Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 03:

“You like ripped jeans.” Yelena said as she went through Wanda’s closet for something to wear.

“They weren’t ripped when I got them. I stayed in an old prison gown most of the time I was at Hydra. When we were trusted enough to be released from our cages we were given back our personal items. Considering we lived on the street and stayed with acquaintances when we could, our belongings were few.” Wanda explained. “Pietro stole that long red coat for me the winter before we volunteered. The fool nearly got caught. He wanted me warm though. He always looked out for me.”

Yelena caught Wanda’s tone. It was something the redhead did when talking about her brother. Yelena had been with her two days and was catching on to her new roommate’s moods and expressions. Wanda was funny and quick to laugh, but she suspected much of it was an act to make Yelena feel more comfortable. Yelena suspected it was not just the death of her brother that caused the engrained sadness in her. Yelena and she could have a debate on who had the worse life, but it would only depress them.

Yelena herself was no stranger to sadness, nightmares, and anger over the last two days, as memories continued to flood through her mind. She still wasn’t sure why she felt so comfortable with Wanda comforting her, but the redhead was probably right. When Wanda saved her, she knew Yelena better than anyone else on Earth.

While at first uncomfortable with the ability to talk freely, Yelena began opening up about the good memories that had flooded her mind. Then she talked about Ohio, realizing now that it had all been fake, a mission, that her mother and father were not real, that Natasha was not really her sister. It felt so real. She and Wanda were close to the same age and compared television sitcoms they had watched growing up as young children. Wanda had just turned nineteen and Yelena believed she was sixteen or seventeen. The shows Yelena remembered were from before she was seven. By that time, she was already in the Red Room.

Wanda had found guns and vodka as Yelena had asked. The guns, a revolver and a shot gun were not the quality Yelena was used to but considering where Wanda bought them, that was no surprise. The other side of the ruined city was beginning to rebuild, so as far as there were street vendors, a few shops for clothing and grocery and some temporary houses the government had set up as part of a token aid to those who had lost everything. There were also criminals as in every part of the world and in a war torn rea, strife with crime and poverty, gun sellers were doing quite a bit of business. When it came to eating or protecting their children, parents would starve for a while if it meant having a weapon to defend the family.

“I like your red jacket and the combat boots. The short black dress is not for me. I think a red halter and black jeans with only one hole… you do like red, don’t you?” Yelena asked.

“Take what you like.” Wanda told her, not answering the obvious question. “My shoes might be too small. You have larger feet.”

Yelena turned to her quickly. “Are you saying I have big feet?”

“No, I am saying, you have larger feet than mine. I have small feet.”

Yelena scoffed. “Must you say it like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like it is some god given privilege to have small feet. Your feet are not small, they are dainty. I have the feet of a warrior. Perfect size for balance in combat. I am also an excellent dancer.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Fine, your feet may not fit into my dainty shoes, but we will get some for you in town. Is that better? You will have to roll the legs of my jeans up as well.”

“Because I am shorter?”

“Really? Am I too tall now?” Wanda asked, feigning offense.

“No need to get defensive. There is nothing wrong with having small feet and being a bit too tall.” Yelena assured her.

“I do not have small… just put the damn boots on.”

A moment later Yelena was sat on the bed, grunting while pulling on one of the boots. “I believe my feet are bigger than yours.”

Wanda laughed at the obvious. Yelena had a straight laced blunt tone that never failed to amuse her.

Wanda changed into a short black dress and a red jacket. She had worn this during her first clash with the Avengers. She often wondered if she would clash with them in the future or if they would be allies if she met them again. She supposed it would depend on the situation. She was no fool. She knew had many enemies, not just HYDRA. The Governments of the world wanted her dead or under control. She wouldn’t be surprised of the United States Government was pressuring the Avengers to bring her in and under their control. HYDRA defintely wanted her dead. Now she planned to pick a fight with a secret Russian agency that dealt in human trafficking and produced spies and assassins every bit as good as Natasha Romanoff.

