Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 10:

Alexei sat quietly, doing his best to ignore the unbelievable pain of his shattered kneecaps. He had suffered much pain in his life but this type of injury at the hands of the one he once considered his baby daughter was the worst.

So were her words of what Dreykov had done to her.

“I didn’t know.” The man said in a broken voice, not meeting either of his former daughters’ eyes. “I didn’t know he would do that to you. I knew he would train you like Natasha. Natasha was an excellent soldier. We believed, didn’t we Natasha? We believed in our country, we served our flag.”

“I told you I didn’t want to go back, many times.” Nat said.

Alexie sighed. “I thought you had just been corrupted by American capitalism. You would be better when we were back home. I wanted Yelena to be like you. You were fierce, loving, protective. You were… you are… I couldn’t have been prouder of you. I loved Yelena. I wanted her to be like you, serve her true home. Dreykov was the only one who could do that. This is what I thought.”

Yelena shook her head, listening to his words, trying to discern if he was being truthful and wishing Wanda were here with her, not just for her abilities but for emotional support. She was glad to see Nat, but she didn’t really know her anymore. She wanted to eventually but her and Wanda were a team, each other’s support network. They were there when needed and right now, Yelena needed her.

“So you believed the Red Room was some benevolent force for good that protected the Soviet Union?” Yelena asked.

“Yes.” He told her, finally meeting her eyes. “I had no reason to think any differently. I had known Dreykov since I took the serum to become Red Guardian. He had always been supportive of me. I didn’t know the kind of man he was. Not until he turned on me. He said I knew too much, I couldn’t stay quiet. When I was in prison, I realized what kind of man he truly was. I wondered what else he had lied about. Melina never spoke of the Red Room. I thought she had orders not to, so I didn’t ask.”

The trio were quiet for a moment and Alexei slumped farther down the wall. He was pale from the blood loss and his face was in a permanent grimace for obvious reasons.

With his eyes still closed he broke the silence.

“He… he took you?”

“Yes.” Yelena’s cold voice answered. “He took us all. We had no choice. He and Melina had control over our minds. We did what he said, no matter what, even if he told us to take our own life.”

Alexei began crying.

“I didn’t… Melina? I didn’t…”

“Did you love us?” Yelena asked.

Alexie nodded. “I did. How could I not? You girls and Melina were the only thing good about that mission. When I was in prison, at night I reflected on my life. There was so much more that I should have done. I hated America, but I should have given you presents. I should have celebrated birthdays. We did have some fun though, right? Was it all bad?”

Yelena shook her head. “They were the best years of my life. I loved you and Mama so much… then you told me it would be okay, and it never was again. So many times… so many times I wished you were dead. So many, I hoped Dreykov would do one nice thing for me, that he would give me orders to kill you. You made me feel safe. Do you know what kind of betrayal that was? Do you have any idea what it feels like to be betrayed by the one source of safety I had?”

Alexei shook his head. “No. I know betrayal but never like that. My father… he did not go easy on me, but it was because he loved me. I only knew… I am sorry, Yelena. I never wanted that for either of you. The idea that he got his hands on you… I was stupid. Blame me for being idiot but not ever think I knew. I would have helped Natasha hide you if I knew. I would have killed him myself.”

Yelena scoffed. “You care now? You didn’t even say goodbye. You didn’t have the guts, you just told us it would be okay, and I woke up captured, torn away from everything and everyone I knew!”

Alexei nodded. “You are right. I can do nothing to change the past. All I can do is tell you the truth now. I am sorry. Both of you, I am sorry. If you want to kill me, I deserve it. Please… please believe one thing I say before I die. I never stopped loving either of you. No matter what, I will go to my grave proud of my daughters.”

Yelena stood up and holstered her gun.

“Go to hell, Alexei. Tomorrow we leave this place. I’m burning down the house. Feel free to drag Melina out before she turns to ash with it. I never want to see either of you again. If I do, I will put a bullet in your head. Do you understand?”

Alexie nodded, eyes closed, tears leaking. “I do, Yelena. Natasha… I do.”

Yelena stood up and marched out of the barn, Nat on her heels.

“Are you okay?” Natasha asked her.

Yelena had her back to her and didn’t turn around. “I need sleep. You should go back to your Avengers jet. Big day and night tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you come to the jet with me?”

Yelena shook her head. “Wanda and I are used to sleeping in same place. We both are light sleepers so it is easier to rest knowing the other will be ready at a moment’s notice to fight. We will go back to the helicopter.”

Nat winced. “Wanda is welcome of course.”

Yelena turned and smiled, patting Nat on the shoulder. “Get some rest, Natasha. We will be fine.”

Thirty minutes later, Wanda and Yelena were laid out on the benches in the back of the chopper.

“Wanda?”

“Yes?”

“Are you up?”

“No.”

Yelena was silent for a moment.

