The Third Widow

Reunion

Natasha had moved back up front to join Yelena in the cockpit, leaving dad and I in the back. We tried to kill the time by playing some games which turned out to be quite entertaining. I noticed the landscape shifted color again as we left the snowy mountains behind us. Suddenly the constant noise of the engine started to give out and a loud "Brace!" resonated through the cabin. Natasha turned around to throw her arm over me in an attempt to try and keep me in my seat while I closed my hand around the bottom of the bench and pushed off the roof with the other, so I wouldn't float up during our descent.

Our controlled crash, which definitely could not be mistaken for a landing, thankfully caused no injuries. As everyone exited the chopper, I quickly slipped into the clean clothes my sister had given to me, before I jumped out as well. As I picked up the pace to catch up with the group walking in front of me, I noticed an argument unfold between my sisters and our father. I got closer in an attempt to better hear what was going on. "Are you serious?" Yelena asked bitterly. "I couldn't be more proud of what you all achieved"  he replied. "My girls went on to become killers of the highest order" followed, as he grabbed my wrist to pull me closer and force a tight group hug. Natasha angrily pushed herself away from his arms, leaving us behind as she continued on her trek. Yelena let out an angry grunt before she too untangled herself to follow behind our sister. I looked up at our dad and shook my head, trying to make him understanding of our feelings before I slowly pushed off and started walking.

We kept on walking for what seemed like hours, before I stopped in my tracks when I noticed the hair in my neck stand up as I felt we were being watched from somewhere. Natasha saw me looking around first, before coming to a hold herself and indicating the rest to do the same. As I spotted our mother down the hill, looking at us through her rifle to get a better sight at whatever trespasser had alarmed her security, I held up my hand and gave a slight wave in her direction. Upon confirming the identity of the four figures in the distance, she lowered her weapon as an indication we were allowed to come closer. I tried to get control over my emotions as I noticed excited butterflies were starting to appear in my stomach.

As we moved closer I began to speed up as I couldn't help my enthusiasm. "Honey! We're home!" I heard my father shout behind us. A smile formed on my face as we all followed behind her, to place a little further up ahead. "Make yourself at home" she said invitingly as she let us pass to enter the small house. Our dad had disappeared off somewhere whilst the rest of us sat down around the dinner table. Yelena put down some shot glasses so our mom could fill them up while shifting her look between the three of us. I reached out my hand to grab one when Natasha cut me off saying "You definitely are not old enough." I gave her a challenging smile before I pulled my hand from under hers and down the glass in one go. "Old enough in most places", I said as I put the glass back on the table. Yelena made a slight chuckle as reaction to my taunt before she too joined in a drink. Natasha made and offended face before being disturbed by our father's loud struggles in the background. He stepped out of the bathroom, showing off his old suit that he went to put on right as we had arrived. I could feel how Natasha rolled her eyes at the same moment Yelena let out a statement of disgust, whereas I only had trouble to hold my laughter. He sat down to join us at the dinner table when he heaved a satisfying sigh, "Family" he exclaimed.

Natasha broke the casual atmosphere by getting back down to business, "We need you to tell us the location of the Red Room", she said looking at our mom. "It's a waste of time to try and bring down Dreykov. He controls an entire army", she replied as she took out a tablet and pressed a few buttons. It was still for a few seconds until a door opened and let in one of our mother's pet pigs. We all watched in surprise as it walked over to our mother in await of a treat, "Good boy Alexei", she said as she handed him some food. His namesake looked up at our mom in utter offence, "You named the pig after me?" I took an other drink as I watched the comedic conversation unfold before me. "You don't see the resemblance?" mom replied as now everyone was struggling to hold back their laughter.

She continued as the serious atmosphere returned to the table, "Stop breathing Alexei " mom said facing her tablet. She nodded approvingly as she saw the pig suddenly refusing to inhale, "Our mission in Ohio was to retrieve certain information, which allowed us to unlock the key to free will." I couldn't take my eyes off the pig as I was listening to my mothers proud explanation. "That's enough!" I shouted towards her, as I sent my chair flying back and slamming my hands down on the table. I was breathing furiously as my emotions were overflowing after my mothers demonstration, "Do you even know who's free will they took away?" I spat her way. Everyone's attention was focused on me while nobody dared to break the silence. Yelena tried to lock eyes with me but I stubbornly avoided all interaction. I noticed Natasha's hand moving towards me from the corner of my eye but before she could reach mine, I pulled my hands off the table and stormed outside. I couldn't believe that my own mother was the one responsible for all the suffering Dreykov had forced me through. The pain of the surgical procedures making you lose all sense of self, resulting in the inability to defy any horrible command send your way. "How could she ever do this", I mumbled to myself as I tried to blink away my tears.

Some time had passed after I went outside to try and cool down a from my tantrum. I sat down in the dirt with my back against the wall as I pulled my knees up to my chin. I remained like this for a little while, in silence, trying to get a listen on what was happening around me. I could hear my family discussing something, but my interest stopped there. A warm setting sun caressed my face which slowly made the calmness return to me. As I drifted off in the peaceful nothingness, I failed to notice a group of enemies closing in on the premises. The sound of a jet landing right next to the house made me shoot up from my slight slumber only to see myself being surrounded by three men pointing their guns at my face. I tried to rush them so I could manage to disarm them, which seemed a working strategy, unfortunately for only a minute. As I grabbed one of the guns and pulled it towards me, I made the guy holding it lose his balance and topple forward. Using him as my human shield, I kicked one of the other guys to the side of the knee, making him fall down in anguish before I knocked him out with a second kick, this time to the face. I pushed away my shield into the arms of the last man standing before me, but before I managed sweep him off his feet, two other guys appeared from around the corner and spared no second to aim and shoot in my direction. I definitely felt something hit me and as I looked down I saw a dart sticking out of my arm. I pulled it out right before I felt a wave of drowsiness wash over me. I widened my stance to keep myself from falling over as I tried to shake off sluggish feeling in my limbs. I took a step forward to finish the last guy that was still standing in front of me, this time being aware of any possible reinforcements. I pushed off the ground as I started sprinting before I made my knee come down in the face of my opponent. I spun around him as I grabbed his gun to shoot some darts to new men running towards me. I held my ground for only a moment, before I was overrun by sheer numbers. I noticed more darts hitting me as all strength got drained from my body until I had to succumb to the tiredness and collapsed on the ground.

I woke up as I noticed I was dangling by my wrists who were tied together above my head. I let out a groan as I tried to move but instantly got punished by my aching body. I turned my head to see I wasn't the only one captured, both my sisters were laying on the ground, sound asleep. On my other side I saw our dad tied down in a chair just as he too was waking up from his little nap. I was searching the plane for our mother when I spotted her occupying the pilot seat, "What's going on?" I managed to bring out. She turned around with a guilty look, "I'm sorry baby"  she whispered before she hardened her face and went back to navigating. "Requesting clearance for landing" she spoke into the radio. "How can we land when we are still climbing in altitude" dad questioned her. I looked past Melina to see he was right, as the plane was still going up instead of down. I noticed a black figure walking up to me as he took out a needle from behind his back. Right before he put me back to sleep, I could hear Melina explain that this was the exact reason no one had been able to locate the Red Room or Dreykov all this time. Fear took over my mind at the thought of going back to that awful place, right before losing all will over my body as I my eyes fell shut again.