Chapter Text
#010 ... BACK HOME
"Was it a smart move to break him out?" Sharon asked curiously as she could picture many things going wrong, that could affect their ultimate goal. And she wondered if Alexei could benefit them in a positive manner. Yelena glanced at the blonde, "Trust me, there are worse people out there than having our dad out of jail."
Yelena didn't intend to reply defensively, but her commitment to protecting her small family was unwavering, regardless of the circ*mstances. Amidst the chaos of her existence, amidst the tangled mess of her experiences, there existed one constant beacon of solace: her memories of Ohio. Despite the storms that raged in her life, the recollections of that place served as a lifeline, pulling her back from the depths of darkness into the comforting embrace of peace.
Harley found herself caught in the midst of conflicting emotions. While she cherished the memories of her time in Ohio, a pang of betrayal lingered within her heart, from the actions of both Alexei and Melina when they allowed them to return to the red room. She empathized with their own struggles and what happened.
Natasha was the toughest one to break her heart guarded fiercely, reserved solely for her sister. Her sentiments toward Melina and Alexei seemed more distant, though perhaps a flicker of concern lingered beneath her tough exterior, awaiting the balm of time to mend old wounds, as they are trying their best. But that does not mean she has to forgive and forget. Their bond will just be different than it was like before. The screen brightened up as the next part started to play.
Alexei froze but quickly snapped out of it as he listened to the voice and followed the direction given to him. He got up, went to the guard and punched his arm to the glass pulling the guard out as the guard's head bang against the glass. He pulled the other guard out and threw him across the room. With that Alexei made his way out.
"Go left. Just don't make a scene."
Alexei turned left as the door opened. He tried to keep his guard down as he avoided making any eye contact. But the other prisoners quickly noticed that he was escaping and they yelled out to warn the other prisoners and guards. With that Alexei quickly ran through the guards knocking them down, he passed a gate and got a shield put in the gate to prevent the others from opening the gate.
Meanwhile the three sisters were outside in the helicopter and they all rolled their eyes hearing all the chaos Alexei was causing. Natasha sighs, "You made a scene didn't you."
Laughter bubbled forth from all as they witnessed the playful chaos ensuing among the three sisters. Ned's head tilts slightly as his gaze remains fixed on the screen. "Doesn't her dad look familiar?" he muses aloud.
"What do you mean?" Peter question, his attention also absorbed by the screen, attempting to put the connection of where Alexei seems familiar from. Ned furrows his brow in contemplation. "I'm not entirely sure, but he resembles that one actor..."
"The loser is onto something; he's from stranger things," MJ interjects softly, prompting nods of recognition and amusem*nt from the two teenage boys as the puzzle pieces fall into place.
"The three of you look so done, with everything." Kol stifled a chuckle, his lips twitching with the effort to suppress his laughter. Yelena mirrored his amusem*nt with a snort of her own, her eyes twinkling with amusem*nt. "You would be too, if you had to put up with him."
Bucky scrutinized the sisters with a weary expression. "He can't be that bad, can he?"
The trio of sisters responded with a collective deadpan stare. Alexei embodied the epitome of annoyance in their minds. Fortunately, the screen illuminated just in time, sparing them from further enduring his remarks.
Alexei didn't answer, he ran to the door, kicking it down. He runs to the center of the prison and grunts out, "What Now."
"We are getting you out of here." Natasha answered him. Alexei looks up in awe as he sees a helicopter but breaks out of the moment as more prisoners and guards come out after him. An alarm ran through the whole prison to warn that a prisoner was escaping. Guards started to shoot the prisoners.
"Go to the upper level. And move faster."
"Come on move your ass super soldier."
"I think old age is finally hitting him."
Laughter echoed through the room as Tony shook his head in mock disappointment. "Looks like the wannabe charlie's angels don't have much faith in their old man."
The collective snort of amusem*nt from those present followed suit. Natasha, meeting Tony's gaze, arched a brow in response. "Charlie's angel?"
Tony nodded at the redhead, "There are three of you. You are all spies, so it works."
"Well kind of, Yelena does not work for a government agency." Harley remarked with a hint of reservation. Bruce, intrigued, tilted his head slightly, speaking softly for her ears alone, "And what do you mean by that?"
"Is nothing." Harley bit on her lip, apprehensive about delving into the complex matter of Amanda Waller. While Sharon, Yelena, and Happy know about her involvement, they remained unaware of its entirety, leaving Harley hesitant to talk about the subject. Tony let out a little huff, "True, I got to think of something else unless–"
"No." The redhead glares back knowing what he was implying, for her sisters to join the avengers. It's not that she doesn't value their presence or cherish working alongside them; rather, she hesitates to burden them with the weight of teamwork. Natasha remains oblivious, unaware of the looming future where both Harley and Yelena find themselves grappling with their individual battles.
"Unless what?" Katherine raised the question, as Yelena shot her sister a confused expression. Harley was too busy ignoring the pensive look that Bruce was giving her. Tony eyed Natasha who was glaring at him as he debated whether to say it or not. Tony moved next to Thor as he whispered, "Pointbreak you are my bodyguard."
Thor gave him a stifle nod in confusion. Tony sighs as he speaks slowly, afraid of the redhead. "Hermione and mini buffy should join the avengers."
"I agree." Wanda gleefully accepted as she would love to have more women in the team. Loki eyed Harley as he was not part of the team but he spent his time with them, if they allowed it, "I can teach you magic," he turned to eye Yelena, "I could teach you all the weapons in asgard."
"Her magic is no go," murmurs Happy as he remembers her testing out her to improve but it went all over the place. Harley pouts whispering, "It wasn't that bad."
"No magic."
"Fine, who needs magic when you got bat and mallet anyways."
"They are not joining the team." Natasha's glare pierced the air, met by Yelena's silent yet determined gaze. Harley, in response, playfully stuck out her tongue. "Fine, who needs your team when I've got my own," she retorted.
"Selina and I don't count, Harls," Ivy interjected with a chuckle, reminiscing about their fleeting moments as Gotham's sirens. Harley, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips, shook her head. "I meant from what I said earlier, me and a group of criminals."
"That still doesn't quite make sense," murmured the archer, voicing his confusion. Harley simply shrugged at Clint as does not feel like explaining the task force (not knowing in the future they will watch her as to hopefully prevent the death of her friend Rick Flag.)
Elijah glanced at the redhead, "May we ask why?"
"There is too much pressure on them. They will have to sacrifice a normal life and train everyday." Natasha murmurs as she knows she is being hypocritical but if she has a chance to let them live a good life, then she will make sure they have it.
Harley tilts her head with amusem*nt spreading across her. "I would like to add to the testimony that technically I'm a criminal, so, is bit different."
"Don't think that is helping your case," murmurs Happy as the redhead glared at Harley. Yelena glares at her oldest sister, "You don't get to decide that for us. I am not who I was before. I am not that sweet little girl anymore that you have in your head."
Natasha hardened her glare; "Lies. You are still that little girl."
"f*ck you," Yelena shot back, her anger escalating. Natasha's presumption struck a nerve; even after all this time, she had no right to think that way. Yet, they were sisters. Tension thickened in the room, apprehension palpable as onlookers feared the situation might escalate into a physical altercation, reminiscent of past encounters.
Harley bit down on her tongue, disregarding the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. Ivy sighs in exasperation as Chuck nervously looks around the room, "Maybe we should continue?"
Alexei quickly passed the guard, ignoring the comments the girls were making as he was running towards the wall as he took a huge leap to the wall. Alexei jumped from one wall to another wall trying to reach the very top. Alexei eventually reached the top but a guard tased him causing Alexei to fall down.