“Then how can you answer me?”

Wanda sighed loudly.

“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

“No. If I could, I would be asleep. It is late. Maybe I call Kate Bishop. She has nice singing voice. She can sing me to sleep.”

Wanda groaned. “You cannot call Kate. Do you know what time it is in New York?”

“Yes, it is time for Kate to talk to Yelena. She said anytime, day or night.”

Wanda snorted, still finding Yelena’s infatuation with the girl adorable.

“What are we going to do next after we kill Dreykov?” Yelena asked.

“Figure out where to house twenty widows. I’m thinking we will buy some tents and space heaters and stay around my house until we figure out our next steps. Or we can go with the other location.”

Yelena thought for a moment. “I think we should take a trip.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. New York?”

“I hadn’t thought about it but since you suggested it, New York does sound nice. Kate’s sixteenth birthday is in two weeks. She said her mother is planning a big party at some place called rock something or another. Perhaps we could go to party?”

“I’ve never been to the United States.” Wanda said. “There are a lot of places I have never been. But we have so much to do. We need to find housing and computers, find contacts we haven’t killed or terrified in the last month who can give us information. The girls will need identification. There are children out there in the Red Room pipeline, widows who will still need to be freed. We will be busy.”

Yelena was quiet for a moment, letting that sink in.

“We can make the party, yes?”

Wanda quietly laughed. “Yes, I will get you to that party.”

“Maybe beach this summer? Kate says she has a place somewhere called Hamptons. Very sunny with lots of sand. I’ve never worn a bikini. Have you ever?”

Wanda shook her head. “No.”

“You would enjoy it. You like your bosom to breathe after all. I’m sure that suit is suffocating them by covering them completely.”

Wanda sent a small tendril of energy that punched Yelena in the shoulder.

“Ow!”

“Your jealousy is showing.” Wanda told her.

“I am no jealous!”

“You so are.”

Yelena huffed.

Wanda thought she may have fallen asleep after a few minutes of silence.

“Wanda, are you still up?”

Wanda stayed quiet.

“I know you are up. I have important question on my mind.”

Wanda turned on her side to look at her friend. “What is it?”

“What do you think Vision does while everyone is sleeping?”

“I… have no idea. I’m sure he keeps himself busy.”

“What if he watches everyone else sleep? How creepy would that be? You saw how he came into the house so silently. He doesn’t need to breathe. He could watch us sleep and we would never know.”

“He isn’t going to watch us sleep.”

“How would you know? He is obviously infatuated with you. He might watch you sleep. We are close to each other. He would be watching me sleep. I do not want to be watched by a robot while I sleep, even if he is funny.”

“Yelena?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

Wanda dozed for a while but couldn’t completely rest, listening to Yelena rolling about, trying to get comfortable.

“Talk to me.” Wanda told her.

Yelena sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees.

“It’s Natasha.”

Wanda wasn’t surprised. She had not asked about Yelena’s reunion with Natasha, knowing the girl would bring it up with her when she wanted to. They had seemed to get along and both seemed happy around each other.

“Tell me.”

“She asked me to sleep on the jet with the Avengers. I told her I sleep near you, and she said you could come as well.”

Natasha waited, not hearing a problem. “If you want to go…”

“I do not. That isn’t what is bothering me. I told her we are used to sleep near each other, and she offered to bring you along. She never offered to come here with me.”

Wanda understood what Yelena was getting at. At times Yelena did not say much or hid her feelings behind humor, sarcasm or let loose her anger, but she was always analyzing everything and everyone around her especially their small responses and underlying meanings behind words.

“This helicopter is old, musty, the metal benches are uncomfortable, and it is packed with explosives.”

“But you are here. You would have come here no matter what. Do you know why?” Yelena asked.

Of course, Wanda did. “Because it is mine. I am no Avenger. I don’t belong there.”

“You don’t want to be there. Neither do I. We are not Avengers. We are different.”

Yelena paused.

“Natasha… she is different than us. I thought when this was over, maybe she would join us. The three of us and the widows would hunt the human traffickers, free the captured, shut down the pipeline. It will not happen though. She is an Avenger. She will never leave them.”

Wanda understood. Natasha was part of something bigger than herself and she took pride in that. She chose her path and was never forced to be an Avenger. The Avengers had accomplished a lot. They had saved the world from aliens and made headlines all over the world. She had fought side by side with her teammates, she was obviously close to Barton, and had formed other bonds. That was her life.

It wasn’t theirs. Wanda and Yelena would never be those heroes. Their faces would never be on posters and t shirts. They would live in the shadows, fight in the underworld, free those who were imprisoned, kill those who took what didn’t belong to them. Her and Yelena had talked about this in Morocco though they had briefly discussed this many times before. The widows would join them. What else would they do? They were trained killers, infiltrators with many useful skills that did not translate into the real world. They would join Wanda and Yelena. They would want to give freedom to those who had it taken away.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have a relationship with her.” Wanda pointed out, wanting to give Yelena some comfort.

