a little death ➴ ᵏᵃᵗᵉ ᵇⁱˢʰᵒᵖ

𝟷𝟽

➴

"да ты что, Ramona, it is one in the afternoon!"

Remy woke to a loud, half-intelligible exclamation. Stunned, she sat up, hitting her head against a wooden shelf mounted above her bed. "Holy shit, Yelena."

"Hello."

"You can't be here, I have a roommate." Remy cursed, tiredly making her bed.

"Taking humanities for another.." she paused, "Forty minutes."

"Why do you know that?"

"What do you need?"

"Eager to help me all of the sudden?"

"You asked me here."

Remy bit her lip in surrender, ignoring Yelena's arguable oversimplification. "I need information," Remy began, her voice tense. "More than what I can find through normal means."

Yelena raised an eyebrow, now intrigued. "Information about what, exactly?"

Remy hesitated for a moment before turning to face Yelena, her expression hardened. "A.I.M. Adrian Hanover. Project Goliath. There's a lot of missing pieces, and I can't dig them up without raising red flags."

Yelena said nothing, only tilting her head in curiosity.

Remy nodded, pacing slightly. "My parents were involved in it— my mother was killed for it. Hanover is pulling the strings now, and I need to know everything. Where A.I.M.'s operatives are, any hidden labs, anything that might connect the dots between them and what's left of Goliath."

Yelena's eyes glinted with a calculating gleam. "You're in deep shit, you."

"I know," Remy said softly, stopping in her tracks. "I'm out of options."

Yelena walked over to her, her steps silent and deliberate. "This Hanover guy— what's his interest in you?"

"He asked me to find my mother's research, information that could destroy A.I.M. if ever shown to the public. Why he believes I have any interest in leaking anything, I don't fucking know."

"Do you have it, the research?" Yelena asked bluntly.

"No," Remy admitted, frustration seeping into her voice. "I should mention he's threatening me."

"Hm? Threats?"

"I got—" Remy began, pulling an envelope from behind her bedframe. "Somebody— I dunno who— came by the diner and gave me this. Pictures, addresses.. information belonging to the people I love."

"You ought to be in hiding," Yelena offered, refusing eye contact. "Contact your professors, tell them Nana died, or some bullshit. You need to leave."

"What, where?"

"I don't know, I'll figure it out," She stated. "You stay with me, I learn more about this man, yes?"

"And then?"

"We're not there yet."

➴

"Wasn't sure how you liked it, 'm sorry." Kate apologized, setting a white, paper cup on Remy's desk.

"Oh my God," Remy sighed, having needed the caffeine. "Thank you so much."

"Of course," Kate grinned, pulling up a chair of her own. "I'm sorry you haven't been seeing much of me. I'm so busy with this new position."

"I bet," Remy nodded with a smile, the short-lived grin a stark contrast to the raw guilt she was feeling. Her stomach turned at the mere thought of Kate having blamed herself for their recent distance. "I had fun the other night."

"Yeah?" Kate gave a shy grin. "When can I see you again?"

"Yeah, I, uhm.. I'll have to see," Remy giggled, masking her distress. "I've been busy too."

"I'm worried about you," Kate spoke, her words followed by a momentary pause. "You've been distant. After everything we've talked about—"

"What are you accusing me of?" Remy asked, her demeanor quickly shifting.

"I'm not accusing you of anything."

"Yes, you are. Say what you mean," Remy spat.

Kate scoffed in defense, taken aback by Remy's unusual aggression. "You used my login to access classified information, and you didn't tell me about it. Why?"

"What?"

Remy felt the guilt twist in her gut. She had been keeping so much from Kate, and it wasn't fair. But how could she explain the danger she was in, the danger she was bringing to everyone around her?

Kate lowered her head, sitting in silence as she thought to herself. "Clint was the Ronin," she finally said, looking at Remy.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Remy's eyes widened. She had read about the Ronin— vigilante justice, brutal methods. But Clint? The man who'd been her mentor, the person she looked up to?

"You're not beyond redemption, Remy. No matter what you've done or what you're involved in, there's always a way out."

➴

Remy sat her purse on the small, cluttered counter, face hidden in her hands as she found a seat.

"What is the matter with you?" Yelena asked, shrugging her gloved arms over the kitchen sink.

Remy sobbed, her face appearing from behind her hands as she folded them in her lap. Her expression fell quickly, as if removing a mask. "I told her everything."

"Oh my."

"I'm meeting Kate and Clint in an hour and I need you to come with me."

"Not looking like that, you're not," Yelena sighed as she dried a final dish before joining Remy on the small couch. "This changes the plan."

"I know it does."