june 2016

"THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN," the asset smiled as the plane touched down and its engine died. "I rather enjoy our time together, don't you?" Standing up, she stepped out onto solid ground, taking a deep breath of fresh air. It was heavenly compared to the stuffiness in the plane that had kept her gasping for breath for several hours, making her wary of falling asleep. She'd tried to hide her discomfort from the guards; she was supposed to be invincible. But of course, even immortality had its setbacks.

As she looked around her, she took in her surroundings and surveyed the area. They'd landed on the top of a building, using the landing pad. She wasn't certain if it was another Hydra base in the United States, but either way, the pilot was currently talking to the security of the building, keeping the attention off of her.

One of the guards, a skinny one with a nearly bald head, followed behind her and held out a silver case. His arms were so thin, she was surprised he hadn't dropped it already.

She cocked an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"All of the supplies you'll be needing for the next two months," the man spoke, his voice strong and dull. "Including the appropriate attire for a bar. This is where you'll be meeting the target tonight." He inclined his head, wordlessly pointing at her clothes and disapproving of them all in the same movement.

The asset scoffed. "Fine, what'd you pick out for me?" Reaching for the case, she noted the speed with which the skinny guard removed his hand from it, wiping his hand on his pants as if he was contaminated. Upon opening the case, she was immediately greeted with a white cloth that looked too smooth to be anything but a cocktail dress.

She frowned, scowling. "A white dress? Boys," she chuckled cruelly, "I've mastered the art of seduction, but this is not how you gain the attention of a billionaire." She looked from the case to the men staring at her, hands gripping their loaded firearms. "I'm offended." Shrugging, she closed it and let it hang by her side. "Oh well, I'll find something else that'll do the job."

"No, you have been given direct orders—"

"Stand down, gentlemen," someone interrupted, stepping forward from the crowd. "As our strongest asset, I think 53 has allowed herself certain...leniencies."

She recognized the man who made himself known. It was one of the men who oversaw Hydra's cryofreeze research branch, working closely with Dean Thompson. He was donning a rather mismatched ensemble, navy blue pants with brown dress shoes, a black belt visible beneath the beige dress jacket he wore. It was the typical attire for a scientist. While his name was unbeknownst to the asset, she didn't need to know anything about him to feel the familiar surge of loyalty. Nodding in acknowledgment, she waited for him to continue.

The other guards, some of them obviously reluctant, stepped back and put their guns in their sheaths. When he was satisfied that no one would shoot anything, Hydra's most trusted scientist crossed his arms and turned to face the asset. "You may find clothing that is more suitable for your needs," he granted her permission. "Before you go, let me remind you of what is resting on your shoulders." He took a deep breath. "The extermination of Tony Stark is not just the beginning of the end for Earth's precious Avengers. It is the end of a mission that the Winter Soldier was unable to complete. You are finishing his business and carrying on with your own mission. Do you understand?"

"Oui, Monsieur."

He flinched upon hearing the French syllables but continued. "Your name is Jacqueline. If he asks what your last name is, tell him you grew up on the streets and didn't give yourself one. You will make Tony Stark rely on you so heavily that he trusts you with every secret. You will get so close to him that killing him will hurt more than anything he has ever felt."

"Natürlich, der Herr," the asset agreed in German. Of course, sir.

The scientist paused for a moment, then nodded. "Your implant has been removed and must be replaced." He spoke the words with such dryness in his voice that it seemed as though he was talking about something much simpler, like the results of his countless experiments on the human body. Ushering with his hand, he motioned for the same skinny guard to bring forth a needle in the form of a less-threatening handgun. He curled his hand around the handle and held it up.

She knew what to do; this was nothing new. Turning her back to him, she brushed her hair away from the back of her neck, leaving the skin exposed for him to press the needle into her skin, pulling the trigger. The new implants, which would transmit her location and vitals at all times, squeezed through the needle and pushed painfully into the sore skin. There was no doubt that this patch of skin was angry and red from being used so often.

