WandaWidow - Book 2

Chapter 35 - Tonic

The facility was deserted. 

Natasha and Yelena made their way through the narrow, dark corridors and checked each room thoroughly before moving on to the next. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since they had left the jet, though neither minded. They were working.

They descended a flight of stairs at the back of the building, and followed the same process again. Some of the doors were locked, so it took a bit of time getting into them. They'd found mostly offices, but also a break room, and a few laboratories. There was little to turn over or search through, as anything of interest had been removed.

While not having voiced this to one another, the two women grew frustrated with the lack of answers. The deeper they got, the more the tension hung in the air. They weren't upset with each other, but they had no one else to be upset with. 

Natasha was wrongfully blaming Yelena as she had decided that this wasn't the right place, or that they were too late. Yelena was anticipating this and was already on the defensive.

They reached the last room on the lower floor, and on confirming that it too was empty, Natasha sighed loudly and pounded her fist on the desk.

"Get on with it then," Yelena stated dryly.

"What?"

"This is my fault, so you may as well tell me now."

Natasha didn't reply, and instead exited the room. As she was stood in the hall outside she heard her sister back in the room she just left, muttering to herself, but couldn't make out what she was saying.

The disappointment she felt was palpable, and she couldn't decide whether to scream or cry. She was mad at everything and everyone, but the only saving grace was that she knew she was right in leaving Wanda back in Norway. She didn't need to see this, she didn't need to feel this way too.

Wanda would try so hard to make her feel better. She knew if Wanda were here she would be saying all the right things, but Natasha would be taking them all completely wrong. She was already feeling bad herself, and couldn't handle feeling bad for feeling bad on top of it all.

Natasha wanted to leave, she wanted to go home and let this feeling overwhelm her. Hope was a fucking bitch, and she was most of all mad at herself for letting it take over. 

She knew though that Wanda was at home, with her bright eyes, and soft smile, and she knew that going home meant telling her that this all had been pointless. That made it more real than she was ready for.

In her frustration, Natasha swung her leg out and booted a box previously discarded, down the otherwise empty hallway. It was light though, and moved too easily, which frustrated her more. She pivoted towards the back wall, which was closest to her, and without another thought, placed her palms against it and put her foot through the wall.

It took her a second, as she rested her forehead against the cold plaster, before she realised that the wall too, had also moved a bit too easily.

Yelena hadn't come to check when she heard the first kick of the box, or the second into the wall, but when the kicks kept coming, followed by what sounded like punches, she thought it best to check that her sister wasn't planning on bringing the building down on top of them.

She cocked her head as she met the doorway, and the sight of Natasha furiously pulling plaster from the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked casually.

"Just help."

"Help what?"

"Me. This," Natasha replied as though it was obvious, without stopping her movements.