Eternal Winter

II: Reunion

December 19 2025

Koltsovo, Russia

The words slipped out in a sudden whisper. She winced as she stood up, making eye contact with what seemed to be a ghost. Shock marked her whole body as she began to walk towards him. Then without thinking, she punched him.

Catching him out of daze, she pulled her leg behind his knees, causing him to fall flat on the hard wooden floor. He laughed at her reaction, covering up the pain that was surging to his head.

"Nice to see you too." A smile grew in his faint scruff of facial hair.

"Asshole." She uttered while cracking her neck and fingers.

He combed his hand through his hair, noticing a hint of agitation in Natasha's body language. She began to wipe the dust off her now torn black jeans. Taking not a single notice to James' eyes watching her, she put her batons in her holsters and began to look around the currently damaged home.

"Someone doesn't seem very happy to see me." James said while watching her eyes scan through a pile of papers.

"Not when the welcome hug involves you almost killing me."

"Didn't know you were into welcome hugs." She could hear a smile in his voice.

Pausing her search she turned to James, who was so close to her that she could feel him breathing on her forehead. They both stared into each other's eyes, almost getting lost into the dark abysses of their pupils. She could see his face clearer now. His smooth blue eyes gleaming in the sunlight and the way his hair falls onto his face in such grace. She does not remember the last time she was this close to him. Natasha broke the silence.

"Why are you here James?"

"Same reason you are. Looking for Trikov."

She began to search through untouched shelves. "First Lead?"

"Pretty much." He said as he walked to the bedroom. "Trikov knows how to clean up after himself." She could hear him pulling out drawers, probably making an even bigger mess. "This guys a ghost."

"You can say that again." Then she noticed a paper peaking out from under the shelf.

The sound of inactivity caught James' attention. "Found something?" He then saw Natasha reading a piece of paper.

"It's a-"

"Name." James said, finishing her sentence.

She rotated her head to his direction. "Anzhela Zuyez" And looked back down at the name. "Why does that sound familiar?

Natasha folded the paper and ran back to her Jeep. James stood blocking the door.

"Now where do you think your going?"

She looked at him, unbothered by his change in tone. "To find out who this person is." She took another step forward, James still covering the door. "Do I have to beat your ass just to open the damn door?"

He shrugged. "Probably."

She tilted her head and glared at James. This glare lead to a high kick to James' face, seeing it coming he grabs her foot and twists it in the air. Natasha then landed elegantly on both feet. She tossed her hair back and stormed towards James' abdomen, she pulled out her batons and tasered him in the gut. The force of the push caused the door to fall off the hinges, landing in the plush snow. James groaned on top of the splintered door. Taking no notice to his pain, she stepped over him and headed to her car.

"Never mess with an impatient woman." She noted to James who was still laying down in discomfort.

She sat in her car and put her fingerprint on the ignition, the engine roared to life. A few seconds later the passenger door opened and James seated himself. His brows furrowed at the falling snow.

Natasha grinned. "Wanna ice pack big boy?Or a new dignity?"

"Just shut up and drive."

"Anything you want big boy." She said in a mocking tone. And they drove down the blanket of snow in silence.

Natasha opened the front door of her temporary home, scurrying to her multiple monitor computer. James scanned her residence. "Nice place you got here."

Natasha put her attention on the screens. "Nothing special, but it's isolated." A picture pops up on one of the screens. "Anzhela Zuyez, wife of Russian criminal Ermolai Zuyez. I knew that sounded familiar." She stared at James. "Ermolai is in Trikov's circle. She must have left when he died."

"Or she's dead too."

"Probably." Her eyebrow twitched.

James smiled to himself and Natasha noticed his sudden amusement.

"What?" She said in complete confusion.

"Nothing." His smile grew bigger.

"What is it?"

"You still do it."

"Still do what?" Now she was really confused.

"Twitch your eyebrow whenever I'm right."

"You might not be."

"Your eyebrow thinks so."

Trying to disregard the conversation she put her notice back on Anzhela Zuyez. "You think she's a target?"

"If she's not dead then she probably is."

"There are no signs of her in the city. If I could just...There." James put his gaze down at the monitor. "She took a bus to Yurga Юрга. That's a two and a half hour drive."

James scratched his head. "Lets take a little rest and then we'll go straight there."

Natasha could not argue with that. She showed James to the bedroom and as soon as his face hit the pillow he knocked out. She watched him as his back rose up and down. It seems like he hadn't had sleep in days. She noticed how innocent and calm he was and how he puts his prosthetic arm under the pillow. It reminded her of when he use to sneak into her room at night just to see her and sometimes he'd fall asleep, with his arm under the pillow. Shaking her head she walked back to the computer seeing if she could find anything more on the Zuyez's.

Two hours later, James walked out of the room with his hair in his face and a fresh black shirt, flashing his metal arm. He found Natasha asleep with her head down on the desk. He smiled to himself then flicked the back of her ear. Causing her instinct to kick in, she punched him in the jaw. He jumped back in surprise.

Natasha sprung up out of her chair. "What the hell was that for?"

James was laughing. "It was just a joke. Quit having a stick up your ass."

She ignored his comment and went to her duffle bag. "Are you ready?"

"Ya. I just need a jacket and my CZ Vz. 61 E Skorpion."

"I'll be waiting in the car." Natasha walked out of the house without giving James another chance to speak.

He looked down at his E Skorpion in pain.

"I miss you too."