Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Witch and the Widows

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 31:

S.W.O.R.D. Headquarters, Washington D.C.

Maria Rambeau stood at the head of the conference room table. She had gathered the best forensic and behavioral psychiatrists in the United States and convinced them to join her. A few were profilers for the F.B.I. All were experts in identifying and dealing with extreme antisocial behavior.

“Thank you all for agreeing to be a part of this group. Some of you may not know but S.W.O.R.D. was founded to observe extraterrestrial and extra dimensional threats and protect this world from both. At the moment, this is not possible. Quite frankly, this world is at the mercy of a nineteen year old girl.”

Those at the table said nothing, not meeting Maria’s eyes.

“If you all read the briefing packet you know what happened at the airport from video camera coverage and Colonel James Rhodes report. Wanda Maximoff somehow absorbed more energy from an unknown extraterrestrial stone that had been planted in Vision’s head. She then proceeded to rip apart and disintegrate Vision and then for some unknown reason gave the head with the stone still attached to the King of Wakanda. T’Challa has refused calls from the United Nations enquiring about the stone. It is unlikely we will ever get our hands on it.

“Until two days ago, we believed Vision was the strongest sentient being on Earth. Wanda Maximoff proved our beliefs wrong and managed a wardrobe change while doing it. Per our new assessment, she is the strongest being on Earth.”

Dr. Fennhoff was the first to speak up.

“The packet said she has no known weaknesses. That can’t be right. Everyone has a weakness, even these enhanced individuals popping up over the last few years. The F.B.I believed Vision had no weakness but as you have pointed out, Vision is very dead and his head is a trophy in the Wakandans’ royal palace. She must have a weakness.”

Maria shook her head. “Physically, our best have looked over her actions since she first joined HYDRA. Mind control, mind manipulation, telekinesis on an unpresented scale, able to form force fields of unknown energy that can block or disintegrate bullets before they reach her and she can fly. The only thing she doesn’t have that we know of is superstrength. Of course she used her telekinesis to rip thousands of tons of soil, concrete and pavement over an A.I.M. base and toss it away easily so maybe she doesn’t need superstrength. I have brought you here because should she become an enemy to the world, a physical altercation would not turn in our favor, short of landing a nuclear bomb on top of her head.

“You are experts in different fields dealing with abnormal psychology. If we are to find a weakness it has to be her mind. She is young, impressionable and a former radical extremist. She is an orphan. The United States killed her parents and she knows it meaning she hold possible resentment towards this country.”

Dr. Karla Sofen raised her hand to stop Maria from talking. There were inconsistencies in her beliefs. “She hates the United States is what you are saying. Yet it is very likely Captain America is with her now. According to the briefing Rhodes gave months ago, Steve Rogers facilitated her meeting Everett Ross, the only man in government she is willing to work with. The man who has every government agency in the world kissing his ass at the moment. She may not be as anti-American as we believe.”

“And she may crush the Statue of Liberty tomorrow.” Dr. Emmet said. “Being pro-democracy does not make her pro United States. Ask most of the free world. Do we know the religion in which she may believe?” the man asked, falling back on his area of expertise.

“You figure it out.” Maria said. “All of you will have to visit Sokovia. Hit the streets, talk to people who may have known her and her brother. Find her old friends. Find her old enemies. it wasn’t very long ago she was living on those streets.”

Leonard Samson laughed. “I’m sorry, Director Lambeau. Were you under the impression I was some sort of field agent? I am a psychiatrist, not an agent. I won’t be traveling to Sokovia. You are also forgetting or purposely leaving out one key danger. Maximoff may not like government agents digging around in her past. If she finds out I believe the number of bodies attributed to her and her band of disciples, the former Black Widows, does not paint an optimistic picture for the one doing the digging.”

Maria nodded, not surprised he would catch this. Samson was regularly lauded as the most brilliant psychiatrist in the world.

“You worked with the army, Dr. Samson. Of course you know anything worthwhile has inherent risks.”

Samson smirked. “And you cannot coerce my participation by subtle swipes at my ego by bringing up my military history. I worked with General Ross by completing constant psychological profiles on Bruce Banner. I have recently found out I worked with a war criminal. I read Rhodes off the books report on the Avengers and Maximoff’s assault on the Red Room. Formerly mind controlled Black Widows are now her disciples, following her around like she is the second coming and ready to kill and die for her. They see her as a powerful messianic figure. They are spies, Director. We will be found out. What protection can you offer us when she takes offense?”

Maria sat down and sighed. She may have made a mistake asking Samson to join them but he was the best. She would take him over the combined others in this room. Everything he said was true.

