Next Target: Clint Barton

19 - Final battle I

"I'm really trying here, Yelena. You gotta give me something."

Yelena looked at her with fuming eyes and said the first words since the fight began. "You left me!"

The gun was in the middle of both of them. They both made a break for it but Natasha managed to grab it half a second before Yelena's hand made contact with it. She grabbed the barrel, but her hold on it didn't allow her to shoot it —not that she would have anyway.

"You know I didn't have a choice! I couldn't just let Clint die."

Yelena grabbed Natasha's free hand and twisted it over her head in a lock, then flipped her forward, but Natasha landed on her feet.

"You left me there! You just let them turn me into a killer! I waited so long!" Yelena shouted while throwing another punch which Natasha blocked.

Turn her into a killer? Then it hit Natasha. Yelena wasn't talking about her sacrifice on Vormir; she was talking about Natasha's defection to SHIELD all those years ago. All the anger that Yelena was feeling, it wasn't just Jean. It was there all along, buried deep down, Jean's mind tricks were just bringing them to the surface. Everything Yelena was feeling was real.

Natasha got distracted by her realization long enough for Yelena to be able to kick her in the ribs. Natasha fumbled with the gun in her hand but eventually got it in the right position and pointed it at her little sister. Yelena didn't take another step. She just stared down the barrel of the gun, waiting for it to go off.

"Enough." Natasha said softly as she lowered the weapon, disarmed it then threw the magazine and gun in two different directions.

Yelena kept her battle stance while Natasha took a step towards her, not as an opponent but as her sister. She looked desperately into Yelena's eyes.

"Yelena..." Natasha didn't know what to say. She was never one with words –she had no idea where to start. Every word her sister spoke was the truth and she was ashamed of it.

Yelena took two steps forward and punched Natasha right on her left cheekbone. Natasha stumbled but didn't fight back; she refused to hurt her sister any further and she wanted to be punished for all the pain she inflicted on Yelena —physically and emotionally.

"You told me I wasn't actually your sister." Yelena punched her again, this time in the ribs.

"You weren't really my sister." The words rang through Natasha's head, like a Siren song, reminding her of what she said to Yelena when they first reunited. Natasha saw it now: the hurt that she caused Yelena.

Yelena threw another punch which Natasha blocked but left herself open enough for Yelena to throw her over her shoulder. Natasha hit the ground hard; she let out a loud groan and struggled to stand back up.

"I never meant it..." –Yelena sent a front kick to Natasha's stomach; she takes it and regains her breath– "I was in the Red Room for nine years before that mission in Ohio."

Yelena continued hurling attacks at Natasha, who either took the blow or blocked it, but never fought back. She kept talking though; she kept trying to break through.

"We both know it was a cruel place. I was never shown any love or compassion —never had a family or anyone that cared for me." —She began tearing up— "And then I met you... and all you ever showed me was true and unconditional love, but I knew why we were in Ohio... I knew that we were only a family because of the mission. Yet I found myself caring for you anyways."

"Shut up!" Yelena ran up the wall and jumped off of it, using the boost to latch onto Natasha's back. She tried to flip her over but Natasha managed to loosen Yelena's grip and throw her off of her back.