Phantom Venom
At the Fedor Estate, Yelena slid in with a group of young women, the type of beautiful and very young women who were brought to these high roller elite parties to keep rich men around. Their willingness to attend was questionable at best and Yelena could tell that these women were forced to go where they were told, she had a desire to seek out their handler, and maybe eliminate him if she could find him. She hated the way so many women were taken, used, shipped around without control of their own life, widows, trafficked persons, they were all robbed of their identity and more.
As Yelena made her way inside the luxurious estate, the taste of the estate owner was clearly quite lavish. A bit sickeningly so. Yelena was afraid to touch anything and just as she observed a gold painted vase with greek artwork on it, a staunch Russian woman pulled Yelena’s arm away from it.
“That artifact is worth more than one thousand times your life you worthless girl!” She scowled in Russian. Yelena went to scowl back at her but instead she kept a softened expression and nodded that she understood. A docile girl made it through, one who fought back would get removed. Yelena knew that for sure. She felt the long over manicured fake nails of this woman dig into her arm.
“Don’t make me send you back to the rats where you belong.” She growled and Yelena stood there still and looked at the floor calmly.
“Go!” She pushed Yelena toward the last girl who was entering the main area of the estate and Yelena followed them all into the party center.
As Yelena entered she followed the immaculately dressed beautiful women into an indoor garden that thrived with wild greens and flowers, she even saw a bright blue butterfly flittering around the gardens. All of the women she followed were taller than her, they were much closer to Maria’s height than Yelena or Natasha’s. The group of women walked through the stunning garden into what looked like a museum area, a ballroom, that was filled with guests, men and women a like. Yelena scanned the room and she did not see Maria anywhere.
“Short girl!” A man yelled for Yelena’s attention as she walked past, Yelena stopped and stared at him.
“Are you the shortest of them all?” He asked. “Did they throw you in at the end like the caboose of a train?” He laughed and the men near him laughed.
“Come here, girl.” He commanded and Yelena came closer to the group of men who were admonishing her, the group of them looked her over skeptically.
“You are a chunky one.” One of the men joshed.
Yelena worked hard to suppress her face from making a stern and offended reaction.
“Maybe tell Katerina to stop feeding you for a few months so you can thin out like the rest of 'em.” He laughed and the other men snickered at her. Yelena stood there silently as he continued.
“God, what filthy former soviet streets did they pull you off of? Do you even speak Russian, girl? Most of the women here are actually Ukrainian street rats and other poor European trash. It’s not like Dubai where they ship in the women from wealthier, cleaner white countries.” He explained to the men standing around him.
“Yes, sir.” She answered quietly.
“At least they trained you right. Maybe some drunk fool might want a hefty dirty blonde with a circle face for the night.” All the men laughed at her. “Alright, go back to your little school of bitches.” He waved her off. Yelena was ready to knife this motherfucker in front of everyone, but she showed remarkable self restraint. Still, Yelena hoped she got to smack that man around later. She had no plans to show him any restraint then.
——
Natasha covered her long braided red hair with a cloth cap like the women who worked in the kitchen catering the event. She pulled on a matching gray apron like the workers blending in with everyone behind the scenes pulling this party together. They were all dressed the drabbest gray, none of them made eye contact with anyone and the people who worked in the kitchens handed the food and drinks off to much classier looking wait staff.
Natasha moved through the manor effortlessly in the service entrances and back ways where the people who worked the estate were supposed to hide to get around during such elite and lavish parties. None of the rich wanted to see the poor downtrodden people who kept their estates functioning. Natasha weaved around the service quarters until she got the back half of the manor. She memorized he blueprints that Maria had pulled up for them. In order to be convincing, she couldn’t act lost.
Natasha found her way to a room off an isolated corner of the manor, she could hear some voices of people chatting and laughing a few rooms over. She shut the door the room and removed her cap and apron, she cocked her gun and she stood behind the door on the ready. Natasha could not see how this mission could go wrong, Maria just had to get this guy into the room with Natasha, give the info to Natasha and then she could bolt out with the help of Yelena. It was a pretty simple, easy, operation at that. SHIELD trainees could pull this off in their sleep. Natasha was so close to finishing off Dreykov she could taste it.
