Rachel Weisz in
BLACK WIDOW (2021)

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𝖝𝖎.
PLANS UNVEILED

Yelena drank out of the bottle of vodka. Alexei gazes around the room as he glances at Yelena, "So, here I am ice fishing with my father. It's a very cold day in this little ice shed. Cold even for Russia, you know? Keep the vodka by the fire, my father would say to me."

"Please stop talking."

"Please wait. Please wait."

"Please, no. Please, I don't want to talk." Alexei turned to Yelena as he stood up to face her, "There is a reason why I'm telling you this, okay? Trust me. I am reaching for fish. Oh! I lose balance. Ah! Splash! My hands go in the river. In this weather, frostbite sets in quickly."

Yelena drank from the bottle. She rubbed her forehead as she glanced up at Alexei who continued to talk, "Urine is 35 degrees Celsius, staves off the frostbite."

Damon bit his tongue from saying something, knowing damn well he did not have a good bond with the blonde from mystic falls. Which is mostly his fault as he really made no effort at all, to apologize after hurting her. He sighs as he shifts his gaze away from her, feeling the glare coming from a certain playboy billionaire who seems to be more than a rich boy who has a thing for blondie.

"Why he still looking at her," murmurs Happy, low enough that only Bruce caught it who nodded in agreement. Rebekah scrunches her nose in disgust, "Your father is something."

"He needs more than therapy to fix that," snickers Harley under her breath that causes the three teens besides her to snort in amusement. Natasha and Yelena nodded at that, as they know he has his own form of trauma which he probably fails to acknowledge. Ivy glanced at the sisters, "How did he join the red room?"

"Who fucken knows," murmurs Harley as she was mentally detached from the screen. She was hungry and just wanted a sandwich from Sal's. Yelena glanced at Natasha, who in response shrugged as she furrowed her brows, "Not too sure, but he grew up with soviets, so his father was probably involved that got him involved."

"Makes sense." Peter tilts his head as he kind of feels bad for the guy, as is not an excuse for what he did but at the same time, it is okay to acknowledge the abuse he went through. MJ quietly observed the room, she always had a sharp mind but does not understand how this circumstance is supposed to be a healing experience— unless it is not?

MJ cast a quick glance at Harley, whose blonde hair was lighter than before, her makeup attempts to recreate to resemble her former self before she became a ghostly shade of white. MJ noticed that Harley had been on her best behavior during the entire time they were at the theater. Yet, if anyone paid close attention, they would see the faint traces of blood on Harley's palms, a sign of her stress-induced habit of digging her nails into her skin.

Harley, impatient nature—heightened by her adhd, and MJ noticed, it was a cruel twist of fate that Harley had taught MJ everything she knew about psychology, and now MJ was using that knowledge against her. MJ's heart ached as she thought of Harley, someone she deeply admired, finally confronting her trauma. Perhaps this was what it was all for—Harley not ignoring her pain but facing it.

"Are you okay, Em?"

MJ turned to the source of the voice, her boyfriend Peter, whose light brown hair seemed to glow softly. Peter had endured so much, yet his spirit remained undimmed. MJ felt a pang of uselessness, wishing she could do more for both of them. "I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile.

"How is this even relevant?" Yelena interrupts him as she lets out a sigh in frustration. Alexei replied, "You know, fathers."

Yelena takes a deep breath as her eyes glittered with tears as she faced him, "No. You have done nothing but tell me how bored you were. I was the chore, the job you didn't want to do. To me? To me, you were everything."

Alexei sat down quietly avoiding her gaze. Yelena lets out a scoff, "Exactly. You don't care. You don't care. The only thing you care about are your stupid glory days as the Crimson Dynamo, and no one wants to hear about it."

Alexei glanced down as he whispered, "It's the Red Guardian."

Rhodey leaned in close to Tony, his expression one of mild exasperation. "He really sucks," he muttered under his breath.

Tony nodded in solemn agreement, a knowing look passing between them. The rest of the room echoed their sentiments with a collective groan, fully aware that he was bound to stumble sooner or later.

Chuck, unable to resist a wry comment, glanced over at the group of girls. "No offense, but he's hopeless at the whole emotional talk thing."

A smirk played at the corner of Yelena's lips as she couldn't help but quip, "Well, no shit," her words eliciting stifled laughter from her two sisters and Sharon, who found themselves unable to contain their amusement.

"Get out. Get out!" Yelena shook her head. Alexie took deep breaths as he looked out and started to sing, "I can't remember If I cried When I read about his widowed bride Something touched me deep inside the day the music died and they were singing..."

Yelena chuckled as she joined him, "Bye. Bye. Miss American Pie. American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee. But the levee was dry. Was dry. They are good old boys. Drinking whiskey Singing. This will be the day that I die"

"This'll be the day–"

Katherine's gaze lingered on the three sisters seated rows below her, a distant memory resurfacing of hearing the same song during their childhood, when they were escorted back to the red room. A sense of foreboding gnawed at her, causing her to bite her lip anxiously. Beside her, Loki leaned in close to Thor, his voice laced with concern. "Brother, something feels wrong."

"I feel it too." Thor's agreement was solemn, a shared understanding passing between them. It was as though they all sensed an underlying chill beneath the seemingly beautiful moment unfolding between father and daughter.

Bruce's attention shifted to Harley once again, noting her distraction from the screen. His gaze fell upon her bloodied palms, a fleeting glimpse of her struggle. Harley quickly withdrew her hands, avoiding his eyes. He longed to reach out to her, to offer comfort, but hesitated, mindful not to intrude.

