Prosperous In Battle

13: Distractions

OTTILIE'S POV

Peter went on the mission on his own. I hung back and helped him with what to say through his earpiece. He got nervous and flustered quickly and we couldn't have that right now. Mum and Tony were sat in the control room with me as we watched.

It was all going to plan like I knew it would and it would have been just as okay if I was there. I was annoyed at my mum but I understood why she didn't want me to leave the compound, we don't know if Dreykov believed the whole clone dead body thing or not. And if he didn't he'd be waiting for the right opportunity.

--------

"Careful with it," Tony tells Bruce as he moved it from the car to the special box that Tony made. One wrong move and we'd all be dead. I got bored of watching. "I'm going to go dance for a bit," I tell my mum. "Okay." I could feel her watch me as I walked back inside. I felt like I wasn't really a part of it. Mum has been distancing me from it all. I have been so busy with Wanda in the kitchen baking and cooking that I haven't even stepped foot in the lab in a week. I loved being in there, Bruce was a little boring and Tony was very chaotic but I enjoyed it. I liked making things and inventing and fixing things but Mum had filled my timetable with new activities.

I took Morgan to the park with Peppa, it's not as fun as it was when I was younger. Kids are loud and they moan and cry a lot. I didn't like that. When I get inside I went to change into my ballet uniform. Dance was the only thing that felt free at the moment. I have been sneaking off any chance I got to the tiny studio to just be free.

Mum didn't care if I danced it felt like it was the only thing of my old life I was allowed to do. I wasn't allowed to fight, I wasn't allowed to train. I wasn't allowed to go on runs with the boys early in the morning. I wasn't allowed to plan or plot. I wasn't allowed to help create new suits I wasn't allowed to do anything. And I was sick of it so I'd dance.

When I was dressed I went to the tiny studio at the back of the house. Mum and Yelena didn't dance, well I never saw them dance anymore. They seemingly forgot that part of their routine when they left the red room. But it was the only part that I enjoyed. I didn't feel like someone else was controlling me when the music played. I felt like it was all me.

I hooked my phone up to the speakers and played the ballet playlist Peppa put together for me a while back. I sat on the floor to stretch before going into dancing around the room. I watched myself in the mirrors that lined the walls. I made sure everything was perfect, my feet were pointed I was on Pointe, no bends in the knees, long stretched arms with pretty hands finishing it off. Every movement was powerful but graceful. My leaps looked effortless but strong. I felt in control again.

I spun around the room letting the music engulf me my mind no longer running from me but being present at this moment, taking it step by step. Every less came back to me. It was meant to teach me discipline and grace but it taught me what it was like to be without chains tying me down.

--------

NATASHA' POV

I watched her from the small window at the door. This reminded me of when I would watch her in the Red room. She was still as graceful as a swan when she danced only now it had more power behind her movements. She had longer legs that seemingly went on for miles, she never came off pointe or wobbled out of a turn. It came so easy to her.

"Nat?" I hear my sister say, I turned to her. "Yeah?" "Can we talk?" I nodded taking another look at my daughter, she seemed okay in there. What trouble could she get up to dancing? None.

We went to one of the offices and she closed the door. "What's up?" I asked sitting on a chair backwards. "It's Ottilie." She says looking at her hands, she fiddled with her fingers. Tilly does that when she feels overwhelmed typically when we're in public and she has to talk to someone, normally a stranger. She did it less often now, I guess she had adjusted to strangers... She'd have to talk to them on Missions from the Red Room as a Black Widow to get information on her target so it made sense that she was more comfortable with it now. Just another thing she didn't need me for.