Black Widow: Dark House

9. "Eight"- Sleeping At Last

Bold Italics- Russian

Italics- any language besides English

**- thoughts/ memories

**Get in, secure the information, get out. That was their mission. That was their plan.

At least... until it wasn't. Somehow the facility had been tipped off to their presence. Natalia had no idea how, but she didn't have time to figure it out. Natalia bounded through the hallways carrying the case that held their objective target, Ana just behind her returning fire to the enemies further back in the hallway. Alarms sounded over their heads; the hallways dark save for red flashing lights that cast menacing shadows everywhere.

As they ran with the information, at the end of the hallways behind them, a man emerged with a large rocket launcher. As they reached the end of the hallway that split off into a T, Ana barely had time to shout as she looked back.

"Get down!" she shouted, shoving Natalia away from her, making them separate into the different hallways.

The rocket launcher exploded in front of them, sending both women tumbling painfully backwards. Fire and ash covered everything, the ceiling immediately caving in, separating the two.

Natalia shook her head, her ears ringing as she lethargically stood, working to find her balance. She looked over to see if she could locate Ana. Ana was standing, looking for her through the flames.

When they locked eyes, Natalia saw Ana let out a breath before recovering, furrowing her eyebrows again, her face resuming its brooding features. Ana nodded, signaling that they keep going. The mission was all that mattered.

Natalia made her way through the facility, using her memorization of the building's blueprints to navigate her way. She rounded the corner, seven men looked up at her stunned by her presence.

Within four minutes, each one of them was on the ground as she sauntered way. She finally came to a large warehouse full of chemical containers, shelves, etc. She saw one of the hanger doors open partially and started to make her way.

On a service bridge above her head, four men started shooting at her, one holding another rocket launcher. She turned, firing off a few shots before finding cover behind a filing cabinet. A barrage of bullets rained down on her, one piercing through the filing cabinet and grazing her thigh. Graze or not it hurt like a bitch, making Natalia let out a pained yell.

She had to move, but as she did, the rocket launcher above her fired, hitting a shelf of chemicals next to her, the explosion tossing her in the air until the slammed into the wall of the warehouse, cracking her head against the concrete before slumping to the floor.

Natalia's eyes fluttered as she tried to keep a grasp on consciousness. Flames tore through the warehouse, making other smaller explosions rumble the ground beneath her.

She heard return shots and caught glimpses of Ana running through the flames as she shot at the men. She looked and saw the case at her feet, oddly relieved that it hadn't been destroyed in the explosion.

Ana dispatched the men quickly, but Natalia's vision started to fade in and out. She saw Ana's boots walking towards her, her feet landing in the middle between the case and Natalia's feet. Natalia knew she was done.

By the rules taught to them as children, only the strong survive, and they don't save the weak. It was Ana's duty to shoot her, so she could not relay any information or be saved by someone else.