Chapter 37 ━━ Alina

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When Hedeon wakes up, his entire body arches. He twists his head from side to side to try and determine where he is.

"Welcome back to the land of conscious."

Hedeon turns immediately, but has to glance around a few seconds before he spots a woman with his blurry eyesight. "Excuse me. Have I been kidnapped?"

"Sort of, yes." The woman in white replies.

"That is pitiful." He squints, as though he thought his eyes might be tricking him. "Mom?"

Alina looks at him with a motherly smile. "Hello, Hedeon."

After running a few tests on Hedeon, the former Destroyer saunters into the bathroom. Cold water blasts into the basin as he turns on the faucet. He bends over and puts his hands on the sides of the sink. His head is pounding, and legs feel like they will buckle under him at any moment.

He cups his hands under the tap, filling them. The shock of the icy water on his face begins to calm him after the third handful before straightening and looking at his reflection in the mirror. He notices something. His eyes are no longer blue. They're back to whiskey brown. To test his strength, he clutches the ceramic sink basin with all the strength he can muster and waits for it to crack, but no, all his supersoldier strength is gone as it never existed in the first place.

Taking a bath, he changes into the provided fresh clothes, which includes a black t-shirt, dark trousers and a pair of boots as he remembers his last memories at the Artie Villa. Katie and Noah are gone. He just hopes Yelena is somewhere safe. If he's not wrong, he is in the lion's den. He needs to plan his next moves before he acts out. When he returns to the bedroom, he sees various Russian dishes laying on the table, awaiting his arrival.

"You must be hungry." Alina walks in with two plates and places them on the table.

"Starving actually." Hedeon tells and the older woman invites him to join the table which he gladly accepts without any hesitation.

"Ask away the questions." Alina speaks out as they both dig into the feast. "I will help you out with all I can."

"Where am I?"

"Belarus, 2R headquarters."

"You work for the Red King?"

"Not by choice." Alina replies with a sigh. "Nadia Tsar. Do you remember her?"

Hedeon shakes his head in denial. "No."

"Nadia is the Red King. Her father was the Red King before her." Alina clarifies, loading more food into her son's plate. "Nadia's father faked my death after I gave birth to you. It was the perfect time and Ivan was occupied by you."

Hedeon raises an eyebrow with a questioning look. "You were here for the last thirty five years?"

"Sadly, yes." She nods with a sad smile.

"I am no longer a supersoldier. Am I?"

"Nadia ordered me to reverse the supersoldier serum in you. Ivan injected the supersoldier serum to you against the Red King's orders. I think he wanted to make you stronger for some reason."

Hedeon says, his voice laced with a sarcastic laugh. "Let me make a wild guess. World domination?"

"Ivan Dreykov is not perfect but he is not completely a bad man. I saw good in him. Believe me or not, we were in love. You were a product of our love." Alina responses.

"Product of love?" Hedeon scoffs, placing his cutlery down, losing his appetite. "Only if you know the hell I've been through because of him."

Tears springing her eyes, Alina runs a hand over her face, sighing loudly as she slumps her shoulders in defeat. "I'm sorry, Hedeon. I should've been there for you from the beginning. I failed you as a mother."

"Hey, it's okay." The former Destroyer comforts his mother. "You were forced to leave."

With a sad smile, Alina wipes her tears and changes the subject. "Do you have someone special in your life? Someone you love?"

"I was kind of engaged to this girl and things happened." He replies automatically, his thoughts preoccupied with the familiar blonde. "Yelena was my best friend. And we're no longer together."

"Do you still love her?"

"I never stopped loving her."

"Do you think she still loves you?"

"I don't know. She's-she looked jealous when I was with other girls."

"Other girls?"

"Just other girls... and boys, you know?"

Alina smiles with amusement. "I understand. You're a grown man. Do you have a type?"

A wave of childlike enthusiasm washes over his face as Hedeon replies. "My type is Yelena."

The older woman coos. "Aww... you're so in love with her, aren't you?"

Hedeon rubs the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically flustered. "Okay, I feel embarrassed now."

"Hush. I will never judge." Alina waves her hands in the air. "Tell me. What do you feel about their relationship?"

"Right now I'm experiencing this nasty feeling as it's like a fat man sitting on my chest but not in the fun way."

"And when it's happening? When you're with your ex fiance?"

"Well sort of. Actually when she was with Noah. I don't know what she saw in that Oaf." Hedeon mumbles. A part of him still believes that if he finds the right words, Yelena will be his again.

Alina smiles knowingly. "Hedeon. You're jealous."

"I don't get jealous. I just hate that I sound jealous. Cause I'm not. I'm not jealous. I'm not. I'm just um-she was there for me from the beginning. She's my childhood best friend. You know?" Hedeon rambles, trying to justify his point of view. "It's mind-boggling. I know I mean when I said I was peace with her making her own choices and moving on, it didn't occur to me that she'd be capable of making such a spectacularly bad one. I mean why? It makes me realise that I want to be the one who is there for her in every way. I want us to be together. I really do. I just don't. I don't know what to do."

