Chapter Text
Yelena is trying to eat jerky, but all you can focus on is Natasha, she's chatting with the agent who got her that rickety helicopter, they seem happy to see each other. You can't ignore it, jealousy took hold of you, despite your mind protesting its irrationality. Knowing you had no legitimate right to these feelings it’s a bitter cocktail of insecurity and guilt, poisoning your thoughts.
You force yourself to look away, Yelena still insists on eating that jerky, Natasha returns, carrying three white uniforms in her hands.
"Here, one for each of us" she hands the pieces to you and Yelena.
You check the helicopter while the two girls finish dressing, noticing the agent doing the same.
"Thanks for the help" you say as you approach, drawing the man's attention away from his tablet.
"Oh, no problem. Anything for Nat!" the phrase, the use of the nickname, everything makes your chest tighten against your heart.
"So, you... you and her..." you don't want to complete that sentence, and fortunately you don't have to.
"No! Definitely not" the man laugh "you have no idea how many years it took me just to start gaining her trust" a relieved sigh leaves you as you allow yourself to laugh and nod because you understand. "I'll always help her, she's kinda worth it, isn't she?" you look in the direction he was focused on. Natasha and Yelena are approaching, wearing their own white uniforms.
A wave of heat floods your body, making your heart race and your pulse quicken. Your breath catches in your throat, and you find yourself unable to look away.
"She's worth it" you murmur, mesmerized, losing the knowing gaze of the man beside you.
"Ready?" the agent asks, and after many thanks, you're finally in the air. Precariously, but in the air.
Of course, Alexei had to be in the worst place on earth, an ultra-protected prison in the middle of nowhere.
The plan was simple: you and Yelena take control of the helicopter while Natasha rescues Alexei since the man didn't seem able to do it himself.
You watched from the sidelines as the widow jumped and landed in her typical fighting pose.
"Such a poser!" you hear Yelena say beside you, eliciting a laugh.
Turns out, flying a helicopter with just one hand is considerably difficult, and at some point, you veer into Natasha with the aircraft.
"Really?!" she turns back indignantly after narrowly escaping.
"Sorry!" you shout back, knowing she won't hear you.
Natasha is down there, fighting against the guards who keep appearing.
And then suddenly, they're shooting at you, who would've thought trying to invade a prison and free a prisoner would cause this?
Yelena isn't as patient as you, and before you know it, she's at the back of the helicopter, a bazooka over one shoulder as she aims.
"Lena, what are you doing?" she fires off before you can finish, and it works, they stop shooting at you, because now you all have an avalanche to worry about.
You wish you could let go of the controls and slap Yelena for the comment about it being a cool way to die. Because you don't want to die here, and you don't want Natasha to die here, and she's still down there!
You rev the engine, needing to get all of you out of there, so you wait and prepare, and when you take off with the plane, Natasha and Alexei are hanging onto it.
When you're already stabilized in the air, Natasha climbs up, you don't look back, you can't.
You don't feel prepared for this moment.
One of the earpieces is taken, and you hear the voice that haunted your thoughts for so many years, thankfully, before Alexei says anything, Yelena is doing you the favor of punching him in the face.
"Son of a bitch-" the man recoils in pain "okay, what's with the aggression?" he asks, you didn't remember his accent being so thick, or if he always sounded so drunk.
Either way, a wave of nausea washes over you, churning your stomach.
You can almost feel the color draining from your body as your vision blurs.
Every fiber of your being screamed to flee, to escape the suffocating grip of the memories threatening to overwhelm you.
Yet, you need to force yourself to stay focused on flying.
Yelena is arguing, talking about your reproductive system, and Alexei still doesn't seem to have noticed you.
With each word spoken by him, the weight of the past descends upon you like a suffocating blanket, robbing the air from your lungs and leaving you breathless.
As you struggled to maintain composure, a bitter taste rose in your throat, threatening to choke you. You clenched your stomach, forcing yourself to contain the bile rising, desperate to maintain some semblance of control in the face of overwhelming emotion.
"And who's this?" you hear him ask. It was time, the time you had been avoiding so much.
You turn, and it's as if Alexei has seen a ghost.
