#the russian assassin with a name starting with y competition

[assassinbracket]

Best Assassin Tournament: Round 1 Losers - Finals (LR1)

[hopesbarnes]

Black Swan (1)

Summary: Y/N used to be a Russian spy under the code name Black Swan. But that was a lifetime ago, now she’s a part-time avenger, dance teacher, surrogate sister to Natasha Romanoff, and trainer to new Shield Agents. She’s come a long way from the days of killing targets and being tortured. But when someone from her past comes around will she be able to ignore her history anymore? Or will she end up falling in love with the only man her sister ever loved? 

Warnings: None for this chapter  

A/N: Here we go againn! This is a edited form of the story I had posted last year. Taglist is open, send an ask 

“Bucky is going to be staying here,” Steve says at breakfast that morning. In the same nonchalant tone, he used to say “I’m going on a run’. Not the type of tone to use when announcing a dangerous assassin would be your roommate. You knew what he did wasn’t his fault, out of anyone, you understood this. But he killed without blinking, and his brain is scrambled like an egg. This didn’t make the most stable man, and it definitely didn’t make him safe to be around. 

“Steve, is that really a good idea?” Natasha says before you could form the exact same question. 

Natalia was your sister, you’ve known her your whole life. You’re not blood-related but related through things much stronger. The two of you were widows. A KGB experiment that stole girls and trained them to be merciless spies. They took your life away and killed anyone too weak to handle the stress. Natalia and you were the only known survivors. She took on the mantle of Black Widow upon graduation, and you took the mantle, Black Swan. 

“They took out the programming, he’s not the Winter Soldier anymore,” Steve combats with. “He needs help, and I need to be the one to give it.” He turns and leaves the room after this statement, leaving you and Natasha with no room to debate this fact. 

“This is not going to end well” you mumble under your breath, and Nat nods in agreement. Nothing about this screamed ‘good idea’. But then again, they did take in your sister and you. 

After breakfast, you head to the gym with Nat for morning workouts. It was never a crazy exercise, just enough to start the day. You head towards the treadmill, and she speaks first.

 “I remember him.” She admits softly. You knew the conversation was coming, but like hell did you want to avoid it. “Do you?” The ‘training’ you went through involved wiping, so there were spots in your memory that may never be filled. But James wasn’t one of those.

“Yeah, and I remember how you would talk nonstop about him,” you say teasingly. She throws her towel at you and the two of you break into giggles. A sound most people never dream of hearing from the two of you. 

“I was naive then! We were kids,” she says. Kids that never should have gone through what they did. 

“I never liked him,” you declare bluntly taking the goofy tone from the room. She exhales loudly. 

“I know сестренка (sis). What time is it, don’t you have class today?” She says effectively changing the topic. A trademark of hers.

 “It’s at 11, I have two hours and the building is 10 minutes away,” you tell her, even though she knows this information. 

“I still don’t get why you teach all those испорченные дети (spoiled children)” she says. 

“It’s my way of paying back to the society I guess. I might as well use my dancing skills for good for once.” She nods and you both continue running for a little while longer.

You arrive at the studio 15 minutes before class, which is more than enough to set up the barres and find the right CD for the lesson. The girls slowly start trickling in. It was your senior class so the girls are all teenagers. It’s Saturday which means the girls are here all day long. They stretched, ran through barre work, ate lunch, and then learned their choreography the rest of the time. They were part of a competition team, and put their all into dance. It was always refreshing to see such passion and reinvigorated your love for the sport. It may have lead you down a path that took everything, but it still held your heart.

“Alright girls, take off your street clothes. Barres mean leotards and tights only!” You say in an authoritative teacher voice and they all hurriedly shuffle to their assigned spots. You hit the music count “5,6,7,8-” and they begin their pliés. 

Two hours later the class ends and the girls go to their lunch break in a flurry of laughs and gossip. You put the barres back against the wall and join the other teachers for lunch. You’ve been with the studio for close to 5 years now. At first, they were wary of hiring an ex KGB spy, part-time avenger. But there were few people as trained as you, and when word got out that you were teaching, tons of girls signed up for a class with ‘The Black Swan’. Luckily the novelty of your celebrity status wore off with the girls and they stopped asking a hundred questions about the avengers and your past. (They were still obsessed with Natalia though.)

Lunch passes and you’re joined in the room by the girls of your large group. It was the beginning of the season and you had just announced they would be dancing to “Cosmic Love” by Florence and the Machine. They were still giddy with excitement and constantly heard “Miss Y/N Look!” by excited girls showing new ways they could turn or fold in half. The dance would start with three of the girls extending their leg above their head and holding it. You told them the previous week that this week whoever could hold it longest would get to do it in the dance. The girls all got ready before you count down and let them bring their legs up. You hear them all egging each other on and it reminds you of when you were younger before the program.

All but three girls eventually drop their legs and you have to practically shout over their excited squeals. The rest of the time goes by quickly and you have the first part choreographed and the girls seem to have it memorized. You give them all homework to work on their turns and bid them goodbye for the day. Before you can leave two of the girls come up and ask you to choreograph their solos and you agree before shooing them to their parents.

You head back to your apartment in the compound upstate and shower. Your floor consisted of bedrooms for the Nat and you and a shared area in between. There were few people you could tolerate early in the morning and Nat was about the extent of it. You head to the common area upstairs, where everyone gathered.

“The old man give any more information on when he’s bringing him here?” You ask Nat in your native tongue. She’s stretching and watching television. 

“Steve left today. Said they’ll be back Monday,” she replies from the straddle she’s sitting in on the floor. “How was the class?” 

“Good, started choreographing the large group today. They’re all super excited and want better spots in the dance so they’re trying their best right now.” You smile thinking about the girls all trying to see how long they can hold their tilts. “Two of them asked me to do their solos for them, so I’m a little excited too,” You answer.

“Sometimes a part of me misses the tutus and tights. Then I remember what came with them.” She says in a wistful voice.  

“You should come to class with me sometime if you want. I promise they’re not that vile,” you say. “Plus, they’ve been dying to meet you. It’s nothing like our lessons.” 

She smiles and says “Maybe.” You join in her stretching and watch the show with her.  

Later on, Bruce finds the pair of you chatting while sitting in splits.

 “You do know that the body was not designed to bend that way?” he asks. 

“It also wasn’t meant to turn big and green. But here we are.” Tasha quipped back. Bruce pointed as if he was going to refute that, but lowered his hand in defeat instead.

“You hear about the new addition? You ask.

 “Bucky? Yeah, I never met him,” he says, “But at this point what’s another messed up person who could kill everyone!” He laughs.

“How much do you think he’ll remember?” Nat asks. 

“Hard to say. Guess we’ll find out in time.” You and Natasha share a look but go back to talking with Bruce and hope for the best going forward.

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[notquitecanon]

Billionaires, Archers, and Spies, OH MY!  Marvel Criminal Minds crossover pt. 2 (reader insert) ___

Part one! 

Sorry for the horrendous title. Not much about the BAU in this one, but we’re getting there

______

When Coulson said ASAP, he meant ASAP. No sooner than you had been settled into a provided apartment, you were escorted to the Airport to fly to an aircraft carrier. There, Coulson introduced you to Maria Hill who gave you access to an office. There you were given file-upon-file about one, Clint Barton.

You built a solid profile based on the files, and then when you felt you had a good basis- you boxed up the files, shut your notebooks, and (as you had been told) pressed a button. Two minutes later, a man in a SHIELD issue suit walked in.

