The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 66

Somewhere over the Atlantic

Summer 2015

Whether she'd wanted to or not—and Nadine was certain she'd been leaning to 'not'—Madame B had ultimately revealed everything they'd wanted to know.

Not that Nadine was entirely satisfied with what they'd learned. Oh, on one hand she was; nearly all her suspicions had been correct. But on the other hand, she was very much not satisfied...for the same reason.

As much as she had suspected and anticipated just how much Madame B had passed along to Strucker via Katerina, she had been hoping her suppositions had been wrong. For once, she'd wanted to be wrong. Her pride was pleased to be right, of course, but her head? Her heart?

However, as Nadine started getting into the list of people read in officially and potentially on Madame B's intelligence on Nadine, it was starting to look like most of the ones confirmed to know her secrets were now dead; the heads of HYDRA, Strucker, Katerina, Azarov...Madame B...

Nadine wasn't naïve enough to think that was automatically the end of it. There was really no knowing if any of those who'd known had secreted digital or physical records of the information away for safekeeping, or who they may have passed the information on to or who may have even inadvertently overheard discussion about her in passing. There was simply no knowing for sure. And with all those authorized to know being dead, there was no asking them. With what Nadine knew of HYDRA's hierarchy, penchant for compartmentalization and secrecy, modus operandi and with what they'd gotten out of Madame B, she was fairly certain that, sensitive as the information was—after all, she had been a valuable asset for HYDRA, unwillingness aside—and as critical as it was as a tool against her, it seemed a fairly safe conclusion to draw that her secrets were likely safe.

Not that she wanted to bet on it. Not when Nina's safety was still at stake.

Better safe than sorry, and all that.

So as Natasha took the pilot's seat, setting them on a course back to the Avenger's new base, Nadine was doing some preliminary digging onto associates and 'heirs presumptive' within HYDRA of those on Madame B's list. While each and every word Wanda had pulled from Madame B's head or pushed her to reveal had felt like a knife twisting into her chest, the more Nadine dug into what the training mistress had spilled, the more the feeling was beginning to ease.

It was starting to feel possible—just possible, just maybe—that with a little more work, a few strategic hacks, maybe a break and enter or two and few discreet hits, only people Nadine trusted—or at least tentatively trusted wouldn't betray her secrets—would know the truth of her daughter's heritage.

It was a weight Nadine had been carrying for so long that she couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like for it to lift. She knew it would never disappear entirely, but at least it would ease as any potential loose ends remaining from Madame B's interference were tied.

And so far, it was looking promising; a lot of 'dead' and 'incarcerated' statuses...but mostly 'dead's.

Things really hadn't been going well for HYDRA's upper tiers or their 'old guard.'

The 'incarcerated's could be tracked down, questioned and, if necessary, dealt with easily enough. Despite Nadine's intent to take care of it herself—it was another of those things she knew she needed to do, not to mention she was a little gun shy of trusting anyone else with the task—Natasha had already volunteered her assistance...as had Wanda. That had surprised both spies. But, as Wanda had explained darkly, no one was better suited to get to the truth than she was...and that she owed it to Nina. Nadine had been just as startled by that assertion as she had been by the offer, but Wanda had clammed up then and, advanced skills or not, unlike Wanda Nadine couldn't read minds. So she let it rest for the time being.