HYDRA's Spider (Rewrite)

Two

Natasha Romanoff swung her legs back and forth, sitting on the surface of a granite countertop. To any normal visitor, they would call her a schoolgirl that was enjoying a zero calories yogurt. To anyone who did know her, they would not dare to think anything similar to that within fifty feet of her location.

While it was true that Natasha could have an intimidating aura, tonight she was happily eating the pink tinted snack at the somewhat late hour of midnight. It wasn't a normal occurrence, but if asked, FRIDAY would say that it was just uncommon. Natasha sometimes sat on the countertops in her tank top and leggings, happily thinking about moments she yearned for but could never have because of her past. She would imagine what it would have been like if she had gone to high school, or if she had found her family again. Natasha wondered where the Avengers would be if she had never met them. It was pointless to fantasize the what-ifs, but when the tower was sleeping (besides Tony), it wasn't like anyone could tell her that.

That night in particular, Natasha had vivid flashbacks to a rough few months in her youth. While the concept alone of the Red Room, a Russian organization that turned young girls into teenage assassins, was twisted, most moments in the Red Room were worse than what someone could fathom. The experiments conducted on the girls was worse than inhumane. Natasha, the star pupil of the Red Room, knew this more than any of her "classmates". Natasha knew this because of Project Spider.

It was her chance at a family, they told her. Once the child was born, Natasha would have joint custody over them with HYDRA, who would train the boy. While Natasha disliked HYDRA, a German-American organization, and she didn't want her child living like she did, Natasha was willing to give up a little bit of her egg cells just for the chance at a child of her own. Natasha had always wanted a family to call her own. Even with all the psychological manipulation she had been dealt, the Red Room could not crush that small part of Natasha that yearned for familial bonds. They claimed it was Black Widow's one flaw. Except for that time, when they used Natasha's wish against her.

Natasha never heard from the people again, and her child was taken from her before she even knew the gender. Reflecting on this, Natasha knew that's why she told Bruce that she felt like a monster for not being able to have children. It was more of her way of saying that she felt like a monster because she couldn't be a mother, not even to her own kid. Natasha had sworn to give him a better life than she had, and she hadn't heard him cry or laugh once. Natasha couldn't even picture what he looked like because she didn't know who the father was. She couldn't mentally calculate the genetics of her child when she had one pair of alleles to work from.

HYDRA had made a fool of her, and that was just the first time. Natasha knew why she was selected. Other than being a prized student, Natasha was given a failed replica of the super soldier serum. It wasn't on par with Steve's, but it was enough to slow down Natasha's aging by a fraction and increase her physical capabilities. With that kind of DNA, any child she had would be very strong, given that the father was of equal or superior health.

The father. Natasha had never known him. HYDRA didn't tell her, not like they ever would. To them, and only them, Natasha was a pawn. To everyone else, she was a frightening super agent that could take down any opponent with ease. To HYDRA, she was nothing more than an egg donor and a nuisance. Natasha didn't like that fact, but she couldn't prove to be anything different to them other than joining them, and Natasha refused to do the latter.

"I didn't think you'd be up," Someone said, walking into the kitchen with tense movements. Natasha knew the voice and the frame, so she wasn't alarmed when he stepped into the light, the former Winter Soldier standing before her with an awkward smile. It was hard to believe he was once a serial killer for HYDRA. Natasha knew where the differences came from, though. Natasha was different now than in her prime as Black Widow, too.

"Expect the unexpected," Natasha replied, throwing the empty yogurt cup in the trash and throwing the spoon in the sink. She didn't leave, however, curious as to what her fellow Avenger would do. While they were both on the same hero team, there was nothing between them except for romantic tension. Natasha didn't like the schoolgirl style crush she had on Bucky, but it's not like she could stop liking the dark haired male because she wanted to. Natasha was capable of many things, but controlling her emotions was sadly not one of them.

