Widow's Shadow

XIII: Out of the Blue

January 18, 2027

Rouen, France

The heat from their car radiated onto their drenched bodies as they let the vehicle drive down the desolate, narrow, cobble stoned streets. The hum of the smooth, ghostly engine taking up the gap between both their hands. Natasha stayed quiet. As if she was in a bubble observing the chaotic world that is the state of her mind. This blue serum sitting in a duffel bag in the backseat was making her thoughts and emotions scream, begging to come out, begging to be known. Of course this sudden unease and discomfort made its way to James; being fully aware of her change of mood.

"Skazhite mne (tell me)." He said in one breath.

She quickly turned her head, hoping her emotions would stop her eyes from watering. She hasn't had enough time to wrap her mind around something that came so out of the blue. As an assassin, as a ballerina of the Red Room, suppressing emotion was like brushing teeth: it should come natural and be out of habit. However, this was a strong trigger of the past; one that should have never resurfaced.

James was looking at her, noticing the heaviness of information weighing her face down. The heaviness of a secret, a truth sitting in their backseat.

"Chto ty nashel (what did you find)?" His voice showing more concern than curiosity.

She looked back at the empty street in front of them, they were about a minute away from the house. She released an unsteady breath, collected whatever thoughts and words she had and then turned back to the face she ever so loved and would do anything for.

"Eto syvorotka (it's the Serum)," She paused as she watched his expression get dark, "Super soldatskaya syvorotka (the Super Soldier Serum)."

His face was now stone cold, "Proklyat'ye (goddamnit)." He gripped the leather of the steering wheel.

Natasha was able to stabilize her emotions and continue her response. "The most obvious plan is that she's creating more Soldiers--"

"More successful Soldiers, consistent... like me." His voice grim.

Natasha tilted her head. "Well..." She turned to look at the bag, "we can now see what she has concocted."

The car came to a halt. "You have arrived" the A.I. echoed.

They sat in their room, the moon swept in a soft light to the left side of the room as it peaked through the balcony window. For a moment they stayed in that silence and stared at the bag propped up on their fresh sheets.

James sat on the couch and looked at Natasha. "If we have one case, how many have do they actually have?"

Natasha who was still staring at the bag turned to James. "There was only one case within the container." She sighed. "My guess is that there still undergoing tests and this was their first "successful" batch."

The case, six pouches of blue solider serum all stowed away in a duffel bag sitting on their bed. This serum opening a door to a new kind of sabotage not only for them but the future of global security. They have the completed serums in their room and god knows how many people are going to be after this stolen cargo.

"First of all, we shouldn't even be here, we need to go now. We need to get on the jet and leave France before fucking solider serum control gets us." James started stuffing the last bag and pulled out his sniper. Checking the windows and balcony for any movement.

Natasha put her Glocks in her holsters and charged up her Widow's Bites. She turned on her human detection IR sensor, checking to see if anyone was in the building.