Queen Consolidated
Nathan was in his office, finishing up the final draft for his new book 'Makeout Tactics'. His first 3 books were still on the New York Times Best Seller List for nearly a year now, which was good for him. Bringing in that extra dough for a rainy day. And then there were his other investments.
He sat back in his chair and thought hard about something and pulled up a PDF file. It was collection of pages containing a list of names. It was his mother's copy of the List. He had initially thought he had crossed Isabel off on his suspect list, but apparently not. Isabel's name was only on his mother's List, so he had to wonder something. Was it just because Isabel was his father's mistress at one point or was it something else? In Nathan's experience, nobody made the list without doing something awful. Still, he knew next to nothing for her reasons for being on the List.
'Speaking of which,' he thought, 'it's time to bring my quirky hacker and secret spy into the fold.'
Warehouse district
That Night
Several SUV's were pulling up and disgorging their occupants as Roy watched from a short distance away. He had his red hood up and was looking at the criminals as they milled about with a pair of high-powered binoculars.
"I got your message." Prometheus told him as he came up behind him, "You should be more careful, kid. You're completely exposed here."
"I knew you were there." Roy lied, startled. Prometheus looked at him funny.
"What, you wanted me to tell you when the funny money guys were ready to make a sale? Here we go." He said.
"Not 'we'." Nathan told him. "Go home, kid. I already have a partner."
Roy turned to argue, but the vigilante had already moved off. Delsin Rowe was who was being hunted tonight. He worked for the Federal Reserve and got really rich because he illegally sold perfect copies of the plates used to make dollar bills, including how to get the watermark perfect. He sold these plates to gangs and criminals. For this reason, he was on the List.
Inside the warehouse, the buy was already taking place. "Here's the fake." Rowe said, gesturing to his associate. The man held up a briefcase and opened it, showing off the pair of $50 plates. "Let's see the real." Rowe said. The buyer's associate dropped a large duffle bag and opened it, revealing stacks of $100 bills, roughly $10 million all in all. Delsin Rowe nodded in satisfaction, and the other man lifted the bag to hand it over-
Only for it to be struck in the hand with a crossbow bolt. The criminal dropped the bag and he was felled by a crossbow bolt to the head.
Nathan walked out from his cover, contemptuously slicing the neck of one guard open with his chokuto before throwing a ninja star into the head of another, causing his corpse to fall back against the pallets. One of the Rowe's men ran out of the warehouse, only to be tackled by Roy who began pummeling him.
Back in the warehouse Nathan drew an arrow on Delsin Rowe, who smirked back at him confidently.
'You got two right above you.' Lyla said over the radio. Prometheus pivoted around and fired up at the catwalks above him once, then twice. One man fell down and crashed into another stack of pallets with an arrow in his chest. The other was dropped by an arrow through his larynx.
There was a guard right behind him but he was felled with a crossbow bolt to the chest. He then turned back to the Delsin Rowe, who now looked at him fearfully.
"Delsin Rowe, You have failed this city." The man screamed in terror which was ended when he put an arrow through his face.
Outside the warehouse, several patrol cars pulled up. McKenna got out of her car and drew her weapon, though she sighed when she saw Roy Harper pummeling another man.
"Stay where you are, don't move!" McKenna ordered.
Roy immediately stopped and moved back, putting his hands behind his head. "I want to make a citizen's arrest." He said as he was cuffed.
"Don't move." Mckenna ordered again.
Back at Nathan's Loft
"Well ladies," Nathan said as he, Helena, and Lyla walked into his loft dressed in civilian clothes. "Another night, another gang off the streets permanently, another name crossed off the List."
He placed the duffel bag containing 10 million dollars near his couch, having already inspected it to make sure of no booby traps.
"What are you gonna do with the money?" Helena asked.
"Probably donate half to charity, and keep the rest for my rainy day fund." Nate said, referring to the funds he kept safely hidden away for the day that may come if he loses QC.
He took off his coat and wrapped his arms around both Lyla's and Helena's shoulder. "Now, what do you two say we enjoy the rest of our night?" Lyla and Helena certainly were not going to complain, but before he could begin rocking both of his girlfriends worlds,his phone rang.
"I swear to God, if that's Isobel, that's phone is getting broken." He grumbled as he looked at who it was and answered, "This had better be important, Waller. I was in the middle of something."
"Oh, I can assure you, it's important. Put the phone on speaker, would you. I would prefer if I only had to explain this to you and Agent Michaels once."
Nathan did so and all three gathered around the phone.
"Agent Diggle has gone dark."
Lyla paused at that. "John's missing? What happened?" she asked.
"He was running down several lead's in Moscow for me." Waller explained. "He's missed four of his scheduled call-ins."
"So, what do you want us to do about it?" Nathan demanded.
"Even if we knew where in Russia Mr. Diggle is, my superiors believe sending in an extraction team could cause an international incident. As far as they're concerned, he's already a framed picture on our lobby wall."
Lyla cautiously asked. "Why are you telling us all this?"
"Because I know your passport's are both up to date." She continued.
"It would help to start with what Mr. Diggle was doing in Moscow in the first place." Nathan said after a second's contemplation. "What were these leads he was tracking down?"
"A line on the whereabouts of Eric Needham and Digger Harkness."
"Black Spider and Captain Boomerang." Nathan sighed, aware of their aliases in the criminal underworld. "You were trying to find more members for Task Force X" He said wearily.
"Agent Diggle is an asset that is not easily replaced. If he is dead, I'm going to have to call Agent Michaels back from time to time. And I know, Nathaniel, how you prefer Lyla by your side." Waller told him, implying that she knew about the true depth of their relationship. "Bring him home, Agent Michaels, Mr. Queen" Waller ordered before shutting off the phone.
SCPD Station
Same Time
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you like being arrested." McKenna said.
"I was working for…him." Roy said softly.
"Him who?" McKenna asked,
"The guy who helped you solve Merlyn's case." Roy replied. "I'm on his team." He said, looking the cop in the eyes. "You are, too."
McKenna stared back, considering…
"Anybody else having serious deja vu?" Thea said as she stormed into the precinct. She came to a stop next to McKenna, her arms crossed and an angry look on her face as she considered her boyfriend.
McKenna made a decision. "That's all right, we're letting him go." She said, moving behind Roy to uncuff him- to both Roy's and Thea's surprise. "Our mistake. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." She explained, covering for Roy.