Your gazes meet, and a wave of conflicting emotions surges within you, anger, hurt, and a persistent sense of betrayal.
Alexei's eyes widen, his face pale, frozen as if he can't believe what's in front of him.
"You..." he whispers, more to himself.
He can see the pain reflected in your eyes, a painful reminder of the wounds he had inflicted.
"You're... here" Alexei says. Despite the pain, you're drawn to the vulnerability in the man's tone.
"Half of me" Alexei does nothing but nod with regret.
Yelena and Natasha notice the heavy atmosphere between you all, but neither says anything as you turn away again.
"It means a lot to me that you've come back for me" it's the last thing you pay attention to.
Tears welled in your eyes, not from sadness, but from the sheer intensity of your anger, a molten torrent threatening to overflow and burn everything in its path.
The sight of the person who had caused you so much anguish filled you with seething hatred, a primal desire to attack and inflict the same pain you had endured. Every fiber of your being screamed for vengeance, for retribution against the one who dared to betray your trust so cruelly.
And suddenly the helicopter is failing, you look around in panic, trying to understand what went wrong. Yelena and Alexei argue, Natasha seems impatient with both of them.
"What happened?" you ask, approaching, the redhead's worried gaze immediately on you.
"The big guy there didn't listen to me when I said we were low on gas" Yelena rants, you don't understand how she seems so calm, how they all seem.
"Okay, let's grab the parachutes" Natasha speaks, but there's a problem.
"We only have two" Yelena comments.
"You three are light, you can share one” Alexei moves closer when you shout.
"Back off!" and both Yelena and Natasha are surprised to see the man obey without contesting. "Yelena will take one" you walk, reaching for one of the parachutes for the blonde who refuses.
"And you two?"
"Let's sort this out, but none of us three are leaving here before you" you say, and Yelena accepts the parachute because she knows you're telling the truth. Then the helicopter door is opened, and she jumps.
"Great, one parachute, what are we gonna do now?" Alexei asks, and you and Natasha look at each other, a plan in mind.
"I can think of one thing" and before the man can say anything, you're kicking him out. And God, how liberating that feels. You walk to the door, it's quite a few meters to the ground, but what are you waiting for? You have the super soldier serum, you will be okay. So why can't you jump?
Your body is frozen.
You feel a hand on your shoulder, Natasha is equipped with the parachute, and she opens her arms for you.
You feel ashamed at how much you resemble a child running to its mother's arms.
Clutching onto the redhead tightly, you descend towards the ground with gentleness and security, trying not to dwell too much on it and not to relive your trauma anymore, you bury your face in Natasha's neck, trusting her completely.
As you land on solid ground, Yelena and Alexei were already arguing.
Your head still spins even when you have solid ground beneath your feet, you kneel on it for a moment, reminding yourself that everything is okay.
Natasha looks at you with tenderness, but she lets you go, knowing you need your time.
As you struggle to regain your composure, you hear the Avenger and Alexei arguing, something about Captain America.
"Why all this tension?" the man asks, genuinely confused "did I do something wrong?" Yelena seems so indignant now.
"Is that a serious question?" the blonde retorts.
"I've always loved you girls. I did my best to make sure you succeeded, and it paid off"
"Paid off?" Natasha questions. You don't even bother to respond, not even feeling angry anymore. Just a great indignation as you join them again.
"We completed our mission in Ohio! Yelena, you became the greatest child assassin the world has ever known" Alexei speaks as if he truly believes his words make sense. “And Natasha... an Avenger! And you, Y/N..." the man falters, hesitation in anything he could say "all of you..." he clings to Yelena and Natasha.
"If you touch me, I'll break your head" you warn, making the man step back before he could touch you.
"All of you killed so many people... I couldn't be prouder of you!" he pulls Natasha and Yelena into a hug, and it's kind of comical. Especially when Lena comments on how the man stinks.
You start walking, and you make sure to reach Natasha to thank her for the parachute ride, she responds with a smile.
"Are we there yet?" Yelena asks after a while.
"We'll know when we get there" Alexei replies and then imitates a pig, whatever that means.
And then you know what it means, when you arrive at the pigsty and the woman who has the gun pointed at your chest.
You and Melina used to be the closest, you were mommy's little girl, and now she has a gun pointed at your chest.