——-
In a secluded area of the manor, the top one percent of the one percent mingled. They didn’t mesh with the lower class of elites who made up the other side of the estate, this was where real business was done. People who changed the world and politics in Europe were here, and they all did so without their names ever being known to the public. Maria was escorted by Soren, disguised as Arina, and they waltzed right in like they belonged there. Eventually Soren and Maria split as Soren went to locate Igor. Arina had told Igor that she had lined up an exception meeting for him but that it was only available for a brief moment for him to make his case. As Arina found Igor among the elites she pulled him aside.
“Arina, where is your mystery guest?” He asked noting that Arina was alone.
“My guest is stopping in for a brief moment on the way to make a deal of a lifetime, if you want your shot Igor, you better make your way in there, Igor. They won’t come around again.”
“The deal of a lifetime?” Igor sounded intrigued as he drank his gin and tonic with lime.
“I have a seller, a seller with access to contracts for Stark technology and SHIELD weaponry. Top of the line defense contracts, as well influence in the United States government.” Arina explained and Igor moved his head backward, that was a get like no other.
“Who is he making a deal with?” Igor asked squinting, this was exactly the connection Igor wanted, but he had a hard time believing that Arina would the seller up or offer to share him.
“Arina.” Igor scoffed. “If what you tell me is true, you’d never let him out of your crosshairs.”
“The seller isn’t selling what I am buying, I want weapons direct, these are contracts, in case you were not listening to me.” Arina smirked at Igor and Igor perked up. A fake defense contract that would allow Igor’s shell companies to get proprietary technology that could rival the best weapons the US has to offer. It was impossible to get. Igor had companies that pretended to work for Ukraine and other US allies faking that they build weapons to support European and middle eastern peace, not end it. A contractual supply line like this could change everything and Igor became physically excited that Arina had finally found someone who could deliver on this pipeline for him. HIs skepticism waded as if the seller was working with Arina or friends with Arina, he could be trusted.
“Well, let’s not keep the man waiting, Arina.” Igor said and gestured with his hand for Arina to lead the way.
Soren led Igor to the back one of the guest areas where Maria was sitting at a corner high top table. She was the only woman in the entire place (who wasn’t working in hidden servant quarters) wearing pants. She looked very official like she was minutes away from getting on a jet with the Secretary of State. She was seated in a rather dark isolated are of the party and for good reason—she was quite recognizable to those interested global security—or destabilizing. Igor was stunned to see Maria Hill of all people at this event. But as he thought about it more, he wasn’t too surprised, people that connected like her, had to be dirty to keep themselves afloat.
“Where is she on her way to?” Igor whispered to Arina.
“Somewhere worth her time.” Arina answered and Igor made a face as the two walked over to greet Maria.
“Ms. Hill.” Igor said a twinge of surprise in his voice. Maria looked up at him and then to Arina for an explanation.
“You don’t know who I am?” Igor asked with a slight scoff in his voice.
“No, Mr. Vonnav, I know exactly who you are, I am just not sure why Ms. Belinksy has brought you over here.”
“Arina and I have a reciprocity deal, we share in the wealth of our labors so we are not competitive with one another.” Igor explained and Maria did not see impressed.
“If I could entertain you, briefly.” Igor asked and Maria again looked at Arina.
“Mr. Vannov, I do not believe you are really the type of person I am able to make deals with.” Maria dismissed quickly and Igor grunted in a loud sigh, both offended and intrigued.
“Oh? And who exactly are you making deals with?” Igor asked rudely and Maria was silent giving him a cold stare. “And what’s your motivation for this deals, Ms. Hill? Money? Greed? Those seem a tad immature for you.” Igor looked Maria up and down and Maria looked displeased at the way his eyes traced her body like that.
“Did you tell anyone else I was here?” Maria asked Arina.
“Please, this is just good for business, if any one else caught wind, it would destroy me.” Arina waved off like the two of them were friends in contact and Igor was excited by this.
“I can make you the deal of a lifetime.” Igor said quietly leaning a bit toward Maria and she pulled herself away from him setting a clear boundary of how close he could be to her, he understood the boundary she marked but instead of respecting it he made a mental note to try and breach it again to win her favor.