"Ok, uh, let's just get out of here before anyone changes their mind." Thea said, leading Roy out of the precinct, the wind totally taken out of her sails. As they left, Roy shared one last look with the cop before heading out.
Same time
Skye was meeting up with her boss, who had requested a meeting with her at Verdant. It almost sounded like a date.
"So AC, why did you want to meet me here?" Skye asked.
"AC?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah, cause your cool." Nathan gives her an amused look, "Yeah I know, not my best nickname."
"Nah, it's fine." Nathan said as he got up from his seat. "Come with me. I want to show you something."
He brought Skye down to the door to the basement.
He then walks down the stairs after turning on the lights and places his hand on the wall, the walls parting for his secret. "Whoa, what is up with that?" Skye asked.
"If you want to know, there just one more set of stairs." Nathan said and Skye followed after a few moments of deliberation.
Nathan walked over to the light switch as Skye came down. "You've proven yourself on several occasions. I figure it was time to bring you into the fold." Nathan flipped the disconnect for the lights on, and his lair lit up, illuminating everything. Including his outfits.
"Your him. Prometheus." Skye said in shock as she gazed upon her boss in a new light.
"I am." Nathan said. "Like I said when we first met, I haven't had a lot of luck in recruiting a hacker and tech-support member for my team. The last one I was interested in was too dangerous to bring in. But, you are the right one. You have the skill, and you see the world for more what it really is."
It was at that point that Helena, Lyla, and Chien entered. As they introduced themselves to Skye, Nathan had only one thing to say, "Welcome to the team."
The Lair
1 hour later
Skye and Nathan were watching coverage of demonstrations over the STAR Labs particle accelerator.
'The potentially catastrophic risk of turning on this machine far outweigh any scientific gain that might come from it.' A protester was saying to the news reporter. 'The people need to understand just how dangerous technology like this is. And the very real possibility of a cataclysmic event.'
Nathan looked up as Lyla walked briskly into the lair. "So, getting everything ready?" he asked.
"Yeah." Lyla said, gathering some equipment. "Just need book it at the office."
"Wait, AC what's going on?" Skye asked.
"Gotta to save someone in Russia." Nathan said.
"Who?"
Lyla stopped what she was doing and sighed. "John Diggle." She said finally.
"Who?" Skye asked.
"It's her ex-husband that now works for A.R.G.U.S." Nathan informed Skye.
"He was in Russia looking into some potential recruit's for an off-the-books black ops team that is run by ARGUS." Lyla explained. "He's missed four of his scheduled check-ins."
"Not to be crude or anything, but wouldn't that mean he's already…you know." Skye offered.
"I thought the same thing. But the person who runs Argus knows my secret identity. And I technically still work for her, so I have to do odd jobs for her, otherwise she could make my life difficult." Nathan said.
Nathan looked to Helena, who was off to the side. "Babe, I think it's time we visited our Queen Consolidated subsidiary in Moscow." He said.
"Awesome, I've always wanted to visit Moscow." Helena agreed.
Flashback
Five years ago
Once again, Nathan found himself staring up at the face of his best friend.
"Sara…" he whispered as she looked back at him. Suddenly a door opened, and Sara moved back, allowing Ivo to walk past her.
"My name's Ivo." He said in greetings. "What's your name?"
Nathan looked past Ivo at Sara, who subtly shook her head. "Robert." He said after a moment's hesitation.
"So. How did you come to be on this island, Robert?" Ivo asked. "I assume it wasn't by choice."
"My, uh boat was shipwrecked here." Nathan said haltingly, still looking at Sara. "And I was the only survivor."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Ivo said, picking a notebook up from his desk. "Did you explore the island much?"
"Some of it." Nathan admitted. "Why?"
"You didn't happen to run across a Japanese Imperial Navy submarine, did you?" Ivo asked, looking at Nathan.
At his nonplussed expression, Ivo decided to elaborate. "During World War II, every country was trying to develop the ultimate weapon." He began. "The United States had the Manhattan Project and Captain America, of course; the Nazis had das Uranverein, and Hydra and Red Skull before they defected. And the Japanese, well, they had Mirakuru."
"Stem cell and genetic therapies, decades ahead of their time." Sara explained.
"Every war advances the cause of science." Ivo continued. "And like Dr. Eskrine, the Japanese had developed a serum that caused increased strength. Rapid cell regeneration. They called it Mirakuru."
"Miracle." Sara translated.
"The Japanese saw how Steve Rogers aka Captain America led the SIS and decimated Hydra. They wanted their own army of super soldiers." Ivo noted wryly. "They were transporting their only supply via submarine when that sub came under heavy fire by the allied forces. And it ran aground in this chain of islands. Both the serum and the scientists who developed it, lost to sands of time." Ivo stood and walked over to Nathan. "Thanks to you… we now know it's this island."
Nathan glared up at the scientist. "You murdered my friends." He hissed.
"Which means it's up to you," Ivo countered benignly, "To help us find that sub."
Flashback End
Starling International airport
Nathan, Skye, and Lyla arrived at Starling International the next morning. Lyla pulled the Bentley into the hangar as a jet that was NOT the Queen Consolidated Private jet sat on the tarmac, its pilots already doing their preflight check. Lyla and Nathan grabbed their bags and the four walked over to the hangar.
"We aren't taking the QC's Private Jet?" Lyla asked.
Nathan answered, "We can't exactly take the private jet since my clone is covering for me with Isabel. Besides," Nathan said as the they got a better view of the plane, "My personal one is way better."
(AN: It's the 'Bus' from Agent's of Shield)
Lyla looked around and said, "Nate, is this a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III?"
"A modified version, but yes." Nathan answered as they set their bags.
"How did you get one? These things cost 218 Million dollars. Per Unit." Lyla said.
"It was a birthday gift from my dad." Nathan said sadly, in remembrance of his father.
Several hours later, Nathan had his passport stamped at Sheremetyevo International Airport. He took it back and pulled out his phone, quickly setting up the meeting with Knyazev.
"Everything with Knyazev is set." He told Lyla several minutes later.
"You have friends in the Russian mafia?" Daisy asked. "Color me surprised. Who do you know?"
"The Pahkan or Godfather. Anyway, you're going straight to the hotel in a cab." He told her.
Daisy balked. "Your sending me to the hotel?"
