Surely enough, Yelena was right. We didn't have enough fuel. We ran out nearly there. I wasn't too annoyed about it though, we were within walking distance of where we wanted to go. We landed down on a path rather hard, shaking us around a bit. Alexei then gets up, opening the door and stepping out with the girls following. I grab my duffel bag and swing it over my shoulder then follow them out.
They seem to be having a little family conversation so I walk past them, walking down the path to my destination. It's a very peaceful place. No one around but the birds and the odd animal here and there. It's nice, secluded. A great place to hide out. I continue to walk along the path when I hear footsteps getting closer behind me.
" I swear, if he opens his mouth once more I will kick him in the throat." Yelena deadpans, making me laugh.
" Can I help?" I joke.
" When will we be here?" I hear Nat ask.
" Oh, you'll know." He answers, then makes a pig noise.
————————
We get to the end of the path and see a house that I presume is Melina's. We get closer, looking over the house more. It has a pen in the front garden and every entrance has a gate. I look towards the gate I'm walking towards to see a black haired woman holding a sniper rifle. Once we come to a stop in front of the gate, she points her gun straight at me.
" What is she doing here?" She ask, venom in her voice.
" She's a friend." Yelena says as she stands in front of me.
Melina then lowers her gun, opening the gate and leading us inside. Once we got inside, Yelena lead us over to the table as Alexei takes a detour to god knows where. We are all sitting at the table, me at the end beside Yelena. The silence was not like the ones from the car journeys, no, this one was very uncomfortable. The silence though is broken when we hear the strains of Alexei coming from another room.
" Let's drink." Melina says as she pours us all a shot of vodka.
A clear of a throat as heard and we all turn to see Alexei in his Red Guardian suit, leaning against the door frame.
" Still fits." He smiles as Melina whistles, making Yelena gag.
" I never washed it once." Melina cheers as he comes over to the table, waking a seat at the other end taking off his helmet.
" Family. Back together again." He smiles.
" Seeing as our family construct was just a calculated ruse that lasted three years, I don't think that we can use this term anymore, can we?" Melina questions before downing a shot of vodka.
" Agreed. So, here's what's gonna happen-"
" Okay. A reunion then, huh? And uh... I want to say something right of the bat. You haven't aged a day, huh? You're just as beautiful and as supple as the day they staged our marriage." Alexei cuts Nat off while he goes on and on about Melina, making me and Yelena gag.
" You got fat. But still good." Melina flirts, making me down my shot of vodka as Yelena pours us both more.
" I just got out of prison. I, uh...I have a lot of energy." He whispers the last part but you could still hear it.
" Please don't do that." Nat breaks up there moment.
" So, here's what's gonna happen,-"
" Natasha, don't slouch." Melina cuts her off.
" I'm not slouching. I don't slouch." Nat argues offended.
" Yes, yes you are. You are going to get a back hunch." Melina confirms.
" Listen to your mother." Alexei says.
" All right, enough. All of you." Nat cuts us all off.
" We didn't say anything. That's not fair." Yelena defends.
" Here's what's gonna happen." Nat starts as Melina scoops food onto Yelena's plate.
" I don't want any food." Yelena protests.
" Eat a little something, Yelena, for God's sake." Melina gives out.
" You're gonna tell us the location of the Red Room." Nat says, making Melina stop.
" You know, it's like when you told them that they could stay up late to catch Santa Claus." Melina disregards Nat's comment.
" What? That was fun. You know, 'He come down the chimney, girls. Look out. Where is he?'. You wait for him, and then when the cookies are gone, then you see he's there." Alexei says and we all look at him confused.
" No, no. What? I want them to follow their dreams. Reach for the stars, girls." Alexei protests.
" Finding Dreykov is not a fantasy. It's unfinished business." Nat says.
" You can't defeat a man who commands the very will of others. You never saw the culmination of what we started in America. Nor did you." Melina says to Nat and Alexei before standing up from the table.
" Natasha. Always focus, focus. Get what you want." Alexei shakes his head as Melina comes back over with a tablet in hand.
She then sits back down at the table, tapping a few things on the screen.
" Come in." She says to no one.
We all here a door then open behind Alexei, making us all look over to see a pig coming over to Melina.
" Did that pig just open the door?" Nat asks confused.
" Yes. It did. Good boy, Alexei. Good boy." She says as she hands the pig some food from the table.
" You named a pig after me?" Alexei asks, not too impressed.
