CHAPTER TWO; BLACK WIDOW

❝ how foolish was i to believe i knew the truth of something ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ alina's apartment [ hallway ] ❞

"I'LL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING PETER," Alina called out as he stopped at his apartment door. They had just come from the movies with Ned and Mj, they took her to see a horror movie, Light's Out. It was a decent movie, and it did make her jump a few times, so it did what it set out to do.

Peter was about to tell her the same when a wave of caution watched over him. While she was trying to unlock the door when he came rushing up to her just in time to stop her from opening it. As she went to protest, he covered her mouth, "Someone's inside."

Alina listened closely realizing he was right; she could hear someone's heartbeat inside waiting for her. Taking notice that she realized it on her own he pulled his hand away. Cautiously she created a hex sphere in her hand allowing it to light up the darken apartment. "Stay behind me," she warned not sure who would be there or how they possibly found her.

The barley walked a few feet before a voice said, "I'm not trying to fight you." Alina could tell it was a woman, Russian by the accent, which really meant she could be there because of anyone. Her heartbeat was even, not at all picking up.

"Could've fooled me with the whole waiting in the dark method you're using. Especially given we've never met before," Alina said leading him around the couch towards the kitchen.

There they found a blonde with a round face and dramatic eyeliner that was careful to work with her canthal eye shape. But what really unsettled Alina was her uniform, and its unmistakable buckles and wrist blasters. They looked like the ones they used to dawn her own wrist. "Didn't really have a choice on the matter, finding you was harder than I thought it be," she offer ed.

"Who are you," asked Peter just wanting to understand why the woman was even in her apartment.

"Yelena Belova, and I need her help contacting Natsha Romanoff," she said exiting the kitchen revealing she had helped herself to cereal in her cabinets.

Alina could sense she was being genuine, so she lowered her hand, but not her guard. Her eyes glanced at her shelf near the window seeing her gun still lying-in wait, "Yeah, I'll just, tell you where my friend who is on the run in with no reasoning. How did you even know to find me? That I would know how to find her?"

Yelena reached down to the floor for something which only made Peter shoot out a web sticking her hand to the wall behind it. "This is cool, but very helpful Peter Parker," Yelena said revealing she had known exactly who he was before even entering. It wasn't hard, he did live in the same building as her and was on the same floor.

"What are you reaching for," Peter asked not willing to take any chances nor living in the fear of her knowledge.

Yelena used her foot to kick out a briefcase to them, "See for yourself, she'll be able to read it. Unless Peter Parker can read Russian as well as shoot little tiny webs," she said knowing the boy probably couldn't read it.

Peter picked up the case pulling out the vanilla folders handing them over to Alina. The second she got them in her hands she almost dropped them; on the side tab was her name, Project Hex.

Or rather, Shestiugol'nik proyekta.

Alina's breath caught in her throat seeing its lettering. "Where did you get this," she asked thinking all the flies on her were destroyed when Hydra fell. At least the paper ones, the rest Natasha exposed.

Cutting herself free of his web, Yelena confusedly replied, "Where do you think, Dreykov keeps files of you in safe houses everywhere. It's his hope for someone to find you."

Now it was Alina's turn to look confused, "Who is he and why is he looking for me?"

It wasn't until then Yelena realized; she didn't know who she was talking about. "The red room...the people who gave you their own twisted version of childhood."

"That was hydra," she corrected shaking her head refusing to believe her, "They took me, and they're gone."

"No, they didn't, they borrowed and lost you. I wish I could've seen the look on Dreykov's face when he found out," Yelena corrected. Swallowing her cereal, the blonde carried on, "Think about it? Did anyone ever come out and say, 'we are hydra and we're the ones using you.'"

Alina couldn't get herself to speak, she started scanning the file reading every word of it. "What do you mean they borrowed and lost her," Peter asked knowing he couldn't read it.

Yelena sat at Alina's table casually eating while she said, "Well she's standing here not in a cage, isn't she? Dreykov couldn't find out what exactly made her, well, her, so he farmed out the work to people who had just as much to gain as him."

"Wait," Alina protested, "Did you just say he couldn't figure out what made me? I thought he did?"

The blonde assassin laughed at the thought, "Make you? He only wishes he could, no he was trying to replicate you. He used everything he got from you to make better weapons and methods of mind control." Alina couldn't stand any longer, she pulled out her chair sitting down.

She didn't utter a word, she just stared blankly at the file in front of her. There were even photos of her as a little girl, so small and so scared in her testing suit. Peter didn't know what to do so he simply placed his hands on her shoulder trying to let her know he was there. No matter what he was still there, she reached up for his hand needing to know that more than ever.