"Lyla, Helena and I are going to be meeting with the leader of a criminal enterprise that's been around for generations. One of us is a government agent and the other 2 are well-versed in the niceties and politics of the criminal underworld. You are still fresh and inexperienced in such things. You just joined up and I'm not about to throw you into the deep end when you're still learning how to swim, per say. So, we are going to get a drink and you will take our stuff to the hotel and sit tight until we get back." He said, and the three walked off, leaving Daisy standing there alone.
"Well, damn. Talk about laying down the law." She muttered, and then headed off to get a cab.
Queen Consolidated
Nathan's Office
It was late at night and Nathan's clone was finishing some paperwork. It was at that moment that Natalie walked in, dressed in a sexy secretary outfit.
"You wanted to see me, boss?" Natalie asked.
"I did, yes." Nathan smiled. "Please, have a seat." Natalie took a seat, crossing her left leg over her right.
"Can I get you anything? Water, wine, vodka, if that's your thing?" The clone asked.
"I don't drink during work, sir," Natalie said, wondering why he was offering vodka specifically.
"Please, I insist." Nathan said, as he offered a shot of Russian Vodka. Deciding to just go with it, Natalie took the shot glass in her hand.
They clinked their glasses together as they both took a drink. Nathan did not miss the way Natalie subtly flinched at the drink.
"Now, you been my secretary for a while. I'd like to get to you know you better. Please, tell me about yourself." Nathan asked.
"There isn't much to tell, I'm afraid. I'm an orphan New York City. Born with nothing, I had high ambitions, so I desired a great deal. I traveled the world for a while after I received my bachelors, and then I started working as a secretary in various companies before starting here." She said.
"And that shoot out that occurred in my board room some months back. I have to ask, where you frightened? Scared even?" Nathan asked.
"I Imagine anybody would be scared if some suddenly burst in the room, pointing a fully automatic gun at you, sir," Natalie lied convincingly.
That was when the clone started to chuckle to himself. "I admit, you're good. You're really good. Probably the best. There were practically no flaws in your performance."
"What do you mean, boss?" Natalie asked.
"That I know you're not really from New York City, although I will admit, you pull off a great accent. You did study secretarial arts but that's not all you studied." Nathan said a he stood up and leaned over his desk, "And I know that your real name is Natasha Romanova, not Natalie Rushman. So, care to tell me the truth, Black Widow?"
Immediately Natasha struck out, punching Nathan in the face and slammed his head into his desk, before pulling the heels off her High-heels and stabbing them through his hands, before running for the elevator.
"Okay, maybe confronting her like this was not my best plan." Nathan's clone said as he pulled himself up and pulled the heels out of his hands.
The clone made it down the elevator just in time to see Natasha drive away in a car. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a shuriken and threw it at the car. It missed, scraping the bumper some.
Nathan's clone didn't pursue further, stopping and pulling up his phone to see a red blip moving on a map, indicating he had hit the car with some tracer nanites. "It should be enough."
Same Time
Verdant
Inside, Thea was going over paperwork while the employees got set up for the night. She looked up in surprise to see Jean Loring walking in.
"Ms. Loring." She said with a smile, rising and giving the lawyer a hug. "Didn't take you for the club-hopping type."
"Well, I'm here on business." She said soberly.
"Is everything ok with my mom?" Thea asked immediately.
"We need to discuss something about this case." Jean said. "Your boyfriend Roy was arrested last night."
"I know, but it was actually a misunderstanding." Thea said. "He got released."
"Well, a few reporters got hold of the story and they now know you're dating a known felon." Jean told her. "Thea, your mother is on trial for her life. Her whole defense pivots on being seen as a loving mother who did what she had to do to protect her children, what kind of parent she was. We need the people to know that she raised you to make good decisions. So, if you care about your mom, you're going to have to end this relationship immediately." She told a stunned Thea.
Moscow
Bratva Bar
Nathan, Helena and Lyla were walking into a similar type of club. Nathan looked around for a moment before a loud, booming voice grabbed his attention.
"Nathaniel Queen?" he turned to see Anatoli Knyazev rising to greet him. "Ha! My favorite American!" the two men embraced, and Anatoli gave Nathan the traditional kisses to each cheek. "Dabro pazhalavat." He said.
"It has been too long, old friend." Nathan agreed. "Helena, Lyla, this is Anatoli Knyazev." He said, introducing his new friend to an old one.
"Thank you for meeting us." Lyla said.
Anatoli looked them over. "If Nathaniel vouches for you, you're my second favorite Americans." He said with a smile, warmly shaking Lyla and Helena's hands.
A few minutes later, they were above the club in Anatoli's private office. The Russian brought out a bottle of vodka and four shot glasses, then began to pour. "First, a toast." He said.
Anatoli raised his glass. "Prochnost." He said.
"To strength." Nathan repeated in English. The four drank their vodka.
"Now." Anatoli said, setting his glass down and reaching for a leather box. "Business." He opened the box and withdrew a picture, then slid it to the edge of the table. "This is man you look for, yes?" he asked as Lyla picked up the picture. It was a booking shot of John, and he was already severely beaten by the looks of it. "Picture is from six days ago, from gulag- prison."
"John was arrested?" Lyla said in surprise.
"Not quite." Anatoli replied. "From what I hear, he was trying to break in."
"Why?" Lyla asked.
"I do not know." Anatoli admitted. "But clearly he had issues breaking back out. Gulag, worst in Russia. It's called Koshmar."
"The Nightmare. Great. It just had to be that one." Nathan complained to Helena and Lyla's confusion.
"It's full of violent psychopaths and killers. And that's just the guards." The Russian explained for Nathan.
"Anatoli, we need a way into the gulag to extract him." Nathan said.
Anatoli shook his head. "You get in; even you get shot dead before you get out." He said, and then indicated the picture. "Or end up like your friend. Mmm, it's impossible."
"The only thing that's impossible is us leaving this country before I confirm whether or not this man is dead, my friend." Nathan said.
Anatoli sat back in his chair and considered for a few moments. "The only way in to Koshmar is as prisoner." He said finally. "Now, I have guard there, owes me big favor. It could work. I'll give you one shot in twenty."
"Set it up." Nathan said at once. "I'll go."
"No." Lyla said. "It has to be me."
"No." Nathan said at once.
"Nathan-" Lyla said but Nathan stopped her by saying, "I have the best chance of pulling this off. I'm the one who's going in.
Nathan stared at Lyla, then looked to Anatoli and nodded. The Russian poured them all another round.
The next day, Nathan, Daisy Helena, and Lyla were in Nathan's suite at the Hotel Metropol, where Daisy was eyeing a large duffle bag filled to the top with large packets of heroine.
