"The way he looks at her. Like she's the most important thing in the world to him." "I think she is."
Experiment X - that's was she was known as. A dangerous weapon that belonged to a lab in the Soviet Union. An assassin. A spy.
A seventeen year old...
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— CONDEMNED —
IRINA LACED UP her sneakers and grabbed her lantern before taking a deep breath and giving Steve and Lucas a reassuring nod. She began walking towards the room where Vecna was and stopped about a foot into the room. They knew he was still in there because Lucas's lantern was still shining brightly. Irina took another deep breath and paused the tape before sliding the headphones down so they hung on her neck. She thought carefully about what she was going to say to try and catch Vecna's attention.
"Hey, asshole." She said. "I'm here. No more music. No more games." She sighed. Nothing happened. The only sound that filled the room was the buzzing of electricity through the lantern. "Can you here me, мудак (asshole)?! I'm here! What are you waiting for, huh?! Do you want me or not?!" She shouted in an attempt to provoke him. The light from the lantern slowly faded and instead the lantern Irina was holding lit up before dimming a second later. Vecna was moving.
The three of them followed where Vecna was going all the way up the stairs, down the hallway, up another flight of stairs and... into the attic. Just where they needed him to be. They stopped in front of two dust-covered boxes where the lantern began to dim again until it was almost completely off.
"What are you waiting for, asshole? I'm right here." Irina snapped. "I know you can hear me." She sighed. "I know you can read my thoughts. Even the worst ones." She said before placing the lantern down on the box in front of her. She looked at Steve for a moment, knowing he wouldn't approve of her next move, but she did it anyway. She reached up and removed the headphones from her neck and the tape from her jeans and went to place them down, but Steve was quick to grab her hands with both of his. He looked at her a shook his head 'no' but she just mouthed the words 'it's okay' before lowering to the ground and sitting directly in front of the box.
"I thought about what you said. About how it was my fault Svetlana died. I thought you were only trying to upset me, o-or make me angry. But you weren't, we're you? It was my fault. And not just for her death. I've been killing people all my life. Girls like me. Who were in the same position as me. When we used to train back in Russia, it wasn't just fighting to see who would win. It was fighting to see who would survive. To see who had it in them to be a spy. To be an assassin. And I was the last one standing." Irina admitted. "And I see all of them before I go to sleep at night. I remember every single one of their faces. Their blood is on my hands. It was my fault Svetlana died. It was my fault those innocent girls died. I killed them. Everyone I love dies because of me. And I've tried to forgive myself... but sometimes I wish it was me and not them."
Steve wiped a tear that had rolled down his cheek at hearing Irina's words. He thought she was just going to say things that would wind Vecna up, but he couldn't help but feel that she really thought it was her fault. That she had a choice in the matter. That sometimes she did really wish it was her that was dead instead. And that just broke him.
"So that's why I'm here. Because I just want you to take me away. I want you to make me disappear." Irina cried, hugging her knees close to her body.
"Is that all true?" Irina's head snapped up to Steve when he spoke. "You killed innocent people?"
"Why are you talking?" Irina asked, confused.
"When I die, will it be your fault, too? Are you gonna kill me?" Steve questioned, slowly turning to look down at her.
"N-no, Steve, what are you talking about?" She asked, pushing herself up onto her feet.
"Normal people don't kill innocent people to see who could win a fight, Irina." Steve scowled. "You do realise that, right?"
"Steve, please." She pleaded, looking around to room to see Lucas was no longer there.
"I thought you were getting better, Irina. I thought your heart was good." Steve grimaced, taking a few steps towards her. "But it's not. You're sick."
"Steve, you don't mean that. Please." Irina whimpered, taking a few steps back, but he kept getting closer.
"Maybe it's good that he's going to take you. I don't need someone who's guilty, and careless, a-and... pure evil." Steve told her and Irina sobbed, shaking her head in denial. "In fact, I'm glad he's taking you." Irina's eyes widened as Steve's voice began distorting with Vecna's. "You will be the fourth. The final sacrifice. It's going to be you that breaks the world."
Steve watched Irina's eyes roll to the back of her head and her arms drop to her side. His eyes widened and he called Lucas over.
"Shit, shit, shit, it's happening." Steve hissed. "Irina, can you hear me?" He asked, but got no response. "Irina!"
"As soon as she starts levitating." Lucas reminded him, het he still had a look of shear panic on his face. "That's when we pull her out."
"Y-yeah... yeah. As soon as she starts..." Steve trailed off with a gulp, taking ahold of Irina's hand and holding it tightly.
"Irina." Steve said to her. "Where are you going? Don't be scared." He taunted.
"Stay away from me. You're not Steve." Irina scowled, still backing away.
"Irina, I thought you said you were ready. Ready to disappear!" Steve yelled.
"I said stay away!" Irina screamed, grabbing one of the old pot items on the dusty table besides her and smashing it over Steve's head before sprinting out of the room. Vecna growled in frustration, returning to his own form and watching as she ran.