“None. That is the problem. If Wanda Maximoff were to fly into the Oval Office and kill the President no one could stop her. She does listen to others though. She likely listens to Captain America. She saved a unit of S.W.O.R.D. agents, likely at Agent Ross’s request. Why? Why does she listen to these men? Who else does she listen to? The operations against human traffickers and A.I.M bases are planned with military precision. That means the widows with her are more than disciples. She listens to them and follows their lead.

“Why did she come to Captain America’s rescue and take Bucky Barnes into hiding with her? We have no knowledge the two had contact before the battle at the airport. Dr. Samson, the work you did on the Hulk pales in comparison to what needs to be done here. You know it. You all know it. Understanding Wanda Maximoff’s psychological make up is of upmost importance to the world.”

The room was quiet and Maria was relieved to see none of the doctors standing up to leave. They were lost in their own thoughts. Rather than arguing her case further she left them in silence. She didn’t have riches to offer them. She didn’t have glory. All she had was a hope that they would be intrigued enough to do this despite the danger.

Maria had only seen one person as powerful as Maximoff and had no way to get in touch with her. Carol had been roaming the universe for years. Fury had a way to contact her but Fury was possibly dead or in hiding depending on who you believed. Danvers had never left her with a way to contact her. She had just disappeared.

Despite Carol’s incredible powers, Maximoff scared the hell out of her. The girls actions and intentions were noble and heroic actions but that could change in a second. No one challenged the Red Widows. They operated as a law unto themselves. No one challenged Maximoff and all they could do was hope she was not a threat. Planets were not protected by hope. She needed an edge.

Samson finally spoke up. “I’ll give a list of questions for your agents to ask her old acquaintances. They forward recordings to me. Your agent will not be told who I am. She can rip the knowledge out of his head even if he refuses to speak. I will not become a target of her. I expect the same for the others. We all know each other now. None of us are going anywhere, especially not Sokovia. We provide our assessments and we are done. Agreed?”

It wasn’t what Maria had hoped for but it was the best offer she would get now. She could talk to the others and perhaps the more they learned about Maximoff the more they would be hooked into pursuing it further.

“Agreed.”

The room cleared, leaving Maria alone. She sat down and pulled up a picture of Wanda and Pietro at a rally in Sokovia. Both looked angry, fists raised and a raging fire in their eyes. The photo still made her shiver.

“What are you up to, Maximoff? I wish I knew what you were doing now.”

Red Widow Compound, France

While Maria Rambeau wished to know what Wanda was doing, Wanda was seated on the floor of Yelena’s room, leaned back against a wall. Fanny was between her and Yelena. They were passing a bottle of vodka between themselves, having given up using shot glasses hours ago. If not for the wall, it is unlikely the two could sit themselves up.

They were in tears laughing over a joke Wanda had read in a magazine.

“Did you know the first French Fries were not cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece!” Yelena told her, sending them into another fit of laughter.

When they stopped Wanda took a deep breath. “I think I am drunk.”

Yelena nodded. “You are. You shouldn’t drink… how much… not so much. Yes, you shouldn’t drink so much. Or that much? My English is not coming so good for me right now. If Kate called, Fanny would have to speak to her.”

Hearing Kate’s name stopped any thoughts of humor. “Is she sleeping better?”

Yelena sighed and shook her head. “I wish I could hold her and tell her it will be all right. I talk to her until she goes to sleep, but it doesn’t help. She is depressed and scared. I can’t help her.”

Wanda suspected the kind of help Kate needed neither of them could give her. “As soon as it will be feasible for her injuries to be healed I’m sure Eleanor will take her to the best therapist in the world.”

Yelena snorted. “Americans and their therapy. I’ll take a good bottle of vodka and a knife fight any day. Those two things helped me work out my… what do you call them… mommy issues. Yes, beating your mama into a bloody unrecognizable pile of meat is better than any therapist. Kate does not have that issue thankfully. She will need something else but I do not know what that is. Let us talk about something else. Tell me more about these magic other Wandas that was seen on your sleep journey. What about the one in Paris?”

Wanda snorted. “She killed the entire universe accidentally.” she said, taking a large drink from the bottle. “Oops. These things happen when you are a nexus people.”

Yelena took the bottle from her. “Maybe she had a bad hair day or was knocked down by rude pedestrian. Could you imagine? Ouch. Hey Asshole watch where you are going! I hate everybody! Leave me alone!” Yelena finished with a flourish.

The two girls looked at each other and broke down in laughter.

“That’s not funny…” Wanda protested as she tried to catch her breath and continued laughing. “And that is a horrible imitation of me!”

“It is bestest imitation! Sokovian is an easy accent to pick up. It’s like a Russian who was dropped on her head one too many times!”

Wanda tried to punch her shoulder but nearly landed on Fanny and Yelena had to help her sit back up.

“Short girl with big feet. The Wanda with the Darkhold was a real bitch. She had black veins and her face was sort of twisted like a Halloween witch. It was like me but sort of a monster me.”

