Go Down in Flames

IV. Your Sweet Disposition

The helicopter falls down from the sky but safely lands on a field of grass. Steve slides the door open and helps Natasha and Yelena off of the helicopter. Natasha squats further away from the rest of the group, examining the terrain. "You should've brought the Avengers' super jet," Alexei says. Natasha rolls her eyes. She stands up and starts walking next to Steve and Yelena.

"I swear if I hear one more word from him I will kick him in the face," Yelena says. "Natasha," Alexei says while half running and half walking, "Natasha! Natasha, come here. I want to ask you something." Natasha gives Yelena a look and she sighs in annoyance. She slows down her pace so that Alexei can catch up with her while Yelena and Steve keep on walking ahead. "Come, it's important. Did he talk to you about me?" "What?" Natasha asks, genuinely confused. "Did he talk to you about me? You know, trading war stories?" "Who? What are you talking about?" "Captain America. That guy," he says and points at Steve, "My great adversary. In this theater of geopolitical conflict not so much a nemesis, more like a contemporary— no, coequal. You know, I always thought there was a great deal of mutual respect till I met him today—"

Natasha interrupts him, "Wait, you haven't seen either one of us in 20 years and you're going to ask me about you?" Steve and Yelena stop in their tracks and turn to stare at Alexei. "What is with this tension?" He asks, "Did I do something wrong?" Steve scoffs and Yelena rubs her brow, "Is that a serious question?" "I only ever loved you girls," Alexei says to Natasha and Yelena, "I did my best to make sure that you would succeed to achieve your fullest potential and everything worked out." "Everything worked out?" "Yes. For you? Yes. We accomplished our mission in Ohio," he walks towards Yelena, "You went on to become the greatest child assassin the world has ever known. No one can match your efficiency, your ruthlessness." He turns to the redhead, "And Natasha. Not just a spy, not just toppling regimes, destroying empires from within, but an Avenger," he says with pride, "You both have killed... so many people," Alexei says while shaking their wrists, "Your ledgers must dripping, just gushing red. I couldn't be more proud of you." Alexei hugs them, squishing Yelena's face into his tattooed chest.

Natasha takes a whiff of his odor and immediately pushes herself free of his grasp. She sighs and walks over to where Steve is standing. He puts his arm around her and she puts her arm around his waist. Alexei pats Yelena's arm and kisses the top of her head. Yelena uses her arm to create space between herself and Alexei, "Okay, okay. Enough. You can let go of me now. You smell really bad." Alexei has a look of confusion on his face as Yelena pulls away from him and he sees Steve's arm around Natasha, "What's with those two?" He nods his head in the pair's direction. "Trust me, you do not want to know," Yelena says.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Steve asks Natasha. She looks up and into his intense blue eyes, "What?" "That time we went undercover at that mall, remember that?" Steve says fondly while playing with a strand of her hair. Natasha lets out a small laugh, "Yeah, of course, I do. Back when times were simpler. I miss those times." "Me too, kitten. Me too." She leans her head on his chest,

Alexei and Yelena catch up to the laughing pair. "So," Yelena says, "Are we there yet?" "You'll know when we're there," Alexei mimics the sounds of a pig eating.

Time Skip
Melina opens the door of the barbed-wire fence, still pointing her weapon at Steve. "Опусти оружие, Мелина(Lower your weapon, Melina)," Alexei says. "Я скажу, как только ты скажешь мне, кто это(I will once you tell me who this is)," Melina says. Natasha raises her gloved hand and places on the silencer, "Он друг, я доверяю ему свою жизнь(He's a friend, I trust him with my life)." "I would say he's more than just a friend but..." Yelena says under her breath. "Отлично(Fine)," Melina says and walks towards a small house. The group follows her.