Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 09:

A possible trigger warning. Yelena refers to sexual assault at the end. No details but in additions to the tags I feel like I should mention this whenever it is even alluded to in the chapter.

Chapter 09:

Seconds after the quinjet landed, Natasha was at the backdoor, waiting impatiently for it to open. She didn’t pay any mind to the boisterous, irritating noise that was Alexei. Her only focus was Yelena. Despite her excitement, she also felt sick. Her emotions were all over the place. Nat was a master at controlling her emotions normally, but this situation had her in emotional shambles. Yelena had asked for her, seemed glad to meet her soon, but was she hiding her true feelings?

Was she angry that Natasha had allowed them to be split in the first place? Was she angry that Nat had never looked for her after Dreykov’s presumed death? Nat had wanted to so many times but convinced herself that Yelena was better off without her.

Nat ran into the house, not bothering to look for threats around her.

When she entered a voice called out to come to the back.

What Natasha saw chilled her to the bone.

A black widow she recognized from her past was there. Her name was Oksana and she stood over a woman wearing plain undergarments. Natasha didn’t recognize the woman but thought it must have been Melina though it was impossible to tell. Her face had been battered, her eyes swollen shut, cheek bones broken. She was having difficulty breathing, some ribs were obviously broken, and she had deep lacerations on her belly and across her chest that were freshly stitched, obviously from knife wounds. She also had obviously deep puncture wounds in her left shoulder and thigh.

Oksana was feeding the woman through a straw. The widow looked up at her and nodded.

“Is this…” Natasha asked.

“What happened to her?!” Alexei shouted as he stood behind Natasha.

Oksana smirked. “Yelena happened to her. I would be careful if I were you, Red Guardian. She still remembers you distracting her and Natasha until soldiers drugged them both. This was a fair fight. You may be a super soldier, but you are old and fat, slow and dumb. If she wishes, she will kill you. Perhaps it is bet if you run while you have the chance.”

The man was quiet, looking sadly at Melina, then turned and walked away, back into the kitchen.

Clint walked into the room.

“Wow. Somebody kicked the hell out of her. I’ve seen roadkill in better shape. Was this Yelena, Wanda, or both?”

“Yelena.” Oksana answered then looked at the red head.. “It is good to see you again, Natasha. I wish it were better circumstances. I have kept up with your exploits. You have done well.”

Natasha shook her head, coming out of the shock at seeing the only woman who had ever pretended to be her mother, beaten and on death’s door.

“Where… where is Yelena?”

“To the North, in the woods. She and Wanda took a walk after your call. She would be the best to tell you what is going on, but perhaps it should wait until your team all arrives. It is a long, complicated, and tragic story. For now, find your sister. She is waiting on you.”

Natasha walked past Alexei who was sitting on the couch, drinking vodka straight from the bottle as if it were water.

“Be careful, Natasha. She is dangerous. You see what she did to your mother.”

Natasha grabbed the bottle from his hand and threw it against the wall. “Yelena is my sister, but you are not my father, and that useless pile of flesh is not my mother! If she wants to hurt me, so be it. You are the one who split us up. Neither of us will ever forgive you for that. I freed you to find out where she was going, not because of any loyalty or love. Do we understand each other, Alexei?”

The man wouldn’t look up at her. “I did what I thought was best. I only ever wanted the best for you girls.”

Natasha walked outside before she lost her temper and became distracted. He had stayed quiet for most of the flight here, after she had shocked him a few times in the temple. The sun was rising, and the light was dancing across the frosted ground. It had been raining the night before and the ground was covered in the same mud that was caked in Melina’s hair.

When she reached the tree line, Wanda was walking out.

The two stopped and looked at each other. Wanda gave her a slight smile.

“She is waiting for you.” The girl told Nat.

“Thank you.”

Nat began to walk into the tree line until Wanda called out to her.

“Yes?”

“Before you talk to her… I wanted to apologize to you.”

“Apologize?” Nat asked. “You could have killed her and instead you freed her from the Red Room. I’m not sure how or why or… what do you have to apologize for?”

Wanda took a deep breath. “I never understood the Red Room until I met Yelena. When we first encountered one another, I sent you back there. I trapped you there in your own mind. I am sorry. I would never wish that on anyone.”

Nat looked to the ground then reached out to Wanda. Wanda hesitantly took her hand.

“We were on different sides of a war you were unfairly caught up in, Wanda. You did what you thought was right. You fought an enemy with the weapons at your disposal. I cannot fault you for that. No forgiveness is needed but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Wanda let out a breath. “So… we are good?”