"Now that is a lot of drugs." Daisy noted, slightly stunned.
"Courtesy of Anatoli." Nathan said. "About enough weight to land me a one-way ticket to Koshmar."
Daisy nodded uncomfortably. She walked over to a chair and picked up a large black coat. "You need to be wearing this when they process you." She told Nathan, helping him into the coat. "Guards will take it, but that's the point." She picked up her computer and unlocked it, showing them a picture of a Russian officer. "This Is Knyazev's man inside the prison." She said. "A guard. "
"He'll know where in the gulag Agent Diggle is being held." Nathan told her.
Daisy pulled up a map and showed it to Nathan. "When all hell breaks loose, you need to meet us at the rendezvous point with Diggle, or—"
"Or I am a permanent Russian."
"'Bout sums it up," Daisy said, starting to pace.
Nathan's phone buzzed. He looked at it, and then slipped it back into his pocket. "Two minute warning." He said softly.
Helena put a scarf around his neck and kissed him. "Good luck, babe." She said. The three women watched worriedly as Nathan grabbed the bag and exited the room.
A short time later, Nathan, in a disguised form, was sitting on a small fruit crate near a factory, the bag on the ground next to him. Within moments, several police cars skidded to a stop before him. He stood and calmly raised his hands, not resisting as he was arrested.
Down at the end the alley, Anatoli watched on. As Nate was pushed into the police van, he dialed his phone. "They have him." He told Lyla.
"And now we wait." Lyla said calmly, masking how worried she was for her boyfriend.
Koshmar
A guard unlocked the chain link door that led to the processing area as Nathan was led through. He walked slowly, looking around him, always looking for weak spots in the security. The guard behind him would have none of that.
"Zhivey, zhivey." He said, jabbing him in the back with his baton. "Hurry up."
Inside the processing area, Nathan was un-cuffed and his coat was ripped off of him. He calmly took the scarf off and tossed it onto the coat as it was passed through the checkpoint to the area where prisoner possessions were kept. The guard then shoved a bundle into his hands and forced him out into the next are, just as Anatoli's man walked in. The man behind the counter took the bundle of the coat and scarf and placed it into a mesh basket, marked with a number. In theory, when Nathan was released he would be able to retrieve his coat. But as prisoners seldom left the gulag alive, this was more a holding area for things that would later be sold on the black market.
After changing into his new uniform, Nathan was pushed into his new home- a rather roomy cell, filled with bunk beds. A man lay on one of the nearer beds, and looked Nathan over as the door slammed shut.
"What, uh, crime fits your punishment?" he asked.
"Got caught selling drugs." Nathan shrugged. "And you?"
The man sat up. "I gave speech. About government corruption." He replied.
Nathan chuckled. "Right."
"It is rare to see one of your people in Koshmar." He remarked.
"What, American?" Nathan asked.
"Da, Amerikanskiy." The man replied. "Amerikanskiy not popular here." He advised.
"Not like I didn't already know that." Nathan remarked, glancing at the clock.
Starling City
Abandoned Warehouse
Nathan's clone, in his Prometheus suit, tracked Natasha to an abandoned warehouse.
"Alright, lets see what we got." He wondered out loud, nocking an arrow. He searched around before he saw a phone. Which coincidentally was the same phone he had tracked her with after she ditched the car.
He reached down and picked up the phone to look at it. It was perfectly intact, which most likely meant she was still here, waiting. "Great, I hate it when they run." He said as he tossed the phone to the ground and stood up. "Now, where are you?'
Suddenly, Natasha dropped down from the rafters. She landed on his shoulders, and pulled out a garrot wire. She got it around his neck and attempted to strangle him to death, but he used his massive strength to throw her off. Pulling the Garrot off his neck and tossing it away, he took a closer look at Natasha.
Her long red wavy hair was in curls and she was wearing a black full body suit that hugged her body like a second skin and showed her curves in all the right places. 'Sheesh, talk about a femme fatale,' the clone thought.
He pointed his arrow at her and said, "Look, calm down. I don't want to fight you."
"Then why are you following me?" She asked.
"To talk," the clone said.
"I'm done talking," Natasha said ominously. She pulled out a small disk and threw it at the clone, the disk landing on his arm. The disk then discharged a powerful surge of electric current. This disk was typically meant for disabling electrical equipment or machinery but it could fry the entire nervous system of a human if it landed on the skin.
While the clone gritted his teeth in pain and tried to move his body to remove the device, Natasha was already upon him, raining numerous blows onto his face and finally taking out a gun and hitting him with the but end, knocking Nathan's clone out.
Factory near the edge of Moscow
Anatoli, Lyla, Helena and Daisy stood by Anatoli's car, waiting for some of the Russian's contacts to show up.
"You think AC's ok?" Daisy asked Helena worriedly.
"I think he's doing the same as he was when you asked me five minutes ago." Lyla dryly replied.
"They're coming." Anatoli said. The three looked down at the end of the alley to see a Mercedes and a large tactical vehicle approaching. "They sell us Russian police truck for cheap." He told them.
The vehicles rolled to a stop and several men climbed out. A few had AK-47,s which they held close to their chests. The leader and Anatoli both approached one another.
"Here's the machine you need." The man said in Russian, holding up the keys to the truck.
"One thousand and fifty hundred Rubles." Anatoli replied in kind, holding up an envelope filled with hard currency. He handed the envelope to the other man, but the seller yanked the keys away.
"On your knees." He called out, and the men with the AK's raised them to point at the three buyers.
Helena took this in, and then calmly walked forward, past Anatoli, to stand in front of the seller. "If you do this to my people, all of your men will be slaughtered like sheep. Your son's will flayed alive. Your wives and daughters will become whores for the Bratva." She said softly in Russian, showing that she was the Alpha Female whenever Talia wasn't around.
The man swallowed hard in fear, and when Helena held out her hand, the man dropped the keys into it without a fuss. Helena tossed the keys to Anatoli, their eyes never leaving the seller, until the other man turned and headed for the Mercedes. Helena walked back to their car.
"What'd you say?" Daisy asked her over the roof of the car.
"Please." Helena replied with a wink, and the two got in.
Flashback
Five years ago
In the Amazo's brig, a much rougher looking Anatoli sat in the cell next to Nathan's. "You know, in Russia, there is gulag." He noted. "Almost as bad as this."
Nathan glanced at him, but looked at the other see to see Sara standing on the other side of the bars, her face full of sadness and misery.