“I know. I just thought that once we were reunited, she would join us. We could be a trio, instead of a duo. It didn’t take me long to realize that it wasn’t true. I am stuck with only you, my red wiggly woo witch with her magic fingers and leather corsets.”

Wanda snorted. “And I am stuck with my short Russian assassin with the bad temper, violent tendencies and a crush on the daughter of a big American capitalist pig.”

“It could be worse, right?” Yelena asked.

Wanda reached across the small aisle between them and took Yelena’s hand. “I’m good with just you, Yelena. Pietro would have loved you. You two would never stop laughing, joking, poking fun at each other good naturedly. He would have been as protective of you as he was of me. It hurts to think of him at times, but you make it easier, knowing how much he would have loved you. Hold my hand and go to sleep. I don’t feel like squeezing onto that bench and holding you. Beside Vision might tell the Avengers you liked to be cuddled when you are upset and after such a display today of being a deadly, no nonsense assassin, they wouldn’t take you seriously.”

Yelena rolled onto her stomach, clasping Wanda’s hand tightly.

Soon they were both asleep, arms reaching across the aisle holding hands.

At some point in the next few hours, Yelena must have had a nightmare, because Wanda had made her way to the bench and moved between Yelena and the wall of the helicopter.

That was how Natasha found them when she climbed inside. As soon as she stepped into the cargo hold, Yelena was on her feet, gun at the ready, Wanda had sat up and though she probably couldn’t see straight her hands were glowing red, ready to strike.

“I come in peace.” Nat told the two.

The women relaxed.

“Good morning.” Yelena greeted her sister. “What time it is?”

Natasha smiled at her sleepy voice, remembering Yelena’s first few days of kindergarten. She would wake up with the same question.

“Early. Vision flew ahead last night while we were sleeping. He arrived back a few minutes ago. He has found the exact location of the Red Room and found a launch point for the attack, ten miles away. We thought it best we leave now, look over his schematics and plan accordingly.” Natasha explained.

Wanda looked at Yelena who shrugged back at her, just happy Vision hadn’t been watching her sleep.

“We have enough fuel for another hundred and twenty miles by my guess.” Yelena explained. “We will be on our way as soon as I am certain our chopper has not lost anything major overnight.”

Natasha winced slightly. “Our jets have stealth capabilities.”

“And my old chopper has enough C-4 and Semtex to bring down the Red Room after everyone is evacuated and the data is retrieved. I realize the building may not matter but I do not want to think of that ugly, horrible hell floating in the sky anywhere in the world.” Yelena told her firmly.

“We have enough fire power between Tony, Rhodey, Vision… Wanda could blow it out of the sky herself considering what I have seen she has done to HYDRA bases. Fly with us.”

Yelena shook her head. “My arsenal is on this chopper. We shall stay low, under the radar as we have on every trip. When we get there, we can use one of your fancy jets as a base of operations.”

Nat looked at Wanda who shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to get involved between what could become an argument between sisters if Nat pushed and Yelena pushed back.

Instead of pushing, Natasha smiled and nodded. “Would you come to the jet and listen to Vision give us the location?”

“I will perform precheck flight. Wanda, can you handle finding directions from your metal friend?”

Wanda nodded, patted Yelena on the shoulder and climbed out of the chopper beside Yelena.

The two red heads walked towards the Avengers jet where the team awaited them.

“Do you two always sleep together like that?” Natasha asked, wondering what the extent of their relationship was.

Wanda caught the underlying meaning of her words. While not as good at reading between the lines as Yelena, Wanda would always have a feel for people, even if she weren’t actively reading their mind.

“Only when necessary. She must have had a nightmare last night. After I freed her, the memories came back strongest at night. At times, holding her allowed her to rest better. We only had one bed in my house, so we shared it. In that manner, yes we sleep together. In the manner of which you are asking, no we do not. I love her deeply. She is like my sister. She is my only friend, and I am hers. That is all. If she needs me to hold her some nights so she feels more secure, then it a very small thing I would gladly do.”

Natasha nodded. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“And that is the first lie you have ever told me.” Wanda said, humored. “It’s in your nature to pry. It’s what you were trained to do. I take no offense. I have nothing to hide.”

Natasha smiled, appreciating Wanda’s bluntness.

“Then could you tell me why she is in a bad mood and acts like she doesn’t want to be near the Avengers? I thought you were the one who had the problem with us. Yet you are ready to work with us and even though she asked for help, it seems…”

“I can’t tell you. I have nothing to hide but I will not betray her thoughts.” Wanda said, interrupting her.

Natasha stopped walking, her mouth slightly open and eyebrows raised but then understood.

