Chronicles of Earth-USB: Widows' Bite
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 4:35 am
Hi everyone. Presented here is a short story set in the Marvel Earth-USB universe developed by Rufusluciusivan and myself. This particular story does not require any knowledge of previous chapters to follow, though there are some nods to prior continuity. It's the story of a Marvel character I've wanted to write about for a while. Enjoy.
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The night sky is black and starless. A cold wind whips across the field.
I am the only one in the field. Leaning against the hood of my car, I check my watch. My brow furrows. How long will she have to wait?
My shoulder-length blonde hair blows in the wind. I wrap my black overcoat over the skintight dark blue bodysuit. This uniform, along with my black boots, white weapons belt strapped around my waist, and holster snapped to my thigh, mark me as a member of SHIELD’s security division. Despite the darkness of the night, a pair of sunglasses adorn my eyes.
I am contemplating my options when at last, a car pulls up.
A woman steps out of the car. She is tall and light-skinned, with blonde hair significantly longer than mine. Her body clad in a trenchcoat. She glances furtively around, then walked toward me.
“Lovely night, isn’t it?” the woman asks.
I stare straight ahead. “I prefer a winter’s kiss to a summer’s love.”
It’s the password. The other woman smiles.
“Hail HYDRA.”
I nod. “Hail HYDRA.”
“Agent Violet Pinkerton, I presume,” the woman continues. “I am Lieutenant Cassandra Romulus. I must say, you’re one of our most impressive spies. You’ve been working for SHIELD for… two years now?”
“Three,” I respond.
“And yet no one, not even Nick Fury himself, realizes you’re secretly working for the enemy.” Cassandra chuckles. “So what news do you have for us?”
“SHIELD has been weakened,” I report. “They’ve had their hands full in recent weeks dealing with Orchis and Magneto. Even as Orchis has been crippled and nearly destroyed, the focus on so many threats has caused SHIELD to be distracted.”
Cassandra nods. “That explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
“Several weeks ago, a team of SHIELD agents was ambushed by Magneto’s team and stripped of their uniforms,” she explains. “Among them was a high-ranking SHIELD agent named Meseret Senai and her associate, Susan Dalton. Our intel told us that Senai was mugged so that one of the women on Magneto’s team – a shapeshifter of no small talent – could impersonate her to unlock the facial recognition scan on her tablet.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why would she be stripped of her uniform if they only needed to impersonate her face?”
“We couldn’t figure that out,” Cassandra admits. “Presumably it was because SHIELD uniforms are quite useful for infiltration purposes… And indeed, two of Magneto’s henchwomen saw an opportunity to make some money for themselves – without telling their bosses, they donned Senai and Dalton’s uniforms and infiltrated SHIELD headquarters. I suppose SHIELD itself was so bust sending forces out to help the Avengers combat Magneto that these women managed to slip in and out without anyone noticing.”
“And they took… the Chaos Cube,” I finish.
Cassandra nods. “The weapon every criminal mastermind in the city wants to get their hands on. They sold it to the highest bidder… and that was us.”
She chuckles. “Now HYDRA is in possession of the most deadly man-made weapon on Earth. And SHIELD, if what you say is true, is powerless to stop us.”
“Very true,” I nod. “What’s my next task?”
Cassandra reaches beneath her cloak and withdraws a suitcase, handing it to me. “Now is the perfect time for us to strike,” she says. “This suitcase contains a deadly neurotoxin, odorless yet lethal. Have you obtained the codes to hack into SHIELD’s filtration system?”
“Of course.”
“Then in two days’ time, you will release this toxin into the system, killing everyone in SHIELD headquarters. We will crush those militant do-gooders beneath the heel of HYDRA.”
She pauses for a moment. “Of course, you will also die in this attack. But that should be an honor to you. To give your life in the name of HYDRA.”
I nod. “I can think of no higher honor. Hail HYDRA.” I raise her arm as if in salute.
Cassandra eyes me strangely. “What are you doing? We stopped making the salute in the Nineties…”
ZAP!
An electric shock blasts from my wrist, hitting Cassandra square in the neck. The woman groans and crumples to the grass.
I check to make sure Cassandra is unconscious. Then I speak into my earpiece. “Commander, do you copy? Target is secure.”
In the earpiece comes the clear, authoritative voice of SHIELD Commander Maria Hill. “Excellent work. You’ve obtained the neurotoxin?”
“I have. Don’t worry, I know how to dispose of it safely. I have… friends who have dealt with worse.”
“I’m sure you have,” Hill chuckles. “Thank you so much for your assistance. I would have sent one of my own agents, but as you know, SHIELD is in a bit of disarray now.”
“It’s not a worry,” I assure her. “Besides, I have a feeling this mission will require more than standard SHIELD expertise.”
“That’s why we called you,” Hill agrees. “Thanks again.”
I shut my earpiece. Then I kneel beside Cassandra and produce a pair of high-tech handcuffs, using them to secure the woman’s wrists behind her back.
Then I walk over to my car, popping open the trunk.
Inside the trunk is another woman – one whose face is identical to mine. This woman, however, has been stripped to a blue exercise bra and white cotton panties. She has been bound with white zip-ties and gagged with black duct tape.
“Thank you for allowing me the use of your identity, Agent Pinkerton,” I tell her.
The real Violet Pinkerton glares up at me, grunting angrily into her gag.
“Before I turn you and Cassandra over to the proper authorities, I need to make a quick stop to dispose of a rather deadly neurotoxin.” I hold up the suitcase. “You should thank me. If I hadn’t impersonated you tonight, you’d be dead by next week.”
Violet growls again, and the gag muffles whatever expletive she is trying to formulate.
I shut the trunk and turn away. Then I reach up and pull off my blonde wig, letting my long red hair fall free. I touch a concealed dial on the side of my face, allowing my mask to come loose. I pull it off, feeling the wind against my light skin and green eyes.
I am done waiting.
******************
As you have probably surmised by now, my name is not Violet Pinkerton.
My birth name is Natalia Romanova. My current name is Natasha Romanoff. But most people know me by my most famous name: the Black Widow.
I was born in Russia during the waning years of the Soviet Union. As a young girl, I trained in the Bolshoi, honing my skills as a ballerina. My childhood was also spent developing myself as a gymnast, to the point where I was in contention to join Moscow’s team in the Olympics.
None of that came to pass. My skills caught the attention of the government and, as an adolescent, I was recruited into a secret program known as the Red Room. The program trained young women from all across the Motherland in all forms of combat – both hand-to-hand and with deadly weaponry. It was a program designed to train us to be covert agents, assassins – and international spies.
I quickly shot to the top of my class. By the time I turned twenty, I was already the most successful field agent in the Red Room’s history. I developed my abilities to the fullest extent as a fighter and combatant, and also took to covert ops, becoming proficient in infiltration and disguises.
After several undercover assignments across Europe, I was sent to America on a dangerous mission. I will not dwell on the details, but suffice to say, it was in this new country that I had a change of heart. I defected to the USA and allied myself with SHIELD for a time, before eventually joining up with the Avengers, where I have worked for the past ten years.
I am occasionally asked about the difficulties in working alongside such super-powered heroes like Thor and Hulk and Captain America. But the truth is, we all have our skillsets. The boys handle the more otherworldly dangers, taking initiative whenever Thanos or Galactus comes calling. And I track the more earthly threats, of which there is no shortage.