Nat smiled. “Yeah, I think we are more than good.”

Wanda smiled in return. “Thank you for your time. She is waiting for you.”

“Could you give me a clue where she is? It’s a big damn forest.”

Wanda winked at her. “She said you would find her.”

Nat watched her walk off and took a deep breath, ready to face Yelena.

She walked for a few minutes before she heard it.

A whistle in the wind she had not heard in ten years. A whistle she never thought she would hear again.

Natasha returned the whistle, her own tune answering and continued to walk.

Another minute and she heard it again, followed by muffled laughter.

She returned the whistle and caught Yelena’s direction, running toward the general area, knowing she wasn’t far.

She was right.

Yelena fell from above, right in front of her.

She landed with one knee bent, an arm stretched out and her other leg stretched out to her side. She flipped her braided hair back.

Then she rose with a look of pain, shaking her legs and grumbling. “I don’t see how you do those fighting poses. I feel like I am ripped in half when I land like that. What is the appeal? Is it just to look good or are you practicing yoga while fighting? Your lover must appreciate your flexibility, no? I admit it does look cool on the cover of magazines.”

Natasha listened to her but wasn’t focusing on her questions. She was drinking her in. Yelena was sixteen now. Natasha was in her twenties. They had both been through so much. Natasha had survived the Red Room, then became a SHIELD agent and eventually an Avenger since the last time they had seen each other. What had Yelena become? What had she survived?

Nat saw the haunted look in her eyes behind the mirth. Physically she was as Nat would have expected. She had the same button nose, funny smile, green eyes, and long blonde hair in a single braid that hung to the middle of her back. She had a strong build.

“You’ve gotten old.” Yelena told her. “You have… filled out. Your lover must appreciate that also.”

“You are still short.” Nat said, relieved that Yelena seemed in a playful mood and hoped it was genuine.

Yelena shrugged. “I am hoping I am a late bloomer, but I doubt it. What I have to offer now is all my future wife will get. Luckily for her I am an exotic beauty with a sexy accent. How is my Kate Bishop? You didn’t interrogate her too harshly I hope?”

Nat shook her head. “I never got the chance. We were gone by the time I realized you had left a phone with her. I haven’t been thinking clearly. I should have waited by your chopper in Spain. You are making me emotional, little one. I have gone years without crying. I did not believe I could anymore. I have cried more than I care to admit since Kate told Clint your name.”

Yelena nodded. “Emotions are annoying. I am finding this out. I quite enjoy having them though, even if I do make rash decisions, like giving a pretty American girl a secure phone and texting her constantly. After so many years without emotions, I find they give me a new perspective.”

Natasha stepped closer to Yelena, watching her for a sign to back off.

Instead, Yelena opened her arms.

“Relax starshaya sestra. I am not angry. I have waited many years to be back in your arms after they pulled us apart. Come and hug me.”

Natasha rushed to the girl and pulled her in tightly. Yelena returned the hug just as fiercely. The two began silently crying in each other’s arms, memories of childhood, playing, laughing, and loving then being ripped apart by the ones that should have protected them. After three years as a family, Natasha never truly believed Melina and Alexei would have made them go back or give Yelena to them.

She had been wrong, and it cost them each other

“I’m sorry I never came looking for you.” Natasha said, her voice shaking.

“None of that. You would have been recaptured and Dreykov would have killed you.”

“I should have tried.” Natasha told her, pulling back, meeting her eyes.

Yelena shook her head. “I thought so too. When Wanda woke me, I realized what had happened, where you had gone… I thought to myself, why didn’t she come back to me? I was very angry. Then I realized after some reflection, we were children. What happened to us was not our fault. It is the fault of the ones who should have protected us but gave us to Dreykov instead. You were young when you escaped, no?”

“Yes, I was young. Clint found me six years ago while I was on an assignment. He got me out. You were ten years old. I should have…”

“I was already under. It would have made no difference. Let us not talk of the past unless it is happy times. If you want to make amends buy me a new Twilight Sparkles pony.” Yelena stepped back, reached into her green vest pocket she wore over her black widow suit and pulled out… a fruit rollup.

“Fruit rollup?” Yelena offered.

Natasha shook her head, amused, remembering how much young Yelena had loved those things and always carried a pack on her when possible. “Nice vest.”

“It’s so cool, right? It was the first thing I ever bought for myself. Okay, I used Wanda’s money, but you get the idea. I knew you would like it. You can’t have it. I might let you borrow it for a date or something but not keep it.”

Yelena began walking back towards the house and Natasha followed along, sticking close to her side.