“Of course. I shouldn’t ask you to.”

“After this is over, talk to her.”

Natasha chuckled. “I hope we will have plenty of time to talk. I am planning to bring her back to New York to live. We can get an…”

Natasha quieted for a moment and then continued walking, thinking of what she just said. Her mind had been through so much turmoil, so many emotions and so much to do over the past week. She had assumed once this was over, she would have her little sister back. She could show her the world, take her to the sights, show her the Avenger’s Compound and the technological wonders inside it.

Yelena wouldn’t want that. Firstly she wouldn’t leave the woman who had saved her and was her only friend. Secondly, she wasn’t planning to free the widows and then going on vacation. This was only a first step for the two girls. They were building something for a purpose. They would be freeing widows all over the world, giving new lives to those who wanted and purpose to those who wanted to prevent what happened to them from happening to anyone else.

There was not going to be some perfect life in New York where they spent time together and saw the sights in between Natasha going on Avengers missions. Yelena would not want to be an Avenger.

Nat would have to decide.

Wanda watched her go through the realization in her mind but did not peak nor did she make a comment. She simply joined the Avengers, listened to Vision’s directions, and returned to the helicopter, then flew with Yelena to the landing site. Yelena had decided not to burn the house down. Oksana had left Melina in her bedroom and as far as anyone knew, Alexei would still be in the barn. They were certain Melina had no means of contacting Dreykov and could not afford to leave anyone behind, not that anyone was volunteering.

Once they landed, Wanda and Yelena spent hours going over the Red Room’s schematics that Vision had scanned. Though the inside was protected, from scanning to a certain degree, Yelena was confident that she knew her way around the interior of the base. She knew the path from the bunks to the training rooms, and the ballet studio where Madame B held court, instructing the girls techniques of balance, fluidity and killing without mercy or hesitation. It was also the spot where many punishments happened for failures in training. The ballet studio was the lowest circle of hell.

That night, Wanda grumbled as Yelena covered her from the neck up with black face paint.

“It’s either a mask or this.” Yelena scolded her.

Wanda was eventually prepared, only her hands uncovered but without her rings. Yelena was fully armed, her black combat suit covered by her vest. Oksana wore her traditional black widow outfit on while Natasha wore a more advanced version of her original, made by Stark.

As soon as the sun was down and no light peaked into the sky, Wanda was taken by the Falcon and Yelena was taken by Tony, his stealth suit, quiet and a black hologram around it, blending into the night. Rhodey held Nat and Vision carried Natasha. The four women were dropped off at the top of the central hub.

Before Vision left, he noted another two jets landing, which were not Avengers.

At least thirty more soldiers exited. Half of them entered the base while the other fifteen stood guard on the runway, taking positions behind barricades, expecting a fight.

“There is no way Melina had any devices to warm him.” Yelena whispered. “She was clean, right Oksana?”

“Yes. Unless, Dreykov tried to contact her and couldn’t, assuming you and Wanda reached her. If that is the case, he is definitely preparing for the Witch. There are likely black widows surrounding the base as well.”

Yelena looked quickly toward Vision. “Warn your team that innocent hostiles are on deck. Use the antidote.”

Vision nodded and took off, following the Falcon, Iron Man and War Machine back to the ground. Once the widows inside were free and the four women began the assault from the inside, the Avengers would attack the building from the outside, doing their best to not damage the structure.

Yelena took a deep breath and nodded to Wanda. Wanda raised her hand and small tendrils of energy began unscrewing a vent cover. After a minute of quiet work, Yelena crawled in first, followed by the other two widows and flanked by Wanda.

Wanda reached out as soon as they were near the bunks.

“I feel… only fifteen in the room. Their minds are clouded like I first felt Yelena’s, but their emotions are calm. Too calm to be awake. They are asleep.”

“I doubt they can feel emotions if they are mind controlled.” Yelena whispered back.

“No, from the moment you entered the apartment building to attempt to kill me, I could feel your emotions, even under mind control. A part of you constantly longed to be free. The strongest emotion I felt was… a sort of trepidation.”

Yelena hissed. “I do not trepidate.”

“You did when you were sent to kill me. You were trepidating strongly.”

“That’s not a word.” Natasha whispered.

“It is also not something I feel.” Yelena countered.

“You are feeling it now.” Wanda pointed out. “I am feeling annoyed that my face is only a few feet away from Oksana’s butt. Can you please move towards the bunks?”

The foursome slid down as quietly as possible. Once they reached the bunks, their were two slots from which air circulated into the room. Oksana crushed one vial then another and watched the red dust blow into the room. Yelena did the same with Natasha behind her.

Once the room’s air had a red tint, Wanda ripped open the vents, large enough for two people to jump down. Oksana jumped into the rom first, followed by Wanda and Yelena and Natasha had already dropped.