“So you in the mornings?” Yelena guessed.

Wanda shrugged. “At least tomorrow morning. I… me… my… I’m supposed to work with Bucky for the first time tomorrow. Agatha says my walls are built strong enough now.”

On the return to the Mansion, Agatha with Wanda’s blessing had placed magical runes around the house, making it a magic free zone that Wanda could relax in. She still had to maintain her calm but Agatha believed she would have to deliberately break the rune seals to use her magic. Wanda still had her telepathy and telekinesis but the chaos magic that constantly swirled around her and demanded to be used had gone quiet. They had worked all night on building walls in her mind that she could use to limit her power for now.

“Yes, your new boyfriend.” Yelena said. “This is very entertaining. Is like tennis match. You look at him, then look away and he looks at you and back and forth it goes. It was fun seeing you in skirt and heels in mansion today. You have no need to impress him. He already wants you. I thought it was just Vision but apparently all men with at least some robot parts love red heads with big bosom named Wanda Maximoff. You will have robot babies one day. Just you watch.”

“Ugh. Why do I put up with you? Shouldn’t you be bonding with your Natalia? We went through so much trouble to bring her here and you decided to get me drunk instead.”

Yelena sighed, knowing Natasha should be here but Yelena hadn’t invited her. “She needs to know other girls. Taco Tuesday was hit last night but that is not enough. She needs to blend in. It was nice of Captain America to cut grass yesterday. Was also nice that Agatha conjured his wardrobe.”

“He isn’t happy that his t shirts are a size too small.” Wanda pointed out.

Yelena nodded. “He may not have been happy but considering he had no clothes when he arrived, he had to take what Agatha gave him and Agatha and a few other girls liked him in tight t shirts. If I wasn’t Katesexual I may find him attractive.”

“Katesexual?”

“Is that not the word for someone who only finds Kate Bishop hot?”

Wanda took the bottle back.

Yelena began puffing her cheeks and holding her breath.

“Stop that, you are going to pass out… again.” Wanda scolded her.

Yelena held on for a few more moments and released her breath. “Tell me about the purple alien with the scrotum for a chin. You said he was big and he had that army that attacked New York. Is he coming again? I need to get Kate out before he does. No more alien attacks for her.”

Wanda shrugged. “I have no idea, Yelena. I just know one day, I am going to kick his ass. Or his chin, which ever one causes him to hurt most. He is going to meet the Scarlet…”

Yelena took the bottle from Wanda’s hand as she began to fall asleep.

“Wake up!”

Wanda’s eyes widened and she tried to sit straighter but failed. “What?! Aliens! Robots?! Scrotums?! I’m ready!”

Yelena rolled her eyes. “You were being very threatening then passed out before threat. It is bad form. One day I will meet this purple alien and I will be the one to kill him.”

Wanda snorted, barely keeping her eyes open. “And how are you going to kill him?”

Yelena raised the bottle and nodded. “I shall throw my Scarlet Witch at him! Go to hell scrotum face! Отстой, инопланетянин! There shall be big party and universe shall know the name Yelena Be… Be..”

“Belova.” Wanda helped.

“I know that. I… I shall be known and feared throughout the whole universe! Yelena Belova, killer of the alien with fifteen wrinkly chins! My face will be on shirts and hats and underwear!”

Wanda took the bottle and finished the last bit. “I drink to that and anything else. I need help crawling into your bed.”

Wanda made a halfhearted attempt and threw her arms onto the mattress. Fanny moved and Yelena shuffled over to push Wanda onto the bed. Wanda reached down and pulled Yelena up onto the mattress.

Fanny jumped onto the bed and burrowed herself between them and they passed out before either could turn off the lights.

Natasha stood outside Yelena’s door, preparing to knock but stopping when she heard the fun they were having. A part of her wanted to join in but a part of her didn’t feel like she belonged tonight. The atmosphere was taking some getting used to for all three of the newcomers.

It was nice but it wasn’t home yet. She had been shocked when she realized the tall widow from the first night had actually been Antonia. She had talked to the woman at length and while Antonia was nothing but kind she felt much hostility from her lover which was natural she supposed. She knew it wasn’t her taco making skills that gave her a place here.

She wouldn’t be deterred though. Nat was under no illusion that this would be easy. She didn’t shy away from hard. If Steve could get through the adjustment period, then she could.

The day before had been interesting. They were given a tour of the bunker first thing in the morning. She had gotten to know the widow named Mika who was sitting in front of a wall of monitors showing different sporting events. She wore pajama shorts and an oversized Hello Kitty t shirt and had huge fuzzy slippers on.

Steve had admitted he pictured widows standing in full uniform with arms crossed watching video images from all over the world.