Melina lowers the rifle and looks at each of you, lingering on you for a second longer, and you feel embarrassed, turning to the side as if you could hide the fact that you're shattered. Melina betrayed you too, but you don't want her to see you like this. Maybe a part of you is still mommy's little girl.
"Darling... we're back" Alexei speaks and it's ridiculous how hopeful and loving he sounds.
Melina says nothing, yet you all follow her.
You look around the house, discovering everything about this new woman who used to tuck you in at night.
"Is there a trap here?" Natasha asks defensively.
"I didn't raise my daughters to fall into traps” the woman says convincingly.
"You didn't raise us" the redhead is quick to retort.
"Fair, but if you all went soft, it's not my fault" Melina says, and when you sit at the table, everyone tries to ignore the strange sounds Alexei makes in the bathroom. You drink in silence when Alexei clears his throat, and there he is in his red guardian uniform.
"It still fit" the man says, and clearly it doesn't fit anymore. And God, you can't believe Melina is actually flirting back.
"Family, together again" Alexei says as he sits with you, and then Melina is saying you're not a family, and Natasha is agreeing.
The Avenger tries to talk about the plan, but once again your "parents" start flirting, causing a disgusted expression on the three of you.
"Stop, don't do this" Natasha speaks, causing outrage in the man.
"Melina and I had to endure all that pre-adolescent puppy love phase of you two" he insinuates to you and Natasha, your ears turning red as you sink into your chair, not much different from the Avenger. “All those looks and contained juvenile love... don't tell us to stop now"
"Natasha, don't bend" Melina says out of nowhere, the Avenger immediately returning to her straight posture and arguing back.
"Listen to your mother" Alexei joins in the conversation, and suddenly the three of them are a confusing mess.
"Okay, that's enough, all of you!" the redhead orders.
"I didn't say anything" Yelena defends herself. You rub your face frustrated.
"The plan is as follows: you're going to tell us where the red room is" Natasha says, and Melina laughs.
"You know, it's like when you told them they'd see Santa if they stayed up late" the woman says, and the man starts talking excitedly "you can't defeat a man who controls others"
She says that, and then looks directly at you before grabbing her tablet.
You can't help but laugh when she calls Alexei a pig.
"Stop breathing" Melina says, and the pig stops. And then there's nothing funny in the air anymore. Melina is speaking, and the only thing you can notice is how Yelena is looking at Natasha.
"Melina" you call out, and the woman stops her proud explanation "shut up" you speak firmly, making everyone look at you, because again, you've always been mommy's little girl.
"Well, I just wanted to explain so you could see how cool it can be..." the woman says.
"Okay, we get it, now enough!" Natasha also chimes in.
"Okay, okay..." Melina finally lets Alexei The Pig resume breathing. For a moment, all of you are silent.
"Do you know who they tested on?" it's the first time Yelena speaks so far.
"No, that's not my department" and then she and Alexei start praising each other, genuinely proud of who they are and what they've done, as if you three weren't there, so broken, in front of them.
"Shut up!" Natasha orders "you're an idiot" she says to the man who wilts like a wounded puppy, "and you're a coward" Melina seems equally affected. “And our family was never real, so we have nothing to cling to" she says, and all you can notice is Yelena, how she seems increasingly shattered. Melina and Alexei start trying to defend themselves as good parents, and it only irritates the Avenger more.
"What?" Yelena asks, low and restrained.
"It wasn't real! Who cares?!"
"Don't say that! Please, don't say that. It was real, it was real to me, you were my family! You were my mother" she points to Melina, close to tears "the closest thing I ever had of one" she's trying her best not to cry, your little girl. "The best part of my life was fake, and nobody told me!" the four of you fall into a guilty silence as the youngest one finally explodes. "Those chemically subjugated agents all over the globe? You were talking about me!" for the first time Melina looks genuinely uncomfortable. "And you two? You left. You left me there. Is there anything you want to say?"
Natasha tries to mumble something, but you remain silent. There's nothing to say, no apology is enough.
"I understand... it must not be easy for any of you to comprehend..." Melina dares to say, earning a bitter laugh from you.
