the lab, with Thomas Gorgon with them.
"It would seem we have an uninvited guest." Gorgon deduced.
"Actually, I handed in my invitation at the front." the woman informed.
"Yes miss… Rushman, was it?"
"Yes, but you can call me Natasha."
"As in Natasha Romanoff, the infamous Black Widow."
"I wouldn't say Infamous."
"I wouldn't say famous either." Gorgon countered. "You're outnumbered, outgunned, and have no means of escape. What are you going to do now?"
Natasha glanced around, trying to figure out a means of escape. As predicted, none were available. With a sigh, she raised her hands above her head.
"Budapest." she whispered.
...
Black Widow: MCU version. lines up with my version of Hawkeye.
Hope you all have been enjoying this so far.
