911 | james barnes

016

4:53am, September 1, 2013

New York City, New York

"Come on then, Little Widow." Natasha taunted, lowering herself into a fighting stance. Violetta stood opposite her in a t-shirt and leggings. Natasha had donned her mission suit for reasons Violetta had yet to find out. The snowy teen charged toward the redhead, skidding to the side before Natasha was able to knock her down. Swinging around on Natasha's legs, Violetta was able to get her onto the ground, though this was only the very beginning of the fight. Natasha's legs that were previously entangled with her opponent's swung up and latched around her neck, cutting off her air supply. Rather than yielding, the teenager reached for a peroneal nerve point on Natasha's thigh, causing the elder's leg to release her windpipe and begin spasming.

"They've added a few things to the curriculum since you left, old lady." Violetta retorted, giggling as she stood up from the ground where Natasha still lay unable to move her leg. The two shared a look, giggling to themselves and Nat pulled herself into a sitting position.

"You sure do know your stuff don't you?" The former student queried, stretching her legs as best she could while still shaking slightly.

"If the KGB were flashy, I would've graduated summa cum laude. Madame talked about you a lot. Said you were her prodigy. Until I came along at least." Violetta told Natasha, flipping her hair as the older girl laughed to herself.

"Madame was a horrible woman but a damn good teacher. I remember stuff she taught me twenty years ago better than I remember what I had for breakfast." Natasha told Violetta, the latter nodding in agreement as the two women continued discussing their shared teacher.

"I have a serious question." Natasha began, slicing through the laughter they shared.

"Aren't all of your questions serious?" Violetta quipped, receiving an eye roll before she steeled herself and looked back at Natasha with an equally stoic gaze.

"Did you ever have a trainer come in? From HYDRA?" Nat whispered, watching as Violetta's pupils dilated.

"Metal arm? Super angsty?" The younger questioned, confirming her curiosity when Nat nodded.

"Yeah, I knew him. He was my main combat trainer for nearly ten years. Every knife scar I have on my body is from him." Violetta explained, not knowing how much information Natasha had on the man that had saved her from herself.

"Pretty rough, hey? I think I saw him on a mission a few years ago. Didn't recognise me." Natasha explained, looking down and absentmindedly rubbing a spot on her hip.

"He gets brainwashed. HYDRA wipes his memory after every mission or when he starts remembering whatever life he had before them. He has activation words that put him in the soldier-y mood." Violetta delved, thinking back to the many conversations she had with the soldier about his old life. A blonde man he served in the army with who he had known since they were children. The time he woke up being dragged through a snowy mountain range with his left arm missing. The first time he had to kill someone under the guise of the Winter Soldier.

"How do you know so much? Did Madame tell you all this?" Natasha probed, pulling Violetta from the daze she had thought her way into.

"No, they didn't. The soldier, The Winter Soldier, he's just James to me. A man so wronged by the world that still has enough care and compassion within himself to save so many others. He helped me when I couldn't help myself. When I didn't want to carry on, he gave me reason to. Gave me something to work toward, and I could never be more thankful to him. To my dear James."