A full week had passed since Maxim had initiated the protocol, and the six Black Widows had seamlessly integrated into their new identities and were dutifully carrying out the tasks assigned to them.
Maxim had decided to spent that time training and occasionally checking up on their progress. Currently, he had arrived in his command centre, greeting A.N.G.E.L with a nod,"Status report." his calm voice filled the room as A.N.G.E.L's report began.
Anya: The Senator's Secretary
Anya sat behind her new desk in Senator Darnell's Capitol Hill office, immaculate in a tailored grey suit.
A week in and she already looked like she had been working there for years. She'd already mapped four hidden PAC contributions to Ross's shell operations, data tucked within encrypted missives between the senator and biotech financiers.
As she was browsing the files, Darnell stepped into the office unannounced, "Hey, clear my evening schedule, I have a new arrangement I need to attend to, also make sure you're ready, you'll be heading as my assistant, it's for 6pm."
"On it." Anya said with a polite nod, quickly moving to operate the computer and clear Darnell's schedule, a smirk forming on her lips as she realized this was a potential chance to learn more about the future plans of all these experiments.
She'd be right by the Senator's side, Ross' direct conduit, and be able to learn everything she needs. She quickly tapped a private communication device and reported all of this to A.N.G.E.L, who'd pass the information on to Maxim whenever available.
Once that was finished, she got back to work, always making sure to keep her cover.
Talia: Muscle Behind the Magnate
For Talia, her personal cover was as an experienced militant who was now working as the personal bodyguard of oil magnate Vincent Marino. She lived alongside Vincent and his other servants in a mansion perched on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Gates manned, armed security present. However, Talia wore designer slacks and a cryptic firearm provided by Vincent he had 'claimed' to of gotten on the black market.
On her third day working her, Marino's lead security had a cardiac event. Talia had even wondered in hindsight if Maxim had caused it, as she certainly knew he had that level of capability.
Still, in the moment, Talia's swift medical intervention had been the one to save that guy, leading him to trust her much more. At this point, she basically had free reign across the mansion, and Vincent also trusted her extremely, mostly due to Maxim's influence.
On day three, Marino's lead security had a cardiac event—while escorting them across the yacht's deck. Panic spread, but Talia's swift medical intervention saved him. He now called her his lifesaver. Trust deepened.
Last night, Vincent held a dinner party on deck; he confided in her that Ross was pushing for a biotech investment, one pushing Extremis-derived treatments.
Foot in the door. Soon she'll get him to sign off on due diligence, giving them more insight. She sent burnt audio files to Maxim.
Alina: The Biotech Consultant
Alina moved in under the guise of a biotech analyst for HealthCrest Labs, an organization funded by Ross. She wore a crisp white coat, her badge showing months of research reports done.
At the lab, she discovered a "test subject" directory: Project Phoenix, a code word plastered across restricted servers.
She accessed it through a feigned software glitch. Inside: treatment logs, survival rates at three weeks, rate of neurogenic breakdown, and internal memos describing the next shipment of eight test-subjects expected in 48 hours.
Late last night, Alina slipped into a storm drain across from the lab and planted a tracking decoy device in the supply trucks. She reported coordinates to Maxim.
Tatyana: The Charitable Front
Tatyana posed as a liaison for "The Ross Foundation", the charity Ross used to launder funds. She infiltrated planning meetings, gallery events, luncheon after luncheon.
The charity funded schools for veterans. Tatyana noticed suspicious "scholarship vouchers" being mailed exclusively to unusual zip codes, areas linked to Extremis recruitment. She photocopied voucher slips.
This evening, she arranged a private conversation with the Foundation's CFO, just her and him in a silent hallway. She pumped him full of praise and trust, coaxing him to confirm financial trails. He whispered: yes, funds going into biotech startups in Alaska. Tatyana beamed. Proof in hand.
Mila: The Diplomatic Aide
Mila was assigned to a House subcommittee involved in defense spending. As a personal aide to a Congressman , she reviewed briefing memos, pages and pages of confidential budget-approved items.
She quietly flagged three line-items that explicitly funded "experimental enhancement trials."
On day five, she arranged a private meeting with the chief of staff under pretense of clearing up a memo discrepancy. S
he boyed the chief's ego, asking questions about the "SHELF-57 line", and he admitted it was the codename for raids into Extremis-mutant trials in Montana.
She recorded it discreetly with the pen and forwarded it to Maxim.
Ahri: The Young Insider
Ahri's cover was low-key as an intern to a military contractor's head scientist in Anchorage. She overheard corridor conversations describing "stabilization methods for Extremis subjects," including cerebral enhancements, a cross-over of mutant DNA and super-soldier serum. She managed to plant a bug on the project director's comms console, capturing networked chat logs.
Last night she realized they intended live trials in ten days. With that intel in Maxim's hands, he'd have a timestamp to preempt.
With that, she also completed part of her mission, sending all the information to Maxim.