"To comprehend? You're such hypocrites!" you speak in contained anger, Melina looking at you offended.
"It's alright, she's just upset because her toy family is over" Alexei butts in, and you stand up from the table, full of rage.
"Well, by now we thought you'd have gotten over it, Y/N" Melina says, so casually, it hurts you so much, and it makes you so angry.
"Do you know how many fake families I've had? Three! Not counting you guys" Alexei says, agreeing with the woman. You start pacing around the room, increasingly nervous. Yelena and Natasha can feel it, they can see what's coming, and that's why they remain quiet.
"Get over it, Y/N, it's best for you" Melina says.
"Get over it?" you speak with a voice choked by the tears that threaten to come. "I had a family, I had a... son" it's getting harder and harder to speak.
"Oh, yes, those are the most complicated parts, I always told them you couldn't handle it"
"Were you behind this?" you ask Melina, feeling more and more betrayed.
"I'm on the outs, but I always know everything that happens in the Red Room. Believe it or not, that was the best option"
"You should take this as a lesson, it's what I always do" Alexei comments again "everything is a lesson in the end, you finding out the truth, you falling from that plane..."
"Falling?" every line of your face was etched with anger, your jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles stood out like steel cables. “Why don't you tell the truth? Tell them what happened that night..." your tone is laced with poison, the man denies as if pleading "tell them I didn't fall. Tell them you pushed me from that plane"
"Push!" Alexei shouts with effort as all the other women are already in the plane, you push, even though it wasn't helping much, the plane starts up and begins to move on its own. You run to catch up, feeling a hand grabbing your shirt, and Alexei throws you onto the wing of the plane as he jumps too.
"Hold on!" the man shouts as they get higher and higher, you are terrified, risking your life to hold on tight to the plane.
You can't go far, there's too much weight on the plane, everyone knows it.
Natasha is holding onto Yelena tightly, looking around to see if she can spot you, Melina is giving her all to control the plane. They know it won't work, you know it won't work, and Alexei knows.
And things don't get any better when whoever is chasing you starts shooting.
"It's too heavy!" Alexei shouts over the noise of the propellers and his beating heart, you look at him with your eyes squeezed by the wind and fear as bullets deflect from his small body. "I'm sorry, kid!" he asks, you don't really know what the request is for, if it's because of the situation they find themselves in, if it's because of the false mission or if it's because he colludes with the institution that stole all your life.
You don't understand, until Alexei is pushing you out.
Now, around that table, the man shakes his head with the truth revealed, Yelena and Natasha, even Melina are in shock.
"You don't understand..." the man says in denial "I did it for you, I did it for us! I did it so that you would have a chance to escape, so that you could get help, and destroy the red room"
"I was thirteen!" you finally shout, loud and strong, even the huge man in front of you seems frightened by the red rage in your eyes. "I was completely broken, my legs, arms... my spine was shattered... I spent eleven years on a bed, unable to move... eleven years! Alone! Locked in a room on top of a bed!” Natasha and Yelena can't bear to hear this anymore, aheavy silence enveloped the room.
"Stop, stop talking..." the man begs, unable to bear it any longer.
"They abused me, tortured me, made me a lab rat. I bit my own tongue once, to choke on the blood, and then when they saw they had nothing else to do with me, they injected me with the super serum, they gave me prosthetics". You remember the first time you stood up after so many years, you didn't even remember what it felt like “that's where you come in" you point at Melina, she looks so dark now "you invented this new method to control minds, a perfect method, a method made especially for me. But it didn't work, didn't it, mom? Nothing could stop me anymore..." speaking loudly, you began to realize "then I escaped... but I didn't escape alone, didn't I? They let me leave, gave me this false sense of freedom, and so you could continue controlling me even indirectly. I'm so stupid!".
Everyone looks sick and affected now, they can't look at you. “Answer me!” you shout, making the woman flinch, you needed to hear it coming out of her mouth.
"Y/N, don't talk to your mother like that!" Alexei says harshly, but he soon wilts at the look he receives.
"How dare you talk to me like that?" you ask coldly, your chest is puffed out, your chin is lifted, and you have a sovereignty in your eyes that Natasha has never seen. Beside him, Melina begins to repeat words in Russian.
