The White Widow

Chapter 17

It had been a couple of days since Yelena had first put on the collar.

Natalia had been sent on five missions since then, while Yelena was still stuck in training. It was clear to Yelena that her superiors no longer trusted her. The attack was completely on the fault of her fellow recruits, but she was the only one being punished for it. She was defending herself! Yelena could feel anger bubbling inside her. She had been so deep in her mind that she had actually missed a cue, and Clint's boxing pad struck the side of her head. Yelena stumbled but quickly recovered and regained her fighting stance.

"You okay?" Clint asked worriedly. It wasn't often that he was able to actually hit the widow. "You were really in your head there."

"No, I wasn't!" Yelena snapped at him. "I just missed the fucking cue."

Yelena wasn't used to people caring about her or being worried about her. It was always ended up being a trick. A sly way to find her shortcomings. Anything to use against her.

Yelena faced Clint, challenging him. Clint caved quickly. Looking down at his feet, the older agent rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. There was something unsettling about a widow's eyes. They were so.. hollow. Clint knew Yelena wouldn't back down. He learned that a while ago. Just as he was about to resume their sparring session, Yelena's blurted out,

"When will it be my turn, Agent Barton?"

"I don't know, kid. These things take time." Clint tried to be as vague as possible. In reality, he had no clue, and he didn't want to mislead her. "And I've told you, stop calling me, 'Agent Barton'. Call me Clint, please. It makes me feel less old."

Yelena nodded reluctantly. It felt wrong using a superior's first name. In the Red Room, it was strictly prohibited and were even heavily punished for it. The widows weren't allowed to speak to them at all. Only answer when a superior asked them questions. This would definitely take some getting used to.

Clint excused himself for a break and sat on a nearby bench. He's seen a lot in his years, but he's never seen someone carry so much trauma with them at such a young age. Yelena was only 17 years old, and all she has ever known has been pain, loss, betrayal, and abuse.

Clint watched as Yelena moved onto the punching bag. Her strikes were meticulous. Her form was perfect. It was all impressive until you remember how she was taught. Clint couldn't help but think, was S.H.I.E.L.D any better than them? His eyes fell onto the collar. It was a harsh punishment. It could have been worse, but the blame was definitely wrongfully placed.

Clint took some deep breaths, getting ready to rejoin Yelena. He started to follow along for moral support soon after the fight because Yelena was being targeted by other agents with some distasteful pranks. They ranged from taking her uniform during her showers to framing her for vandalism. It had been relentless, so Clint said he would accompany her.

Just as he was about to rejoin Yelena, he heard his ringtone coming from his bag. He grabbed his phone and recognised Natasha's number, "Hey, Nat."

"How is she?" Natasha asked quickly, ignoring his greeting. Yelena had gone to Clint with her bullying problem, knowing how Natasha would get, but he had told Natasha about it. He felt like she should know, but he begged Natasha not to get involved just yet. Surprisingly, she agreed.

"She's hurting, but she's getting there." Clint reassured her. "How's your mission going?"

"Don't change the subject." Natasha chided. "Have there been any new issues?"

"Not since I've started coming." Clint said. He glanced around the room at all the other recruits, and, for the first time, Clint noticed the glares. The whispering. They were all directed towards Yelena. If they caught his eye, he would hold their gaze, and like Yelena, he wouldn't look away. They would stare wide-eyed back and look away quickly.