One such threat is HYDRA, the global terrorist organization that seeks nothing short of destabilization of the world order. I recently traced a leak from SHIELD’s security info that led me to uncovering a HYDRA spy in SHIELD’s ranks, that being the aforementioned Violet Pinkerton. Tracking her down, I “borrowed” her clothing and identity to uncover HYDRA’s latest plan.
Phase One, complete.
***********************
I’m at work early the next morning at Avengers Tower. Most of the boys are out on a space mission, leaving a few of us to hold down the fort. I’m at work on the computer, trying to track down any leads on HYDRA’s latest location – and where they may be keeping the Chaos Cube.
Research has shown that the Cube – obtained from the Kingpin some months ago and held in a SHIELD facility until HYDRA stole it – was a man-made attempt to create the mystical Cosmic Cube, an all-powerful object the Avengers have dealt with a few times in the past. The Chaos Cube, as we dub it, has only a fraction of the Cosmic Cube’s power – yet in the wrong hands, it can be devastating.
“Hey, ‘Tasha. You’re up early.”
I look up at the grizzled-looking archer who’s just walked through the door. Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye.
“Hello, Clint,” I nod. “Busy day ahead.”
“Tell me about it.” Clint pours himself a cup of coffee. “Things are pretty crazy out there, and I’m not sure anyone still trusts us to fix it.”
I catch his meaning. The Avengers took some heat recently following Magneto’s plot to assassinate former presidential candidate Robert Kelly. We had been slow to realize the threat, with much of the investigative work being done by some street-level heroines, including Ghost Spider and Black Cat.
(Although I would hesitate to call Black Cat a “heroine,” considering her penchant for burglary, she did prove integral to thwarting Magneto’s plan. That said, Black Cat also reportedly mugged my friend and teammate, Janet Van Dyne, AKA the Wasp, and left her tied up in a closet after stealing her costume. She escaped police custody and remains at large, but she had best pray our paths never cross…)
“Have you seen Kate lately?” Clint asks.
I shake my head. “Last I heard, she was investigating some criminal circus.”
Clint shrugs. “Going off and doing her own thing, I guess. That’s Kate Bishop for ya.”
Clint’s ego seems particularly bruised by the Magneto escapade, as Kate, his former crime-fighting partner, was one of the heroines who helped thwart the villain’s plan. (Kate also calls herself Hawkeye, which can get confusing, but I leave her and Clint to figure that out themselves. After all, I’m not the only woman who calls herself Black Widow… but we needn’t dwell on that.)
Clint takes another sip of coffee. “Hey… Falcon and I are heading out later. I think we found a lead on where the Wrecking Crew is holed up. Wanna join us?”
I shake my head. “You boys go on ahead. I’ve got a busy day planned… and probably an even busier night.”
“Spy stuff?” he asks. “You need some help?”
I shake my head again. “You’re sweet to ask, Clint, but I think this is better off as a solo mission.”
“All right, then.” He shrugs and heads for the door. “Good luck. And try not to get killed.”
“Of course.”
He’s out the door.
I hope I didn’t put too much of a dent in his self-confidence… but I meant what I said. HYDRA is dangerous and deadly, and I can’t risk anyone’s life tonight beyond my own.
****************
I wait until nightfall to make my move.
My interrogation of Lieutenant Romulus proved successful. She gave me the location of HYDRA’s latest headquarters – the place where, hopefully, the Chaos Cube has been stashed.
HYDRA has relocated to a lab complex a few miles outside of Westchester. Away from the bustle of the city, away (they assume) from any superheroes. Even so, they’re limiting conspicuousness by offering only a token security force; having too many green-garbed characters about would risk raising red flags.
Similarly, I don’t want to risk alerting HYDRA that I know where they are. Any hint that they’ve been exposed could lead someone to panic and use the Chaos Cube or some other weapon to avoid getting caught. The collateral damage could be massive.
So this needs to be a one-woman mission.
I’ve come prepared, of course. I’m dressed in the stealth suit that has become my signature “look” – a skintight black bodysuit that zips up to my neck. I’ve also got golden-yellow gauntlets strapped to my wrists and a golden-yellow belt comprised of several linked disks around my waist. Attractive as these accoutrements may be, the weapons they contain are nothing to trifle with.
I park my cycle a full mile away from the HYDRA complex and make the rest of my way on foot, keeping to the shadows provided by trees and rocky outcroppings wherever possible.
Finally, I’m close enough to see not only the metal gate surrounding the complex but the barbed wire its threaded with. Electrified, no doubt.
My suit is well-insulated, and could probably withstand several thousand volts. But it would be a risk. Besides, climbing over the fence would make me a sitting duck for the guards patrolling the area.
I’ll need another way inside. And fortunately, I’ve already spotted it.
The guards patrolling around the outside of the complex are a token force – unsurprising, as HYDRA no doubt has deduced that the electrified steel-and-concrete fence does most of the work in deterring intruders. I observe these guards for several minutes – they appear to be relatively inexperienced. Presumably HYDRA saves its more intensive security forces for the interior of the building.
One guard in particular catches my eye. She’s patrolling the southwestern corner of the complex.
Like the other HYDRA guards, this woman is dressed in a dark green uniform with yellow gloves, boots, and utility belt. Her face is covered with a cowl-like green mask and tinted goggles. She carries a rifle over her shoulder.
Perhaps most importantly, she is just about my size.
Judging by the strides she takes – strong, firm, overconfident – this woman is relatively new to her patrol shift. I should be able to take her down without much fuss.
The only problem is the distance. She’s about fifty feet away from me, and there’s a lot of wide open space between us. If I rush her, she’ll spot me and sound the alarm – or open fire. And I’m not nearly as bulletproof as some of my fellow Avengers.
I need to attract her attention, and hers alone.
Quietly, I unclip one of the golden disks from its pouch on my belt. It contains a small plastic explosive – nothing too large or too loud, but enough to make noise for anyone in earshot.
I toss the disk into some nearby bushes. Ten seconds later, there is a muffled explosion.
“Eh?” The HYDRA guard looks up. She’s the only one who seems to have heard.
She approaches the bushes curiously, intent on investigating herself before alerting any of her friends. Good girl.
She’s about twenty feet away from me now. I can work with that.
I aim my wrist gauntlet at her and press a hidden stud. A slim, unbreakable cable shoots out – my “Widow’s Line.” The next moment, it zips around the HYDRA guard, pinning her arms to her sides.
The woman has only enough time to let out a swift “Whulp!” before I pull hard on the line, yanking her towards the bushes I’m concealed in. Just before she lands, I hit her neck with a swift judo chop. “Gloouuff!” She’s down for the count.
I peer through the bushes to confirm that no one else has been alerted by the HYDRA guard’s rather unladylike noises. Thankfully, my actions appear to have gone unnoticed.
I move quickly then, pulling off the HYDRA guard’s mask. Beneath that mask, I get a look at her face – a light-skinned girl with a cherubic face and dark hair that falls just below her shoulders. I’m alarmed by how young she looks – about twenty or so.
I know HYDRA has made a habit of recruiting young men and women to their abhorrent cause, but it’s still a shock to see a woman fifteen years younger than I am among their ranks.