The widows were up in seconds, alert, ready to fight, then dazed as they began breathing in the red dust in the atmosphere.

It took a few moments, but each girl seemed to regain awareness.

“Yelena?” one of the girls who had been on Yelena’s strike team called to her. “What is happening? You were taken… the Witch took you. Dreykov said she killed you.”

Yelena walked to her and placed hands on her cheeks. “Sasha, the Witch freed me, and we are here to free us all. She is there. This is Oksana and…”

“Natasha Romanov.” another girl, dark skinned with long dark hair and piercing blue eyes, called out. “I recognize you from an intel pack. The one who calls herself the Black Widow. The Avenger.”

“The time for introductions is later. For now, we must find our way to Dreykov, kill him and free the rest of our sisters. Then we destroy the Red Room and fly away.” Yelena told them calmly. “Everyone on board?”

Some of the widows grabbed their heads as memories rushed into their minds.

“Hey! No time for that! We can all have nice mental and emotional breakdowns over cookies and ice cream once this is done! The man who did this, the trainers who punished us still live on this base in the sky. So long as they live, we will never truly be free.” Yelena told them. “Suit up ladies. Weapons hot and ready to kill. We have an antidote if we run into any black widows on the way to Dreykov.”

“Taskmaster has been sleeping during daytime. She will be up. She is waiting for the Witch. I have seen her.” The girl who recognized Yelena spoke. “I overheard him talking to her.”

“Her?”

She nodded. “Taskmaster is Dreykov’s daughter.”

Yelena was surprised, Wanda was disgusted but the strongest reaction came from Natasha. She literally stepped back and gasped.

Her mind was transported back despite herself to years ago.

It was supposed to be simple. They had planted bombs in Dreykov’s favorite restaurant. According to SHIELD he did as much business there as he did from the unknown Red Room base. As part of her defection, Natasha had planted the bombs herself. He always sat by the window. She could see when he was in place.

She had sat outside in a car, waited for him to become comfortable and meet with his guest.

Natasha had given Clint the go ahead. A second after she did, a little girl walked into her line of sight, approaching Dreykov.

The girl was supposed to be in school! Before Natasha could give the abort order, the building exploded. The structured caved in on itself, burying Dreykov, his men and the arms dealer he had been meeting with under two stories of rubble. The bomb had left Dreykov’s daughter buried next to him.

She had never forgive herself. Though she had killed many, her ledger dripping in red, that was the one that haunted her nightmares.

When she learned Dreykov was still alive she had refused to give thought of the little girl. She would not give herself any hope that maybe she hadn’t killed the child.

Natasha snapped herself out of the past to find Wanda and Yelena giving her curious glances before returning their attention to the widows.

The girls were dressing, pulling combat suits, handguns, and knives from lockers over their beds. When Nat was here all weapons were kept in the armory but their was no point now. The girls were mind controlled. Dreykov would want them prepared as soon as possible if needed.

While they prepared, Yelena walked over to an empty bunk. Rather than opening the locker on top, she knelt by the bed and reached under the mattress.

Nat saw her pull out a photo strip she recognized. It nearly brought a tear to her eye. Yelena looked at it with a smile, then folded it and stuffed it one of the many pockets in her vest.

Yelena and Wanda took the front, a line of widows following as they exited the bunk and made their way to Dreykov’s office.

Natasha made the call.

It wasn’t as noisy as Yelena and Wanda would have thought. There was the sound of gunfire from the outside. No explosions yet. The Avengers were attacking the outside of the base. Vision had told them of automated cannons, surface to air missiles and other defenses. It would no doubt be a fierce battle on both fronts.

The first wave of guards were surprised, likely been rushing outside to join the fight, not having a clue that the widows were up and on the move inside. After Yelena and Wanda killed them easily, an alarm sounded, different than the one outside. No doubt Dreykov had seen them on camera. They would need to hurry.

Natasha took a team of seven with her, planning to find Madame B. in the studio where she had an attached apartment, then promised to make it in time to see Dreykov personally. Yelena’s team would secure the control room and take down the outer defenses. Then they would find him. Natasha and Oksana would bring Madame B to the reunion, and both would face karma.

As they wound through the corridors, they began to hear footsteps all around them, the loud sound of running guards echoing in the desolate halls. Yelena instructed her team to breach the control room. The door was locked so Wanda began to move in front of them to open it.

Then Wanda felt it. Anger, no, not just anger but rage, grief, and that same haziness over the mind of the other widows under control.

The woman was different than the other widows. Much taller, strange armor, a full helmet that looked almost like a grinning skull and two very large rifles in each hand. Taskmaster.

Wanda instantly knew those rifles would rip through the widows body armor.

Yelena was directly in front of the tall grim reaper.

Wanda stepped around Yelena, her arms raised forming a red shield. Bullet after bullet hit her shield, until the rifles were empty. Before the woman could reload, Wanda sent a blast of energy towards her, striking her chest and sending her down the hall.

