Quick and Quiet

A young Sokovian soldier took a long drag off of his cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke into icy air. He shuffled his feet and adjusted his cap, trying to ignore the cold. A whistle came through the air, followed by a snap. The soldier lay in a pile on the ground with a black figure crouched over him. The smoke from his cigarette still hung in the air. In the blink of an eye, Black Widow had the soldier’s hands and legs bound. She scooped up his body effortlessly and nestled it in the back of an outgoing supplying truck.

Agent Romanoff had scaled the perimeter wall and bolted across the embassy grounds as silent as a shadow. The compound became a blur as she pounced from point to point, avoiding the paths of prowling guards and security cameras. The only guard that couldn’t be avoided was the one standing guard at a perforated metal panel on the northern corner of the building. The guards now lay motionless in a pile of empty cardboard boxes on their way to the dump.

Natasha’s body came to a holt just outside the metal panel. She checked the time on her tablet. In just five and a half seconds, she’d infiltrated the embassy and neutralized a guard.

“Not bad at all, Stark,” she admitted to herself.

She latched her hands onto the corners of the metal panel and pulled. It fell away from the building, bolts pulled clean from the concrete wall. The panel was concealing the ventilation system that ran in a labyrinth throughout the compound. The duct work was just large enough for a person to work their way through in a crouch. If her target was hiding in there, all she would have to do is find a route and pounce right on top of her. The thought was titillating to Natasha. She expected more resistance from Ms. Linsk than she got from the guard but she would be no match for Black Widow, not now.

Natasha heard the faint sound of footsteps and muffled Sokovian voices. She leaned forward and crawled into the duct work.

The heat of the air ducts was a welcome change to the freezing night air. Once Natasha was well within the innards of the building, she relaxed for a moment and let her tingling muscles lose their chill. She ran her hands over her body as she sat, kneading the muscles of her thighs and calves. She was sitting in what seem to be a giant maze made of cold sheet metal, branching of in random directions at random points.

“Black Widow, this is HQ. Confirm entry into embassy, over.” said the voice in her ear.

Natasha raised her palm to her right ear.

“This is Black Widow. I'm in the ventilation system now, over.”

“We have a lock on your position. Excellent work on clearing the exterior. Passing through the interior won’t be as easy. You’ll be facing pressure-sensitive security flooring and cameras that detect the slightest changes in heat and air pressure. After further structural analysis, Stark’s research team has discovered a flaw in their security system. All of their security doors and cameras run on a closed grid that’s connected via wiring that runs parallel to the ventilation system that you’re in now. If you look above you, you should see it.”

Natasha tilted her head up. A bundle of wires ran like a colorful stream ahead and behind her.

“The security system’s firewall runs off of a single source of power. If you disconnect it, you should be able to hack the entire complex through your tablet. You’ll be able to access security cameras, disable alarms, the entire building will be under your control. According to analysis, you will want to sever the green wire.”

She raised up a hand and sifted through the mess of wires. Studying them closes, she found a bright green wire. She pinched it between her fingers.

“Too easy. Standby for collection.”

Natasha was almost disappointed. Her mission was near its end already. It almost seemed a waste of equipment and her skill. No matter, there would certainly be other missions in the future; hopefully more memorable ones. The important thing was that soon her target would be as helpless as a baby in her hands. She squeezed the wire between her fingers. The wire came apart and an arc of electricity exploded from her grip.

“Nyahh!” Natasha yelped as sparks danced around her. She pulled her hand back and slid away from the exposed wire. She was wrapped in ribbons of white light. Her body shook with every jolt. It seemed as if it would never end. She had to do something!

She felt the tingling stab of shock up and doing her arms, across her torso, all along her back, and right between her…

With hesitating, Natasha-