The Third Widow

Escape

We drove straight through the night, far away from our previous battlefield. I didn't really care where we were going and spent my brief moments awake looking out the window while listening to my sisters talking in the front. Natasha pulled the car up near a field in the middle of the woods. I barely moved, not showing any intention of leaving the vehicle. My sisters stepped out and opened the door for me before making their way over to the contact who was waiting up ahead. I reluctantly stayed put, watching the interaction unfold. A man slid open the door of the crappy helicopter parked in front of us, and proceeded to jump out without much grace. I could hear some banter play followed by laughter. I decided to move transportation and slowly rose from the backseat of the car. I paced past all three figures, trying to avoid any possible contact, as I made my way over tho the helicopter. "What's with the little one? I heard the man say behind me, "She your prisoner or something?"  directed towards my bound hands. I let out a small grunt as I sat down in yet an other backseat and closed my eyes to try and drift away and escape the situation. "Don't mind her", Natasha said, "She had a long night."

Yelena stepped up into the chopper after me and gave me a small look before sitting down in the cockpit to start the flight check. "Where we headed to?" I asked her. It stayed quiet for a second, "To Alexei", she sent back. I guess that was the answer to my question, but I was left puzzled as to why we were going to see him. "Alright then", I mumbled as I tried to get more comfortable.

Nat jumped in a minute later after she threw in a duffel bag ahead of her, containing whatever goods she had asked the man for. She turned to me before she crawled up front with Yelena, "You don't have to be tied up you know", she said in a calm voice. I looked up to lock eyes with her, "It's fine, I prefer it this way for now", I told her. She gave me one last sympathizing look before she turned around and sat down. She picked up the duffel bag and set it down on her lap as she started searching through it while Yelena revved up the engine. She pulled out some clothes which she draped over Yelena's and her own chairs. Then she set down the bag and slid it all the way towards me, "I got some for you too. Looks like you can use a change of clothes", hinting at my torn up suit. I returned a slight smile and a nod of appreciation while trying to get a look at what was hiding in the bag. The helicopter took off and was, for whatever reason oblivious to me, on it's way to our dad.

As the landscape changed and the green nature got replaced with a white blanket of snow, I knew we were getting close. I looked out the window to see we were coming up on a single compound surrounded by nothingness. "You're kidding me right," I yelled forward, "he's in prison?"  Yelena turned around with a grumpy look on her face"Jup. And we're going to break him out." I rolled my eyes but secretly felt glad a change of pace was coming up. I saw Natasha get up out of her seat and slide open the door to let in gust of chilling air. I could see her lips moving while holding a finger on her ear, unfortunately the wind was too loud  for me to make out what she was saying. I stretched my neck to look through the window again, only to see the previously empty courtyard being flooded with what I assumed were escaped prisoners. Moments after the deafening sirens fired on to let announce the ongoing the prison break, Natasha took out the rope which was attached to cargo hook and jumped down.

Right as the battle unfolded below us, I noticed the agonizing headache creeping it's way back to the surface. "Not again," I growled, "not now." I felt how my breathing became rushed again whilst my finger touched upon a sharp metal object behind me. As my hands frantically started rubbing the rope against it in order to break free, panic started to race through me. "Yelena!" I yelled out. "I'm kinda busy", she replied as she got up from her seat, ducking away at incoming bullets. The impact from the missile she launched toward a guard tower silenced the whole area, before it triggered thunderous avalanche. For a second my hands stopped moving as I was in awe of the devastating cloud of white that was rolling down the mountain at top speed. Yelena rushed back into her seat to pilot once again and pick up our sister on the ground. As I felt the rope loosen around my wrists my hands came to a stop. I reached for the knife I had taken from the lifeless widow yesterday and made my way over to the lifeline hanging outside the chopper. As I now understood what my body was planning, I did everything in my might to direct it elsewhere. Once again I yelled for my sister who, this time answered my cry for help, as she saw me holding a knife, along with an alarmed expression covering my face. She pulled the helicopter upward to skid over the snow below us before she ran toward me.

The impact from a tackle to my side, made me drop the knife I was holding. As I was being pushed against the wall I interlocked my fingers above my sister, only for my combined fists to come down on her back. After the pressure around my waist lightened, I threw out a kick that hit her in the chest, sending her flying back into the other side of the chopper. Being freed, I picked up the knife again and made my way over to the dangling rope once more. As my hands slowly tried to cut the rope, I could see Natasha hanging down below with dad in her wake. I started to feel desperate again right before a hand tightened around my ankle which swept my feet out from under me. My left hand got pinned down on my back as a knee sat down between my shoulder blades to keep me from moving. I saw my sister on top of me, trying to open my remaining hand and disarm me. "Drop it", she commanded as our struggle continued. "I'm... trying", I managed to bring out before all the air left my lungs. I noticed a shift in her weight as she put even more pressure on my back, only to see her boot hovering over my closed hand. I let out a wail when my knuckles were pushed against the metal floor by my sisters foot. "Drop. It" I heard again, right before I yielded and opened my hand up to let the knife drop on the floor. A quick kick send it flying out the open door before my remaining hand got secured behind my back as well.

I tried my best to fight for control, to will my body into giving up the fight and remain still. "Get the antidote!" I heard Yelena shout towards Natasha, who was climbing back into the helicopter. She rushed towards the bag containing the vials while she let her eyes pass over the remnants of our fight. An other second passed where I felt my muscles straining as I was trying to get my breathing back under control. A red cloud blocked my vision at the same time I was being released from the iron hold. I rolled onto my back, feeling if my shoulders were still secured in their sockets. Yelena slid back against the bench, trying to recover from the struggle. Standing beside us I could hear my fathers bellowed laughter, who apparently didn't make anything of our fight, "Sibling roughhousing", he stated. Yelena shot him a look that could have killed anyone except our dense father, whereas I only let out a small giggle. I'd missed him.

After everyone had caught their breath from their respective battles, we all sat down to discus what what going to happen next. It was difficult for me to hear the conversation in the front because of all the surrounding noise, yet I could clearly make out the name of our mother being dropped. As I stood up to move closer to the rest, I stopped briefly to pick up the clothes Natasha arranged for me. I pulled out a pair of white cargo pants along with a grey shit, a white leather jacket and finishing off the outfit were white hiking boots. I folded everything over my arm and held the boots in my hand as I sat down next to Nat whilst she was speaking with dad. The conversation seemed to get quite heated based on their facial expressions alone. I glanced at Yelena who was looking back our way, shaking her head in disapproval, revealing a glimmer sorrowfulness. Whatever words were said, they clearly hurt her, though apparently I was the only one that noticed."What's up with mom?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from whatever was hurting my sister. "Alexei claims she knows where the Red Room is", Natasha replied. "Why would we want to go back there?" I tried to joke, only to curse my stupidity as I could guess the answer to my question. It stayed quiet for a moment as everyone shared my desire to never set foot in that place again. "We have to free them Alex," Natasha calmly told me, "all of them, including you." Tears started to well up in my eyes as I let her words sink in. I turned my head away so I didn't have to face any of them, "We shouldn't go back there, it's too dangerous" I managed to bring out. A warm hand rested itself on mine, "Lets go to see Melina first hm." I nodded as I was unable to bring out any words without revealing my overflowing emotions. "That's settled then, plot our course towards St. Petersburg" our father yelled towards Yelena. She turned around with an annoyed expression, "I'm pretty sure we don't have enough fuel for that trip" she said challenging. "Nah, we'll make it"  the confident voice of our father exclaimed in reply. "Okay"  she sighed back in defeat, turning the chopper around towards the direction our mother was in.