“I already have the deal of a lifetime.” Maria brushed off.
“Then I guess you’re about to get the gift of two lives, Ms. Hill.” Igor raised a brow at her and Maria looked at Arina before she rolled her eyes, Maria looked at her watch and then back at Igor.
“Fine, I have a few minutes, to be entertained.” Maria sighed and Igor dropped his glass down on the table where Maria was sitting.
“It looks more secluded over there.” Arina gestured to another corner which was close to the room where Natasha was hiding. Maria was pleased, Soren didn’t even know about that part of the plan. Maria got up from the table and Igor gestured for her to go first and Maria stood there.
“No. You first.” She commanded. Like hell she was letting that man walk behind her.
“Well, typically a gentleman never walks before a lady but you do look like a Madam so, I guess it’s not surprising you want to take the lead.” Igor laughed and Gravik snickered in Maria’s ear through an ear piece.
Maria rolled her eyes and looked at her watch.
“Clock is ticking.” Maria scowled and Igor walked over a couch in the corner of an empty but open sitting room. Maria sat in a chair across from the couch he sat on. Arina watched the door way, it had an open frame anyone could peer in if they were so inclined, but no one seemed particularly inclined at the moment.
“Do you think I bite?” He teased as he wiped some sweat away from his hairline and Maria just glared at him, it was clear she was wildly unimpressed.
“You never answered my question, what is your motivation for these backroom deals, undermining your own security?” Igor brought it up again and Maria was quiet.
“Who says I am undermining anything.” Maria dismissed and Igor looked intrigued. “It’s good to keep the U.S. and it’s allies on its toes, ready for anything.”
“Oh.” Igor paused. “I get it. You make money selling the defense contracts to compete with the contracts you sold on the other side.” Igor shook his head, he should have known. “Here I thought there’d be some dramatic revenge story.”
“Who has time for that? Everybody gets what they want this way.” Maria shrugged.
“And you walk away, very very rich.” Igor added in. “I’ll deal in, for 10 million.” Igor blurted out and Maria laughed at his low ball offer. “That’s a lot of money, miss.” Igor snapped.
“Tell him you have three with the lowest at 40.” Gravik said in Maria’s ear.
“I have three other offers and the lowest one I have is for 40. Do you understand? I don’t have time for clowns.” Maria spoke sharply and Igor looked cross.
“Three? With who? Who? Mikhailov, Zarubin, and Koshelev?” Igor snickered back at her as he named his top rivals. Maria refrained from smirking, because once you got a man going like this they gave up so much information.
“Nice, Hill.” Gravik said in her ear as he got the names of others the skrulls were after. Maria could do this without Gravik’s input but the skrulls were the ones chasing down these weapons deals and she was just there to be a face.
“I’m the only one of them who can really pay you out. I could pay you today, right now. The others are high balling you a false promise of expected funds they get from making the deal with you.”
Maria was not phased.
“I’m confident the funds are backed with full faith and credit.” Maria assured and Igor narrowed his gaze at her, again he started to sweat a bit, and he swiped his temple briefly. Losing this deal would be devastating for him it could knock him out of the game completely.
“It’s none of the three I named, is it?” He asked and Maria said nothing.
“It’s like stealing candy from a baby.” Gravik mumbled listening in and Maria didn’t react at all, despite the fact she agreed.
“It’s Obolensky, isn’t it?” Igor dropped a fourth name and Maria did not respond.
“You will never get paid, his cash flow funds come from the North Koreans, the Chinese, and the Iranians. He’ll eat you alive.” Igor warned Maria.
“Get more on Obolensky.” Gravik called in again.
“I’ll take my chances.” Maria shrugged.
“He gave you a split deal, didn’t he?” Igor asked trying to read into Maria’s silence. “Fifty for you, fifty for the contracts?” Igor thought he read into Maria’s face that was the deal she was entertaining, it had to be. One hundred million total, a dream a lifetime deal for her, clearly. “You think the Iranians aren’t going to flip and run on the deal? You think the North Koreans are flushed with cash?” Igor scoffed.
“Tell him it’s gems.” Gravik said to Maria.