Yelena quietly looked at him as he nodded. Their moment was interrupted when a jet engine was heard. Alexei stood up as bright light shone upon them, "Get down."

Yelena crouched down on the floor. As soon as a lot of darts hit Alexei, they were laced with drugs, "They think–"

More darts punched through Alexie as he fell down on the floor unconscious. Yelena bent down closer to him, as she shook her head out of surprise. Yelena got her gun pointed down as she leaned against a wall. Yelena carefully walked out of the room with her gun pointed ahead.

Yelena sweeped the floor with her gun to the living room and paused in her tracks as she slowly entered the kitchen. Yelena stared in shock as she glanced at her two sisters who were dropped on the floor, unconscious. Yelena's face filled with concern. Yelena shook her head, she heard light footsteps. Yelena glanced up as Melina stood in front of her, "I'm sorry."

Melina shot a widow bite to her, as Yelena let out a groan of pain as she fell to the floor. Melina sighs as she comes face to face with the taskmaster, "Let's not keep him waiting."

A suffocating silence enveloped the room, Harley and Yelena flinching as they recalled the shock pulse coursing through their veins. Steve's voice thundered with anger, breaking the tense stillness. "What is wrong with her?"

The avengers nodded in agreement, their frustration palpable. Bonnie felt a surge of rage coursing through her. "I take back what I said. She ain't hot anymore after pulling that stunt."

All eyes turned to the witch, who merely shrugged in response. Sharon reached out, clasping Yelena's hand in a gesture of comfort. The former shield agent rubbed her thumb across Yelena's hand in a soothing manner, meeting her gaze with understanding. Yelena's eyes shimmered with gratitude as she whispered softly, "Thank you," to which Sharon replied with equal tenderness, "Anytime, Lena."

As the lights dimmed in the room, the screen brightened, signaling the continuation of the unfolding drama.

"Request clearance for landing," Melina is shown as she pressed a button. Melina heard groans as she slightly turned to see Alexie waking up. Alexei flutters his eyes as he is trying to stay awake, "Melina?"

Melina turned her gaze and pulled back on the steering wheel and pressed a red button, "We're touching down in one minute."

Alexei felt his eyes tingling with a hint of flare as he paused as he saw Caroline, Natasha, and Yelena passed out next to him. He shook his head, gaze back at Melina,, "Then why are we still going up?"

Melina glanced to see a soldier inject him with a drug as he slowly was losing his consciousness. She sighs as she sees him go completely back to sleep, "Now you'll know how Dreykov stayed above the radar all these years."

A building with post soviet-era architecture appeared on the screen, as the building was built with much glass and steel.

[ RED ROOM ]

A collective gasp escaped the lips of everyone in the room, their jaws hanging in disbelief. The revelation of an entire organization suspended in the air without ever being found, left them reeling. Rhodey's gaze swept across the room, "It seems we'll have to conduct missions from above air now."

The avengers nodded in somber agreement, still grappling with the magnitude of the situation. Amidst the stunned silence, Stefan's voice cut through, a reflection of his own incredulity. "I always knew technology was advancing, but I never imagined it would reach such staggering heights."

The supernatural beings in the room, including the mikaelsons, Katherine, and Damon, nodded in silent accord with Stefan's observation. Despite their centuries of existence, they found themselves astonished by the boundless progress of humanity had developed throughout the years.

As the scene unfolded on the screen, Bruce's typically stoic expression softened momentarily, his brow furrowing with concern. "What the fuck?" he murmured, his voice laced with a mixture of disbelief. Happy exchanged a solemn glance with Bruce before shaking his head in quiet signaling how she avoids talking about it.

Melina walks to the hall's pauses as a bunch of widows in training. The widows bent down with one foot as they had guns pointed in front of them, they turned on the one knee stood up, and quickly switched positions.

The widows paused as they turned to see Melina gazing at them, as she nodded to them and the widows went back to training.

A pall of horror settled over the room, etching expressions of anguish on the faces of those gathered, as the grim reality sank in: there were still countless women and young girls ensnared in the clutches of that nightmare. Wanda, her heart heavy with sorrow, tore her gaze from the screen to address the sisters with a pained expression. "Are there still more widows who remain imprisoned?"

The three sisters nodded solemnly in response, their features drawn with weariness. Harley spoke but as she did her attention was on the hem of sweater which she did not take off besides a brief moment showing bits of her skin in the beginning. "He maintains bases across the globe; not all have been liberated," she admitted, her words echoing with a bitter truth.

Yelena's jaw clenched with frustration as she met Wanda's gaze, her eyes reflecting the weight of their shared burden. "Producing the vials takes time, and tracking down all the bases is a challenge," she explained, her voice tight with suppressed anger. Bucky spoke to her as his eyes held determination, "We'll help."

In unison, they all nodded, even the supernatural beings among them, united in their determination to right the wrongs inflicted by Dreykov and his vile empire. Though each of them bore their own sins, they were unified in their righteous fury at the thought of innocent young girls trapped in such a cruel fate.

With a collective effort, they pushed aside their seething rage, turning their attention back to the screen, ready to confront whatever horrors lay ahead.

Melina walked past them down to a hall. She entered an elevator with two soldiers waiting outside the elevator as she entered pressing a button. Melina enters a little office, a door light buzzes green as she enters. Walking straight ahead with Dreykov sitting on a couch and the taskmaster standing behind him.