Future possible run ins with the Avengers were the least of her worries. Of course, if she ever determined one of Tony Stark’s projects were dangerous, and destroyed a manufacturing facility, she had no doubt they would become the most dangerous hunters after her.

Stark was hopefully being controlled by Rogers now and perhaps the android. Vision had admitted to seeing the folly in creating another artificial intelligence.

She pushed those thoughts aside for now. It was time to get Yelena clothes of her own.

“Are you sure it is safe for us to walk into Novi Grad?” the blonde asked. “I know it is mostly still rubble, but the Red Room will be looking for both of us and have eyes everywhere. Can you do some sort of wiggly woo, red stuff to make us invisible?”

Wanda laughed at the description. “Wiggly woo, red stuff?”

“Yes, your magic. Those freaky things you can do, it’s either magic or wiggly woo red stuff. Take your pick.”

Wanda rolled her eyes and shook her head. “It isn’t magic. Its… I’m not sure what it is to be honest. Novi Grad is safe. There are barely any lights. No street cameras. The government never comes out anymore. They have left it and the citizens for dead. Stark Industries Relief Organization tried to do good, but the citizens turned on them, wanting nothing to do with it. Sokovians are proud people. Those still here are trying to meek out the best living they can. The citizens are their own police. They are good people who had nowhere else to go so they stayed, or they are criminals taking advantage of the poor and weak. You would not believe the cost of a shotgun and handgun were. People are afraid to be without weapons though so they give up what they must to buy them, and the sellers take advantage of that desperation.”

“You should build them house, like this one. How did you get wire and plumbing done? Are you a carpenter or does that come with the wiggly woo?” Yelena asked.

Wanda punched her in the shoulder playfully. “I paid some of the locals to do it for me. It was before I somehow made my house invisible. I stole money from a drug dealer in Brussels and paid them. Speaking of, we will need money tonight.”

Wanda walked to the bed and pushed it aside, picking up a hidden section of floor then pulled out a suitcase. She opened the case full of currency from multiple countries. She pulled out a stack of Euro bills.

“You keep your money in a box under your bed?” Yelena asked in disbelief.

“Safely in a hidden compartment. I can’t use my identity to open a bank account. I don’t even have any identification cards. Where else should I put it?”

Yelena sighed, seeing her problem. “You need a friend who was once a spy despite being mind controlled. Someone who knows how to hack into federal bureaus, make new passports, and open offshore bank accounts that cannot be traced. You are lucky I did not kill you. You desperately need my help.”

Wanda laughed good naturedly. “You, kill me? You are very funny, Yelena Belova.”

“I could have killed you.” she argued as they walked out, pretending to be offended.

“My wiggly woo was all over you the second you scaled the building. Keep telling yourself you could kill me if it makes you feel better.”

“It does make me feel better.” Yelena admitted.

An hour later the two were walking in a small city made of tents. People huddled around fires, some cooking, others just wanting a light in the dark to comfort them. Dirty children played chase around the fires but never strayed far.

Yelena had seen many parts of the world, but a Black Widow was rarely sent to an area like this. Widows were not meant to be soldiers in war torn countries. They were assassins, infiltrating the upper echelons of society if necessary and killing targets efficiently. She had only seen places like this in videos.

“Even before Ultron, Sokovia was riddled by poverty. My brother and I were hardly the only ones living in the streets. Years of war took its toll. The difference is we had damaged buildings to sleep in, and shelters occasionally. Now the majority have nothing but cloth tents over their head as their only protection from the weather.” Wanda explained.

As they continued to walk, Yelena noticed some buildings had begun to take shape, using concrete blocks that had been salvaged from the piles of debris. Fences also stood in some areas, separating food and clothing booths from what could be considered residential areas or tent cities.

Hanging on one of the fences was a poster of the Avengers. It was a group shot of the original members. Someone had spray painted Killers over the poster.

Yelena stared at it for a long while, taking in details of Natasha’s face. She looked like a black widow, she dressed like a black widow, and she wore widow bites on her wrists. For someone who had left the Red Room, she dressed as if she were till a part of it.

“I thought people thought they were heroes.” Yelena said, surprised by the graffiti.

