Capítulo 33: Red Room!
( Some small changes to the MCU Timeline related to the Black Widow movie occur in this chapter, but it isn't massively important, just wanted to notify everyone )
It had been a few days since Maxim had departed for the Hell Realms to train himself, and to say it was a turbulent experience for Wanda and Pietro would be an understatement.
It had been the first time since they had received their powers that they were completely away from Maxim. Although A.N.G.E.L was still there, her presence wasn't nearly as overbearing as Maxim's was.
The days had been passed constantly training the powers that Maxim had unlocked in the twins, refining their control and maximum power levels. With A.N.G.E.L overseeing them, they maintained their strict training regime, constantly improving themselves.
However, as time passed, they felt more and more restless and untested. Their powers continued to shimmer beneath the surface, and they desperately wanted to prove to Maxim, and to themselves just how useful they could be.
On the third day of Maxim's departure, this feeling had already bubbled up to the surface, and Wanda couldn't ignore it anymore. She approached her brother who was busy zooming around the training room,
"We need to do something Pietro, I can't stand just sitting here doing nothing while Hydra is out there, while other evil people are out there. We've trained enough to take down Hydra bases ourselves, yet we're sitting around here." Wanda said, venting her frustrations.
Pietro came to a quick stop, taking a couple deep breaths and wiping a bead of sweat off of his forehead, his blue eyes sharp as he gazed towards his twin sister, "You don't have to convince me. But where do we start? It's not like we know Maxim's entire plan. And he's… well, he's on a whole different level."
Pietro said and Wanda had to agree. Even after spending so much time with Maxim, his power level was still a complete mystery. All they knew was that he could effortlessly defeat them.
Wanda clenched her fists as she thought about it, her powers surging in a brief, glowing burst before settling again. "Then let's find out more about his plans. A.N.G.E.L. can help us."
At the sound of her name, a gentle chime echoed in the room as the AI took over the nearby monitors,
"How can I assist you, Wanda and Pietro?" A.N.G.E.L asked.
Wanda took a steadying breath, "We want to know what Maxim intends to do. We want to prove that we're ready. Whatever he's doing… we can help."
Pietro nodded in agreement, crossing his arms, "Yeah, we can't just sit around waiting for him to get back and do nothing. Who knows how long he will take. So spill, A.N.G.E.L. Where do we start?"
A.N.G.E.L's voice seemed to flicker with a hint of amusement as she regarded the two of them, "Maxim had indeed predicted that you two might ask something like this, and had be prepare for when it happened."
Wanda and Pietro shared a glance with each-other. Even when trying to prove themselves, they still played directly into Maxim's hands.
"Maxim indeed has significant plans for the future that can be shared with you. He seeks to liberate Madripoor from its criminal hold and, beyond that, target an operation known as the 'Red Room.'"
Wanda's eyes sharpened at the mention. The Red Room, she had certainly heard of it. Maxim had given her and Pietro multiple documents detailing many of the most important organizations on Earth to learn about, and the Red Room was one of them.
The document detailed about the brutal conditioning of the Red Room and the assassins it had produced. According to the document, some of those assassins had even conducted missions in Sokovia.
They'd read about children turned into merciless killers, of people torn from their lives and remade into weapons.
Pietro's face twisted into a frown, "The Red Room? That's where they train assassins, right? Like the Black Widow? Didn't she come from there?"
"Correct," A.N.G.E.L. replied, her tone serious, "The Red Room is a covert operation specializing in espionage and assassination, notorious for its inhumane treatment of its 'students.' Maxim has planned to destroy it and free those working there. He'd allow the rescued assassins to either work for him or reintegrate into the normal world."
Wanda looked at Pietro, a fierce determination building in her eyes, "If we take down the Red Room, we're not just proving our strength. We're giving these people a chance, freedom, something we never had. We can do this, Pietro."
Her brother's expression softened, and he nodded. "Alright, sis. If Maxim's after the Red Room, then so are we. But we'll need your help, A.N.G.E.L. We don't have the resources or intel he does."
A.N.G.E.L. inclined her head, her holographic form shimmering slightly. "Understood. I can provide tactical information, schematics, and the Red Room's recent and upcoming missions. While I can provide you information, the two of you need to be efficient in your actions. Are you ready?"
They exchanged a glance, each finding resolve in the other's eyes.
"We're ready," they said in unison.
---
The night air was heavy with the scent of fresh rain as Wanda and Pietro arrived in Florence, Italy.
They both were casual clothing, and subtly blended into the various crowds, ready for any potential action. They made sure to wear hoodies to obscure the perception of others, and A.N.G.E.L would delete their presence from any security camera footage.
As they walked through Florence, A.N.G.E.L.'s voice crackled quietly through their earpieces, guiding them toward the safe house where their target, Oksana, was rumored to be hiding.
