Love is Death

Part 22: Gas station

Me Nat and Yelena are at a gas station

Hey you should stay out here and sit down for a second, you have been on your feet all day. Natasha said

You sure. I asked

Yes, I'll get you something out of the store now go sit down, I don't need my boyfriend breaking anything else. She said

Fine. I said and kissed her quickly and then I went to the side of the gas station and sat at a table

Skip

Yelena is sitting in front of me pouring alcohol on her wound and she hissed in pain

Then Natasha came with three beers and she sat next to me

Why aren't you cleaning your cuts? Natasha asked

I'm about to start. I said and lifted my shirt and I grabbed some rubbing alcohol and poured it on the cuts

After I was done I wrapped them up

How did you do that? Yelena asked

I was tortured every day for two years, alcohol doesn't burn anymore. I said and opened my beer

That gas, the counteragent, it was synthesized in secret by an older widow from Melina's generation. I was on a mission to retrieve it, and she exposed me and I killed the widow that freed me. Yelena said

Did you have a choice? Natasha asked

What you experienced was psychological conditioning. I'm talking about chemically altering brain functions. They're two completely different things. You're fully conscious, but you don't know which part is you. I'm still not sure. Yelena said

Believe it or not, I was mind controlled into killing people for two years and two years ago I was being forced to try and kill Natasha, but she broke me out of it. I said

It wasn't that hard. Natasha said and I smiled softly

Then Natasha went and sat next to Yelena and helped her clean the cut

Is that all there is left? Natasha asked

Mm-hmm. Yelena hummed

It's the only thing that can stop Dreykov and his network of widows. Yelena said and looked at Natasha who made the cut sting

That's why I don't let her clean my cuts. I said and drank my beer

He takes more every day. Children who don't have anyone to protect them. Just like us when we were small. Maybe one in 20 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. Yelena said

Alexei? Natasha asked

Dad. Yelena said and Natasha sat back down next to me after she was done

Did you ever look for your parents? Your real ones? Yelena asked

Well, my mom abandoned me in the street like garbage. What about you? Natasha asked

They destroyed my birth certificate, so I reinvented it. My parents still live in ohio. My sister moved out west. Yelena said

Is that right? Natasha asked

You're a science teacher. You're working part time, though, especially after you've had your son. Your husband, he renovates houses. Yelena said and I laughed

Husband, that's cool. I said and Natasha smiled at me

That is not my story. Natasha said

What is your story? Yelena asked

I never let myself be alone long enough to think about it. Natasha said

Did you ever wish for kids? I want a dog. Yelena said

Where you gonna go? Natasha asked

I don't know. I don't really have anywhere to go back to, so I guess anywhere. Yelena said and Natasha sat up

Don't. Yelena said

Don't what? Natasha asked

You're going to give me some big hero speech, I can feel it. Yelena said

Speeches aren't really my thing. Natasha said

Huh. Yelena said

It was more like an invitation. Natasha said

To go to the Red Room and kill Dreykov? Yelena asked

Yeah. Natasha said

Even though the Red room is impossible to find and Dreykov is too slippery to kill? Yelena asked

Yeah. Natasha said

That sounds like a shitload of work. Yelena said

Yup. Natasha said

Yup. Yelena said

I saw where he put the keys. Natasha said talking about a car that was in the garage across the parking lot

Top drawer, green cabinet. Yelena said and they both drank their beers

Wow. I said and drank my beer

Skip

We are in the car and I'm in the back seat

You know, this is the first piece of clothing I've ever bought for myself. Yelena said showing her jacket

That? Natasha asked while driving

Yeah. You don't like it? Yelena asked

Is that like a... Is it army surplus, or...

Okay, it has a lot of pockets. Yelena said and Natasha laughed

But I use them all the time, and I made some of my own modifications. Whatever Yelena said

Oh, yeah? Natasha asked with a laugh

Shut up. The point is, I've never... I've never had control over my own life before, and now I do. I want to do things. Yelena said

Hmm... I like your vest. Natasha said

I knew it. I knew you did. It's so cool, right? Yelena asked

It's good. Yes. I like it. Natasha said

And you can put so much stuff in there. You wouldn't even know.  Yelena said and I laughed

I really don't know where the Red room is, though. I'm sorry. Yelena said

I know. But I think I know somebody who does. Natasha said

Oh, yeah? Who? Yelena asked

We're going to need a jet. Natasha said