Retnikopf: Widow Of Siberia (old Version)

Chapter 7 - Mask Off

Every swing that Bucky made for Vienna, she dodged. Playing with him as she slid and jumped around him, kicking and punching as she went. He was going to get that mask off of her, no more babying the viscous assassin, it would get cut off if he had to.

----

"So your plan is to take the mask off?" Sidorov asked as he stood next to Melina, watching the fight unfold.

Melina gave a nod. It was clear to see after two failed attempts so there was no use hiding it. She continued to watch, unsure of who she should be rooting for. Vienna was performing perfectly, if a little inefficient, she had had a few opportunities to kill Bucky and hadn't taken them. And if Bucky won it would go one of two ways, Vienna won't stop until he kills her or, he gets the mask off and she comes back to them.

"You know, if she wins all her fights, and she should, she'll come straight up to protect me," Sidorov told her, glancing between Melina and Red. "She'll kill you too."

"I know," Melina said simply, not turning to look at him, "maybe I'll kill you before she gets to me."

Melina watched as Vienna glanced up at them, clearly having heard what she had said. It was a moment of distraction but it was all Bucky needed. He landed a hard punch to the side of her face with his vibranium arm, breaking the first layer of her mask off of her face.

"I bet you think maybe, in the last moment, the child will recognise her mother, she'll come home to you," Sidorov laughed, "I'm sorry but I've been working very hard with her, as you have already seen. Your child isn't inside that head anymore, though there is one other inside her head. I hadn't quite had chance to solidify the Red Widow so I had to leave something in place for when the mask comes off."

"Who?" Melina asked, finally turning to look at Sidorov who was smiling the disgusting smile he usually wore.

"Who do you think?"

----

Bucky jabbed forward with his knife, slicing through the mask and into her mouth. Red grabbed a hold of his hand and ripped it away from her, slicing open her cheek. Before she could get a step back, Bucky grabbed the hood of her cloak and used his knife to cut the rest of her mask open. He ripped it from her head, revealing the cuts he had made across her face.

"Vienna," he said gruffly, holding her head so tight she had no choice but to look at him, "Do you see me? Do you know who I am?"

"Konechno, ya delayu," (of course I do) Red smiled, her words slightly slurred through her split cheek and the blood pooling in her mouth, "James."

"Do you know who you are?" he asked, trying to read her eyes but they were unwavering and cold.

"YA - krasnoye nebo, kotoroye siyayet, kogda ubiystvo zakoncheno." (I am the Red Skies that gleams when the killing's done) she smiled as much as she could with her injuries as she watched his face fall.

There was no saving her, he could see every look in her eye, the woman behind them was not one they knew. These personas were like masks on a doll with no eyes. Vienna Retnikopf was gone.

A/N
Hello all, so the finale is tomorrow and I wanna say thank you for taking this journey with me ❤️ and I wanted to let you know that I have a surprise for you all that I'll announce on the next chapter!!!