phone booth
Tiny fingers lift the sleek black phone from the hook as quarters are inserted into the labeled slot. When prompted, the fingers move to push the sequence of numbers they had long since memorized, leaving behind bloodied fingerprints on the keypad.
62742-4455
They wait, their breath coming in sharp heaves that causes a sharp stab in their ribs with each movement.
The dial tone sounds out before it abruptly ends with a click. “This is Hill.”
They’re quiet for a few moments. “Ria?”
There’s a pause before the reply came, slow and hesitant. “Alyssa?”
The girl in the phone booth lets out a choked sob. “You said I could call you.”
It’s been two years. She nearly brought SHIELD down to her velcroed shoes and killed one of their own. Still, Maria had once promised safety and whatever punishment they had in store for her couldn’t be any worse than what she’s been through.
“I did.” Came the cautious reply.
Seeing that Maria wasn’t going to make it easy, the girl squeezed her eyes shut. “You said you’d help. You said you could keep me safe.”
“That was before you murdered an agent and stole sensitive information,” Maria replies and the girl inhales sharply before wincing when it causes a pang of pain to shoot through her.
“I’m sorry, this was a mistake.” She moves to hang the phone back up.
“Alyssa, stop!” Maria orders sharply and the girl stops abruptly, going stiff at the sound. “Just…” Maria sighs. “Where are you?”
The girl squints through the glass and relays the street signs to Maria. She’s not entirely sure where she is, just that she managed to slip away from her handler and make a call with some change she swiped from a homeless man.
“Stay right there.” Maria tells her firmly. “I’m coming to get you.”
So the girl does. She stands in the phone booth with the phone cradled between her cheek and shoulder long after the time runs out and listens to the dial tone.
She can see a sleek black van pull up a while later and a woman steps out of the car.
Maria had changed some in the past two years since the girl had last seen her but she still looked as intimidating and badass as always. Maria approaches the phone booth and tugs the door open, staring down at the girl. “Alyssa.” She greets.
The girl peers up at her, the phone still clutched tightly in bloodied fingers. “Hi.” The girl whispers, her heart beating dangerously fast in her chest.
Maria lowers herself into a crouch. “You’ve grown some.” She comments. “And your hair is longer.”
The girl’s lower lip wobbles dangerously. “I’m sorry.”
Maria reaches out and takes the phone from the girl before setting a hand onto the girl’s hair. She flinches at the touch, expecting some sort of retribution for the last time they saw each other.
“My name is not really Alyssa Daniel.” The girl says quietly, standing violently still as Maria’s hand moves to wipe a smear of red from her cheek.
Maria arched an eyebrow, her hand finally settling onto the girl’s shoulder. “Oh?”
The girl looks up at Maria. “My name is Yelena Belova and I’m an assassin from the Red Room.”