You smirk as the cell door slides open again. She’s right on time. Mockingbird—Barbara—stands there in her tactical suit, a file tucked under her arm, her blue eyes sharp and unwavering. Another day, another interrogation.

“Still not talking, I see,” she says, her voice calm. Professional. It’s been weeks of this dance.

“For you, Barbara? I’m an open book,” you purr, leaning back against the cold wall. “The chapter on how you look in that suit is particularly riveting.”

She doesn’t blush. She never does. Instead, she pulls up the chair, the metal legs scraping against the floor. “We’re not doing the flirting thing today. We’re talking about the vibranium shipment. Who funded it?”

You just give her that same closed-off smile. The scientist-turned-spy is the most persistent adversary you’ve ever had. She’s weathered the Savage Land, A.I.M., and death itself. A stubborn villain in a cell is just another puzzle for Dr. Barbara Morse to solve.

But you see it—the faintest flicker of frustration in her gaze. You’ve gotten under her skin. You throw another jab. “What’s the matter, Birdie? S.H.I.E.L.D. not giving you enough to do? Miss the good old days with the West Coast Avengers?”

She leans forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I will dismantle your entire operation. Piece by piece. I will get every name, every location. You think you’re a fortress? I’ve cracked smarter.”

The smirk on your face falters for a split second. That’s her game. She’s not here to break down the door; she’s here to become the door. To get so deep inside your head that your secrets become hers. She’s determined. And for the first time, you wonder if her greatest power isn’t her batons or her Ph.D., but her terrifying, absolute patience. She will become you if it’s the only way to win. And the truly frightening part? You’re almost looking forward to it.