The widows converged on the fallen soldier, taking her helmet off and spraying the red dust in her face.

Taskmaster lay on the floor, trying to come to terms with what was going on.

While this was happening, Wanda hit her knees and grabbed her side.

“Good catch… Wanda?” Yelena called out, kneeling next to her friend. She pulled Wanda’s hand away from her side and saw it covered in blood.

“Didn’t quite catch the first one.” Wanda whispered.

“Oh no… no, no, no, no, no. You do not get to die for me! I’ll will get you to med bay. Just hold on. I need to see if the bullet came out the back.”

Wanda shook her head. “It’s still inside.” She reached a glowing hand over her bloody right side and a bullet popped out of her body.

“Ahhhh!” Damn it that hurt!”

Wanda turned back to the control room and ripped open the door, then collapsed into her friends arms.

“Take the control room! Turn off the defenses!” Yelena ordered to the widows who were gathering around Wanda. “I need someone to get bandages from the med bay and hurry! Two of you, take care of Dreykov’s daughter. Talk to her. Make sure she isn’t going to turn on us.”

“It’s bad.” one of the widows told Yelena.

“It doesn’t take a medical degree to know that, Sasha. I’m taking her to the med bay. You! Dreykov’s daughter! You can be confused later. Come pick her up and carry her. I’ll be with you…”

“No!” Wanda told her, taking Yelena’s hand. “Finish this. I’ll be… okay. Go! All of you. I will call Vision.”

Yelena hesitated.

“Go!” Wanda yelled, her eyes turning red.

Yelena hesitated once more. “You call Vision?”

“Yes, now go! The defenses are down, and Vision can come… go!” Wanda shouted.

Yelena nodded and took the girls surrounding her, leaving three behind in the control room.

Taskmaster crawled over to Wanda.

“I’m sorry.” The tall intimidating woman said, not sounding like a hardened soldier but a tired young girl. Her face was scarred from burns, giving her an intimidating appearance but her eyes were soft.

“It’s not your fault.”

“You are dying.”

Wanda shook her head. “I’m not dead yet. Go with them. Help them. Find your father. Help them end it. I’m going to call a friend for help.”

Antonia Dreykov nodded. Wanda’s wound was grievous. She had shot her in the gut. The bullet had grazed an artery, she was slowly bleeding out and judging by the entrance would, the bullet had likely pierced her liver.

Antonia ran away as directed, leaving Wanda in peace.

Wanda laid back onto the cold floor that was slick with her blood. She closed her eyes but knew what would happen, or not happen. She had lied to Yelena. She didn’t think she had the energy to call out to Vision and she was right. She had never felt this weak. She could hear the two widows in the control room, commenting on the battle but paid them no mind.

Instead, her thoughts drifted to her childhood. She was in the living room, cuddled into her Papa’s side on the couch while her brother sat next to her in the middle, leaned against their mother. It was movie night. Her father had agreed to watch the Dick Van Dyke show, season 2 episode 21. It was her favorite. She loved so many sitcoms, but that episode always resonated with her.

Beware alien crystals, Wanda thought, wishing she had remembered that episode before volunteering for HYDRA. Her and Pietro would still be street kids, maybe freedom fighters but they would be alive and free.

Widows were kneeling over her, talking to her but she heard their voices as if they were at the end of a faraway tunnel. She hurt so badly but it was all a dream. Just like episode 21. She would wake up. Everything was a dream. She had fallen asleep on the couch. No bomb had killed her parents. They were alive and she had fallen asleep during the show. Her father would carry her to bed, and she would wake up the next morning and begin anew.

“Wanda.” Pietro’s voice called to her. He sounded so real, as if he were speaking into her ear.

“Pietro. Where are you?”

“Open your eyes.”

Wanda tried to shake her head. “No. It is time for bed. We need to sleep. Leave me alone.”

She felt a warm hand on her cheek. She was so cold.

“Open your eyes sister. You have so much to do. So many people need you still. Yelena still needs you. She can take care of the girls but who will take care of her?”

Wanda said nothing.

“You are special.”

“I am nothing. I am a freak experiment. I am an abomination.” Wanda whispered.

“She is talking nonsense .”

“She is dying. I thought an Avenger was coming. We have to cauterize the wound.”

“We would cause more damage to her liver and open the tear in the artery wider.”

“Better to take the risk. Would you rather her die in seconds or watch her die slowly. If we have a chance…”

“Let’s carry her to the med bay!”

“She can’t be moved! She will defintely die.”

Wanda tried to laugh. “You hear that, Brother? Even the angels say I die. What can I do?”

“Stop the bleeding you idiot.” Pietro told her. “Must I tell you everything to do?”

“What if I don’t want to?”

“I’m not giving you a choice. Open your eyes, sister.”