"What are you doing?" Yelena asks, her eyes wide and her heart racing. Full of fear.
"Trying to save our lives" she says, and continues to repeat words that don't seem to make sense.
"Shut up!” you turn to the woman and order, strongly and clearly. You knew what she was doing, which only makes you angrier.
"Y/N, you need to calm down" Natasha is the one who tries this time, she knows you'll never hurt her, standing up to meet you.
"Or what? What are you guys going to do? Because I'm so unpredictable, right?!" your face turned red with frustration as you raised your voice, your words sharp and cutting. Natasha doesn't move away as you approach, she doesn't need to, she's not afraid of you. This isn't you. “You think you can control me?! That you can stop me? I'm the fucking Winter Soldier, no one can stop me!"
"Y/N!" all your outburst is cut off, you look to the side and Yelena is there, as alert as the others "respira". She puts her hand on her chest, massaging the area.
You do the same, forcing yourself to breathe, the room echoing with tension as your words hang heavy in the air, laden with regret.
Your anger subsides, leaving behind a hollow feeling of remorse as you realize the damage your actions had caused.
You blink, coming back to reality, dispelling the red haze surrounding you.
You look at the others, they're all looking at you, and you feel so ashamed.
"I'm sorry..." you apologize softly, filled with remorse "I'm so sorry" you look at Natasha, she nods, there's nothing to apologize for, but it doesn't stop you from feeling like the monster they made you out to be.
"I think it's best if we all get some rest" Melina says "we'll start with the plan later"
And that's what you do, you all stay there for the night, all so broken.
After a well-deserved hot shower and a real meal, you pass by the room and Alexei is singing with Yelena. It's conflicting to know that despite everything he's done, he still manages to be a decent father figure to the younger one, and when he spots you as he exits the room, he receives a respectful nod from you.
You step into the room, and Yelena sitting on the floor, makes room for you.
"He just told me about the time he peed on his own hands" the blonde recounts, unsurprised, you make a disgusted and sympathetic expression for her.
You both sit in silence, just resting a bit after everything you've been through.
"I'm sorry" you can't help but say "I never meant to scare you" and Yelena smiles, not a cruel smile.
"Do you remember that time I was too scared to go down the slide at the public pool alone? And you kept going down with me over and over because I didn't want to stop? You never complained... or when you helped me not be afraid to pull out my first loose tooth? Not be afraid of the Scooby-Doo villains because they weren't real... you would never scare me, Y/N, because you're the one who always took the fear away from me. Because you're my big sister. I'm sorry for what they did to you"
That's the blow that hurts the most, the knockout punch, do your worst, have the worst thoughts, and yet, Yelena will still be by your side.
It breaks you, everything you've tried to hold together until now. You break, you cry without realizing it, when you see Yelena pulling you to rest your head on her lap, like you did many times with her when you were kids, the role reversal is excruciatingly captivating.
You're tired of crying, but it's all you can do now. It's all you need. It's already a first step for your soul to mend.
You remember the first time they put the prosthesis on you, how it gripped your spine, it was the first sensation you felt after so many years, it caught you off guard, you didn't even remember what it was like to feel anything.
When they stood you up, you stood there stagnant like a child learning to walk, all your atrophied bones and muscles loosened, and it hurt so much.
It was the first thing you said, through your dry and useless throat: "Hurts"
Pain was good, pain meant it worked, so they didn't even give you enough time to rediscover yourself, dragging you to a chair, you still weren't good enough for them.
Then they stuck dozens of needles in your arms, restrained you, and injected a liquid into you. It was like lava, directly into your veins, and when it was over you were not only stronger and more agile, but any remaining spark of life in your eyes had vanished, you were dark and devoid of humanity.
You were no longer Y/N, at that moment you became...
"The Winter Soldier" Melina opens the documents in front of Natasha who promptly analyzes them, it was you, but it didn't look like you "Y/N became Dreykov's most valuable weapon after receiving the serum, she was bloodthirsty and without compassion, she was unbeatable" the woman recounts with sorrow.
"Was she being influenced? How?" the redhead asks, flipping through the files.
