Arcane (Wanda Maximoff)

One

Magdalena Stefania Sokolov stood with her back to the door of the abandoned warehouse she was hiding out in in Liverpool, England. She was staring out of a shattered window, the moonlight reflecting off her pale skin.

She knew Director Nicholas Fury had breached the warehouse in his search for the young enhanced human. She knew he'd be in the same room as her in minutes, but she didn't care. She'd rather someone from SHIELD be here than someone from HYDRA.

His heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway but Magdalena didn't turn. She didn't hide. She just waited. Whatever he had to talk to her about was undoubtedly better than what HYDRA or the Red Room would want.

"Widow," Fury's voice came from behind her. She heard his gun click and a small smile spread across her lips.

"No need for the weapon, Director," Magdalena said, her Russian accent ringing clear in the room. She turned slowly, showing Nicholas Fury that she wasn't holding any of her weapons.

He took a moment to study the assassin. She was short, coming to only five foot two, and had dirty blonde hair scraped back in a messy ponytail. Her face was covered in a slight sheen of dirt and her green eyes were surrounded by dark bags. She was slim and slender, light and fast on her feet. The perfect assassin.

"Do you have a name? Instead of Black Widow?" Fury said, putting his gun back in his holster.

"Is that name already taken?" Magdalena hummed, leaning against the wall beside the window.

"It is," Fury nodded. "But I also feel that it's impersonal not to know your name," Fury said.

"That's the aim, isn't it?" Magdalena said. Fury raised an eyebrow. "Of the Red Room. They want soldiers. They don't want personal," she said.

"I suppose they don't," Fury agreed. "So, the name?" he said. Magdalena flashed him a smirk to say she was keeping that to herself.

"Why are you here, Director?" Magdalena said.

"How old are you?" Fury said. "There are estimates. I wouldn't say you're older than eighteen," he said.

"I'm not," Magdalena said. "But my age, nor my name, is why you're here. What do you want from me?" Magdalena asked.

"I know about your abilities," Fury said plainly. "I need your help," he said.

"My help?" Magdalena said slowly. She was curious at what help she could be to Nick Fury. Sure, she had abilities, but she was best known for her work as a Black Widow Russian spy. She didn't think SHIELD needed her when they had all of their agents.

"Your help," Fury nodded. "And I think you could do with mine. You're on the run, correct?" he said.

"Well, I don't hang around in warehouses for shits and giggles, Director," Magdalena rolled her eyes, turning to look out of the window again. She swept the perimeter quickly before turning back to Fury.

He was smiling slightly, like he hadn't expected the attitude and sarcasm to come from someone with her reputation.

"Who are you running from?" Fury said.

"Everybody," Magdalena said simply.

Truth be told, she had always preferred being a solo operation. She had been brutally trained to believe that she could only ever trust herself and, if she didn't trust anyone else, she didn't open herself to the possibility of getting hurt.

"You can't run forever," Fury said.

"No, but I'll survive when they find me. I always survive," Magdalena said.