"Well, this is very disappointing. The two of you should be ashamed of yourselves." Alina says, leaning back into her chair. "Do you like work?"

"I do. I do love very much what makes me want to be a better man. It's so good to do the right thing." Hedeon confesses.

"We choose our own path. Our values and actions, they define who we are." Alina tells, taking her son's hands into hers. "You don't owe people, Hedeon. It wasn't you."

Hedeon sighs, looking at their hands. "I still have blood on my hands."

"You carry so much love in your heart. Give some to yourself, my dear."

"Thanks, mom."

"There are numerous times I wanted to take my own life. What kept me alive is you. I wanted to meet my little boy before ending this life for good. I just wish I had a little bit more time with you." Alina declares, an adamant tear falling down her cheek. "The Red King is expecting to see you in an hour. She knows you're awake. You better be quick. Yelena's now in a cell in the basement with the other captured former widows. Take her with you and leave. I'll try to hold her back as long as I can."

Hedeon freezes at the name. "Yelena?"

Alina flickers on his son's forehead, pulling him out of his fantasy. "Stop with the lovestruck and get the hell out of here."

"I'm not leaving. I'll have to finish this myself."

"Even if you locate the database and get her to show you the key, you won't be able to take it from her. For years, Nadia has implemented a pheromonal lock in all widows and soldiers. Even me. So, as long as we can smell her, then we won't be able to hurt her. You have the experience."

Hedeon scoffs. "Well, I'll just hold my breath this time."

"Not enough." Alina points out. "This is basic science. Hedeon, to block receptors in olfactory center, you have to sever the nerve."

The former Destroyer grins. "I can handle that."

The elder woman slides a plan of the building. "I'm not allowed to keep weapons, but I managed to steal this. I know it's not enough."

"It is more than enough." Hedeon says and wraps his arms around her in an embrace which the latter happily joins in no time. "We're going to get out of this hell together."

"I'm proud of you, Hedeon." Alina softly with admiration before it turns serious. "Just promise me one thing. No matter what Nadia says, you won't let her words drag you down. The past is past."

Hedeon looks confused for a moment before he agrees without thinking so far. "I promise."

Following through the plan, Hedeon sneaks behind a guard and knocks him out, as well as several other guards on his way to the basement.

Alina waves the stolen card to the scanner and the door clicks open.

Hedeon roams his eyes at the sight in front of him. There are almost twenty abducted former widows caged in the cells. A few of them are terribly tortured while the others are spared with less wounds.

He first makes his way to the familiar blonde and unlocks the door, taking her in his arms while his mother helps the other Widows out. She is slightly wounded and it concerns him to the fullest. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing I can't handle." Yelena admits, observing his eyes. "Your eyes."

"Yup. I no longer fit the cool kid role." He sarcastically says. "We have to finish what we started. First, I'll get you out and then I need to find mom. I have a plan."

She groans, hiding her face into his chest. "I was afraid of that."

He rolls his eyes, offended at her response. "My plans are not terrible."

"Natasha's plans were terrible." She points an accusing finger at him. "Your plans are suicidal. At best."

"Ha-ha."

"Ha-ha? That is your response? Does that mean you agree?"

He groans this time. "I think it means you crushed my spirit and beat me down."

"Fantastic." Yelena beams, kissing his cheek. "One way or another. I need to know if we're together."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, let's just do it. It's obvious we want to be together." He smiles softly. "So let's just stop overthinking it and just be together."

"Okay. Let's do it." Yelena smiles in agreement and she turns to spot the older woman. "I'm glad Alina's safe. She has been sneaking food in for us from the beginning."

"I know." Hedeon kisses her forehead and turns to others. "Everybody good?"

"I am clearly wounded." An Asian Widow dramatically responds with a mischievous grin. "But I'm all up to a good choking if you're offering."

Yelena glowers at the very same Widow. "Viktoriya"

"What?" Viktoriya gives her a crooked smile. "I always had a crush on him. Just look how fit he is."

"Well, he's taken and I highly suggest you shut up before I-" The blonde snaps, slightly aggressive but is cut off by her boyfriend putting a handover her mouth, and resting his arms around her shoulders while putting his chin on-top of her head with a sigh.

He glares at the Asian Widow. "Stop that."

"I was trying to lighten up the mood." Viktoriya raises her hands in a sign of peace. "What's next, hero?"

"I have to finish the game." The former supersoldier replies.

"You need all the help you can get. How can we help?" An older Widow asks.

"You don't have to. There's a ride waiting for you guys and my mom will lead you to it." Hedeon tells. "I've got this."

"That's insanity. We fight. We fight with you." A younger Widow insists and others nod their heads in agreement.

"I can do it on my own." Hedeon says as he notices his mother now trying to patch up the wounded Widows.

Yelena scoffs. "You're so pigheaded."

"Hedeon, we fight. We all ended up here trying to trace 2R and take the Red King down. We already tried taking things in our hands individually. None of us succeed." Viktoriya comments with determination. "We're in endgame and this is our chance to unite as one and fight back. So, enlight us with your wonderful plan."

Hedeon sighs, giving up. "Fine. At least patch up your wounds first."