Dancing in Her Webs | Yelena Belova [1]

Chapter 7

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" 'Bout damn time," Natasha smirked. She placed her beer on the table, while Irina simply ignored the comment.

She took a seat in the chair she was previously in next to Yelena, then scooted up to the table while Yelena had already settled in her chair. The former Widow rummaged through the plastic baggie between her and Irina for the cleaning alcohol. Finally, Yelena grasped it and pulled the small, clear bottle out. Irina grabbed and moved the baggie to the centre of the two tables as Yelena opened and poured the remainder of cleaning alcohol on her wound.

She winched and groaned, then placed the bottle on the table, "That gas, the counteragent," Irina glanced in her direction, "it was synthesized in secret by an older Widow from Melina's generation." Melina? The name was unfamiliar. Irina made a mental note to eventually ask one of them. Yelena turned her gaze to the surface that her arms are on, and spoke slow, "I was on the mission to retrieve it, and she exposed me and I killed the Widow that freed me." Yelena looked up, and met Natasha's eyes across the table.

Irina stayed quiet, her attention never diverting from Yelena. She wanted to know more about her, the good and bad parts. "Did you have a choice?" Nat asked, not missing a beat.

"What you experienced was physiological conditioning. I'm talking about chemically altering brain functions. They're two completely different things." Yelena's voice wavered slightly, "You're fully conscious, but you don't know which part is you. I'm still not sure," she sounded scared, and it made Irina's stomach churn. That's how Yelena knew about the red vials being an antidote; it was used on her, to cure the mind control she was under for who knows how long.

Absentmindedly, Irina grabbed Yelena's hand. She flinched, but soon gave in. She met Irina's soft brown eyes, and Irina spoke, "You and Nat are living proof that good can come out of the Red Room."

"You don't even know me," Yelena said, while Natasha moved around the table to tend to her wound. Not once did Irina detect any harshness in Yelena's tone; it was soft, and almost quiet, yet it was audible enough for Natasha to hear, and maybe passerby's that were listening intently.

"I know," Irina agreed, and looked at their hands; her's is atop Yelena's. Using the pad of her index finger, Irina lifted the ring finger of Yelena's hand, and fiddled with it. "But I know there's good in you. I can see it in your eyes," she met Yelena's eyes that bore into Irina. Not once did she look away.

Silence passed between them. Natasha cleared her throat, and Irina immediately removed her hand from Yelena's, placing it and her other hand in her lap. Yelena snapped her attention to Nat, "Is that all there is left?" Nat asked, nodding to the red vials.

"Mmm-hmm," Yelena answered. "It's the only thing that can stop Dreykov and his NETWORK OF WIDOWS," her voice grew in pain from Natasha pouring alcohol on the wound, and Nat blew softly on it, squeezing the wound close. Yelena looked at the empty space in front of her, in thought, "He takes more everyday. Children who don't have anyone to protect them," she met Nat's gaze again. "Just like us when we were small. Maybe one in twenty survives the training, becomes a Widow. The rest, he kills. To him, we are just things. Weapons with no face that he can just throw away. Because there is always more. And no one's even looking for him, thanks to you and Alexei."

Irina listened. The entire time she was listening, she watched some kids kick a ball back-and-forth, just outside the bar. She couldn't imagine going through what Yelena and Nat had to experience in the Red Room. And the mere thought of being under chemical subjection, like Yelena had been through, terrified Irina. She felt bad, and her heart tore more with each revelation.