"The created pheromone was never able to control her, the tortures no longer affected her, there was no longer a psyche they could manipulate. I think she just lost hope. They only had one way to hold her: you and Yelena" Melina admits hesitantly, Natasha looks quickly to her "you and Yelena were Dreykov's only guarantee that Y/N would always obey him, she would never risk anything happening to you"
"What changed?" the redhead asks anxiously for answers.
"You became an Avenger, and Dreykov felt threatened, so he sent his most valuable weapon after you. He thought by then he had enough control over Y/N, but obviously he didn't. It took an entire army to stop her. That's when Dreykov realized he no longer had control over her. He couldn't control her, nor could he detain her. So one day the plan came up: pretend that the truck transporting her had an accident, that all the guards died..."
"How did they fake their deaths?"
"Oh, we didn't fake it, we actually blew up that car" the woman says nonchalantly "what matters is that Y/N escaped, at least that's what she thought, Agent 036 found her and took her home"
"036? Owen?"
"Yes, that's the name..." Melina says with a proud smile.
"This is awful! All of this is awful!" Natasha is so frustrated, so angry and hurt by what they did to you "so that's how it was? You just watched her like some damn Truman Show? How can you be proud of that?!". Melina stands firm in the face of the younger one's fury.
"It was the best option we had, believe it or not" the woman retorts "it was the best we could do for her, and everything would have been fine if..." Melina stops, starting to gather the files.
"Nothing was ever fine" Natasha speaks grimly. The two women return to their tasks, organizing the plan, in the vengeful mind of the Avenger everything that passed was still you, with your uniform, your weapons, and your deadly gaze.
In the room, your crying had already subsided, and now you talked about anything and everything with your little sister, trying to alleviate the embarrassment that settled in after your breakdown.
"Come on! No one can handle the puppy love looks between you and Natasha anymore" the blonde teases.
"There are no puppy love looks!" you defend yourself, not sounding convincing to the younger one, and you desperately needed to change the subject. “And what about you? Didn't you meet anyone special during all this time outside the red room?" you ask, barely noticing how quickly the younger one became nervous.
"All I care about right now is taking down the red room and Dreykov, I don't have time for that..." she tries not to pay much attention, but you insist.
"Life can't just be that, Lena, it's time to enjoy a bit... there are so many people out there, so many loves to be found!" you speak excitedly.
"Yeah, and look how it ended up for you" the blonde quickly retorts defensively, it stings your heart and she immediately seems regretful "I'm sorry”
"It's okay, I didn't mean to pressure you" you say, and the atmosphere is awkward again. Yelena squeezes her eyes shut tightly with regret and for everything she hides.
"I just... it's not your fault... there's something wrong with me" the last part comes out quietly, leaving you intrigued. "I think the red room broke something... inside me"
"What do you mean?" you ask cautiously and lovingly, not wanting to scare her in this vulnerable moment.
"There's something wrong..." she breathes out a shaky and long breath "in my head, in my heart..." you swallow your confusion, waiting for her to elaborate. "I just... I don't feel anything, nothing like I should"
You don’t want to assume anything yet, but you can’t help but have a sneaking suspicion of where this conversation is going. Your face softens as you notice the girl’s frustration, and you bite your lip, hesitating for a moment before speaking again.
“It’s okay if you can’t explain. But I have a feeling I know what you mean… Lena, have you ever heard of sexuality spectrums?” Yelena looks at you confused, as if the next things you’re going to say are going to change her life. “Asexuality. It’s when a person experiences little to no sexual attraction to others. It doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of love or intimacy, but attraction is just… less present in their lives” Yelena’s eyebrows furrow as she processes your explanation.
“But… maybe if I met the right person…” she tries. You nod, understanding what she means.
“That’s completely valid, too. Maybe you’re demisexual, or even gray asexual, which means you only experience sexual attraction under certain circumstances or with the right person”. You paused for a moment, your eyes glued to hers “It’s a spectrum… and everyone falls somewhere on it”
“So… is there a name for it?” You nodded, your expression soft.
“Yes, it has a name, and it has a whole community. I’m sorry you haven’t had the time to learn these things about yourself, but I promise you, once this is all over, we’ll figure it out together”
Yelena is once again looking at you with those bright eyes and downturned mouth, your newest encouraging speech brings some relief and hope to the younger one's heart.