Wanda recognized the commanding tone he did not use on her often. When he did, she listened because she knew the situation was serious.

“Use your power.”

“I’m out of power.”

“You are your power! You are stronger than you know. Inside you know this. You are stronger than some space rock made you. Close the artery before you bleed to death. You are nearly there.”

“Pietro.”

“She is calling for someone named Pietro.” The angel’s voice said.

“Now Wanda.” Pietro told her again.

Wanda screamed when she forced herself to sit up. She placed a hand over her wound and energy flowed into it, cauterizing her artery.

She lay back on the floor, exhausted and weak.

She wasn’t bleeding out any longer. Unfortunately, she could not bring the blood she had lost back into her body.

Outside the battle was over. The Avengers had won. The guards were dead, the widows who had joined the battle were cured, Sam, Vision and Steve were trying to calm them.

Vision closed his eyes and stretched his senses. This close, he could always feel Wanda. He didn’t know her exact location, but he could feel her presence near.

Now her presence was weakening. It was flickering in and out.

He listened and heard Natasha’s voice, followed by Yelena’s and a man’s scream.

He flew through walls into the office and found Dreykov on his knees. One of his fingers had been cut off. A black widow was downloading information as hundreds of girls’ faces flashed on a large screen on the wall.

Next to Dreykov was a woman with a rather sever looking face, dressed in a black knee length dress. She was also on her knees and her hands were tied behind her back.

Yelena’s hands were bloody, but Vision did not see Wanda.

“What are you doing here?” Yelena asked. “You were supposed to take Wanda for care when she called! You should have stayed with her.”

“She never called for me.”

“Damn it!” Yelena shouted and turned to her sister. “I want to see their heads, Natasha. Oksana, to the med bay. Robot you are with me!”

Yelena ran, all thoughts of what she wanted to do to Dreykov were gone. She had only two goals in mind. To save Wanda’s life and then to yell at her.

She found her friend lying in a pool of blood, a widow on each side holding her hand.

“She did something. I think she stopped the bleeding. She is in and out of consciousness.”

Yelena kneeled down and slapped her cheek. Wanda opened her eyes.

“Why did you not call for help, idiot?”

“Didn’t have the energy. Is it over? Did you kill him?”

Vision lifted Wanda up in his arms gently.

“It’s over. They are free. We did good, Witch. Now you must stay alive. Our story isn’t done.”

Yelena gave Vision directions to the med bay, and he was gone in a blur. Yelena ran behind him, at an obviously much slower speed but faster than she had in her life.

Oksana was performing surgery with Vision and a widow named Charlize who had been trained as a field medic assisting her. Yelena stood outside the glass room, watching intently. All the free widows were standing by her, watching Wanda fight for her life.

Natasha poked her head inside the observation room and motioned for Yelena. Yelena tore her gaze away and stepped out. Natasha showed her two plastic boxes. Yelena knew what they were but needed to see for herself.

Natasha opened up the first box and Dreykov’s head, his face frozen in terror, looked up at her.

For the first time that night, Yelena smiled.

She checked the second and saw Madame B, just as terrified.

“Beautiful.” she whispered.

Natasha nodded. “The other trainers are dead. I’ve already dumped the bodies over the side. We have been talking to the widows. Many are confused, but they seem to understand what is going on.”

“They are trained and smart. We will all be okay, one day. That day is far away but we will get there. How is Antonia?”

Natasha winced. She had talked to the tall, scarred woman, explained who she was and admitted what had happened.

Natasha was shocked that Antonia didn’t blame her. She was angrier at her father. He had turned her into an experiment. She had worn a helmet that interfaced with her brain. She watched video six hours a day of the world’s greatest fighters, then trained, over and over, the cycle only breaking when she was sent on assignment.

“She will need much help. She and the widows, all of them, say they will follow you. Where you go, they go. We offered to help get them new lives, but…”

“They are not normal. We are no longer black widows, but we are something else now, something outside of society. None of them will fit into a normal life. How many jets are on board?”

“Four. They are troop carriers.” Natasha answered.

“I will send some of the women to load ordinance from the base onto two of them. The rest should be large enough to carry us all, yes?”

Natasha nodded.

“I have Anastasia hacking Dreykov’s accounts and reappropriating his funds to mine and Wanda’s account. We will be fine. As soon as my idiot Witch is ready to move, we will load the base with explosives and detonate from the air.”

“Where will you go?”

Yelena sighed. “You won’t come, will you? Avenger for life?”

Natasha looked to the floor, giving Yelena the answer she expected.

“It is okay, Tasha. I knew already. You have your family to take care of and I have mine now. We have grown up.”

Nat shook her head, a tear falling down her cheek. “You are sixteen, Yelena. You shouldn’t have to grow up. Come with… but you won’t. You aren’t a child either. None of you are.”