You immediately recognized him as Clint Barton, and smiled at him, “Hello, Agent Barton, my name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N). I’m going to ask you some questions, please answer honestly- there aren’t right or wrong answers.”

“Aren’t there always?” Clint grinned, slouching into the seat across from your makeshift desk. You just quirked an eyebrow as you sat down.

“So let’s start at the beginning. What was your childhood like?” You asked, watching everything from his breathing to how he drummed his fingers on his knees. Hyper Vigilant, channels into constant movement.

He gave a brief overview of his childhood, his parents Edith and Harold, growing up in small-town Iowa, graduating high school, but focusing on his marksmanship afterward.  “If you’re wondering if something traumatic happened, it didn’t.”

“I never assumed, but thank you for the clarification.” You nodded, noticing his aversion to your questioning-hiding something.

“Ok, well, according to your file, Nick Fury hand-picked you for your skills. Marksmanship, archery if I remember correctly? That must have been quite an honor.” You remarked, eyes carefully watching his facial expressions: a huffed (sarcastic) chuckle, a slight smirk, and his eyes flitted out the window looking up- checking for snipers.

“An honor, I guess you could call it that.” He nodded, meeting your eyes again.

“So what would you call your relationship with Director Fury?” You asked.

“Professional, he’s my superior. We’re friendly, he trusts me to get the job done.” He answered, to get the job done. Is he implying that Fury doesn’t completely trust him- or maybe that he doesn’t completely trust Fury?  “He did me a favor, so I trust him as much as he trusts me.”

Interesting wording again, but when he said “favor” his left thumb rubbed his ring finger. His file said unmarried...

“Alright, any girlfriends? longterm partners? Children?” You asked, trying to prove your point. Clint visibly tensed, eyes immediately narrowing in on you.

“No, no, I’m a player through and through. Hook-ups only.” He easily splurged, lying through his teeth. Definitely has a girlfriend- possibly a wife? Obviously doesn’t want it in his file.

To try to relax the clearly agitated agent you simply nodded, “Well, Agent Barton, I’m sure you know how babies are made. Hookups...”

Clint simply shook his head, “No, No, children.”

“Alright, now let’s talk about professionally, you have a nearly perfect success rate. I understand you recently survived an assassination attempt?”

____

Clint Barton: Loyal to SHIELD, Pride in his work, but not in killing, close emotional ties with Natasha Romanoff, and unnamed girlfriend/wife (not in Files), will follow orders unless he finds a better solution, can work with others, prefers not to. Long-distance specialty- aversion to close up/ slow deaths. Secretive, low to none security risk

Good for the Avengers Initiative.  

____________

As soon as you presented your findings to Director Fury, he had more files sent to you. These files were all labeled [classified] and many of them were mostly redacted.

“Unredacted versions will be available in your office only. I’m eagerly awaiting your next report.” As ever, a man a few words, Nick Fury sent you on your way. This time, you had a couple of weeks to read up on your next interview as she was on a mission.

Natasha Romanoff, Natalia Romanova, Natalie Rushman, Black Widow, your eyes skimmed down the page-long list of aliases. That’s a profile all it of itself, You thought. Next, you read over her accomplishments, both as a Russian spy and as a SHIELD agent. They were extensive. She was a member of the KGB when she was a Soviet (with an unspecified body count). Then, she was brought into SHIELD, where she worked as a normal combat agent before being promoted to strike team delta- then her accomplishments allowed her to keep climbing rank. Skills include excellent marksmanship, more black belts then you cared to count, espionage, seduction, sabotage, hacking, interrogation, and deception. You noted to yourself, a spy of this caliber definitely has training in hiding behavioral traits and tics- might even be able to fake other tics to skew the profile.

A month and a week after interviewing Clint, you opened the door to a stunningly beautiful woman. She was tall- long legs, pale skin, green eyes, body toned from years of training yet still looking like the picture of feminity, blood-red curls that fell almost to her waist. You observed everything, even down to how she was standing, Her stance is meant to come off as unassuming, but actually, she’s already poised to strike if she has to.

“Hello! I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N), I’m here to ask you a few questions to build a psychological / behavioral profile. Can we get started?” You asked, gesturing to the chair in front of your desk. She nodded, sitting down. Once again, her posture was faux-relaxed- leaned back, legs crossed, arms delicately laid on the armrests, but ready to fight in a split second.

Her emerald eyes watched you as carefully as you watched her, not quite threatening but almost challenging, subtle hostility towards authority? no, maybe other women.

“Well, I have a three-mile-long list of alias, but it doesn’t tell me what you preferred to be called. What can I call you?” You asked, carefully watching her. You registered the nanosecond of confusion before she smoothed the expression, Not used to having a choice.

“I prefer Natasha, thank you.” She nodded to you, and you smiled back.

“Before we get started, I’d like to clarify there are no right or wrong answers, just honest ones, please.” You clarified, noticing how her eyes narrowed, nostrils slightly flared, but no comment as she nodded.

“Alright, let’s start with your life in Russia.” You motioned to her, waiting for her to begin, but she just cocked her head.

“What do you want to know?” The hostility was well masked, but you still caught it. You didn’t comment on it, only thought for a moment how to spark the conversation.

“Just walk me through growing up in Russia, starting as early as you can remember.”  You prompted, watching her try to hide a frustrated sigh.

“My earliest memories are of the red room. That should be in my file.” She brushed off, voice even, not too fast or slow- carefully hiding any defensive tone.

“I know, I was given the files. I’m former FBI and haven’t been here long enough to ask questions. You’ll have to explain it to me.” You apologized. For a long pause, she didn’t say anything, “If you don’t want to talk to me, we can-”

She interrupted, “Ballet lessons, that’s how it started. Then, ballet became a polisher, kept us strong, but lithe. Feminine, but deadly. Then they taught us everything we’d ever need in the field. From flirting to torture.” She divulged, the information was still vague but gave you enough information to prod the conversation.

“So there were other girls with you as well?” You asked, she nodded. Intense competitive conditions among young girls, explains her challenging attitude towards me. “And they taught you...”

“Espionage, seduction, combat, marksmanship, how to blend in and stand out at the same time, deception...” She listed, trailing off. You hid a smirk, not condescendingly, as a joke crossed your mind.

“How to lie.” You remarked, “You could have been a politician.”

She laughed quietly, a laugh which you couldn’t decide if it was fake or she actually thought it was funny, “You think I’m a liar?”

You smiled softly, noting how she was trying to intimidate you, but didn’t comment, “I think you could lie through your teeth and 99% of people in the room would believe you. It’s an impressive talent.”

She smirked, cocking her head slightly, “Would you believe me?”

You shrugged, knowing she was luring you into a trap with either answer, “Are you going to lie to me, Natasha?”

She smiled, showing off perfect rows of pearly white teeth, “Agent (Y/L/N), there’s just some things I can’t tell you.”

You nodded, using the natural pause before moving on, “Let’s move on then, can you tell me about Budapest?”

Her smile faded, “When I worked for the KGB, I had a very specific skill set, and I didn’t care who I used it for. I got on SHIELD’s radar, in a very bad way. I’m sure I was probably on FBI lists and you just didn't know it was me. Well, Director Fury put Clint on my case, to, well, I’m sure you can guess. But He made a different call, and once I defected from the KGB and renounced Russia, he gave me a second chance. I felt like I owed it to him to try to fix what I had done- at least my targets now are bad people.”

“So- for lack of better word- Redemption influenced you to work in SHIELD?” You asked, watching her carefully. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I’m not naive enough to look for redemption.” She stated, before eyeing you up and down, “What are you really doing here?”

