Yelena is pacing back and forth when we get to the safehouse she brought Jack to. Why is she so hot when she's thinking? Jack looks utterly terrified sitting in an armchair in the corner of the sparse living room. Kate runs to him as soon as we enter the room, and starts rambling out an explanation. I put out a hand and stop Yelena's pacing, gently gripping her shoulder.
"The whole mission was a set up." The slight fear in her eyes worries me.
"What do you mean?" I only know what she's told me about the people we work for, I never wanted to push it, but now I feel like I have to.
"I've been working for Val and her personal- very secret- branch of the CIA while feeding information to Kate and the Avengers. Val found out." She pulls away from my grasp.
"I'm sorry, we were working for the CIA?" I'm baffled. How?
"Technically, we were working for Val, who is the director of the CIA," Yelena sighs. "And the whole mission was made up to see what we would do," she elaborates, showing me a threatening message she received from Val.
"Okay. So you're the target, not Jack?" When I ask that, Kate whirls around to tune into our conversation. Jack slips into the next room, presumably overwhelmed.
"Jack was never really the target. She picked someone close to Kate because she suspected I would give her a heads up. Clearly, we've done more than give her a heads up."
"Am I being targeted too?" Kate asks, wide-eyed.
"It would be too dangerous to openly come for you, being an Avengers trainee, but it is possible. Y/n and I are fair game though." Fuck.
"Me? You haven't even let me on a mission until now, how am I implicated?"
"They assume your allegiance to me." Yelena's eyes slice into me.
"They assume correctly," I assure her. "It just would have been nice if they didn't." I can't even do one mission properly since coming out of retirement. Son of a bitch.
"Okay, so Jack is safe?" Kate asks us, and I look at Yelena for the answer.
"Tell him to go away for a couple of weeks, just to be sure. But I think he will be fine." At that, Kate whirls back around and follows Jack.
"You really let her kiss you?" Yelena asks me when she's gone. There's an almost imperceptible hurt in her voice, or maybe I'm imagining it.
"It wasn't my idea," and then, because I can't stand it any longer, "Why do you care? Honestly, why does it bother you so much?"
"It doesn't," she denies, but she isn't quite meeting my eyes. I don't have the patience for this. Why won't she just admit she's into Kate? I take a steadying breath before changing the subject.
"What is our course of action?"
"Become Avengers!" Kate responds, coming back into the room, Jack in tow. He looks much less terrified now. I raise a brow at her, and she just smiles. Yelena scoffs.
"Too many rules."
"Come on, Yelena. You know there'd be nobody better to succeed Natasha," Kate reasons. "At least think about it as an option."
"There's not time for that right now," I cut them off before they get started. "We need to get out of the city, and Jack needs to be as far from us as possible."
"I could not agree more," Jack asserts. With that, we set into motion.
~~~
"If we don't stop to go to the bathroom soon, I will be peeing in your car!" Kate warns Yelena from the backseat.
"Can we at least get out of Ohio?" I ask her, annoyed.
"There is a bottle back there, have fun," Yelena instructs, and I chuckle.
"Honestly, Fanny can hold her bladder better than you," I laugh, and Yelena turns up the radio. Fanny sticks her head up between the front seats, and I'm glad we stopped to get her, regardless of the risk. This road trip to the west coast is going to be much more bearable with Yelena's sweet pup. Kate insisted we pick Lucky up before we left as well, but he has to stay in the hatchback. He's a bit overly distracting in the car. Much like his owner.
"Let's play a game or something then, distract me!" Kate yells over the music, and Yelena expertly ignores her, singing along with the radio. I unfortunately, do not have the luxury of driving.
"Play with the dogs!" I shout back. We continue driving for a while longer, Yelena and I jamming to the music, Kate minding her own business, when she pipes up again.
"Okay, seriously, can I go pee now?"
"We are in Indiana now, Lena," I side with Kate finally, thinking I could use a bit of a stretch myself. Yelena finally relents and pulls off at the next exit. We pull up to a nice looking gas station with lots of grass outside. Kate practically sprints into the gas station, and Yelena and I leash up the dogs for a quick jaunt. Yelena starts doing small laps with Fanny, and Lucky follows them, meaning I also have to run. "Are you serious right now?" I ask her, already fed up by our third circle.
"It tires them out better and gives them exercise. Plus you need to sleep. Next time I stop, it's your turn to drive," she informs me, and I groan. I hate driving Yelena's car. It feels way bigger than it is. "Shut up," she chides, "I am not trusting Kate to drive." I just roll my eyes. We keep running until Kate comes back out of the gas station, arms laden with snacks and drinks.
"Ready?" she calls to us, and Yelena stops running finally. We climb back into the car and we're off again.
"Do not fill your bladder again so quickly," Yelena warns, and Kate crosses her heart. I lean into the headrest and close my eyes, but sleep is not coming very easily. After about an hour, I let out a frustrated groan, and Yelena laughs at me. I look in the back seat to see Kate curled up with Fanny, and figure I can lean the seat back. That finally does the trick, and I'm out like a light before I know it.