"You really didn't know," Yelena accepted seeing the look of shock and knowing it was real. No matter the skill or abilities of the girl before her, Yelena could almost always spot a liar.

Alina looked up mocking, "Did I know I was born a freak? No, they weren't really out pouring with information while they were poking at me."

Even saying the words out loud was just too much, Alina brought her hands to her face hoping when she would remove them everything would be gone. "What do you want from her," Peter asked trying to give her a moment.

"Did you not hear me when this conversation started Peter Parker? I want to find Natasha Romanoff," Yelena repeated stressing each syllable.

"Okay let me rephrase," Peter said almost angrily, "Why should Alina help you? She doesn't know you and given you are admittedly from the people who stole her to begin with I don't see why she should trust you at all."

The whole time he was speaking Yelena was amused, "You know you have a vein in your head that comes out when you get mad?"

Feeling Peter tense Alina spoke up again, "You didn't answer his question."

"She is my sister," Yelena said and Alina could tell, she wasn't lying either.

"S-She never said she had one," said Alina listening to her heartbeat and it never wavered. Granted that was exactly what they were trained to do, but Yelena didn't know how well she would be able to hear.

The widow laughed telling her, "I bet I could fill a room with all the things Natasha hasn't said."

Feeling guarding Alina sat up asking, "For someone who needs her help you don't sound like your exactly fond of her. Doesn't make me feel like you won't turn her in as soon as you get what you want."

"You shouldn't trust me, but there are widows that have never had a choice in their lives they've made themselves," Yelena said losing all jokes. Grabbing the file pulling out the last pages she finished, "And your blood was used to create the chemical used to do it."

Alina read the papers, but she wouldn't believe it, "No, how can they even do that I didn't ever spell my blood to do anything."

"You did," Yelena said pointing to the very spot it was written. "You were six years old and working on blood linking spells and you linked us all to Dreykov. Magic is just science people do not understand and when you did that, they studied it. Found a way to use that link to create a chemical that made us only want to do what he wanted from us. Crazy huh, what a little science and magic can do?"

"I didn't know," Alina said unable to deny what was in front of her. "I didn't even think you could do something like that," she mumbled looking down at her hands. Her body had been used against her like a weapon against herself and others all her life, and everyday a new horror was discovered.

"Dreykov used you like a weapon and used your ignorance as insurance you would never even know to come find him," Yelena said leaning towards her as she finished, "If you help me find her you can help me stop him for good, or at least get us to someone who can. Natasha escaped, she unknowingly helped you escape, we need to get this to her."

The brunette rubbed her hand across her mouth standing up from the table. "I don't have anyone else to ask for help," Yelena admitted sinking in her seat.

Alina refused to speak mulling the choices over in her head. When she turned around and finally did speak, she said, "I will help you." Peter took a step towards her trying to convince her otherwise and she knew it. She put her hand out telling him, "If she's telling the truth I can't go on knowing the man who ruined my life is out there free. And no one knows about him, they're not going to stop him. And let's be honest, he's only taking girls -- governments prove everyday they will let girls suffer if it means a gain for them. They would sooner use the widows before saving them."

"But you know what Connor warned you, Ross is looking for any reason he can get to lock you up. He will not hesitate to do it if he finds out you are helping Natasha and a widow," Peter reminded. He wasn't afraid of her going and getting hurt, or even if she would be able to complete her goals. He was just afraid of what completing it meant for her.

Alina shrugged telling him, "I still have my old mask to cover my face, and I'm not exactly unfamiliar with how to stay out of big brother eyes sight. No one is coming to save those little girls, and if they've done with my blood what she says, I've helped them do it. I have helped them rob girls of their will to choose, including my own. It has to stop, whatever it takes."

Despite that nagging voice in his head wanting to stop her, Peter understood perfectly well why she needed to go through with it. As he stood there trying to find his words, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up. His eyes fell behind her shoulder to the building across the street. "Peter," Alina said seeing he was a million miles away in thought.

The movement caused by her turning around made the red dot on her back flicker the corner of his eye. As the realization hit the glass shattered catching Alina's shoulder even with Peter knocking her to the ground.

Yelena dove for cover behind the counter as Peter pulled Alina with him her blood coating the path. As she was pushed against the wall Yelena moved to peel off the girl's jacket, "Through and through, you'll heal."

"It's not that," Alina groaned shaking her head, "It's them. They followed you, they found us."

"How do you know," Peter asked checking between the window the shot came from and themselves.