"My God. Look at you. So, uh, how was the family reunion?" Dreykov stood up, walking towards Melina. Melina shook her head letting out a stifle chuckle, "Oh, it was awful. They were clingy, and too emotional, and needy."

Harley and Yelena exchanged knowing glances, rolling their eyes in unison as Natasha sported a subtle smirk. Tony's brow furrowed in confusion, his gaze darting between them. "Is this some kind of inside joke?" he questioned, his tone tinged with suspicion. "Because she just called you all clingy."

Natasha turned her head casually, a glint of mischief in her eyes as she nodded in agreement. "It'll all make sense later," she assured, her cryptic response only adding to Tony's bewilderment.

"Or maybe not," Yelena interjected playfully, a teasing grin quirking at the corners of her lips. Harley couldn't help but chuckle at their banter, despite Tony's attempt to maintain a stern glare; a small smile betrayed his amusement.

As their attention returned to the screen, Harley hesitated for a moment before finally mustering the courage to remove her sweater. She met Ned's gaze, his sweet smile and thumbs up offering reassurance in the face of her uncertainty.

"Just like old times, huh?" Dreykov shook his head as he moved closer to her. Melina let out a hmm. Dreykov rubbed his hands together as he was centimeter away from her face, "Yelena Belova. What's the deal with her? She was the only one affected, right?"

Melina let out a nod, "As far as I know, yes."

"These glasses and antidotes, it's a pain in my ass. It's a problem. You need to sort it," Dreykov eyed her. Melina kept her face calm and collected, "Hmm. I have nine pigs that will require attending to in my absence."

Dreykov shook his head as he put his hands on her shoulders forcing her to sit down. He grabbed her for the hair, "Don't give a shit about your pigs. Cut her brain out. Hmm? Identify the weakness."

Rebekah's gaze bore into screen with a fierce intensity, her satisfaction evident as she reflected on the sisters' decision to kill him. Around the room, heads shook in collective disdain at the despicable individual before them. The mere thought of the suffering inflicted upon women because of him stirred a raging anger within each of them, boiling their blood with righteous anger.

Thor's fury manifested in crackling lightning that danced across the room, a display that inspired both awe and fear among those present. "That is unacceptable."

In solemn agreement, they all nodded in solidarity. Kol, curiosity getting the better of him despite the presence of gods, tentatively voiced his query. "Is earth vastly different from your homeland?"

Thor nodded at him, "Terrible things occur all the time regardless where we come from. I think it is inevitable to prevent it."

As they absorbed Thor's words, the truth behind his statement settled upon them like a heavy cloak. Loki, his demeanor tinged with a chill of foreboding, added his agreement. "Indeed, there are creatures like him scattered throughout the universe, coercing others into acts of violence."

A collective sense of unease descended upon the room as they contemplated the harsh reality of their existence. The group of 2025 shared a look as they thought about Thanos. Regardless of their origins, they were all soon to be united by the shared struggle against someone more powerful than them.

Yet, in the face of such darkness, all they could do was persevere, united in their resolve to endure and overcome.

"This much less cool way to die." The scenery changes with Yelena wide awake as a mark is being drawn on her forehead, she is completely strapped down. The scene cuts to show Caroline strapped against a medical table with her eyes open, seeing a needle impale her skin; as blood was being drawn out of her. She winced lightly as she glanced up at the mask up doctors, "At least be gentle with it."

The scenes cut with Natasha laying down on the floor fully awake. She closed her eyes as she heard punches and groans. It is Alexei punching the glass next to the cell Natasha is in. Natasha stood up, to sit on the couch in the cell, "Alexei."

The sight of the two youngest blondes in such a vulnerable position elicited winces from everyone in the room. Natasha's steely gaze narrowed at her two sisters, her frustration evident. "You two are idiots," she scolded, her tone laced with exasperation.

The two blondes merely shrugged in response, seemingly unfazed by Natasha's admonishment. Harley reclined in her seat, her expression defiant. "I'll never beg for mercy under torture or threaten to be killed," she declared boldly. "I'm not weak. If it's my time to go, then I'll go out strong."

Natasha couldn't help but roll her eyes at her stubbornness but deep inside their nothing but pride. Yelena enthusiastically high-fived her in agreement, her resolve echoing Harley's sentiment. "For real. Never show a moment of weakness, even at your lowest point."

"Lord, why do I have to deal with this," mutters Happy under his breath, which caused many in the room to snicker knowing the bodyguard probably saw a lot. Bruce leaned in to whisper to her, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Or we could just avoid getting into messes altogether."

Harley grinned mischievously, leaning in to whisper back, "We both know that's impossible for me, bats." Bruce couldn't suppress a soft chuckle, his eyes betraying a certain fondness as he rolled them in mock exasperation.

Alexei is panting as he sits with Natasha sitting; with a wall dividing them. The scene changes, as a hand is placed on the chair that Melina is sitting on. Melina gazes at him, "What about the other two?"

Dreykov leans to her, "Romanoff is a traitor. She turned her back on her people. On her blood. She had nothing."

Melina stayed put as Dreykov continued, "Harley is it now? Or was it Caroline? Hmm, whatever, she is being experimented on, I know she is different from the other two."

A collective scrunch of disgust contorted the faces of Natasha, Harley, and everyone else in the room as they bore witness to the actions of the psychotic man on screen. Peter muttered under his breath, "What an asshole."

