Darya Sokolov winced as she shifted in her chair, her shattered knee and bruised face irking her as she eyed her work critically. She pushed the needle into Natasha's skin with grim satisfaction. The hourglass design for Natalia's tattoo had been her idea. It was uniform, matching the others, but with a special twist, marking her as the first of many enhanced widows. Located over her heart, the tattoo rested just under her collar bone. Darya made some final adjustments with her tattoo pen, the midnight ink contrasting sharply with the blood red outline, a delicate red crown peeking just over the top of the hourglass. She glanced up at Natalia's face, drawn and pale in the dim lighting. She stared straight ahead, expressionless, not even flinching when the needle pierced her skin.

Natalia's brain wipe had proven more difficult than expected. Her memories were strong, like everything else about her, and stripping them from her mind had taken many repetitious treatments in the chair. Her memories of Steve Rogers were the last to release, their hold on her was stronger than Darya had expected. Darya scowled as she worked, Rogers had no business having such sway over her star pupil. It had taken a great deal of time and effort, the toll on Natalia was heavy, but the results were inescapable. Anka had erased everything up until before Natalia had gone rogue. It was a brand new beginning.

Darya touched Natasha's cheek, taking her chin and turning her face to examine the bruises and cuts that trailed down her neck from the base of her skull. She frowned, they weren't healing as quickly as she felt they should be with her enhancement. The chair was a brutal treatment, one that had killed lesser subjects. The many injections required to wipe the brain was a burden some bodies just couldn't bear. Natalia had undergone more treatment than most, along with the brutality of Anka's punishment for her escape. She had held up as Darya knew she would, but at a cost. Natasha was thinner, her curves becoming sharper and less inviting. Circles under her eyes told of her exhaustion. The skin of her arms and back bore the marks of her ill treatment, and they weren't healing like was left of her when they finished was a shadow of what they had started with. But Darya felt certain that with some recovery time and a carefully crafted new memory, Natalia would be all they needed her to be; vicious, obedient, with no attachments or qualms. Darya smiled, Natalia was formidable, despite her haggard appearance. They were so close to victory. She wrapped a scarlett curl around her finger affectionately.

"You are my star. Now that you are home we will conquer the world together."Natasha looked at her calmly with no trace her her former revulsion.

"Go and rest now, you will need your strength." Natasha nodded and got up to go, examining her new tattoo with only mild curiosity. Darya watched as she walked over to her bed and lay down, Anka entered, taking in Darya and Natasha with a sweeping blue gaze. Looking down at Natasha on her bed she spoke, her tone crisp, "Wrist." Natasha obediently held out her hand, which Anka secured firmly to the bed frame, the handcuff clicking as it locked. Arm stretched above her head, Natasha's eyes drifted shut, and she fell asleep.

Darya watched her for a moment, "She looks just like she did when she first came to us. Were we ever that young Anka?"

Anka rolled her eyes, "Don't go soft on me Darya. She's not so young. She's seen plenty in her life that would age even the best of us."

Darya glanced down at her knee, bandaged heavily, "I think she is the best of us, were it not for her unfortunate worldview. That's why Ivan wants her." Anka scowled as she looked at Natasha, then shrugged, "She will have whatever worldview we decide. We will finish the treatment tonight." She paused, "Darya, this Rogers character, I'm worried that despite our efforts Natalia might break through if she is alone with him for too long. Her connection to him was extraordinarily hard to break, I can't help but wonder if there is some sort of enhanced explanation for it."

Darya frowned, "What are you saying Anka? We need him to complete the enhancement project. I need his blood to heal. She is all we have with Valeria missing, we don't have time to hunt down the others."

Anka scowled, "If we aren't quick Valeria could ruin the whole operation. Idiot girl, getting captured so quickly."

"We have Natalia Romanov, Anka she is our winning play. Valeria is nothing. She fears us too much to talk."

Anka nodded slowly, "She better be, or Ivan will make us pay." Darya's face paled slightly, "We won't fail. Ivan will have his Widow back, and better than when he left her." She paused, brooding, "What did you have in mind?"

Anka leaned forward conspiratorially, "We use Natalia as bait rather than sending her in alone. We plant a false memory to make her hate him. Let her draw him in for her revenge and kill him. We can take the blood we need bag Natalia and be back in Russia before the week is out."

Darya's mouth pulled into a frown, "He is more useful alive, the blood supply would be ongoing."

Anka shook her head and looked at Natasha again, "I'm telling you, there's something odd about their connection. It was too difficult to break. We need him dead if we are going to make her truly ours again. Remember Kristoff? Let's take what we need and go. This wasn't even in the plans, Ivan is expecting us to deliver him Romanov, not Captain America."

Darya nodded, "Do it. Plant the memories and be done with it."

Anka smiled a cruel smile, and unlocked Natasha's cuff.