Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 61:

Wanda woke with a start. Despite what she had gone through in her life, she rarely had nightmares since she had met Yelena. Perhaps it was because subconsciously she knew she could not have nightmares while comforting other widows while she slept or perhaps she felt more at peace having a family.

Tonight’s nightmare was strange.

“You okay, Doll?”

Wand sat up and saw the sun had risen. It was 7:00 AM.

“Nightmare. Freaky weird nightmare. I dreamed I was a zombie of all things and Vision was capturing people for me to eat.”

Wanda paused and looked between her and Bucky.

“Where are my girls?!”

Bucky sat up and rubbed her shoulders before she could panic.

“Relax. I checked on them. They are fine.”

Wanda didn’t understand. They never got out of bed before she did unless one of them had to go to the bathroom then that girl was right back in her spot between her and Bucky.

Wanda got up too quickly from the bed and nearly fell back. The nightmare and the twins not being next to her had her spinning. Bucky rolled off the bed and steadied her.

“Come on, let me show you.”

He took her hand and moved through the bathroom into the twins’ very large room.

Sleeping on the bottom bunk were Nela and Nadeja with Nadeja’s new puppy, Storm, between them. They had their arms wrapped around the puppy who had become an integral part of their lives in only a week. The puppy was awake but had not moved content to be the literal center of attention. Lying practically on top of the dog and between the girls were Nela’s cats.

“I guess they found better cuddle partners.” Bucky said.

Wanda smiled at the bundle of kids and pets crammed into the twin size bottom bunk. She snapped her fingers and her phone appeared in her hand. She began taking several pictures of the five living beings cuddled with each other.

“I can’t believe this.” she whispered. “This is the first morning I have woken up without them next to me since I met them.”

“Maybe soon we can make love without sneaking to my old room at night? Lock the bathroom door so they couldn’t just walk in.” Bucky suggested. “Just an idea. Their room is far enough away that as long as we are quiet, it could work. You know I’m good at operating in complete silence.”

“I’m not. Let’s give it a few weeks and see if this sticks. We may wake up with two kids, a dog and two cats on top of us tomorrow morning. We take the win for now.” she told him happily, though a part of her felt sad at not waking up with her daughters between her and her husband.

Wanda received a text from Rachel and scrunched her eyebrows, confused for the second time this morning.

“Rachel says I have an urgent call she is going to forward to me.”

Wanda stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

She heard her native language being spoken by a man she was familiar with and beginning to consider a friend and definite ally. He had the same ideas about Sokovian national security as she did.

“Wanda, I would say good morning but it is anything but.” Nikoli Zenger, the head of Sokovian Intelligence Services greeted her.

“Do not tell me more terrorists haven’t been stupid enough to attack us ?”

“Not in the traditional sense. We have discovered a crime scene in Novi Grad. There are thirteen bodies of young girls, found in a library under construction. We cannot identify the bodies but there was a recorder with a message for you. It is from a woman named Elektra Natchios who claims she is the leader of the Hand. I have looked into her and she has been believed to be dead for years. The girls are dressed in black combat suits resembling the ones your team once wore and are wearing widow bracelets.”

A chill ran through Wanda’s body. She reached out and felt for everyone’s presence.

They were all home, except for Ava who Wanda knew Sable wouldn’t let out of her sight.

“I am on my way .”

Wanda knew Bucky had heard the call as he walked in from the bathroom. She snapped her fingers and was dressed in jeans, a black shirt and a red leather coat.

“Suit up. I’ll ask one of the girls to sit with the twins and let Yelena know. Also call Ava and ask if she can come in now. I’ll meet you in the bunker.”

The twins had woken and ran up the stairs, finding Wanda speaking to Yelena on the third floor.

“Mama! Where were you! Are you mad we didn’t sleep with you?!” Nadeja asked then stopped, noticing her mother had her Scarlet Witch garb on. “Are you going to fight bad men?”

“This won’t take long. Somebody hurt a lot of girls in Novi Grad and I am going to the place to find out what happened. I am glad you slept in your own bed. I’m so proud of you both.”

“How long will you be gone?” Nela asked. “Dr. Stephen and Dr. Imi are supposed to work with us today. I want you there.”

Wanda pulled her in for a hug. “The meeting into not till 2 PM. If I cannot be back I will reschedule the meeting.”

“Is Papa going?” Nadeja asked. “We don’t like it when you are both gone. You said the honeymoon would be the only time.”

Wanda nodded. “We aren’t going anywhere overnight. We just have some adult stuff to take care of and we will be right back. Give me kisses.”

The twins grumpily said goodbye and Anna herded them to breakfast.

Ten minutes later, Yelena, Ava, Helena, Maria, Ingrid and Sonia were suited up along with Bucky. Wanda opened a doorway and the Red Widows walked into the entrance of the Novi Grad library.

It was a large building and disconcerting sight. Seeing a library with no books was felt wrong. There were bookshelves against the wall, waiting to be put into place.

In the middle of the empty first floor were girls who looked as if they had just laid down. Twelve girls formed a large circle and one girl was in the middle with a long blade stuck into her chest.

The widows approached the crime scene that was left undisturbed by the police officers surrounding it.

Each girl was dressed in Black Widow gear, had a widow bracelet on and appeared to have shocked themselves in the head at full power, evident from the burns on their temple. They had simply laid down and killed themselves.

The girl in the middle showed no signs of struggle. She had lain down and allowed herself to be stabbed in the heart or done it herself. There were dried tear streaks on many of their faces and looks of desperation forever frozen there.

