fortress | kate bishop

twenty.

2024
Manhattan, New York

Anya had learned during her time in the Red Room that you never take information that people want to them. She wanted Maya to know the truth about Ronin's identity, but that would make her look desperate. Needy. Anya was neither of those things. If she wanted to, she could put a bullet through Clint's head without batting an eye, but it was the optics that made the situation difficult.

So she made it so that Maya would come to her, and not one of her idiot henchmen. Maya Lopez herself. Because it wasn't Anya who needed Maya, it was Maya that needed her.

Anya sat casually in a coffee shop as she typed away on her computer. She heard the chime of the door and looked up in time as someone slid into the booth opposite of her. A woman with long black hair that was tied back in a ponytail and a black leather jacket sat before her.

Anya closes her laptop and gives Maya her undivided attention.

"Who are you?" Maya signs.

"Unimportant," Anya signs back, "But I want to know what you plan to do to Ronin when you get him."

Maya stares at her a moment before signing, "What do you want with him?"

"This isn't about me," Anya signs, "This is about you."

She points to Maya, and she stares at the finger directed at her chest.

"If this isn't about you, then why are you giving me this information for free?" Maya asks, "You haven't asked for anything. You want Ronin dead and if you want him dead, I want to know why as well."

Anya sighs and looks around the dinner. Truthfully she was glad they were signing this conversation. If anyone could hear what they were saying it would certainly garner some attention.

"He killed my friend," Anya signs, and Maya's shoulders seem to relax at the confession. Anya licks her lips as she adds, "He killed several of my friends. They were innocent and he took their lives."

Maya nods her head as she signs, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"I'm sorry for yours," Anya signs back.

A waitress comes over with a notepad in hand and the two of them glance over at her.

"Can I get you anything?" she asks them. Anya looks over at Maya who simply signs a coffee to her, and Anya nods her head.

"Two coffees will be fine," Anya speaks and the waitress nods before heading off.

"Your men burned down my apartment," Anya signs to Maya.

"They were looking for Kate Bishop. There was an auction for the Ronin suit. She was there and she left wearing the suit," Maya signs. Anya's brows furrowed and she wondered if she misinterpreted what Maya was saying.

"Kate Bishop left the auction in the Ronin suit?" Anya asks and Maya nods her head.

"We figured she knew who he was," Maya shares.

Anya sighs and bites her bottom lip thoughtfully. Of course, Kate would somehow magically find herself entangled in the situation.

"Kate Bishop is off limits," Anya signs to Maya and she knows it's a mistake because she's unveiled a weakness, but she can't help it. Kate was her girlfriend. She was the love of her life and she'd somehow found herself entangled in this mess.

"She's not who I want," Maya signs.

Anya nods her head and pulls out the manila folder that contained Clint's former SHIELD profile. It discussed his strengths and weaknesses. Most importantly it contained his identity. Anya had redacted any information pertaining to his family because they weren't involved in this. It was just Clint.