Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
_______________________
MELINA, (Y/N), AND NATASHA didn't know what to say to clear the tense and uncomfortable atmosphere of the table. It was unbearable, and (Y/N) couldn't take it any longer so she stood up from her seat and walked away, Natasha trailing behind.
"Where are you going?" Melina asked them.
"To do this ourselves," Natasha answered.
"Don't. Yo won't survive," Melina said.
"I wish I could believe you're worried about us," (Y/N) said. "You're not the first mother that left me all alone."
"No, your mother didn't die when you were born," Melina replied. "You were selected by a program that assessed the genetic potential in infants."
(Y/N) and Natasha froze at her words. Knowing this wasn't the place for her to listen, Natasha glanced at (Y/N) with a sympathetic glance before she walked away toward the other room, trying to grab more supplies for their mission.
(Y/N) walked closer to Melina, standing a few feet away from her with a confused look written on her features.
"I was taken?" She asked softly.
"I believe a bargain was struck, your father paid off. But your mother, she never gave up on looking for you, even if she had to go through thousands of pointless searches," Melina explained. "She reminded me of you in that way. She was. . .selfless."
"What happened to her?" (Y/N) questioned.
"Dreykov sent someone to kill her off," Melina said. "Her existence threatened to uncover the Red Room."
(Y/N)'s eyes were red from fighting back tears. Without even trying to stop herself from showing vulnerability, a tear fell down her cheek, followed by many others.
"I always wondered to myself what had happened. I didn't want to believe that she was gone the moment she saw me for the first time," (Y/N) confessed.
"I've always found it best not to look into the past," Melina said.
(Y/N) didn't say anything in response, instead, her eyes trailed off to the shelves on her left. She spotted a familiar object placed carefully in one of them. It was the music box from all those years ago.
She grabbed it carefully, not wanting to break anything from the beautiful box. It was still in good shape, but some parts were covered in dust, as if it wasn't moved from its place in years.
"Then why did you save this?" (Y/N) asked Melina.
Melina didn't reply, she just stared sadly at her.
(Y/N) opened the musical box to be received with a light tune playing from it softly as the figures from the inside, which were a prince and a princess, danced slowly to the music.
"I remember the day it was given to me," she began. "Natasha found it laying around the house and decided it would be the perfect gift for my 10th birthday. I recall that since the moment I opened it, I placed the music for all day long, it even got all of you annoyed, but I loved it. I imagined that one day I'll be able to gift it to my daughter."
Melina listened to her recall the story like it was yesterday, which made her eyes began to sting. She wanted to bring the young, enthusiastic and energetic girl from before. It broke her heart to see (Y/N) tell the story like it was a tragedy.
Natasha wished the conversation between Melina and (Y/N) was long gone, wanting to leave as soon as possible, so she headed back to where she heard (Y/N) talking, noticing her soft tone as she walked right behind her, catching Melina's red eyes.
"Let's stop this," Melina said once she got back from her thoughts, taking the music box from her and placing it back on the shelf.
"Why are you doing this?" (Y/N) asked, already feeling Natasha's presence behind her.
"Why does a mouse born in a cage run on that little wheel?" Melina said. "Do you know I was cycled through the Red Room four times before you were even born? Those walls are all I know. I was never given a choice."
"But you're not a mouse, Melina," Natasha spoke. "You were just born in a cage, but that's not your fault."
Melina scoffed. "Tell me, how did you two keep your hearts?"
"Pain only makes us stronger," recited (Y/N) and Natasha at the same time.
"You told us that, didn't you?" (Y/N) said.
"What you thought us kept us alive," Natasha responded.
"I'm sorry, I already alerted the Red Room," Melina confessed. "They'll be here any minute."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Short chapter, I know. I wanted to separate this one from the next chapter, since it will be initiating the final battle.
By the way, this is (Y/N)'s music box:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