It was your turn to be smug, smirking as you started, “Agent Romanoff, there’s just some things that I can’t tell you.”

She chuckled, glancing down at her hands. You cleared your throat, “Just one more question, were you aware of Clint Barton’s wife?”

Her shock actually registered, telling you that your suspicions were correct, and also that she probably knew her personally, “He told you about them?”

Them, not her, which means more than one: children. You smiled, proud of your deductions, but shook your head no, that he didn’t tell you.

“Oh, you’re good.”

_________

Natasha Romanoff: Spy/Seductress personality traits, Only appears to completely trust Clint Barton, but Nick Fury seems to be a close second. Alpha female- flirty (manipulative) towards men, abrasive around other women until they prove themselves / or aren’t a threat to her position. Prefers close quarters combat- uncharacteristic of female assassins but registers high levels of confidence, control, and discipline. Eager for redemption/ paying her debts- seems to want to do good. This paired with her high levels of training can make for a ruthless weapon in the right hands (even if it’s her own). Not necessarily a team player, but knows how to manipulate people around her to further her mission.

As for the Avengers Initiative, as long as Agent Barton is present (to have at least one person she trusts), if given separate orders could potentially point other team members in the most effective direction.

Approved at Director's discretion.

__________

The next time you saw Natasha, it was two months later and you were asking about Tony Stark. You already watched all relevant interviews, spoken to both Phil and Nick, and read all the files available to you. Natasha was undercover in Stark Industries (at the moment) and had dealt with Stark one-on-one. The spy seemed more relaxed around you, even pausing the conversation to open a bit.

“I noticed you didn’t put ‘wife and kids’ into Clint’s file.” She started, to which you nodded, “I really appreciate it, His family means everything to him, and he pisses off some powerful people- it’s best no one knows.”

“I know. His family was the only thing he lied about, and Director Fury didn’t admit it, but definitely already knew. Which means the only reason to put it in there would be spite, and Clint seems like a good guy- like a asshole, but a good guy." You explained.

Natasha snorted a laugh, “Yeah that’s Clint.”

“Speaking of Assholes, Tony Stark. What can you tell me about him?”

“Deep down, deep, deep, down- he wants to be a good guy.” She nodded thoughtfully. The wording caught your attention.

“Wants to be?” You quirked an eyebrow. She sent you a tight-lipped smirk.

“He hit’s some roadblock- every time.” She nodded, to which you nodded.

“Keep me updated?” You asked, tapping your pen against a grainy shot of an iron man suit flying through white clouds.

“If it goes according to plan, I’ll get you an undercover interview.” She smiled, flipping perfect curls over her shoulder. She kind of felt like a super intimidating version of Prentiss.

“Thanks, Nat, you’re the best.” You flinched at your own words, noticing her tense and then relax.

“That’s what they keep telling me,” She smiled, and your tension fell away too. “See you around.”

________

“Hello, Mr. Stark, my name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N), I’m a writer for a psychological magazine. I’m working on an article about the psychology of billionaire superheroes-” You started, but the cocky billionaire interrupted you. It was now September, and you had been waiting for the interview since July. 

“There’s more than one? I should start a book club.” He chuckled, swirling a whiskey drink in one hand It’s ten AM, alcoholic tendencies as Nat reported. It was probably best he didn’t know you worked for SHIELD, as he was more relaxed around you now.  You faked a laugh, blushing as if you were flustered.

“You’re right, few and far between. But, uh, superheroes are a hot topic right now, billionaire superheroes, the public is interested. And also, as you’ve said in interviews, you don’t trust the military to have your tech- so the public wants to know if your...”

“Stable?”

You nodded, finally, he motioned for you to sit across from him, which you did quickly, “So let’s begin, we’re going to build a psychological profile based off of behavioral analysis.”

“I’ve read about that science, in fact, I’ve been following the Behavioral Analysis Unit from the FBI- David Rossi’s books are fascinating. Don’t you think?” The question caught you off guard, bringing back intrusive thoughts of your team- all the phone calls you were told to ignore, the purposely left signs that Penelope tried to hack your computer, Reid still emailed you a weekly reading list.

You snapped back to reality, lying easily, “Yes, I’ve actually learned some of my techniques from BAU lectures. David Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid, Agent Aaron Hotchner would occasionally guest lectures.”

“Well, sweetheart, show me what you learned.” He told you, spreading his arms as if to say ‘hit-me-with-you-best-shot’ meanwhile, you inwardly cringed at ‘sweetheart’.

“Alright then, let’s start with early life and childhood.” You prompted, pretending to take notes as he began recounting his life story. You didn’t pay much attention to his words, so much as his actions, which made it easier to tell when he was lying, exaggerating, or under-exaggerating.

Control issues, perhaps to deal with feelings of helplessness- even though he’s a super genius, God Reid never shut up about it. Narcissistic tendencies, which normally doesn’t pair with a savior complex. Alcoholic tendencies, possibly remnants of a bad relationship with his father. Flinches when he moves in certain ways, either still hurting or phantom pains from his time held hostage. Early stages of PTSD?  

Finally, he closed his epic tale as he got up and made another drink, “And here we are together now. Isn’t life funny like that?”

“It’s strange, I’ll give you that. And how’s your current life?” You asked, he offered a cocky grin, running his hand through his disheveled hair and downing his drink. The cocky attitude didn’t reach his eyes, you noted that.

“Me? I’m living the life. Now, let me answer your real question. Why I won’t let my tech go to the government- and why I’m qualified to keep it?”

“That’s a jump. But if you’d like to tell me....” Something you want to get off your chest, Stark?

“When I was held hostage over there, it was because my tech got into the wrong hands. Then I got back and became acutely aware of how many people had been injured because of my negligence. Then I thought to myself, I can hand over some weapons solely to the military, that’ll fix the problem, right? wrong. The military is controlled by politicians, politicians who have agendas. Me? I have no agenda. With tech in my hands, I can go fix problems myself- no bureaucracy.”

Survivor’s guilt. Dangerously independent which feeds into his savior complex. He will not play well with others. Definite signs of depressive self-loathing and self-placed blame.

“Wants to be a good person, but hit’s a roadblock every time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark. I have everything I need. Thank you for your honesty.”

____________

Tony Stark: Classic narcissist, paired with a savior complex (likely caused by survivors' guilt, heightened feeling of responsibility, and guilt from his weapons being sold on the black market). Control issues. Will not follow orders, always thinks he knows a better way. Substance abuse issues are likely, alcoholic tendencies are confirmed. Sex addiction is highly likely. These are escapist tendencies. Early signs of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Issues from childhood include a bad relationship with his father (never felt true validation from an unavailable father figure, mother never stepped in). Butler, Jarvis (not to be confused with his AI) seemed to be the primary influence in his upbringing. (Mentioned Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter more than once, bitter with Steve and fond with Peggy)

Avengers initiative: He’s self-obsessed, volatile, will not work well with others. But no matter if he’s part of the team or not, it is almost certain that he will inject himself into any global/ SHIELD conflict.

Rejected, even though he will involve himself regardless of SHIELD decision.

_______________

In November of 2010, you were called into a meeting with Fury, 

“This is good work, agent.” Director Fury nodded as you thumbed through the file on Tony Stark. He read over the profile, but didn’t show any emotion.

“Thank you, sir, but I have a feeling that I didn’t tell you anything you didn’t already know.” You replied, watching his eye as he switched to the file on Natasha. 

“You confirmed some suspicions. This will help me convince my higher-ups.” He affirmed, dropping the file on his desk with a quiet thump. You quirked an eyebrow, a small smirk on your lips. 