Then the widows had slowly made their way in. Each was dressed differently. They wore different work out suits in various colors. Some wore tights and others shorts. Some wore t shirts and some settled for only sports bras. They were getting a late start because Agatha had to do some work with Wanda and then continue to heal them from their various injuries. Bea was in the medical room with Oksana who had been monitoring her head all night. She was the only one who didn’t file in for the beginning of training.

Steve became very uncomfortable when some of the girls asked him to help them stretch. He was in a dilemma, not wanting to but not wanting to appear rude. Nat and Bucky encouraged him and he became an object of attention of several widows. Nat doubted any were truly attracted to him. They spotted his shy nature and it became a target they couldn’t refuse. Until he stopped being bothered by it, the good natured flirting and teasing would continue.

Yelena took off for a run and the widows followed her without being told. They were back thirty minutes later and began exercising, some using weights and others using body weight and gymnastic equipment. Then sparring began.

The sparring was rough, but unlike Red Room training, not brutal. Tap outs were respected and adhered to. No one seemed intent on killing their opponent. Many of them including Antonia worked with Antha. Nat suspected Antha was used to working alone and had a very different skill set that involved stealth kills rather than up close hand to hand combat. She was skilled but it was obvious she was not as skilled at the others and Antonia was extra time working with her.

Afterward they went to the firing range. By noon they were done and wanted to know where lunch was. Yelena told them to take care of themselves for lunch and winked at Nat before going to her room to call Kate.

After dinner that Steve had helped cook, they went to their rooms.

Bucky, Steve and Nat ran outside into the hallway when they heard screams. The girls were screaming to run and sounded terrified. Steve and Bucky jumped from the staircase and landed on the first floor. Nat made the run to the living room to catch up.

When they reached the dark living room where the screams had originated from, ten girls illuminated by the light from the huge television stared at them. Some of the girls were standing, others were sitting on the floor or couch. The one named Kristina had a game controller in her hand.

“Everything alright?” The one named Angelica asked. “Beds comfy?”

“Looking good, Cap. God bless America.” Amanda told the shirtless man with a sly grin.

“We… we heard screaming and… why was there screaming?” Steve asked.

“Have you ever played Outlast 2? Don’t judge until you have.” Rowan told the man. “Either take a seat or move on.”

Steve, Nat and Bucky waved good night and slowly made their way up the stairs.

“Teenage black widows are afraid of a video game.” Bucky mumbled.

“I wouldn’t call them black widows.” Natasha warned him. “They probably like it as much as you would like being called the Winter Soldier. Not one of them has referred to you as that.”

Bucky nodded and retired back to his room. Steve stayed outside Nat’s door for a moment. “Is this what you expected?”

Nat shook her head. “Honestly, I had no idea what to expect.”

“They are kids, Nat. They wear fuzzy slippers, watch cartoons and play video games.”

“And they kill human traffickers in brutal fashion.” Nat added. “Don’t think of them as regular kids, Steve. They aren’t. You can’t judge them by that standard or you will never be accepted by them.”

“How am I supposed to see them as adults when all I can see is the childhood they should have had? It just makes me so damn…”

“Angry?” Nat guessed.

Steve nodded. “I don’t think that is enough to describe it but it works I guess.”

“Nothing we can do about it now, Steve. Fit in, help out and eventually they will let you help them fight. That’s the best any of us can do. Do our part to keep them alive, like they kept us alive at the airport. Remember those kids have saved us more than we have saved them lately.”

He nodded disappointed. He was Captain America. He didn’t like problems he couldn’t fix. When he saw injustices he wanted to act. That was who he was, even before he took the serum and picked up a shield. Uncharacteristically Nat hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “Go to sleep big guy. Like the girl said, God bless America.”

She got a chuckle out of him before he went into his room.

Now a night later, Nat was unsure what to do with herself since Yelena and Wanda had passed out drunk. The widows surprisingly had no one in the bunker at night awake. One of them would spend the night in one of the bunker’s beds and wake if an alarm or alert went off, but there was no overnight team watching the world for threats like SHIELD had.

She wandered around in her pajamas for while then stepped out onto a balcony attached to the library. She listened to the wind blowing from the mountaintops into the valley. It was cool and felt nice. After living in cities for so long the quiet wilderness was refreshing.

Then she heard a shuffling on the roof.

Nat saw a line from a window six windows away led to the roof. She retrieved her widow bracelet then returned to the library and used a line to climb to the roof.

As she expected, a widow was there.

The youngest widow, Stannic, fourteen, was sitting on the roof alone with a half empty bottle of Bourbon in her hand.

Nat walked to her and had a seat without being asked.

“Try to take this bottle from me and I will kill you. You won’t win a fight. You wouldn’t fight to kill and I would. Yelena can find another safety blanket. I don’t need a mother so don’t even think about it.” Stannic told her.

Nat nodded.

“Fair enough. You come out here often?”