“Fell in with the wrong crowd, darling.”
But this woman’s beliefs are not my priority at the moment. Her uniform is.
I move quickly in divesting her of that uniform, as well as the gloves, boots, and belt. As a routine infiltrator, stripping unconscious henchwomen of their clothes is nothing new for me, and I’m soon donning the costume myself. The feel of the HYDRA uniform makes my skin crawl, but only for a moment. Then my mind is back on my mission.
I’ve wasted enough time thinking about this naïve HYDRA woman, and I hope you’ll forgive me if I do not waste time on trivialities like describing her underwear. I use some of my Widow’s Line to tie her up, and gag her with some black tape from my belt.
I pull the cowl over my head and tuck my long red hair beneath it. Then I step out into the clearing.
I assume the guard’s position outside the complex. No one seems to have noticed the switch. So far, so good. Now I just have to hope this woman’s shift ends soon.
I maintain the patrol for the next forty minutes, copying the woman’s gait and mannerisms as closely as possible.
Finally, a male guard in similar uniform approaches me.
“Shift change,” he tells me.
Finally.
The guard watches me as I walk past him. He whistles. “Looking good tonight, Camilla.”
I ignore him. I need to focus on the mission, after all.
I glance toward the bushes, where the real Camilla is presumably still fast asleep. If I calculated the force and speed of my judo chop correctly, she should remain unconscious for another eighty minutes. That should be enough time for me to get what I need and get out.
I approach the gate and show the guard on duty my pass. He waves me through.
I’m inside. Phase Two, complete.
The HYDRA building looms large, but I’ve seen worse. I fall in line behind some other guards heading toward the building entrance.
A couple of them are chatting with one another. “Don’t want to be on these premises tomorrow,” the man says. “I hear the boss-lady is coming ‘round these parts.”
“I don’t think Viper cares to be called ‘boss-lady’,” the woman scoffs.
My eyes narrow behind my mask. Viper – aka Madame Hydra herself. The leader of the global organization. And by reputation, the deadliest woman in the world.
If she’s arriving her tomorrow, it’s best that I complete my mission here tonight.
I break away from the group at first opportunity and slip down a side hallway. Right now, my main priority is time. I need to locate my target, and fast.
It’s been about five years since the last time I infiltrated a HYDRA facility, but I retain vivid memory of the schematics. And if this compound is anything like that one, the Chaos Cube is probably being held below, in a sub-basement level under heavy guard.
In my current low-level security uniform, I certainly do not have enough clearance to walk through the sub-basement without incident. That will require a new identity…
“Hey!”
I turn at the sound. A woman’s voice.
The woman in question is tall and appears to be in her early thirties. She has light skin and black hair swept up in a beehive hairstyle. She wears a skintight HYDRA uniform, but it’s white instead of green – marking her as a Lieutenant instead of a lowly guard. The uniform zips up at the front and boasts a red HYDRA logo on the chest. It comes with matching white gloves and high-heeled, ribbed boots, as well as a white weapons belt.
“What are you doing back here, agent?” she asks. “Guards are supposed to report to their quarters when they’re not on duty.”
“I needed to stretch my legs,” I say.
The lieutenant’s eyes narrow. “May I see your ID?”
I nod. “Of course.”
I reach for a pocket on my belt.
Then, in one swift motion, I aim my wrist at her and fire a Widow’s Bite blast at her.
A small stud zips through the air, hitting the HYDRA lieutenant in the side of the neck. Instantaneously, 20,000 volts of electricity course through her body. The woman seizes up, then collapses to the floor.
I hurry over to the unconscious HYDRA woman and grab her beneath the shoulders, then drag her into a nearby maintenance closet, shutting the door behind us.
I search the woman and find her own ID badge. Her title is Lieutenant Frankie Noble.
And, for the next thirty minutes or so, I suppose it will be my title.
A buzz comes from her radio. “Lt. Noble, do you copy? We received a report of a sudden surge of electricity in your area.”
I pick up the radio and speak in a perfect imitation of Frankie Noble’s voice. “No cause for alarm. Just a busted lightbulb. Have maintenance fix it tomorrow.”
I put slight emphasis on “tomorrow.” Can’t have anyone in maintenance wandering into this closet tonight, obviously.
I shut the radio and turn back to Lieutenant Noble. We don’t look that much alike – but that’s easily remediable.
I strip off her boots, belt, and gloves, then unzip her jumpsuit and ease it off her. I wrinkle my nose at her underwear – white sports bra and panties with decorative HYDRA logos on each. This woman is truly committed to her despicable cause.
I change out of Camilla’s uniform and begin donning Frankie’s. It doesn’t take long before I have “promoted” myself to the rank of HYDRA lieutenant.
I then open a small case strapped to my own weapons belt and carefully remove a translucent face-shaped mask.
The “photostatic veil” that has benefited me when I impersonated Violet last night, and on so many other occasions in the past. Perhaps the most crucial tool in my arsenal when it comes to impersonating other women. It can perfectly imitate the facial features and bone structure of anyone whose identity I need to assume. I occasionally loan it to my fellow Avengers when they operate on undercover missions – most recently to Janet, who used it in order to mug and impersonate the villainess Diamondback.
I smooth the veil down over Frankie’s face. The veil shimmers for a moment, reading every inch of her facial structure and features.
I wait a few moments, then peel the mask off her face and carefully layer it over my own. I can feel the mask rippling, and then glance in the reflection of a metal tray. The face of Frankie Noble, HYDRA lieutenant, stares back at me.
Finally, there’s the matter of the hair. I unclip a blackout bomb from my belt and carefully open it. Inside is a black chemical that – when combined with an explosive – can create pitch-darkness for my enemies. But it can also function as a quickly applicable hair dye.
I rub the dye into my hair until it’s sufficiently black, then do my hair up into a beehive. The whole process takes under three minutes. By the time it’s over, I am Frankie Noble’s identical twin.
I use some extra Widow’s Line from my belt to tie Frankie up and use a thick washcloth to gag her. I leave her seated in a corner of the closet and cover her with a tarp.
Then I exit the closet and continue down the hallway – this time, with a stride befitting a more powerful HYDRA official.
I pass a few other HYDRA lieutenants in the hallway, no one too powerful or conspicuous. Each of them gives me a curt salute, and an occasional “Agent Noble.” I salute back. The disguise works perfectly.
At last, I reach the elevator leading to the sub-basement. I swipe Agent Noble’s keycard.
The light on the pad turns a snakeskin shade of green, and the elevator doors slide open.
The elevator descent is long and slow. I bide my time, steeling myself for whatever may be on the other side.
After an eternal thirteen seconds, the elevator reaches its destination. The doors slide open onto the HYDRA sub-basement.
The level doesn’t look appreciably different from the other villainous lairs I’ve infiltrated over the years – dimly lit hallways, metal walls and doors that slide open. Voices come from down the hallway, and I follow them.
I soon arrive at what is – if the white coats, computers, and bubbling chemicals are and indication – a HYDRA laboratory. There are some scientists working there and some other HYDRA officials stationed nearby.
I walk casually around the perimeter, trying to ascertain where the Chaos Cube might be hidden. Presumably, it would be stored in its own room under fierce protection. But there are so many doors and passages… Where to begin looking?
