• Flashbacks •
• Three days before •
"Nat, there's a package for you."
Natasha lifted her gaze from the laptop in front of her. She tried to search whatever she could find in SHIELD's data about any hints of Dreykov being alive.
Wanda came into her office and put it in front of her.
"Who is it from?" The Russian asked as she stared at the well-wrapped box.
"No clue. But Maria gave it to me saying it was for you from your old friend."
"Oh. Thanks."
The witch nodded with a small smile as she left the room, leaving Natasha to deal with the package.
Natasha picked up the unnamed box and examined it for a moment to guess what was inside.
She doubted that it was something dangerous as it came through SHIELD.
She unwrapped the box carefully and furrowed her eyebrows as some red glowing vials were found inside the box.
But a thin layer of paper caught her attention as it dropped onto the desk.
She picked it up and realized it was a photo. Noticing who was in the picture, she gasped.
"Shit."
⧗
"You brought it back here?!" Yelena asked with a raised tone.
"What am I supposed to do with this? No notes or anything, just a picture of us when we were kids. I need to trace where it was posted from."
"What is this?" Steve asked as he grabbed the vials that were tied together.
"I asked Tony to help me analyze it, and he started to ramble all the things on the periodic table but in conclusion, it's a synthetic gas and it connects to mind something." Natasha told the super soldier as he raised an eyebrow.
"It's a counteragent to chemical subjugation. The gas immunizes the brain's neuropathways from external manipulation." Yelena added as she went to a room which Natasha and Steve followed behind.
"Maybe in English next time?" Steve said.
"That's what I said." Natasha rolled her eyes.
"It antidot kontrol' nad soznan (It's an antidote to mind control)." Yelena said as she shoved a few clothes from the closet into her duffle bag.
"Ochen' umno (Real mature)." Natasha cut her off.
"Uhm, maybe the real English this time?" Steve said as he had no clue what the two Russians were arguing about.
Natasha ignored him as she looked at the younger woman.
"I'm not here trying to be your friend, but you need to tell me why I am receiving these vials the same week that I know Dreykov is still alive." Natasha spat.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? You're the only superhero person that I know." Yelena said with a shaky tone.
"I killed him, Yelena. He's dead. Dreykov's dead. It took almost destroying the entire city just to get to him." Natasha said, still in denial.
"If you're so sure, then tell me what happened. Tell me exactly." Yelena looked straight into the redhead's eyes.
"We rigged bombs."
"Who's we?"
"Clint Barton. Killing Dreykov was the final step in my defection to SHIELD."
"Simple as that?" Yelena asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, sure, simple. That's what I'd call imploding a five-story building and then shooting it out with the Hungarian Special Forces. Took 10 days in hiding before we could even get out of Budapest." Natasha said as she went to pour a shot of vodka and drink it.
"And you checked the body? Confirmed the kill?"
"There was no body left to check." She slammed the shot glass onto the table frustratingly as she walked away.
"You're forgetting Dreykov's daughter."
Natasha stopped on her tracks instantly but before she could say anything, Steve quickly got up from his seat and grabbed his shield.
He went towards Natasha and grabbed her hand as the two Russians also heard muffled footsteps.
The ceiling blew and it crashed onto the floor, spreading dust everywhere.
Yelena quickly picked up the vials and shoved it in her bag as Natasha and Steve took cover.
A few Widows came through the ceiling as red lasers were seen around the house.
Yelena hid herself as she tried to peek at them before she quickly ran across the hallway and reached her sister as they tried to shoot her.
Natasha shoved her against the wall but she quickly flipped a power source that made the lights in the apartment burst and turned the hallways dark.
Steve got out of their hidden spot and hit one of the Widows with his shield before he widened his eyes.
"I hit a woman!"
Natasha groaned as she and Yelena attacked the other two Widows.
"They aren't just women!" She yelled at the super soldier as she flipped one of the Widow's feet.
She grabbed Steve's arm and ran out of the apartment where a few of them waited downstairs, ready to attack.