Ned nodded in agreement, his expression darkening with disdain. "Asshole is too kind a word for him," he remarked bitterly. Bonnie turned to Harley with a furrowed brow. "He knew you were a witch?"

Harley nodded solemnly, her gaze meeting Yelena's. "The red room and hydra have been around for years," she explained. "They're bound to uncover things and twist them into their weapons."

The supernaturals exchanged uncertain glances, grappling with the implications of their visibility in the world. Perhaps it was time to shed their ego and acknowledge the harsh realities of their existence.

Tony snapped his fingers in realization, pointing accusingly at Yelena. "So, that's why you weren't surprised about vampires existing, huh?" he interjected, his tone tinged with newfound understanding. Yelena nodded in confirmation.

Dreyokv sat on a table blocking Melina, "I gave them a home. I gave them love. Put that thing in her you do. You know, uh, chemicals. Turn her into one of your pigs. Can you imagine what I could do with an avenger and magic being under my control?"

Melina bit her lip, "Wouldn't you like to speak to her first?"

"When you look into the eyes of a child you have raised, no mask in the world can hide that," Dreykov leaned his hand forward but Melina tried to stop but didn't as he pressed a button inside of her face, pulling the mask and wig off revealing Natasha.

"Welcome home."

"Holy fuck," muttered out Clint. Which caused everyone in the room to nod along with him. They all faced the sisters who let out shrugs. Yelena had a slight smirk on her, "It gets worse."

"That's not reassuring at all lena."

"Wasn't trying to be."

Natasha stood up as the taskmaster pointed a gun at her but Dreykov put his arm up, "Now. Now Don't break my toy."

The scene cuts to Alexei's hands placed on a glass, "Natasha. Harley. I can't save us. I need you both to know that I'm sorry. I pledged my life to a cause. You know, I thought I was being very brave. Possibly the bravest. But I wasn't being brave. I was coward."

Alexie begins to slide down on the glass, "In Cuba, when they came and took you, both away from me... No cause is worth that. You both should only sacrifice yourself for something..."

Alexei falls down as the glass door opens. He waves his hands out as he stands facing Natasha outside the cell, "How did you do that?"

Harley and Yelena bursted out laughing. Yelena glances at Natasha as she lets out a chuckle, "The sad fact is he is still trying to have that emotional talk, with you Nat."

Natahsa rolled her eyes but knew he meant well. Bonnie glanced at her old friend, worried that they were not on good terms after all the pain mystic falls brought her. Which could have been prevented if they had told her many things to start with. In the beginning they should have never hid the supernatural world from her, but it looks like she knew but only to a certain extent.

"Besides the bit that went down in that town, what else do you think she went through?" Chuck whispered to his girlfriend with a pensive look. Ivy remained silent, unable to find words, for witnessing the brutality inflicted by the eldest salvatore upon her friend left her speechless. With closed eyes, she hopes that peace could be brought to Harley, her heart bit more at ease.

"I designed these cells myself," stated Natasha, pulling the mask revealing Melina. Alexei took a step forward, "What? What? I bared my soul to you and it was just you the whole time?"

Melina waved him off as she put a hand over her ear, "Yes, I'm afraid so. But wait, shh, I'm on comms with Yelena," Melina turned as Alexie put hand as well over his ear in confusion as Melina softened her voice, "Yelena, it's me. It's Mama. You have a two-inch blade concealed in your beltline."

Yelena is shown strapped down a table, "What?"

They all turned to her as Yelena pouted, "In my defense I was in shock."

Natasha and Harley gave her a 'are you serious' look which caused Yelena to stick her tongue out at the two. While everyone is staring at them in amusement but slightly envious of how much they care for each other even after all the hard moments and even the time they never had contact— the three had each other's back no matter what.

Elena bit her tongue from saying something as it did not make sense as to why she decided to not tell anyone the truth. But a part of her knows she is wrong to even question her as she is not exactly the perfect girl but still, a part of her is just hurt. In a sense, of how bad of a friend she was that she didn't even acknowledge the depth of pain that her friend was going through.

"Don't," whispered Damon to her. Damon could care less about anyone in the room. Elena shot him in disgust as her attention went back to the screen. She could feel his gaze on her and it made her skin crawl. She wrapped her arms around her for comfort as she shut her eyes as when did life become so miserable?

Yelena immediately turns to the nurses as they eyed her. Yelena put a worried expression on her, "What are you going to do to me?"

"Outside right hip," mutters Melina into Yelena's ear. Yelena gently moved her hand down to her hip, grasping the small knife. A nurse comes to inject her but she cuts free stabbing the nurse. Yelena kicks the nurse as one stabs her behind, causing her to groan out of pain.

Yelena puts her arms around the person throwing them on the ground. One of the nurses tried to run away but she threw a knife at them. Yelena pulls out the syringe that was stabbed into her, she grabs her vest and puts it on, "You couldn't have told me sooner?"

"Don't throw a fit. There wasn't time," mumbled Melina. Alexei furrowed his brow in confusion, "Okay, girls, I'm having trouble hearing you, but Natasha and Harleen, there's something I need you to know. I need you both to know that I'm sorry. No more excuses, okay? I gave my life for a cause. I thought I was being brave."

"You don't have an earpiece." Melina went to him as she had a tight expression on her. Alexei glanced at her with a belittle expression, "What?"

"No, they can't hear you. You don't have an earpiece," stated Melina in a slight laughing tone. Alexie shook his head, "Why not?"