Wanda sighed. “They evacuated the city while fighting Ultron but many blame them for it happening in the first place. If they knew who I was and what part I played, they would come after me with pitchforks and torches. I couldn’t blame them.”

“You were used.” Yelena quickly told her.

“I made my choices. I will always carry them. I wasn’t mind controlled, like you Yelena. I’m responsible for my actions. I let my hate for Tony Stark turn me into someone who blindly followed an evil robot intent on destroying the world.”

Yelena could tell Wanda wasn’t looking for comfort, only stating what she thought was fact. The blonde felt for her. If anyone could understand what it was like to be manipulated and betrayed by people who were supposed to have your best interests in mind, it was her.

They made their way to different vendors, and Yelena had difficulty choosing clothing to wear. She had never chosen for herself. Nothing felt right and she thought of asking Wanda to choose but didn’t want to appear weak over something as simple as this.

They neared a man selling military clothing and gear, salvaged from the remains of the city.

Yelena saw an army green vest that appeared to be her size and her eyes lit up.

“That vest.” She whispered to Wanda in a reverent tone. She walked to it, taking it from the hanger and inspected it closely.

“It has a lot of pockets.” Wanda said, not exactly impressed with the color or style choice but keeping the disapproval out of her voice. It wasn’t difficult as the smile that Yelena had was so bright made her happy and she could feel the joy radiating from the blonde.

“I can buy it?”

“Of course.”

“It’s so cool, right? I can add a thin layer of Kevlar, and I could fit so many things in these pockets. You wouldn’t even know. It’s so stylish but can be used for battle. It’s perfect.”

“I think its cool. I like it.” Wanda assured her.

Yelena asked the man how much and though the price was high, Wanda didn’t suggest to Yelena to haggle. Yelena looked like it was Christmas. Wanda would have paid double to see that look on her face. When was the last time Wanda had been with someone that felt that much true joy? How many years had it been? Pietro had always been excited and positive, but he did it to keep Wanda’s spirits up. After they got their powers, after she could feel him, she felt the sadness and anger in him that was a constant cloud over both their presences.

After she had bought the vest, it was if a damn had been broken. Yelena had began shopping with vigor. Though she claimed Wanda’s style was outlandish, Yelena’s was more so. She preferred bright colors for both shoes and clothing. She found clips and bows for her hair which she loved to have braided. Wanda did not have much experience braiding hair, but she was picking it up quickly. Yelena bought boots of all styles and accessories, mostly fake jewelry like the multiple rings Wanda wore.

“Now we can wear the same amount of rings. You think I could have those wiggly woo powers if I wear all my rings at once like you do?”

Wanda chuckled, looking at her own hands. “I wore rings long before I had these powers. My Papa would always bring me rings whenever he could find them. They were never expensive, just play jewelry, but I loved them.

“I lost them all when they died. After Pietro and I escaped the orphanage he would find little rings for me wherever he could. I’m sure he stole quite a few but I never asked. He looked so happy giving them to me I couldn’t tell him to stop. They also… they also reminded me of Papa and how excited he would look when he gave them to me. They both made me feel like a princess, no matter our situation. We didn’t have much growing up, but we had love. Then… I had Pietro. Now…”

“You have me.” Yelena told her immediately. “But you cannot borrow my rings. You have enough.”

The two wandered around the rebuilt sectors of the city, as few as they were.

“I would like to meet your brother, if I may?”

Wanda nodded and the two returned to their home.

The next morning, Wanda and Yelena stood in front of Pietro’s grave. Wanda introduced Yelena, not knowing if her brother was really watching over her but liking the idea that he was.

“You know if you die, there is no chance your body will ever make it back here.” Yelena commented, speaking of the headstone next to her brother’s.

“I know. It gives me peace to know there is a spot next to him. My parents don’t have graves. I hope I can find my way back to him.”

Yelena snorted. “If you die them I am most likely already dead or in very bad situation. Let’s make sure t doesn’t come to that. If it does come to that. Let us make sure we at least die cool.”

Wanda snorted. “How does one die cool?”