“Here is the recorder .” Zenger told her nervously. The man was not afraid of much. He considered Wanda the best thing that had ever happened to Sokovia. He had lost his family to American bombs and the two had the same ideas on how Sokovia should be ran. Not that the current president was incompetent. Both liked him. Zenger knew that one day Wanda would be the leader of Sokovia and she was more of a nationalist than the current leader. As angry was the President was over the past treatment of their country he had never lost loved ones to American bombs like they had.

He had also seen Wanda’s temper up close. He had listened with satisfaction as she tore terrorists apart. This would make her angrier than that incident and he wasn’t sure what to expect. He noted she was already dressed for a fight and hoped her fury would not be accidentally unleashed on her own people.

Wanda noticed his anxiety and prepared for the worst.

She pressed play.

“Hello Wanda Maximoff. I am Elektra Natchios. Your hunting of my operatives has become a problem. Because of your actions I have lost Midland Circle, which is unacceptable. You will stop all operations directed towards the Hand. I am giving you back some of the black widows who have served me and other members of the Hand since before the fall of the Red Room. Let them be a warning. I have many more just as loyal as these were.

“Your home is protected by strong magic and I do not underestimate your power. You are no demon though. Your magical wards will be broken and I will find the home of your widows and children. You were foolish to give your children your name. Nela and Nadeja Maximoff. Citizens of Sokovia and adopted daughter of Wanda Maximoff Barnes. I will hunt them for their entire lives until they are dead unless you give up this madness and let us conduct our business as we have always done.

“My words and actions have no doubt angered you but a strong message needed to be sent so you do not doubt my conviction. Think of your widows and your children before you consider retaliation. Think of Anya and Dima Belova, Sokovian citizens and parents of Yelena Belova. I swear to you Wanda Maximoff I will kill all you hold dear if you provoke me further. This is your only warning.”

Wanda’s face was cold. She was so still Zenger wondered if she were still breathing. He chanced a look at the others. Yelena Belova’s face resembled Wanda’s. Barnes’ face was a mask of fury. His fists clenched, his muscles and veins bulged and he clenched his teeth so hard it was a miracle his jaw hadn’t broken.

“Ava, could you bring your mother’s tools? I wish to go over this scene ourselves.” Wanda told her calmly. A line of red ripped through the air and expanded, forming a door into the underground bunker of Sable’s compound. Ava walked inside quickly.

“Nikoli, could you clear the building? There is no need for police to be involved. These murders will not be solved by law enforcement. When we are done with the scene I would ask that the girls be discreetly taken to a mortuary and the bodies prepared. We will see to their remains.”

The widows stayed silent as the building was cleared.

“She threatened our family. Death will be too god for her. She will suffer eternally and I will break the organization. Anyone who has ever had any connection to them will suffer horribly.” Wanda said quietly.

Ava returned with a forensics team, her mother and a handheld scanner.

“This will be avenged.” Sable said coldly.

“We will handle it.” Wanda told her.

“And I will assist…”

Yelena stopped her. “You are a friend but this is an attack on the Red Widows. We will deal with this attack. Thank you for your concern but this is our problem. Our sisters were killed, our family was threatened.”

Sable was having none of it. “If the Red Widows were threatened that means my daughter was threatened, meaning it is my problem!”

Wanda turned on her. “Then do what you said you would do! Everett and Sharon Carter have found five widows! Your vaunted intelligence department has found none! You talk of how powerful you can make us yet the one thing we ask of you has not been done. Everett Ross has found the leads on the Hand’s operations! We have raided the bases and hideouts and saved the trafficked children. What have you done, Sable?! You give us drones and planes and fancy guns but that isn’t what we need!

“The Hand still has black widows, no doubt mind controlled! Are they so powerful they can operate under the nose of your vaunted intelligence department?! Four of the five widows we found are still in the world living lives. Send them protection because they are vulnerable right now! Find more widows quickly! Impress me for once!”

Sable scowled and stepped closer and Wanda’s eyes glowed, meeting her glare. Yelena stepped beside Wanda.

Sable took in the two and calmed herself. They were angry and hurt and Wanda did not mean most of what she said. The scene was horrific. So many dead girls the age of her daughter had in shock and Sable was not a woman to be shocked.

“I am sorry. This scene has taken me by surprise… they are so young.”

Wanda closed her eyes and took a calming breath. “I apologize as well. Finding widows is our job and we have failed. I have failed.”

Yelena stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We have all failed. Sable, Wanda is right. We appreciate what you have done for us but we need help in other areas. We can avenge them but we need to save the others. Now we know Hand members have had them. If we can track our current investigations into the branches perhaps we can link black widow activity to give us a map. Everett needs more help than just Sharon Carter. Find our sisters.”

Ava called out. “I have found something.”

The group walked to Ava where she was running a blue light from a pad over the Okinawan Sai sticking out of the widow’s chest.

“I found fingerprints and a palm print on the handle.” Ava said.

“You found Elektra Natchios’ s fingerprints.” Yelena guessed.

“Her’s aren’t the only fingerprints I found on the handle.”

Ava showed Wanda the data pad she had used to identify the owner of those prints. It was a picture and name from the New York State Bar Association.

Matthew Murdoch.

Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, Nelson, Murdoch and Page Law Firm

The receptionist’s eyes widened when the door opened and he walked in. She was very aware of who the man was, if not by his face, by the metal arm. He had shorter hair than he had on television when he was in Washington killing people but it was him. He wore tactical pants and a Kevlar vest adorned with multiple knives.

“Mr. Nelson? Miss Page?” she called out.

Bucky smiled charmingly at her, a direct contrast to his dangerous dress.

“Hi, I’m actually here to speak to Matthew Murdoch. Could you tell him Bucky Barnes… no, only my friends call me Bucky. Could you tell him the Winter Soldier would like to have a word with him?”