“You have higher-ups?” You asked, wondering who on Earth was brave enough to give Nick Fury orders. He was like the dark, scary version of Hotch. 

“We all have superiors, agent.” He replied lowly, his eyebrow raising in a way that told you he wasn’t angry but not to press the matter. “You know these were the easy ones, right?” 

“I wouldn’t say that Tony Stark was easy to deal with.” You muttered as he slid another file across. The cover read ‘Dr. Bruce Banner / The Hulk’. 

“I want a profile of Bruce Banner, and a separate one on the Hulk.” He stated, and your eyes flicked to him. You remembered watching the news at the BAU, as the Hulk tore through Harlem. Spencer went on and on about Dr. Banner’s theories in astrophysics, and then the theories that surrounded Dr. Banner’s.... condition.  

“Didn’t Bruce Banner fall off the face of the earth after the Harlem incident?” You asked, ignoring the task of profiling the Hulk. He nodded, turning his computer monitor around. It had several red dots throughout the middle east and down into India. 

“We’ve been following his whereabouts. You will not be conducting an interview, but just build me a profile based off these files, we’ll be bringing in a few other people who had contact with both Banner and the Hulk, and you can interview them.” He explained, leaving very little room for argument. 

“Yes, sir. But, I just need to make sure you understand that these are all secondhand sources, so the profile won’t be near as accurate. And, I’m afraid there won’t be much on the Hulk to profile.” You admitted, collecting the files as you got up. 

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something, Agent.” He called as you left, for the first time feeling uneasy about your position in SHIELD.

__________

Two months. Two months to build a preliminary profile on your Jekyll/Hyde situation. Two months of reading files, trying to understand his old scientific journals, talking to other scientists who worked with him, and reviewing his childhood through the documents SHIELD could get his hands on. 

You looked over your glass board (making you nostalgic for all the cases you has laid out on boards like this, only now you were working alone), printed out photos (mostly of Bruce, but also of Betty and Thaddeus Ross, a few of project Rebirth, and a lot of the Hulk), dry-erase marker notes, a tentative timeline of his life, and red string connecting relevant ideas. 

Real name Robert Bruce Banner (10/18/1969),  M.D., 7 Ph. D.s, expertise in biochemistry, thermonuclear physics, and specifically in GAMMA radiation. (which was used in the creation of the original supersoldier, Captain Steve Rogers WW2)  

Reid would be jealous, he’s only got 4. 

Strained relationship with father- from feelings of incompetence/invalidation- possibly what pushed him to constantly overachieve. Went to Harvard, was apart of hallucinogen research trials. 

Then a red string connected that thought to one, Betty Ross. 

Know a romantic relationship with Betty Ross, after graduation moved with her to Virginia together and were instructors at Culver University. Went on tenure in late 90s, met Erik Selvig- another astrophysicist, and worked on Electron collisions with gamma radiation. 

Is this a constant overachiever or just someone who knew his potential? 

Up until 9/11 he led a relatively normal life (for a super genius)

Project Rebirth was where it got fishy. Thaddeus Ross (presently General Ross, I had the pleasure of dealing with him with the BAU in the anthrax scare of 2009)  father of Betty Ross (Bruce Banner’s then-girlfriend). Tasked with recreating the original super-soldier serum. Knowing of his daughter’s boyfriend’s talents (and of his own ability to possibly manipulate Banner) he recruited Dr. Banner without telling him the truth of what he was working on- that’s why Banner chose Gamma radiation, thinking he was combating radiation poisoning. 

ingrained mistrust of authority/father figures, but not likely to act on it. Will keep striving to impress/ complete work. probably why he prefers solace. 

Thinking his work was combatting radiation poisoning, and completely on the right track, he tested it on himself- hoping to impress both Ross’s. Of course, since this was now weaponized gamma radiation, it went terribly wrong. Prompting his first transformation into the Hulk. During which, two doctors and a soldier were killed, and Ross’s were among the injured. Overwhelmed with guilt, he escaped to Canada- evading multiple capture attempts. Attempted suicide by gunshot on top of a mountain in Alaska (2006) 

eager to impress father figures until another one betrays him, driven by severe guilt, depressive tendencies, unsuccessful suicide attempt. 

Escaped to South America and lived in hiding for 2 years until his location was discovered. He transformed into Hulk before returning to America. Stayed hidden for a couple days before the ‘battle at Culver university’ marking the first public appearance of the Hulk. Upon provocation, Hulk took Dr. Ross with him. 

Two years without an incident. Bruce Banner has to have a good handle on that anger. Which makes him still extremely organized despite it all.

