My Safe Haven

Chapter 9: Return of the Widows

3rd Person POV:

The time is 2am but Natasha is having a hard time falling asleep. Wanda is sleeping peacefully beside her, no nightmares and no crying unlike what she has been experiencing before they got together.

Natasha knows that she's currently the one who's experiencing a nightmare, only for hers, it's real and it's actually happening. She slowly removed her arm under Wanda's head and made her way to Stark's lab to use his computer that is hidden from the grid to do some research about the Red Room.

She was able to find photos of Dreykov who's still alive which made her anxious because she witnessed how the entire building of the Red Room imploded in Budapest. The hardest mission she had to do. She remembers using Dreykov's 8-year-old daughter as a decoy to confirm that he was in the building. The little girl entered Dreykov's main office and Nat gave the confirmation to the SHIELD agents to blow up the building. A little girl's life was sacrificed to save the other girls being controlled by Dreykov.

A big sacrifice for a huge cause.

But it was obviously not enough.

Nat did her very best to find more information about the Red Room and its new location but to no avail. She was not able to find any other information other than what Hill already provided to them. Her frustration is growing even more, trying to come up with a plan on how to take it down again but she doesn't know where to start because she does not have any idea on how to find the Red Room's location. She punched the wall closest to her so hard, her knuckles started to bleed.

"No luck, huh." a voice coming from the entrance of Stark's lab said.

Natasha turned and saw Maria Hill, in her pajamas. She never saw her without her jumpsuit or in clean cut tight dresses. But that wasn't something she has to think about right now.

"This is not making any sense." Nat mumbled.

"We'll be able to find something." Maria replied.

"We have to. Because I won't be able to rest knowing that Dreykov is still out there." she asserted.

"Do you want me to assign the other Avengers to this mission?" Maria asked.

"No, I don't want them to hog this mission. This is personal. I want my very own hands to be stained with Dreykov's blood."

Natasha marched back to her room and as she entered, she saw Wanda sitting up. She was waiting for her.

"Where were you?" Wanda queried.

"Sorry, I can't sleep." Nat responded

"Is it still about the Red Room?"

Natasha nodded and threw herself on the bed and groaned. Wanda came closer to give her a hug.

"Try to get some rest and let's figure this out first thing tomorrow. Together." Wanda said.

Nat agreed and they both lay in bed. Wanda knew Nat wouldn't be able to sleep at all even if she wanted. She kissed her on the forehead and placed her palm on top of Nat's head. Wanda closed her eyes so she would be able to concentrate and instead used her powers to help Nat to go to sleep.

-- Meanwhile in the Red Room... --

"I have thought about this for a long time. I tried to stay away from Romanova's radar to make sure we don't mess with her so-called 'family'. But I think it's time for us to step out of the shadows, isn't that right?" Dreykov started.

"You are now my greatest creation.... Yelena Belova." he declared.

He brushed the back of his hand on the cheek of the soulless Yelena, her face not giving out any emotions at all. Dreykov was finally able to get the right formula for mind control thanks to Melina Vostokoff. His widows are even stronger and synchronized. More swift and quick than the first widows he used to psychologically control. Now, with just a push of a button, he's able to command his widows or even execute them if he wanted to, he didn't need their consent. Not like his first widows ever had a choice.