Time Heals All Wounds

Chapter 1

Six months later- present day(2016)- 15

The last day of school was the best day of the year, according to Irina. It was a bright May afternoon, and Irina could not wait to do whatever she wanted for a whole 3 months. She opened the door to the flat, and gave her sister a hug which she returned. However even with Irina excitedly telling Yelena that school was over, Yelena wasn't excited. " She's coming, Irina". Irina stopped prancing around their living room, and turned to her sister, her mood dampened significantly. " How do you know?" she asked. " I just know. Now get ready, it's gonna be an interesting few days." Yelena responded. " Okay MOM." Irina said sarcastically, knowing how much Yelena hated it. Yelena flipped her off, as the young girl went to her room, and sat on her bed, contemplating her situation. After years of no contact, Natasha was coming. Irina remembered how she felt that day Natasha was gone, she remembered the promise she had made if she ever saw her again. Her hands clenched into fists, and she punched the punching bag, sending it flying. When she saw Natasha again, she promised she would make her pay. 7 year old Irina deserved one promise in her life to be kept. And so, she vowed to that little girl that she would.

A week later, and it was happening. Yelena had told her, and Yelena was almost never wrong. She got a gun, and was sitting in the living room, waiting, staring bullets at the door. Suddenly she felt it, and saw her through the door. She nodded at her sister, who said, " I know you're out there." and she heard Natasha's voice for the first time in years. " I know you know I'm out here". Little did she know her youngest sister was there as well, hiding in the shadows, waiting. " So, we gonna talk like grown ups?" Natasha asked, meeting Yelena's face. " Is that what we are?" Yelena responded, and a wisp of a smile came onto the elder sister's face. The two sisters had guns pointed at each other, neither one faltering as they moved. Irina moved in the cover of darkness, towards what would become a fight. And fight it did. Irina watched as her older sisters fought, like back in the Red Room, punching, ducking, kicking, doing whatever it took to make sure they would win. " Stay down." she told Yelena choking her with one of the curtains. It was then Irina revealed herself, not wanting the fight to go on any longer. She took one of the guns on the floor, and cocked it, pointing it at Natasha's head. No, sister, you stay down. Let go of it. Now".

She loosened her hold immediately, and Yelena got up, moving towards Irina. " I didn't need your help, you know." Yelena told her. " You're welcome, lena." Irina said, unmoving. Natasha still didn't see her, but she'd know her youngest sister's voice anywhere. " Don't move." Irina said when Natasha rotated a bit. " Okay Irina. Okay." Natasha said softly, not moving. " Why are you here?" she asked. " Those vials you sent me." Natasha said, and Irina turned to Yelena. " Told you". Yelena flipped her off knowingly. " Can I turn around now?" Natasha asked, and Yelena shrugged, and Irina reluctantly said yes. " Thanks for ruining my house, assholes, '' Irina told the two of them. " It wasn't yours to begin with Ri, now put the gun down, and let's talk." Natasha said calmly. " Oh Natasha, what a diplomat you have become. Talk? You lost that privilege when you broke your promise and left. As for this place- I've lived here for the last 7 years; I have the right to call it mine." Irina said, not faltering with the gun in her hand. " Rina, put the gun down, you can kill her with your bare hands when she pisses you off again." Yelena told her, and she looked at her, giving Natasha time to grab the gun from her hand, and turn the tables. " I guess that moment has come." Irina said, and broke out of the chokehold Natasha had put her in, and flipped her over, throwing Natasha into the wall. " Try that again, and next time I won't be so nice." Irina told her, as Natasha slowly got up. Irina grabbed the bright red vials from the table while Yelena asked Natasha why the hell she had brought them back. " Irina, bring those things over; we gotta go!" Yelena yelled from the other room. But Irina was staring, not at the vials, but at the picture that Natasha had brought with it. Natasha holding Baby Irina and smiling while Yelena was making a goofy face. She stuffed it in her pants pocket, and brought it to the room where Yelena was explaining to Natasha what it was. " In English next time." Natasha said snootily. " It's an antidote to mind control, dumbass." Irina said, stuffing the vials into a bag, and packing her stuff. Yelena and Natasha were still talking, but Irina was blocking them out, trying to make sure her abilities didn't explode again. Or, her supposed 'locked' ability. They did one time, and it was terrible. She clenched her hands in and out, and was breathing heavily. She needed to make sure her emotions didn't get the best of her, and she tried to think of better days when life was pretty simple. Scientist lady, being alone in Romania, Yelena and her. She knew it was about to be uprooted again. " What were we supposed to do? You're the only superhero person we know." Yelena said, breaking Irina out of her daze. She looked at Natasha's back; it was mottled with bruises. Irina gave Yelena a side eye, having an inkling she knew who that was from, and didn't want to believe it. Yelena didn't ask, but instead continued the conversation. " I kept checking the news when Rina was in school, waiting to see that Capt. America brought down the Red Room." Yelena said, leaving the room. Natasha followed her, confused, leaving Irina alone. This is when Irina changed into her new outfit: her black leggings, combat boots, her white crop top, and her spiked leather jacket. " The red room's been gone for years. Dreykov's dead. I killed him." was what she heard Natasha say as she walked out. She walked past Natasha laughing, as she grabbed her guns, and other weapons. Irina looked at her with raised eyebrows and a smirk on her face, " Your egotistical ass doesn't really believe that right?" Irina asked her. " It's not ego Rina. It's true." Natasha shot. " Don't call me that. You're not family anymore, and only family can call me nicknames." Irina hissed. Natasha looked sad for a moment at her youngest sister's angry words. " You really do believe that?" Yelena asked, and Irina's smirk dropped. Natasha still insisted that she killed Dreykov as Irina packed the rest of her stuff. She told the story of how it happened, and Irina couldn't believe her sister was so naive. It was the Red Room for crying out loud- it was like a hydra. Even if Dreykov was dead, someone would take his place. But he wasn't that Irina knew for sure. " There was no body left to check." Natasha said, as Irina joined them. " And what about Dreykov's daughter?" Irina asked, making her turn around again, but before she could answer she heard something. They all did; Irina should have been focusing, so she had heard it sooner. " They're here." Yelena said, getting ready. " Who is?" Natasha asked, as Irina prepared for a fight, " You thought the Red Room was gone. You thought wrong." As soon as she said that an explosion was heard. The Red Room was back.