"He's never going to make it." The three girls sighed at his failure. Natasha takes off her headphone, "Get us closer."
Caroline and Yelena look at her like she is crazy. Natasha looks at them, "Any of you got a better idea?"
Caroline let out a huge breath, as Natasha pushed her to the side door of the helicopter. Yelena got them closer to the upper level, as the two girls by the door had the rope ready to go down. Alexei looked up and saw his daughters, and a smile hit his face.
"I know this might not be not ideal but this was low key entertaining." Peter murmurs to his friend. Ned, holding a bowl of popcorn, stops mid-bite, "Bet that Harley jumps out too?"
"Knowing her track record she will," replies Peter with an amused expression. Clint furrowed his brow as he whispered to his teammates. "Where the hell did they get popcorn?"
"Teenagers terrify me," mummers Tony under his breath. Bonnie observed the trio and remarked, "It's rather heartwarming to see how thrilled he is to reunite with you three."
Natasha, under her breath, muttered, "Or perhaps he's just relieved to have a moment of freedom."
Caroline got the rope as she swung herself to the rail and slid down, while Natasha did a flip landing with one knee down and her other leg out.
"Not a poser my ass." Caroline rolls her eyes at her. While from the top Yelena saw the whole thing and she also rolled her eyes at Natasha's landing, "Such a poser."
The group shared a silent chuckle, observing the playful banter between the sisters. Yelena, brimming with pride, couldn't help but let out a huff. "That's still true," she declared with a smirk.
Natasha, unable to suppress a roll of her eyes, revealed her true colors as a bit of a poser. Unbeknownst to them, her whole team instinctively struck a pose in perfect synchronization, oblivious to their own actions.
Caroline and Natasha used the rope to their advantage as they swung past each other keeping their legs out to knock out the guards. Caroline let go of the rope as she ran to the guard slip under the guards legs and kicked one of her legs up, as she twisted her body forward and put her arms around another guard kicking him down.
While Natasha kicked the guards down, while holding on to the rope as she swung to another guard jumped over his head bringing him down. Meanwhile Russian guards started to shoot at Yelena. Making Yelena lose control as the helicopter swung down, almost hitting Caroline and Natasha.
"Seriously!" Yelena was still struggling to get control as she mumbled out, "Sorry."
"What the f*ck are you doing? Are you trying to kill us."
"Are you kidding me? Back up."
Yelena just stook out her thumbs, "We are all doing a really good job."
Tony erupted into laughter, exclaiming, "That's pure comedic gold!"
Sam couldn't contain his amusem*nt either. "Seriously, maybe Nat should ditch the avengers and the three of you should hit the stand-up circuit."
"Could work given one of them is an ex-clown." Kol joined in with a chuckle. Tony and Sam found that hysterical, laughing loudly. Meanwhile, Bucky trying to keep environment light and poke on how all have their issues with their own parents. "Sounds more like the three musketeers with mommy and daddy issues."
The four dissolved into laughter, oblivious to the amused stares of everyone else in the room, except for the sisters, who remained unamused. Harley eyed the four of them, "Funny, no one asks for your opinion."
"All I'm saying is you all have a lot to say, given we know your future. Most of you all have a bunch of issues that you all need to focus on," murmurs Yelena under her breath as she didn't mean to insulate anything, given the future is not that pretty with many deaths. Five years, half the population disappearing and then everyone coming back— but nothing was the same.
"Truth hurts doesn't it?" Steve patted both Sam and Bucky. The two rolled their eyes. Rhodey had a teasing smile, "It okay Tones, it only hurts if it is true."
Tony rolled his eyes. The mikaelson siblings laugh at Kol. Rebekah teased him, "Oh, brother finally got a taste of your own medicine."
Kol shook his head as he glanced at Yelena; "Good one."
Yelena did not respond, just gave a subtle nod. Her response had been taken lightly but her intent was nothing but that.
Caroline ran to the helicopter and used the rope as an advantage as she went back in, to help out Yelena. Caroline made her way to Yelena and smacked her head. Yelena, huffed, "Ow."
The guards are still starting shooting at the helicopter. Caroline moved to the pilot seat, "Here let me hold steady and you shoot them down."
Yelena let out a little squeal of excitement, "Okay. Enough of this."
Yelena made it down to where the door was opened and took out a big gun. She got down on one knee, held the gun in position, looking for the perfect place to shoot. And boom she found the location and fired away. The instant collision caused a big loud explosion. "Ha!"
The explosion caused an avalanche of snow to come down out of the mountains. While Caroline and Yelena switch positions.
"Yelena, did you seriously just start an avalanche?" Bruce Banner's question hung in the air.Yelena responded nonchalantly with a shrug, "I did."
Bonnie leaned in close to Stefan, excitement evident in her voice. "This is going to be fun to watch," she whispered, and Stefan nodded in agreement, anticipation lighting up his eyes.
Happy groans as why the hell is Harley always in a mess?
Caroline looked outside of the window and saw all the snow coming down. She smacked Yelena again, "What did you do? Are you trying to get us killed?"
"What! This is not my fault. Plus it is a cool way to die." Yelena rubs her arm and looks at her. Caroline is so frustrated, as she goes to the side door and yells, "Nat you need to hurry."
Natasha looks at her, the cause of the avalanche was getting loud causing the prisoners and guards to get inside. Alexei started to worry, "Tell me this is a good sign."
Yelena sat awkwardly to the side, her posture stiff but her eyes darting around the room, taking in the faces of heroes she had only ever heard of in hushed whispers or seen in frantic news broadcasts. Sharon caught Yelena's eye, her expression softening. "You okay?"
Yelena's gaze flicked towards Sharon, a half-smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, her accent coloring her response with a gritty realism. "Isn't it odd being in a room with them?" she asked, her voice a mix of wonder and skepticism.
Sharon tilted her head, considering the question. "Yeah, but I think it will be harder for Harley a bit later."
Yelena nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she observed the silent exchanges and subtle shifts in the dynamics around her. "It's weird, isn't it though? Even though they acknowledge their part, I can still feel judgment coming from them," she remarked, the weight of the heroes' gazes feeling against her skin.
"Is human flaw, judging without knowing the full truth," Sharon murmured back, her tone resigned yet empathetic. She understood all too well the scrutiny that came with being part of this world—where every action and every mistake was pointed out. Yelena breathed out slowly, her shoulders relaxing as she absorbed Sharon's words.
Natasha sighs as she looks down at Alexei, "Move your ass."
The prisoner and guards start fighting with one another to get inside. As Alexei continues to make his way to the upper level. Natasha looked back up to her sisters, "Get us out of here."
Alexei continued to move up as Natasha ran to the rope and immediately hung on it. Yelena moved up and tried to move to Alexei's direction. Alexei started to get scared as the huge amount of snow came rushing their way. Yelena moved to a helicopter closer to him, as he ran and hung on to Natasha's hand. Caroline and Yelena let out their excitement.
"f*ck, we did it!!"
"Yess!"
Caroline pulled Natasha in, as the two girls went to help out Yelena. Alexei got in and turned back to take one last look at the place he hates the most.
"Прощай, сумасшедшие" (farewell, douchebags)
Clint muttered, "That was entertaining."
The room filled with nods, each person silently questioning what would come next. Amidst them, the sister exhaled a weary sigh, knowing that their next move was to meet up with Melina.
Alexei shuts the door, turning his head towards his three daughters. He takes a deep breath, as he makes his way towards them, "Oh, that was exciting. Oh, I'm so proud of you girls."