A few days later, Banner was found in custody and taken in by an Emil Blonsky (special forces) his file was extremely redacted. so that’s all I know on him. After being taken into custody, a second ‘Hulk’ appeared in Harlem. A bitter fight pursued, and with its conclusion, Bruce Banner was in the wind again and still is. Rumors include the middle east, rumors of a Hulk spotting at a destroyed terrorist base.  

~~~

With the Hulk, you had less to work with, mostly grainy photos and videos. You had biased first-hand accounts from General Ross, Doctor Ross, Samuel Stern, and a handful of soldiers. The least biased was Betty’s interview but she was very much so still in love with him, so the cognitive interview wasn’t much help. The biggest help you had was the videos of the Hulk in actions of which there weren’t many.  Even though they were helpful to the profile, it was like watching videos unsubs would send in- unsettling, scary, and sad. 

Preliminary ONLY- this is a tentative profile, it could be largely inaccurate without further information. 

Bruce Banner: Reclusive loner type. Can and will survive on his own. Beyond Genius level IQ. High distrust for the government. Goes without saying, but anger issues. Extremely organized. The limited current information makes it hard to complete the profile, but the medical work

Avengers initiative: With his high distrust of the government, it’s more than likely he’ll just be a security risk. And despite his level of control, it will also make him a safety risk to those around him. Unless you require someone with a knowledge of gamma radiation, you’re better off with another astrophysicist. 

The Hulk: Despite the low level of control that Dr. Ross reported after the incident, it is clear that no one can control the Hulk. He can be pointed in a direction, but that level of rage is indicative of the lowest form of control and in most cases intelligence. The Hulk will not take orders. This is a stone best left unturned. 

_______________

 “Director Fury will be pleased with your progress. I think you’ve earned some time off, take a week and when you get back we’ll have more work for you.” Coulson told you in early February as you handed over all your research. You quirked an eyebrow.

“Now that you’ve run out of things for me to do? Am I allowed to visit my old team?” You asked, as he began to leave.  Phil turned back to you, with a smile that almost reminded you of a younger version of Rossi. 

“As long as you don’t compromise SHIELD intelligence, I don’t care what you do.” He assured, closing the door on his way out. You breathed a laugh, pulling your old go-bag out from under your desk- old habits die hard. 

____

more BAU interaction in the next part I promise!! 

[cacti-are-like-flamingos]

my boys. (Discontinued)

Chapter 1

_________________________________________

“---Ta da!---”

You rolled your eyes at her finishing phrase, mildly irritated by her annoying personality. Any other day you would you might’ve snarked back with some smartass remark, however, this wasn’t exactly just any other day. No, it just had to be a day where you would be kidnapped straight from your own home, drugged unconscious, and brought all tied up like a Christmas present to some fucking maniac who, for some reason, had beef with three particular neighbors of yours. Three particular neighbors that....wait what did this psycho say? What they did best? Were your neighbors...assassins or something?!  “You seem to be thoroughly confused, my dear.” Commented that sickly-sweet French-accented voice that was rapidly growing on your nerves. Coming back to reality, your (e/c) stared up to the red-suited female before you, her eyes gleaming down at you as she glided the lighted cigarette to the other side of her mouth. Amusement glittering in her golden eyes once she realized just what exactly was going through your head, a taunting smirk painting itself on her red lips,” Oh you don’t know? How cutely cliche.” The woman, who had yet to identify herself, deadpanned. Moving over to stand behind you, she placed her gloved arms on your shoulders, her hands trailing over the exposed skin of your collarbone.  “Your boys kill for a living darling. Well, at least used to. John’s retired, Duncan’s still trying, and Frank...well Frank’s more of a vigilante of sorts...hm. What an amazing inner circle of friends you have there little ol’ (y/n).” Staring at her from the corner of your eyes for a second more, you looked off to the side, gritting out, “Appears so.” Giggling at your reaction, she went back to stand before the blonde peering down at you through her thick black lashes, a mocking grin plastered on her blemish-free face. “How about we play a little game?”

You arched a brow at the female, not really liking where this was going. She grinned,” Yes! A game. I ask you a question, you answer of course, and vice versa.” “Like 20 questions?” You deadpanned. “Yes!” What were you gonna do? Refuse te woman who had a gun at her side ready to be drawn and would most likely kill you on the spot out of spite? Tempting, but you really wanted to live at this very moment. Staring at her, feigning deep thought, you waited a few minutes to answer before lazily nodding your head. Her grinned widened, by now she was close to resembling the Joker himself. “Great, you start.” “What’s your name?” You asked in a bored voice, your lips etched into a straight line, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Chuckling at your attitude, the blonde French threw away her skinny cigarette, its little orange embers dying out within a few seconds of jumping around. “Boring question, but it is to be expected considering circumstances.” As these words fell from her mouth, you watched her in utter confusion as she began to unbuckle the belt of her burgundy coat, swiftly sliding it off her body to reveal a black catsuit underne Was this bitch seriously getting comfortable?! Your kidnapper continued, “They call me Annabelle. But...”, Your eyes widen in pure disbelief as this so-called Annabelle climbed onto your lap, her black-clad thighs straddling either side of your waist.  She ran her fingers through your hair, nails softly scratching at your scalp. Just what the hell was going on?! “...You can call me Anna.” Your jaw slackened. Squinting your (e/c), you started, “ What are you do-” “You only get one question darling.” Annabelle taunted much to your annoyance.

I swear if they don’t get here within the next 10 minutes, I’ll smack them.

Your attention was suddenly drawn back to your kidnapper upon her tapping the point of your nose with her index finger, a gleam of mischief in Annabelle’s eyes.

“My turn, now tell me. How does a good, law-abiding civilian like yourself gets mixed up with three cold-blooded murderers?”

________________________________________

“MICRO! Get your ass down here! Now!” Frank yelled from the very depths of his chest, fury seeping into it. Hearing such boom, the once asleep male, jumped from his wheeled-chair, his body crumpling down to the dirty concrete floor. Groaning in pain, the tech-guy looked out through a broken window from the second floor of the building, eyes widening at the sight of a very, very angry Frank Castle. Behind him stood two other guys, Micro noted; their faces unfamiliar to him. Jumping back on to the balls of his feet, Micro rubbed his now sore back as he hurriedly walked down the steps, his other free hand holding onto the black rusted railing. “What’s the matter now Frank?” His voice groggy with sleep, a semi-irritated look adorning his face. “They kidnapped them Micro.”

The former NSA Analyst arrowed his eyes at Frank, not fully understanding just who was kidnapped. Heading over to his chair sitting beside the many screens, he settled himself down. Rolling over to sit right infront of his main screen, he turned the chair to face his company. Sending a small glance over to the two other individuals in the garage with them. They looked familiar. Too familiar. Maybe he had seen them on a couple of traffic cams?.....No....He had the oddest feeling that he had seen their faces somewhere when he was still working for the government. And that was not good to say the very least.

“Just who was kidnapped?" "(Y/n)." He pondered for a second, searching through his archives of memories of just who might that name belong to...Ah! "(Y/n) the neighbour? The one you're always obsessing over?" The ex-marines nose scrunched up in distaste, already feeling the intense stares from the two trained assassins behind him. "I. Do. Not. Obsess over them." The hacker arched a brow, bemusement glinting. "You su-'" "MICRO!" "-Sorry sorry. Bit insensitive of me." Turning around in his chair, he now truly faced the computed screen, fingers typing furiously. "I'll hack into their apartment building CCTV cam. That should give us a view of the kidnapper." "Good." Frank muttered under his breath. Huffing at his little comment, Micro grabbed a chip from the potatoes chip bag that laid on the desk. Popping it into his mouth, he chew on it before swallowing," Now do tell me why the Governor from the Walking Dead and brooding ninja are doing here." Micro gestured behind him without looking back. Rolling his eyes in obvious annoyance, Frank snarled," The one dressed in black is John Wick, silver hair is Black Kaiser." It was at that very moment that Micro paused in his typing, his mouth going dry. He remembered now. He had read John Wick's profile a long time ago, when the case was assigned to him. It was clear that he was the one to kill most of New York's Russian mob off along with causing some havoc in Italy but it could never been proven in terms of evidence. The Black Kaiser was another story, actually there was no story on him. The only thing that was on his file was a blur of a face, his alias, and the known fact that he was a hitman. They were two men he, in all honesty, would never want to have come across. Who would've thought he'd be in the same room as two ghost? "What's wrong?" Frank inquired. Looking up to his friend's face, Micro shook his head, resuming to what he had been doing. He'd better find them fast or....he might actually die. And by the hands if fearsome men.

