Code Name: Untraceable

Chapter Fifteen: Echo Without a Sound

It had been three missions.

Three successful operations.

Three moments they should've been proud of.

But they weren't.

Yelena sat on the edge of the armory table, legs swinging, polishing her knife with half the focus she usually had.

"She's not coming," she said flatly.

Bob looked up from where he was organizing ammo-poorly. "You don't know that."

Ava leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "Three missions. No sign. No music. No chaos. No dramatic exits."

John walked in, pulled a protein bar from his vest, and bit into it mid-step. "Maybe she really didn't want to be found."

Bucky didn't say anything. Not at first. He was standing near the window, staring out like something might appear if he waited long enough.

"We weren't losing," Yelena said quietly. "But we were close to it. All three times."

A beat passed.

"She showed up when it mattered," Bob added. "Like... right when we were about to tip over."

John sighed. "Yeah, well maybe she found a different squad of sad broken people to haunt."

Ava shot him a look. "You miss her."

"I miss winning faster," John said, shrugging. "But yeah. Kinda."

Yelena tossed the knife onto the table and stood up. "She was part of it. Whether she meant to be or not."

"She didn't want to stay," Bucky finally said. Voice low. Firm.

They all turned to him.

"She gave us something. And then she left. That was her choice."

Bob frowned. "But what if she didn't leave? What if something happened to her?"

Silence again.

No one liked that theory.

No one wanted to admit it felt true.