"Because it wasn't part of the plan," shrugged Melina. Alexie sighs, narrowing his gaze, "Oh, yeah? Well, what was the plan?"

Laughter erupted across the room as the man struggled earnestly to share an emotional moment with them. Clint couldn't help but chuckle, "Poor guy, I almost feel sorry for him."

Nods of agreement rippled through the group. Alexie always managed to leave an indelible impression on them, for better or worse. Rhodey shook his head with a grin, "Why didn't any of you clue him in?"

Yelena shrugged, "I only found out about the plan at that moment."

The others glanced at Natasha and Harley, who shrugged, anticipating the revelation on screen. Natasha eyed them knowingly, "It's probably up next."

Steve turned to his redheaded friend, "And if it's not, Nat?"

Natasha shrugged nonchalantly, "Sounds like a problem for all of you."

Bucky wore a fond smile, acknowledging the difficulty of confronting their past horrors, yet recognizing the greater purpose behind it.

"You okay, metal man?" Sam teased, to which Bucky narrowed his eyes, "I'm fine, birdman."

The scenes cut to flashback; Natasha grabs a knife and hands it to Caroline, "So, once we're inside, I'll activate my tracker and Ross will come running."

"You are aware that you are still a global fugitive, yes?" Melina turns to her. Natasha sighs as Caroline glances at her, "You know the facility. There must be some way to land it."

Melina nodded as she grabbed a tablet, "Instruct them to confine us on level zero. Once I'm out I can activate the landing protocol, we can descend within an hour."

Natasha nodded at that. Melina moved to the closet as Caroline followed her along with Natasha, "We don't have much time okay?"

"Problem, I only have two ear pieces." Melina sighs as turned to them. Natasha and Caroline shrugged, "Yelena."

As the conversation unfolded, everyone's attention shifted towards the girls, a collective realization dawning upon them. Peter's voice, barely above a whisper, echoed through the room, "Ah, it all makes sense now."

Stefan glanced at his friend, unsure if their bond remained as strong as before, but deep down, she would always be his closest friend. A mischievous grin crept onto Stefan's face, "I wager he didn't take too kindly to that."

Harley nodded in agreement, a fond smile playing on her lips as she reminisced. Natasha couldn't help but snort in amusement, "More like he threw a fit, if memory serves me right."

A ripple of chuckles escaped Harley and Yelena, their amusement evident as they recalled the scene. Meanwhile, Kol leaned in to mutter softly to his sibling, "Well, at least their father had a shot at redemption."

Nods of agreement passed between Klaus and Rebekah, while Elijah let out a weary sigh, his exhaustion palpable. Under his breath, Elijah muttered something indiscernible as they all turned their attention back to the screen, each lost in their own thoughts.

Caroline grabbed an earpiece as Natasha puts hers on. Melina glances at them, "Natasha and I will switch places. Caroline, I will make sure you will be sent to a specific cell and Yelena and Alexie will be with me. Got it?"

"Why are you helping us?" Caroline questioned her. Melina sighs as she glances at ber, "I did many wrong things in my life and I owe it all to you to make it right."

Natasha nodded as they switched places with Melina. Melina turned at Caroline, "This will hurt."

Caroline furrowed her brow as she glanced at Melina in confusion. Melina shoots a widow bite as Caroline falls on the floor as her eyes fight to stay open. Melina glanced at Natasha, "Ready?"

Harley winced, a fleeting expression of discomfort crossing her features as the memory resurfaced. Bruce Banner, with his discerning gaze, directed his attention towards the sisters, "You all barley even flinch to sting."

Peering over her seat, Harley met his gaze, her tone nonchalant yet revealing a hint of resilience, "We've had to cultivate a certain resistance to it."

As the flashes of their arduous training flickered through their minds, it struck them anew how remarkably resilient they all remained. Bruce Wayne, ever the great detective, regarded the blonde with a set of analytical lenses, pondering the enigma she presented. When they fought, the pain she endured, she seemed to enjoy a peculiar exhilaration from it, always laughing it off and daring him for more.

Yet, beneath her façade, he sensed a deeper truth— within the fractured cells of her being lay the essence of a black widow, an assassin accustomed to pain as casually as a child eats candy.

Klaus, his gaze lingering on the blonde witch who had ensnared his heart, he acknowledged their lack of romantic part, he is merely content to share a space in her life, he sighed softly, his attention momentarily diverted by his sister's murmured observation, "She is quite striking."

"Indeed," Klaus murmured in agreement, before his brother Kol interjected with characteristic bluntness, "Move on, mate."

"We're friends, you imbecile. Something I have, which you lack," Klaus retorted, a hint of exasperation coloring his tone, as Kol responded with stitching his tongue at him. Couple rows down, MJ's voice cut through the silence, her words tinged with uncertainty, "Are we, like, starting over after this?"

Peter furrowed his brow, his thoughts drifting to the implications of their purpose besides watching Harley's journey. "I'm not entirely sure, Em. I mean, the note suggests, right? A way to prevent Harley's friend's death that has not happened yet."

Ned tilted his head, his words hanging heavy in the air, "How significant must her friend be for them to mess with time again?"

The two teenagers lapsed into pensive silence, their minds awash with myriad thoughts. MJ's sigh broke the tension, "Whatever the case, we have another opportunity. Let's ensure that Mysterio doesn't unveil your identity, tiger."

