Black Widow (2016 series) #4

That evening many years ago when the child Natasha returned wounded to the Red Room: she encountered Anya, the Headmistress’s daughter who told Nat she could have helped, had she gone along. Natasha rebuked her, reminding her that she had no training, being kept as a recluse by her protective mother….

Now, the wounded Black Widow awakens in a cabin, having been rescued and her wound tended to by Iosef, her onetime shooting instructor, who informs her she has been out for three days. He also tells her that Anya, Headmistresses’ daughter, has returned and created a new version of the Red Room, called the Dark Room. He doesn’t know who is funding this project but they appear to have no government oversight. Natasha reveals that the item she was sent to recover is a list of all known associates of the Red Room, including all teachers and all students, anyone who could be a complication for the Dark Room. She adds that she is being blackmailed into service by the Weeping Lion; she is going along with it to lean his purpose in wanting the list. She needs a weapon and Iosef has only antiquated types of guns; he says they have at least a day for him to train her….

Twelve hours later, Black Widow, prepared for action, leaves Iosef’s cabin. A short distance away, she comes upon a military installation hidden among the snowy hills. Natasha kills two guards, creeps into the building, hacks a computer and eventually comes face-to-face with the Headmistress, who has been expecting her. She introduces her new little spider: Anya, now fully trained as an equal to the Black Widow. But as Natasha is wounded, Anya declines to fight her as it would be uneven. So they give her the files Weeping Lion wants, of no use to them, and send her on her way, anticipating her return….

Natasha sets up a meeting to hand over the files to Weeping Lion’s agents. So she sits in a Paris café and sees a man approaching, whom we recognize as SHIELD Agent Elder, who we know has a vendetta against Natasha….