Shadows of Red: The Lives of Two Assassins

Chapter 3: Ghosts of the Past

The city of Prague was drenched in the soft, fading light of dusk, casting long shadows across the cobblestone streets. Natasha and Kylar moved through the alleys with practiced ease, their eyes constantly scanning for threats. SHIELD had sent them on a mission to intercept a package—something critical that had fallen into the wrong hands. But, as always, the Red Room was never far behind.

The whispers of their past were louder here. Eastern Europe held memories of cold training camps, brutal missions, and faces long since lost. And now, as the two women moved through the streets, Natasha couldn't help but feel that they were being watched. Her instincts, finely tuned after years of survival, tingled with the same familiar dread. But this time, the threat felt more personal.

They had split from the rest of the SHIELD team, operating as they often did—alone, in the shadows, trusting only each other. The mission wasn't just about retrieving a package anymore. Intelligence suggested that the Red Room itself might be involved, which meant their old handlers could be pulling the strings. Natasha had learned to live with the constant threat of being hunted, but knowing that her past could come crashing into her new life with Kylar made her more anxious than usual.

"Do you feel it?" Natasha whispered, her voice barely audible over the soft rustle of the wind.

Kylar's blue eyes flickered toward her. "They're close. But we've handled worse."

Natasha nodded, though her unease didn't lessen. She glanced at Kylar's face—sharp, focused, but calm, as always. Kylar had a way of keeping herself composed in the face of danger, even when everything around them was falling apart. Natasha had always admired that about her. But now, the thought of losing her, of Kylar getting hurt or worse, twisted something deep in Natasha's chest. They had faced death before, but somehow this mission felt different.

Suddenly, a crackle of gunfire echoed through the alley.

Natasha's reflexes kicked in instantly as she dropped to the ground, pulling Kylar down with her. The bullets struck the wall behind them, sending chunks of brick and stone flying in every direction. They were pinned. The Red Room agents had found them.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Natasha shouted, firing back as she pressed herself against the wall.

But Kylar didn't move. "I'm not leaving you, Nat."

"Kylar—" Natasha started, but the sharp sound of an explosion cut her off.

The world seemed to slow as the blast sent them both tumbling through the air. Natasha hit the ground hard, her vision blurring as she struggled to regain her bearings. Her ears rang, the sound of the explosion reverberating in her skull. But when she managed to focus, her heart dropped.

Kylar lay a few feet away, motionless, half-buried under a pile of debris. Blood stained the side of her face, and her chest barely rose and fell with shallow breaths.

"Kylar!" Natasha's voice cracked as she scrambled toward her, panic flooding her senses.

The air around them was filled with the sound of approaching footsteps—Red Room agents moving in, but Natasha didn't care. All she could see was Kylar, her pale face smeared with dirt and blood, her body unnaturally still.

"Kylar, stay with me. Please," Natasha whispered, her hands trembling as she checked for a pulse. It was faint, too faint.

Memories of their time in the Red Room surged to the forefront of her mind—training together, fighting side by side, surviving the impossible. Kylar had always been there, her silent strength anchoring Natasha through every horror they had faced. But now, seeing her like this, something snapped inside Natasha.

She couldn't lose her. Not like this. Not now.

A voice in her head screamed at her to move, to defend them both, but her heart was screaming louder. The world blurred around her, the weight of her fear pressing down on her as she frantically searched for something, anything, to help. But the reality of it all hit her like a punch to the gut. They were outnumbered. The odds were stacked against them.

Natasha blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. She had survived too much to break now, but the thought of Kylar slipping away was unbearable. And it was in that moment, the raw, suffocating moment of helplessness, that she realized the depth of what she felt for Kylar. It was more than the bond forged in the fires of their shared past. It was love—deep, fierce, and undeniable.

She loved Kylar.

"Please, don't leave me," Natasha whispered, her voice breaking. She grabbed Kylar's hand, squeezing it tight as though her touch could keep her grounded, could keep her alive. "I can't lose you, Ky. I need you."

The words spilled out before she could stop them. The truth she had kept buried for so long. But there was no time to think about it now, no time to wrestle with the emotions that flooded her chest. She needed to act.

Through the chaos, Natasha could hear the approaching agents. The mission was lost—there was no point in staying, no point in fighting them. Her only goal now was to get Kylar out of here alive.

With a surge of adrenaline, Natasha hauled Kylar's limp body over her shoulder, gritting her teeth against the strain. The weight of her was heavier than it had ever felt before, but Natasha didn't stop. She couldn't. She pushed through the pain, her body screaming at her to rest, to give in, but she ignored it all.

She ran.

Bullets whizzed past her as she darted through the alley, weaving between the tight streets of Prague. Her heart pounded in her ears, her legs burning with each step. But she didn't stop. She wouldn't stop. Kylar's life depended on her now, and Natasha wasn't about to let her down.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Natasha found cover in a narrow side street, ducking into a small, abandoned building. She gently lowered Kylar to the floor, her hands shaking as she checked for signs of life again. The pulse was still faint, but it was there.

Relief washed over her like a tidal wave, but it was short-lived. Kylar was still unconscious, and Natasha had no idea how badly she was injured.

"Kylar... I can't do this without you," Natasha whispered, kneeling beside her, brushing a strand of hair from Kylar's face. The tears came then, hot and fast, and Natasha didn't try to stop them. She had spent so long building walls, pretending her feelings didn't exist, but now, facing the possibility of losing Kylar, those walls crumbled.

"I love you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I should have told you sooner, but I love you. Please, don't leave me. Don't make me face this without you."

Kylar stirred, her eyes fluttering open, though her movements were weak. Her gaze found Natasha's, hazy with pain but aware enough to see the tears in Natasha's eyes.

"Nat..." Kylar's voice was barely a whisper, but the relief Natasha felt hearing it was like a lifeline. "I'm... not going anywhere."

Natasha let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, tears of relief mixing with her exhaustion. Kylar was alive. And that was all that mattered.

"I've got you," Natasha whispered, her fingers tightening around Kylar's hand. "I'm not letting you go."

Kylar managed a weak smile, her eyes softening as she squeezed Natasha's hand in return. "You'd better not."

For the first time since their escape from the Red Room, Natasha felt hope bloom in her chest. It wasn't over—not for them. And no matter what came next, she knew one thing for certain.

She wasn't going to lose Kylar. Not now, not ever.

They were in this together.

And for the first time, Natasha allowed herself to feel the depth of that truth. It wasn't just survival anymore. It was love.

And she would fight for it with everything she had.