“Why didn’t you just call me and ask for help?” Natasha asked.

Yelena stopped walking and chewed her roll up slowly. She then looked away from Natasha, staring off into the distance, not meeting her eyes.

“What you went through in the Red Room was no doubt horrible, Natasha. I do not intend to diminish that. All widows go through hell. But what happened to us, to my fellow widows, what is still happening to them, is something worse. It is insidious. It is personal. When I say Wanda woke me up, I meant it. I will save the story for your Avengers, but I can tell you this. The Ohio mission we were on had one goal. Melina was to obtain a drug that controlled free will. Mind control. They pumped us full of her drug and gave complete control to Dreykov. He controlled us like robots. We lived and died by his word, passengers in our own bodies, having no choice but to obey. If he told us to kill, we did. If he told us to die, we would. We did whatever he told us. We had no choice. There was no getting out.”

Natasha felt sick in her stomach, anger, and disgust warring inside her.

“Melina worked on this drug?”

“She perfected it and developed the means for Dreykov to control us. No matter where we are in the world, he can control us, even order us to take our own lives.”

“How… what… you said woke up… what do you mean?”

Yelena glanced at her then looked away, as if ashamed at her revelation. “I was sent to kill Wanda. She had set herself up as a target. She planned to capture whatever HYDRA assassin came after her and rip their minds open to find another base. Instead, she found me. When she entered my mind she saw almost everything.”

“Wanda was in your mind?”

Yelena nodded. “If she hadn’t been I would be dead. She saw what happened to me, recognized the drugs in my body for what they were and blocked a signal from Dreykov, ordering me to kill myself. Then she pulled the drugs from my blood stream.”

Natasha’s eyes widened. “She pulled the drug… separated it from your blood…”

Yelena nodded. “Impressive, no? I owe my life to her. She was furious at what was going on. She wanted to free all the widows like me and kill Dreykov. She told me she would give me money and I could go but I refused. She was going after Dreykov with or without me. I would never leave her. I stand by her side. We didn’t want the Avengers involved. Wanda isn’t your team’s biggest fan though she does have fond feelings for two of them and the robot. She told me she had never spoken to you, so she wasn’t sure what you were like. Regardless, we decided to do this ourselves. She and I traveled Europe looking for a chemist who could help. What Wanda did to save me took much time and energy. We needed something faster. I remembered Oksana from a prior mission.”

“You found her in Spain.” Natasha said.

Yelena nodded. “She had been working on a cure for years with an underground group of scientists, planning on betraying Dreykov and freeing the widows at the first opportunity. She knew Melina made the drug, so we came here hoping she might be the one widow close enough to Dreykov to know where the Red Room is.

“It’s location is… problematic.” Yelena continued. “The Red Room is in the sky, invisible, like your SHIELD Helicarriers were. We cannot free the widows, kill Dreykov and destroy the base ourselves. You were my back up plan, but that is no longer the case. We have one shot at this. We cannot fail. Too much is at stake. There are twenty mind controlled widows at any time in the Red Room and according to Oksana over two hundred in the world.”

“And Dreykov would kill them all, rather than allow them to be free.” Natasha understood. “We can do this. Tony Stark can figure out a way… Tony usually works as a consultant now, but we sent out a call for all Avengers. Is Wanda going to be okay with him here?”

Yelena nodded and began walking again. “Wanda wants this to succeed. We will do what is necessary. Because of the signals that control the widows, Stark is necessary.”

Nat felt a great amount of relief hearing that. She wasn’t sure how Wanda would react. She didn’t know her very well. She only knew that she hated Tony Stark, she liked Steve Rogers and was close to Clint and Vision thought she was the most extraordinary being on Earth.

Perhaps she was.

Now Nat knew that she owed her for saving Yelena’s life when she couldn’t. She knew that Wanda Maximoff was ready to lay her life on the line for girls she had never met and was willing to admit when she needed help, even if it meant swallowing pride. She was willing to work with someone she hated if it meant saving others.

Natasha now understand why Vision, Clint, and Steve thought so highly of her. Wanda Maximoff, the former Sokovian freedom fighter, who volunteered herself as a HYDRA experiment, who was Ultron’s willing ally in destroying the Avengers until she realized he wanted to kill all of humanity, was now a hero in the Black Widow’s mind.

While Natasha and Yelena had been reuniting, Wanda had found Clint on the porch staring at the pigs. He smiled when he saw her, taking in her outfit.

“So, you are one of those teenagers, huh?”