Yelena shrugged. “You will know it when if happens. For instance, me dying while battling a superpowered girl with wiggly woo powers who likes torn jeans and many rings on her fingers, would have been a cool way to die. Being knocked out before I could pull the trigger and then being killed in my sleep would not have been a cool way to die.”

Wanda nodded, understanding. “If I die, I will do my best to make it cool.”

“You will be with me. I wouldn’t let it be any less. I need a place to shoot. I have to try out this massive arsenal you acquired.”

“Was that sarcasm?” Wanda asked, eyebrow raised. “You said guns and Vodka. You never specified how many or what kind.”

Yelena waved it off. “It is fine. Once I know my skills are still sharp I will buy us more.”

“Bye Pietro.” Wanda said, giving a slight wave at his headstone.

Wanda walked off leaving Yelena for alone for a moment. Yelena have never had agency over her life long enough to decide what she believed. She doesn’t remember going to church as a child in Ohio but that shouldn’t be a surprise considering her family was a cover for a secret mission and religion wasn’t encouraged in the Soviet Union. She didn’t want to think about heaven and hell as far as herself went. She was curious about those she killed. Did she send them to some reward, or did she send them to hell?

What of her own actions? Did they court against her even though she was controlled? What about now? What would she do to free the other widows? Would she kill again?

Yelena knew that she would. She would cut a bloody path through the Red Room if it meant saving more girls like her from the life she had been subjugated to. She would also kill to protect Wanda. Wanda was the key to saving them all. She was a hero in Yelena’s mind, no matter what the redhead thought of herself. Without Wanda she would still be a zombie, used to perform the wishes of despicable men. She had not only killed but been tortured, abused in every way for mere entertainment. Wanda was the only one who ever showed her mercy.

“I will protect her, Pietro. I swear on my life I will protect her.” Yelena whispered then left.

The two made their way that afternoon deeper in the forest to a spot Wanda often practiced her skills. Yelena knew Wanda had excellent control of her telekinesis but wondered if she could start fires as well. Many trees lay on the ground and appeared to have been scorched at their base.

“What is this?”

Wanda smirked and her hands lit up in red. She formed a ball of red energy then threw her hands forward, striking one of the large fallen trees and turning it to splinters.

Yelena raised an eyebrow, impressed.

“Have your powers ever given out on you?”

Wanda shook her head.

“What will you do when they do?”

The redhead shrugged. “It won’t happen.”

“It could.”

“It won’t.”

“It could.”

“Then I die.” Wanda snapped.

Yelena gave her a sharp look. “Not if I am with you. Have you ever fired a gun?”

Wanda raised her hands, brushing the suggestion away. “I don’t like guns.”

“I don’t like eating reindeer but between it and starving, I eat the reindeer. You are no longer alone. If your powers fail you, you will be helpless. That means I must stop what I am doing and rescue you. I will likely be killed then we are both dead. I will teach you.”

“You want to teach me to shoot.” Wanda said, not liking the idea.

“No, I will teach you to go to war. Knives, hand to hand, all possible weapons, everything you need to get you out of a deadly situation or become deadly in any situation. I love watching your wiggly…”

“Don’t call it wiggly woo!”

“Fine, I love watching your magic. Very neat. But you must function as if you don’t have it. It is an unknown, no matter how good you are with it. It may not always be there. If I lose my gun, I have my knives. If I lose my knives, I have my hands. If you loose your powers, you have nothing. You will have to be more than your powers.

Wanda was irritated at her reasoning. Yelena was right. If for some reason she lost her powers and HYDRA or the Avengers or the U.S. Government found a way to neutralize her power, she needed to be more. With Vision carrying the Mind Stone on his forehead, it wasn’t as if they would have no way of studying her if the android allowed them. Perhaps it would take something like the android to stop her because they would be unable to comprehend the power of the Mind Stone, but she couldn’t take that chance. Young, mind controlled girls were counting on her and Yelena.

Yelena was right. She had to become more than her powers.

“This is going to involve exercise and me thrown to the ground over and over, isn’t it?”

Yelena nodded, an evil grin on her face.