"Everything's working, sir," a guard updated them, holding a tablet in front of him that was clearly connected to the piece of technology that was now in her neck.

With her new implants up and running, and everything she needed in her hands, the asset smiled. "I'll see you on the other side, sir."

He nodded, clasping his hands in front of him. "We await your success, Asset 53." He swallowed, clearing his throat. "Heil Hydra," he spoke in his native tongue.

"Heil Hydra!" The guards around her responded with a resounding force that would make any normal civilian crumble to their knees.

The plane was loaded, and in just a few minutes, the flying tin can was a dot in the sky, leaving the asset standing on a foreign roof, only one thing on her mind:

I'd better find one hell of a dress.

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The asset tried to stifle a satisfied smirk as she held up her forged invite to the bouncer outside of the club. The small piece of paper had been hidden in the folds of that horrid white cocktail dress; luckily she'd found it when she was rummaging through the things that the program had chosen to loan to her over these two months.

Inside the case, besides the two items she'd already discovered, had been a gun(too messy, she'd thought), a knife(now that's more like it), and an unfamiliar bottle of green pills. Curiosity taking over, she'd picked it up and inspected the label, deciphering the German words on it:

For cryofreeze substitution only. Take one every night.

She cocked an eyebrow, still curious about this new form of cryo, but shrugged, shoving it back into the case and locking it tight.

Now, she was being ogled by every man within a fifty-foot radius. Savoring the attention, she took the invitation back from the club bouncer, letting her fingers linger on his for a moment longer than necessary. This is going to be fun, she thought to herself, holding her head high as she entered the club.

Music was pouring from the speakers like wine from the bottle, loud enough to nearly erase her thoughts from her mind. Nearly. She stopped in the doorway, surveying the scene and looking for the man who would be her next victim. All the while, she felt eyes on her...or rather, her body.

She'd found a dark blue dress in the window of a high-end clothing store and without even thinking, had nabbed it from the store, changing quickly. With a history of sticky fingers and quick feet, she was less than worried about the pathetic authorities coming after her.

The dress hugged her slim body, the deep V-neck putting an emphasis on her cleavage and holding the attention of all the men, if not all the women, in the dark space. She'd decided not to bother with jewelry, as the dress spoke for itself. Pairing it with shoes had been quite difficult, but when she saw a pair of nude strappy heels, she smirked, stealing those as well. The full ensemble was something that would make any respectable man leave his modesty behind, falling to his knees and begging to be noticed by her.

But there was only one man in the asset's mind.

Stepping further into the club, she noticed a bar towards the back of the room and decided to weave her way through the crowd and stake out Stark from there. It turned out to be much easier than expected, as they all backed away, leaving a wide enough path for her to get to the bar untouched. The asset tugged her lips apart in a seductive grin, watching as the men and women staring at her slackened their jaws.

By the time she made it to the bar, she'd been noticed by everyone in the place, or so it seemed. She still hadn't been able to spot the one man she'd come for.

A warm hand touched her bare elbow as she leaned against the bar. There.

"Now, why do I think that you're here to impress someone?" A low voice spoke to her, breath fanning over her face as he spoke directly into her hear so as to be heard over the loud music.

Asset 53 turned to look at Tony Stark. "I couldn't say, Mr. Stark," she hummed. "Maybe I just wanted to dress up and see who noticed."

His eyes flickered, and a mischievous smirk grew on his face. "I'd say you succeeded, Miss..."

"Jacqueline." The name felt strangely familiar on her tongue.

Tony nodded, flicking his wrist at the bartender. "Can I buy you a drink, Jacqueline?"

The assassin zeroed in on her target. I'm going to make you wish you were never born.

"Absolutely."

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wow tony's finally in the story! and you're all in for a ride, let me tell you that! hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you on friday for chapter six!

xoxo lola

published on: february 19, 2019