Survivor | Frank Castle

.16.

The flickering light of a lone, dim lamp casts long shadows across the worn-out furniture in Mary's apartment, she steps through the doorway, her senses on high alert. The familiarity of the space is disrupted by an unexpected presence — a man sitting in the shadows, a silhouette that radiates authority.

A gasp catches in Mary's throat as recognition sets in. The figure in the darkness is unmistakable, a man whose reputation for cutting through deception precedes him. Mary's past, once neatly tucked away, now looms before her in the form of the man who used to be her boss.

" Mary Kravchenko," Fury drawls, his eye fixed on her with a gaze that seems to pierce through the layers of her carefully crafted facade, "Didn't think you could slip away into the shadows that easily, did you?"

Mary's attempts at composure falter. The air seems to thicken as she struggles to find her voice. Fury, seated in her shabby apartment like a king surveying his domain, emits an air of unrivaled authority.

"What brings you here?" She manages, her tone a blend of defiance and wariness.

Fury smirks, his one good eye narrowing with a hint of amusement, "Oh, you know, just catching up with old employees who decided to go AWOL. Standard SHIELD protocol."

Mary's eyes narrow, "I left SHIELD for a reason. I'm not in the game anymore."

Fury leans back in the creaky chair, his gaze unwavering, "The game, huh? You can call it whatever you want, Red Widow, but the fact is, you're knee-deep in it again."

" I'm out. I left that life behind," She insists, her tone laced with a mix of frustration and desperation.

Fury chuckles, a low, gravelly sound that reverberates through the small apartment, "Out, huh? So, killing Carson Wolf tonight, that was you trying out a new hobby?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," She retorts, but the words lack conviction.

Fury tilts his head, his eye fixed on her like a predator sizing up its prey, "Save the lies for someone who doesn't know you, Red."

"Fine," She concedes, a resigned edge to her voice, "I took the shot. Carson Wolf was a threat, and I dealt with him."

Fury's gaze doesn't waver, "And who do you think sent you that threat?"

Mary hesitates, her mind racing through the possibilities.

"I don't know," She admits, frustration simmering beneath her surface. "But I won't let it drag me down again."

Fury leans forward, his gaze intensifying, "The world doesn't work like that. You know it, I know it. You're tangled up in something bigger than you can imagine, and you can't escape it."

" SHIELD--," Mary starts.

" Is gone," He interrupts," It's not there to protect you anymore... it's not keeping your secrets anymore," he takes a beat," None of yours."

She takes a deep breath, her eyes narrowing as her mind thinks back to the events that took place the previous year.

" So, everything--"

" Everything."

Mary's breath quivers, finding the room to be a lot smaller than it is. The pieces start to come together, everything start to make just a little bit more sense. That has to be the reason why that man from the gala seemed to know so much about her... it has to be.

Fury watches the realization dawn on Mary's face, a subtle acknowledgment that the web of secrets she thought she'd left behind continues to entangle her present. The room, once a sanctuary from the world's prying eyes, now feels like a confining space, the walls closing in on her.