Wanda raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You hang with a Black Widow for a few weeks and now you are one of the cool kids, wearing tight black combat suits, electric batons on your back. All you need is the sunglasses and the motorcycle.”

Wanda grinned. “I also need a couple dozen knives, at least two handguns and widow bites, that Yelena refuses to let me wear. She is convinced I will shock myself.”

He shook his head. “She is probably right. You plan to actually use those batons?”

Wanda shrugged, acting as if she hadn’t consider it much. “They are weapons, and I will use them as such. I have become quite adept with them. I have put much time in training to make them an extension of my body if needed.”

“I see.” Clint said, doubting that was the case. He only hoped Yelena had turned down the voltage. “So… you have been on quite the adventure. Thanks for letting us tag along.”

Wanda shrugged. “You were our back up plan if we got ourselves killed. You would follow us and if we died, you would at least know where the Red Room was and do what was necessary. It should have been easy. We take the base, kill Dreykov, free the widows and move on the next target.”

“Free the widows? What do you mean by free?” Clint asked, knowing most widows went through psychological conditioning and were doing the work of the Red Room because of their training, not force.

“It is better that we wait for the others. Let me just say that there are twenty girls in the Red Room now, between the ages of thirteen and seventeen. There are a couple hundred around the world who need rescuing and there is a human trafficking pipeline that is bringing girls even younger than those in the Red Room program for training, weeding out the weakest and sending the strongest to become Dreykov’s puppets. Taking down the Red Room is only the start. We have much work to do after this part is over.”

Clint sighed, having suspected there was more to this. This wasn’t just about Yelena getting revenge on Dreykov. This was about something much larger. He had, like Natasha, thought that with Dreykov gone, all ties to former Soviet Union generals, politicians and rich backers would dry up. The funding would go away, the widows would break apart and the Black Widow program would be done.

Instead Dreykov had just become better at hiding his activities.

Wanda and Yelena and whatever black widows decided to come along planned to take the organization apart piece by piece until nothing remained.

Wanda had a goal of taking down HYDRA remnants. It was a worthy goal, one that she was more than equipped to handle. In the end though, it was just a seek and destroy mission.

Clint understood the change in her now. Her motivation had changed. Her goal was to save, not just destroy.

It looked good on her.

“You know Nat called all the Avengers, right?”

“Of course.” Wanda said. “Why do you think I am carrying these batons?”

Clint stilled for a moment, then laughed, realizing despite her cold voice, that she had made a joke. He didn’t think he had ever heard her joke before.

“I am counting on you to make sure he doesn’t kill any of the girls accidentally.”

“Yeah… we landed by your helicopter.” Clint pointed out. “You have enough explosives to take down Stark Tower.”

Wanda shrugged. “Yelena said there were times in her life she wished she had more explosives. There has never been a time in her life where she wished she had less explosives. They were only for a diversion anyway. A way to draw the guards out and clear our path. That was before we learned where the Red Room was. How long until the Avengers arrive?”

“Our jets are fast, and they took off when we called two hours ago. I think they will be here by four PM. Tony and Rhodey were cleaning up Tolliver at his very nice compound in Nice, France. He resisted arrest and is dead now. Interpol and French authorities took him out. As far as Vision… you would know better than me. I understand he goes on walkabout often. Drives Stark crazy but what can he do? So, any idea where he is?”

“He should be here soon. He was at the North Pole.”

Clint hadn’t expected that. “What was he doing at the North Pole?”

“He wanted to find Santa Clause and study his manufacturing and distribution process.”

Clint was silent for a moment before Wanda finally grinned.

“Did Wanda Maximoff make a joke? That’s two jokes in one day! What is going on with you, kid?”

Wanda shrugged. “I guess, despite everything, despite what we are facing, everything that could go wrong, what the future holds… I feel… good. Like I have a purpose. Everything seems clearer. I don’t’ feel constantly weighed down by grief and pain. Yelena helps. She may be the first friend I ever had. Pietro was my twin, my other half. I never had a true friend before. On the streets and in orphanages, everyone looked out for themselves. You didn’t make friends, you made mutually beneficial alliances. Even when citizens came together as one, it was based on mutual hate for our enemies, neighbors, the United States, paramilitary warlords who wanted to rule over the rubble of our land.

“Yelena doesn’t care what I can do. I can feel it from her. She likes me for me, and I like her for her. There is no other reason. It is… refreshing.”

“It’s good to have a friend, Wanda.” Clint pointed out, a small smile on his face.

Wanda nodded. “Yes, I suppose it is. We have a deep bond and a shared goal. It makes everyday easier to get through.”

