After walking from the park gates to the hotel and back again, Natasha and Bruce find Alexei and Melina just beyond the entry point. The stand in the middle of the path and are sharing a map.
Natasha can overhear Melina asking if 'there are rides' as she taps her shoulder.
"Ah, Natasha," Melina addresses the redhead and lifts her map, "Where we go first?"
"Where's Jen?" Bruce asks with an eyebrow lifted and his hands on his hips.
"Those two take off to shop. They will spend so much money," Alexei answers.
"Your sister wanted food," Melina responds with more context and adjusts her ponytail with the map crinkling in her grasp.
"What do you want to do, Mom? " Natasha takes the map and shares to point. "The shops are this way. One of the more elite attractions is to your right. If you want to get on the main ride, we should get there soon before the line starts to form."
"Let's do that, Alexei," Melina nudges her husband with her elbow.
"Cheap, American-made," Alexei rambles. About what, Natasha has no idea.
"Let's go this way, Dad," Natasha coaxes gently, urging her parents to follow.
Natasha takes the hand Bruce offers as they stroll toward a more iconic attraction displayed in every marketing material for the park.
She intertwines their fingers, enjoying the colorful floral displays and the scent of cinnamon.
"Yelena was right," she overhears Alexei behind her. "The smell makes you feel hungry. I want a cinnamon roll."
Natasha widens her eyes over a cart to their right and urges a pause, checking the offerings for alcoholic drinks. It might be 10:15 in the morning, but if she's going to last the day-.
"Ducks!" Melina calls with giddy, childlike amusement Natasha has never heard come from her mother.
When she turns around, Melina is crouched on the pavement, taking pictures of a female duck and her babies as they cross the path ahead.
Bruce is beside her, offering an open hand to any ducklings passing should they be curious enough to sniff.
Natasha meets them in a crouch and offers her palm, pecked by a duckling, as they stroll into an iron-barricaded garden full of water displays.
"Cinnamon roll!" Alexei is distracted by another cart and runs to meet the red-painted kiosk, demanding a price.
The answer repulses him, and he swears in Russian.
Bruce releases a groan and stands. Natasha beats him to addressing Alexei, tapping Bruce's shoulder, "I got it."
Alexei is tightening and releasing a fist, "Best day ever is lie! Marketing lie! More like most expensive day ev-."
"Dad! Dad, let's come over look at the flowers," Natasha encourages gently and mouths an apology to the employee at the kiosk behind Alexei's back.
"Cinnamon roll costs too much." Alexei complains.
"We have an early lunch."
"I am hungry!"
"You'll live. I promise," Bruce snaps from the side, having snuck up alongside Natasha protectively to ensure her mental well-being stays intact, no doubt.
It's a vacation, after all.
Alexei glares, offended by Banner's quippy remark.
"We should find the girls," Melina requests, not so subtly.
Natasha sighs and shrugs, "Yelena has my phone."
"I'll try to reach Jen," Bruce offers. He then reaches deep into his sweatshirt pocket to locate a pair of glasses secured in a protective case.
"Look!" Melina shouts after a short walk forward and through a path toward the techiest attraction in the area.
Bruce nearly drops his phone- of course, he does.
Of course, two scientists would be enamored by vehicles powered by solar electricity in a sleek, modern, clean exterior.
"Let's do this one!" Melina jumps slightly, pointing in her clean slacks and embroidered quarter zip to the attraction.
"I do not go fast," Alexei protests. In his lime green Hawaiian floral shorts and button-down. He looks more suited as a tourist for an island than a theme park.
"Come, come on." Melina will not take no for an answer.
Natasha steps up to Bruce as they follow her parents into a winding queue.
"Well?" She asks, tucking stray hairs behind her ear as they follow a blue-lit hallway.
"Jen sent a text. It just says, 'Will meet you for lunch.'"
"Whatever."
"Whatever," he echoes and shrugs.
She offers her backpack, "Please put your glasses in here. Your pocket doesn't zip, and you'll lose them."
"Yes, Nat."
"Do it go fast, huh?!" Alexei whines.
"No, Dad. It's not that bad."
"If you lie to me, Natasha," he continues complaining.
Melina leads and offers the number of their party to the attendant at the barricade before they enter their vehicles.
"If I throw up," Bruce laughs nervously.
"You won't, I promise," Natasha chuckles encouragingly.
"Natasha!" Alexei yells as they strap in, and the vehicle takes off. Twisting and turning.
Melina laughs and screams with her arms up, and Natasha does the same while Alexei holds his seat. Be and Melina sit in front of the four-door car replica with Bruce and Natasha in the back.
Natasha chuckles, eventually laughing hysterically over the forced wind brushing her hair every which way and the paranoia in Alexei's voice before each turn.
She does not know how Bruce feels about the encounter until they leave the vehicle and spots a shake in his hand.
"That wasn't so bad," she says, taking his palm into hers. "Was it?"
Bruce lifts a finger as if he still needs a moment, lying while shaking his head. "No."
When he speaks, Melina raises her camera to the screen in front of them to capture the image taken from the attraction prior to the largest drop.
"Look at your face, Alexei! Such fear." Melina laughs and continues into the gift shop.
"I was NOT afraid!" Alexei snarls, lingering in the room showcasing ride photos taken within the last ten minutes.
He pauses to glance at the image. In disgust, he circles his fist.
"No, Dad!" Natasha calls.
Banner echoes Natasha's warning, saying, "Don't!"
Before either of them can take action, Alexei has his fist against the screen, glass cracking.
Natasha slaps her forehead and fears the worst, "I'm so sorry. He's sensitive."
An employee simply sighs and answers her, "It happens more often than you'd think."
With her face an embarrassing shade of red, she and Bruce urge Alexei from the room. Before the employee can change his empathic stance on the occurance.
"Alexei, Natasha," Melina snickers.
Natasha looks up cautiously with an arm still on Alexei.
Melina wiggles her head, showing off a pair of rodent ears with a trimmed edge that glows in the dark. "I look good," she says.
"Sure, Mom," Natasha clears her throat, ready to move on from the building as quickly as possible, "Lunch? Anyone?"
YOU ARE READING
The Happiest Assassins on Earth
HumorIt's time for a family vacation and Natasha is the travel agent. How does she fair when her sister, parents, Bruce and his cousin are in tow?
