🌙

(warnings: suicidal
thoughts/effects of
the Red Room.)

R E D  R O O M
(location unknown)

May| 2016

She lost Marc Spector.
She lost her assignment.
She had failed.

"Balandin, as one of the highest skilled Widows, I thought you were better than this." His haunting voice, accented in Russian. Inside his office as the night grew older, casting shadows to keep him hidden. His large and intimidating silhouette making her breaths shorter.

Alex cleared her throat, she opened her mouth to respond until he spun around and slammed his hand on the table.

"You failed! You, never fail me! No one fails Dreykov!"

Shutting her mouth in cowardness, she put her head down. Dreykov snarled at her through his glasses. His combed back hair nice and neat. He wore a no- nonsense black suit coat adding to her fear. Equivalent to being paranoid of monsters lurking in the shadows when she was little. Most of those imaginations were weak and fake as a real monster, that haunted her every day, standing across from her.

"You were supposed to kill him! But you let him get away!" He said as spit sprayed out of his mouth as he dug his finger on the desk.

"I know sir." Alex replied, trying to maintain strength in her voice.

"Balandin, you and Agent Belova are my best agents. Both of you have the most, red in your legers. That's true, no?" Dreykov asked lowly as if Alex should be proud of her success.

He may have control over her mind and actions, but that didn't stop her from dreading every second she had to face him. Not knowing if she would live another day. Maybe she should have left Marc kill her instead so she could escape this panic room. She didn't believe in the afterlife, but living in hell sounded more appealing than thus nightmare.

The man treated her and the other girls like lab rats. Separating the weak and the strong. If there was a minor slip up, there was no guarantee for a second chance.

Alex finally nodded.

"Then how!? How could my top assasin fail to kill this man!?" He yelled as he approached her with rage.

After one deep breath, Alex cleared her throat once again. "Marc Spector isn't an ordinary man, sir. He wore a superhero suit of some sort that allowed him to heal. It gave him the advantage. "

Dreykov clenched his fat jaw as his mouth straightened into a line of disappointment. "Still no excuse for you to fail!" He came closer to her as she could smell the awful mix of alcohol and colone. Both scents clashing, causing her nose to clog and to keep herself from gagging.

"You know, the consequences!"

He raised her arm, about to smack her with his back hand, causing Alex to close her eyes, ready to accept the damage, until the door opened.

"What's so important you have to interrupt!!?" Dreykov barked at the intruder.

Alex's eyes opened and found her competitor for the the best agent.

Yelena Belova.

"We found Oksana." She said, making eye contact with Alex with judgement in her stare before addressing Dreykov.

Dreykov turned his attention away from Alex for a moment. 

"Show me." He requested as he stepped to follow Yelena.

The younger Widow escorted them to a room with a giant holographic map. Glowing red in front of a larger window overseeing the dark night clouds in the sky. The full moon taking it's place amongst the stars. Alex admired it as it shined into the room. Bringing a unique beauty and was one of the few things she could smile at.

Yelena tapped on a few buttons on the keypad as the map zoomed in to the continent of Europe. "Our spies have found her hiding place somewhere in Budapest."

Dreykov nodded as he processed the information in a menacing hum. Contemplating with his fingers resting over his mouth. Silence striking both Widows, both anticipating the unpredictable man's response.

"Belova." He spoke, causing Yelena to stand up straighter and more attentive. "Take Indrid with you and retrieve the chemical she has been creating."

Yelena nodded. "What about Oksana?"

Dreykov turned to face Yelena. "Eliminate her." He mumbled without hesitation or remorse.

"Yes sir." Yelena gave a single nod.

"And as for you." He spun around and approached Alex, stepping to be right in front of her with a scolding finger. "You have proven you cannot handle this mission."

Alex's heartbeat kept banging against her chest, increasing her anxiety. Knowing the result of her failure had no escape.

"Sir," Yelena intervened, boldly walking over to her fellow Widow being threatened by their master. "You still need her."

Dreykov looked at the other Widow with furry. "You girls don't get to tell me what to do!" He screamed and he began to walk over to her.

Yelena flinched, but snuck her reason before he could react to her request. "Agent Balandin is the only one with the information of this man. You eliminate her now, you loose all of it. Yes you can send in another Widow, but you would just waste your time. Balandin has never failed you and now she's close to killing this Marc Spector than you were before."

Alex looked over at Yelena, sharing a mutual conversation as if they were telepathic. Thanking the younger woman for taking such a risk.

"It's true sir, I even found his duffle bag. Give me sometime to do some more research and he will be dead by the end of this week." Alex added. "I can find him, get him alone and end him. He seems weaker when he doesn't wear the suit."

Dreykov let out a groan as he looked back at Alex. "You get one more chance to find him and end him. You fail me Balandin, I will not hesitate to eliminate you."

Alex nodded. "I understand sir. I won't let you down ever again."

"Good." He growled in his scary low voice as she caught another whiff of his awful sent when his breath his her face.

"Both of you get to it."

