The Shadow's Story

The Backstory

Elena's POV

I came to in a hospital room. I sat up immediately confused as to where I was but then I remembered. I had a concussion and was probably out for a couple days. So I got up taking the IV out of my arm as I walked along.

I found my way to the Avengers living room where I heard Steve Rogers talking about me. "She was the kid on the bridge with me and Sam in DC. She was working with Bucky in HYDRA. That means they knew each other and didn't say anything. She was the kid in the mask both times we fought Thanos." I suddenly felt lightheaded and stumbled into a wall.

"What was that?" I hear loud footsteps coming towards me.

"It's the kid, Elena." I got helped up and walked into the living room.

"Hi." I see a couple Avengers glaring at me. "Well this isn't great." I got led to a couch and sat down.

"Who are you really Lena?" Steve sounded angry and concerned.

"Don't call me Lena." I was angry at him.

"Okay Elena. We deserve to be told." I sighed and laughed.

"You really don't." Steve looked at me.

"Tell us." He sounded fake concerned.

"Geez fine. I'll tell you." So I started my story.

I wasn't going to tell them about mom or dad but I could tell them some of my past.

"I was born and raised in HYDRA. I was five when I met the Winter Soldier. He was put in my cell one day and we became close, if you could call it that. They made him train me because I had killed my other trainers. I was trained by him for two years and went on eleven missions with him before Odessa." I paused. "I had progressed quickly in my training and was living up to my title. I was his Shadow, no witnesses left behind. I made sure of that."

"You're HYDRA's Shadow!" That was Bruce.

"I am." He looked at me disbelievingly.

"You had as many successful missions as Barnes in a fraction of the time. There's virtually nothing about you in HYDRA's files." I smirked.

"They couldn't have anyone knowing that I was successful, they might want me for themselves."

"Who?" That was Steve again.

"S.H.I.E.L.D, the KGB, Dreykov, anyone in the intelligence agency really." They all looked surprised.

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" I nodded.

"Anyways. In Odessa the Winter Soldier shot the engineer like he was supposed to and I failed my mission. There was a witness. So when we got back they wiped the Winter Soldier because he didn't have me do my job. I got put under for two years until I was woken up in Russia. The Winter Soldier joined me three years later. We stayed there until we were transported to DC in early 2014. What happened in DC happened, I will forever have nightmares of the screams." Everyone seemed confused by that except dad who looked at me with a frightened expression on his face.

"Whose screams?" That was Sam.

"His." I looked at dad while saying this and he seemed sorry. "Anyways. We ran away and were in hiding for about a year until he wanted to go to Bucharest. I didn't want to go to Bucharest so I was on my own in the States for about a week until HYDRA ambushed me and took me to Sokovia." I looked at Wanda. "That's where I met Wanda." I paused for a break.

"That's crazy." Tony hit a homerun with that comment.

"Yep. Now in Sokovia Strucker experimented on me with lots of people watching in the shadows. I got thrown in a cell across from the Maximoff twins. Pietro liked me and appreciated that they were focused on experimenting on me instead of him and Wanda. I trained with them and beat them constantly even with their powers. Strucker didn't want to brainwash me because that would cause a factory reset and I wouldn't remember anything. He wasn't my handler so I would kill him. He used the codewords though. I went on one mission, took five bullets to the right arm and came back bleeding out. In order to save his precious weapon he amputated my arm and gave me a metal one."

All the Avengers looked at dad and then at me. "Deja vu." Again Tony with the homerun comment.

"Yeah. When the Avengers attacked the base I got sent out with them to protect it. I made my way to the city perimeters when an Iron Man suit took me to the quinjet because someone told it to." I looked at Tony. "Wanda was at the quinjet waiting for you I suppose but she used her powers to manipulate my mind. Natasha hugged me so I couldn't focus on the images. I jumped out and Wanda forced me to come with her and to work with Ultron eventually. I had the pleasure of killing Strucker. Then we met again in Klaue's ship. Steve got a hold on me but I escaped and started to make my way to Bucharest."

"Ultron taunted you." The realization came to Steve.

"Wow, really? Anyways, I was in Bucharest when someone got me again. I was knocked out and then when I came to I was in Russia. I was put in cryo freeze until 2018 when Steve and Sam found me. They took me to Wakanda where I met Shuri. Steve knew that I was in DC and Sokovia and so did Sam. Shuri and I became friends. I lived in Wakanda for about four months before Thanos came. I stayed with Shuri in her lab until the alien came. I fought him and fell down a cliff to where Vision fell. I broke a couple ribs when I hit and watched everyone go after Thanos. He talked to me and then slammed me against the rock again for good measure. I got snapped along with half the universe and woke up in the soul world where someone took me to where the dusted Avengers were and fixed my ribs so they could heal while I slept."

"You were with us sleeping and then you woke up and talked with Fury." I nodded at Sam.

"I told him who I was and he was surprised. Then we went back to the real world and I fought Thanos again. Broke some more ribs. Was living a peaceful life until you all decided to capture me." I just finished when FRIDAY announced something.

"Ms. Romanoff has woken up." I sprinted back to the hospital floor ahead of all the Avengers.

Mom was alive and safe.

I got to her bed and saw her awake and sitting up. "Elena." I smiled.

"Alexei didn't do anything to you." She shook her head.

"He just wanted me to be his wife again." She shivered and I smiled.

The rest of the Avengers came in and they all said their piece to mom.

"Nice to see you alive and kickin' Red."

"Thanks Tony."

"Yay! You're back and I can tell Laura you're alright and won't be killed!" Uncle Clint was dramatic.

"Tell Laura and the kids I said hi."

"I'm glad you recovered Nat."

"Thanks Bruce." It was very awkward between them, mostly on Bruce's side.

"Natasha!"

"Wanda." She was very strained towards Wanda.

"Now I can take you out on that date, Romanoff." Mom scoffed.

"In your dreams Sam."

"Ms. Romanoff."

"Vision."

"Nat! I'm so glad you're safe!"

"You aren't getting a date either Steve." His face faltered and I snickered.

(That bastard didn't do anything, did he Natalia?)

(No he didn't James, but that bastard is dead the next time I see him.) I smiled at their conversation.

"Do you want to explain who that was Nat?" Steve was back in business mode now and everyone looked at mom waiting for her answer.