I pass by a young female scientist testing some green serum in a beaker. She glances up at me, and a look of fear crosses her face. She immediately stands up straight and salutes.
I’m a bit surprised by this – is Frankie Noble so high on HYDRA’s chain of command? – when I notice others in the room are also saluting. And they’re not doing it for me. Someone else has walked into the room.
I turn around to see a tall, imposing woman stride into the laboratory. She has lightly tanned skin, blue eyes, and long dark hair. She’s dressed in a green leotard with yellow stripes and a yellow weapons belt, as well as yellow gloves and thigh-high, dark green high-heeled boots. She is draped in a dark green cloak and hood.
I recognize her from the Avengers’ files. Zorra de Plata, aka Silver Fox. One of HYDRA’s most accomplished and feared terror leaders, and one of Madame Hydra's closest confidantes.
Silver Fox strides into the room, her high heels clicking on the metal floor. “Well, why are you all standing around gaping? Get back to work.”
She glances in my direction. “Noble, what are you doing down here? You’re supposed to be at the meeting upstairs.”
I think quickly. “I received an alert, ma’am,” I say as she approaches me. Then I lower my voice. “A security breach in the sub-basement.”
Her eyes narrow. “That’s nonsense. I would have received such an alert, if there was a breach.”
“I didn’t find any evidence of it so far,” I continue. “But I figured it was worth checking out… Wouldn’t want Viper to hear about it if there was an intruder.”
I strike the right nerve. Silver Fox, for all the power she wields, still fears disappointing her boss.
“Come with me, Lieutenant,” she says.
I keep my face an impassive mask – that is, beneath my actual mask – as I follow Silver Fox out of the laboratory.
“What alert could you possibly have received?” she asks harshly as we walk down the hallway. “I am keyed in to all security alerts in this facility.”
“All of them?” I inquire.
“Of course,” she says. “While Madame Hydra is away, I am in charge here. Only I am able to access the saferoom where the Chaos Cube is held. If anyone who didn’t look like me tried to get in, the alarm would activate.”
“Didn’t look like you?”
“Yes! The room scanner is keyed to my facial structure. We also have safeguards against any nosy Avengers or X-Men. If anyone with superpowers tries to infiltrate the facility, the alarms go off.”
She pauses. “Why are you asking stupid questions? This was all explained in the briefing.”
“Just trying to get as much info as possible before I take your role.”
“What are you – urghh!”
With her peripheral vision obscured by her hood, she hasn’t time to register my neck chop until it connects, just beneath her skull. By that point, of course, it’s too late for her to do anything about it.
“And not all Avengers have superpowers,” I murmur as I catch her unconscious form.
I quickly drag Silver Fox into an empty laboratory. Time for one more quick change.
Her cloak and hood are easy to remove; the rest of her uniform, less so. The insistence of super-villainesses to wear skintight costumes has long been an annoyance, making my job of infiltration and disguise more time-consuming and difficult.
Still, after some effort, I succeed in parting Zorra from her gloves and boots, followed by her leotard. She wears bright green underwear with HYDRA logo emblazoned on each of the bra cups. Again, the commitment to such a despicable cause nauseates me.
I peel the photostatic veil from my face and let it reset, then lay it over Zorra’s face. The mask re-forms itself to her features.
I remove it and place it over my own face. Silver Fox’s face, and her identity, are now mine.
My current dark hair is close enough in color to Zorra’s, though I undo the beehive and let the hair fall limply across my shoulders, mimicking her own hairstyle.
I use some white tape from the laboratory shelves to bind and gag Zorra, then drag her over to a medicine cabinet. The interior has just enough space to fit a grown woman inside. I push Zorra in, cramming her into place. Her chin rests on her knees. An undignified position for such a reputable villainess. But still, it’s better than she deserves.
I dress quickly in her costume – leotard, gloves, and boots. I tie the cloak around my neck and pull the hood over my face, hoping to obscure whatever details the veil and my hairdo did not cover.
I draw myself up to my full height, which is a bare inch below that of Zorra. Other than that, there are no identifiable differences. As of now, I am Silver Fox, deputy leader of HYDRA.
I exit the room and stride down the hall. A security guard turns the corner and sees me. He quickly salutes.
I treat him to the cold glare that Silver Fox herself gave me a few minutes ago and continue walking.
Soon, I arrive at the saferoom. There is a facial recognition panel to the right of the door. I position my face – her face – up to it and feel a slight electrical buzz as the machine scans it.
Moments later, there is an approving ding. Top-grade SHIELD technology has done it again.
The door slides open, and I enter the room. It’s small and dark, with a pedestal in the center. Resting on that pedestal is a locked metal suitcase.
I can’t risk opening the suitcase here. Instead I sweep it beneath my cloak and calmly exit the room.
A couple of HYDRA scientists pass me in the hallway. Judging by the frightened looks on their faces and the quickening of their pace, they don’t want to risk crossing Silver Fox. My disguise is a perfect way to avoid questions.
I ascend the elevator, and before long, I’m exiting the compound, simply nodding as the gate guard salutes me. I’ve researched enough of HYDRA’s upper echelons to know that they are not inclined to salute back.
In a matter of minutes, I am out of the HYDRA watchtower’s line of sight, concealed by a rocky outcropping. Only then do I shed my disguise.
It’s a relief to remove the garments and facemask that mark one of the most dangerous women in the Northern Hemisphere. And even more of a relief to have the Chaos Cube in my possession.
The lock on the suitcase is rather complex, but it only takes me a few minutes to figure out its inner workings. I slide my fingers across the sides and hear the satisfying click.
I open the suitcase carefully, not wanting to upset its contents. But at last, I see it with my own eyes: the Chaos Cube.
Or… is it?
Something is wrong.
I lift the cube and study it for a few moments.
Then I smash it against the rock.
The device cracks in half. It’s not the device I’m looking for. Just a well-crafted imitation, made of some special titanium-lead alloy.
Whoever created this version had access to some convincing-looking tech.
Convincing enough to fool HYDRA… and perhaps even SHIELD? Where is the real Cube? When was it swapped out?
And by whom?
*******************
ONE WEEK EARLIER…
I glance in the locker room mirror, admiring the SHIELD uniform I now wear. The standard black jumpsuit with grey gloves and armored boots, complete with weapons belt and holster.
Oh yeah… I look like I’m ready to kick ass.
That’s more than I can say, of course, for the SHIELD agent who had the misfortune of being alone in the locker room when I crawled in through the ventilation system.
She’s napping peacefully now, by the looks of it. Currently seated on the floor of her locker, stripped to a white cotton sports bra and grey bikini panties. Tied up and gagged with black duct tape. A few strands of her shoulder-length brown hair have fallen over her light-skinned face.
I shut the locker with my foot. “Sweet dreams.”
From this point on, the infiltration should get easier. Yes, she’s a brunette and I’m a blonde, but SHIELD has a lot on their mind at the moment. They won’t look too closely at every agent walking around the premises.
I pick up the small metal cube I left on the bench and tuck it into one of my stolen belt’s pouches.
It looks just like the Cube I’m here to steal. Switching it out will be a cakewalk.
I did need some help in order to create the duplicate Cube and sneak in here with it. My benefactor will want a favor in return. But I’ll worry about that later.
For now, I have a Chaos Cube to steal.