Foggy Nelson and Karen Page walked into reception together, concerned about the tone of the receptionist’s voice. They caught sight of him before they could ask what was wrong and both froze in their tracks.

“Hi.” Bucky waved slightly. “I’m here to talk to Matt. Could you point me in his direction?”

Foggy stuttered, his eyes locked onto the blades Barnes carried. “He… he… is with… with a client.”

Bucky shrugged. “I’m sure he will make time for me. I can hear him speaking, just like he can hear me. He is hurrying his client out.”

As Bucky said, a woman walked out, thanking Matt profusely for his time as he all but pushed her out the door.

He turned towards Bucky’s direction.

“Mr. Barnes.”

“Councilor. We need to have a conversation.”

Matt pulled at his shirt collar. “You couldn’t have made an appointment?”

Bucky chuckled.

“Mr. Murdoch, I am in no mood for games. Will you lead me somewhere we can speak or would you rather I take you to my wife and you can speak to her? I promise you I am the safer bet. She wants to rip these two apart.” he said, motioning to Karen and Foggy.

“She wants to kill them just for being your friend. This is an urgent matter that needs to be sorted out before she really loses her temper. Have you ever seen a Sokovian redheaded witch lose her temper? I have. It is not a pleasant sight, especially for the one in her crosshairs.”

“We can speak in my office.”

Bucky began following him then stopped and looked at Foggy. “This is a private conversation. We don’t want Jones or Cage involved. No one else needs to get hurt. We have blocked your cell signals, cut off your landline and internet and there are two very nice, polished, young women outside, one in front and one in the back. If either of you try to leave… it will be over quick and you won’t suffer.”

Bucky followed Matt and had a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

“Was that necessary? Threatening them? Cutting them off?”

Bucky nodded. “I’m here for you. I have no quarrel with Jones or the other New York vigilante squads. If they get involved though, I would be forced to cut through them. I’ve done my homework and understand Cage is weak in the eyes where the eyeball curves into the skull. I have experience carving eyes out. Wanda can crush organs beneath the skin. Do you want them involved? When was the last time you spoke to Elektra Natchios?”

Matt didn’t flinch but Bucky heard his heart rate pick up.

“I can tell if someone is lying the same way you can, Matt.”

Matt cleared his throat. “I came across her path when I was investigating the Hand last week. We spoke, we fought and she got away.”

Bucky nodded. “You weren’t wearing gloves when you took her sai from her. That’s how your palm and fingerprints got on it. That means you were in civies. She waited for you in your apartment. Did you try to take her down or let her escape?”

“How did you know about the sai?” Matt asked.

Bucky said nothing for a few moments.

“In case you were wondering, I’m staring at you. My stare usually causes grown men to cry but it is completely lost on you. So she attacked you with the sai, you took it and she what… got it back? Did you hand it to her or did you put up a fight?”

“What is this about? Did you find the blade? Did you find her?”

“Did you even try to stop her?”

“Of course I did!”

Bucky shook his head. “No you gave her back her damn weapon and let her go, didn’t you?”

“I tried to stop her! We fought and she got away with her weapons!”

“And what were you going to do with her when you stopped her? Call the police? Or were you going to call us to interrogate her? Did you consider killing her since she is technically already dead?”

Matt leaned forward and took his glasses off. “I don’t kill and she isn’t dead. The Elektra I know is still in there. She would have killed me if she weren’t. I could have talked her down if given more time. I fought to keep her there and she beat me. End of story.”

Bucky snorted. “You should have called us.”

This time Matt laughed. “Why would I do that? You think I would give anyone to your wife and her friends or you for that matter? Your idea of justice is killing everyone who disagrees with you without trial! You said we would be partners in the Hand investigation but you killed Fisk. I spoke to Lopez. The men he sent that night were under orders from Fisk. They didn’t have a choice but to be there. You could have called the police! You didn’t even let me know you were going after him. His body and over twenty others were found burned in an auto repair shop surrounded by over two hundred rounds of ammo. Fisk could have given us intel. He could have likely told you where Elektra was. Instead Yelena Belova took his head!”

“Wanda ripped his mind open and found out that he had no idea where Elektra was. We always interrogate our enemies. Killing him was necessary. Something you don’t seem to understand.”

Matt nodded. “You didn’t kill him for the greater good. You needed to make sure he didn’t talk. You say I am protecting Elektra? Who were you protecting? My guess is Eleanor Bishop.”

Bucky’s stoic face showed a bit of reaction but his heartbeat never rose.

“That is an interesting theory. How did you come up with that name?” Bucky asked, realizing he would have to likely kill Matt after Wanda’s use for him was over.

Matt finally lost his cool. “I’m not a fool! After I learned about Wanda’s other abilities it became clear. Germany wasn’t the first time I met the Red Widows. Antha knew who I was in that airport. That meant at some point she had been in New York and if she knew my identity then Wanda Maximoff had read my mind and told her, probably all of the widows. There was only one time I could think that made sense.

“I was tracking a rapist who had just attacked Kate Bishop. I followed him to a local bar. Then I woke up just before sunrise in a dumpster with no memory of where I had been or how I got there. It was Wanda. I met her and she took the memory away. Why would she care if I knew they had gone after the same rapist? Your wife and Belova are very smart. They would have taken the memory of meeting them because they didn’t want to be connected to Kate Bishop. Afterall why would the heroes of Europe show up in New York City to take out one rapist of a teenage girl. No human traffickers were hit. The Red Widows came to New York hunting for one man.”