“I don’t have any ear plugs.” Wanda informed her.

“You won’t have any in the field. You need to become familiar with the ringing.”

“Can I wear one of your bracelets?”

“These are the only ones I have.”

“You have two. I just want to wear one.”

“No.”

Wanda grunted. “I would let you wear one of mine if I had them.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Ungrateful Russian. I should have left you in Germany.”

“We both know I am to cute to leave behind. Speaking of cute, I have been thinking a dog would be nice to have around.”

“I’m not getting a dog.” Wanda told her quickly.

“Of course not. I would.”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Who is going to feed him? Take him for walks? The forest is a dangerous place for a domesticated animal on its own. We will be gone for possible long amounts of time.

“I will feed him and take him for walks. Why must you assume it is him? Perhaps a girl, a very big girl, very furry, very brave. I will make sure she can fight the same as I will ensure you can fight. We will leave plenty food and water when we travel or perhaps take her with us. No one would expect us to have a dog. She could be good cover.”

“Will you drive to the local grocer and buy dog food?”

“I am sure someone living around that pile of concrete and wood sells dog food. I am thinking I could hunt, and we can have fresh meat. I can do this. Do you know why?”

“Because you can shoot a gun?” Wanda guessed.

Yelena smiled widely. “Exactly. So let us begin. First I will empty the weapon and we will work on stances. Are you ready?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not unless you want to use your red wiggly woo magic to get away from me. We both know you won’t. I am right as always. We have six hours before sunset so let us begin.”

That night, after Wanda was able to hear once again, she gave serious thought to what was next. Her past few days had been getting Yelena settled, watching as her memories returned and prepared to comfort her in the event of panic attacks or disassociation.

Wanda had been prepared to hold her, to calm her, but what Yelena needed was just someone to listen. Her voice gave away little emotion, but Wanda could feel it radiating from her. Depression, despair, abandonment, fear, anger. She was a litany of every negative emotion one could imagine.

The only happiness she felt was when she described her memories of her childhood in Ohio. She talked about how close her, and Natasha were and their secret whistle so they could always find each other. She remembered her mother telling her pain made her stronger, her Daddy singing songs with her, his booming laughter and big smile.

Even the happiness began to fade as Yelena remembered she only a part of an assignment. Natasha had tried to save her on the airstrip, but her father had betrayed her, given her over to slavery. She doubted her mother would have stood in his way even if she weren’t dying.

Why didn’t Natasha come back for her? Did she even try? Yelena suspected it was because they weren’t real sisters. It would make no sense for Natasha to escape, only to go back into the lion’s den and rescue someone she hadn’t seen in a decade who was never her real sister.

Before they retired for the evening, Wanda made a confession.

“I have no idea what to do next. I had planned to read the mind of whoever they sent to kill me, have the location of another base or another name to strike down. They know what I am doing. They won’t send anyone who has any knowledge of their workings. We don’t know where the Red Room is, and I doubt anyone in HYDRA does either, even if I could find a member. I’m at a dead end.”

Yelena closed her eyes, knowing she was right. Despite all the knowledge she had, Yelena and all the widows had been put to sleep before they left and woke when they were near the mission site. Even on deep cover missions, they reported to handlers who never mentioned the Red Room’s location. She kept hoping she could remember something, anything about the Red Room’s location, but so far nothing.

“We need a car. How far away is this new capital city?” the blonde asked.

“Only two hours by air.”

Yelena shook her head not wanting to be carried that far.. “Let’s play pretend. I will pretend you don’t look like a giant red glow bug when you fly and everyone on the ground can see us. I still do not want to be carried everywhere. Is not good for my ego. We need a car, or better, a truck. We need to get to this capital city. I need to make us passports or find someone who will. I also need access to internet. Also, more guns. Always more guns. Grenades would be good as well. Maybe C 4 if we can find quality seller.”

“Don’t forget vodka.” Wanda said jokingly.

“Are we almost out?” Yelena asked quickly, then stood and ran toward the cabinet. She felt relieved when she saw there were two bottle remaining. She opened one and sat back on the sofa, taking a long drink. She offered to Wanda who turned it down.