My name is Yelena Belova. But most people know me by my more famous name: the Black Widow.
--------------------------
The night sky is black and starless. A cold wind whips across the field.
I am the only one in the field. Leaning against the hood of my car, I check my watch. My brow furrows. How long will she have to wait?
My shoulder-length blonde hair blows in the wind. I wrap my black overcoat over the skintight dark blue bodysuit. This uniform, along with my black boots, white weapons belt strapped around my waist, and holster snapped to my thigh, mark me as a member of SHIELD’s security division. Despite the darkness of the night, a pair of sunglasses adorn my eyes.
I am contemplating my options when at last, a car pulls up.
A woman steps out of the car. She is tall and light-skinned, with blonde hair significantly longer than mine. Her body clad in a trenchcoat. She glances furtively around, then walked toward me.
“Lovely night, isn’t it?” the woman asks.
I stare straight ahead. “I prefer a winter’s kiss to a summer’s love.”
It’s the password. The other woman smiles.
“Hail HYDRA.”
I nod. “Hail HYDRA.”
“Agent Violet Pinkerton, I presume,” the woman continues. “I am Lieutenant Cassandra Romulus. I must say, you’re one of our most impressive spies. You’ve been working for SHIELD for… two years now?”
“Three,” I respond.
“And yet no one, not even Nick Fury himself, realizes you’re secretly working for the enemy.” Cassandra chuckles. “So what news do you have for us?”
“SHIELD has been weakened,” I report. “They’ve had their hands full in recent weeks dealing with Orchis and Magneto. Even as Orchis has been crippled and nearly destroyed, the focus on so many threats has caused SHIELD to be distracted.”
Cassandra nods. “That explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
“Several weeks ago, a team of SHIELD agents was ambushed by Magneto’s team and stripped of their uniforms,” she explains. “Among them was a high-ranking SHIELD agent named Meseret Senai and her associate, Susan Dalton. Our intel told us that Senai was mugged so that one of the women on Magneto’s team – a shapeshifter of no small talent – could impersonate her to unlock the facial recognition scan on her tablet.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Why would she be stripped of her uniform if they only needed to impersonate her face?”
“We couldn’t figure that out,” Cassandra admits. “Presumably it was because SHIELD uniforms are quite useful for infiltration purposes… And indeed, two of Magneto’s henchwomen saw an opportunity to make some money for themselves – without telling their bosses, they donned Senai and Dalton’s uniforms and infiltrated SHIELD headquarters. I suppose SHIELD itself was so bust sending forces out to help the Avengers combat Magneto that these women managed to slip in and out without anyone noticing.”
“And they took… the Chaos Cube,” I finish.
Cassandra nods. “The weapon every criminal mastermind in the city wants to get their hands on. They sold it to the highest bidder… and that was us.”
She chuckles. “Now HYDRA is in possession of the most deadly man-made weapon on Earth. And SHIELD, if what you say is true, is powerless to stop us.”
“Very true,” I nod. “What’s my next task?”
Cassandra reaches beneath her cloak and withdraws a suitcase, handing it to me. “Now is the perfect time for us to strike,” she says. “This suitcase contains a deadly neurotoxin, odorless yet lethal. Have you obtained the codes to hack into SHIELD’s filtration system?”
“Of course.”
“Then in two days’ time, you will release this toxin into the system, killing everyone in SHIELD headquarters. We will crush those militant do-gooders beneath the heel of HYDRA.”
She pauses for a moment. “Of course, you will also die in this attack. But that should be an honor to you. To give your life in the name of HYDRA.”
I nod. “I can think of no higher honor. Hail HYDRA.” I raise her arm as if in salute.
Cassandra eyes me strangely. “What are you doing? We stopped making the salute in the Nineties…”
ZAP!
An electric shock blasts from my wrist, hitting Cassandra square in the neck. The woman groans and crumples to the grass.
I check to make sure Cassandra is unconscious. Then I speak into my earpiece. “Commander, do you copy? Target is secure.”
In the earpiece comes the clear, authoritative voice of SHIELD Commander Maria Hill. “Excellent work. You’ve obtained the neurotoxin?”
“I have. Don’t worry, I know how to dispose of it safely. I have… friends who have dealt with worse.”
“I’m sure you have,” Hill chuckles. “Thank you so much for your assistance. I would have sent one of my own agents, but as you know, SHIELD is in a bit of disarray now.”
“It’s not a worry,” I assure her. “Besides, I have a feeling this mission will require more than standard SHIELD expertise.”
“That’s why we called you,” Hill agrees. “Thanks again.”
I shut my earpiece. Then I kneel beside Cassandra and produce a pair of high-tech handcuffs, using them to secure the woman’s wrists behind her back.
Then I walk over to my car, popping open the trunk.
Inside the trunk is another woman – one whose face is identical to mine. This woman, however, has been stripped to a blue exercise bra and white cotton panties. She has been bound with white zip-ties and gagged with black duct tape.
“Thank you for allowing me the use of your identity, Agent Pinkerton,” I tell her.
The real Violet Pinkerton glares up at me, grunting angrily into her gag.
“Before I turn you and Cassandra over to the proper authorities, I need to make a quick stop to dispose of a rather deadly neurotoxin.” I hold up the suitcase. “You should thank me. If I hadn’t impersonated you tonight, you’d be dead by next week.”
Violet growls again, and the gag muffles whatever expletive she is trying to formulate.
I shut the trunk and turn away. Then I reach up and pull off my blonde wig, letting my long red hair fall free. I touch a concealed dial on the side of my face, allowing my mask to come loose. I pull it off, feeling the wind against my light skin and green eyes.
I am done waiting.
******************
As you have probably surmised by now, my name is not Violet Pinkerton.
My birth name is Natalia Romanova. My current name is Natasha Romanoff. But most people know me by my most famous name: the Black Widow.
I was born in Russia during the waning years of the Soviet Union. As a young girl, I trained in the Bolshoi, honing my skills as a ballerina. My childhood was also spent developing myself as a gymnast, to the point where I was in contention to join Moscow’s team in the Olympics.
None of that came to pass. My skills caught the attention of the government and, as an adolescent, I was recruited into a secret program known as the Red Room. The program trained young women from all across the Motherland in all forms of combat – both hand-to-hand and with deadly weaponry. It was a program designed to train us to be covert agents, assassins – and international spies.
I quickly shot to the top of my class. By the time I turned twenty, I was already the most successful field agent in the Red Room’s history. I developed my abilities to the fullest extent as a fighter and combatant, and also took to covert ops, becoming proficient in infiltration and disguises.
After several undercover assignments across Europe, I was sent to America on a dangerous mission. I will not dwell on the details, but suffice to say, it was in this new country that I had a change of heart. I defected to the USA and allied myself with SHIELD for a time, before eventually joining up with the Avengers, where I have worked for the past ten years.
I am occasionally asked about the difficulties in working alongside such super-powered heroes like Thor and Hulk and Captain America. But the truth is, we all have our skillsets. The boys handle the more otherworldly dangers, taking initiative whenever Thanos or Galactus comes calling. And I track the more earthly threats, of which there is no shortage.
