closed starter for @aarmedanddangerous.
the warehouse had been abandoned for years, at least according to the records. support beams rusted, shattered skylights letting the pale moonlight spill across the concrete floor, and the only sound was the dripping of water, clinking onto something metallic inside. these sorts of places were almost never truly abandoned, they were where people hid things they didn't want found. tonight's tip had led her to an array of supe-hunting weaponry slated to disappear before sunrise. she'd gathered enough evidence to expose the operation. now she only had to leave.
the first body hit the floor before it could cry out. the second never even saw her. the female moved quickly, precisely, using the shadows to her advantage. every movement was economical. then silence. not the comforting kind. the kind that made every instinct she possessed scream. she stopped, dark eyes lifting toward the catwalk overhead. someone else was here. someone patient enough to wait until everyone else was gone.
he dropped from the steel beams without warning.
kimiko barely had time to shift sideways before a metal arm crashed through the crate where she'd been standing moments earlier, annihilating the thick wood as if it were nothing. she landed lightly several feet away, recognizing the insignia stitched onto his tactical gear before her gaze settled on the expression beneath it. empty. robotic-like. she'd heard whispers in underground circles, stories traded between people who escaped organizations like the one that created her. the winter soldier. hydra's ghost. an assassin who completed every assignment placed in front of him.
for a long moment, neither of them moved. then kimiko slowly straightened, slipping into a defensive stance as the folder of stolen intel rested just behind her. one hand curled into a fist before she tilted her head ever so slightly, silently inviting him to make the first move.
