I'm Sorry | Natasha Romanoff

Prelude

Jenna Grey Sinclair's earliest memory was of flames. Not the comforting kind that danced in a hearth on a cold winter night, but an inferno that devoured everything she had ever known. She remembered the fear in their eyes as Hydra agents burst into their home, tearing apart the life they had known. David Alexander Grey and Sarah Victoria Sinclair had been idealistic scientists, believing they were working to better humanity. Hydra, however, saw their research as a means to power. 

When Hydra approached that little girl with the promise of safety and a new life, she resisted with all the strength a frightened child could muster. She kicked and screamed, refusing to leave the ruins of her home. But Hydra saw something in her—the potential to wield the powers her parents had researched, powers that could make her their own superhuman weapon. They took her, erased her past, and molded her into an instrument of their will.

Years passed, and the little girl grew into a deadly operative: Experiment 013. Hydra trained her in the art of combat, espionage, and subterfuge. She learned to blend into the shadows, strike without warning, and disappear like smoke. But her most dangerous weapon was not the one they had trained her with; it was the one she had been given. The fire within her, a gift she neither understood nor fully controlled.

Hydra's scientists were fascinated by her abilities. They subjected her to endless tests, trying to unlock the secrets of her power. They taught her to harness it, to turn her anger into a weapon. She could summon flames with a thought, conjure fireballs with a flick of her wrist, and reduce her enemies to ash. She became known as Inferno, Hydra's living weapon. Their ghost.

But deep inside, Jenna never forgot the night her world burned. She carried the pain and the anger with her, a smoldering ember that Hydra could never extinguish. It fueled her every action, every mission. She became their best, not because she wanted to serve them, but because she had no choice. Survival meant compliance, and compliance meant power.

And she wanted power.

Jenna stood in the training arena, her breath steady, her eyes fixed on the targets before her. She could feel the heat building in her chest, the familiar rush of power coursing through her veins. She raised her hand, and flames erupted from her fingertips, scorching the dummies to cinders.

"Impressive as always, little Inferno" a voice drawled from the shadows. Jenna turned to see Dr. Anton Gruber, Hydra's chief scientist and the man responsible for her transformation.

"Thank you, Doctor" she replied.

Gruber approached, his eyes gleaming with a mix of admiration and calculation. "You are progressing well, my dear. Soon, you will be ready for your next mission."

Jenna nodded, hiding her disdain. She knew what Gruber saw when he looked at her—a weapon, a tool, nothing more. But she also knew her time would come.

"Remember" Gruber continued, "control is key. The fire is a part of you, but it does not define you. You must remain focused."

Jenna met his gaze, her eyes burning with a fire of their own. "I understand"

As Gruber walked away, Jenna turned back to the charred remains of the targets. She clenched her fists, feeling the heat simmer beneath her skin. She had become everything Hydra wanted—skilled, dangerous, obedient. 

In the dead of night, when the facility was silent, Jenna would lie awake, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts no longer dwelled on the faces of her parents. Instead, her mind was consumed with a singular purpose: power. They had ignited a fire within her—a hunger for strength, dominance, and the ability to bend others to their knees.

For now, she played the role of Inferno, Hydra's deadliest operative, with ruthless efficiency. But the flame burning within her was no longer just a reminder of her past; it was a reminder who she became; she held the reins of power. Jenna knew that as long as that fire burned, she could never be truly controlled. She was the fire, and one day, she would consume them all.

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An: I have so many writing to do, but I have ADHD, so you guys get whatever I feel like working on lmao. This is more focused on Natasha and Jenna relationship. It doesn't go into details of Jenna relationship with other people.