One such threat is HYDRA, the global terrorist organization that seeks nothing short of destabilization of the world order. I recently traced a leak from SHIELD’s security info that led me to uncovering a HYDRA spy in SHIELD’s ranks, that being the aforementioned Violet Pinkerton. Tracking her down, I “borrowed” her clothing and identity to uncover HYDRA’s latest plan.
Phase One, complete.
***********************
I’m at work early the next morning at Avengers Tower. Most of the boys are out on a space mission, leaving a few of us to hold down the fort. I’m at work on the computer, trying to track down any leads on HYDRA’s latest location – and where they may be keeping the Chaos Cube.
Research has shown that the Cube – obtained from the Kingpin some months ago and held in a SHIELD facility until HYDRA stole it – was a man-made attempt to create the mystical Cosmic Cube, an all-powerful object the Avengers have dealt with a few times in the past. The Chaos Cube, as we dub it, has only a fraction of the Cosmic Cube’s power – yet in the wrong hands, it can be devastating.
“Hey, ‘Tasha. You’re up early.”
I look up at the grizzled-looking archer who’s just walked through the door. Clint Barton, the original Hawkeye.
“Hello, Clint,” I nod. “Busy day ahead.”
“Tell me about it.” Clint pours himself a cup of coffee. “Things are pretty crazy out there, and I’m not sure anyone still trusts us to fix it.”
I catch his meaning. The Avengers took some heat recently following Magneto’s plot to assassinate former presidential candidate Robert Kelly. We had been slow to realize the threat, with much of the investigative work being done by some street-level heroines, including Ghost Spider and Black Cat.
(Although I would hesitate to call Black Cat a “heroine,” considering her penchant for burglary, she did prove integral to thwarting Magneto’s plan. That said, Black Cat also reportedly mugged my friend and teammate, Janet Van Dyne, AKA the Wasp, and left her tied up in a closet after stealing her costume. She escaped police custody and remains at large, but she had best pray our paths never cross…)
“Have you seen Kate lately?” Clint asks.
I shake my head. “Last I heard, she was investigating some criminal circus.”
Clint shrugs. “Going off and doing her own thing, I guess. That’s Kate Bishop for ya.”
Clint’s ego seems particularly bruised by the Magneto escapade, as Kate, his former crime-fighting partner, was one of the heroines who helped thwart the villain’s plan. (Kate also calls herself Hawkeye, which can get confusing, but I leave her and Clint to figure that out themselves. After all, I’m not the only woman who calls herself Black Widow… but we needn’t dwell on that.)
Clint takes another sip of coffee. “Hey… Falcon and I are heading out later. I think we found a lead on where the Wrecking Crew is holed up. Wanna join us?”
I shake my head. “You boys go on ahead. I’ve got a busy day planned… and probably an even busier night.”
“Spy stuff?” he asks. “You need some help?”
I shake my head again. “You’re sweet to ask, Clint, but I think this is better off as a solo mission.”
“All right, then.” He shrugs and heads for the door. “Good luck. And try not to get killed.”
“Of course.”
He’s out the door.
I hope I didn’t put too much of a dent in his self-confidence… but I meant what I said. HYDRA is dangerous and deadly, and I can’t risk anyone’s life tonight beyond my own.
****************
I wait until nightfall to make my move.
My interrogation of Lieutenant Romulus proved successful. She gave me the location of HYDRA’s latest headquarters – the place where, hopefully, the Chaos Cube has been stashed.
HYDRA has relocated to a lab complex a few miles outside of Westchester. Away from the bustle of the city, away (they assume) from any superheroes. Even so, they’re limiting conspicuousness by offering only a token security force; having too many green-garbed characters about would risk raising red flags.
Similarly, I don’t want to risk alerting HYDRA that I know where they are. Any hint that they’ve been exposed could lead someone to panic and use the Chaos Cube or some other weapon to avoid getting caught. The collateral damage could be massive.
So this needs to be a one-woman mission.
I’ve come prepared, of course. I’m dressed in the stealth suit that has become my signature “look” – a skintight black bodysuit that zips up to my neck. I’ve also got golden-yellow gauntlets strapped to my wrists and a golden-yellow belt comprised of several linked disks around my waist. Attractive as these accoutrements may be, the weapons they contain are nothing to trifle with.
I park my cycle a full mile away from the HYDRA complex and make the rest of my way on foot, keeping to the shadows provided by trees and rocky outcroppings wherever possible.
Finally, I’m close enough to see not only the metal gate surrounding the complex but the barbed wire its threaded with. Electrified, no doubt.
My suit is well-insulated, and could probably withstand several thousand volts. But it would be a risk. Besides, climbing over the fence would make me a sitting duck for the guards patrolling the area.
I’ll need another way inside. And fortunately, I’ve already spotted it.
The guards patrolling around the outside of the complex are a token force – unsurprising, as HYDRA no doubt has deduced that the electrified steel-and-concrete fence does most of the work in deterring intruders. I observe these guards for several minutes – they appear to be relatively inexperienced. Presumably HYDRA saves its more intensive security forces for the interior of the building.
One guard in particular catches my eye. She’s patrolling the southwestern corner of the complex.
Like the other HYDRA guards, this woman is dressed in a dark green uniform with yellow gloves, boots, and utility belt. Her face is covered with a cowl-like green mask and tinted goggles. She carries a rifle over her shoulder.
Perhaps most importantly, she is just about my size.
Judging by the strides she takes – strong, firm, overconfident – this woman is relatively new to her patrol shift. I should be able to take her down without much fuss.
The only problem is the distance. She’s about fifty feet away from me, and there’s a lot of wide open space between us. If I rush her, she’ll spot me and sound the alarm – or open fire. And I’m not nearly as bulletproof as some of my fellow Avengers.
I need to attract her attention, and hers alone.
Quietly, I unclip one of the golden disks from its pouch on my belt. It contains a small plastic explosive – nothing too large or too loud, but enough to make noise for anyone in earshot.
I toss the disk into some nearby bushes. Ten seconds later, there is a muffled explosion.
“Eh?” The HYDRA guard looks up. She’s the only one who seems to have heard.
She approaches the bushes curiously, intent on investigating herself before alerting any of her friends. Good girl.
She’s about twenty feet away from me now. I can work with that.
I aim my wrist gauntlet at her and press a hidden stud. A slim, unbreakable cable shoots out – my “Widow’s Line.” The next moment, it zips around the HYDRA guard, pinning her arms to her sides.
The woman has only enough time to let out a swift “Whulp!” before I pull hard on the line, yanking her towards the bushes I’m concealed in. Just before she lands, I hit her neck with a swift judo chop. “Gloouuff!” She’s down for the count.
I peer through the bushes to confirm that no one else has been alerted by the HYDRA guard’s rather unladylike noises. Thankfully, my actions appear to have gone unnoticed.
I move quickly then, pulling off the HYDRA guard’s mask. Beneath that mask, I get a look at her face – a light-skinned girl with a cherubic face and dark hair that falls just below her shoulders. I’m alarmed by how young she looks – about twenty or so.
I know HYDRA has made a habit of recruiting young men and women to their abhorrent cause, but it’s still a shock to see a woman fifteen years younger than I am among their ranks.
“Fell in with the wrong crowd, darling.”
But this woman’s beliefs are not my priority at the moment. Her uniform is.