Bucky sat silently then clapped his hands. “I’m sorry if the effect is lost on you. When I clap my right hand to my left there isn’t much of a sound… you know… metal. I am clapping right now though. So how did you get from Kate Bishop to Eleanor Bishop?”

“Why would they care if I connected them to a teenager who had just been beaten to near death? They were called by Eleanor Bishop. Mutual exchange. How in the hell would Eleanor Bishop have a straight line to Wanda Maximoff to hunt for her daughter’s attacker? Obviously they had a deal. I suspect Eleanor Bishop was likely laundering money for Fisk. It was only a guess but it made sense. The Widows would have needed tech and inside information and she would need an edge over Fisk if things got ugly and he turned on her. I’m guessing things got ugly at the auto repair shop.

“Of course there will never be any evidence of this. The police can’t even find Fisk’s accounts now that he is dead and they have the account numbers. He had been cleaned out of every cent.”

“Maria and Kristina are very good at what they do. It was Christmas time. We considered it a Christmas bonus and payment for all the ammo we spent on him and his fellow tracksuit assholes.” Bucky explained.

“Listen Matthew, you are smart enough to know what will happen if you ever try to go after Eleanor Bishop. I would never hurt an innocent woman but that tubby little partner of yours, I would carve him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. You already lost Elektra because you tried to take on the Hand alone. She died on a rooftop, right? How many others do you want to lose?”

Matt’s face became a mask of rage and he stood. “Go to Hell, Barnes!”

Bucky stood up and swung his Vibranium arm on the desk, splitting it in half. He grabbed Matt by the throat.

“Let’s get down to business, Matty. We got a message from Elektra a few hours ago. She threatened my little girls. She threatened my daughters. I’ve gone through a lot of hell in my very long life. I have finally found happiness. I have a big family but more than that, I have a great wife I love so much it hurts and two little twins girls I would burn the world down for. She threatened them. She promised to hunt my angels their entire lives if we didn’t leave her alone to run her criminal empire in peace. She admitted to working with an honest to god demon. She still has black widows under mind control and is probably using the drug on stolen kids. She also left us a sai with your prints all over it. I guess she wanted to remind us that our allies against the Hand aren’t exactly our allies. Message received. Now you are going to help us find her and we are going to send her back to hell where she belongs.”

“I don’t know anything! I don’t know where she is!”

“Wanda doesn’t need you for information.”

Matt tried to escape Bucky’s grip but it was unbreakable.

“I think there is something you need to see, Matt. Hey Doll, could you open the door for me?”

A slash of red light split the air behind Bucky and opened. He threw Matt into the newly opened door that appeared from nowhere.

Matt rolled on the ground but the change of location disoriented him. When he got to his knees it was too late to react. Wanda Maximoff had her hand on his forehead.

His body rose into the air and his veins lit up as if they were on fire.

Then slowly the pain went away and something else came in.

Light.

He was lying on his back and looked at the high wooden ceiling above him. He took in the large crisscrossing wooden beams then the areas around the room that split the second from the first floor.

He had his sight back. For the first time since he saved that old man from being hit by a car, he could see.

“What did you do?” he asked quietly, trying to become accustomed to the light.

Wanda Maximoff and Yelena Belova were staring down at him.

“I reversed the effects of the chemicals that made you who you are.” Wanda told him.

Matt’s eyes widened and he sat up slowly. “You healed me? Why would you do that? Your husband gave me the impression you wanted to kill me.”

“You think I healed you?” Wanda asked and laughed. It was a bitter laugh with no humor and caused a flash of fear to go through him. “You will come to understand. Everything that made you the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is gone now. No more heighted senses, no more radar or split second warnings that save your life. I would guess in less than a week before you are begging me to undo what has been done. How are you going to let the devil out when you aren’t special any longer? You are just a guy who is very good at martial arts and taking a beating.”

Bucky reached down and pulled him up by his throat to his feet.

“We wanted you to see this.” Yelena said, holding up the sai. “A gift from your girlfriend. She left your handprint on it. I suppose she was thinking of you. Maybe she wanted to rub it in our faces that we cannot trust you to fight her. Look at these girls, Matthew Murdoch. Look what she did to them. Let me show you Shelby. She was two days over sixteen. We found this in her chest. We think she stabbed herself in the chest.”

Matt stared in horror at the scene before him. He was speechless. It didn’t seem real.

“Over there is Caprice. Ellie, Nancy, Ae-Chi, Hannah, Ilina… should I go on? All missing widows the Hand has had for over a year ranging from 15 to 19 years old. Widows who never knew freedom because we couldn’t find them. Your girlfriend heads this organization. She made them to come to Sokovia, lay down and kill themselves. Look at the tears streaking their faces. Look at the fear in their expressions. They knew they were about to die and could do nothing to stop it! They had to kill themselves!” Yelena yelled.

“Elektra did this? I knew she… but not kids. She has never… this isn’t her! Something has…” Matt stumbled back but didn’t get far.

Bucky pushed him back towards Yelena who continued pointing at girls while leading Matt around the scene.

“This is Rebecca. She is eighteen. She has been in the field since she was thirteen. Mind controlled then forced to lay down and kill herself so Elektra could send us a message. Maybe she wanted us to kill you or maybe she thought it was cute that you let her get away. You did, right? You let her get away?” Yelena asked.

Matt couldn’t speak. Now that he was closer to the bodies he saw the horrible electrical burns on their temples.”

“The clever attorney deduced Eleanor was involved with Fisk and we killed him to protect her.” Bucky mentioned.

“He’s dead then.” Yelena told him. “Here I was, thinking if he cooperated he might get out of this alive. He decided to investigate Eleanor instead of going after the Hand.”