--

"Thanks, Yelena." Alex mentioned the moment they were outside of Dreykov's office.

Yelena glanced over, providing a twitch of a smile. "You don't deserve to go out like that. Who do I compete with for being the best Widow?"  She adjusted to look down the hallway and show zero emotion.

Alex shook her head as memories of being trained in the Red Room came to mind. Prevailing and never once refraining to accomplish what was asked of her. Even if that meant being brained washed to kill one of the weaker widows. Right before her Graduation Ceremony, she broke records and became the best Widow Dreykov has ever had since Natasha Romanoff. However, both Alex and Yelena had their ledgers both gushing a deep scarlet red.

"Well at least you don't have to fight a man with healing powers and mummy suit." Alex retorted, trying to loosen the tension that held a tight envy that was too thick to cut.

Yelena rolled her eyes. "But you're the great, Alexandra Balandin. The best Widow who will find a way to darken her ledger."

Alex grabbed her shoulder, forcing them to face each other, but not sure what to say. She knew how lucky she was to be getting another shot to execute her mission. It hasn't happened before, not even once. Dreykov probably didn't want to loose his prized weapon.

"You better get ready to back out again." Yelena said without displaying any acceptance of Alex's gratitude. Not any moment longer, Yelena walked away, letting Alex's hand fall to her side.

A sigh left her lips in an exhale and Alex went into her quarters. Absence of windows and no sense of her identity. Walls bare, accompanied by a bed with cuffs to keep her from escaping at night. Across was a wall of different photos of people on her hit list that hung above. Each success dotted with holes or tears. Some had knives stuck between their eyes.

Hanging above her desk underneath with Marc's duffle bag on top.

She glared at it. Because of him, she almost lost her life. It was Marc Spector's fault for stalling and getting away like that. She didn't trust his lie to spare her and was going to do everything in her power to beat him to it. No fancy cape or healing would get in the way this time. Hunger for revenge surged her veins and she knew one thing for certain.

"Ready or not, Marc Spector, She whispered under her breath as she reloaded her gun. Aiming at the photo of her victim. Without hesitation, a blow left a hole in the center of his face. She then looked at the mirror on the back wall letting out a deep breath filled with adrenaline while securing her pistol in her hilt.

"Here I come."

L O N D O N

June| 2016

There was no chance for him to escape this time. No more second chances. No room for error. Alex wore a sweater jacket over her top half to hide her jumpsuit. 

If London was where he took her last time, Alex had to bet he couldn't have gone far from the city. She scanned the people in the double decker bus for any clues.

A older blonde woman in her 50's or 60's standing in a solid color blouse with navy blue suit coat that matched her slacks. Morning coffee in her hand and the other holding on to the yellow pole in front of her. Her black purse hung on her elbow. She took a sip as she looked out the window. Without knowing anything about her, it was easy to read into her bossy and rude countenance. Her assumption was confirmed when the lady scrunched her nose after the sip, looking down at her coffee as something was wrong with it.

Alex's eyes shifted to an older man with a newspaper was sitting down on the side behind the snotty lady.

There was also a younger girl standing next to a boy around the same age next to her. Both seemed to be in their mid-20's. The boy, taller than her, had his hand wrapped around her waist as she looked up at him with a smile.

Nothing seemed promising until she saw a familiar restaurant outside. The walls themed in red with an accented in gold trim. Black tables outside and fancy lights dangled above them. It was the same one Marc chased her into.

The bus came to a convenient stop as Alex stepped out into the London spring air, slipping into her senses as she took a deep breath. The smell of wet pavement as rain sprinkled down. The touch of droplets hitting the skin on her face. The sound of different shoes clicking against the brick road.

Alex spun around as she looked for any sign of Marc Spector. Making her way through the streets of strangers, she stumbled upon a building.

An apartment building.

She almost walked further until she caught something at the corner of her eye. Familiar dark curls hiding underneath the same black hat, walking towards the apartments. He finally glanced up to see who was blocking his entrance, and he stood there frozen.

He sighed, staring at her cautiously, as she approached him. "Let me guess, you're here to kill me?"

"No." She grabbed his elbows in order to speak to him quietly. "I actually need your help."

"What do you mean?" Marc watched her as she looked around her surroundings. Alex looked back at him.

"I'll explain later, but I'm being followed and I was trying to find somewhere to hide." She said.

He searched her eyes, not sure if he should trust her.

"She's lying Marc. Don't make me double the work for another year."

"I have it under control." Marc mumbled under his breath, with Khonshu watching his every move. Creating an anxious pressure to rise inside him. Doing the best he can to push the old Egyptian bird's voice out of his head.

"What?" Alex furrowed her eyebrows, curious to the self talk. Growing more suspicious and unsure if Marc was bluffing to keep her alive or this was all a set up.

"Nothing," He shook his head with an irritated ignorance. "I'll take you to the storage unit."

________________________________________

Anotha one.

Short and sweet today but more to come soon!

And I feel like it would be a crime if didn't say this for a mk fanfic but.....

LATORS GATORS (:

-marie