Peter nodded, his grip tightening around MJ's hand as his thoughts drifted to his beloved aunt May, a beacon of stability amidst the chaos of their tumultuous lives.

Yelena walks down a hall seeing tissue paper as she begins to remove the mark that was drawn on her forehead, "Where did he take the vials?"

Melina sighs as she mutters to her, "Probably down to cold storage. Dreykov still has the widows under his control, so you have to expose them to this antidote."

Yelena is faced with a big hall in the way, "Yeah. Sure. Easy."

Yelena cast a quick glance towards her sisters, a hint of resignation in her voice as she remarked, "I believe I've had the hardest part of the plan, considering I was a last-minute addition to the plan."

"Seriously?" Harley muttered under her breath, a trace of irritation coloring her tone. Natasha merely shook her head, wordlessly acknowledging the predicament.

"Caroline." Caroline furrowed her brows, her eyes opening as the soft tone filled her up again, "Caroline. There is a knife on the side of your jacket."

Caroline noticed the needle digging into her forearm as she fiddled her fingers to the side pocket and grabbed the small pointed knife. A nurse was coming to her view, as the nurse gently took the needle out of her, they bandaged it carefully. Caroline uses the knife stuck on their side as her arm came around their mouth and neck.

The nurse slowly falls unconscious. Caroline quickly drapes their body across the side of the room. Caroline felt a slight buzz on her ear, "What next?"

"Go to the top floor, Natasha should be there." Caroline glanced to the right as she grabbed a gun and carefully swept the room she was in. Finding an empty room, she ran to the end of the room.

Katherine leveled a searching gaze at Harley, her tone laced with a mix of incredulity and admiration, "It's truly astonishing to see you be that, when you are literal sunshine, cupcake. Especially considering the dubious title you now bear as a criminal."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the gathered crowd from mystic falls. Harley, her fingers restless as she grappled with the weight of her past. "Look, let's set the record straight here. I was busting my ass trying to ditch that old life and keep my hands clean of any more blood. And just to clarify, I'm an ex-freakin' criminal, emphasis on the ex, got it? And you know what? It ain't my damn fault life's been one big pile of crap for me."

All stayed silent processing her words. Elena's thoughts drifted to a time when Harley's actions were more ruthless, a memory that stirred discomfort within her. Sensing Bonnie's disapproving gaze, Elena shifted uneasily, knowing all too well the price Harley had paid to ensure her survival, even at the expense of others.

Bonnie clenches her hand as the blonde has blood on her hands for her, the time she killed 12 witches in order for her to live. Loki shifted his gaze between Harley and Kathrine, "How did you both meet?"

"We watched it earlier, when she tried to kill me," shrugged Harley as if it were nothing. Katherine winced at that, "My bad."

Harley waved it off, "I think everyone in this room has tried to kill one another at some point."

Everyone had a befuddled look but knew it was true, especially the ones with siblings. Elijah was going to question her when the russian blonde beat him, "Why were you trying to kill my sister?"

Katherine will not admit but the aggression in her tone sent a slight chill, but she shrugged off, "It was for a deal I made."

"Deal?" Happy question as god knows she doesn't need more enemies. Harley waves him off, "Don't worry Hap."

"I do because you raised my blood pressure."

"Trouble finds me."

"You look for it."

"Okay but most of the time because I'm bored."

Natasha was about to rebuttal but he came to her about to slap her as she flinched. Natasha avoided his gaze, "Is this your plan?"

Natasha offered him a soft smirk as she shook her head, "My plan is to kill you."

Dreykov offers her a sinister smile, "I'm alive. So, what do we do now?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes as she placed her hands on the desk, "What was my mother's name?

Natasha kept her eyes on him. Dreykov titled his head, "Ah... Where we buried her, there was a tree... Um... A pink blossom. Beautiful. And there was a tombstone with her name engraved on it. What was her name? Ah."

"Unknown."

Natasha choked back the surge of pain constricting her throat, her voice barely a whisper, "I'd rather not talk about it."

Sensing the palpable waves of emotion around the room—pity, empathy—Natasha tries to fight against the sympathy directed her way. She fought back the threatening tears, determined to maintain her composure.

Sharon, beside her, offered a silent gesture of solace, her thumb gently tracing patterns on Natasha's palm. The supportive smiles from her two sisters provided a brief calmness, their understanding unspoken as they turned their attention back to the screen, granting Natasha the space she needed.

Natasha shakes her, "You don't feel anything? Did you feel anything when I killed your daughter?"

Dreykov let out a wicked laugh as he made his way to the taskmaster, "Is this your haunted past? Really? Thank you, Natasha. You gave me my greatest weapon."

Dreykov's press button on the taskmaster's helmet was removed showing a young woman, with half of her face being. "Say hello. When your bomb exploded, it nearly killed my Antonia. I had to put a chip in the back of her neck. In the back of her neck. Look at her. You find it difficult to look at her? I do. She watches everything and she can do it. She's a perfect mimic. And she fights just like all of your friends."

Natasha gazed at her as guilt settled in, "Can she hear me?"

Dreykov narrows his eyes at her, "What? You want to make her feel better? You want to tell her you're sorry? Well, you should have thought of that before you blew her face off. But enough of all this bullshit."

He waved her off, "Go to work. I have rats in the basement. Go. Go."

Silence fell upon the room as horror expressions were written on everyone. Wanda felt her anger burst as the red swirl of magic surrounded the room, as did Thor's crackle of lighting. Tony sighs knowing the anger as well but they need to calm down before it makes it worse, "Pointbreak and little witch let's cool it before we create a bigger mess."