Clint nodded then pointed to the batons. “Before I let you beat Tony Stark with electric batons, why don’t you show me what you can do with them.”

“I’m not sure how to turn off the voltage.” Wanda admitted. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ve been shocked before with Black Widow weapons. Lets go behind the house. Less mud there so you won’t get as dirty when you hit the ground.”

“Fine, old man.”

“I’m not old!”

“You are retired and want me to live with you on a farm and go to high school with a daughter not much younger than I am. What about that doesn’t scream old?”

“I’m retired from being an Avenger. I have a job. I’m a farmer. I also do a lot of home improvement projects.”

Wanda shook her head. “Not helping your case.”

The two made their way to the back of the house.

Wanda opened her eyes and found herself on the ground looking up into the grey skies. Yelena was standing over her next to a concerned Clint who was kneeling by her side. Wanda wasn’t concerned about Clint. It was Yelena’s hard gaze that told her what had happened.

“I shocked myself again, didn’t I?”

Yelena nodded.

“I’m not getting those batons back, am I?”

Yelena crossed her arms and shook her head.

“Give me a hand up?”

“You know the rules. If you are stupid enough to shock yourself, you can figure out how to get up. Дурак. How did you stay alive before you met me? Unbelievable.”

Clint offered her a hand and Wanda stood stiffly.

“How many times has this happened?” he asked.

Wanda blew it off. “Accidents happen in training. There are no bad students, just bad teachers. I have told her, but she doesn’t understand. I didn’t want those batons anyway. They were uncomfortable when I sat down.”

As soon as Yelena turned from her, she smiled. Wanda was never boring. Unless she was unconscious because she shocked herself.

Before she could rejoin Natasha on the porch and enter, A large figure from her past stepped out.

“Alexei.” Yelena greeted him.

“Yelena.” He greeted her, none of his usual good cheer in his voice. “We need to talk.”

Yelena laughed bitterly. “The last we spoke was on a runway in Cuba. You told us everything would be fine, distracted us while soldiers put needles into our necks. I am afraid talking to you could be dangerous.”

Alexei closed his eyes. “Are you going to give me a chance to explain, or do you want to treat me as you treated Melina? She is barely alive.”

Yelena sighed. He was right, they did need to talk.

She pulled her weapon and shot him in both kneecaps, sending him to the ground, screaming.

“Good talk.” Yelena told him, walking past him to join Natasha. The two sisters walked inside leaving him alone with his shattered bones.

Wanda and Clint walked past him as well, Clint not bothering to look at him, but Wanda pausing to spit on the man.

They spent the afternoon catching up on the events of the past months since Yelena had been rescued. They talked of Wanda’s house and emoji codes which Natasha and Clint were surprisingly good at. Clint was only told a bit about mind control, enough that a feeling of dread was forming in the pit of his stomach, but he agreed to wait until the rest had arrived.

Then Vision floated in from the roof. Only Wanda hadn’t been surprised because she felt the Mind Stone coming closer but only Clint showed any reaction.

“Is anyone aware that there is a man shot in his kneecaps, crawling away from the residence?” Vision asked.

“He is super soldier. He will be all right. His kneecaps should be repaired in a month or two.” Yelena answered. “I’m not done with him yet though. The kneecaps may be the least of his problems. I am Yelena. You are Vision, the one who wants to make metal…”

Wanda stood up and wrapped her hand over Yelena’s mouth. “Thank you for coming, Vision.”

“Of course, Wanda. I met with the others then flew ahead. Mr. Stark and Colonel Rhodes are flying alongside the remainder of the team in a quinjet.”

“Can I get you anything?” Yelena asked. “We have Vodka, coffee, and water. Or maybe some oil…”

Wanda slapped her hand over Yelena’s mouth once again.

“I’m sorry for her. I don’t let her out in civilization often.”

Vision waved it off and smiled. “I find her refreshing. I would like some motor oil if you have any Yelena, What brands do you have? I noticed a tractor in front of the barn, but I prefer something lighter. Car oil, perhaps? I am on a diet.”

Yelena was silent for a moment, looking to Wanda then back to Vision, not sure what to say then smiled. “You are funny! I like you!”

Vision smiled widely. “Then my goal is accomplished.” he told her, giving her a slight bow and a wink. Rather than finding a place to sit, he stood near the wall, happy to listen to tales about Clint’s home improvement project disasters.

The sound of a quinjet landing put an end to the chatter and brought back the seriousness of the situation they had been able to block out for a few hours.

Captain America walked in first, followed by the Falcon, then Tony Stark and Rhodey.

