Red Daughter (Natasha Romanoff)

Twenty Three

The last thing Natasha was expecting the next morning was to be shoved into an area that looked surprisingly like the living quarters of the Avengers Tower.

She also wasn't expecting Yelena to be shoved in next, cursing at the guards as they took off her handcuffs.

"Do you ever shut up?" Elodie asks as she strides in. Unlike the last time Natasha saw her, the girl was back in the standard Widow's uniform. Her hair is neatly done, not a strand out of place and her eyes no longer look tired.

"Screw you," Yelena retorts. "Suka."

Elodie scoffs, "rude. And after I got you out of your cells."

"Yeah well you shot me!" Yelena reminds her.

"I've shot a lot of people," Elodie says with a shrug. "You're not special."

"You got us out?" Natasha asks. "Why?"

Elodie grins, "because when you're a teacher for the Red Room you get better rooms."

Natasha and Yelena exchange a confused look before Natasha asks, "we aren't teachers. We especially aren't teachers for the Red Room."

"Never will be," Yelena adds firmly.

"Are you sure?" Elodie asks them.

Yelena nods, "positive. You might as well kill us now."

This gets a dark laugh from Elodie, "oh I'm not going to kill you. But," she adds as she moves to the side and motions to a guard behind her. "I will kill her."

The guard shoves Wanda into the room who falls to the floor in a heap. Natasha and Yelena both rush to her side and embrace the girl who is looking stunned to see them. "Nat? Lenny?"

"We're here kid," Natasha tells her emotionally.

"Not for long if you don't do as you're told," Elodie chimes in. "At least Wanda made the right decision."

"Not like I had a choice," Wanda grits out as she stands up.

Yelena and Natasha stand partly in front of her as if trying to protect her. Something that Elodie found amusing. They wouldn't be able to stop her if she tried to kill any of them.

"There's always a choice, little witch," Elodie grins. "You just made the one that involves self preservation. Maybe you can convince the others to do the same. Not that it matters much to me. Papa is the one keeping them alive, I'm just making them useful."

"Why is he keeping us alive?" Yelena asks.

Elodie shrugs, "because he's a sentimental man. How the hell should I know? I've been asking to kill you since I could talk and it's always been 'no not yet, we must wait until they outlive their usefulness.'"

"Wouldn't you making us useful be counterproductive to you wanting to kill us?" Natasha asks with a slight smirk.

Elodie's jaw muscles twitch as she clenches her teeth together, "do you want me to kill you?" She holds her fist out towards Natasha, showing her a black gauntlet that looks similar to her Widows Bites. "I took your design and improved it. Now, it shoots out tiny steel ball bearings at eight hundred feet a second. More than enough to kill you and leave a rather large hole."

Natasha takes a step towards Elodie, not batting an eye when the girl levels the gauntlet at her heart. She stops in front of Elodie, her chest pressed into the girls fist, "do it then," Natasha tells her softly. "Kill me."

Elodie cocks her head at Natasha, "do you think I won't?"

"I know you won't."

"You know nothing," Elodie hisses as she activates the gauntlet. It glows slightly as it powers up, a tiny humming coming from it, "last chance. Comply or be put down."

"Nat," Wanda urges from behind her.

"Don't worry Wanda, she won't do it," Natasha answers.

"Yes, she will," Wanda argues.

"Elodie won't."

"That's not Elodie!"

"Listen to her," Elodie tells Natasha. "I am not Elodie. I am not your daughter. I am the daughter of General Dreykov. I am the daughter of the Red Room. I am Red Daughter." Elodie pushes her fist against Natasha's chest with each word that comes next, "I. Am. Not. Your. Daughter."

Natasha's hand comes up and gently grips Elodie's arm, "you have always and will always be mine. You are Elodie Melina Romanoff, daughter of Natasha Romanoff." She pushes back against Elodie's fist, getting slightly closer to the girl with each word, "you are my daughter. Mine. Not Dreykovs, not the Red Rooms. Mine. You are Elodie Romanoff and I love you."

Natasha's hands cup Elodie's face as she says the last part, holding her daughters head gently. Elodie's fist sits against Natasha's chest limply, "you.. love me?"

Natasha nods, "red eyes and all."

"Red?" Wanda mutters. "Natasha watch out!"

Her warning comes too late as a blast fills the room and Natasha falls to the ground.