𝙸𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 & 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙲𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢¹

labour by Paris Paloma

Budapest

"We know you're out there," Yelena calls out to Natalia, who is picking the doors lock.

"I know you know I'm out here," she calls back. She sounds older. We hear her shut the door.

"Then why shulking 'bout like its' a minefield?" I ask with a broken Russian accent. My light brown hair was in a high ponytail, my brown eyes scanned the area. I wore dark blue jeans, a blank tang-top with a red-n-black flannel over it.

"'Cause I don't know if I can trust either of you."

Yelena just chuckles, "that's funny. I was going to say the same thing."

"So, are we gonna talk like grown-ups?" Natalia asks as she turns to corner, now being face-to-face with Yelena as Emma munches on some popcorn.

"Is that what we are?" Yelena raises a brow. Natalia looks as if her emotions are getting the best of her as she steps forward and Yelena steps back. Emma jumps onto a table and just observes. "Put it down before I make you."

"You put yours down," Natalia responds. Yelena nearly trips over a shoe as she enters the kitchen. "Watch your step." Yelena chuckles softly.

They quickly grab each other's gun, before pointing them at the other. They engage into a fight and Emma quickly gets bored before finding an old closet. She picks out an old box filled with CDs and Record Players. Emma finds an old zune, which, miraculously is charged and still has it's charger. She pulls it out before playing "New York Grove by Ace Frehley."

 I enter the kitchen once again to find Yelena raiding the fridge.

"You two had to come to Budapest, didn't you?" Natalia asks, annoyed.

"We came here because we thought you wouldn't." Yelena shrugs.

"But since you are here," I point at the wall. "What bullet does 'hat?"

"Not bullets. Arrows." Natalia responds.

"Ah, right."

"If you two didn't think I'd come here, why'd you send me this?" She places the cure and photos of us as kids on the table.

"You brought it back here?" Yelena scoffs, walking away with me following.

Natalia soon follows. "I'm not here trying to be your friend, but you need to tell me what that is."

"It's a synthetic gas." Yelena answers. "Counteragent to chemical subjugation. Gas immunizes the brain's neuropathways from external manipulation."

"Maybe in English next time."

"It's an antidote to mind control," I roll my eyes as I repeat Yelena in a simpler way but in Russian. Yelena snickers and high-fives me.

"Real mature."

"Why don't you take it to one of your super-scientist friends within the Global Defense Agency. They can explain it to you." Yelena retorts.

"And for what? Why did you send it to me?"

"'Cause we need Guardian of the Globe." I shrug.

"I don't want to be here," Natalia scoffs at us. "I'm supposed to be enjoying a vacation in Norway."

"Well, what were we supposed to do? You're the only superhero... person that... we... know." Yelena pauses when Natalia removes her shirt, revealing her bruises. "That was the whole reason I sent it to you."