Shield knew about Vienna's past with Eric Killmonger from the files that Hydra had left. They had worked together on a number of different missions, it was noted that the red widow's emotional state would become positively elevated after such missions and when told about them. She liked him.
What they didn't know was the relationship that the two assassins had formed in private. Nothing was on file, just one line at the end of a dismissal report.
Romantic relationship suspected between subject 06 and hire 275. Termination of 275 failed. Declared enemy. Status: loose.
There was only one report involving Eric Killmonger after that. His death record.
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Flashback
"Hey," Eric smiled as he popped his head around the door.
The red widow and Killmonger were on a mission and needed somewhere to lay low while they waited for the right moment to strike. Eric had gotten them a hotel room at the edge of the city, it was a little dingy and dirty but it wasn't bugged so they could relax freely.
"Are you alright?" he asked her as he walked into the room, she had been getting changed so he had been waiting outside the bedroom. "It's been a long day, huh."
"Yes," Vienna agreed, she sat on the bed, her legs crossed as she watched him place himself at the edge. Giving her enough space to feel comfortable. "We need to be rested so we are ready for tomorrow."
"Enough with the mission for tonight, yeah?" he sighed, she was so focused, it was like she had no idea how to take time for herself, "why don't we watch an old movie or something? I saw some tapes under the TV. You wanna try one?"
"Movies are propaganda," Vienna told him, a slight frown on her face as she spoke, "they manipulate people into believing in false ideals."
"They really got you good huh," Eric smiled slightly, trying to keep a happy face so as not to freak her out but it was hard when this was how they made her act. "Let's just try one. And you can tell me all about the propaganda, how about that?"
Vienna gave an apprehensive nod and followed behind him out to the living room.
She sat delicately on the worn out sofa as he crouched in front of the TV. He was messing around with the VHS tapes on the shelf, trying to fit one into the player. When it finally worked, the grainy image began to play and he joined her on the other side of the sofa.
Vienna would never stop him from touching her but, he didn't want to be another agent that took what wasn't his. He wanted her to know that she was safe with him.
Vienna tried to watched the movie but she found the voices muffled and hard to understand so she watched Eric instead. He was different from her other mission partners. Bucky was like her, deeply damaged. He understood but he couldn't comfort. Eric had his own head, something untainted by others. He was driven and caring, he was what she wanted to be but never could. Any time she showed sign of independence beyond necessary she was reconditioned.
"May I?" Eric asked as he lifted his arm to go and stroke her hair but he paused while he waited for her answer.
Vienna gave him a nod and leaned her head on the back of the sofa towards him. His fingers moved through her hair making her feel tired and relaxed for the first time in a long while. She felt peaceful in that moment, like nothing could hurt her. Just safe and loved.
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Present
"What do you think she's going to do if she sees him?" Yelena asked her sister as they walked quickly through the compound, checking round every corner.
"She probably already knows where he is," Natasha told her, her gun tight in her hands, "we just need to get to him before she does. We can't lose her again. We've worked too hard to come back together."