I move quickly in divesting her of that uniform, as well as the gloves, boots, and belt. As a routine infiltrator, stripping unconscious henchwomen of their clothes is nothing new for me, and I’m soon donning the costume myself. The feel of the HYDRA uniform makes my skin crawl, but only for a moment. Then my mind is back on my mission.
I’ve wasted enough time thinking about this naïve HYDRA woman, and I hope you’ll forgive me if I do not waste time on trivialities like describing her underwear. I use some of my Widow’s Line to tie her up, and gag her with some black tape from my belt.
I pull the cowl over my head and tuck my long red hair beneath it. Then I step out into the clearing.
I assume the guard’s position outside the complex. No one seems to have noticed the switch. So far, so good. Now I just have to hope this woman’s shift ends soon.
I maintain the patrol for the next forty minutes, copying the woman’s gait and mannerisms as closely as possible.
Finally, a male guard in similar uniform approaches me.
“Shift change,” he tells me.
Finally.
The guard watches me as I walk past him. He whistles. “Looking good tonight, Camilla.”
I ignore him. I need to focus on the mission, after all.
I glance toward the bushes, where the real Camilla is presumably still fast asleep. If I calculated the force and speed of my judo chop correctly, she should remain unconscious for another eighty minutes. That should be enough time for me to get what I need and get out.
I approach the gate and show the guard on duty my pass. He waves me through.
I’m inside. Phase Two, complete.
The HYDRA building looms large, but I’ve seen worse. I fall in line behind some other guards heading toward the building entrance.
A couple of them are chatting with one another. “Don’t want to be on these premises tomorrow,” the man says. “I hear the boss-lady is coming ‘round these parts.”
“I don’t think Viper cares to be called ‘boss-lady’,” the woman scoffs.
My eyes narrow behind my mask. Viper – aka Madame Hydra herself. The leader of the global organization. And by reputation, the deadliest woman in the world.
If she’s arriving her tomorrow, it’s best that I complete my mission here tonight.
I break away from the group at first opportunity and slip down a side hallway. Right now, my main priority is time. I need to locate my target, and fast.
It’s been about five years since the last time I infiltrated a HYDRA facility, but I retain vivid memory of the schematics. And if this compound is anything like that one, the Chaos Cube is probably being held below, in a sub-basement level under heavy guard.
In my current low-level security uniform, I certainly do not have enough clearance to walk through the sub-basement without incident. That will require a new identity…
“Hey!”
I turn at the sound. A woman’s voice.
The woman in question is tall and appears to be in her early thirties. She has light skin and black hair swept up in a beehive hairstyle. She wears a skintight HYDRA uniform, but it’s white instead of green – marking her as a Lieutenant instead of a lowly guard. The uniform zips up at the front and boasts a red HYDRA logo on the chest. It comes with matching white gloves and high-heeled, ribbed boots, as well as a white weapons belt.
“What are you doing back here, agent?” she asks. “Guards are supposed to report to their quarters when they’re not on duty.”
“I needed to stretch my legs,” I say.
The lieutenant’s eyes narrow. “May I see your ID?”
I nod. “Of course.”
I reach for a pocket on my belt.
Then, in one swift motion, I aim my wrist at her and fire a Widow’s Bite blast at her.
A small stud zips through the air, hitting the HYDRA lieutenant in the side of the neck. Instantaneously, 20,000 volts of electricity course through her body. The woman seizes up, then collapses to the floor.
I hurry over to the unconscious HYDRA woman and grab her beneath the shoulders, then drag her into a nearby maintenance closet, shutting the door behind us.
I search the woman and find her own ID badge. Her title is Lieutenant Frankie Noble.
And, for the next thirty minutes or so, I suppose it will be my title.
A buzz comes from her radio. “Lt. Noble, do you copy? We received a report of a sudden surge of electricity in your area.”
I pick up the radio and speak in a perfect imitation of Frankie Noble’s voice. “No cause for alarm. Just a busted lightbulb. Have maintenance fix it tomorrow.”
I put slight emphasis on “tomorrow.” Can’t have anyone in maintenance wandering into this closet tonight, obviously.
I shut the radio and turn back to Lieutenant Noble. We don’t look that much alike – but that’s easily remediable.
I strip off her boots, belt, and gloves, then unzip her jumpsuit and ease it off her. I wrinkle my nose at her underwear – white sports bra and panties with decorative HYDRA logos on each. This woman is truly committed to her despicable cause.
I change out of Camilla’s uniform and begin donning Frankie’s. It doesn’t take long before I have “promoted” myself to the rank of HYDRA lieutenant.
I then open a small case strapped to my own weapons belt and carefully remove a translucent face-shaped mask.
The “photostatic veil” that has benefited me when I impersonated Violet last night, and on so many other occasions in the past. Perhaps the most crucial tool in my arsenal when it comes to impersonating other women. It can perfectly imitate the facial features and bone structure of anyone whose identity I need to assume. I occasionally loan it to my fellow Avengers when they operate on undercover missions – most recently to Janet, who used it in order to mug and impersonate the villainess Diamondback.
I smooth the veil down over Frankie’s face. The veil shimmers for a moment, reading every inch of her facial structure and features.
I wait a few moments, then peel the mask off her face and carefully layer it over my own. I can feel the mask rippling, and then glance in the reflection of a metal tray. The face of Frankie Noble, HYDRA lieutenant, stares back at me.
Finally, there’s the matter of the hair. I unclip a blackout bomb from my belt and carefully open it. Inside is a black chemical that – when combined with an explosive – can create pitch-darkness for my enemies. But it can also function as a quickly applicable hair dye.
I rub the dye into my hair until it’s sufficiently black, then do my hair up into a beehive. The whole process takes under three minutes. By the time it’s over, I am Frankie Noble’s identical twin.
I use some extra Widow’s Line from my belt to tie Frankie up and use a thick washcloth to gag her. I leave her seated in a corner of the closet and cover her with a tarp.
Then I exit the closet and continue down the hallway – this time, with a stride befitting a more powerful HYDRA official.
I pass a few other HYDRA lieutenants in the hallway, no one too powerful or conspicuous. Each of them gives me a curt salute, and an occasional “Agent Noble.” I salute back. The disguise works perfectly.
At last, I reach the elevator leading to the sub-basement. I swipe Agent Noble’s keycard.
The light on the pad turns a snakeskin shade of green, and the elevator doors slide open.
The elevator descent is long and slow. I bide my time, steeling myself for whatever may be on the other side.
After an eternal thirteen seconds, the elevator reaches its destination. The doors slide open onto the HYDRA sub-basement.
The level doesn’t look appreciably different from the other villainous lairs I’ve infiltrated over the years – dimly lit hallways, metal walls and doors that slide open. Voices come from down the hallway, and I follow them.
I soon arrive at what is – if the white coats, computers, and bubbling chemicals are and indication – a HYDRA laboratory. There are some scientists working there and some other HYDRA officials stationed nearby.
I walk casually around the perimeter, trying to ascertain where the Chaos Cube might be hidden. Presumably, it would be stored in its own room under fierce protection. But there are so many doors and passages… Where to begin looking?
I pass by a young female scientist testing some green serum in a beaker. She glances up at me, and a look of fear crosses her face. She immediately stands up straight and salutes.