"Sara—"
"Don't say my name out loud." she whispered. "If they find out we know each other, they'll kill us both." She passed a bundled up blanket through the bars to him, which he took.
"I feared you had drowned." Nathan said softly.
"When I came up, the boat was gone." She said. "And I thought you were, too. And I was floating out there for days when this ship…" she sighed. "They found me. And they saved me."
"Is that why you're helping them?" he asked.
"I don't really have a choice, Nate." She said.
"I need to warn my friends." Nathan said determinedly.
"You said they were dead." She replied in confusion.
"Trust me. They are not that easy to kill." He stated, showing his complete trust in Slade and Shado.
On the island, in the wreckage of the plane, Shado sat next to a severely injured Slade.
She applied a salve to his wounds a he gasped in pain.
"Try not to move so much." She said as she spread the salve over the half of his face that was burnt.
"It smells like puke!" he argued weakly.
"It'll heal your wounds." She told him.
"You have to go." Slade said. "Get out of here. Get to higher ground."
"I'm not leaving a friend behind." She told him, not noticing she had just friend zoned Slade. But he was in too much pain to care at the moment.
"I will not be the reason something happens to you." Slade argued.
"Then we're in agreement." Shado said. "Because I am perfectly capable of making my own choices."
"You are a strong woman." Slade gasped.
"When I care about someone, there's nothing I won't do for them." Shado told him.
"Another thing we have in common." Slade gasped. He started shivering uncontrollably.
Shado looked at him in concern. "The burns, they're lowering your body temperature. Here." Quickly she climbed under the blanket and spooned up next to him, having no choice but to share her body heat with Slade in order to keep him alive.
Flashback end
Verdant
"Where you been all night?" Roy asked her as she walked down the stairs from the second level.
"Working." She replied evasively, Jean's words echoing in her mind.
"Oh. Well, you deserve a break." Roy said.
"Um, actually, I've been thinking." Thea said, setting her tray down on the bar. "Maybe we should take some space. I mean, we work together and live together." She sighed, still not looking at him. "It's kind of getting hard to breathe."
"Since when?" he asked. Then he realized. "Oh, wait, does this have to with that lawyer lady dropping by?" he asked bluntly.
"No, this has to do with the fact that you've been arrested twice in the last month." Thea shot back.
"Come on. I've been trying to stay out of trouble." Roy argued lightly. "My body hasn't had a scratch on it in weeks. Well, I mean, excluding the ones that you put there." He added with a grin.
"And the other night?" she asked, finally turning to face him.
"Was a misunderstanding." Roy continued.
"Roy," Thea sighed. "This just isn't working, ok? Not for me." She said.
Roy stared at her in disbelief. "Thea, you can't mean that." He said.
"I do." She said sadly. "I'm sorry."
Roy looked at her forlornly, and then stalked away, running out of the club as Thea's heart silently broke.
Starling City
Abandoned Warehouse
The clone groaned as he woke up. He noticed his hands were behind his back and restrained by something. He sat up and realized there was steel cord wrapped around his body.
"You're awake," He heard Natasha's voice. He looked and saw her leaning against a stack of old wooden pallets, "Now I can get some answers out of you, Mr. Queen."
The clone noticed his mask was gone and tried to break free. "Don't bother, you won't be getting out. Besides, I already removed all your weapons from your suit." She gestured to the pile next to her feet and Nathan's clone noticed a pile containing his bow, arrows, kunai, shuriken, and mask.
"Now then, how did you figure out who I really was?" Natasha asked as she pulled up a chair and sat in it.
"You remember that shoot out that happened in my board room?" Natasha nodded, beckoning him to continue. "Your acting was flawless but when I looked into your eyes, I saw something I didn't expect to see. You weren't thinking something like, "Oh my God! There are people in here with guns!". You were thinking more like, "How do I beat these guys without exposing myself.". I didn't know your real identity, but I began to suspect you were not who you said you were."
"So, what did you look into next? I imagine that wasn't the only thing." Natasha demanded, wanting to know just how he had figured her out so the next time, she would not get caught.
"I looked into your records and resume. There were minor inconsistencies, but they added up since when I called some of your old employer's they either didn't remember hiring you or they couldn't find you in their system."
"How did you find out about me being the Black Widow?" Natasha asked.
"That was a stroke of luck when I was looking through the KGB's old files. So, what happened to you after 2007?" Nathan asked.
"Let's just say I wandered around, trying to find some way to make up for my crimes when I was in the KGB. Now for you, what do you really want with me?" She asked. Nathan closed his eyes before opening them again.
"I want you to join me," Nathan seriously.
"What?" Natasha asked, shocked that he wanted to recruit her.
"Why not? You are the best female assassin in the world. Any tactician worth their salt would want you on their side. But there is another reason." Nathan admitted.
"And what's that?" Natasha asked.
"The self-loathing in your eyes, the hatred you feel for yourself. You have the same look in your eyes that I once did. Your running from who you are because you think you're a monster." Nathan said, causing Natasha to look away.
"I am a monster." Natasha whispered, causing Nathan to adopt a understanding expression.
"I know what they did to you in the Red Room. How they took from you what no woman should ever have taken from her." Nathan whispered, referring to how in the Red Room, the KGB had sterilized Natasha against her will, taking away her ability to have kids so she could be more effective at seduction. "I know all the kinds of missions they made you do. You feel like because of these things, you are a monster, unworthy of redemption or peace."
"And how would you know anything about that?" Natasha genuinely demanded.
"Because at one point, Natasha, I was you," Nathan said, adjusting himself slightly as he wore a solemn expression on his face. "I used a rather pathetic person before that fateful boat trip. After my grandfather died, I became a selfish playboy, who cared about nothing but himself, putting my own needs before anyone else's."
"Then, in the span of a single night, I lost my father, my brother, and my oldest friend. I had to either learn to become a cold-blooded ruthless killer, or perish and make my father sacrifice meaningless. So I killed to survive, and when I lost the first woman I ever truly loved and was betrayed by my closest friend, I killed more."
"Eventually, in my third year away, I was forced to do a lot of awful things to keep my status a secret. It wasn't until I tortured someone to the point of death, to point where I relished in the pain I caused him, that I saw a glimpse of the monster that I had become. And it terrified me."
