Alexei turned onto a dirt road, and followed it to a field that had a bunch of giant tents and old trucks.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Melina jumped out and opened the door closest to Natasha while Alexei went to one of the tents pushing the cover away revealing a plane.

"Come on, girls. We've got to go." Melina said trying to get them to move faster. Natasha leaned up to the front seat and grabbed a stick of photos of the three of them that they had taken in a photo booth. Katerina grabbed her stuffed lamb that Melina had given her, and carefully jumped out of the car. She grabbed Natasha hand, and hurried with her to the plane.

"Come." Melina helped them step up into the plane before closing the door.

"What about daddy?" Katerina asked seeing him outside, and not coming to the plane with them.

"Don't worry, baby." Melina said as she started the plane. "He's coming."

Alexei ran to a big metal wagon, and lifted it up flipping it out of the planes way. He waved his hands towards himself, and Melina began driving the plane forward.

Just then, police sirens were heard. Katerina looked out the window to see a bunch of police cars driving towards them. Alexei aimed the gun at the cars and fired, popping one of the cars tires.

Melina continued driving the plane down the dirt road, getting ready to take flight as Alexei ran after the plane turning around a couple times to shoot at the police again. He turned back, and ran faster along with the plane before jumping onto the wing. He turned to lay on his side and kept shooting at the police who were shooting back. Two bullets broke through the window, and all three girls moved away, huddling together. Another bullet came through the window hitting Melina on her shoulder.

"Mom!" All three girls screamed. Melina slumped over dragging the steering wheel to the side making the plane lean over.

"I need you up here." Melina said looking at Natasha as her breathing started to become uneven. Natasha without hesitation climbed up to the front with Melina leaving Katerina and Yelena in the back as the clung to each other. "Okay, I need you to pull right." Natasha gripped the wheel tightly and pulled it to the right, straightening out the plane.

One of the police cars crashed into the wing that Alexei laid on. Katerina gasped staring out the window at Alexei in fear.

"Mom, you've got blood on you." Natasha said.

"It's okay, baby." Melina said her face scrunched up in pain.

Natasha gasped at the sight of another police car coming straight at them from up ahead.

"Hit the accelerator there." Melina instructed. Natasha did as told, pushing up the lever. Bullets were shot through the windshield making Natasha scream, and duck down. "Hold it steady." Melina said. "You're gonna pull back at fifty-five knots."

More bullets came flying at them. Katerina and Yelena ducked down covering their ears as tears streamed down their faces.

"Let's count together." Melina said to Natasha. They began counting, and Alexei shot the tires of the car in front of them making it swerve out of the way. "Pull back. All your strength." Melina said. Natasha tightened grip around the wheel, and used all the strength she had in her to pull back the wheel.

The plane lifted into the air, and Natasha left out quick, uneven breaths as she tried not to start crying, but tears still slipped out of her eyes. All four girls looked out to wing to see Alexei still hanging on.

⠉⠉⠉⠉

Katerina didn't know how long they had been in the plane. But eventually they landed in Cuba as Melina had told her, and her sisters.

Alexei carried Melina out of the plane bridal style. Katerina, Natasha, and Yelena were quick to follow him. He laid her down on a stretcher, and four men in camouflage outfits carried her. The three girls walked along the sides of the stretcher holding onto their mother. When the men set Melina down, the girls dropped down on their knees next to her.

"Get up, mommy." Yelena cried into her chest. "Pain only makes you stronger, remember?"

"It's okay, baby." Melina said trying to keep her eyes open.

"What's gonna happen, mommy?" Katerina asked.

"Don't worry, Katerina." Melina gave her what was supposed to be a small smile.

"Прости меня мама." (Forgive me mom), Natasha said. "Мне страшно." (I'm scared), She whispered.

"Never let them take your heart." Melina said before the soldiers roughly pushed the girls away. They stood up, and Natasha pulled them closer to her.

"It's gonna be okay." Natasha said. She wasn't sure if it was really gonna be okay, but she hated seeing Yelena and Katerina like this. She was their big sister, and it was her job to protect them. They watched as the soldiers put an oxygen mask on Melina before carrying her into a truck, and closing the door.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Yelena screamed running towards Alexei. Katerina ran after her, but Natasha grabbed her arm before she got to far.

"Yelena!" Natasha called out trying to get her to stop. A soldier grabbed Yelena, and Natasha ran up to him. She kicked his arm making him let go of his grip on Yelena. Then Natasha snatched his gun out of his pocket, and stood guard in front of Yelena and Katerina.

"Don't touch them!" She shouted at the soldiers. "Я буду стрелять!" (I will shoot!), She aimed the gun in every direction. She reached her back, and wrapped it around Yelena and Katerina who were clinging to her. "Don't touch them. I will kill you all!"

Alexei slowly walked up to the three young girls, but they only back away.

"Я буду стрелять!" (I will shoot!), Natasha repeated.

"Honey." Alexei said as he continued to move closer to them.

Natasha's breath hitched as she stared at Alexei with tears in her eyes, but she still held the gun up towards him.

"You're gonna need to hand me that gun." He said holding his hands out.

"I don't wanna go back there." Natasha shook her head as she slowly lowered the gun. "I wanna stay in Ohio. You can't take them." She cried. "You can't. They're only five and six." She whispered.

"You were even younger." Alexei said taking the gun from her hand. "It's okay. Come here." He said.

Katerina and Yelena moved out from behind Natasha only to cling to her from the front.

"You're gonna be okay." He said. "Do you know why it's gonna be okay? Because my girls are the toughest girls in the world." He brushed Katerina's hair behind her ear. "You're gonna take care of each other, okay? And everything, everything's gonna be fine." He said before three soldiers came up to them, and stuck a needle into the girls necks. Katerina immediately felt her body loose all of its strength, and everything went black.

PHOENIX TALKS:
Hello everyone! How was
today's chapter? I know the
past two chapters haven't focused
too much on Katerina, but the rest of
act one will be focused solely on Katerina
and her time in the Red Room.

I hope you enjoyed this. Don't forget to
comment and vote please! Thank you for
reading 💜