“Does anyone know there is a guy on the ground outside crying?” Tony asked. “It looks like he has been shot in the knees.”

Yelena waved it off. “That is Papa. I still have much to talk to him about. He is in better shape than Mama. Oksana, is Melina still alive?”

Oksana walked in and stared at the Avengers, assessing threats, based on what she knew from Wanda and Yelena and the weapons they had. Stark and his friends did not have their weaponized suits on. The Falcon was not wearing his mechanical wing pack. Captain America was in his suit, but his shield was on his back, not that he needed it. He was the first and most successful super soldier, a deadly fighter without any weapons.

“She lives. She may pull through.”

“That is a shame.” Yelena said. “We should go to the kitchen. It is story time.”

Rhodey held up a hand, noticing how Wanda, Yelena and Oksana were dressed.

“Natasha, how many Black Widows are there?”

“Too many. Like my sister said, it is story time.”

“You have a sister?”

Rhodey looked towards Tony who shrugged. “Don’t look at me. Years of knowing her and I couldn’t tell you what her favorite type of music is.”

The group moved to the kitchen. Oksana, Yelena, and Wanda had a seat while the others stood on the other side of the table facing them.

An hour later, after Yelena had described her experience, Oksana had explained the effects of the drug and her antidote, the Avengers stood in silence. Natasha knew the basics of what Yelena had told her, but the entire scope was shocking.

Even Stark didn’t have a sarcastic comment.

“Okay…” Steve said. “Lets talk plans. First goal is to prevent Dreykov from sending a signal to control the widows, either to kill us or kill themselves. We think this Taskmaster might be under control as well. Second goal, dose the widows with the red dust. While we are accomplishing those two goals, Dreykov needs to die.”

Yelena shook her head. “Not just die. He wouldn’t keep a list of the widows around the world and their location on the main server. He is too paranoid for that. We need to know where he keeps the information so we can free widows all over the world. He won’t give it up willingly. Wanda will have to take it from him. The three of us will make our way to his location, take what we need and kill him.”

“The three of you?” Oksana asked.

Yelena shrugged. “You are more than welcome to join but I thought you might want to comfort the widows as they come out of the mind control. They will be confused, memories rushing in, regaining their free will, and surrounded in a firefight with Avengers and Dreykov’s guard.”

Oksana was quiet for a moment. “Perhaps. It would still be best to sneak onto the base at night, and deliver the antidote through the vents, then enter the barracks and speak with them.” She looked at Yelena for agreement. Despite being the youngest in the room, it was becoming obvious that they all saw this as her and Wanda’s mission.

“Maybe they should all get the chance to confront their tormentor. All of us.” Oksana pointed out.

Yelena looked towards Natasha, and they had a silent conversation with their eyes and both nodded.

“As you say.” Yelena agreed.

Tony cleared his throat to break the quiet conversation being had between the three widows.

“What about an EMP? Dreykov’s control panel needs to be able to read the brain patterns of widows all over the world to send signals. We kill the electronics, we kill his control.”

Oksana shook her head. “Their default settings are to protect Dreykov at all costs. They must be given the antidote. An EMP would kill everything on board. I am not sure what kind of technology would be needed to keep something like that in the air, but a catastrophic electrical failure could cause it to crash.”

“Wanda,” Steve called out to get her attention, “can you hold them all, mentally? Can you keep them from moving or stop Dreykov from moving?”

Wanda was quite for a moment, thinking it over. “I can hold one, possibly two but under that sort of control, it would be difficult. I cannot control all of them. I could prevent Dreykov from terminating any of them if I know exactly where he is.”

“I can tell you that.” Vision spoke. “I will enter the base first. I will stay in my phased form, invisible to radar. I will find his office, and if the server containing the names and locations of the girls become obvious, then I will take it.”

Steve nodded. “Sam could you drop Nat and Yelena off on top of the base? They can make there way to the bunks, dose the girls and begin fighting from the inside, working their way to Dreykov.” Steve thought. “Oksana…”

“I can take her.” Tony offered. “My suit has a stealth mode. They won’t see or hear me coming. Once they are in, and the widows are free, they can begin killing guards on the inside. We attack from around the base, drawing them out. Wanda rips the top off and joins the girls, taking any information she can get from Dreykov that may not be on a server.”

“We fight our way in. Vision, after you get the information, you stay on the inside. We have a force on the inside, one on the outside converging. Dreykov has no chance to escape.” Steve finished. “We attack from the inside, the ground, the top and leave no guards alive.”

