The Black Widow

Katya's last day

"Mariya or Katya?" 

A decision must be made and an argument could be made for either one. But if she made the wrong one it could push Natalia over the edge again. That boy made them realize how close that cliff really was.

"Your problem not mine. This is your game and frankly, I think you're taking it way too seriously."

"I am only being cautious." 

The way he dismissed this frustrated her to no end. Their country is on the line here, not to mention her own life. If she messed this up... Let's just say she was not going to get amother chance.

"What's the point? You have practically chosen Natalia already."

"I want to have a contingency, in case something goes wrong."

"Fine," he sighs, she is making this way too complicated, "Which would be better for the position? Both of the girls have families, I thought that's what you like so much about Natalia."

"That doesn't matter so much, there are more important factors." 

Families could easily be taken care of. She is beginning to think she shouldn't have come to him with her dilemma. Obviously, he doesn't understand all the planning and hard work that goes into this.

"Like what?"

"Well for one, she has natural talent. She is the best and we did nothing to make her that way. She was strong even before all of the serums you gave her. Katya has quite a bit of that too but she is curious and smart, much too smart. Mariya was a surprise but now she is definitely a contender. However, she is very sensitive and too emotional, a little naive."

'Naive? What is she seven?"

"Age is irrelevant. You've read their files, what do you think?"

For him, it comes down to the issues. They both have them but it all depends on which ones he can fix, "Mariya. I can do something about her sensitivity but I can do nothing about intelligence. Katya would get in the way."

"That's all I needed to know," she smiles, "That was't so hard, was it?"

He smirks as she hurries out of his office.

"Natasha?" It's Katya. Only a day after our odd conversation. This morning we were all told that there would be another assessment. No one is fooled now. We know that someone will die today. Another bed will sit empty tonight.

"Yes, Katya." I turn to face her. She told me yesterday that she would die in the next fight. I can't help but think that she might be right. She doesn't look like the other girls when they find out they will fight me. She seems very sure of herself despite knowing she will die.

She walks toward my bed and pokes her finger into a metal pole on the bed frame. I almost reach out to stop her but what good wold that do? She must know what's there. she pulls out the small slip of paper, a picture The one Ivan gave me before he left. I haven't looked at since that first day. There were words that went with the picture too, soft words told to me as a last goodbye. I don't remember them now. I can feel them there, just out of reach. There is a yearning inside of me to get those words back. I push it down. I can't be bothered with silly whims right now.

"I saw you put this in on the first day. I saw that it was important to you." 

She stares down at the picture with a softness in her eyes that I have never seen before. I want to look at the picture too. I hadn't noticed before but his face is beginning to fade from my memory. There are his dark sparkling eyes, his thin brown hair, his presence but not much more.