"You're really good at this, aren't you? I swear at any moment you're going to start singing" she laughs with some tears on her face, you pull her into an embrace and kiss her temple, wishing things were different, that Yelena had had time to grow and discover herself with the support she should have had.
"Y/N? Lena? Melina's calling, it's time to start" Natasha appears at the door, seeing you two hugging on the floor, you don't think twice about reaching out to her, but she declines.
"No, not again..." Romanoff dismisses, but you grab her hand, pulling her towards you, and so Natasha ends up snuggling with both of you too.
"I love you girls" you say, not expecting reciprocity, not expecting a response, just because it felt really good to say.
You walk to the living room, where Melina awaited focused.
Natasha and Yelena sit on the couch, but before you can too, the woman is calling you.
"I want to give you something" she approaches with a large suitcase in her hands, you look at the girls searching for any hesitation, when it doesn't come you join the woman in the middle of the room "it's not the same model they gave you, but it has the same functionality"
She opens the suitcase, and inside there's a prosthesis, the arm appears to be made of metal, as if reading your thoughts the woman responds:
"It's made of vibranium, more resistant than what you used to have" Melina explains, you pause for a second before reaching for her arm, hesitant after her earlier outburst "take it..." the woman encourages, and you do.
"How do I..." you immediately try to fit it onto your arm, but the prosthesis doesn't latch.
"Here... let me..." Melina approaches you, hurt when you pull away "I won't hurt you"
She installs a support on your arm, it's painless and quick, things happen when you apply the prosthesis.
A wave of empowerment runs through your body, filling you with energy. With each flex of your mechanical fingers, you feel a new sense of completeness, as if the missing piece of yourself had finally been restored. The weight of the metal appendage is a reminder of your strength and resilience, and as it moves, you experience a sense of control and power over your surroundings.
"And? How do you feel?" Melina asks, eager to see you at your peak, as you once were. You spin the metal arm, fitting it entirely, you inspect it, and then slowly look at the woman with the same fire in your eyes she used to see.
"Complete "
The plan was set, everyone pretended they were betrayed by Melina and would thus enter the red room. But some things were still missing.
"You can't attack Dreykov, his pheromone doesn't allow widows to harm him. So you need to disrupt the pheromone's effect" Melina traces Natasha's nose, as she would be in charge of taking down Dreykov while you would go after what you now know is called the "Taskmaster" and the rest would free the widows.
"That's why the pheromone doesn't work on me! When I fell from the plane, my face was also all broken!" you conclude, causing an agonized expression on everyone's faces.
"Yeah, Y/N, I wouldn't use those words... but that's it" Melina confirms.
"Leave Dreykov to me" you approach Natasha. Face to face. "I'm immune, you don't need to hurt yourself. I can handle this alone"
"I know you can" Natasha holds your cheek, making you stop speaking paralyzed, a good paralyzed "everyone here knows, but you don't have to. You don't have to do everything alone, not this time" Natasha continues holding your cheek, and you stay so close.
"Are you sure they're still not together?" Alexei whispers to Yelena, who confirms disappointed. The man returns indignantly to his place while Melina maintains that loving smile.
"Well, there's still one thing that doesn't fit..." you continue after Natasha releases you "how will Dreykov believe that you captured me?"
"It's simple" the matriarch says "we'll use what he's always known works against you: your heart. We'll pretend you surrendered"
"I doubt he'll believe it."
"I doubt he won't, don't you see, Y/N? Anyone else in your place would have given up by now, you lost your family... twice, and now you've been betrayed again, he wouldn't question that you finally gave up... he doesn't know you" Melina speaks face to face with you, and all of you hope she's right.
You stay in the room, organizing the final details of the plan, chatting with Alexei, never noticing Natasha, who seemed unable to take her eyes off you.
"You're so into her" Yelena blurts out, catching the older sister off guard.
"I'm not..." Natasha tries to preserve her dignity, averting her gaze.
"Oh, you totally are... it's the arm, isn't it?"
"Shut up."
"It totally is! I mean, it's kind of hot..." the blonde teases, pleased with the blush creeping up the redhead's cheeks.