"Long story short, as I saw more and more how much of a monster I had become, I tried to run from it. But doing that nearly broke me. Without help, I would never have would have recovered. By getting help from people I trusted, I found a way to accept what I was, to live with it and be okay with it, to love myself again. All the good and bad parts. And how to use my all my skills for good, instead of just surviving one fight to the next. I became the monster that hunts other monsters, so the innocent never have to go through what I did." Nathan said as he broke out the chains and stood up, staring at her intently, "You can do it too, you know."
"I don't know how. I wouldn't even know where to begin," She whispered. His words had affected her deeply. Throughout his explanation of how he came to be what he was, she saw that he truly had gone through something similar. She felt like truly did understand what she went through and a part hoped that maybe he could help her.
"I can show you, if you let me." Nathan said, extending his hand, waiting for her to take it.
Russia
Koshmar
Nathan was following his new friend in the cafeteria, getting his slop like any other prisoner. He followed the Russian to a table and sat down.
The Russian glanced at another table, whose occupants were glaring at Nathan. "Those men," he indicated to Nathan. "They are Vory. They are in charge. It's best to stay away." He advised.
"Got it." Nathan replied. He leaned in close. "I'm looking for a guard by the name of Sergei Pavelski."
The Russian looked around, then spotted the man. "Far corner, over there." He said, pointing the way with his gaze. The guard and Nathan made eye contact; the guard nodded in recognition.
"American." The three Vory stalked up to the table. "You are suka now."
Nathan looked up at the punks and sighed. "Gentlemen, let's not do this." he offered. One of the men circled around and tried to hit Nathan on the back hard with one of the steel serving trays. But Nathan caught it. "Or we can do this." Nathan said, knocking the one that tried to hit him out with harsh punch to the jaw, while holding back his superstrength. Nathan quickly swept the 2nd one's leg's out from beneath him and kicked him in the face for a knockout. The third tried to punch Nathan, but he caught the punch, bending the wrist away and breaking it, before kneeing the guy hard in the balls. Two guards rushed over and broke the short fight up, lifting Nathan let them drag him out of the cafeteria.
Koshmar
Freezer Room
Nathan was dragged into a large freezer, and then cuffed to an overhead pipe. Across from him was two other men. One black and one who was Australian, though their heads were down so he couldn't make out a face.
"This cold room." The guard told him needlessly. "Six hours for you."
"Six hours? You can't keep me in here that long." Nathan protested.
"Now seven hours." The guard said mockingly. He and the other guard turned and walked out.
"Well, that was pretty stupid." One of other men said. Nathan recognized the voice and looked up at him as his face came into view. "Then again," Digger Harkness said, "you don't seem very bright at all, mate."
"Digger Harkness and Eric Needham." Nathan breathed.
"Your spine frozen through yet?" Needham asked after a few minutes, shivering.
"I don't get cold." Nathan said, remaining perfectly still.
"Then you're an idiot, mate." Harkness asked mockingly.
"I know why you're here." Needham continued. "That other guy. From A. R.G.U.S."
"Where is he?" Nathan wondered.
"He's dead. He got put in here for too long and froze to death." Needham said. Nathan searched Needham's eyes and saw that he was telling the truth, cursing under his breath as he realized what this meant.
7 hours later, Anatoli's guard finally came into the freezer. He walked quickly over to Nathan and undid the chains. "We don't have much time." He told the man, and then let Nathan get up.
Nathan looked at the two men before looking away and going with the guard.
Hotel
Back at the hotel, a waiter came up to Helena and Lyla. "Can I get you anything else?" he asked in Russian.
"I don't think me or my friend should drink more." Helena replied in Russian.
Lyla finished her drink and sighed. Helena looked over to her and said, "You need to stop worrying about Nate. He's fine."
"I know. I do trust Nate. What's bothering me has nothing to do with him." Lyla said, as Helena thought for a moment.
"This is about Diggle, isn't it?" Helena asked, the look in Lyla's eyes confirming it.
"How'd you know?" She asked.
"You are not the only one who still feels something for someone she had lost years ago." Helena said.
"I just don't understand why I'm felling what I'm feeling right now. I love Nate. But I still feel almost the same way about John that I did before I met Nate." Lyla said in sadness.
"I wouldn't say that," Helena said, causing Lyla to look at her, "You don't call Diggle by that pet nickname you had for him anymore."
Lyla realized Helena was right as Helena finished her own drink. "When I lost Michael, I was drowning in my own despair. I felt only hatred and rage for those that took him from me, and I thought I would never be happy again. Then I meet Nate, and I slowly began healing from the hurt I had suffered from. Especially after I avenged Michael by killing my father."
"The point is, people heal from hurtful experiences at different rates. Some take weeks, some take months, some takes years, and some takes them their whole lives. You have a loving boyfriend who'd kill for you and a pack of sisters that will always have your back. It may take you awhile, but you will heal from this."
"But right now, you just need to relax, take your mind off it." Helena whispered as she kissed Lyla deeply on the lips.
Helena pulled back to stare at Lyla, love and lust equally shining in her eyes. "Let's take this upstairs." Helena ordered.
A few minutes later, Lyla and Helena where in their room, kissing frantically. Helena shoved Lyla back against the door.
"You know…we don't have a lot of time." Lyla told Helena as she kissed her neck.
Helena pulled Lyla away from the door and shoved her onto the bed. "We'll be quick."
Koshmar
Back at the gulag, the guard was leading Nathan down the corridor towards where Diggle was. "Five minutes. Must hurry." He said in broken English. Nathan went in to find Diggle's frozen corpse. Sighing as this was just one of those times he wasn't going to win. He picked the body up and hoisted onto his shoulders.
"Remind me to get you a pack of cigarettes when this is all over." Nathan said as he walked out.
"I don't smoke." The guard replied. Suddenly he stopped and let out a small gurgle, before toppling face first to the floor. In his back was a long, thick icicle, having been thrown there by a newly-freed Needham and Harkness.
"You weren't going to leave without us, were you?" the Aussie asked sarcastically.
"Would it help if I said yes?" Nathan shrugged sarcastically.
"You won't." Harkness said confidently.
"And why's that?" Nathan demanded.
"Because, you're not stupid. You wouldn't put yourself in here without an exit strategy. We help you get out," Needham offered, "and you let us go free."
Starling City
Arrow Lair
"So, this is your secret hideout." Natasha said from inside Nathan's lair, leaning on a table. She decided to see if what he was saying was remotely true.
"Indeed, it's rather useful to have an alibi when going out as a vigilante." Nathan said as he typed away.
"You mentioned earlier that you 'hunt other monsters'. Would I be correct in assuming that's what we are doing right now?" Natasha asked.
