An Impervious Few // KateLena Apocalypse AU

Widow's Web

Upon coming to her senses in the harsh glow of morning sun, a voice greeted Kate Bishop, cocky and dripping with smugness.

Standing over Kate, silver pistol aimed lazily in her direction, Yelena said, "did you really think two zip ties would do the trick, sweetheart?"

"God damn it," Kate groaned, staring down the barrel of the gun. To her displeasure, the woman was awake, free, and ambulatory. The wound on her jaw had stopped bleeding, though her wrists were rubbed raw.

"That was good form on the drop kick, really, but did you have to go through my stuff?"

Kate did not respond, wide eyes trained on the gun. With a dismissive head shake, Yelena holstered her weapon and took a step back. The blonde studied her counterpart for the moment, chuckling to herself.

"Something funny?" Kate asked, scrambling to her feet, still wielding her knife. She was a little surprised to be unbound, much less armed.

Yelena eyed the serrated blade. "Don't waste your energy trying to pick a fight."

"Why are you so confident you would win? All it takes is one kick."

Cocking her head, Yelena responded, "yeah, you're right."

In a flash, the blonde struck, sweeping Kate's legs out from under her before she had the chance to react. Yelena knelt, one knee on each of Kate's arms, pinning her to the forest floor. She plucked the knife from Kate's hand as she thrashed underneath her before standing, twirling the knife nonchalantly.

"It's not a fair fight, sweetheart," Yelena shrugged, smoothing back a few stray hairs. "I was trying to be nice, seeing as you... let me live, and all."

"Kind of regretting that," Kate spat, sitting up with a bruised ego and an aggravated knee. "Are you a Widow?"

"Was."

Kate waited for the woman to elaborate, but she just turned her back, stuffing her things into her black duffel. Uneasily, Kate stood as well. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't care enough to explain my sob story, but if you want to live, you should come with me."

"Why the hell would I do that? You broke into my camp, assaulted me, and now you're saying I should run off with you? What the fuck?"

"Okay, first of all, I found this place on accident. Second, you hit me first."

"So?" Kate lunged for her knife, but the blonde pulled it out of reach with lightning quick reflexes. "You've given me zero reason to believe you. This is probably some elaborate Widow trap."

"I told you, I'm not a Widow anymore."

"Yeah, you're clearly a credible source. You've got more patches on that jacket than a Girl Scout."

"Girl Scout?" Yelena laughed condescendingly, flipping Kate's knife. "That's cute."

"Give me my knife back!" Kate reached again to the same result. "Okay, asshole. Can't wait to travel cross country with you."

"I'm not asking you to like me, and I'm certainly not asking you to trust me. All I'm saying," Yelena hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, grunting, "is that there are a lot of people who want me very, very dead. I wandered into your camp, which means they'll probably want you dead too. I'm trying to do you a solid here."

Kate sighed, looking around at her rugged campsite. It was not much, just a patchwork of tarp, plastic jugs, and rotted wood, but it was hers. For three years she had built it into the safe haven she had always wanted, and the self sustaining society that she needed. The land fed her, the rain watered her crops. It was hard work, with blisters and splinters and many hungry nights, but it was worth the freedom. She was free from the lying and the politicking and the backstabbing of humans. Kate was free of the burden and the weight of trust.