“I didn’t investigate her!” he said. “You made it an easy conclusion based on your actions! Does wiping my mind when I went after Kate’ Bishop’s attacker jog any memories?

Ava stepped up to him. “Eleanor has done more good in this world and has helped put more bad guys in the ground than you did. Should have called us to take care of Zombie girlfriend. We could have been there in seconds and taken her head. Your damn code cost the lives of widows! Your refusal to kill Fisk time after time allowed him to keep killing innocents! Those deaths are on your head Altar Boy!”

“Does she still love you?” Wanda asked cutting in. “I haven’t been able to track her. She is protected by dark magic but there is still a spell I haven’t tried. I need someone she loves. Does she still love you?”

Matt tried to blink the tears away from his eyes, still staring at the dead young girls at his feet. He wanted to vomit. So many years without his sight and this was what he was seeing for the first time. He could have stopped her. He could have beat her or signaled for help.

Did she still love him? Was someone who could do this even capable of love? He had thought she had loved him. He thought some part of her was still in there but now wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t know.”

Wanda wasn’t satisfied. “A traditional tracking spell won’t work. She is shrouded in dark magic and not just demonic. Danny Rand told me she is the Black Sky. She is a mystical weapon of the darkest magic. That means I will have to use a bit more extreme magic to find her. That is fine. I don’t mind extreme. She killed our sisters. She threatened our families. She threatened out children. She has made me very desperate to find her. When I am angry and desperate I do bad things. Things like blood magic.”

A bright red beam slashed the air and Matt was thrown into a cavern lit up by candles in a pentagram. Along the stone walls were glowing runes and in the middle of the circle of candles was a small altar with a large stone bowl on it.

“What is this?”

“This is a special place Agatha told me about. It’s a cave under a sacred Celtic worship site, once used by Druids. Your girlfriend is her own sort of black magic and she is also in league with a demon who is becoming a pest. While that darkness can hide her, it also makes her stand out. To find her location, I need someone she cared about in a previous life or this one. That means you.”

“Why me?” Matt asked.

Wanda smirked. “I told you. Blood magic.”

Matt prepared to defend himself but Wanda’s magic held him in a vice grip. She floated him to the center of the circle in front of the altar.

Bucky grabbed his arm and pulled his knife.

Matt closed his eyes.

He felt a prick.

Opening his eyes, he saw Bucky put away his knife after poking his finger.

Yelena squeezed his finger and a single drop of blood fell into the stone bowl on the altar.

He looked at Wanda in almost disbelief.

“I’m not going to kill you Matt. I just needed your blood. I’m not going to drive you insane. You can go now. You and your friends can go to Josie’s Bar. There were never any widows outside your office.”

Matt didn’t believe it. “That’s it? You are just going to let me go?”

Wanda looked him in the eyes. “Do you know what will happen if the name Eleanor Bishop ever falls from your lips? Karen Page will be first. You will now be able to see what we do to her. Have you ever seen someone skinned alive, Matt?”

He nodded.

“Now imagine it happening to her. Do we understand each other?”

“Perfectly.” Matt told her, knowing she wasn’t bluffing. Killing was one thing the widows never bluffed about.

Matt felt himself pushed and rolled back into the lobby of his office. When he rolled onto his back, Foggy and Karen knelt beside him.

“Jesus Matt, I thought you were dead!” Foggy shouted. “That crazy… Matt, can you… are you looking at me? Really looking at me?”

Matt stared for a few moments at Foggy and then Karen and smiled.

He stood up and looked around the office.

“Unbelievable.” Matt whispered. “Where is Miss Theason?”

“She has been hiding in the basement since you were taken. Wait,” Karen spoke up, “Bucky Barnes, the damn Winter Soldier who has killed twenty times more people than Frank Castle, grabbed you, beat you and disappeared with you only for… who did this?”

“Wanda Maximoff.”

Karen’s confusion was evident. “She had her husband abduct you and threaten us all so she could heal you?”

Foggy let out a breath of relief. “God, that was nerve wracking. Okay… okay… this is great. Maybe she wanted to make you stronger. Now you have sight to go with the rest of your super senses. I wonder if you have enhanced sight. Not that you would know… but you can remember from when you were a kid. Is your sight a lot stronger… Matt, what’s wrong?”

Matt had been so focused on seeing Foggy and Karen’s faces for the first time that he had forgotten everything else for a moment. The events of the past twenty minutes were all rushing together and Foggy’s comments made him stop and take in everything. He realized what he had been missing and felt sick.

He couldn’t hear their heartbeats. He couldn’t hear anything beside the normal traffic outside the office. He didn’t hear thousands of voices over twenty blocks. He didn’t hear people calling for help.

Maximoff was right. Everything that made him Daredevil was gone.

He was left with sight and the memory of the dead girls Elektra had forced to kill themselves.

Matt barely made it to the trash can before vomiting.

Lhasa, Tibet

Elektra strolled the second floor walkway looking down on the thirty Black Widows who were training in hand to hand combat on the bottom floor of her bunker.

She had been rebuilding the Hand since she had escaped the collapse of Midland Circle. Only Madame Gao and Murakami had escaped with her and Matt. Gao wanted to kill Matt while he was unconscious but Elektra put a blade to the old woman’s throat. She was still the Black Sky and she was still the leader of the Hand. She thought of killing the old woman there but she suspected she would have her use.

Elektra sent her back to her drug empire to rebuild in the shadows and stay away from New York. She recruited new fingers, including Wilson Fisk. She used his connections to begin buying back Midland Circle under the radar. She placed Junzo Muto as one of the remaining fingers.