“And if the widows aren’t on board with our plan?” Sam asked. “We are forgetting that they may not want to attack Dreykov, even with their free will returned.”

“Then I will make them sleep and move them to safety until it is over. Then it is their choice.” Wanda said. “I… we won’t force our will onto anyone. They do not have to fight. I can ensure they are not threats until the fight is done.”

“They will fight.” Yelena said.

Sam looked doubtful. “You don’t know that.”

“You don’t know what it is like to have your mind ripped from you!” Yelena told the man. “They will follow us.”

Natasha nodded. “You are right.. They will follow you two. You both must be there when they awaken. Yelena is one of them, in a way that Oksana and I are not. You both came for these girls. Now you will both lead them against Dreykov. Oksana and I will follow you. Dreykov will be torn apart by all of us. It is the only way to be sure. The only way we can have closure.”

Clint cleared his throat. “Take it from someone who has been mind controlled, Sam. They will fight.”

Yelena looked at Clint with barely concealed, surprise She would have to hear that story someday if she ever got the chance to know him. “I would like to get my hands on Madame B. That bitch and I will have words.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “She is there?”

“She is the handler of the girls in the Red Room and the top trainer. Where else would she be?” Yelena asked. “Even mind controlled widows need skills.”

Natasha clinched her fists. She remembered Madame B more than even Dreykov. Madame B was the one who made her after unmaking her. The one who took her love of dancing and turned it into her greatest torture. The one who drilled over and over into Natasha’s head, how little she meant, how she had no family and no place in this world. Emotions were a weakness, family as a lie, friends were liabilities and love… love was for children.

“If she is there, she is ours. If she is elsewhere, we will hunt her down.” Natasha said. “I will make her dance until the skin comes off her feet.”

The room chilled. The Avengers were used to Natasha’s almost robotic, always calm, dry manner of speaking. None of them had ever heard such a desire to kill, anger, desire for vengeance. Those were emotions and Nat usually kept them under tight control.

Her quiet fury told the Avengers that this mission was different. This was personal. They were being let in on something important and they all felt it. They couldn’t screw this up.

“Precise shots, no repulsor blasts, no big explosions.” Tony said, breaking the silence. “Believe it or not. I can do clean and precise.”

“Oksana, in case the girls do get free of the barracks before being dosed, do you have any way of making the antidote in a breakable arrowhead?” Clint asked.

Oksana nodded. “Of course. That leads to another point. Melina told us there are usually twenty black widows onboard. We can’t be sure if there are more. We should be prepared for more resistance. If we cannot get the widows in one spot, they will need to be dosed individually. We should all carry vials on us.”

The Avengers looked at each other, taking in each’s measure. They understood what this meant. This was important. This was more important than raiding HYDRA bases or taking out arms dealers who sold Chitauri weapons. This was more important than taking on the next enhanced that wanted a shot at the world’s champions.

Steve thought of Nick Fury’s words from what seemed like long ago, after Loki had made them look like fools and ended Coulson’s life. The idea was to form a team of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them, to fight the battles that we never could.

At some point, Steve felt they had lost that core belief. The Avengers were affected by so many things, disagreements in the team about what they should be, what they could be and to whom they should answer. Politics and public relations, arguing on what missions to go on, based on importance or public perception.

He looked at Yelena and Wanda, two remarkable people who had come together to fight a battle those girls could not fight on their own. He knew they would continue after this, fighting for those who could not fight for themselves. Vision had been right. Wanda made the right choice by not joining them. Her and Yelena were building something better and neither of them realized it yet. They were building something the victims, the weak and innocent of this world, sorely needed. They would never be the Avengers. They could be so much more. They could be so much better. They could be what the Avengers started out as being before the fame and pressure began cracking their foundations. They could fight for the true victims of injustice, and they would. Their minds were already on what was next. Not team meetings or fame but human trafficking rings.

“I suppose we should get some food, rest, and sleep. Tomorrow we move closer to the target area, go over our plans, and prepare for sunset.” Steve told everyone. “We make our move, we do this right. We cannot fail. MREs are in our jets. All are welcome to join.”

Steve walked out and the rest of the Avengers followed. Yelena and Natasha walked out after a moment and Oksana went to check if Melina was still breathing through her tube. A part of her wondered if Yelena had gone out to finish Alexei off but didn’t really care. If Oksana’s cure did not work she might need more information from Melina’s head. That is the only reason she was still alive.

That left Wanda and Tony alone.

“May I?” he asked, motioning towards the chair at the table across from Wanda.

Wanda sighed but nodded.

“Thanks… for trusting me with this.”