Everyone in the room scoffed at his words. Clearly, they didn't know him well—after all, it had been years since his last encounter with the three girls. Yet here he was, talking about being proud of them when he didn't truly know them at all. But then again, did anyone in that room really know them?
"Why was he in prison?" Bruce Banner glanced at the sister, his tone inquisitive. The three sisters exchanged looks, shrugging in unison. Natasha responded, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "Dreykov just put him there; we never really knew why."
Sam snorted dismissively, "You all should find out."
"You're just nosy." Ivy injected the heroes with an amused expression. Bucky chuckled, joining in the banter. "He really is."
"Like you aren't?" Sam rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. The playful glares between the two men continued as all (minus the three sisters) watched them with a mix of amusem*nt and curiosity. Steve sighed, shaking his head at their childlike bickering, "Let's continue."
The three sisters groaned in response, their frustration evident even as everyone else in the room looked on amused. They couldn't fathom the amusem*nt—their lives were on display, after all. As they braced themselves for the next part of their past to be revealed, they all silently hoped for a future that would be peaceful, without their lives constantly at stake.
The three girls don't respond, Alexei sighs, "Oh, you can't hear me, huh? Okay."
With that Alexei spots a pair of headset, puts them on as he moves closer to the girls. He chuckles a bit, "Ah.. Wow."
Yelena elbows Alexei right in the nose. Alexei groans out of pain as the two sisters smirk slightly at that. Alexei looks back at Yelena.
"Okay. Why the aggression, huh? Is it the time of your month?"
Tony shook his head, "That is something you do not say."
Rhodey nodded at that, "You told Pepper that and that women did not talk to you for a whole month."
"As she should," murmured Wanda with a slight shrug. Yelena glances in the room in confusion at who Pepper was but she was not the only one, who did not recognize her. Yelena does not pay much attention to the media in future. As she had been consumed by vengeance. Rebekah glanced at Tony, "Who is Pepper?"
Tony turned to her, "Oh, man. She really is a life saver. She is the best person ever, she is always dealing with my mess, helping me have a clean image in the public eye. She is just the best person ever. There are not enough words to describe how amazing she is."
"It sounds like you are in love." Loki stated the obvious feeling the midgardian had for Pepper. The god of mischief scrunched his nose as he could not quite understand the concept of love. Tony shook his head, "We are not together anymore."
Klaus's curiosity got the best of him, "May we ask why, mate?"
Tony sighs as he sinks in his chair, "I'm a f*cken mess, is the truth. I accidentally stared at an evil robot that wanted to take over the world. I released my public address on live television. She has been in situations when her life's been in danger and is not fair to her."
They absorbed his words, realizing that this was a journey he would have to navigate alone, given the complexity of the relationship. Wanda shook her head, her expression pained. "Tony, I can't speak for everyone else, but the blame on ultron is not just on you, I had to play a part in it too."
Tony offered her a sympathetic smile, acknowledging her admission. Bruce Banner nodded in agreement with Wanda's assessment, acknowledging his own role in ultron's creation.
Harley interjected softly, her eyes filled with understanding, as she knew how they got married and had Morgan. "Just be patient with her. If she's stickin' around through the thick of it, it means she cares. But she's gotta look after herself too, ya know? It's gonna take a bit for her to bounce back."
"Thanks hermione," replies Tony with his eyes shining with gratitude. Kol tilted his head, his finger tracing a path through the air, indicating a way they could rewind. "Can we go back to the mention of the evil robot?"
The avengers winced collectively, the memory still fresh and unpleasant. Tony let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping with the weight of his words. "I've been haunted by these visions of our world falling apart. So, I thought, why not build an A.I. to keep the peace? But it all went sideways, got messy, and, well, he turned on us."
"What did the robot want to do?" Elijah faced the heroes. Steve sighs as that was a moment that really tested them as a team, "He wanted to bring humanity at peace by destroying it completely and restarting it."
"I mean Ultron spent like what, five minutes on the internet and decided humanity had to die—" Clint trailed off as all wince at his words. Natasha adds on to Clint's words, "Ultron set about his mission to create a weapon capable of wiping out all organic life on earth."
"Everything?" Chuck asked as sure gotham has its problems, but why has he never heard about the world almost ending? Natasha nodded at him. Bonnie lets out a shaky breath at that, "Glad you all handle that."
Every supernatural being in the room nodded knowingly, unaware of the impending challenge awaiting the heroes. Stefan sighed heavily, a tinge of regret in his voice. "I really need to start keeping up with the news."
Katherine snorted in agreement, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Who knows what else humanity has faced without our notice."
The truth lingered unspoken in the air, a sobering reality amidst their immortal arrogance. Despite their powers, they often overlooked the existence of threats beyond their comprehension. Little did they realize, a celestial entity observed them all, scrutinizing earth's inhabitants to determine their worthiness of existence.
The three sisters rolled their eyes at him. Caroline looks at him, "Мудак. мы должны были просто оставить тебя там" (asshole. We should have just left you there)
Natasha and Yelena nodded at that. Yelena looked back and Alexei seemed confused. Yelena sighs, "I don't get my period, dipsh*t. I don't have a uterus. "
"Or ovaries."
"Or fallopian tubes."
"Yeah. That's what happens when the red room gives you an involuntary hysterectomy." Yelena moves her hands up to demonstrate it, one hand was in a fist as the other was in a scissors movement, "They kind of just get right in and they rip out all of your reproductive organs. They just get right in there and they chop them all away. Everything out, so you can't have babies."
Alexei scrunches up his nose in disgust, "Okay, okay! You don't have to get so clinical and nasty."
The revelation left all the men in the room blushing furiously, their eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and discomfort. Clint shook his head, his tone tinged with disbelief. "No offense, but that's way more information than I ever needed to know."
In response, the women collectively rolled their eyes, accustomed to the occasional ignorance of their male teammates. Elena cleared her throat, seeking clarification. "But why would they go to such lengths?"
The sisters exchanged a shrug, acknowledging the grim reality of their circ*mstances. Harley let out a resigned sigh, her voice tinged with bitterness. "It's part of their graduation ceremony ritual. They do it to ensure our loyalty and enhance our skills as assassins. By sterilizing us, they eliminate the distraction of family ties, leaving us solely focused on fulfilling their missions."
Heaviness fell on everyone. A distastefulness fell upon everyone. Bonnie glances at her, "That is horrible. Were you all unconscious during the process at least?"
The sisters did not answer. It was done differently as technology evolved. Natasha sighs as she eyes the green eyed girl, "I had mine done at around sixteen— I don't really know the actual age I was mentally, physically I was sixteen."
Steve shook his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Yelena sighed in frustration as Natasha remained silent. Casting a sidelong glance at the blonde man, Yelena's gaze sharpened. "Planted memories. Is a long story but the short version is that they developed our minds to be older than we actually were. Do not ask how because, I don't know, it is probably a bunch of science bullsh*t, that we won't understand beside those two," Yelena pointed to Tony and Bruce Banner.
The room fell into a heavy silence, each of the three girls burdened by their own painful pasts. Yelena, liberated but burdened with the responsibility of freeing her fellow widows. Natasha, drifting into the shadows once again, serving as a spy. And Harley, her freedom tangled in the complex web of gotham's underworld.
Amidst their missions and struggles, did these sisters ever truly have the time to heal and confront their deep-seated traumas?
Yelena smirks slightly, "Oh well. I was going to talk about what they do with the fallopian tubes."
The two older sisters smirk as a way of them trying to hold their laughter in. Alexei sits down and looks at his daughters, "It means so much to me that you girls came back for me."
"Are you being serious right now?" Caroline closed her eyes. Natasha shakes her head at him, "No. No. You're gonna tell us how to get to the red room."