Thor and Wanda let out breath to control their anger. Loki clenched his fist as he gazed at the sisters who had their heads down as they all did not want to speak about it. He was appalled at this, to think about the fact that he thought morals were weak when they are truly cruel.

Bucky shuts his eyes as his time at hydra flashes into his mind, he is glad he is out but how many people are still stuck in that cycle? Steve felt a burst of anger that he has never felt, "I'm glad he is gone."

The avengers exchanged stunned glances, taken aback by the rare display of anger from Steve, a sight unfamiliar to them all. Natasha, her expression grave, offered a small nod of agreement, her solidarity evident.

A heavy silence settled among them, no words spoken as they remained fixated on the screen, absorbing the weight of the moment in solemn contemplation.

"Well, that was a mistake." Natasha pulled out a gun as she pointed ahead. Dreykov smirks at her as he sits on the table, "Was it?"

"You just sent away the one thing that would stop me from killing you." Natasha held her gun tight, her eyes never leaving his. Dreykov nodded as he had smirked on him, "Try, then. Do it."

Natasha tried to pull the trigger but she couldn't. She grunted out in confusion. Dreykov came to her tilting his head, "Is the safety on?"

Natasha was confused as he took the gun away from her and was able to shoot to the air, "No. Try your knife."

Natasha pulled the knife trying to stab him but could not go fully do it. Dreykov grabbed the knife as it clattered on the floor, "Ah... You're in trouble."

Natasha's skin was completely red as she choked out, "How are you controlling me?"

The three sisters and Bucky shuddered as memories of their time under control resurfaced. The archer sighed deeply, "I'm glad you're all working to free the other widows and destroy that formula."

"No one should have their life stolen like that," Rhodey mumbled, and everyone nodded in agreement. Yet, an unsettling silence lingered until the blonde from mystic falls muttered, "There are still other ways to be controlled."

Harley shut her eyes, her thoughts drifting back to her early days in mystic falls, sending a chill down her spine. Natasha and Yelena exchanged worried glances, aware she was referring to something beyond the red room's horrors.

"Harl—" Yelena began, but Harley shook her head, signaling she didn't want to discuss it. Yelena sighed, glancing at Natasha, both knowing Damon's actions still haunted Harley. Wanda sighed, closing her eyes. "She's right. My magic can control many."

The avengers nodded, recalling the vivid visions Wanda had given them during time with Ultron. Tony gripped his seat, the haunting vision replaying incessantly in his mind—a nightmare edging closer to reality.

Bruce gently squeezed Harley's hand as she whispered, "Thanks, Bats." He nodded in understanding.

Dreykov shook his head, "I'm not controlling you, Natasha. Well, not yet. But there is a pheromonal lock. Smelling my pheromones prevents you from committing violence against me."

Natasha flinched a bit as carefully moved to the side seeing Caroline in the upper vent slightly nodding to her. Natasha turns to Dreykov who is shaking his head, "I'm very upset with Melina. It's a shame I have to kill her."

Scene cuts to an elevator door opening, showing Alexei and Melina. Alexei smiles at her, "Come on, now. If we're just going to press buttons and hack computers. There's nothing for me to do. I want to... I want to break something."

Melina felt her breath hitch looking past him, "Oh, there is something you can break."

Alexie turns as the taskmaster is appearing next to him. Alexei begins to chuckle not noticing Melina exit the room, as he puts his helmet on, "Melina if this last time that we,"Alexie turns to see her gone, "Dammit."

The atmosphere in the room eased slightly as they watched Alexei's comedic attempts, offering a brief reprieve from the weight of their shared burdens. Chuckles and soft laughter broke through the tension, providing a welcome distraction.

Natasha's lips curved into a faint smile, a rare moment of levity amid their solemn mission. Yelena's eyes sparkled with amusement, and even Harley couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Bruce maintained a reassuring grip on Harley's hand, silently conveying his support as they braced themselves for the challenges yet to come.

A bunch of soldiers are shown walking down, a vent opening as Yelena comes down landing with on leg out, "Ugh."

Yelena moves to hide behind a wall as she sees a soldier, she runs to him putting her arms around the soldier flipping them. Yelena drags his body, using the soldier's hand to scan to other room.

Melina is shown hacking into the base as it zooms in, being watched by Dreykov from a tablet, "So this your big plan? Melina lands in the red room and you hand me to the authorities," Dreyokv presses a button locking Melina out.

"Come out Carolina," mumbles Dreykov as he faces the vent. Natasha sighs as she whispers a small yes. Caroline sighs coming out of the vent moving next to Natasha, as Dreykov had smiled at him, "Welcome home, my darling girls."

Caroline scoffs at that. Natasha shook her head, "So, what now, you're gonna fold us into your pathetic little puppeteer act?"

Dreykov nods, moving closer to them, "Pathetic, huh?"

Natasha nods as Caroline brings her gaze down glancing at him, "Yeah, what would you call it?"

"I would call it," Dreykov stops as Natasha interrupts him, "When was the last time that you had a conversation with somebody that wasn't forced to talk to you?"

Dreykov took a step forward but his gaze never left them both, "You ran away to fight in the wrong war. The real war was fought here, in the shadows."

Everyone scrunch their nose in disgust. There were no words to describe how Dreykov is a disgusting and horrendous person to exist. Ivy peaked for her seat, "I don't think any of us will get tired of saying how glad we are that he is dead."

