Retnikopf: Widow Of Siberia (old Version)

Chapter 8 - The Tattoo

The four of them had gone back to the apartment in silence. No one talked about the argument or the fact of the very real possibility that Vienna could have just ruined anything Clint was planning. Not that the thought bothered Vienna particularly, she was still pissed off with Clint.

She held a lot of trauma and regret for the way she was raised. For the way she was born. As part of an experiment between the red room and Hydra, she often felt a like baby cow being raised for slaughter.

Vienna sat in the room Yelena and her had used to get ready for the party. She had changed back into her usual clothes and was staring down at the barcode that was tattooed on the inside of her arm.

"Hey," A soft voice said as the door clicked open.

Looking up, Vienna saw Kate standing a little sheepishly in the doorway.

"Don't feel too bad, I'll talk to Clint," she said as she walked over to Vienna, "I know you were protecting me back there. You made sure no one could hurt me and I appreciate that."

"It doesn't matter," Vienna sighed, rubbing over the skin where the tattoo was as she shuffled back on the bed.

"Can I ask? About that?" Kate said, nodding down at Vienna's wrist.

"I was property, technically I think I still am," Vienna explained, turning over her wrist to show the other tattoo on the other side. It read 'Siberian made'. "If an organisation wanted me to complete a mission for them, send someone a message, kill someone, get information for them, anything. All they would have to do is scan the code and adequate funds would go into the bank of Hydra members. I think it also links into my file, like an about page before you buy a dog."

"You're not a dog, you're a person," Kate said, reaching across to take Vienna's hand, "you can be whoever you want to be now."

Vienna smiled very softly, almost as though her face never moved. She had known that since she had left the Hydra base in Siberia but hearing it out loud was something she had not thought she needed.

Slowly, Vienna moved her head to look up at Kate who was frowning slightly with concern but the frown faded as soon as they made eye contact and she smiled.

"What will you do now?" Kate asked, "are you staying?"

Vienna shook her head, "no, we're going to see Fury."

"You really think you can bring Natasha back?" Kate looked sympathetically at Vienna, both of them aware of how Vienna's plan sounded.

"It's the only thing keeping me going," Vienna said softly, looking back down at the floor, "I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't work."

Kate didn't speak again. She couldn't think of a single thing to say that would comfort Vienna in that moment. She had never heard that kind of pain in someone's voice before, the desperation and hopelessness. It hurt just to look at her hollow eyes.