"Huh. Whoa, look at you. Huh? All business." Alexei snorts as he looks at them. Caroline flipped him off, "Just tell us where the red room is."
"Trust us this is not pleasure at all." Natasha pushes him even further. Alexei scoffs, "Wow, look little girls, all indoctrinated into the western agenda."
"Don't call me that." Natasha stares straight at Alexei, "I chose to go west to become an avenger. Because they treated me like family."
"Really? Family? Well, where are they now? Where is that family now?"
The avengers winced at that again. It would not matter how many times they will hear about their fallout it will always cause them to have that reaction. It was already hard enough for them individually but to hear it multiple times, made it worse.
Tony shook his head, "Your dad is a dick, but then again given the track record our sh*tty parents what else is there to expect from them."
Everyone in the room snorted at that, counting on Tony to always try to lighten up the mood— attempt to.
Natasha takes a deep breath in and looks back at him, "Tell me where the red room is."
"I have no idea."
The three sisters scoffed at him. Natasha took off her headset as she took off Alexei's headset as well. She sat across from him as Caroline joined her, "Please don't play with us right now okay. Because you and Dreykov.."
Alexei interrupts her, "Dreykov."
Natasha looks at Alexei, "Yeah, Dreykov."
Alexei scoffs at that, "General Dreykov, my friend, huh? Gives me glory. Soviet Union's first and only super soldier. I could have been more famous than Captain America. Then he buries me in Ohio on that stupid mission. Three years! So tedious, boring me to tears. No offense, huh?"
Kol shook his head as he eyed Tony, "You are right. Their dad is dick and that is coming from me when my father spent his entire life trying to kill me and my siblings."
Everyone snapped their heads to the mikaelsons siblings as Wanda had a teasing smile on her as she faced the wildest original. "Yeah, it really is not the same thing."
Harley snorted at that, "Your guys dad is an absolute asshole who hated everything and made it his life goal to end you all. While our dad is an asshole as well but he is just pure dumb to begin with."
Tony let out chuckle, "Man we're all pretty f*cked up in heads bseides," he points at the three teenagers "You are the best of us."
Peter tilted his head "My parents are dead, but I have my aunt May."
MJ bites her lip, "My mother left."
Ned furrows his brows. "Uh, I don't have a close relationship with my parents but I have my lola!"
The room fell into a state of perplexity as all eyes turned towards the screen, the urgency evident in their movements. Amidst the tension, three teenagers maintained carefree expressions, seemingly unfazed by the gravity of the situation.
The sister quickly covered the flash of hurt that was in their eyes as Alexei continued, "Then puts me in prison for the rest of my life. Why, huh? Why? Why would he put me in. You know why? 'Cause maybe I want to talk about the withering of the state. Or maybe I don't like his hair or something and I say something casually about that. Maybe, you know, I want the Party to feel actually like a party instead of this sourpuss organization. But instead, no. He puts me in prison for the rest of my life. He just runs off and hides, huh? I'm not even the one who, uh, you know. I'm not the one who killed his daughter."
Yelena stares at him, Caroline shakes her head at him. Natasha puts her head down, in guilt. Yelena looks back at her sisters, "Думабасс. Can we throw him out the window now?" (dumbass)
Caroline laughs at that and Natasha smirks at Yelena, "I think we should wait till we get to a higher altitude."
Laughter filled the room as the sisters exchanged banter, offering a brief respite from the shadows that loomed over them. Yelena released a sigh, her tone carrying a hint of empathy. "Lowkey, he did have a sad life."
The group responded with nonchalant shrugs, acknowledging the complexities of the man's past. Despite his troubled history, there was a collective recognition that he made attempts, to redeem himself.
Yelena nods her head in agreement. Alexei leans against his seat, "почему бы не спросить у Мелины, где это?" (why not ask Melina where it is?)
The three girls instantly snapped their heads towards him.
"Wait, Mom Melina?"
"Yea wasn't she like you know shot?"
"We thought she was dead."
"You cannot kill a fox that swift." Alexei smirks slightly. The three sisters scrunch up their nose in disgust, "Ew."
"What?"
The sisters wrinkled their noses in sheer disgust. Hearing that particular piece of information once was bad enough, but twice? Absolutely unnecessary. Amusem*nt flickered across the faces of everyone else in the room as they glanced over at the sisters, finding their reaction quite entertaining.
"I see where you get your annoying trait from," murmured Happy under his breath, a hint of amusem*nt coloring his tone. Harley pouted in response. "Hey."
"It's true," Happy persisted.
"Happy," Harley protested, her tone tinged with playful exasperation
Alexei had a teasing smile. He sighs, "She was the scientist, the strategist. I was the muscle. She worked directly for Dreykov far more than I ever did."
"Wait. Are you telling me that Melina is working for the red room present day?" Natasha questioned him. Alexei stated to them. "She works remotely outside St. Petersburg."
"Uh...I don't think we have enough fuel for St. Petersburg." Yelena scoffs as she looks at the fuel engine. Alexei gives her reassurance, "No, we're good. We'll make it."
"Okay."
The helicopter crashed down in the middle of field of flowers. The girls turned to Alexei who gave them an innocent sheepish smile. Natasha rolled her eyes at him as she got out of the helicopter. Caroline followed her out but first she stopped to smack Alexei in the head, while Yelena gave him the middle finger.
Laughter erupted throughout the room, filling the air with a sense of peace. Sam shook his head, struggling to contain his amusem*nt. "I'm dead serious, you guys are unintentionally so funny."
Nods of agreement rippled through the group, even the sisters secretly acknowledging the truth of Sam's words. In the midst of life's darker moments, their unintentional humor provided a much-needed sprinkle of sugar to sweeten the bitterness.
They were all out of the helicopter, as they stood in the middle of nowhere. Alexei eyes Natasha, "You should have brought the avengers jet."
Yelena turned to her sisters who were a little ahead of her, "I swear, if I hear one more word from him, I will kick him in the face."
"He's the worst."
"We should have thrown him out of the helicopter when we had the chance."
Alexei calls out for Natasha, but she just keeps walking forward, "Natasha. Come Here, I want to ask you something. Come, it's important."
Natasha sighs and turns back to him, "What?"
"Did he talk to you about me?" Alexei asked Natasha. Caroline and Yelena looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Natasha tilt her head in confusion, "What?"
"Did he talk to you about me? You know, trading war stories?" Alexei asked her. Natasha glanced back at him. "Who? What are you talking about?"
Alexei looks at her, "Captain America. My great adversary in this theater of geopolitical conflict. Not so much a nemesis."
Natasha glared at him as Alexei kept going, "More like a contemporary, you know? Coequal. I always thought there was a great deal of mutual respect..."
The sisters exchanged eye rolls, a silent agreement passing between them. Harley turned to Steve with a serious expression. "Seriously, if by some chance you do encounter him, just play along."
Natasha and Yelena chimed in with nods of agreement, fully aware of the potential headache of dealing with Alexei's complaints if captain america failed to remember him. Steve nodded thoughtfully. "Will you ever tell him the truth?"
Natasha responded with another nod. "Eventually, but he's not quite ready for it yet."
Steve leaned back, understanding the delicate situation. As they resumed watching, the weight of their unspoken agreement hung in the air.
Natasha interrupted him and gave him a stern look, "Wait. You haven't seen either one of us in 20 years and you're gonna ask me about you?"
"What is with this tension? Did I do something wrong?" Alexei put on an innocent face. Yelena glares at him as she rubs her temples. "Is that a serious question?"
Alexei glances at the three, "I only ever loved you girls. I did my best to make sure you would succeed to achieve your fullest potential, and everything worked out."
