Goddess | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter 5: Network

Natasha makes her way back to Yelena and Aloisia while Yelena cleans her wound. Nat places two beers on the table, holding her own. Yelena winces as she cleans the injury on her arm, pausing as she talks to Nat "That gas, the counteragent, it was synthesized in secret by an older widow from Melina's generation. I was on the mission to retrieve it, and she exposed me and I killed the widow that freed me"

"Did you have a choice?" Nat asks

"What you experienced was psychological conditioning. I'm talking about chemically altering brain functions. They're two completely different things. You're fully conscious, but you don't know which part is you. I'm still not sure" Aloisia frowns at the information, she finds humans such a complicated species, why do they always fight one another instead of other enemies in the universe?

Natasha gets up, making her way over to Yelena. She takes the rag away and begins to help sort out Yelena's cut.

"I'm sorry" Aloisia offers quietly, her tone gentle. Yelena just waves the comment off.

"Is that all there is left?" Nat asks, gesturing to the red vials

"Mmm-hmm. It's the only thing that can stop Dreykov and his network of widows" Yelena winces as Nat pushes the skin together on Yelena's arm

"He takes more every day. Children who don't have anyone to protect them. Just like us when we were small. Maybe one in 20 survives the training, becomes a widow. The rest, he kills. To him, we are just things. Weapons with no face that he can just throw away. Because there is always more. And no one's even looking for him, thanks to you and Alexei" Natasha begins to bandage Yelena's arm as they talk.

"Alexei?" Nat mumbles as she cuts the bandage and stands up, walking back to her seat.

Yelena chuckles dryly "Dad"

Natasha takes a drink from her beer as she looks around at the children running around and playing, the people walking around, happy. "Did you ever look for your parents? Your real ones?"

"Well, my mom abandoned me in the street like garbage. What about you?" Aloisia places a gentle hand over Nat's as their fingers intertwine

"I'm sure there was more to it than that Nat" Al whispers reassuringly

"They destroyed my birth certificate, so I reinvented it. My parents still live in Ohio. My sister moved out west" Al smiles at Yelena as she speaks, ready to hear what Yelena created for herself.

"Is that right?"

"You're a science teacher. You're working part-time, though, especially after you had your son. Your husband, he renovates houses" Aloisia snorts.

"Husband, imagine" Aloisia and Natasha laugh at the comment knowing Natasha is a lesbian.

"So, are you two together? I cant tell if you're good friends or more" At this Aloisia laughs even harder.

"Natasha Romanoff is my girlfriend. Is it really that hard to believe?" Al smiles, Natasha lifts their intertwined hands from under the table. Yelena only laughs.

"I dont know" Yelena replies "Another day, you'll have to tell me the story"

"Well, That is not my story" Nat says, hinting to the one Yelena had created

"What is your story?"

"I never let myself be alone long enough to think about it" Natasha explains

"Well, what's your story Aloisia?" Yelena asks the girl, she has seen little of the avenger on the news.

"It's a long one, you sure you want it?" When Yelena nods Al continues "I was born on Zafies, a warrior planet, even on zafies i was different, born with abilities over fire and shadows that no one else possessed. I became famous I suppose. We were all trained in many fighting techniques with various weapons. At ten children could choose to what they wanted to specialise in, fighting or other areas that were necessary on the planet as it was in a dangerous place and many had tried to take over so we fought back. Then someone came, and we fought, but we didn't win. I was the only survivor. Then I came to earth, found Tony Stark and joined the avengers"