Gulping anxiously, Micro hacked into the cam," Pulling up the video footage now. When do you suspect her kidnapping occurred?" Upon hearing this, John and Frank came to stand on either side of him, hands on the desk as they both leaned in to see the footage. Whilst Duncan, once again, watched from a far with a thoughtful, yet well-conceiled expression.

"Yesterday at 3 pm-" "-Yesterday, 4pm." Both Frank and John stated simultaneously. Upon hearing John's words, the vigilante's right eye twitched in anger. "What were you doing with them?" Frank spitted out with venom, only to earn a harsh glare from the Boogeyman, "None of your fucking business Castle." Already seeing in his head where this was going, Duncan breathed in heavily as he rolled his eye. Standing between the two, he answered, "Yesterday, 11 pm in their apartment." His answer causing the other two to let make noises of disgruntlement. Duncan's face remained neutral...except for the small cocky smirk that dared to tug at the corners of his mouth. A sense of pride swelling in his chest as he puffed it outwards, almost as if he were showing off that fact that he had seen them wayyy after they had. In a way, he had just won this little...competition. "What were you doing so late in their apartment Vizla?" John inquired, hands twitching much like Frank's eye, in anticipation. Quietly snorting, Vizla reached into the inner pocket of his coat, taking out a small box of cigarettes. Taking a single one out, he pulled out a metal lighter. Lighting the stick, he placed the cigarette into his mouth, putting the lighter away. Taking in a cloud of smoke, he blew it out into the face of Micro, who had very much not appreciated the action. Duncan looked back up to the male, eyes cold as ever, yet with a glint of taunt in them.

.

.

.

"As a jackass once said, it's none of your business Wick."

________________________________________

A/N: yeah I know I'm a shit author. My publiwhing is all over the fucking place. And I know you've been waiting for this shit since forever and I'm being a bitch by writing these short shits of a chapter but I've been going through some shit and I'm not really in a happy place anymore. Some loved ones died, I've been abandoned by people i thought were friends---But I'm trying. Even though it don't look like it, I'm trying. So yeah. Hope y'all be having good lives (I say this with sincereness)

[mentallyunstableunicornwrites]

You Only Live Once Chapter 2: The Fall of Agape

”No, LivingLegend flanks the left side, but keep an eye out for the death dealer. I’ll take the center with Lil’ Spitfire, and SexySwiss you take the right side. Once we get past the bridges we can group up again.” Yuuri sighed as he explained the plan to SexySwiss for what felt like the ten thousandth time that night. The Caverns of Morak were dangerous and infamous for giving people problems. Three bridges each with their own monsters on them that were capable of both short and long range attack. It was tricky, but far from impossible… If SexySwiss would just listen.

“This will spread out the fire from the ghouls in all three directions. Since LivingLegend can use a shield barrier that is strong enough to withstand the death dealer’s attack he should be fine on the left. Not to mention that my healing spell still reaches the left and center bridges.”

“Right, so that means that I am on my own.” SexySwiss said dryly. “You know as the healer of our little band of misfits you are supposed to keep the tank alive here, Agape.”

“Yes, however, as the tank of our little band of misfits, as you so eloquently called us, you have more HP and strength than the three of us combined. Then again if you think a few extra ghouls on the bridge is too much for you to handle…”

LivingLegend started laughing as Chris sputtered around Yuuri’s unintentional but scathing insult. He had been playing online with the Swiss man for just about as long as online gaming had been around. Most people didn’t know how to take him so they never really got to the point that they would joke around with him. Yuuri, however, had delivered his first blow as skillfully as a trained assassin.

“Sassy!” Chris exclaimed while Yuuri tried to sputter an apology for his insinuation. “I like him, Legend, can we keep him?”

Yuuri spent every spare moment he had on his ‘training’, leading up to the GPC finals. He was secretly thrilled that he could justify spending hours a day on the game. Not only was it bringing money into the house which helped his parents, but he got to do something that he enjoyed all while avoiding actual human interaction. It wasn’t that Yuuri didn’t like people so much as it was that Yuuri got nervous when he had to interact with people face to face. Online, however, things were different. He didn’t have the same issues interacting with people in the game so if the increased hours meant that he got to spend a little extra time with a certain Russian player, well, he wasn’t going to complain.

Competitive season was in full swing and he was actually feeling confident with his paladin. He knew all of the spells by heart and had even developed a rather unique set of combinations with his blade. Above all, he was having fun. This was everything that he had dreamed of; having a job that was doing something he absolutely loved.

Above all, he was good at it. Before qualifying for the international GPC, Yuuri had needed to fight his way through All Japan. Scoring within the top two there meant he would be chosen as the Japanese representative to go to the Asian VR championships. Placing in the top two there would be his ticket into the GPC finals and the chance to play against LivingLegend for real.

All Japan was a cake walk; he was the crowned champion with the next closest competitor missing the mark by over five minutes. After the competition he became an instant hit on twitch, quickly becoming one of the top 5 watched accounts for You Only Live Once. This was a phenomenon that he attributed more towards the increased playtime with LivingLegend than his own skill. It didn’t matter how many times his followers swore up and down that they were there for him and him alone, Yuuri refused to believe it.

Yuuri expected the Asian VR competition to provide a little more challenge, however it didn’t add up to what he was hoping for either. Yuuri made quick work of the competition and not only became the number one player for Japan, but was also named the man to beat for all of Asia. All along the way Otak was there providing him with everything that they could to support him. The only thing that they asked in return… he keep winning. Honestly, Yuuri didn’t have plans to do anything else.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the GPC finals in Sochi, Russia. The excitement of being at such a prestigious event was only slightly outdone by the fact that Yuuri knew he was finally going to get his chance to meet his idol in the flesh. He was on cloud nine. While they hadn’t made any particular arrangements to meet up, Yuuri knew that it was highly unlikely for them to not at least run into one another while they were there. LivingLegend knew that he was there and had even told Yuuri that he would be more than happy to meet up at some point. The only thing they had to figure out was when this ‘some point’ was going to be.

Yuuri pushed himself hard during the first day of competition, almost mismanaging his time in the process. But as luck would have it he managed to make it to the Sun Temple, the halfway point of the game, in fifth place. It wasn’t the start that he was hoping he would have. LivingLegend came in first and had a twenty minute head start on the rest of the field the following day. Yuuri needed some kind of miracle to make up the lost time.

The morning of the second day dawned and Yuuri was surrounded by his own nervous energy coursing through his body. He hadn’t felt like this since the final competition last year, and that had not gone over as well as he would have liked it to. He looked at his phone as it lay on the bed side table. He knew that it was early, too early in Japan to actually call home… but if he didn’t he was in danger of letting his own thoughts swallow him whole. He needed his sister, he needed her reassurance, he needed her to talk him off of the mental ledge that he was sitting on. The pressure was mounting and at this rate it wouldn’t be long before it overtook him. With a sigh Yuuri dialed his sister’s cell number and placed the phone to his ear.

“Y-Y-Yuuri?” Mari’s voice questioned softly as she answered after the first ring. Immediately Yuuri could tell that something was off. It was far too early for her to be up, at least too early for her to be up and coherent enough to answer the phone immediately.

“Good morning.” Yuuri said filling his voice with false cheer rather than let his own nervous energy dictate the conversation. While Yuuri knew the way he felt was important it was more important at the time to find out what was wrong with Mari.

“Oh, Yuuri.” she almost wept into the phone, her distress startling Yuuri. He could hear the strain in her voice that spoke of hours being awake in worry rather than sleeping like he had assumed she would have been.

“W-What happened?” He whispered. There was a long pause as if Mari was trying to find her own words, his confident sister who was never at a loss for what to say or some witty comeback had been reduced to just unsteady breathing on the other end of the line. It made Yuuri feel off kilter. “Mom and dad are ok?”

“What? No… I mean yeah, mom and dad are fine, but, Yuuri…” there was another pause, “Vicchan,” her voice was quivering as she spoke the name, “Vicchan got out last night.” Yuuri sighed and sat down in one of the high back chairs in the room.