The Fingers worked their own networks and continued to grow. Drug trading was important for profit but human trafficking was necessary in her mind. She didn’t care about sex trafficking other than another investment payoff. Her greatest interest was in children.

After Midland Circle, Elektra began going into the Hand’s various organizations and partners in greater detail. One she found particular interest in was the Red Room. Apparently many branches of the Hand rented black widows from the Red Room.

Mind controlled black widows. She immediately called in all heads of operations and found out everything she could about the program. She studied the blood work to recreate the drug, the technology to control the girls and the various skills they possessed individually and as a whole.

They were the perfect soldiers. Elektra’s goal was to create another Red Room belonging to the Hand and populated with boys and girls controlled from childhood.

Then she got word that the Red Room fell.

She immediately ordered every branch head that had widows working for them to gather them all in Tibet at the main headquarters.

She had plans to begin using them as her personal army.

But then the hits began. Human traffickers were being slaughtered. Black Widow symbols were left painted in red at massacre sights.

The Red Widows, A.I.M., Osborn, and then it became worse.

The old nursery sites the Red Room used were being hit. Somehow the widows were learning of the sites and saving babies held there.

Rather than risking her widows being seen, she kept them in cells here. They ate meals when they were told, trained when they were told and slept when they were told, all under constant monitoring of a guard with his hands on the controls. She wouldn’t risk one of them being seen in public, lest she call down the Red Widows on herself.

She was not worried about the Red Widows. She was worried about the Scarlet Witch. Wanda Maximoff. Elektra had been told of what she was capable. She possessed a power not even the Black Sky could hope to stop.

Mephisto had made that abundantly clear. Hitting her head on was a fools game. Elektra took her losses but kept her widows out of sight. All forty three of them.

Then Fisk and Murakami were killed. Associates of hers had interviewed William Lopez who had been head of Fisk’s primary organized crime syndicate. He had watched from a distance and seen what had happened. He knew the building had been watched by someone and told Fisk. Murakami sent his men away. Fisk told them to return. Lopez sent them ahead but stayed behind to check the perimeter. That was his excuse. Elektra suspected he was afraid to become directly involved and considering what happened it was a good choice on his part.

Red Squares of light, Red Widows attacking the building, a red energy box over the car shop and the sounds of gunfire and screams from inside. Murakami ran out of the box chased by the Scarlet Witch and the Winter Soldier.

Fisk and Murakami were dead. Midland Circle was dead again. Fisk’s connections were gone.

Elektra knew something had to be done. The Widows had hit two of those directly under her. They would find Gao and Muto eventually and she would lose those revenue streams.

Elektra determined to learn everything she could about Wanda Maximoff. Mephisto told her to find Maximoff’s weak points.

She did find them.

Sokovian identity papers for Wanda Maximoff, Yelena Belova and two other Belovas, two little Maximoff girls… even a Romanoff named Stannic listed as the adopted daughter of Natasha Romanoff.

All legal identities for Sokovian citizens. She suspected all the red widows identities were in the records but they didn’t matter.

She had had enough. She knew Wanda’s weaknesses. For all Red widows, two twelve year old girls caught Wanda’s attention enough to have legal adoption papers drawn up and registered. Now the Wanda needed to know that she knew her weakness. She needed to understand what would happen if she kept challenging Elektra.

Mephisto was the one who suggested she make a statement with violence, the only language Maximoff truly understood.

She hated to lose thirteen of her mind controlled soldiers but it was necessary. Thirteen was a number a witch could appreciate.

Her visit to Murdoch days earlier had gone as planned. He didn’t join her but he also didn’t call Wanda. She knew he wouldn’t. He was furious at her for many things as he always had been but he still loved her. He was still the man who stayed with her in a cave in because he would rather die with her than live without her.

When her men had found the perfect site in Sokovia for the message to be delivered, she gave the team leader her Sai and a tape recorder.

A strong message would be sent and Maximoff would have no choice but to stay away. The woman still loved too much and love was always a weakness.

She walked into her private quarters and turned the lights off then took a meditative pose, calling the beast she had sold what was left of her soul to.

He appeared quickly. He was quite handsome. He was tall with a strong body, shaggy silvery blonde hair and piercing ice blue eyes. He wore a constant smirk as if he were in on a joke nobody else was. Elektra knew he wasn’t he. He wasn’t she. The demon was an it. It liked taking this form. She supposed the idea of taking Pietro Maximoff’s appearance while helping her plot against his sister was his idea of entertaining himself.

“Hello, Elektra. What have you done?”

Elektra met his glowing blue eyes and smiled. “I have taken your advice. I sent a message. Thirteen dead widows with the promise or more. I threatened her children and Yelena Belova’s parents. I showed her that those she considers allies are not. She will no doubt be having words with Matt Murdock.”

“You placed your love in her line of fire?” Mephisto asked.

“Matthew will be fine. He always is. If I cause a divide between the widows and the so called Defenders Matthew insists on befriending even better.”

Mephisto chuckled. “I am glad you will be residing with me sooner rather than later. I shall enjoy your company.”

Elektra’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? She will not dare challenge me now.”

Mephisto laughed. “You poor child. You are the best fighter in the world but not much of a strategist are you? She will find you. You threatened her children.” he told her in his annoying Sokovian accented English.

“You told me to!”

“I advise. I cannot give orders. That would be direct influence. If I become directly involved my realm will become weak. The abyss you fear so much could open up in my dimension.”

Elektra shivered. She had been in the abyss before. Nothingness. No cold or heat, no sound or smell. Just her thoughts, an essence without a body, memories with no future to look to. Isolation.

