From the Multiverse with Mild Annoyance

Our First Hostage

5 months after the end of From Russia with Begrudging Acceptance...

The past year and a half of Kate Bishop's life had been a whirlwind of crazy events after each other. Putting on that Ronin suit was simultaneously the worst and best mistake she had ever made. Who would've thought one tiny little decision would've changed her life so drastically? Okay, being kidnapped, subjugated and sexually assaulted wasn't the highlight of her life but that was in the past and she had been going to therapy to deal with those exact topics. Kate Bishop was fine.

She rolled over from her position perched on a rooftop, gazing down at two very deadly Black Widows. She watched as the Russian women communicated back and forth through their communication devices from opposite sides of the apartment building. Kate could hear the conversation but she was too distracted by the sound of her fiancé's voice. Yes, the short, angry, very hot blonde woman down there agreed to marry her. Kate had convinced herself that Yelena Belova must have been out of her mind when she said yes then proceeded to give her the engagement vest. Sure, it was just the modified vest Yelena always wore but it was special to her and now to Kate. She had worn it on every mission since the proposal and oftentimes around town because it made her feel close to the blonde. When Yelena would go on missions without her, she would be seen wearing a sweatshirt that smelled like her fiancé as well as her engagement vest. She didn't care how much Peter and Cassie made fun of her. Kate felt her phone vibrating in one of her vest pockets pulling her out of her head at the same time she was addressed through the ear piece.

"Kate Bishop," came the singsong call of her fiancé. "You better not have fallen asleep on the job."

Kate's phone buzzed a second time before she could respond. The curious nature of her being forced her to pull her phone out showing missed texts from Alexei including pictures of Lady and a large amount of hay he had given her. "That's too much food," she groaned, texting him back with the proper instructions for taking care of her horses.

"She must have fallen asleep, Kate," the more amused voice of Sonya tried reaching her. "We need you on this side consciousness. She is probably tiktoking or something."

"Kate Bishop," Yelena sounded a little annoyed, "you better not be tiktoking during the mission."

"I'm not tiktoking."

"Ha! She was totally tiktoking," Sonya laughed.

"Then why didn't you answer us?" Yelena looked up toward the roof she was perched on and Kate swore she could see a smirk.

"Your father is over feeding lady again," Kate sighed and put her phone back into her pocket. "Remember last time when she was throwing up for two days? It's like he never learns. I should've stayed home."

"Little hawk," the sound of her accent was calming and arousing which didn't help settle Kate. "We've talked about this. You can not skip every mission because you are worried to be away from your animals. I know you care for them but even if Papa is an idiot you have to trust others to care for them. We need you."

"I did not need her," Sonya laughed again.

"I need you here. With us," Yelena would have to smack Sonya later. "Now, can you tell us when the target is spotted leaving the apartment?"

"Still nothing," she peered through the scope of the sniper Yelena had deemed her coordinated enough to use. She used the term loosely. Kate mainly used it to look at her target before using her arrows. This was purely a surveillance mission for Maria. She had requested they retrieve documents from the apartment. She didn't tell them what they were for and the three of them didn't ask. This man they were waiting for apparently had papers in a folder. "He's still sitting on the couch laughing at something on the television. You'd think he'd be courteous enough to have the tv pointed this way so I could watch, too."