“It’s stones.” Maria glared at Igor and Igor’s jaw dropped.
“I didn’t take you for jewelry type.”
“I’m not. Doesn’t mean it won’t go far.”
“It’s 50 to the contractors and another 50 in uncut gems for you to go roam Europe undetected?” Igor asked and made a face, this was a fabulous deal for her, how could she turn it down and go with his deal instead. Igor looked at Arina at the door, he brought her a gold mine and he couldn’t believe it, and he was going to lose it to something he could not even compete with. Igor felt flushed, warm, tense as the realization came over him.
“Unless you can come up with something better.” Maria shrugged and Igor started to sweat a bit from his forehead, he wiped his face with his hand.
“If stones are what you want, some untraceable revenue, you have come to the man of the hour.” He baited and Maria leaned back in her chair waiting. She gave a quick glance to her watch signaling she was soon ready to be done entertaining his offer.
“I am now the profiter off five ‘repurposed’ mines.” He bragged.
“Five mines?” Maria asked “Illegally run, conflict ridden mines couldn’t come up with enough to meet my deal on the table, especially since there’s only one unlawfully operating diamond mine in that area.” Maria dismissed.
“Shut up and let him talk.” Gravik rolled his eyes to himself as he growled in Maria’s ear, did she have to prove she was smarter than everyone all the time? Maria wanted to yell at Gravik, he was so rude in her ear and making it hard for her to focus.
“Oh, Ms. Hill.” He shook his head. “Sure, just one of those mines off the Sabine coast could easily double your offer maybe not in stones but in lots of other materials that could fetch you a lot more than you are getting, and unlike Mr. Obolensky, whose ‘ground’ profits hide under the protection of an unstable, illegitimate government in Midwestern Africa, the Sabine coast is always controlled by” — “terrorists.” Maria interrupted Igor’s long talk.
“Terrorists? Sure, I like to call them consistent customers, who pay up front and on time. That’s the nature of the trade. You think Stark Industries doesn’t benefit from illegal mineral mining? They deliver a product we need, the deliver all kinds of metals and minerals we need for our weapons and gadgets, worth far more to you and me in the long run than anything Obolensky can offer, he might have the cash up front, for now, but does he have market corned?” Igor smirked and Maria feigned a light smile. “I forget, you’re well versed in world affairs.” He added. “Maybe a little too much for my preference, makes I hard to pull one over on you.”
“Sure does.”
“You like Obolensky’s terrorists better than mine? What? Because they feel more legitimate to you? Please, his blood diamonds are worth the same as mine and I have access to a great many more useful things.”
“You think this guy is going to drop the code to his safe next?” Gravik mumbled to himself but Maria heard it and she smirked to herself.
“Unfortunately, I don’t deal in raw materials.” Maria feigned disappointment.
“You are so smart and yet so dumb.” Igor shook his head. Maria loved to pretend she didn’t understand what some ignorant man was talking about. They always felt so righteous and smug. “If you contract with me for the final product, and set up the contract with the materials through me you and I get two paydays, — you really get four payouts. Do you understand that math? I know women struggle with that area.”
Maria was quiet and she tilted her head a little. God this was dragging on so long.
“It doesn’t look like a gave you such a lowball offer now, does it?” Igor snickered. “You think ten is low but, that’s just the beginning.” Igor could feel his chest pounding, a nervousness he never experienced before as he could feel Maria getting ready to walk, she wasn’t impressed with anything he had to offer and he couldn’t figure out why. What did Obolensky really offer her that she wasn’t sharing. The beat in his heart started to uptick just a little bit more, his face warmed.
“It’s all just words to me, Igor, I have a verified offer on the table. I don’t accept unvetted deals, there’s a lot that went into putting this together and if you wanted this deal you should have made yourself known sooner. I can’t take this deal until I verify your assets, ensure your mines are producing what you claim they are, get a guarantee that your free ranging terrorists are going to deliver those products and not shop it somewhere else. You think that’s a good deal for me? That’s a terrible deal for me. Four pay outs to me? Yeah eventually, one day, down the road, maybe. Put up or shut up, I do not have time for this.” Maria started to get up from her chair.
“C’mon you motherfucker, send those financials.” Gravik murmured and this time Maria was thinking the same thing.