Wanda chuckled. “Do not mistake desperation for trust.”

Tony smirked, appreciating dry humor in any form. “Fair enough. I uh… I came looking for you a while back. I wanted to talk.”

Wanda nodded. “I heard you were looking for me. I wondered what your reason was. I admit at the time, I was hoping for a fight.”

“And now?”

“I have more important things to worry about than you. I know what you want to say, Tony. You want to say you didn’t know what your weapons were used for. If it hadn’t been a Stark bomb it would have been some other company. You want me to understand, to not hate you, because you hate yourself and don’t need any more help.”

Tony groaned and looked at the tabletop. “I’m guessing you didn’t even read my mind.”

“Pietro hid his true feelings behind quips and sarcasm as well.” Wanda told him. “Do you know why we can never be friends? Why I could never stand to be around you longer than necessary?”

Tony exhaled sharply. “Something tells me I am about to find out.”

Wanda smiled. “I know it wasn’t your fault. I know you didn’t intend for your weapon to be used by your government to bomb my home and kill my parents. For a long time, I thought I would never forgive you. I would do anything to see you dead, even working with Ultron.

“Now, I know it wasn’t your fault. I don’t even blame you.

Tony was speechless for a moment. “You don’t?”

Wanda shook her head. “The reason we can never be friends or even acquaintances is your name. Every time I hear someone say Stark or see your face I am taken back. I am taken back to being that scared little girl, holding onto her brother’s hand, trapped in rubble, watching a bomb with the world Stark only a few feet from my face. I am lying there, and I can feel my heartbeat racing and I am afraid to breathe, and I pray with everything I have, that the blinking light on the bomb won’t stop because when it does, I believe me and my brother are dead. I wonder if it will hurt or be quick. I am scared we will catch on fire before we die and I don’t want to burn. I watched that bomb for days. The word Stark taunting me. It was my personal hell.”

Wanda wiped a tear from her eye she was ashamed to have shed.

“Every time I see you, or hear your name, I am taken back to the worst moment of my life, my own personal hell. That is why, Tony. That is why we can never be friends. It has nothing to do with your intent. I find fault after fault with you, but I have made as many mistakes, possibly more, just as bad. We both share fault for Ultron. My brother is dead because we let our hate for you cloud our judgement and work with that monster. Maybe in another universe we could have been friends, but in this one we cannot. I am not strong enough to look at you and not be transported to my personal hell.”

Tony looked at the ceiling and tried to take a deep breath. He had wished she would have yelled at him, cursed him, called him a murderer. Somehow this was worse. Perhaps if she were angry he could have asked for forgiveness. Instead, she let him off the hook. He should have felt relieved but all he felt was sadness. Sadness so deep it felt like a bottomless hole that he knew he couldn’t fill.

“Thank you… for your honesty. I wish things… you are a pretty remarkable person, Wanda.”

“I’m just a screwed up kid, trying to make amends.”

“That makes two of us. You are still pretty damn remarkable. I get it was desperation, but still, thanks for trusting us. For trusting me. We won’t let you down. I won’t. Not again.”

Tony walked out of the kitchen leaving Wanda alone. She leaned forward in her chair, put her head on her hands and her elbows on the table and began crying softly, biting her lip to stop from crying out.

She had missed her brother every day since he died but she never missed him more at that moment.

Outside Yelena and Natasha followed the trail of blood to the barn.

Alexei sitting back against a wall, pale and sweating, his limp legs bleeding.

“Have you come to finish me off?” he asked when he saw Yelena and Natasha standing over him. “You bring me all this way to let your little sister kill me. Why not throw me out of your fancy jet?”

Yelena bent down on one knee on front of him.

“Because I have some questions. You never gave me anything real, so you owe me closure now. Think of this as the conclusion of our great adventure you always told us we would go on. Are you ready to talk?”

Alexei looked into Yelena’s eyes then turned away, not able to keep eye contact.

Natasha was surprised but didn’t show it. She had caught that look on his face. She saw something she doubted Yelena saw on Melina’s face.

She saw shame.

“He is ashamed of himself.” Natasha told Yelena.

Yelena raised an eyebrow and then pulled her gun, pressing it to his forehead. “He might make it out of this with only ruined limbs after all. Tell me why you did it.”

“You would have to be more specific. I did many things. Some I am proud of, some I am not.”

“Tell me why you sold me to a monster who turned me into a mind controlled killer, who used me for his pleasure after taking away my free will and tortured me and other helpless girls for entertainment. We can start with that. More questions will follow. Weigh your answers carefully. Your life depends on your answers.”