“All widows can’t be mind controlled, can they?” Yelena asked Wanda.

“I thought a Black Widow was a redheaded Avenger before I met you.” Wanda admitted. “I didn’t even know there were more.”

Yelena nodded. “Yes, Natasha couldn’t have been mind controlled. What if older generations weren’t mind controlled either? If they were on assignment, Dreykov may have not messed with their heads. We need an older widow. Natasha’s age or older would be good.”

“And then what?” Wanda asked. “You think an older widow would know the Red Room’s location?”

“Nyet. But they would know about the chemical, how many widows have been subjugated, how it works. If they know that, they may know of an antidote.”

“Do you know any widows who were chemists?” Wanda asked, doubting it. Widows were likely all assassins.

“I don’t know.” Yelena closed her eyes and began pacing.

“Yes!” Yelena shouted.

Wanda nearly fell off the couch in surprise, her eyes looking towards the window, glowing red.

“What was that?! You scared the hell out of me!”

“Breakthrough! How can you be scared? You are superpowered person, even Iron Man is afraid of. I know what our next move is.”

Wanda waited for a moment while Yelena stood with a large grin, nodding, and seeming very pleased with herself.

“Do you want to share, partner?” Wanda asked.

Yelena looked towards her as if remembering she were there. “Sorry, lost in my brilliant head. I went on a mission to Barcelona last year, or maybe the year before. They run together in my mind. I was to assassinate the Spanish Prime Minister’s personal aid and scan copies of documents he was carrying. The hit had to look like natural causes. I was to open the briefcase, take photos and then close the briefcase, ensuring it did not appear tampered with.”

“What were the documents?” Wanda asked, wondering where this was going.

Yelena shook her head. “Something to do with purchasing weapons from the Germans. It doesn’t matter. I had to meet a widow in Barcelona named Oksana. She had her own laboratory, hidden outside the city. She gave me the chemical I needed to inject him with. If she was alone and hidden, she must have made the chemicals herself.”

Wanda could understand Yelena’s excitement. It wasn’t a sure thing, but it was better than they had which was nothing.

“You think she might still be there?”

Yelena shrugged. “Possibly. If she had her own lab, then it would make sense that it was more of a permanent location. Perhaps another chemist took her place if she was called back, but it is all we have right now.”

“She won’t give up anything willingly.”

“Then I torture her, or you invade her mind, and we rip what we need. Didn’t you say you turned HYDRA operatives into vegetables? What is one more for the garden?”

Wanda admitted to herself Yelena had a point.

Once they had the information, the widow would tell Dreykov. Either Yelena would have to kill her, or Wanda would have to scramble her brain. Yelena killing her was the safest option. If the Red Room found her catatonic, they would suspect Wanda took information from her head. If they found her tortured and dead, they couldn’t be sure it was the two of them. To be safest, they would have to get rid of her body and hope Dreykov thought she might have defected.

“You know we will have to kill her afterward.” Wanda pointed out, knowing she could kill without scrambling brains. She had done it before, but her way was messy.

“If it means freeing my sisters, her body can rot in a shallow grave. I am no longer the Red Room’s weapon, but I am still a weapon. I choose my targets now. We need a car and passports. So, we steal a car somewhere here, drive to this new capital and get what we need along with a new car?”

Wanda thought about it and agreed, seeing no other way. She had shed blood, but she had somehow hoped Yelena would not. They were in this together though and this wouldn’t be clean.

“Do you have a car in mind?”

“I saw a drug dealer last night. He had a nice car. I can take him out tomorrow night easily, drive to the next town, change license plates with a parked car in a hotel parking lot and make our way to the city. After we get guns, more guns, some knives, and passports, we drive. It will take a few days.”

“More guns?” Wanda asked, smiling despite herself.

“Grenades. We can’t forget grenades.” Yelena added.

“Sounds like we have a plan.” Wanda agreed, taking the bottle from Yelena, and turning it up herself. The next few days and nights would be difficult. They may as well enjoy the night while they could.