Stannic shrugged. “Only on nights I can’t sleep. The nights when I close my eyes and feel him on top of me. Did you ever have to sleep with Dreykov?”

Nat shuddered. “No. I slept with a lot of targets before I killed them but never him.”

Stannic nodded. “I didn’t think so. Yelena was his favorite. I think he chose her after you left. He got tired of her though and sent her after Wanda. That’s when I was called in. I had to do what he said. I had to sleep in his bed. I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t even fight. Did you know that? Did you know Yelena was his plaything for years?”

Nat’s eyes burned and she looked into the starry sky, shaking her head. “No. I’m sorry. For both of you.”

Stannic shrugged. “Not your fault. I was only with him for a couple of months before Wanda and Yelena rescued us. I guess you were there too. It was enough though. I can still smell him. Sometimes if I can’t sleep I will go to Wanda’s room and sleep in her bed. The other bed she has is being taken by Agatha but I’m hoping she gets her own room soon.”

Nat was curious. “Why sleep in Wanda’s room?”

“Wanda can make the nightmares go away. She doesn’t have to try. She just knows we are there and does it. If Wanda’s room is filled up I will go into Yelena’s. She lets me hold Fanny at night. If I concentrate on Fanny’s fur I don’t think about other things. Unfortunately Wanda and Yelena are passed out drunk in Yelena’s bed with Fanny. They do that sometimes. So on nights like this, I go downstairs, take a bottle from the cabinet and climb to the roof. It’s peaceful here. I can drink, relax, go to sleep and on cloudy nights when there are no stars in the sky, I can forget I exist.”

Nat sighed, her heart breaking as she listened to this kid speak. All the Red Widows were teenagers except for Oksana and Antonia, but Stannic was barely a teenager. Nat thought she also had the most anger but perhaps she hadn’t learned to hide it as well as the others. What Dreykov did to her was its own kind of trauma on top of what was already there.

“We are going to Disneyland next month. All the fifteen year olds move up a year. I think it’s a dumb idea but whatever. Disneyland is going to be fun or a disaster. It’s Staci’s safety blanket like you are Yelena’s. She is either going to be happier than I have ever seen her or have a complete breakdown. I’m hoping for happy but always expect the worst.”

Nat wasn’t sure if it was her business but she sensed Stannic wanted to talk.

“What do you mean by a safety blanket?”

Stanic grinned. “Yelena calls you her sister but that isn’t the reason you mean so much to her. You remind her of the one time in her life she was happy. You made her happy. Having you here makes her happy. Why do you think we all agreed to let you stay here? For your tacos or your resume hanging out with Stark’s boy band?”

Nat frowned. “I thought the tacos were good.”

“I’ve had better.” Stannic replied. “You are here because you make Yelena happy.”

Nat wasn’t surprised to hear that. She already suspected.

“So I am a safety blanket. How is Disney a safety blanket for Staci? I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”

Stannic didn’t seem concerned. “She would tell you if you asked. We all know. Its why we never comment on the weird things she does like singing Disney songs in a gunfight or dying her hair to match whatever Disney Princess she is obsessed with that day.

“A few years ago, she thinks she was eleven, she was put into deep cover. She had probably only been mind controlled for a year. They usually started us at ten I think. Her job was to go to this Catholic school with a Cartel leader’s daughter. A couple of HYDRA agents posed as her parents. She was so deep, she didn’t even know she was acting. Her and this kid became close. They always played at her compound so Staci never got a shot. But then came the trip to Disney Land in Orlando. He agreed to let his daughter bring Staci along.”

“That was the plan. Kill them once they were out of the compound.” Nat realized, not liking where this was going but not surprised.

“Better likelihood of success. The guards will likely be outside the rooms instead of inside, more avenues of escape. The HYDRA agents could plant a weapon in the room for Staci before they arrived. In this case it was a 6.25 inch K Bar knife behind an air vent.

“When they arrived, Staci and her little friend stayed up late watching Disney movies. The next day they went to Disney Land. It was the best weekend of her life. Then her HYDRA parents called her and gave the order.”

Nat hugged herself, not bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“She killed them all. She killed her friend first, then her friend’s parents. She stepped into the hall and killed the two guards, took their guns and shot fourteen people on her way out of the hotel, then she was brought back to the Red Room. She never experienced joy again but when she hears a Disney song or sees a Disney movie, she feels safe and happy. She is obsessed with it. She wanted that weekend to be real. She didn’t want to end it as a mind controlled killer, who slaughtered her only friend and her friend’s family with a six inch blade.”

Nat could see the problem. Going to Disney Land in Paris would make her happy but it was unknown what emotions could be triggered.

