The Black Widow

3 months later

"I thought you were just going to kill the one girl.,He sneers.

"Yes but eventually we knew we had to start washing out the weak ones." 

What did he think would happen to them? After they found the right girl it would have to be done. And it was looking more and more likely that Natasha would be that one. A few of them who showed a lot of promise might still be kept but she couldn't say for the rest. They all had families and they would tell them about what had happened in the red room. That simply wouldn't do.

"You mean killing the weak ones." He smiles, he likes correcting her.

"It doesn't matter what we call it, we need to make sure none of the other girls have her potential and get rid of them... fast."

He chuckles, "Whats the big rush."

"What's the big rush?" She asks her anger rising. How can he ask that? Or does he not realize that he has expedited the timeline more than she could fathom. All of this pressure on her to get it done exactly right had a short timetable and it was all because of him, "It's your stupid anti-aging program is what is causing this big rush. Their education was meant to take years so we had time to find the best candidate but now we have to finish before the other girls notice Natalia isn't growing with the rest of them utterly destroying everything I have kept so carefully in line."

The stress was definitely getting to her. She had put most of her money on little Natalia but if she started killing others then she would be going all in. No turning back and she was scared of what would happen if she turned out to be wrong. The woman decided that she couldn't possibly be wrong about Natalia. After all, this program had been practically designed for her after some earlier failed but promising results.

"Relax," he says rolling his eyes at her obvious stress and desperation, "Who are the girls going to tell?"

She slams her fist on the table, "That is competently beside he point! I have way much invested in this for even the smallest thing to go wrong."

He sighs. What does he care anyway? Natalia is the only one he has something invested in, "What do you suggest we do then?"

"We finish this, get her home, erase all of her unimportant memories and continue her training."

"And the other girls."

She shrugs, "Once we determine they don't have the potential she does, we have to kill them."

The assessments have come more often now. We have had two since Sophia. I always go last and every time I get the kill signal. Every time I follow orders. The others must learn slowly because each time they are just as shocked. Some of them even cry but always in secret away from the prying eyes of the teachers. They just don't understand that it is when we don't think they are watching that the teachers are actually watching us the most.

 At first, everyone was worried that they might get the kill signal. By the second one it became apparent that I would be the only one doing the killing. So they avoid me like the plague which suits me fine. I like the alone time but it bothers Mariya. Whenever I don't get angry at the comments and stares I get from the other girls she gets angry enough for the both of us. 

Just a day ago a girl called me, "The teachers little attack dog" under her breath in the food line and Mariya almost ripped her head off. At the gun range, one girl asked me how I could be so heartless. Mariya told her to find a different target but I did nothing. I would have liked to answer her but I didn't understand the question. Of course, I had a heart. I was still alive, wasn't I? That night I stayed up listening to my heartbeat trying to decipher the meaning in the words. It was right there on the edge of my brain but I just couldn't reach it. The fact that I couldn't was mildly distressing but eventually, I came to the conclusion that she must be mistaken. I did have a heart. I was sure of it.