She would take eternal torture over that any day. He approached her while she was meditating and offered to advise her with her Maximoff problem. He had given her information on black magic, cursed swords, masking her presence from tracking spells and protecting her mind and the minds of her Fingers. He told her where to find the knowledge to counteract the Witch and her deadly widows with their high tech weaponry and suits. In return he wanted her soul.

She took the offer with no thought. What did she have to fear? She was immortal. She had taken provisions to ensure she would be resurrected if the worst happened. She had her own cult of worshippers who would ensure she was reborn. Hell couldn’t hold her.

“You want her gone. I want her gone. Tell me where their home is and I can take care of both our problems.”

Mephisto grinned and shook his head. “I do not know. I am not all knowing. That would be another deity of whom you are thinking. My sight is blind when it comes to Maximoff. I can only find her at certain crossroads. Her and Harkness no doubt have several iron clad wards surrounding wherever they live. Those with hostile thoughts would never find the place or survive if they did. Even if I did know, I could not tell you. I have already taken enough risks. Giving you any further assistance would open me to danger. I never underestimate my opponents. The weaker my realm is, the more likely Maximoff can walk in, open the abyss and push me in it. When that happens, I cease to exist and I love my existence.”

“Why threaten her at all? Why do you want her dead?”

Mephisto laughed once again. “Where did you get the idea I wanted her dead? She is no good to me dead.”

Elektra stood quickly. “Why have you been helping me?!”

Mephisto shrugged his shoulders and approached her. He patted her cheek and his touch was fire.

“I needed you to harm one she loved. I needed her to have no choice but to turn to me. You had your chance with Belova. Unfortunately she beat the cursed blade. Perhaps you can find her children or kill one of her widows. Whatever makes Wanda Maximoff angry, desperate or depressed is to my advantage. I don’t want her dead before I have her soul. With her soul comes her magic. Without her soul, her death is meaningless to me.”

Elektra understood and felt like a fool.

“You wanted us to kill those around her, endanger them so she will be forced to make a deal with you? We have aspirations to corrupt this world with our influence, give us the power to remake it into my vision. I thought we were aligned in our vision.”

A chair appeared and he had a seat. “Your vision is beautiful. No free will, the leaders of the world answering to you, soldiers who would die on your word. Power, pleasure, pain, all at your whim. You are the Black Sky. You are the prophesied living weapon that can bring forth Armageddon. Very biblical. I approve.”

Elektra felt the cold of the abyss in her core.

“You are a tool that in the hands of the right person, could cause the world to tumble into anarchy and darkness.” Mephisto continued.

“She is the Scarlet Witch. She is only limited by her lack of experience and knowledge and she is learning more every day. Soon my window is closed. I truly hope you can deliver a blow to her. The more damage she suffers, the more likely she is to make a mistake. Unfortunately we must part ways here. Any further interference on my part weakens me and as much as I would love to have her power and walk in your dimension, I do not want to lose mine to her. Good luck, Elektra. I will likely see you soon.”

Mephisto was gone.

Elektra screamed.

In a cavern two hundred feet underneath a stone circle in the English countryside, the Scarlet Witch opened her glowing red eyes and smiled.

“I found her.”

Red Widow Mansion

The occupants of the Manor sat in the briefing room. Sable had also joined. Rachel had found the large estate Elektra called home on satellite based on Wanda’s directions and an overhead photo of the residence was on the main screen. Silver Sable satellites with infrared and sonar capabilities as well as high altitude stealth drones were scanning the area and getting a layout of the underground portion which was massive.

While they used technology Wanda told the group what she had seen with her own eyes.

“Thirty girls. Each one kept in a separate cell. One guard is in a control room over their cells. He monitors them while they eat and train. They are given orders for everything, when to eat, when to sleep. The only behavior I saw that was not automated was using the small toilet in their cells. She isn’t sending them on missions or having them infiltrate and spy. She just keeps them like toys. Toys that she sacrificed thirteen of to frighten us off.”

“How many guards in the entire complex?” Sable asked.

“I counted thirty living on the main complex floor. At least ten were below ground. They weren’t dressed like ninjas. I guess those guys are off on missions doing ninja stuff. These looked like mercs. Very seasoned mercs.” Wanda said.

“If there is a man on the controls she will order the girls to kill themselves before we can free them. We can’t sneak in through a vent and blow the antidote inside cells.” Yelena said. “Based on your description of the compound it will be harder to free them than infiltrating the Red Room. Separate cells are a problem. We need a way to give them the antidote without being seen.”

Ava nodded towards Wanda. “Wanda, can’t you open a door next to the control room operator? Take him out quickly. If not Wong can open a portal behind the guy and we snap his neck. Then no one can control them.”

Wanda sighed. “Possibly. I couldn’t hear her in her room. I think she was speaking with Mephisto. When I tried to get closer the pressure caused me to back off. There are protection spells. Astral projecting was difficult enough. Physically entering is difficult to do quietly.”

Wanda moaned frustratedly.

“I have had it with this drug. First we find it in Rwanda, now Elektra no doubt has it all over the globe along with the tech. We need it gone permanently. Every trace across the globe.”

Mika shrugged. “If it has passed from one bad guy to another it has a trace all over the dark web. It’s like a nude selfie. Once its leaked it is there forever. The formula will always be there.”

The room was quiet as that settled in. The drug they worked to destroy was out there. If the Hand had it this entire time that meant hundreds of criminal organizations had access to it.

“No more mutants.” Wanda whispered.

“What did you say?”

“No more mutants. I heard a brilliant person say that once. What if I could erase all traces of the drug from existence? Not in history, but from this point on? Make the drug disappear from every controlled widow in the world. We may not be able to stop others from making it but we can free everyone, right now.”

The room was quiet.