Bucky kept looking at Natasha, his own crush with fiery hair, while bringing out some pots to make pancakes. Similar to Steve, Bucky was trying out modern-day activities and foods. Today, Bucky's trusty calender told him it was pancakes for breakfast. Bucky had looked up the recipe, with the help of Tony, yesterday so Bucky was prepared. He should have done it later in the morning, but it was past midnight meaning it was pancake day.

Bucky sat a plate right beside Natasha, and set one beside the stove. Bucky switched from giving himself pancakes to giving Natasha the food on her plate. Natasha sighed, standing up and leaving the room. Bucky frowned before he realized she had just went to grab some brownish red liquid in a bottle. Natasha poured it on his pancakes, the constancy of the rich liquid making it pour out slow. Natasha put some on hers, before giving them both forks.

"What is this?" Bucky asked, moving his pancakes around in the liquid that grew darker in color when it was piled near each other. He felt like he should know what it was. He had probably seen it before.

"Syrup," Natasha replied, taking another bite. Natasha would have continued speaking when the energy of the room shifted. They both stopped suddenly, looking around as their attuned senses picked up a disturbance. The room's mood shifted to a suspenseful one, as the two waited for something to go wrong.

That something wrong appeared as a figure dropped from the ceiling like a bug. The figure ran towards the pair, bringing out a knife and handgun in each of his hands. Bucky pushed Natasha to the side, using his metal arm to grab the knife before the figure could strike. The figure pointed the gun at Bucky's stomach, but Natasha slid near them, kicking her foot at the new character's ankle. The figure exhaled, dropping the gun to point at Natasha. The red head grabbed the gun, the bullet ricocheting right behind her.

The figure twisted the knife, a loud metal against metal sound piercing the silence. The figure jumped up and sideways, their entire body coming behind Bucky with only their one arm remaining on the knife. The sudden weight made Bucky tip backwards, and the figure pressed their feet to the ground, lifting Bucky up with his hands and throwing him across the room.

Natasha was already up, feigning a punch but instantly switching to a kick. The figure took the kick, grabbing the arm of his opponent, trying to twist her off balance. Natasha just jumped up, her legs wrapping around his neck, while his body leaned forwards from her weight. Natasha slid to the side, the figure crashing down on top of her. While Natasha hit her head, the figure rolled to a stop a few feet away.

Bucky charged forwards, slamming both his fists down on the figure at the same time. His normal hand hit, but his metal one was held back by the figures arms alone. Leaning down, Bucky soon had a thick white substance in his face, choking as it coiled around his mouth.

Natasha grabbed the knife, leaning to slice the figure, who leaned backwards. Natasha quickly changed direction, releasing Bucky from his airless prison. Natasha raised her leg, hitting the figure with the bottom of her foot. The figure rolled to the side, falling to the ground. Natasha jumped on the figures stomach, holding him down with her leg strength alone. She held the knife high above her head, ready to strike.

"Sorry, Mama, but I must be like you. We were destined to be killers, were we not?" The figure said through their black mask. Natasha froze, memories cascading around her mind. Even if her opponent was faking, and this wasn't Project Spider, it was enough to send Natasha on edge so her opponent could shove her off and strip her of her weapon. Natasha wouldn't put it past the Red Room to tell their agents to appeal to Natasha's maternal needs.

The figure (the Spider?) swung around, the knife almost snipping the soldier in pajamas. Bucky raised his hands out, hearing the words and having an idea, this assassin was Natasha's child. "Spider, mission report?"

The figure stopped, standing to attention at the command words. Natasha froze, leaning upwards on her elbows, waiting for the response. Was her child alive? Did she have a chance at another life, one with a child to call her own? The figure finally replied, slowly and steadily, almost like syrup. "Mission failure."

The figure fell down at the words, leaving a very confused Bucky and a very ecstatic Natasha. Bucky had no idea what was going on, but Natasha had another chance. She wasn't going to waste it.