Yelena sighed. The youngest of the group was fourteen but even she was not a typical child, having been trained since she was two. They were all orphans. They all had to take care of each other now and all the challenges that came with it. Despite Oksana being older, Yelena knew in her gut, they would look to her and Wanda for guidance.

“We are still sisters, right?” Nat asked, hesitantly.

“Nothing will ever change that. We will keep in touch. You will show me around New York. I have to see my Kate Bishop soon. I suppose I can make time for you.” she told her, a small smirk on her face.

Natasha nodded and wiped her eye. “Wanda took a bullet for you. That kind of thing runs in the family. So where will you go?”

Yelena crossed her arms and looked back toward the observation room. “It is better you do not know. You won’t have to lie to the Avengers or the United States if they ever ask. I have a feeling they will.”

Oksana walked out of the surgical suite and Yelena rushed into the observation room.

“Wanda was able to cauterize her wound somehow. The artery is repaired, and the liver damage has been taken care of for the moment. We will need to constantly monitor her for the next few months. I expect a full recovery though. She is very lucky.”

Yelena smirked. “We all are. Thank you Oksana.”

The woman patted Yelena on the shoulder then pulled her in for a hug.

“Of course. We have a long way to go. We are going to need our Witch healthy.”

The next morning, Tony and Rhodey left, thinking Wanda wouldn’t want to see them regardless. Vision could feel Wanda’s life force growing stronger and knew she would make it. He left as well, not wanting to intrude on her time when she woke. There were twenty young girls, an older Widow and a tortured mind controlled daughter of a monster waiting to see her.

Clint, Steve, and Natasha stayed in the waiting room with Yelena. The rest of the widows were packing up, loading an arsenal in the jets along with clothes, communication devices, and downloaded information from the Red Room servers in addition to what they already had on the widows in the wild.

Sam took time to talk to each of them and though they were being bombarded with negative emotions, like Yelena, they were controlling themselves. They were compartmentalizing. They had a task to focus on. Yelena was giving orders, despite being only sixteen and Oksana being more than twice her age. The girls looked to her. Stories quickly spread about how Wanda had blocked most of the bullets, struck down Antonia, tore a door to the control room open. Yelena had told them stories of their adventures as well, leading them to the Red Room. They were in awe of her and none of them had even spoken.

As much as Sam knew they needed therapy, he knew it wouldn’t happen. He gave some thought to leaving the Avengers to help the girls. His skills as a trauma therapist for former war vets could be used but he suspected they weren’t ready. In addition, like Natasha he was an Avenger. It was in their blood.

Wanda woke around ten AM. The first thing she saw was Yelena looking down on her, arms crossed, a frown on her face.

“Did I shock myself again?” Wanda asked, her throat scratchy from the tube that had been in it during surgery.

Yelena continued to stare at her. Wanda noticed she was silently crying, and the memories began rushing back to her.

“Why?” Yelena asked.

“I didn’t have the power to call out to him.”

“The power, or the desire to get help?” Yelena asked.

“The power. I was weak. I… wanted to go to sleep.”

“I could have taken you to the med bay!”

“You needed to be there when it ended. You deserved it. I knew you could finish it. It is finished, right?”

Yelena nodded and grabbed Wanda’s hand.

“It is. We have burned their heads. The girls are all free, we have the names and location of widows around the world and our widows are ready to follow us. Dreykov was also generous with his money. We have jets, weapons, and tech. As soon as you are able to move, we are leaving this place.”

Wanda sighed, wondering when she would be ready. Her entire upper body felt like a large bruise.

“Were you there?”

“No. I was concerned when Vision showed up, about getting to you. I have seen their heads though. They were terrified. It was fitting.”

Wanda shook her head slowly. “You should have been there.”

“You were more important.” Yelena told her, putting an end to the discussion.

“Oksana believes you be ready to move in twenty four hours. Where are we going?” Yelena asked.

Wanda wasn’t sure. They had thrown around ideas but never made a firm decision.

“Your call.” Wanda told her.

Yelena gave it a second’s thought.

“Former HYDRA base outside Novi Grad. It could use a remodel. We will build it, then we rebuild Novi Grad. Is that okay with you? I know it has bad memories, but it is close to Pietro. We can build new base while we are making that one livable. Nicer base.”

Wanda nodded. “Can we afford that?”

Yelena smirked. “Like I said, Dreykov was very wealthy. He owed it to us. The ones we will take down will also be very wealthy. Our journey has started my little Witch. Now let us call my Kate Bishop. I told her you had a booboo, and she wants to ensure you are okay. She insisted on a video call.”

“Please no.” Wanda pleaded, but by the look in Yelena’s eye, she knew begging would do no good.

“Clint wants to speak to you as well. He isn’t happy. Would you rather speak to him?”

Wanda paused for a moment. “I’ll take Kate Bishop.”