Heads nodded in solemn agreement, a silent acknowledgment of the collective desire for vengeance against the man who had wrought so much suffering. It was a twisted satisfaction at the thought of inflicting torment upon him—an acknowledgment of the darkness that lurked within them all, a darkness mirrored in Dreykov's own monstrous deeds.

Caroline shook her head as she sneered at him, "No. You didn't fight in the shadows. You hid in the dark. You hid while you made all of us do the dirty work for you."

"Real power comes from undetectable influence," choked out Dreyokv in frustration at the two girls. Caroline tilted her head, "Then why do it?"

Natasha nodded facing him, "If no one's noticed, then why even do it? You're nothing."

Dreykov let out a small hmm. Caroline and Natsaha both circle him, "You have nothing."

"There are 50 people on this planet," mumbled Dreykov as Caroline rolled her eyes as did Natasha scoffing at him, "Oh, stop it."

Dreykov slams his hands on the table, raising his voice at the two girls, "Don't tell me to stop!"

Caroline narrowed her eyes as she shook her head, "If we don't tell you when to stop, then how will you know when to shut up?"

Dreykov had enough as he punched Caroline on the floor. Natasha was going to her but Dreykov did the same as the two girls clench their jaws in pain. Natasha grunts out in pain, "Come on. Think I can't take a punch?"

Caroline glances at Natasha, "I don't think he knows the true amount of pain we are built to tolerated, which you should know because there are your experiments, or are you too dumb to run this orgainzetion yourself?"

Yelena cast a pointed glance at Natasha, a wry smile playing on her lips. "You used to think Harls and I were the reckless ones, yet here you are, stirring the pot."

Natasha sighed, her brow furrowing as she chewed on her lip. "This does not cause an argument plus it is made across its purpose."

Harley rolled her eyes, her tone tinged with exasperation. "The three of us aren't exactly known for making the smartest decisions. Let's just move on."

Natasha and Yelena exchanged resigned glances, their expressions betraying a hint of disappointment as they turned their attention back to the screen, ignoring the judgmental looks from those around them.

Dreykov let out hmm as he went to the table shooting a widow bite at both as he kicked them both. Natasha spitted out blood, "God damn it, you're weak."

Dreykov tilts his head, as his gaze darkens, "Weak?"

Caroline stood up facing him as clehcend her side, "Yeah weak. You prey on the vulnerability of young girls and use it to your advantage. Because at the age who wouldn't fear the tough man who in reality is not so tough."

Natasha nodded taunting him, "I bet it's easier to be tough in front of defenseless little girls, huh?"

"That's enough," choked out Dreykov pressing a button on the side as he pushed the two girls down who grunted in pain. Dreykov went to the side table pulling out a drawer as he pressed his ring to certain power which was noticed by Caroline and Natasha.

Harley and Natasha winced in unison as the blows landed, the tension thickening in the room as anger simmered beneath the surface. Yelena cocked her head, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I take back what I said earlier. Joining the plan last minute was the best decision I ever made."

"Seriously," Harley deadpanned, her expression devoid of amusement. Yelena shrugged nonchalantly, while Natasha rolled her eyes. "Oh, really? Whose brilliant idea was it to jump out of an aircraft without a parachute?"

Yelena narrowed her eyes, a smirk playing on her lips. "The brainchild of my two older sisters—or should I say, the brainless duo."

"I didn't even suggest it," muttered Harley, shooting Yelena a glare. Bonnie fixed the sisters with a disbelieving gaze. "You actually thought it was a good idea to leap out without parachutes?"

Natasha sighed, a rueful smile tugging at her lips as she recalled the reckless decision. Harley cringed at the memory, turning to her best friend (well ex-best friend?) with a mixture of regret and uncertainty. Unsure of where their friendship stood after her departure, she voiced her hope, "We weren't exactly thinking straight, to be fair."

Dreykov glances at them, "You wouldn't be so glib if you had any notion of the scope of what I've built. I own this world. Me."

Caroline scoffs at him. Natasha bit her lip, "You seem desperate to impress us."

"I don't need to impress you, both. I don't need to impress anyone," muttered Dreykov as he pressed a button.

A red hologram appeared with a bunch of girls shown. Caroline and Natasha take a step forward as they see the bunch of girls from different ages, showing on the screen. Dreykov notices them glancing at them as he has a wicked smile on him.

"These world leaders, these great men, answer to me and my widows. Look at them. These girls were trash. They are thrown out into the street. I recycle the trash. And I give them purpose. I give them a life."

A pin of horrors were written on everyone's faces, seeing the thousand innocent girls stuck in that abusive cycle. The realization that many of them had never tasted the sweetness of freedom, born into a life of torment only to perish within its clutches, weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Everyone in the room stared at the sisters who were avoiding eye contact. Everyone was beginning to suspect that the past held so much pain, they could only hope that future was a bright one.

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𝖎𝖛 I am so sorry for the long update but life man 😭
i am taking summer classes and then there is work, then personal stuff Im going through that i dont even have time to write.

𝖎𝖎. anyways one more chapter left and we move on to act three! also i do love this book as is one of my babies and no matter how long it takes me i will finish it!

𝖎𝖎𝖎. thank you for your support and reading! please dont be ghost readers leave comments and any critiques (please be positive & nice) as a way for me to improve my writing .

𝖎𝖛. love you all and stay safe out there <33