“I can prove it, I can send you a partial accounting of my assets right now, and the rest of it in a day or too.” Igor said in a panic. Maria took out her phone, a fake phone for the mission and she waved it in Igor’s face.
“A real one, if it’s fake I’ll know and you aren’t going to see me again.” Maria threatened as she waited impatiently.
“You get to verify me and I don’t get to verify you?” Igor asked hesitating.
“That’s how it works when you want something I have.” Maria looked over at Arina who was still standing by the open archway and Maria started to move in that direction like she was going to leave.
“Wait!” Igor huffed as he then essentially used the air drop function on his device to send some records to Maria’s fake phone. Gravik got the documents through her device.
“See if you can get the rest of them.” Gravik called in.
“I want the rest of them by the time I get on my flight in 30 minutes.” Maria demanded and Igor made a face that would be a hassle for him but one that in the end would be worth it.
As Maria started to leave, Igor suddenly realized his mistake, that she could quickly run off and go tell Obolensky everything he just told her and undermine him, she now had access to a lot of important information about his assets that she could use to leverage against him with one of his greatest adversaries. He thought he was making a great deal for himself, now he realized she was going to take the intel and go to his competitor. He could feel the anxiety of his realization racing through him.
“Ms. Hill.” He said in a calm soft tone and Maria turned to look at him but she was surprised to see that he was now pointing a gun in her direction and she froze feigning surprise.
“Tell Arina to leave us and then I think we’re going to iron out details of this agreement right now. You’ll have to catch another flight.” He said in a quiet menacing tone, and Maria looked cross but honestly she had been waiting for him to do this for quite some time.
Maria waved Arina off, and Soren left the two of them alone not realizing he had pulled a gun. Igor waved Maria closer to him and she stepped toward him in his direction but kept a distance, he held his hand out for her to come closer to him and she refused.
“See what happens if you touch me.” Maria growled stepping back from him and he rolled his eyes, this type of woman just needed a lesson in who was really in charge, but Igor figured she also probably had skills he didn’t so while he aimed his gun at her to move her toward the room the door he kept a slight distance.
“Have you never made one of these deals before, girl?” Igor laughed to himself as they walked over to the empty room and Maria opened the door and stepped inside first with Igor following, the room was dark, it looked like some type of unused guest bedroom.
Natasha was waiting in the corner of the room behind the door, it had been so long she started playing scrabble on her phone with some random person. Maria hadn’t called or texted, Yelena hadn’t called or texted, god this party was a drag. Where was the action, the drama? Suddenly the door started to open and she grabbed her gun and straightened herself out. FINALLY. She thought to herself.
“Have you?” Maria asked offended as she stepped in the doorway and Igor followed with his gun, his hadn’t was shaking quite a bit.
“You’re going to take the trade I first offered you, the ten for the contracts and I’ll give you an extra two million for yourself because you’re pretty in a certain light, but you have to meet with me in person. It was going to only be one mil for you, but I’ll throw in an extra million so you can buy yourself a dress for next time.” He snickered and Maria rolled her eyes in a slow dramatic motion.
“I don’t know why he’s trying so hard, you’d still look like one of the lost boy from Neverland.” Gravik snickered in Maria’s ear and Maria sighed. “You want Soren back in just give me a verbal cue.”
“I’ll pass.” Maria said to both Igor and Gravik at the same time.
“Suit yourself.” Igor scoffed as he wiped more sweat away from his head with his free hand and is vision felt a little blurred. Maria could tell something wasn’t quite right.
“Are you alright?” Maria asked and she brushed her own ear with her hand and pulled out her earpiece switching it off quickly so Gravik wouldn’t hear the next part, if anyone was going to learn about Natasha being there, Maria was less worried about it being skrulls, but if it got back to Fury, well, that could complicate things for Nick.
“Hill?” Gravik asked noting that the ear piece went off and he wondered if she was compromised. “God, if I have to save this woman a second time, this week.” Gravik muttered.
“She’s fine.” Soren chimed in as she was also on the line.
“Do you have eyes on her?”
“She just went into a room with him, I’m right by the door.” Soren confirmed.