"Proceed to the Ponte Vecchio," A.N.G.E.L. instructed, her voice steady, "She was last seen in an apartment complex near the Arno River. I've linked your devices to the nearest surveillance system, but be advised, the Red Room has increased monitoring here. They know Oksana defected and have agents on her trail."
Wanda and Pietro exchanged a look as they approached the bridge. The mission objective A.N.G.E.L. had laid out was clear: find Oksana, secure her safety, and if possible, gain any information she could provide on the Red Room's recent activities.
"Do you think she'll trust us?" Pietro murmured, his voice barely audible as they kept to the shadows along the riverbank.
Wanda shook her head, a slight frown creasing her brow. "Trust might not be something she's capable of anymore. But we'll make it clear that we're here to help. We have to."
As they neared the target location, A.N.G.E.L. spoke again, her tone becoming sharper. "Red Room operatives detected two blocks south of your position. You'll need to move quickly, Oksana's safe house is likely compromised."
Without a word, the twins quickened their pace, their hearts pounding as they slipped through narrow alleys and darted up an iron fire escape to reach the roof of a small building adjacent to Oksana's hideout.
Wanda held up a hand, feeling a pulse of energy beneath her fingertips, a faint trace of fear, tension, and desperation emanating from a nearby apartment.
"She's here," Wanda whispered, nodding to Pietro. They moved cautiously, scaling the side of the building and peering through a half-open window.
Inside, Oksana sat alone, her body tense as she kept a watchful eye on the door, a small handgun gripped tightly in her hand.
Wanda gestured to Pietro, signaling that she'd go in first. She reached out with her powers, forming a light shield around her as she slowly pushed the window open and entered the dimly lit room.
Oksana snapped to attention, raising her gun with a determined glare.
"Stay back," Oksana hissed, her eyes narrowed with a mixture of suspicion and fear, although she didn't recognize Wanda or Pietro from the Red Room, that didn't mean she could drop her guard.
Wanda raised her hands in a calming gesture. "We're not with the Red Room. We're here to help you, Oksana. My name is Wanda, and this is my brother, Pietro."
Oksana's grip on the gun tightened, her gaze flicking back and forth between the twins, her finger on the trigger "How do I know this isn't a trap?"
Pietro stepped forward slowly, making sure to stay within her line of sight, "You don't," he admitted, "But we know you used something called Red Dust to escape them. We're trying to take the Red Room down for good, and we think you can help us do it."
Oksana's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Red Dust, her body language softening just a fraction. She hadn't told anyone how exactly she broke the Mind Control, so she was a bit surprised the two in front of her knew what Red Dust was.
She glanced around the room, as though expecting an ambush at any moment, then lowered her gun, if only slightly.
"They'll kill anyone who tries to stop them," she said quietly, "And they never stop hunting those who betray them."
Wanda nodded, her tone gentle but firm, releasing a calming aura using her Chaos Magic to make Oksana believe them even more, "That's exactly why we're here. We've been trained by someone who's dedicated to dismantling operations like the Red Room, and we want to free the others trapped there, just like you. But we can't do it without your help."
Oksana took a shaky breath, reflecting on years of trauma and survival as she grabbed a bag opening it and showing off the Red Dust to Wanda and Pietro, "The Red Dust… it freed me, but it's not enough to save all the others. They've intensified their conditioning, most of the girls wouldn't even recognize freedom if it was staring them in the face."
Pietro clenched his fists, anger sparking in his gaze, "Then we'll make them see it. We have our ways. We know about the Floating Red Room, but is there any other place we should know about?"
Oksana hesitated, looking down at her hands as if wrestling with the choice. Finally, she spoke, her voice low, "There's a hidden base in Siberia, a place called 'The Cold Fortress.' It's where they take the ones they consider... irredeemable, ones who haven't lived up to their potential or were too resistant, It's heavily fortified, and they're constantly moving operations to avoid detection. But I know how to get you inside."
Wanda exchanged a look with Pietro, a fierce determination igniting between them. This was it, a real chance to strike a blow against the Red Room. They nodded in silent agreement, both understanding the risks but committed to seeing it through.
"We'll do whatever it takes," Wanda said firmly, "And we'll make sure you're safe."
A sudden noise from outside the apartment made them all freeze. Oksana's face went pale, and she motioned for them to follow her toward a hidden exit at the back of the room.
"They're here," she whispered, her voice tense. "We need to leave, now."
As they slipped into the narrow alleyway behind the building, A.N.G.E.L.'s voice came over the earpiece, her tone urgent, "Red Room agents have the building surrounded. I'll guide you through the nearest escape route."
"No," Wanda said, looking forward as she spotted various Red Room agents closing in on them, lead by an athletic attractive woman with blonde hair wearing a black combat outfit.
"All of these agents are people to be rescued," Wanda said, her hands glowing with Red Chaos Magic as she looked towards Pietro, who was also smiling,
"Let's fight!"
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