They didn't stop shooting when Yelena had to throw a grenade to slow them down.
"To the car! Now!" Natasha yelled.
Steve took the wheel and drove off as fast as he could through the city while the Widows who were after them hopped onto the motorcycle.
One of them got near their car and shot the rear window making it shattered into pieces as Yelena put her hands on her head and lowered her body.
"Okay, you guys got a plan, or shall I just stay duck-and-cover?" Yelena huffed.
"Yeah, my plan was to drive us away." Steve said.
"That's a shit plan."
Natasha tried to shoot at the Widow with her gun but with Steve driving like a mad man, it was hard to aim.
She wasn't Hawkeye, to be fair.
Yelena took a glance at the situation before kicking the door open and it shattered as it hit a sign pole which caused the Widow on the motorcycle to fall as she crashed with it.
"You're welcome."
Before they could take a breather, an armored vehicle appeared on the road as it smashed all the cars that were on its way.
"Oh shit." Yelena muttered.
You waited for your partner to drive close to the target as it showed on your HUD that the vials were located in the car in front of you.
When you were ready, you pushed a button and the roof opened. You climbed up and pulled out a bow and an explosive arrow.
You were sure that all the weapons that you had kept in the case on your back were familiar but your mind seemed to block all of your memories.
With the HUD, you aimed for a perfect shot and released the arrow.
The arrow flew under your target's car and it exploded which made the car blow up and crash down the stairs to a train station.
Your partner stopped the car immediately and let you finish the mission as you walked out of the armored car.
You saw a glance of your target in the crowd and reached for your shield. You threw it straight at them but you missed as it hit the support beam.
When you reached the train station, you didn't see your target. As your helmet scanned around the subway, it focused on the blood that trailed from the crashed car.
You followed the blood trail and it led to a manhole cover. Without hesitation, you pulled the cover and threw it aside before you jumped into the manhole, trying to search for the vials.
But no matter how long you walked through the manhole, you couldn't find them.
Dreykov realized that you were being tricked and commanded you to go back to him as you obeyed.
⧗
Yelena groaned as she tied her arm with a shirt while lying on the floor.
They were safe for now with Natasha's idea to hide in the air duct space on the ceiling of the train station.
"You okay?" Natasha asked as she looked at the younger woman.
"Yeah. Great plan. I love the part where I almost bled to death." She replied as she sat up.
"How about you?" Steve asked concernly as he took another glance at the manhole before turning his gaze to the redhead.
"I'm fine." Natasha replied.
"This is cozy." Yelena said as she glanced around the room.
"Barton and I spent two days hiding out up here."
"That must have been fun." Yelena said as she noticed some games etched on the side of the air ducts.
"Who the hell is that guy? Explosive arrows, a shield like mine-" Steve asked.
"Dreykov's special project. He can mimic anyone he's ever seen. It's like fighting a mirror. Dreykov only deploys him for top-priority missions. And he got some powers too-"
Natasha cut her off as she rubbed her face frustratingly, "This doesn't make any sense."
"Well, the truth rarely makes sense when you omit key details." Yelena monotonely said.
Natasha looked at her, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You didn't say one word about Dreykov's daughter. You killed her." Yelena stated as she stole a glance at the super soldier.
"I had to. I needed her to lead me to Dreykov."
She sighed as the memory flashed in her mind, "Dreykov's daughter was collateral damage. I needed her to be sure."
Yelena stared at her sister's expression, "And here you are, not so sure."
The redhead sighed, "I needed out."
"Hey, it's okay. It's in the past." Steve reassured as he pulled her to his side and kissed her temple.
It wasn't Natasha to show her vulnerability to anyone but her guilt came over her as she buried her face in Steve's chest.
After a while, Steve made sure that the coast was clear for them to climb down from the air duct.
They ignored the civilians and made their way out and found a gas station nearby.
"The Red Room's still active. Where is it?" Natasha asked as they entered the shop.
"I have no idea. He moves location constantly. And every widow is sedated on entry and exit for maximum security." Yelena answered while looking for the things for her injury.
