Go Down in Flames

V. Glass Shattered

"I really wish that I could believe that you cared, Melina. But you're not even the first parent to abandon me," Natasha says.

"No," Melina says, "You weren't abandoned. You were selected by a program that assessed the genetic potential in infants."

Natasha stops what she's doing and turns around to look at Melina, "I was taken?"

"I think I better go check on Yelena," Steve says, awkwardly exiting the conversation.

Natasha opens and closes her mouth as if she's about to say something to get Steve to stay, but nothing comes out except a breath of air.

Steve steps into the bedroom and leans on the doorway, silently watching Yelena declare what she had been holding back, "The only thing you care about are your stupid glory days as the Crimson Dynamo and no one wants to hear about it."

"It's the Red Guardian," Alexei corrects her.

"Get out," Yelena says, "Get the fuck out!"

She points to the doorway where Steve is standing. Alexei wearily stands up and exits the bedroom but not before stopping at where Steve is standing.

"Maybe you'll have more luck at getting through to her," he says and gives him a pat on the back.

"I'll try my best," Steve says.

He walks in and crouches down next to her so that they're sitting side-by-side.

"I know you don't want to talk but trust me, I know how you're feeling," he says, understandingly.

Yelena let's out a wry laugh, "I really doubt that you do. You ever have your fake family betray you and lie to you?"

"Well, aside from the lying part, I've had an experience not all that different from yours. The Avengers were my family too, you know. And signing those papers turned us against each other. All I'm trying to say is, they were looking out for what was best for you at that time. Not knowing is better than knowing that your family isn't real, at least you had something to hold onto even when all hope seemed to be lost. In the end, it's better to have some semblance of a family than no family at all."

"You are a wise man, Steve Rogers," Yelena says.

"I try my best."

Steve puts his arm around Yelena. Picture perfect snapshot of siblings. She leans against Steve's shoulder and breathes a sigh of relief as if the tension in her chest had been cut.

"If I ever had a brother," Yelena says, "I would want it to be you."

"Aww," Steve says, a giant smile spreading across his face, "And if I ever had a sister I would want it to be you too."

Their little picturesque moment was abruptly interrupted by a loud whirring of plane engines outside of the house. The sound from the planes was so loud that the house trembled and shook as if it was scared of the outside force that would soon attack them.

"Shit," Steve said and he quickly leaps to his feet, "Ross must've found us."

He peers out of the glass window but is immediately blinded by the bright light being emitted from the plane.

"Stay down," he says to Yelena, "I've got this."

As Yelena crouches down, a red tranquilizer dart lands on his chest.

"That's cute," Steve says and goes to pull it out.

That's when ten more red tranquilizer darts land on his chest, piercing the dark blue material.