"Everything worked out?" Natasha glares at him and takes a deep breath. Alexei looks at her as he nods, "Yes. For you, yes. We accomplished our mission in Ohio."
Alexei walks towards his youngest daughter, "Yelena, you went on to become the greatest child assassin the world has ever known. No one can match your efficiency, your ruthlessness."
Alexei turns to Caroline, "And Caroline, my little Harleen, who now is Harely isn't it? Still, that little girl, with much fire. On top of your game taking down powerful worlds, now cupid of crime..."
Caroline's expression hardens as Alexei then turns to his eldest daughter, "Natasha, not just a spy, not just toppling regimes, destroying empires from within, but an Avenger."
Alexei grabs hold of Natasha, Caroline, and Yelena, as he gives them a big hug, "You three have killed so many people. Your ledgers must be dripping, just gushing red. I couldn't be more proud of you."
"What the f*ck is wrong with you?" Yelena shoves him off as she glares at him. Alexei was a bit confused, "What?"
Once again, the somber reality behind the facade of the sisters' composed demeanor came to the forefront of everyone's minds. Behind their stoic masks lay a history stained with countless deaths. Yet, in that room filled with individuals bearing their own burdens of guilt, hypocrisy lingered thickly in the air as they silently judged.
Harley's glare sliced through the room, her voice sharp and unyielding. "Seriously? This is our past we're dealin' with here, and I ain't gonna stand for any judgy looks or whispers. We didn't choose any of this, got it? Meanwhile, the rest of ya prancin' around like you had a choice in all your do-gooder glory. Well, news flash—some of us weren't so lucky!"
Natasha's smirk spoke volumes of her pride, while Yelena's intense gaze warned against any further condemnation. Without uttering a word, her silent threat echoed louder than any word. "I'd keep quiet if I were you. When she is angry, it's not a pretty sight."
"Oh, I know," murmurs Bruce as he instantly remembers on the news, anytime Harley was potentially angry, all of gotham would know it. Harley whispered to the billionaire, "Hey, I did apologize."
Bruce's lips quirk up just bit. They all bore their own sins, but the sisters, trained assassins known as black widows, had honed their skills to adapt to any environment. Poisonous and deadly, their reputation preceded them, a reminder of the darkness that lurked beneath their seemingly calm exteriors.
Caroline walks forward, as Natasha scoffs at him, Yelena shrugs him off, walks to her sisters, but she gives Alexei a middle finger. They have been walking for ages, and Yelena looks at him, "So, are we there yet?"
"You'll know when we're there," Alexei stated as he snorted, micking a pig. Natasha and Yelena raised an eyebrow at him. Alexei gives them a sheepish smile. The four of them kept walking until they spotted a little farm. They are finally there, as they walk down the hill and there is Melina with a sniper in her hand.
The girls stared at her in disbelief. Melina stares at Alexei, she looks at the girls. Alexei being the big doofus he is broke the moment, "Honey, we're home."
The girls just rolled their eyes at Alexei's statement. Melina stares at him, walks out the gate, towards the house. The girls froze but Alexei gestured for them to follow Melina, "Come on, girls."
Bonnie's face was tense as she turned to the girls, a slight apologetic edge to her voice, "Don't get mad, but your mother is a milf."
Wanda nodded in agreement, a sentiment echoed by many in the room. The sisters wrinkled their noses in disgust; after all, it was their mother being discussed.
They couldn't deny their mother was attractive, for her age.
As the lights dimmed and the screen brightened, the three sisters winced slightly. This was definitely something they were not looking forward to watching.
"Welcome to my humble abode." Melina let them enter as they all entered the home observing it. Alexei walks straight towards the bathroom. Caroline and Yelena made their way to the dining room. Natasha followed Melina, to the kitchen, who opened this secret shelf. Inside there was full of different types of weaponry, from guns to knives, to bombs, etc.
"Hey, no funny business." Natasha gave Melina a pointed look. Melina stared at Natasha as she was putting her gun away, "I am putting away my weapon."
Clint tilted his head, observing the uncanny resemblance in behavior between Melina and Natasha since their first encounter. Tony smirked, "Just typical spy antics."
The trio of sisters nodded knowingly, their vigilance always on high alert. Stefan arched an eyebrow at his blonde companion. "You had different weapons stashed away, back in mystic falls?"
Harley's cheeks flushed slightly as she admitted it with nod, while the others looked so surprised. Elena shook her head in confusion, "We've been to your place countless times and never noticed a thing."
Harley shrugged nonchalantly, earning a high-five from Yelena. Natasha wore a proud smirk, reassured that her legacy of vigilance endured even in her absence. Wanda shook her head, "Guess it runs in the family."
"Isn't that a bit excessive?" Rebekah scrutinized the sisters. They all scoffed at the notion. Yelena shook her head, "Maybe in your eyes, but not in mine."
Sam sighed, addressing her directly, "You weren't free, were you?"
Harley nodded as she was but it was a bit more complicated than that, "When is anyone truly free though? I might have been gone but I pissed people off, during my time in the red room, and some might try to kill me out of revenge."
Each individual in the room nodded in comprehension, acknowledging her perspective. They collectively sensed the imminent weight of tension that was about to descend upon the room.
Natasha raises her eyebrows at her, as she starts to walk away from her. Natasha gazes at the kitchen, "Are there any booby traps around here? Anything we need to know about?"
"I did not raise my girls to fall in traps."
"You didn't raise us at all." Natasha walked towards the sink as she went to wash her hands. Melina eyes her, "Oh, maybe so. But if you got soft, it wasn't on my watch."
A collective wince rippled through the room. Though the supernatural beings present didn't have the same familiarity with Natasha as the others did, they could empathize with the pain she must have endured. Among the avengers, a surge of anger coursed through them, recognizing Natasha as the strongest among. Despite any hardships, she consistently strove to hold the team together.
Wanda cast a gentle, understanding gaze towards the redhead. "You're the strongest one among us, Nat," she murmured softly.
Natasha offered a grateful nod in response, preferring not to dwell on the matter further. The group exchanged silent glances, all too aware of her reluctance to address it. They redirected their attention back to the screen, the weight of their unspoken support hanging palpably in the air.
Natasha headed to the dining room where Caroline and Yelena were sitting down. Natasha sat down next to Caroline and sitting in front of them is Yelena. Melina came out as she sat next to Yelena. The room was quiet until Alexei's grunts were heard.
The scenery changes as Alexei is shown wearing nothing as he is trying to put the suit on. The screen cuts to the dining room, where Melina breaks the silence as she opens a bottle of vodka, "Let's drink."
Bruce observed the three girls with an amused chuckle escaping him. "Your father really is quite something."
The trio of girls chuckled in agreement, their familiarity with their father's antics evident. Kol turned his attention to the sisters. "So, you russians have a real fondness for vodka, huh?"
The mikaelson siblings and the three sisters alike rolled their eyes at his remark. Stefan gestured towards Kol, acknowledging, "He's got a point."
The avengers shared a laugh at the girls' exasperated expressions. Bonnie surveyed the vampires in the room. "Seems like you vamps have quite the thing for bourbon, huh?"
Harley snickered in amusem*nt, both reveling in the baffled looks from the vampires. Katherine wore a small smirk. "Touche, bennett."
The girls were getting their drinks poured but were interrupted by Alexei's entrance. Alexei was dressed in his old red and white suit from his old red guardian days. Alexei started to pose as he had his legs crossed and arm out against the wall. He had a smirk on his face as looked at the four women, "It still fits."
Melina whistled at him. The three sisters rolled their eyes as Yelena muttered out, "Oh my god."