I’m a bit surprised by this – is Frankie Noble so high on HYDRA’s chain of command? – when I notice others in the room are also saluting. And they’re not doing it for me. Someone else has walked into the room.
I turn around to see a tall, imposing woman stride into the laboratory. She has lightly tanned skin, blue eyes, and long dark hair. She’s dressed in a green leotard with yellow stripes and a yellow weapons belt, as well as yellow gloves and thigh-high, dark green high-heeled boots. She is draped in a dark green cloak and hood.
I recognize her from the Avengers’ files. Zorra de Plata, aka Silver Fox. One of HYDRA’s most accomplished and feared terror leaders, and one of Madame Hydra's closest confidantes.
Silver Fox strides into the room, her high heels clicking on the metal floor. “Well, why are you all standing around gaping? Get back to work.”
She glances in my direction. “Noble, what are you doing down here? You’re supposed to be at the meeting upstairs.”
I think quickly. “I received an alert, ma’am,” I say as she approaches me. Then I lower my voice. “A security breach in the sub-basement.”
Her eyes narrow. “That’s nonsense. I would have received such an alert, if there was a breach.”
“I didn’t find any evidence of it so far,” I continue. “But I figured it was worth checking out… Wouldn’t want Viper to hear about it if there was an intruder.”
I strike the right nerve. Silver Fox, for all the power she wields, still fears disappointing her boss.
“Come with me, Lieutenant,” she says.
I keep my face an impassive mask – that is, beneath my actual mask – as I follow Silver Fox out of the laboratory.
“What alert could you possibly have received?” she asks harshly as we walk down the hallway. “I am keyed in to all security alerts in this facility.”
“All of them?” I inquire.
“Of course,” she says. “While Madame Hydra is away, I am in charge here. Only I am able to access the saferoom where the Chaos Cube is held. If anyone who didn’t look like me tried to get in, the alarm would activate.”
“Didn’t look like you?”
“Yes! The room scanner is keyed to my facial structure. We also have safeguards against any nosy Avengers or X-Men. If anyone with superpowers tries to infiltrate the facility, the alarms go off.”
She pauses. “Why are you asking stupid questions? This was all explained in the briefing.”
“Just trying to get as much info as possible before I take your role.”
“What are you – urghh!”
With her peripheral vision obscured by her hood, she hasn’t time to register my neck chop until it connects, just beneath her skull. By that point, of course, it’s too late for her to do anything about it.
“And not all Avengers have superpowers,” I murmur as I catch her unconscious form.
I quickly drag Silver Fox into an empty laboratory. Time for one more quick change.
Her cloak and hood are easy to remove; the rest of her uniform, less so. The insistence of super-villainesses to wear skintight costumes has long been an annoyance, making my job of infiltration and disguise more time-consuming and difficult.
Still, after some effort, I succeed in parting Zorra from her gloves and boots, followed by her leotard. She wears bright green underwear with HYDRA logo emblazoned on each of the bra cups. Again, the commitment to such a despicable cause nauseates me.
I peel the photostatic veil from my face and let it reset, then lay it over Zorra’s face. The mask re-forms itself to her features.
I remove it and place it over my own face. Silver Fox’s face, and her identity, are now mine.
My current dark hair is close enough in color to Zorra’s, though I undo the beehive and let the hair fall limply across my shoulders, mimicking her own hairstyle.
I use some white tape from the laboratory shelves to bind and gag Zorra, then drag her over to a medicine cabinet. The interior has just enough space to fit a grown woman inside. I push Zorra in, cramming her into place. Her chin rests on her knees. An undignified position for such a reputable villainess. But still, it’s better than she deserves.
I dress quickly in her costume – leotard, gloves, and boots. I tie the cloak around my neck and pull the hood over my face, hoping to obscure whatever details the veil and my hairdo did not cover.
I draw myself up to my full height, which is a bare inch below that of Zorra. Other than that, there are no identifiable differences. As of now, I am Silver Fox, deputy leader of HYDRA.
I exit the room and stride down the hall. A security guard turns the corner and sees me. He quickly salutes.
I treat him to the cold glare that Silver Fox herself gave me a few minutes ago and continue walking.
Soon, I arrive at the saferoom. There is a facial recognition panel to the right of the door. I position my face – her face – up to it and feel a slight electrical buzz as the machine scans it.
Moments later, there is an approving ding. Top-grade SHIELD technology has done it again.
The door slides open, and I enter the room. It’s small and dark, with a pedestal in the center. Resting on that pedestal is a locked metal suitcase.
I can’t risk opening the suitcase here. Instead I sweep it beneath my cloak and calmly exit the room.
A couple of HYDRA scientists pass me in the hallway. Judging by the frightened looks on their faces and the quickening of their pace, they don’t want to risk crossing Silver Fox. My disguise is a perfect way to avoid questions.
I ascend the elevator, and before long, I’m exiting the compound, simply nodding as the gate guard salutes me. I’ve researched enough of HYDRA’s upper echelons to know that they are not inclined to salute back.
In a matter of minutes, I am out of the HYDRA watchtower’s line of sight, concealed by a rocky outcropping. Only then do I shed my disguise.
It’s a relief to remove the garments and facemask that mark one of the most dangerous women in the Northern Hemisphere. And even more of a relief to have the Chaos Cube in my possession.
The lock on the suitcase is rather complex, but it only takes me a few minutes to figure out its inner workings. I slide my fingers across the sides and hear the satisfying click.
I open the suitcase carefully, not wanting to upset its contents. But at last, I see it with my own eyes: the Chaos Cube.
Or… is it?
Something is wrong.
I lift the cube and study it for a few moments.
Then I smash it against the rock.
The device cracks in half. It’s not the device I’m looking for. Just a well-crafted imitation, made of some special titanium-lead alloy.
Whoever created this version had access to some convincing-looking tech.
Convincing enough to fool HYDRA… and perhaps even SHIELD? Where is the real Cube? When was it swapped out?
And by whom?
*******************
ONE WEEK EARLIER…
I glance in the locker room mirror, admiring the SHIELD uniform I now wear. The standard black jumpsuit with grey gloves and armored boots, complete with weapons belt and holster.
Oh yeah… I look like I’m ready to kick ass.
That’s more than I can say, of course, for the SHIELD agent who had the misfortune of being alone in the locker room when I crawled in through the ventilation system.
She’s napping peacefully now, by the looks of it. Currently seated on the floor of her locker, stripped to a white cotton sports bra and grey bikini panties. Tied up and gagged with black duct tape. A few strands of her shoulder-length brown hair have fallen over her light-skinned face.
I shut the locker with my foot. “Sweet dreams.”
From this point on, the infiltration should get easier. Yes, she’s a brunette and I’m a blonde, but SHIELD has a lot on their mind at the moment. They won’t look too closely at every agent walking around the premises.
I pick up the small metal cube I left on the bench and tuck it into one of my stolen belt’s pouches.
It looks just like the Cube I’m here to steal. Switching it out will be a cakewalk.
I did need some help in order to create the duplicate Cube and sneak in here with it. My benefactor will want a favor in return. But I’ll worry about that later.
For now, I have a Chaos Cube to steal.
My name is Yelena Belova. But most people know me by my more famous name: the Black Widow.
Food for potential stories maybe?
(Is the SHIELD agent who was mugged a returning character from a previous story? I think I recognized Agent Collins.)