"Oh my God, shut up!" Natasha storms out of the room, leaving a giggling Yelena behind.
You all sit in the room, waiting for the right moment, and inevitably, memories of the past come flooding back, it was good, everyone was laughing and having fun, forgetting the reason they were there.
You, Natasha, and Yelena could have done without Alexei and Melina flirting, or without the man recounting the time he beat Captain America in a fight.
At one point, you remembered the song Yelena used to sing as a child, it was impossible to forget, she used to ask Melina to play that tape all day long, and even though she had hidden it for a long time for her own sanity, the woman still had it. And that's how the room filled with music.
You walk into the kitchen where Natasha was checking her weapons, still refusing to carry one, which doesn't please her.
"I still think it's a shame you have to hurt your pretty little nose for the greater good" you say, entering the room. Natasha smiles, setting everything aside to focus on you as she approaches. Getting close.
"It's not the first time I've had to break my pretty nose for a greater good, it'll be fine" she laughs, running her finger over her nose, you laugh too, swapping her finger for yours.
You're close again.
This ignored tension between you two grows, but you don't pull away, letting your hand cradle the widow's face.
"You told me it was only a few months" Natasha suddenly speaks, taking you by surprise.
"What?"
"You told me you had only been paralyzed for a few months" she says and you try to move away at the revelation of her lie, but Natasha holds you, keeping you right there.
"I didn't want you to worry" you force yourself to admit, and Natasha smiles tenderly.
"Y/N, I adore you, but you can be so stupid sometimes..." she says, but in a way it doesn't offend you. "I'll always worry about you..." and then you're silent again, with that thing in your eyes that only you know.
Natasha has changed, she's an Avenger and a complete woman now. But here, under your hand, she's still that little girl with blue hair and the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's still the girl you fell in love with when you were kids, she still gets embarrassed like one, laughing softly and looking away.
"Look at you, you're a mess..." she refers to your new black and disheveled uniform. Natasha straightens it for you, her hand sliding down to your arm, hesitating as she touches the cold metal.
"Is it weird?" you ask low, without taking your eyes off her.
"It's beautiful" she says quickly, looking back at you "you're beautiful"
The kitchen exudes warmth and familiarity, enveloped in a soft, dimly lit atmosphere that surrounds them like a comforting embrace. Gentle moonbeams filter through sheer curtains, casting a silver hue across the room and illuminating the space with a tranquil glow.
Soft music still plays in the background, its melody contributing to the serene ambiance of the kitchen. You two stand face to face, eyes locked in a silent exchange of longing and anticipation. As you draw closer, the air between you crackles with electricity, a palpable tension that seems to vibrate with the promise of what is to come.
"Girls..." Melina suddenly barges into the kitchen, causing you and Natasha to separate, the woman looks disconcerted to see she interrupted something, she nervously apologizes, eliciting a small smile from you and Natasha. "I just wanted to let you know that I've called the Red Room, they'll be here in a few minutes" she composes herself, quickly leaving the room.
"Thanks, Mae!" you thank the hurried woman, Natasha looks at you tenderly, she smiles and steps away.
But you don't let her go too far, you hold her, pull her back, and you kiss her.
It's the bravest thing you've ever done in your life, and your heart fills with love as Natasha reciprocates.
With a tender yet determined touch, you both hold each other's faces, fingers trembling slightly with emotion, with a grace that belied the inner chaos.
Time seems to stand still, the world around you becoming insignificant. In that fleeting moment of vulnerability, the weight of unspoken emotions hangs in the air, binding you in a fragile dance of intimacy and acceptance.
You sigh softly in surprise, the world fading away until there is nothing but the sensation of your lips moving together in perfect harmony.
And when you finally pull away, with your heart pounding in your chest, you share a knowing smile, your eyes shining with the realization that this is just the beginning of something beautiful and profound.
You both separate, breathless, with full smiles on your faces. It was everything you hoped for and more. It was everything.
You only snap back to reality when a bright light hits your bodies, a helicopter hovering over the house, and you know it will be full in a few minutes.
"It's time..." Natasha speaks softly, neither of you wanting to part. You look at her, trying to convey calm and confidence, even though you yourself fear the future.
"Let's destroy the Red Room"