“Yelena had a breakdown over fireflies after we took down our first A.I.M. base. Ingrid saw a picture of a black rose in a magazine and started screaming one night. We couldn’t get her to stop. She eventually passed out. I shot a syringe out of Oksana’s hand because I thought she was going to drug us. You see, we are all screwed up, but not all of us have safety blankets. Some of us are screwing each other. Aino has a teddy bear she sleeps with every night. The teddy bear has a knife inside.

“Me? All I got is this. It’s my safety bottle.” She said, raising the glass container.

Nat smiled and nodded. “Mind if I have a drink?”

Stannic handed it over to her. “I thought you were more of a Vodka girl like Yelena and Wanda.”

Nat tossed the bottle over the side of the house. “I am.”

“What the hell!” Stannic shouted standing up. “Do you want to get your ass kicked?! I told you not to pull any of this shit!”

Nat stood up and stared down at the shorter girl. “I’ve forgotten more about fighting than you will ever know. You are right, I won’t kill you, but I will put a line on you and toss you off this roof and you can wait until someone cuts you down in the morning. So unless you want to be embarrassed then follow me.”

Nat walked to the edge of the roof and turned back to a wide eyed Stannic.

“Now.” Nat told her firmly but quietly.

Stannic joined her at the edge of the roof and the two climbed down to the second floor balcony of the library. Once inside, Nat gave an order to follow her. Stannic blindly followed the redhead to her bedroom. Nat opened the door and pushed her inside.

“Get in bed, you are going to sleep in my bed tonight.”

“What?”

“Get in bed. Yelena has Fanny, a witch and a Twilight Sparkle doll I gave her. She doesn’t need me for a safety blanket. You obviously need someone. I don’t feel like him and I defintely smell better.”

Stannic slowly moved under the covers and Nat joined her then wrapped her arms around her and brought her close.

“Breath in and out. What do you smell?”

“Vanilla?”

“My bodywash. Put your ear on my chest and tell me what you hear.”

“Your heartbeat. Its slow.”

“Are my arms warm?”

Stannic nodded, tears filling her eyes.

“You are going to close your eyes and focus on my smell, my heartbeat, my warmth. Match my breathing. That is all you are going to focus on. Nothing else. This will help you fall asleep. The next time you want to grab a bottle and sleep on the roof you come to my room instead. The door will always be unlocked. If I am asleep, make yourself comfortable. I’m going to be your safety blanket.”

“This will never work.” Stannic mumbled.

“Do you really have anything to lose by trying?” Nat asked.

Stannic didn’t answer. She did as Nat said and was asleep in minutes.

Nat woke as the sun rose and Stannic was leaving the room. The young girl turned back to her before she left.

“Thank you.” she whispered.

Nat nodded. “Anytime.”

“If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you.” The girl said.

Nat nodded. “Stannic?”

“Yeah?”

“If I catch you drinking alcohol again I will kick your ass from here to Paris. Do we understand each other?”

Stannic shrugged. “The bourbon they buy tastes like shit anyway.”

Nat smirked when Stannic walked out then made her way to her shower. She was washing her hair when she heard a tone echo through her room followed by a voice telling all Red Widows to suit up and meet in bunker.

Despite not being an official Red Widow, Nat did as the voice directed. If they wanted to tell her to leave, they could say it to her face. She would keep showing up until they stopped telling her to leave.

She wasn’t the first but she wasn’t the last. That was a very red eyed Wanda and Yelena apparently struggling to walk. Despite her obvious hangover, Yelena made her way to Maria who had called them together. Nat watched from the back as maria talked to her little sister and Yelena’s eyes widened.

“You think they are going to let you play, Hot Stuff?” Agatha whispered in Nat’s ear.

“Is this a game?”

Agatha chuckled behind her. “No, this is no game. This is war and I have a feeling it won’t be robot oil being spilt this time. If it matters, I’m rooting for you, Red. I’m also into women so if you ever get tired of hiding your feelings for the boy scout, give me a shout. Sometimes you need a witch to make magic happen.”

Nat turned to her with wide eyes, scowling.

“I’m joking, Red. Don’t squeeze your thong. Pay attention. Little sis is about to give mission briefing.”

Nat managed not to roll her eyes when she turned away.

“Okay, Red Widows. Wanda is back to pre-Scarlet Witch power level. She can change that at any time and go super witch but there is a chance she can destroy all of creation if she stubs a toe. Her and Agatha are still not bulletproof. So if either witch wants in on this, body armor is necessary.”

Wanda groaned.

“We have a confirmed widow sighting.” Yelena told them. “Maria?”

“Our software is tuned to keywords all over the world including encrypted and secure channels. Iran’s Commander in Chief of Military was killed six hours ago in his heavily guarded home. One of his servants has been arrested. The Iranians are keeping this quiet. From what we understand the girl, age seventeen, had been working for him for over a year. She snapped his neck and then did not try to escape.”