"I'm just finding it hard to believe that he could stay off my radar."
"Well, it's not smart to attack an Avenger if you want to stay hidden. I mean, the clue is in the name. Dreykov kills you, one of the big ones comes to avenge you."
"Wait, what are the big ones?"
"Well, I doubt the god from space has to take an ibuprofen after a fight-" She glanced at Steve, "or a super soldier."
Steve gave her a look as he searched for some things for himself and Natasha.
"Where did you think I was all this time?"
"I thought that you got out and were living a normal life." Natasha replied as she went to the sink to wash her hands while looking at the mirror.
"And you just never made contact again?"
"Honestly, I thought you didn't wanna see me."
Yelena scoffed, "Bullshit. You just didn't want your baby sister to tag along, while you saved the world with the cool kids."
"You weren't really my sister." Natasha blurted almost immediately leaving the younger blonde froze.
"Nat-" Steve who heard it shook his head as he noticed Yelena's body sign.
"And the Avengers aren't really your family."
"Okay, enough, both of you." Steve said with his captain tone as he put three bottles of beer on the counter.
He paid for all the things and they went to a cafe in the neighborhood.
"So, are you two a thing? Like I've seen you have been touchy with her, and I still want to know." Yelena asked as she sat on the chair, scattering all the supplies for her injury on the table.
"Uhh, I- uhm-" Steve looked at Natasha, not knowing what to answer while the redhead didn't seem bothered with the question.
"Yes, we are."
"Woah, my sister dates Captain America. How amazing. Wait till he meets Alexei." She chuckled dryly.
"Alexei?"
"Yeah, 'dad'."
Yelena winced as she poured the alcohol on her wound and groaned as the liquid gave the burn sensation.
But nothing a widow couldn't handle.
"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."
Natasha looked at the younger woman with sympathy, "Did you have a choice?"
"What you experienced was psychological conditioning. I'm talking about chemically altering brain functions. They're two completely different things." Yelena explained as her voice started to get shaky, "You're fully conscious, but you don't know which part is you. I'm still not sure."
Natasha got up from her seat and pulled a chair to sit beside Yelena and helped her with her wounds.
"Is that all there is left?"
Yelena hummed, "It's the only thing that can stop Dreykov and his network of widows." She raised her tone as Natasha slightly pressed her wound with a gauze.
"He takes more everyday. 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."
Natasha finished up her bandage and went back to her seat beside Steve.
He had been quiet as he listened to Yelena and felt very sorry for both women. He grabbed Natasha's hand and she gave him a warm smile indicating that she was okay.
"Did you ever look for your parents? Your real ones?" Yelena asked as she looked at the few kids running around, playing with their parents.
"Well, my mom abandoned me in the street like garbage." Natasha said as she grabbed the bottle of beer, "What about you?"
"They destroyed my birth certificate, so I reinvented it. My parents still live in Ohio. My sister moved out west."
Natasha gave a small smirk, "Is that right?"
"You're a science teacher. You're working part-time, though, especially after you had your son. Your husband, he renovates houses." Yelena continued.
Natasha's face changed when Yelena said 'son' and the blonde noticed it.
She sighed, "Yelena, I'm not here for you, to be honest."
A glint of hurt flashed on the blonde's face.
"I came because of the vials you sent me, and the coincidence of me knowing Dreykov is alive leads me to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Y/n."
"Who's y/n?"
Natasha looked down, "My daughter."
Yelena stared at her sister in shock, "Y-you have a daughter?"
"I do. She has been kidnapped by our enemy and it has been 2 months. We tried our best to find her but we had no clue." Natasha said as her voice was getting shaky.
"And on our last mission, we got something, but she wasn't there anymore. The person who got her said something about my past and I was in denial because I knew I killed him, until your package came-"
"And here we are." Steve continued.
Natasha had tears pooled in her eyes by now but she quickly wiped it.
"I'm sorry Nat. But I still don't know where the Red Room is."
⧗
Posted on 17th December 2021
Edited on 14th August 2023