“Last thing I need is Fury pissed at me cause she go herself killed.” Gravik mumbled and Soren sighed loudly so he could hear it.
Natasha jumped from behind the door as Igor used his foot to close it behind him.
“The fuck!” He said shocked at the sight of Natasha holding a gun at him. He moved as quick as he could to try and grab Maria to hold as hostage but she had moved herself far out of his reach and his weary state was no match to even try to grab Maria. In Igor’s attempt to grab her he dropped his gun on the floor as his hands had become sweaty and Natasha kicked it to the other side of the room.
“Oh, I’ve been waiting a long time for you, buddy.” Natasha grinned. “You’re going to drop everything you know about General Dreykov right now, right here, if you want any chance of walking out of here alive.” Natasha threatened.
“This is about Dreykov!?” Igor gasped but like he was struggling to breath not as if he was shocked that they were after Dreykov.
“Talk now, or take it to the grave.” Natasha warned and Igor looked at Maria with concern. What was happening to him, he didn’t understand, what kind of trick was this? Had Maria compromised him physically to get him to talk? But he was the one holding the card a moment ago… his brain lost track of his thoughts though as it felt like his throat was tightening.
“Dreykov?” Igor coughed and coughed again. “I’ll tell you anything about Dreykov.” He struggled to say as he choked on nothing, his eyes starting to water.
“Start with where he is.” Natasha growled.
“Help” Igor coughed grabbing onto his face and neck “me” he struggled again “please, I can’t…” he started gasping for breath clawing at his own face.
“It could be a trick.” Natasha warned. He grabbed at his throat as he started choking. Maria and Natasha exchanged brief glances, his skin started to turn a dark purple. As he gasped and choked for breath and fell to the floor gagging and then he was suddenly silent as he fell limp, his face a deep red, his eyes
“Okay, possibly maybe definitely not a trick…” Natasha corrected as he fell to his knees his eyes widening as he gagged on nothing. Maria moved over toward him like she was going to help him.
“Don’t touch him! It might be phantom venom, it’s a poison that’s absorbed through the skin. Did he touch you?” Natasha asked and Maria shook her head no.
“Did you touch anything he touched? It takes awhile to work.”
Maria thought back and she didn’t think she did but she struggled to remember.
“No, he had a drink, he left it on a bar table, awhile later he started touching his face a lot.” Maria recalled.
“Definitely Phantom Venom, you place it on an object, it gets absorbed through the hand then it makes you flush and you start touching your face a lot then you are exposing your head and face to more poison over and over again until you…” Natasha gestured to the dead Igor.
“Who knew we were coming?” Natasha asked with a frown, this was so anticlimactic.
“No one.” Maria answered and then there was a knock at the door.
“Don’t touch the door knob!” Maria yelled to whoever was behind it and then mouthed the word ‘HIDE’ to Natasha and she ducked in an open closet that was close to her. Maria didn’t know how she could open the door without risking absorbing any leftover Phantom Venom.
“It’s me.” Soren said as Arina.
Maria didn’t want to open the door and risk anyone touching Igor or seeing him and she definitely din’t want Soren to risk being poisoned touching something that Igor touched. Maria put her earpiece back in.
“He was poisoned.” Maria said reconnecting to Soren and Gravik.
“What?” Gravik asked stunned.
“Someone here poisoned him, he’s dead, on the ground in front of me. It’s a touch based poison.”
“Are you exposed?” Soren asked.
“I don’t think so, but I don’t know.” Maria admitted, she felt fine but it did take awhile to work and she was so careful about not letting that man touch her for other reasons.
“How do you know?” Gravik asked skeptically.
“I have seen it before, it’s called Phantom Venom.” Maria repeated what Natasha told her.
“I have more bad news for you, the national police and Interpol are on their way here.” Soren called in. “They got news a most wanted Bulgarian was here.”
“Stephan Tomere.” Maria answered “I think I saw him upstairs briefly.”
“Maybe I can lure him downstairs before sneaking out myself.” Soren suggested.
Natasha leaned out from the closet making eyes at Maria, clearly make a face at Maria that Interpol could not come here right now. As if Maria didn’t know that already. She had a dead rich man and a fugitive in the same room she was in at a party she definitely was not supposed to be at.