“A sleeper agent.” Yelena guessed. “Someone placed her there and waited until they needed him dead. She didn’t try to escape or fight her way out. It was a mind controlled widow.”

Maria nodded. “And the Iranians have her, likely for interrogation. Her conditioning won’t allow her to reveal anything even if she did break.” Maria pointed out. “She will be executed when they realize she will give them nothing. Twenty minutes ago her photo was taken and sent to Iran’s Supreme Leader.

“That’s when we intercepted and got a hit.”

A photo of a pretty Persian girl with green eyes, a bruised cheek and a lip busted in two places was brought up.

“Meet Yasmine.” Yelena said. “Like some of us her primary training was infiltration and assassination rather than military strikes. The Red Room files on her go back to when she was first put in the field at twelve. We don’t know who her handler is or if this was a prearranged order placed before the fall of the Red Room. If she had a handler, he or she is likely long gone. Our job is simple. We break into Tabriz Prison, free her and bring her home.”

Yelena paused for a moment.

“We all know Iran’s views on women’s rights and the injustices committed there. As much as we would like to save them all, we cannot. What we can do is kill all the guards while saving our sister. Our primary mission must be to retrieve Yasmine. Staci, while we are conducting this op there is to be no mention of Aladdin. You can fangirl over her name when she is with us, not before.”

Staci saluted her. “Aladdin’s princess is named Jasmine but I understand, Supreme Leader Sno…”

“No Star Wars references to the title of Iran’s leader!” Yelena added. “We hit from all directions. Wanda Agatha, Ingrid and Antonia will be on my team. We are going to bring down the walls from the north side hard and bring the attention to us. There are several buildings that make up the prison. Once the fence is down, we will kill those who come out. We are facing perhaps one hundred guards with basic military training. The prison has a history of rioting so our actions will start violence. Ava and Sonia, take your teams and converge on what we believe is where the prison’s death row is. Zarola, Team 2 is yours for this mission. We do not have accurate blueprints so we are going in somewhat blind.”

“Transportation?” Ava asked.

“We surround the prison in the dark on foot approaching from the city” Yelena told them. “Once we have her, steal vehicles available and drive her to jet. We will find our own way.”

“You will be pursued.” Ingrid pointed out.

“By whom?” Yelena asked. “The guards will all be dead and we will be gone before the Iranian military arrives for backup. I doubt Iranian citizens will become involved. We always have Extraction two to fall back on if it is deemed safe. Dani, you are piloting.”

Dani groaned but did not complain so Yelena continued.

“Worse happens, Wanda goes super witch and then we sedate her before she accidentally stubs a toe and kills all life in universe with a bad word.”

“I never agreed to that.” Wanda pointed out loudly but was still ignored.

“We can work out logistics on the jet. Let’s pack up, fully loaded for war.” Yelena ordered.

Before the Widows moved, Rowan looked at Natasha.

“What about her?” she asked.

The room quieted.

“That is not my decision.” Yelena told the others.

The silence was thick and Nat felt she could physically feel the weight of their judgement.

“You ready to put some more red in that ledger?” Madison asked.

Nat nodded.

“She can fight with my team.” Ava said. “Get her outfitted with proper weapons, a com and someone please get this woman a red belt buckle.”

Tabriz Prison

Natasha was impressed. She had been part of SHIELD strike teams with Clint and with Steve. They were all quick and efficient. But before she had joined SHIELD she had never worked with a Black Widow strike team. She worked alone.

Nat was a fast learner. Ava’s team came in from the South. Antonia, Wanda, Agatha, Yelena and Ingrid were attacking from the North. When the signal was given, all four teams converged into the complex and stuck together, using night vision to take out the guards by surprise like wraiths in the night.

She thought of asking what Yelena’s signal would be but her unasked question was answered when a fireball erupted on the far side of the complex, quickly followed by another massive explosion.

“Taskmaster and Scarlet Witch are playing who can make the bigger mess.” Ava said over coms. “Time to move ladies.”

The team of five moved quickly and silently. The guards on the walls attention was taken by the explosion. It was a simple matter to shoot them and use their bracelets to pull themselves up to the guard towers avoiding the barbwire fence that surrounded the complex.

Nat had almost forgotten what it felt like to shoot to kill. She was no stranger to causing death as an Avenger but this was different. It was more personal. After they had entered the grounds they used each other as distractions. Two would catch attention while two others slit the throats from behind while Ava constantly scouted ahead, knifing many along the way. Natasha had not cut someone’s throat in years.

They eventually found a control room. The glass wasn’t even bullet proof and Ava and Nat shot the guards heads before the men had a chance to realize they were approaching.

“I found her.” Ava said, searching through log books. “I can’t believe these assholes don’t have a computer system logging prisoner cells. Team 4 to team 2, you should be closest. Look for building… does anyone speak Iranian?”