Alexei lets out a big laugh that echoes throughout the house. Melina was clapping at him in joy, "I never washed it once. Come and drink."
The room bursted out in laughter seeing the sisters' annoyed look on their faces. Ivy scrunched her nose, "That is gross, not washed once."
Everything Bruce had assumed about Harley seemed to barely scratch the surface, and the longer he observed her, the more he recognized that her subtle reactions offered glimpses into her true character. While he had known everyone's stories, the truth was, all he had ever seen in Harley was a victim whose life had been altered by the Joker's influence. Yet, deep down, he understood that she was far more complex than that narrative allowed.
"You good, Bats?" Harley whispered, sensing his gaze on her, a blush creeping across her cheeks, hoping he wouldn't notice. Bruce nodded silently, whispering back, "I'm alright."
Alexei goes and sits on the table as Melina pours out a drink. Alexei has a huge smile on him, "Family back together again."
Melina eyed the three girls, "Seeing as our family construct was just a calculated ruse that only lasted three years. I don't think that we can use this term anymore, can we?"
Natasha nodded her head at Melina's statement, "Agreed. So, here's what's gonna happen–"
Natasha was interrupted by Alexei, "Okay, A reunion then huh?" Alexei turned his head to look at Melina, "And, uh I want to say something right off the bat. You haven't aged a day. Huh? You're just as beautiful and as supple as the day they staged our marriage."
"You got fat. But still good." Melina stares at him. Natasha was about to speak up but Melina interrupted her, "Natasha, don't slouch."
"I'm not slouching." Natasha retorted. Melina gave her a pointed look, "Yes, yes, you are."
Natasha lets out a huff, "I don't slouch."
"You're going to get a back hunch." Melina looks at her. Alexei agreed with Melina, "Listen to your mother."
Natasha was getting so frustrated, "Oh, my God, this–"
Laughter erupted in the room at the antics of the family of five. Tony chuckled heartily as he glanced at the sisters. "You all seem so done with everything."
The three sisters exchanged eye rolls. Under different circ*mstances, it might have been a humorous moment, but given their purpose for being there, it fell flat. All they desired in that moment was to locate the red room and put an end to Dreykov.
Yelena clenched her fists, acknowledging the unfairness of the situation. They were simply sharing a laugh over something amusing, yet she knew the next part wouldn't be as pleasant. "Let's just get on with it," she urged, bracing herself for what lay ahead.
"Up, up," Alexei puffed his chest out to demonstrate for Natahsa to sit up. Natasha let out a frustrated groan, "All right, enough. All of you."
Yelena let out a little pout, "I didn't say anything. That's not fair."
Melina puts some food on Caroline's plate, as she quietly mutters to Natasha, "What if she poisoned it?"
Chuckles rippled through the group as they turned their attention to the perky blonde. Harley rolled her eyes playfully. "In my defense, it's not the first time, it has happened before."
They exchanged curious glances, intrigued by her cryptic remark. Harley waved off their inquiries with a casual gesture. "A story for another time," she teased, leaving them intrigued and eager for more tales from her colorful past.
Natasha gave Caroline a pointed look as Caroline shrugged. Natasha rolled her eyes, shifting her gaze to the two older adults, "Here's what's gonna happen–"
"I don't want any food." Yelena interrupts her as Melina puts some food on her plate. Melina shakes off and looks at Yelena, "Eat a little something, Yelena, for God's sake."
"Where is the red room?" Caroline rolled her eyes as she slammed her hands on the table. Melina and Alexie stayed quiet. Caroline gritted it out, "Where is the red room."
A heavy silence descended upon the room. Each of them couldn't help but flinch slightly, realizing that in that moment, the sisters were solely focused on locating the red room. The supernatural beings present regarded the blonde girl before them, a figure they thought they knew, but now realized they barely understood.
In their minds, she was no longer Caroline, but Harley, as she had chosen to shed her former identity. They recognized that the Harley before them was markedly different from the one on screen, prompting a sobering realization of the depth of her trauma.
Melina took a bite of her food as she eyed Alexie, "You know, it's like when you told them that they could stay up late to catch Santa Claus."
Caroline glares at her but Alexei finishes it for Melina, "What? That was fun. You know, 'He came down the chimney, girls.
Look out. Where is he?' You wait for him, and then when the cookies are gone, then you see he's there."
Melina gave him a pointed look as Alexei shrugged, "No, no. What? I want them to follow their dreams."
"No good." Melina nodded at him. Alexei smiled at his daughters, "Reach for the stars, girls."
Natahsa stares at them in disbelief, "Finding Dreykov is not a fantasy. It's unfinished business."
Bucky shook his head in frustration, mirroring the sentiments of the others. Steve addressed the girls sternly, "Finding him isn't some fairy tale. I hope you understand that."
The sisters nodded in solemn agreement, while Loki fixed his gaze on them. "I trust you all plan to end him."
Thor let out a weary sigh, wishing his brother had been more cautious in broaching the subject. To his surprise, the three sisters nodded in affirmation. Rhodey regarded them with a questioning expression. "He's dead?"
Harley couldn't help but slight chuckle. "He's gone, that much is certain."
Curiosity rippled through the group, wondering about the details of his death. Though it wasn't as satisfying for the sisters as they had hoped—he didn't suffer enough to atone for his crimes—at least he would no longer pose a threat.
"You can't defeat a man who commands the very will of others. You never saw the culmination of what we started in America." Melina spoke to her as she looked at her. Melina moved to get her tablet as she swiped against it and there she heard it a ding. A pig had opened her home, "Come in."
"What the f*ck?"
"Did that pig just open the door?" The three sisters and Alexei had a dumbfounded look. A pig just opened a door. They all glance up at Melina, who had a big smile on her. Melina moved down to pet it. "Yes. It did. Good boy, Alexei. Good boy."
Caroline let a snort out, Yelena snickered at that, and Natasha had a tiny smile. Alexei did not know how to feel, "You named a pig after me?"
Melina turns to Alexei, "You don't see the resemblance?"
Tony and Bruce Banner exchanged incredulous looks, marveling at the technological advancements demonstrated by Melina. Elijah shook his head, a sentiment echoed by his family, as they found themselves witnessing something utterly surprising despite centuries of existence.
Sharon tilted her head slightly. "Never thought I'd live to see something like that."
The group collectively nodded in agreement. Stefan directed his inquiry to the sisters. "How is any of that even possible?"
The sisters shrugged, acknowledging their lack of understanding. It seemed like a bunch of scientific stuff beyond their comprehension.
"Been alive for centuries yet seeing a pig open a door is new," Damon remarked, his attention fixed on the screen. The others nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing the rarity of such an occurrence.
"Why is he even talking?" Happy muttered irritably, drawing a sense of warmth from Harley, who saw him as a guiding figure. MJ chimed in quietly, "My only issue is that green-haired clown is still alive."
"Em," Peter murmured in agreement, attempting to maintain his good nature, though he couldn't deny his disdain for the Joker. MJ shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on tiger, him being gone isn't such a bad thing."
"You've been spending too much time with Jay," Ned remarked softly, alluding to Jason's occasional visits. MJ nodded as she shrugged lightly, "He's cool."
Melina glances down on her tablet as she presses a button that starts to control the pig as the pig sits down on the floor, "See, he sits just like a dog. Now, watch."
Alexei gazed at her then at the girls, "It's a little weird, to me."
"Stop breathing." Melina instructed. All heads turn to Melina, while Melina had her head down to the tablet as she was controlling the pig.