“If a widow is freed without anyone around… I was freed by the drug slowly burning out of my body.” Chloe reminded them. “I was a shell. Having it taken from me at once with no one to tell me what was going on would be frightening.”

“Chloe is right.” Ingrid agreed. “Freeing them all at once with no clue… but if we could, shouldn’t we? Do we have the right to say they have to stay under mind control until we find them?”

“Oh wow, this is just like the ending of the Matrix.” Sophia realized. “Remember at the end of the movie, Neo tells the evil computer that he is going to turn off the Matrix thing and show everyone the truth? That’s what we would be doing. It would be like all the widows in the world waking up in slimy tubes with hoses hooked into their skulls and spines and breathing that green liquid. That would be so freaky.”

Yelena contemplated that for a moment. “Not exactly the same but close. The problem is doing it. You have been hesitant to try and wipe Thanos and his army from the universe. Now you want to make drugs disappear from blood streams of girls you can’t even see?”

Wanda blushed a bit, not wanting to admit it but knowing Yelena was right. Making a drug disappear form the world… was probably extremely dangerous for her to try.

“What if a widow is driving a car or flying a plane and they snap out of it?” Amanda pointed out.” She could die in the confusion. I don’t think we have the right to not free them but we need to be smart about it. Are you sure you can do it, Wanda?”

“What if you say no more drug and all the Tylenol goes way in the world? What about medicine? How specific can you make it?” Madison asked. “Is this something you have tried before?”

Wanda shook her head. “I’ve seen another me do something like that to… mutants I think.”

“I’m sorry, what it a mutant?” Bea asked. “Are mutants something we need to worry about? Where did mutants come from?”

Wanda raised her hands. “There are no mutants. I was just thinking that… it is too dangerous.”

“No, I want to know.” Yelena argued. “Don’t spout crazy talk and then act like it wasn’t said. What is this about mutants? Space mutants? Mutants from Mars? What mutants?”

“It’s a long story. You were there. Or sort of. We are were all there and we lived in this castle and there were thousands of people who wanted me dead. I think they may have been mutants. Other me said no more mutants and then they all disappeared… most of them. A few of them you all had to kill but they were seriously messed up. I was thinking if she could make mutants go away…”

“Were these blue skinny mutants with the big eyes like from Avatar?” Mika asked. “Did we kill mutants who looked like that?”

“No! I mean… a few… I only saw what happened for a few moments. It was just an idea. I have always said it was too dangerous to try but maybe if she did it and it seemed to work… this is a bad idea.”

She paused for a moment. “Agatha, we need to break those barriers without anyone noticing they are being broken. I’m opening a door behind that asshole in the control room and cutting his throat. We attack fast, kill quickly and ensure they stay in their cells. Then we take the underground. Once the girls have been secured another wave up top attacks. Agatha, you can break any magical barriers up top. I don’t need the antidote. Thirty is too many doses to give. I can heal them all in seconds.”

Yelena nodded, assured by the confidence in Wanda’s voice. There was no doubt.

“When Elektra realizes you have broken in she is going to run.” Agatha pointed out.

“Let her.” Yelena said. “Sable, you wanted in then you can be in. We will use our fighters, our drones, armored cars. You will give us manpower to control the perimeter. We destroy the land surrounding the target location, turn it into a kill zone. Let her come to the surface. We will follow her there. Just don’t let her escape. Destroy the vehicles, destroy the roads and rain hell down on them. Don’t hit the building with missiles while we are in it. You all know Wanda gets knocked out easily and I don’t want to be trapped with a burning inferno over me while she takes a nap.”

“Dani, Kristina and Naomi will pilot the Reapers and drop the teams directly on the roof. No stealth, blow the ceiling and drop in weapons hot. I need a team of widows here. Our family has been threatened and we cannot trust that she does not know our location. Meg will be in charge of our home security. Staci I want you and Aino on security details. Everybody, even kittens, stay in the bunker while we are away, understand? You all stay suited up and ready to kill. Do not let live feeds on big TV and use headphones. I do not want children knowing a battle is taking place.” Yelena told them then turned to Sable. “Let them have dance party in the gym or use big monitors for video games. Keep them busy.”

Yelena looked back at Sable. “How many can you give us for the top side attack?”

“However many you need. I’ll have the Wild Pack up top as well.”

“Don’t attack Elektra in close combat.” Wanda warned them. “She is probably the best fighter in the world. She is a supernatural weapon.”

Sable and Bucky looked at each other and smirked.

“I saw that. I’m serious, you two. One of them already ran a sword through Yelena. Elektra is much deadlier. Shoot her in the knees, kill her if necessary but do not try to fight her one on one.” Wanda stressed.

“Should we call Steve and Natasha?” Bucky asked. “Can’t hurt to have more firepower.”

The room quieted and all eyes turned to Yelena.

Yelena shook her head. “We have this. It is probably dinner time at the farm. I think farmers go to bed very early so they can be up to milk pigs or something. Sable is in charge of ground forces and air cover. Ava, Sonia, and Ingrid will have their teams on the Reapers entering from above. Ava you are Red 2. Gabby, how do you feel about your team readiness?”

Gabby looked at her girls. They looked confident. They had been working hard for months.

“We are ready to go.”

“Good.” Yelena told her. “You will be on bottom floor assault with us. Antonia, choose your team to go in with us also. Girls suit up and weapons check. Team leaders on me. This is a complex mission with many parts involving Silver Sable personnel and equipment. We have no time to waste. We know where thirty widows are and we may have failed thirteen but we will save those thirty and we will send Elektra to this demon she loves so much. They threatened our family and killed our sisters. This ends now.”