“What’s the ETA on the police?” Maria asked trying to figure out what she and Natasha could do quickly and safely. Maria wasn’t sure if she could even leave if she had been contaminated and she touched other things she could risk someone else getting sick.
“At most, ten minutes?” Gravik guessed.
“Let’s go with the least.” Maria suggested.
“Four minutes.” Gravik tried to read from where he was where the police were coming from.
Then Maria, Soren, and Natasha heard gunshots from downstairs.
“Let’s go with two…” Gravik clarified hearing the shots on the other end.
“Soren, the glass, Igor had a glass in his hand he left it on the table, if the glass is still there you have to store it and take but don’t touch it.” Maria suggested “if someone else touches it they could die and w can get reading on poison.”
“The poison I the least of our concerns right now.” Natasha whispered and Maria glared at like was it not clear that Maria was getting rid of Soren they could sneak out? Maria tried to express this with her face and Natasha made a confused face at her.
Then Maria waved her hands around trying to explain it in hand motions and again Natasha tilted her head at Maria and Maria waved her hands around more dramatically in a bit of total nonsense giving Natasha very intense stare down.
“Ohhh.” Nat whispered.
“I’m on it.” Soren said as she raced back to the table and used a cloth napkin to drop Igor’s glass in Arina’s bag and hustle out of the party with all the scared terrified guests running out from the sound of the gunshots only to run out into the streets where they heard parades of sirens.
“Hill, what are you doing?” Gravik huffed in her ear.
“I”m figuring it out.” Maria yelled back at Gravik.
“You need to be moving!” He yelled at her.
“I can get you out.” Natasha barely whispered and Maria shook her head no.
“Go! Now!” Maria barely audibly whispered to Natasha with a great sense of urgency.
Natasha made a motion to Maria that she needed to come with her and Natasha reached her hand out to grab Maria and pulled herself away from her rapidly giving Natasha a hateful look that she tried to grab her.
“You’d feel it by now.” Natasha whispered trying to assure Maria it was okay and Maria shook her head no. It had taken Igor way longer.
“Are you on the move!” Gravik yelled in Maria’s ear. “I have eyes on the outside, I can get you out.” He offered.
“Come on!” Natasha mouthed.
“GO!!” Maria mouthed back, they could hear the sirens ringing closer. Natasha grabbed her gray cap and apron and she gave Maria one last look.
“Please, come.” She mouthed.
“Please, go!” Maria mouthed back and Natasha used the apron to open the door handle and then slip out back toward the servant quarters.
Maria was sure she didn’t touch Igor and that he didn’t touch her, but they were sitting at the same table for awhile relatively close, did she touch her face? She brushed her ear to pull out the ear piece and then she put back in. Maria had to do something though, she had to leave, Gravik was right.
“I’m coming.” Maria said after she hesitated so long. “But I need you to pull anything on Phantom Venom.” Maria admitted as she actually did feel quite flushed in the face but she was afraid to touch herself or anything but she didn’t want to tell Natasha that because she knew Natasha would never leave.
“I already did.” Gravik assured, “It’s a common poison used by widows, SHIELD has a prototype antidote, we have it here, the sooner you get out the sooner we can get it to you. Do not touch your face!” Gravik warned.
“Yeah, I got it.” Maria said a bit more panicked as she left the room, the whole area where she had been was completely cleared out.
“I’m out and I can get it to her faster.” Soren said having changed identities from Arina to Russian officer.
MEANWHILE…
Yelena heard the gunshots relatively close to wear she was, people in the area poured toward the exits to try and run from them. Yelena hadn’t heard a word from Natasha or Maria but she decided it was best to exit with the crowd because she had no idea who was shooting. As she raced with the other women, their high heels sliding and slipping on the glossy floors as Yelena entered the indoor garden to escape through the entrance she felt someone grab her hair by the back of her head and pull her. Yelena yelped at the grab. She put her hand around the grip that pulled her.
“I guess I get the round faced girl!” The man from earlier in the evening said as he pulled her toward him and started pushing her outside while he held onto her.
