FROST (Natasha Romanoff x female reader)

Chapter 3: Washington D.C.

Almost two days later, Mara arrived in Washington D.C. She was familiar with the city and the United States in general, but it was never her home. She only liked to visit for short periods of time, not being a fan of the culture. 

She does not have anything against Western culture, as she was born in The Netherlands, but she just did not like the American system. Whether it'd be the justice system, healthcare, education. For a developed country it was quite a mess in her eyes.

She found an empty storage space, which would do for now until she managed to find an abandoned apartment. That seemed to be a lot easier in Russia. She decided that it might be wise to buy some new clothing and get some food.

She was used to wearing the same outfit for a long time. Her favourite being black came combat pants with a dark blue long-sleeved top. She always wore a necklace that carried her parents' ashes. The one memory she has of them, since they died when she was 4 years old.

She made her way to a mall and walked into an H&M, where everyone buys clothing these days. She bought some clothes that still fit her style and walked over to the food court. She never really ate that much as her stomach was trained to go days without food, so she just bought a sandwich and some water.

On her way back, she looked around and spotted an abandoned-looking studio apartment. Bingo. She quickly walked back to the storage container and grabbed her things. On her way back to the studio, she looked around to see if anyone was watching her. 

She kept feeling as if someone was watching her, so she took a moment to scan her surroundings. Once she deemed it safe and no one was around, she picked the lock and quickly got inside.

It was a decent-sized studio apartment. Nothing fancy, but at least the couch wasn't covered in dust, meaning someone lived here not too long ago. She made her way to the couch and grabbed her laptop from her backpack. 

On her laptop, a notification popped up saying that she has received the upfront payment from her next client. The job was confirmed.

Mara had already researched the senator and his schedule. She would follow him around for the next few days to find patterns in his schedule and to know when to complete her kill. This has become second nature to Mara. 

Study your target and find a moment of weakness where you can strike. Luckily for her, the senator had a very boring and predictable schedule. He goes to the gym early in the mornings, then gets coffee and heads to work. 

After work, he goes home for dinner and heads to soccer practice afterward. Yes, he was one of those middle-aged men who play in a Sunday soccer league.

After a few days of waiting around, she found the perfect moment to strike. The senator took a different route to his soccer practice, heading through a street with no streetlights. 

Mara did not have her sniper rifle at hand, so she had to get up-close and personal. She had two options, either use a handgun or use one of her blades. The handgun would draw attention so she opted for a blade instead.

She grabbed her favourite knife that was hidden under her combat pants and made her way into the dark street. She was like a shadow, invisible in the dark. She walked along the walls of the buildings that stood at the side of the narrow street, creeping closer behind the man.

In one swift motion, she swiped her knife across his throat, nearly severing the man's head. His body slumped to the ground and Mara disappeared into the shadows once again. 

She put the knife back in its holster on her left calf, wiped the blood off of her arms, and walked back towards her studio apartment.

Once she stood in front of her door, she noticed something was off. She grabbed her handgun and opened her door as quietly as possible. She stalked through her hallway, pointing the gun towards every open door. 

Halfway through the short hallway, she smelled an all too familiar scent. She only knew one person that excessively used Dior Sauvage cologne.

"What are you doing here, Stark?"