“Is that all?” Yuuri laughed, “You know he is always doing that. One of these...days…” The realization of what Mari was telling him suddenly slapped him across the face. It wasn’t ‘one of these day’ anymore, that day had come. “Vicchan.” his voice said in a broken whisper as the world around him began to narrow. No, no, no, no, no that couldn’t be the case. His family would have called him right away had anything happened to his beloved dog… right?

Continue reading on AO3

Thanks for everyone’s kind words on chapter one. I am excited to share this with you while I work on the next projects! Please, continue to let me know what you think here and on AO3! 

[wwwnewunificationchurchcom]

MIAMI — A little-known GOP candidate in one of Florida’s most competitive congressional seats was secretly recorded threatening to send “a Russian and Ukrainian hit squad” to a fellow Republican opponent to make her “disappear.”

During a 30-minute call with a conservative activist that was recorded before he became a candidate, William Braddock repeatedly warned the activist to not support GOP candidate Anna Paulina Luna in the Republican primary for a Tampa Bay-area congressional seat because he had access to assassins. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), who is running for governor.

“I really don't want to have to end anybody's life for the good of the people of the United States of America,” Braddock said at one point in the conversation last week, according to the recording exclusively obtained by POLITICO. 

“That will break my heart. But if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a f---ing speed bump in the road. She's a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighborhood.”

Reached by text message, Braddock refused to say whether he made any threats about Luna to the person who recorded him, Erin Olszewski.

This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Share: Secret recording: Florida Republican threatens Russian-Ukranian ‘hit squad’ after rival FacebookGoogle+LinkedInPinterestTumblrTwitter Direct Link https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/17/secret-recording-florida-republican-threat-hit-squad-494976 Start From hh:mm:ss Embed Code <iframe src='//players.brightcove.net/1155968404/r1WF6V0Pl_default/index.html?videoId=6259286704001' allowfullscreen frameborder=0></iframe> Close Modal Dialog Asked repeatedly via text if he mentioned Russian-Ukrainian hit squads, Braddock wouldn’t give a yes or no answer, saying he had not heard the recording and that it’s “allegedly me … there is no proof of that.” He also suggested the recording “may even be altered and edited.”

“This is a dirty political tactic that has caused a lot of people a lot of stress and is completely unnecessary,” he said.

Olszewski denied editing or altering the recording. She said she made it because she was concerned about Braddock’s “unhinged” dislike of Luna that he had previously expressed. After she made the recording just after midnight last Wednesday, she promptly turned it over to St. Petersburg, Fla., police and gave a heads-up to her friend Luna, who filed a petition for an injunction against Braddock. Luna and Olszewski each received a temporary restraining order against him last week. Braddock filed to run Monday.

In the recording, Braddock early in the call brought up the alleged assassins. He also made rambling statements about getting financial help from fellow Freemasons or by somehow importing millions of dollars from Malta and Gibraltar.

“I have access to a hit squad, too, Ukrainians and Russians,” he said about three minutes into the call, adding “don't get caught out in public supporting Luna. … Luna’s gonna go down and I hope it's by herself.”

Braddock went on to explain that he didn’t think Luna could win in the general election. Luna, an Air Force veteran and former model who went on to become a conservative activist, won a crowded GOP primary in the state’s 13th Congressional District last year but lost the general election to Crist.

It's unclear exactly why Braddock has such dislike toward Luna. The two do not appear to have any previous connection to one another, and Braddock is a lower-tier candidate in an increasingly crowded race for Crist’s seat. Already, two state lawmakers and a former Obama administration official have entered the race, with others expected to jump in.

The threats, claims of assassins and political backstabbing put an only-in-Florida stamp on what was already shaping up to be a wild midterm of congressional races. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz in the Panhandle is still batting back accusations in an ongoing federal sex trafficking probe. Democratic Rep. Val Demings is leaving her Orlando seat to run for Senate, causing a mad scramble to replace her. And the state is getting an additional congressional seat that is certain to lead to another crush of candidates after redistricting before next year’s elections.

MOST READ Anna Paulina Luna stands on a podium at a rally for then-President Donald Trump. In secret recording, Florida Republican threatens to send Russian-Ukrainian ‘hit squad’ after rival Manchin moves shake up Dem strategy for massive elections bill Trump rails against Covid vaccines for ‘very young people’ GOP hands Dems a new line of attack: They're for 'Trump over the cops' New York’s mayoral race remains a tossup after final Democratic debate

Olszewski, who initiated and recorded the call just after midnight on June 9, said she phoned Braddock at his insistence because he kept trying to get her to appear on a health care panel for an event he was organizing.

Olszewski, a nurse by training, became a conservative figure last year after penning a book called “Undercover Epicenter Nurse: How Fraud, Negligence, and Greed Led to Unnecessary Deaths at Elmhurst Hospital,” which some in the health care industry have called disinformation.

After having a few conversations with Braddock, however, Olszewski said she became concerned that he wanted to use her to advance his candidacy and that he left her “threatening” messages about Luna that sounded “unhinged.”

With such a closely divided Congress currently in Democratic control, Braddock said on the recorded call that the “pivotal” St. Petersburg-based district will take on outsized importance in 2022 to keep America from devolving into a “communist-socialist s---hole.” When Olszewski asked him why he had Russians at the ready, Braddock indicated they were to stop Luna.

“My polling people are going to charge me $20,000 to do a poll right before the primary. And if the poll says Luna’s gonna win, she’s gonna be gone. She's gonna disappear,” Braddock said in the recorded call, pledging Olszewski to secrecy. “For the good of our country, we have to sacrifice the few. … For the better or the good of the majority of the people, we've got to sacrifice the few.”

Later in the call, Olszewski asked what would happen if “Luna is gonna win” and Braddock assured her that wouldn’t happen.

“She’s gonna be gone. Period. That's the end of the discussion. Luna is not an issue,” he said.

Olszewski pushed him, asking “how do we make her go, though? I just don’t understand that.”

“I call up my Russian and Ukrainian hit squad, and within 24 hours, they're sending me pictures of her disappearing,” he replied. “No, I'm not joking. Like, this is beyond my control this point.”

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Asked if the killers were snipers, Braddock described them as, “Russian mafia. Close-battle combat, TEC-9s, MAC-10s, silencers kind of thing. No snipers. Up close and personal. So they know that the target has gone.” Olszewski said that threats like the ones Braddock made “you can’t take lightly. Normal people don’t say these things.” Olszewski called Braddock on one smartphone and recorded video of the call with another, occasionally displaying his name and number on the video to show it was him on the call. POLITICO also obtained a separate recording, a voicemail message, Braddock left with a consultant in which his phone number was identical and voice seemed to match the information Olszewski shot in her video.

In Florida, it’s a third-degree felony to record another person without their knowledge. But Olszewski said that St. Petersburg police told her she had nothing to worry about in recording the conversation and turning it over to authorities. A spokesperson for the St. Petersburg police declined to comment on the recording or whether it was legally recorded.

Braddock, though, indicated he was ready to sue Olszewski.

“The folks in possession of whatever recording they think they have of myself or someone else (which may even be altered and edited) will be facing civil damages suit(s) when the paperwork is file [sic] with the county and felony charges after I file with the local police department,” Braddock said in his text message to POLITICO. “I strongly advise not to get involved because the civil suits will continue to be filed until people stop sharing them because whomever is on the recording did not consent to be recorded in my humble opinion.”

In her filing for an injunction, Luna also mentioned how Braddock claimed in the call with Olszewski that two other potential Republican candidates in the race, Amanda Makki and Matt Tito, had formed an alliance with him to stop Luna. Braddock briefly posted the petition for the injunction on his Facebook page Friday but then took them down.

Both Makki and Tito denied the claims of an alliance with Braddock and each of them criticized Luna for mentioning their names in the injunction she filed against Braddock.

“The fact she dragged me through the mud, after not seeing or talking to me after 11 months, it really calls into question her judgment,” said Makki, who ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary against Luna in 2020, despite earning the endorsement of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Tito, also, was displeased with the fact that he was named in the injunction.