She continued her point, "We infiltrated the North Institute in Ohio. It was a front for S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists. Actually, it was Hydra scientists at that time. In conjunction with the Winter Soldier project, they had dissected and deconstructed the human brain. We didn't steal weaponry or technology. We stole the key to unlocking free will."
The three sisters, accompanied by Bucky, clenched their seats tightly, bracing themselves for what was to come. Steve's guilt weighed heavily upon him, knowing that shield's experiments had played a role in their society.
The super-soldier serum had reshaped half of the 20th century and defined the entirety of the 21st. Due to the success of giving the world captain america it had led to Bucky being subjected to experimentation, transformed him into the winter soldier. Bucky felt a surge of anger coursing through him as memories of his time under Hydra's control resurfaced.
Caroline gazed down at the table, and Yelena had tears in her eyes. Natasha spoke out as she heard the pig groan, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, I am explaining that the science is now so exact, the subject can be instructed to stop breathing and has no choice but to obey." Melina looked at Natasha. The pig fell down as there was no air going through its lungs, Natasha looked back at Melina, "Okay, you made your point. That's enough."
"Yes, all right. Well, don't worry, Alexei could've survived 11 more seconds without oxygen. Good boy. Now, you go back, back home where it's safe. Good boy, Alexei." Melina turns back to the girls and Alexei, "The world functions on a higher level when it is controlled. Dreykov has chemically subjugated agents planted around the globe."
Yelena looked ahead as she spoke out, "And do you know who they tested it on?"
Melina gives it a second before answering, "No. That's not my department."
Yelena nestled her head into Sharon's blonde locks, finding comfort in her soothing words. "Hey, it's all okay, Lena. You're safe here."
With a silent nod, Yelena closed her eyes, unable to bear witnessing what was to come next. All she ever yearned for was the reunion of her fractured family, but reality often dashed her hopes. Perhaps, in the future, they could take small steps toward that goal, if only they could prevent the tragic deaths of Natasha and the others.
"Ah, come on, come on. Don't lie to them. Hmm?" Alexei hardened his expression at Melina, who shakes her head. "I'm not lying."
"You're Dreykov's architect, huh?" Alexei retorted back. Melina looks at Alexei intensely, "What were you? If I was his architect, you were his partner. You were his business partner."
"He sold me ideology." Alexei frustration was building as he slammed his hands on the table. Melina scoffs at him, "Stop with the politics."
"All the while, bigger–" Before Alexei could finish, Caroline slammed her hands on the table. Caroline stares straight at Melina and Alexei, "Don't come up with that bullsh*t. Don't try to play this whole tug war fight. You both suck for what you did."
Melina eyes Caroline, Melina lets out a sigh. Alexei lightly glances at her, "Oh Harleen grew a pair of pants huh? Cupid of crime hiding behind a good person persona?"
"Why does he call you Harleen?" Questions Stefan in curiosity as did everyone else. Harley tilts her head as not disclosed information. "Is actually my middle name."
"Shield could have done better at a whole new identity thing," murmurs Sharon as her eyes glistened with sorrow. Harley gave her reassurance smile as she did the best to make sure she had a good life. Is not her fault, as she was not ready to be on the pedestal of being in Joker's hand.
It didn't matter how train she was or believed that she was prepared to deal with him, what happened to her can happen to anyone. Is no one fault but Joker's her abuser— is nobody but the abuser for the action that abuser took.
You could be the smartest person in the room and still be able to be manipulated and abused.
Caroline scoffed at him, "What is wrong with you. Do you not understand anything? What is there to be proud of? We are not a family. You both lost the title of being a mom and dad the second you left us."
Melina glances down in shame. Alexei was about to say something but Natasha interrupted him, "You are an idiot."
Natasha turns to Melina, "And you're a coward. You're a coward. And our family was never real, so there's nothing to hold on to. We're moving on."
Yelena was quiet the entire time just glancing down at the table. Alexei gazes at her, "Never family, huh? In my heart, I am a simple man. And I think that for a couple of deep undercover Russian agents I think we did pretty great as parents, huh?"
A collective wince rippled through the room as Harley's expression hardened, prompting her to peer over her seat to address the others. "Don't. Just don't."
Respecting her request, everyone in the room fell silent, realizing for the first time that they were intruding upon a moment meant solely for the five members. Bruce reached out, placing his hand on top of Harley's. She glanced down, squeezing his hand in acknowledgment. "Thanks, Wayne."
"Anytime, Quinn," Bruce replied softly.
Melina nodded in agreement to Alexei's statement ignoring what the girls had said, "Yes, we had our orders, and we played our roles to perfection."
"Who cares? That wasn't real." Natasha rebuttals back. Yelena turned her head to Natasha and Caroline, "What?"
"That wasn't real. Who cares?"
Natasha and Harley closed their eyes, shaking their heads slightly. Their attention shifted to Yelena, who wore a soft smile. "I know you both didn't mean that," she assured them.
"We're sorry." The two girls muttered an apology. Yelena rolled her eyes affectionately, recognizing the sincerity behind their words despite the heat of the moment. Deep down, the bond between the three girls remained strong.
Yelena looks at them then back ahead, "Don't say that. Please don't say that. It was real. It was real to me."
Yelena turns to Melina, "You are my mother. You were my real mother. The closest thing I ever had to one. The best part of my life was fake. And none of you told me."
Yelena takes a deep breath, "And those agents you chemically subjugated around the globe? That was me."
Yelena turns to Caroline, "You left and never came back,"
Yelena shifts her gaze to Natasha, "And you, you got out. Dreykov made sure no one could escape. Because of your escape we suffered the punishment. Are you gonna say anything?"
The room's occupants cast pitying gazes toward the youngest among them, but Yelena refused to be viewed as vulnerable by these unfamiliar faces. With a firm shake of her head, she dispelled any notion of needing their sympathy.
Glaring at each of them in turn, Yelena asserted, "I don't need your pity."
No one answered. Yelena let out a hardened chuckle, "No. Okay then."
Yelena had enough of this. She gets up, grabs the bottle of vodka and makes her way to a room. Melina tries to reach out for Yelena, "Don't touch me."
"Yelena."
"Lena."
"I had no idea." Melina looks down. Alexei gets up, "It's okay, it's okay. I'll go talk to her."
They each released shaky breaths, the weight of their circ*mstances heavy upon them. The sisters sighed, sinking into their seats with reluctance, knowing they had little choice but to continue.
A somber silence enveloped the room, casting a discomforting pall over its occupants. Clint sighed, sensing Natasha's likely desire to depart, a sentiment he couldn't fault.
Harley hugged her knees tightly, finding solace in the comforting pat the bodyguard offered her shoulder. She offered Happy a soft smile in return. No words were exchanged as the screen brightened, yet the thick, suffocating atmosphere in the room remained palpable.
Caroline glared at the table, Melina avoiding eye contact as Natasha stood up. Melina furrowed her brows, "Where are you going?"
Caroline followed her up as Natasha walked past Melina, "To do this myself."
Melina sighs as she turns to Natasha and Caroline, "Don't. You both won't survive."
Caroline let out a scoff as she narrowed her eyes on Melina, "Don't give us the whole concern mother act, is not a pretty look on you."
Steve lets out a frustrated sigh, "You two were just going to do it yourself, with no help?"
Natasha stayed quite as in that moment all she was thinking about was ending Dreykov and maybe finding some form of closure; for the certain gap in her heart. Instead he got a quick death, not really as satisfying to all of the victims of his abuse but at least he is not alive.
Harley rolled her eyes at the shatterness despair that comes with this type of trauma. She was not thinking anything at that moment besides avenging herself and others for what they went through. Harley shook her thoughts away glancing at the blonde man. "And what did you suggest we do?"
