Red Widow

17. Solutions, not problems

"It's inside the mountain." Said Red. "I forgot this thing every time I went back because I was freshly brainwashed and unconscious, but I saw it coming in yesterday. The mountain has two peaks: the entrance is on the almost vertical wall of the western one."

"Are you sure about this?" Wanda was thrilled about having solid clues, but was still unsure of the fact that she was talking to herself.

"Yes. But I don't know how you'll manage to enter, they activate the opening from inside."

Wanda nodded, memorizing all of the information. "It's still a starting point that will save us time and..." She stopped, feeling a strange sickness in her guts, but ignoring it. "How much time do we have? When will they do the procedure?"

"I don't know, but I'm almost fine so I think it will be tomorrow." Red sounded so defeated that Wanda couldn't avoid looking at her sympathetic, but the other woman spoke again. "Listen to me carefully, because this is important. They want Natalia. With that infernal machine that they have, they could indoctrinate her too and this needs to be avoided at all cost. I'm dangerous enough, they don't need more weapons."

A rush of fear passed through Wanda's body. "She can defend herself, but I will warn her and the team."

"Good, good. I'll be the real problem though. If they complete the redo on me, my priorities will be to abduct her. If this happens..."

Wanda interrupted her. "It won't. And even if it does, we'll find a way to bring you back."

"You don't know this. You could be late or fail the assault. So If it happens you have to kill me. Don't let me be in the hands of the Red Room. Not again. Please." She was desperate.

"Pietro will never let us."

Red laughed at her words. "Yeah, sure. Funny joke."

"He really cares about you." Said Wanda.

The blonde grimaced. "Maybe one time he did, but not anymore. Not after what I did to you." She looked on her side, with a bitter smile on her face.

"You two are really the same." Said Wanda while thinking about Natasha.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter." She felt another hit in her stomach, harder this time, but she couldn't determine the cause. "Thank you for telling me all of this, even if I have no idea how the others will believe me. They will think that I'm crazy!"

"Can't blame them, I still doubt the fact that I'm really talking to you." Red thought about it a little bit. "What if you have evidence that this was not a dream?"

"How?"

"I used to call Pietro pretty boy. Only the two of us know about this, so it will be proof that you really spoke to me."

Wanda nodded and then felt again the strange pain that almost made her throw up.

"What is it?" Asked Red, noticing the hurt expression on her face.

"I don't know, but it's bad. I think it means that I should go now."

"Do you know how?"

"I have no idea, I think I will just follow the flow or something." She forced out, realizing that she was unwillingly resisting a call from somewhere else and that it was hurting her.

"Wait!" Said Red, catching the other's attention that was already starting to fade away. "I'm sorry. In case we will never speak to each other ever again, I need you to know that I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you." Spoke the blonde in a hurry.