Darya Sokolov trudged through the woods with purpose, Natasha slung across her shoulders. She gritted her teeth in concentration, she hadn't come this far to lose now. She quickened her pace, hearing the sound of a jet landing on the Barton property about a half mile away. She hadn't expected her former student to be taken under by the poison so quickly. "Ever a disappointment," she muttered to Natasha's limp form.

Finally, Darya arrived at where a small jet waited, camouflaged in the woods. She pounded on the door and it opened, a middle aged woman with red hair at the door. Darya thrust Natasha at her, "Give her the antidote, quickly. She's almost beyond reach." The woman scooped Natasha up into the plane and quickly stuck a needle into her arm. She looked at Natasha's face, "Natalia Romanoff, the legend." She looked at Darya, "She's so young Darya, are you sure this is the way to go? She's been away a long time." Darya climbed into the plane and quickly pulled the door shut, preparing for take off. She nodded, "Trust me Anka, I trained her myself and I have never seen her equal. She is exactly what we need to start again. If all my students had been as good as her, The Black Widow Program would never have fallen."

"And the Avengers?"

"They think she died." Darya looked down at Natasha, bloody and white faced, "She certainly played her part well, although a little prematurely. I had hoped she would witness the murder of her friends." She shrugged, "She believes I killed the Bartons at least. She will need to continue to believe it." She frowned to herself, "I intended to kill Rogers as well but I didn't have time. I left Valeria to scope out more information for us. He will need to be taken care of at some point."

Anka snorted, "Valeria is worthless. You know that as well as I do."

"She's all we have left!" snapped Darya.

Anka blinked, "The others?"

Darya looked grim, "Natalia took them all."

Anka struck the table, "They were all we had Darya! I told you this mission was too risky!"

"It was worth it!" Darya burst out angrily. She jutted a finger at Natasha, "We have her, we don't need the rest!"

Anka considered her for a moment, silence stretching out between them. FInally she nodded and began to examine Natasha more carefully. Lifting her shirt she frowned, "Darya, you stabbed her yes? With a stinger?" Darya patted the blade strapped her her side, "A little too well it turns out."

Anka shook her head, "I don't understand…" Darya looked back from the pilot's seat, irritated. "What is there to understand? I stabbed her."

Anka lifted Natasha's shirt higher and turned to Darya, "Look. Where did you stab her?" The wound looked to be a few days old, already scabbed over. Darya scrambled from the front seat to where Natasha lay, examining the stab wound breathlessly. "Impossible," she breathed, "This is where I stabbed her, there's no question." Darya looked at Anka, her face luminous, "I can't believe it. She's already enhanced. This makes her so much more valuable!" She looked at Natasha greedily, inches from her face, "How did you do it?" Anka smiled wickedly, "She'll tell us soon enough." They both laughed, the certain triumph of their mission suddenly clear before them. With a whir of the engine, the little plane took off, location unknown.