No one answered, until Bucky muttered out, "Call for help?"
"How exactly would that have worked? If I remembered most of us are on the run, while some of us weren't talking," muttered Natasha as she eyed her teammates. She glanced at Thor, Bruce Banner, and Loki, "Well you three were not even on earth."
Harley slightly glared at the mystic gang and the mikaelsons. "Let's be real, would you all even believe me, if I went to you all, and told you I needed help taking down a psychotic man who kidnaps little girls and turns them into child assassins?"
"Not you guys though because let's be real, I'm a whole different person in gotham." Harley waves as her tone softens for Bruce, Ivy and Chuck, (who is annoying but loves Ivy so she tolerates him.)
They all stayed quiet knowing she might have been right. Stefan eyed his best friend with a soft look, "I would like to believe that I would have."
Harley nodded at him knowing how much Stefan probably would have tried along with Bonnie. Natasha surveyed the room with a measured gaze. "The truth is, if we had called for help, I'm not entirely certain all of you would have answered."
A hushed silence fell over both the avengers and the supernatural beings present. Natasha settled back into her seat, her gaze softening as she exchanged a meaningful look with Stefan.
"I wish I could believe that you cared. But you're not even the first mother that abandoned me," Natasha shifted her gaze between Caroline and Melina, as her eyes stayed focused on Melina. Caroline gazed at Natasha as Melina eyed the two girls.
Melina let out a sigh as she shook her head, "No, you weren't abandoned. You were selected by a program that assessed the genetic potential in infants."
Caroline froze up as Natasha's eyes widened, "I was taken?"
Melina let out a sigh but gave a slight nod, "I believe a bargain was struck, your family paid off. But your mother, she never stopped looking for you. She was like you in that way. She was relentless."
Caroline moved to Natasha as she held her hand as Natasha's eyes watered, "What happened to her?"
Melina hesitated but she mustered it out to her, "Dreykov had her killed. Her existence threatened to uncover the red room. Normally, the actions of one curious civilian wouldn't warrant an execution, but, as I said, she was relentless."
Natasha tightened on Caroline's hand, "I thought about her every day of my life. Whether or not I admitted it to myself, I did."
A heavy silence weighed down the room. Natasha closed her eyes, willing herself to suppress the impending sob. "I don't need your pity. Let's continue," she declared, her voice steady despite the emotional turmoil.
Behind her blonde hair, tinged with faint hints of red and black, Harley stole a glance at Natasha. With a comforting smile directed solely at her sister, she offered the solace Natasha sought, the kind that only her sisters could provide. Natasha returned the smile, grateful for their unspoken support, and blinked back her tears, refocusing her attention on the screen.
Silence fell upon the three. Caroline swallowed her nerves, she eyed Melina, "Umm, do you know what happened to my biological mother?"
"I don't. I'm sorry," Melina let out a frown as she noticed the deflated look on Caroline. Melina eyed both girls, "I've always found it best not to look into the past."
Tony glanced at her, "I can try to find her for you, hermione."
"No thank you," muttered Harley as she smiled at him softly. She was not sure at the moment as before still feels off about the topic. It doesn't matter anymore as she has her mother all but in blood, Liz Forbes. She took her in and gave her name and everything, is all she could ask for.
Elena bit her tongue, she was adopted and all she wanted to do was find her actual parents. She softly glanced at the blonde, "How come?"
Everyone in the room snapped towards Harley, all wondering why she wouldn't want to know her actual mother? Harley shrugged the discomfort from their gaze away, "I have my reasons."
Stefan eyed her, truth be told he really missed his best friend. They all pulled their gaze away from the blonde and back to the screen as it unpaused.
Natasha grabbed a photo album off the shelf, "Then why did you save this? I remember this day. We shot Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and summer vacation all in one day. Different backdrops."
Melina let out Mmm. Natasha flip the pages as Caroline peaked at the photos, with slight frown on her.
Caroline let out sigh, "We both knew all the presents under the tree were just empty boxes, but didn't care."
Natasha eyed her as she finished the thought, "We wanted to open every single one... so just for a second it would feel real."
The room stared at the girls in pity but the sisters refused to be looked at that way. Harley sat, unusually quiet, her vibrant persona muted under the weight of her recent escape from the Joker's chaotic influence. Her hands fidgeted with shirt, a nervous tick that didn't go unnoticed by Bruce, observe her.
Bruce finally broke the silence, his voice low and cautious. "Harley, are you okay?" he asked, his tone laced with genuine concern rather than the usual stoic detachment he had placed. Harley looked up, her eyes briefly meeting him before darting away. "I'm a good bats."
Bruce nodded, his features softening. His curiosity then moved onto her mentioned about their future interactions. "You mentioned we're friends, in the future," he started, his voice thoughtful. "I know right now, things are... complicated. We're allies, at best. But I'm curious—over those seven years, how will our relationship evolve?"
Harley's gaze flickered with a hint of surprise, and for a moment, the old spark of mischief danced in her eyes. "Yeah, well, you're not too bad, once you get past the brooding caped crusader bit," she said, a genuine smile finally appearing. "We do okay, bats."
Bruce's lips twitched in what could almost be considered a smile. "So friend then," he conceded. She smiles as a flurry of butterflies dance in her stomach. "You are stuck with me, bats."
Melina sighs with her eyes full of water, "Let's stop this."
Caroline glanced at Melina, "I don't get it, why do you keep doing it? Why do you work for him if you know the pain that it causes to all of us."
Melina's eye had water in as she blinked them away, "Why does a mouse born in a cage run on that little wheel? Do you know I cycled through the red room four times before you were even born? Those walls are all I know. I was never given a choice."
Natasha shook her head, "But you're not a mouse, Melina. You were just born in a cage, but that's not your fault."
Melina looked at both her daughters in disbelief, "Tell me, how did you both keep your heart?"
Caroline had a small smile as she let out a small shrug, "Pain only makes us stronger."
Natasha nodded her head, "You told us that all the time. What you taught us kept us alive."
All the women in the room could not help but let out aww, at the cute mother and daughter moment. While three sisters just let out stifle nod, knowing Melina's next line will ruin the moment.
Sam hesitated but asked his question to the girls, "How come she did not try to escape?"
The sisters did not know, maybe it was fear for her life if she did she would be killed or because that lifestyle is all she ever knows. She was raised and used to that type of life for a long time. Yelena turned to him, "Fear."
Sam let out winced at that as did everyone else. Melina does not make the right decisions but she herself is a victim of abuse, it is sad but in reality that is all she ever has known. At some point she might have even thought the choices she was making were correct.
Melina moved into the closet as she glanced at both of her daughters, "I'm sorry, I already alerted the red room. They'll be here any minute."
The scenery changes to Yelena sitting on the floor, with her back leaning to bed. Yelena held a bottle of vodka as she drank from it. Yelena heard the door creak and enter Alexei. Yelena sighs as she avoids his gaze, "I came in here because I didn't want to talk."
Alexei raised his hands in surrender, as he closed the door behind him. Alexei turned to Yelena as he stuttered a bit, "Okay. We uh. Just sit," Alexei moved to bed where Yelena was against, "We just sit."
Kol could not help but snicker, "That must have been awkward."
Yelena nodded but it was a nice-ish moment before everything went south. Thor glanced at the girls, "If you don't mind me asking where your parents are now, my ladies?"
Natasha eyed Harley and Yelena, who the two tilt their heads to, as they were the last two to see them given the only one from the future. Harley shrugged as she glanced at the god of thunder, "Last time I saw them it was at a farm in scotland."
Yelena nodded in agreement, "Yeah, she got more pigs."