"Yep, but I always research my targets first." Nathan said as he finished typing on his computer and pulled up several pictures of man in a well cleaned suit. "Antonio Fellers, CEO of Feller's Lead Processing. Known amongst the other CEO's in Starling City as the 'Corporate Mizer', this guy is always trying to pinch every penny. So you can imagine what happens when his company has to recycle waste metal. Instead of simply ponying up what, to a company like his, is a small amount of cash to reprocess the waste metal, he dumps it in landfills in the Glades, which eventually makes it's way into the water supply, and causes numerous outbreaks of lead poisoning in those poor people every year." Nathan turned back to Natasha. "He's a monster and he needs to be put down."
"So what's the plan?" Natasha asked.
Hotel
Back at the hotel, Helena and Lyla were getting dressed for the mission. Helena got done first and went to open the door just as Daisy raised her hand to knock.
"Hi." She said.
"S'up?" Helena replied.
"It's time. Ready?" she asked.
"Yeah, I—" Helena stopped short as Lyla came out fully dressed.
"Ohh." Daisy said, a bit flustered and confused.
Koshmar
Back in the Gulag, the three men rounded a corner- only to come face to face with a pair of very surprised guards. The two convicts made quick work of the guards, with Nathan scooping up the lone gun before Harkness or Needham could.
"Guessin' you want to hold on to that, mate." Harkness noted. Nathan just glared at the man. "This way." He said, leading them down the corridor.
Outside Gulag
Outside the gulag in a newly-purchased police truck, Lyla, Helena and Daisy sat and waited for Nathan. All three were dressed like Russian prison officials, with Daisy wearing the traditional fur hat.
"Do I even want to know what I saw earlier?" Daisy said, tired of the awkward silence.
"Look Daisy, it's a lot more complicated than you realize." Helena said. "Now is not really time to discuss it anyway. We promise, we will give you an explanation after this is over, but for now, focus on the mission."
Anatoli climbed back into the truck. "There is nothing money cannot buy in this country." He noted happily.
"Nate should be heading out with Diggle in two minutes." Helena said.
"Well, breaking out of prison is harder than it looks." Anatoli said to Helena. "Your boyfriend knows this better than anybody."
Flashback
Five years ago
Nathan lay on his cot in the cell, futilely trying to rest. The sound of jangling keys drew his attention, and he looked over to see Sara unlocking his cell and opening the door.
"Stay quiet." She told him as he rose. "Follow me." Nathan followed her out of the cell.
Anatoli looked over at the pair. "You'll remember the rest of us, yes?" he asked.
Nathan looked at the Russian. "I promise. I'll come back." He told the man.
"Come on." Sara urged.
Nathan followed her deeper into the ship. "Are we making a swim for it?" he asked.
"No. They'd shoot us the second we hit the water." She told him. Sara led him into the radio room, and quickly she sat down behind the set and started flipping switches. "You said your friends, they have one of the radios from the ship, right?"
"Yeah." Nathan said, watching as she worked. "You look like you know what you're doing there."
"In the past year, I've learned a lot of things I never expected to." Sara said.
"You and me both." Nathan said wryly.
Sara finished calibrating the radio. She picked up the microphone and held it out to Nathan, who looked at it warily. "They won't respond unless they hear your voice." She told him.
Hesitantly, Nathan took the mic. Something seemed off about Sara. She didn't seem the same. Nathan was starting to think he couldn't trust her. He decided to err on the side of caution.
Sara moved aside and Nathan painfully dropped into the seat. "Shado. Ni néng tingdào wo ma?" Nothing. He pressed the switch on the mic again. "Slade. Can you hear me?"
On the plane, Shado grabbed the radio to respond. She spoke a word in Mandarin, and then followed that up with "Thank God you're alive."
"Yeah, I'm on the freighter—" he began, but then suddenly Sara attempted to rip the mic from his hands. Had she tried this with pre-island Nathan, she would have succeeded. But this Nathan was a trained and hardened killer. He caught her wrist, and held her there. "I'm disappointed in you, Sara."
He pushed her away, knocking her to the ground and quickly spoke into the radio. "Shado, you need to run now. They're coming." Nathan was distracted with his warning as Sara recovered and pulled the mic out of the plug.
"There's only two of them." The pirate captain said, swaggering into the room with Ivo and 2 other pirates right behind him. "They haven't moved from the location of the mortar attack."
"You just confirmed that your friends are alive." Ivo said. "Which means they're still a threat. You know, until we kill them." He added coldly.
"You son of a bitch!" Nathan leapt up from the chair, only for the pirates to get in his way as they tag-teamed and beat him. He gasped in pain as Sara watched impassively.
Flashback End
Fuller's Apartment Complex
Balcony
Antonio Fuller was relaxing nearby the pool, sipping a margarita as he had two guards on outside nearby and 5 inside the halls of his Apartment. Being a millionaire worth 100 million dollars offered a lot in the way of security.
The elevator to the apartment went off and the 5 guards inside trained their guns on door. One raised his radio to his mouth and spoke into it. "Was Mr. Fuller expecting a guest?"
One of the two guards asked him and he said he wasn't. "No," the guard said.
"Roger that," the guard with the radio said. They all trained their guns on the door as it opened. Only for nobody to come out. The guards were confused. Was the elevator broke?
Suddenly, a black arrow came out of nowhere, hitting the guard with the radio in the back of the throat. Another hit the guy next to him.
The other guards turned around only to be felled by silenced gun shots.
The guards on the balcony with Fuller did a radio check in with the guys inside, only to hear static. Alarmed, they pulled out their guns.
An arrow came from the right and felled one guard with a shot to the larynx. Another was felled by a silenced bullet. Frightened, Antonio Fuller, frantically tried to get up and run for his worthless life. Only to scream in pain and stop as a arrow pierced through his left knee.
"Antonio Fuller," came Prometheus voice as he came out of the shadows, bow and arrow trained on the scumbag, "You have failed this city." HE let the arrow loose and it pierced Fuller through the brain. Prometheus and Black Widow left for the lair after that.
"So, what do ya think?" Prometheus asked as he began collecting some of his weapons.
"I'm not convinced yet, but I would like to stick around. Maybe, you might be able to convince me," Natasha said, sporting a flirtatious smirk.
"Well, I look forward to convincing you." Prometheus said, the clone deciding to introduce her to the team later.
Koshmar
At the Gulag, Needham and Harkness led Nathan to a gate to the outside gate.