" What? You don't see the resemblance?" Melina asks, making me snicker.
" See, he sits just like dog. Amazing, now watch." Melina says.
" It's a little weird to me." Alexei says under his breath.
" Stop breathing." Melina says as she taps something on the screen, making the pig stop breathing.
" We infiltrated the North Institute in Ohio, it was a front for S.H.I.E.L.D scientists. Actually, it was Hydra scientists at that time. In conjunction with the Winter Soldier program they had dissected and deconstructed the human brain to create the first and only cellular blueprint of the basal ganglia. Was the hub for cognition. Voluntary motor movement, procedural learning." Melina explains, making me close my fists on the table as I stare down at my plate with my jaw clenched.
" We didn't steal weaponry or technology. We stole the key to unlocking free will." Melina tells Alexei as pig Alexei falls over.
" What are you doing?" Nat asks for referring to the collapsed pig.
" Oh, I am demonstrating that the science has come so far that the patient can be instructed to stop breathing and they have no choice but to obey." Melina explains.
" Okay, you made your point, that's enough." Nat tells.
" Yes, all right. Well, don't worry. Alexei could've survived eleven more seconds without oxygen." Melina says as she taps more things on the screen allowing the pig to breath again as he stands up.
" Good boy. Now, go back, back home where it's safe." She instructs and the pig leaves and back out the door it came in.
" And what did you do to that key to free will?" Nat asks.
" Dreykov believed that the world would function better once it is controlled. He had me make a serum, a serum that can control the minds of any Widow. He asked me to make two, one week and one as strong as I could get it. The weaker on, he used on the Widows. But the other, he sold to Hydra for their Winter Soldier program." Melina explains.
" So, they used it on Bucky?" Nat questions, making Yelena laugh.
" No. Sargent Barnes was easily controlled. They only used it on one. She was there most feared of all. She took down empires by herself in one night. Slipped past any security systems out there. She is the reason why Hydra is as powerful as it was. It has come to my attention though, that she escaped some time ago." Melina explains.
" What was their name?" Yelena questions.
" Their name, was agent six, also known as the Soviet Ghost." Melina explains, sending a shiver down my spine at the mention of that name again as I feel Nat's eyes on me.
" She was feared by all. Locked up all the time in a concrete cell. I never seen them. Only heard their voice. And I never wish to hear it again." Melina says the last part quietly, making me stand up and walk out of the house to the back garden.
I was only out there a few minutes when I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around to see the blonde walking towards me.
" Hey." She greets but I just stay quite, my mind running a mile a minute as I turn back around.
" Wanna talk about it?" She asks as she puts her hand on my back, making me jump away from her.
" I know what your going through." She says, making me laugh.
" No you don't. You don't hear the screams of the people you killed constantly playing in your head every damn day. You weren't tortured every damn day by your guards for fun. Mocked about my body. Constantly being told that I would never get out of there. Never be loved because of my 'condition'. You don't get night terrors of killing people. You only went through chemical subjugation. I went through what you and Nat went through and then some. You remember this. Your family, before the Red Room. I am lucky to remember my name. If Xander even is my name." I rant, taking a deep breath after words.
" Once I got out. I lived a peaceful life. Didn't hurt anyone. Didn't harm anyone. But, one thing I never told anyone about was Zemo. He came to me one day. We talked, got along well. I brought him back to my place to have a few drinks. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in my old Hydra bunker, Zemo holding a gun to my head. He used me. Said those words to help me blow up the UN. Used me to lure the Avengers there. I killed, so many people. I couldn't live with myself. He was going to kill me. The only reason he didn't, was because I wanted him too. I begged him, but he said no. He said, the only reason he was going to kill me was to make me suffer, but I was already doing that to myself." I say as quite tears run down my face, my back still to Yelena's.
" So tell me,*turns to look at her* how exactly do you know what I'm going through?" I question, seeing tears in her eyes.
She doesn't say anything as she just pulls me into her arms, me finally breaking down and sobbing into her arms while she whispers sweet things in my ear. Telling me it was going to be ok. What I said, was the first time I've ever opened up to someone. I guess I got so used to hiding in plain sight, I also learned to hide me emotions, keep pushing them down. That's the thing though, the harder you push, the more likely you are to boil over.
A/N
Hey beautiful people! Hope you're having a great day.
Wow, there was a lot in that chapter. Bet you didn't see that coming.
Don't forget to comment and vote.
Bye <3
TheStryTellr