“This is a total political hit job. I wasn’t served. I’m not in legal trouble,” he said. “Luna doesn’t want me to get in the Republican race because she knows I’ll beat her. I’m a better candidate. She’s trying to wipe me out of the race, trying to embarrass me, intimidate me, smear my name so she has a wider path to the nomination.”

In the call, Braddock mentioned that he offered Tito a job on his campaign to keep him on the sidelines, but Tito said he had no intention to work for Braddock.

James Blair, a spokesperson for Luna, said she wouldn’t comment on the ongoing investigation. But he suggested Makki had “sour grapes” for losing the primary last year to Luna. And he faulted Tito because he “immediately blamed the woman” by accusing Luna of a political hit job. “The content of the protective order filed is based upon Mr. Braddock’s own threats, actions, and statements,” Blair said. “I understand that Mr. Braddock is the one who stated he is working with Mr. Tito and Ms. Makki, so perhaps they should take it up with him instead of attacking the person he said he was going to kill if that’s what it took to keep her from winning.” In her petition for the restraining order, Luna made it clear that she took Braddock’s threats seriously. “I do not feel safe and am currently in fear for my life,” Luna wrote, according to a copy of it. Olszewski, too, said Braddock sounded dangerous. At one point, Braddock even said he was scared himself. “Don’t be on the f---ing wrong side of supporting Luna because if you're near her when the time comes, I just don't want that to happen to you because you've got kids,” Braddock said on the call. “So don't be associated with Luna under any circumstances. Please. And do not repeat this anybody because both of us will be in jeopardy if you do. I'm not just blowing smoke here. I'm f---ing being dead ass serious and it scares the s--- out of me, too.”

“The content of the protective order filed is based upon Mr. Braddock’s own threats, actions, and statements,” Blair said. “I understand that Mr. Braddock is the one who stated he is working with Mr. Tito and Ms. Makki, so perhaps they should take it up with him instead of attacking the person he said he was going to kill if that’s what it took to keep her from winning.” In her petition for the restraining order, Luna made it clear that she took Braddock’s threats seriously. “I do not feel safe and am currently in fear for my life,” Luna wrote, according to a copy of it. Olszewski, too, said Braddock sounded dangerous. At one point, Braddock even said he was scared himself. “Don’t be on the f---ing wrong side of supporting Luna because if you're near her when the time comes, I just don't want that to happen to you because you've got kids,” Braddock said on the call. “So don't be associated with Luna under any circumstances. Please. And do not repeat this anybody because both of us will be in jeopardy if you do. I'm not just blowing smoke here. I'm f---ing being dead ass serious and it scares the s--- out of me, too.”

FILED UNDER: CHARLIE CRIST, TAMPA, LEGAL

[hopesbarnes]

Black Swan (5)

Summary: Y/N used to be a Russian spy under the code name Black Swan. But that was a lifetime ago, now she’s a part-time avenger, dance teacher, surrogate sister to Natasha Romanoff, and trainer to new Shield Agents. She’s come a long way from the days of killing targets and being tortured. But when someone from her past comes around will she be able to ignore her history anymore? Or will she end up falling in love with the only man her sister ever loved?

Warnings: Like one curse word, mentions of addictions 

A/N: Tell me thoughts, feelings, predictions? 

The talk with Steve a few days ago went well. Well, as well as talking about your previous job as basically an assassin can go. He swore up and down to not speak a word and you were so grateful. 

Today though, today was exciting. There haven’t been that many days that made you this eager. It was Saturday, and Natasha had finally agreed to tag along to your dance class. The two of you made a complete girl’s day around it too.  You decided not to yell your students, and you were sure they would freak out. They had been begging for her to come in for so long. In fact, you were pretty sure some of them had posters of her on their walls. She was their dance idol.

After waking up and getting dressed, you drove with her to the studio early. You showed her around and brought her to the room you used to hold your classes. She helped grab the barres and spread them out through the room while you set up the music and got ready for the class.

“I missed the smell of sweat and dance shoes,” Nat said while leaning on a barre. She was looking around at the pictures on the wall of dancers. She took in a breath of air before continuing, “Hard not to remember what came with it. But I really liked the dance part at first.” 

You nodded in agreement, “Trust me, all the girls in this class love it. They beg to be at the studio and hate leaving. When you see how excited they are for competition season, you’ll get excited too.” These girls lived and breathed by dance. A sad smile fills her face. 

“I have duet practice after this, and it’s kind of emotional. So if it’s too much to stay, just let me know. I get it. Then after that, I have an hour with two girls for solo practice. I should be done at 4. If you wanna go at any time that’s fine you don’t need to stay the whole time!” you let her know. 

“I wanna be here y/n, but I’ll let you know if it’s too much,” she says and hugs you. “I’m so proud of you, sissy,” she adds on.

To say it thrilled the girls to see Natasha would be an understatement. They had all come into the room as usual and went to their barres before noticing her. Once they did it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then they all started asking questions and praising her. 

You got them to quiet down and convinced them that if they all worked hard every 20 minutes the hardest worker could ask one question. They quickly figured out that meant only 6 girls could ask, so they all worked harder than you’ve ever seen. (You didn’t mention to them you and Tasha would eat lunch with them too). 

Their questions ranged from, “What’s your favorite dance move?” to “How different is fighting to ballet?” to your personal favorite “How does it feel to work with stupid boys most of the time?” 

Nat answered each question gracefully (all while following the barre work with the girls), “Sissonne attitude, it just looks pretty.” and “Not that different, but in ballet when you work with a partner it’s super important not to knock them out, considering they’re holding you in the air.” That one got some laughs. “It’s so annoying. You’d think adults wouldn’t be stupid anymore, but nope! I swear I’m the only one with a brain sometimes.” Was her answer to the last question.

After a lunch full of stories, the girls went to their other classes to work on their other dances. While they did that, you were starting duet practice with two of the seniors. They wanted their last duet together at the studio to be raw and powerful, and you had a perfect idea. One that meant a lot to you.

“Okay, before we begin I figure we should talk through it first. My sister Nat is here today if that’s okay with you guys.” The guy and girl, Mya and Tobias, both nodded enthusiastically. And the four of you sat in a circle in the middle of the studio. 

“We will do the song Gravity by Sara Bareilles. When you guys get a chance really listen to the lyrics. They’re heavy. If you two are okay with it, the duet will be about addiction though,” you said and looked at them for approval. They looked at each other before nodding at you.

You look at the girl, “Mya, you’re going to play the addict, and Tobias is going to be the actual thing you’re addicted to.” They both nodded and continued to listen to you carefully. 

“I know you guys are young and hopefully don’t relate to this too much but I will need you to dig deep for something in your lives to relate your emotions in this to.” You all let out a breath. “On that note, let’s get started,” you say standing up and giving your hand to Nat to pull her up. She squeezes your hand and you smile at her.

After duet practice you had two girls for solos, then you and Natasha decided to go for coffee and a snack. 

“So what did you think?” you asked the redhead. 

She smiled back, “It’s nothing like it was for us. They’re all so excited to be there.” 

“I told you!” you remind her. 

“Do you think I can come back another day?” she asks. 

You smile back to her, “Whenever you want, I’d love you there. Plus the girls would too.” 

You chit chat about the girls and the class for a bit before she asks about the duet. 

“It’s about you isn’t it?” you look at a cup of coffee in your hands and nod. 

“Yeah, doing this dance is helping me come to terms with who I was. I was in a terrible place after leaving Россия (Russia).” 

Nat reaches for your hand, “I know сестренка (sis), I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I didn’t know where you were, nor how to help.” 

You rub her hand back, “I know honey, I was the one who disappeared. I buried that person without closure, and at times I want to go back. But having you around, and the weird family you made is helping.” 

You take a sip of coffee and decide to switch topics. 

“So how did the date with birdbrain go?” She smirks and blushes slightly. You haven’t seen her this way in a long time. 

“It went really well. I’m seeing him again tonight.” 

You smile, “Who would have thought a dumbass would be who The Black Widow falls for.” you both laugh. 

“I didn’t say I was falling for the idiot, yet. But I mean if you told me all those years ago that I would date a guy who can’t remember his hearing aids, doesn’t function without at least two cups of coffee, and was the one to save me from myself I wouldn’t believe you.” 

You’re happy for her, but can’t help but feel a sadness that you’ve never had what she has.