"What's your extraction plan?" Harkness asked.
"Depends." Nathan said. "What time is it?"
Processing Room
In the processing room, one of the guards was trying on Nathans' jacket. " You think it looks good on me?" he joked in Russian to his comrades.
Another guard saw the red star pin on the lapel of the jacket was blinking. Suddenly, it started blinking faster…
Moments later, a massive explosion ripped a hole in the gulag. Down in Lyla's cell, all three felt the blast, and then heard the sirens as they started to go off.
"Let's go, go, go, move, move, move!" Nathan thundered. The three ran through the halls, making their way through the chaos without being seen. They climbed into the processing area, over the rubble, looking at the devastation. Nathan finally spotted the hole. "This way." He directed.
In the truck, Daisy finished up on her computer. "Got it." She said. "I shut down the phones. The guards can't call for help."
Nathan, Needham and Harkness made their way out of the wrecked processing center and into the central courtyard. Suddenly they were surrounded by 10 guards, screaming at them in Russian. Nathan slowly raised his hands-
As one guard got too close, Nathan ripped the gun out of his hands and used his new meat shield as three other guards fired at him. Nathan popped out from behind the dead meat shield and shot the other 3 guards. Nathan then shot another one who was behind him.
One guard rushed at him, but Nathan ripped the gun out of his hand, punched the guard in the face, knocked him to the ground and shot him twice in the chest, before shooting the other shooting 5 in the head.
The truck finally broke through the gate. The back door opened to find Anatoly, who placed Diggle's body in the back as his did. "Ready to go?" He asked Nathan.
"One Moment," Nathan said as he knocked both Harkness and Needham with a couple punches before conjuring black magic chains around them before he threw into the back, "Now I'm ready to go."
Anatoly dove for several miles before breathing a sigh of relief. "We're clear." He announced.
Iron Heights
Next day
Thea walked into the visitors area- to see Moira talking with Roy.
"Wh-what are you- what are you doing here?" she stammered in surprise.
"Good question." Roy replied. "I've gotten a lot of calls from prison, but never from my girlfriend's mother."
"It occurred to me that I've never been given the opportunity to meet the man in your life." Moira said lightly.
"I don't know if she told you, but your daughter kind of dumped me." Roy said bluntly.
"And what you should know is that she did it for me." Moira told Roy, and then looked back to her daughter. "Jean told me she came to see you. I told her she shouldn't have."
Roy turned to Thea. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" he asked, still hurt.
"Us being together… it can hurt her case." She said, though it sounded lame to her when she said it out loud.
"Thea- Your social life is not going to be the determining factor in my trial." Moira said, taking her daughters hands in her own. "Sweetheart, what you've had to endure this last year is more than most people go through in two lifetimes. But you've not only survived, you've flourished. I think a lot of that has to do with Roy." She said, nodding at the young man. "So, as your mother, I forbid you not to see him." She said in a mock-stern voice.
The two women laughed. "Thank you." She said, hugging her mother.
Nathan's suite
That morning
In Nathan's bed, there was rustling under the covers. Nathan and Lyla pop out from under, taking a break from their passionate lovemaking.
"I have to admit, this is not how I anticipated our trip to Russia ending." She said with a smile as she laid on her back, wrapped in Nathan's arms and they kissed.
"I was wondering, are you okay," Nathan asked. She looked at him with a confused expression and he explained, "Helena may have told me about the Diggle situation. I just wanted to know how you felt."
Lyla pondered for a moment before answering, "I admit, I'm sad that John's gone. After all this time, I still loved him."
"You never forget your first love, Lyla. And that's not really a bad thing." Nathan whispered with a smile.
Lyla returned the smile and said with the utmost sincerity, "But, it doesn't hurt as much as I thought. Because I have you, Helena, and the rest of the girls. And while I will mourn for my former husband and miss him, I wouldn't trade what I have here for anything. Because, Nathaniel Queen, I love you."
Nathan smiled and gave her a deep and loving kiss. He pulled away and said, "I love you too, Lyla Michaels."
"We all do," Came Helena's voice as she rolled over to the side and pressed her assets against Nathan's back while peeking over his shoulder. Nathan rolled back onto his back as he resumed making love to both of his girlfriends since his clone was handling his affairs at the office.
Flashback
Five years ago
"We have their last location, even if they're not there." The pirate said. "This one's no longer of use to us." He drew his Luger and aimed it at Nathan's head as the other pirates held him there. "Let's see how good you are at removing a bullet from your head."
"Go ahead, you pathetic fool. Shoot me. But know this, you will never find the other two. They're more than capable of hiding from professionally trained soldiers, they'll have no problem hiding from a pack of pathetic pirates like you. The moment you pull that trigger is the moment you lose the only chance of finding those graves," Nathan goaded, causing the pirate to growl.
"Wait!" Sara said suddenly. "He's right. He could still be useful." She said, looking at Ivo.
Ivo considered her for a moment. "She's right." He said after a moment. "Once we get rid of his friends, we'll still need someone to lead us to the graves."
The pirate scowled at Sara. "Sometimes I wonder who gives the orders here." He said snidely. "You or your little bouzin." He stalked out of the room.
Ivo smirked as he walked towards Nathan. He leaned down over the table. "You're going back to the island. Nathan." He said.
Nathan looked over at Sara, who looked on impassively. He wasn't sure if he imagined it or not, but he thought he saw a flicker of regret in her eyes.
Flashback end
Natasha's Safe House
Natasha entered her safe house and closed the door. After doing her routine checks and making sure it wasn't bugged, she pulled out a burner phone and dialed a number. Someone picked up on the other end. "Report."
"You were right," Natasha said, "He made his recruitment offer."
"I knew Mr. Queen would when he realized who you were, though the fact that it took him so long to figure you out is a testament of your skill as a spy and infiltrator." The voice said.
"So what do you want me to do now?" Natasha asked.
"I originally had Agent Michaels on his team to monitor him, but she got involved with him romantically and I can't trust her to put her mission before her own feelings anymore. He's my best Shadow Operative but he has as many secrets as I do. Your mission is simple. Get close to him. Make yourself indispensable to him. Seduce him if you must. Learn everything that you can about him. I want to know every single one of the secrets that he shares with his little harem."
"Not kill him?" Natasha asked for confirmation.
"You wouldn't be able to kill him. Do you understand?" the voice asked.
"Yes," Natasha said as she hung up, "Director Waller."