“It’s Persian not Iranian.” Nat corrected her. “Let me look… building four.”

“Nobody likes a know it all, Romanoff.” Ava muttered. “Team two, you have Michiko, right?”

“Yes.” The widow who was an expert at languages answered. “I see the building. It doesn’t appear to be a cell block.”

“Interrogation wing. Likely a torture chamber. We will meet you there.” Ava told her.

They began to exit the control room but Ava stopped.

“Hey Red 1, should we make this a real party?” she asked.

“Red 4, are you asking me if you can release over five thousand prisoners?” Yelena asked.

“That is an affirmative. I’ll stay behind. When you have her go with Extraction two and pick me up from the roof.”

“Affirmative, Red 4. Wait for order.”

“You are going to release every prisoner in this place? Five thousand prisoners?” Nat asked. “That’s crazy. You could be caught up in a riot.”

Ava nodded and smiled. “Sounds like a blast, right? Madison, you are in lead, Romanoff take the flank. Make your way to team two and three. Our mission window is down to five minutes. After that we are definitely going to be on CNN.”

Natasha covered their backs, only shooting two people while Madison took out three from the front. All the remaining guards were not attacking them though. They were running for their lives. Nat only knew a few phrases and numbers in Persian but she heard the guards shout the words witch and red widows as they ran away terrified.

When they reached the interrogation room, Yasmine was hanging by her arms, beaten very badly. She was awake however but appeared lifeless. Oksana sprayed her with the dust and the girl became aware very quickly. Her eyes were frightened then confused seeing she was surrounded by who she must have thought were Black Widows. Being a deep cover agent she probably never knew widows who worked in teams.

Her bonds were cut and Naomi held her up then held her in her arms. The Widows stepped outside and waited for the jet to hover above them.

There was no need to steal cars per extraction one. There was no defense at all that could harm the jet like ground to air missile systems. Dani flew the jet in and hovered above them. They used two lines to get Yasmine in the jet and the rest followed using their bracelets. When Nat got to the jet she felt alive in a way she hadn’t in a very long time.

Then she took in the destruction around her. The prison walls and guard towers that Yelena’s team had been attacking was a fiery ruin. The grounds were littered with bodies of dead guards and some were half burned and half dust.

Then Wanda and Agatha were flying up to the jet. Wanda was lifting Yelena and Antonia with her power and Agatha had Ingrid. There were big smiles when they landed.

“Start the party, Red 4.” Yelena ordered.

A new alarm rang and thousands of voices rumbled from the ground. The grounds became a swarming mass of humanity. What guards were left were no doubt about to be shredded.

The jet hovered over the building that held the control room and Ava was on top. She fired a cable and lifted herself up into the jet at high speed, then took a look at her handiwork.

“Now that’s a party! Give em hell, ladies! Kill them all!” she shouted, arms raised in joy.

The loading door closed and the jet picked up speed, throwing many of them around.

They had flown for five minutes before, Dani called Michiko up to the front.

“Tell the pilots behind us that they are flying thirty year old Cold War relics with only air to surface missiles, no dogfighting capabilities and they have ten seconds to bug out before I send them to hell.”

Michiko relayed the message and the Iranian jets pulled away quickly.

“Next time someone else is piloting.” Dani told the widows. “Hey Romanoff! You ever have that much fun with the Avengers?”

Nat laughed. It was the first genuine laugh she had after a mission in a very long time.

“You girls defintely know how to throw a party. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

For the next couple hours, Nat sat on the bench and watched the group dynamics. A few of the girls were doing coordinated hip hop moves on a shaky deck during turbulence. Oksana had set Yasmine’s broken bones, Wanda and Agathe had healed her and Yelena was talking to her softly. Nat couldn’t hear over the music and the girls’ chatter but whatever Yelena said must have calmed her because she smiled more than a few times. One at a time so not to overwhelm her, the girls said a brief word and introduced themselves. Yelena caught Nat’s eye and motioned her over to take a seat next to Yasmine.

“Yasmine, this is our newest member and second oldest person on team. She can still move okay for old woman. This is my big sister, Natasha Romanoff.”

Yasmine nodded. “It is nice to meet you. Thank you for saving me.”

“I was proud to be a part of it, Yasmine. I hope you will join us in the future.”

The girl nodded quickly. “Yelena said I don’t have to but I am very good at killing. I am very skilled and can rescue others. Is it true you were an Avenger?”

“Yes.” Nat said, wondering how Yasmine knew it.

“The girls said you are a good poser and I should ask you to teach me how to do the thing with the legs and the hair. Can you show me?”

Yasmine nodded towards the other side of the jet. Several widows had their legs split, an arm on the ground and were dipping their head back and forth.

Nat closed her and sighed.

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”

Wanda patted her on the shoulder. “Welcome to the team.”