“Get off of me!” Yelena yelled as she kicked his inner leg with her heel and he loosened his grip enough for her to pull away. Yelena pulled forward and started to run as he lunged for her and then let him grab her and she pushed him back into the stone wall banging his head into it. Despite her short stature, she had a great deal of force behind her.
The man was dizzy for a moment from the hard hit, he didn’t even realize he was lucky Yelena didn’t kill him. She started to run again and he leaped forward and she turned.
“Really?” Yelena groaned what was this man a glutton for punishment?
“You made my head bleed.” He barked as he took his hand showing off the blood from the back of his head. “How are you going to say you’re sorry?”
“By making your brain bleed.” Yelena narrowed her eyes as she lunged at him knocking him to the ground kicking and hitting him in the stomach angrily.
At the same time, Natasha raced through the back hallways, enraged that Maria wouldn’t come with her but clearly Maria thought she had been exposed to the poison but Natasha was sure she wasn’t. One of the hidden hallways was blocked and Natasha had to run through the indoor garden to escape with the crowd she could blend in with the workers but then she heard the painful grunts of a man and she turned to see Yelena beating some man on the ground. Natasha raced over to her.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Beating up a man who was rude to me.” Yelena explained.
“Help me!” He cried when he saw Natasha dressed in the workers cap and apron.
“Oh.” Natasha made a face and then she kicked him in the head without mercy and knocked his teeth out.
“I could have done that myself.” Yelena growled at Natasha.
“In those shoes?” Nat asked, Nat had boots on, Yelena had opened toed heels. “Plus, you were taking too long.”
“I wanted it to hurt.” Yelena said as they raced away.
“I want us to get away.” Natasha and Yelena ran off quickly barely evading authorities as they arrived on scene.
“Where’s Maria? Did you get the info?” Yelena whispered to Natasha as the two of them hid and then tried to make it back to Maria’s car.
Maria also made her way out of the estate, but it was tricky, she went with Soren disguised as a police officer her brought her to where Gravik was stationed. They tested Maria for any trace amounts of the Phantom Venom, she was negative for it, of course. Just for safety, they took Maria’s clothes and Soren gave her jeans and a t-shirt to wear and she took a decontamination shower.
Yelena drove Maria’s car and picked Maria up where she had caught up with Gravik and Soren to help with their mission. At least the skrulls got some info on the the weapons they were chasing, even if Maria and Natasha got nothing on Dreykov.
Maria took over the driver role, Natasha moved to the front, and Yelena swapped to sit in the back. All three of them were silent for awhile because this whole night had been a total waste of time and a mess. After about ten minutes of silently driving Yelena groaned.
“I am starving.” Yelena whined.
“Me too, actually.” Natasha made a face at Maria and Maria gave the two of them the look that a mother gives when they have food at home.
“We’re going to drive right by.” Yelena gestured to a fast food place
“Oh my god.” Maria mumbled and pulled right in.
After they ordered food through the drive in widow they sat in an empty parking lot eating.
“Not our best mission…” Natasha sighed as she unwrapped a burger. Yelena had her feet up as she stretched along the back seat, she had taken her heels off finally, she stretched her gams, feet and toes out enjoying the freedom to move them comfortably.
“Nope…” Maria mumbled taking a sip of her soda looking straight ahead. “A complete and total waste of time.” Maria sighed.
“Well, I got to punch a prick.” Yelena bragged.
“I got to kick a prick.” Natasha bragged over her brag.
“I almost got poisoned…” Maria sighed and ate a French fry.
“I punched him first.” Yelena sighed. “Yeah, wait, so what’s the deal? Igor must’ve known something Dreykov didn’t want to get out if he had a widow poison him.” Yelena sighed.
“It’s gone now.” Maria huffed.
“Yeah, and you were talking to him for a really long time right, so if there’s any photos or video you’re about to be a suspect in a corrupt Russian oligarch’s murder!” Natasha teased and Maria groaned.
“So, we’re going to need another way to find Dreykov.” Yelena was eating an ice cream sundae and she licked her spoon as she pointed it out.
“Well, I think I know someone who might have an idea, but we can’t drive there and… you definitely can’t come.” Natasha said looking at Maria and Maria just ate her fries silently and didn’t even fight it. She had her moment to help, it failed.