"Because it wasn't a bullet, they shot me with," Alina said fighting her rage filled tears feeling the familiar sensations burning through her bloodstream. With her shaky hand she held out she said, "Ictus." But nothing moved, without thinking Alina punched at the ground knowing what they'd done.

"Alina, stop, stop," protested the Parker boy grabbing her hand pulling her back against him. "You're magic," Peter pieced together, "They took it."

Feeling the magic draining from her always left the emptiest she ever had. Like no one or nothing could make her feel less alone when it was gone. Not to mention the physical pain brought on by it, it was like all of her cells were being constricted and had no room to move.

And they were tearing themselves trying to be free. Magic was a controlled form of chaos and right now it was stopped from doing what was natural for it. "Whatever it is we don't have time to sit here and figure it out. If they're here they're coming for the--"

Before Yelena finished, she and Alina locked eyes realizing none of them had grabbed it. "Where is it," Alina asked hoping to God she had it.

"On the table with my bag," Yelena admitted knowing they'd have to go back into line of sight.

Alina's eyes shut saying, "So are my guns and my suit." The one blessing the shot didn't take from her was healing, what was the point on testing on her if she was going to have human endurance? Standing up she told Peter, "I gotta go get it, take Yelena down the stairs and out the back. I'll catch up."

The Parker boy shook his head refusing, "You don't have your magic Alina, I'm not leaving you."

Taking him by the shoulders she shook him slightly insisting, "They took my magic, which doesn't include my wolf form and not my strength or healing that it comes with. I can do this now go." Yelena grabbed Peters wrist pulling him towards the second exist. The second he was gone; Alina turned her attention back to the bag and her bedroom.

"I going to have to fix my whole apartment when I get back," Alina mumbled to herself knowing that the second she ran through the shots would go off. Nevertheless, she pushed off the ground sliding across the floor. She slowed herself down swiftly getting to her feet and grabbing the vials on the table throwing the bag on her back. The second she turned towards her room, glass exploded from the intruder breaking through. In a flash, Alina ran to her shelf grabbing the hidden gun. As soon as she had it, she turned back towards the intruder expecting a black widow. But their suit wasn't like a widows, this suit was attached to a large, metal, skull-like mask. Along with it was thick armor plating, "Your certainly new," she said wondering if her shots would get through.

They didn't say anything, "Not saying anything is just rude, you just destroy my apartment. The least you can do is banter while I make my escape, again." Denying her offer, the intruder took the gun within their grasp and began shooting recklessly at Alina.

Knowing her bullets were a waste of time, Alina kept her eyes on their trajectory moving nimbly out of their path. Even with their rapid fire, Alina ran directly at them kicking them in their chest of armor. The impact of her blow sent them falling back giving the shadow widow her chance to run into her bedroom. She pushed her dresser in front of the door and ran for her closet grabbing her go bag she knew someday she would need.

The whole time she searched she could hear the assassin breaking through the wooden door. "Where is it? Where the fuck is it," Alina panicked yanking items out of her closet without care. Seeing wood from her door being worn down Alina stopped searching the closet and looked in her nightstand. The second she opened it she found her steel blue fabric bag and her dagger. It's crescent moons called out to her, and she took it and her bag knowing she didn't have much more time.

Thankfully it was a crossbody she'd spelled to be small but never ending so she didn't need to worry about carrying it and Yelena's. Opening the window Alina was just about to climb out when the intruder flung a iron blade at the wall paneling in front of Alina's face.

As it breezed past her face, the Dranganov felt it slice her cheek. She leaped back just as they made their way in slicing their metal claws through the air. "Wow," Alina exclaimed pulling herself back but still feeling the wind created from their movements. Her momentary stumble caused her to fall back onto her bed.

Acting quick they grabbed her ankles yanking her back to the floor slamming her head against the floorboards. Alina could feel the blood pooling in her hair already. In Alina's moment of unbearable pain, the intruder pulled out another dose of the shot used earlier and jammed it into her arm. But Alina wasn't screaming in pain, she became enraged like something just snapped. Her gold wolf eyes shined bright as her teeth grew.

Seeing the upper hang Alina was gaining as she was breaking free, the assailants dug their metal claws into her gut. Alina felt the tearing sensation of her skin being ripped apart but acted as if it were just regular hit. "My turn," Alina warned dragging her claws across the skull mask of the assassin tearing through the metal.

This was enough for them to finally let her go and allowed Alina to scratch at them again destroying most their armor. They fell to their knees and Alina spun her leg around knocking them out with a kick to their helmet. As they fell to the floor unconscious, Alina stumbled back into her bookcase feeling dizzy as the syringe worked to rob her of her magic. Her claws retracted as she kept her hand on her healing claw marks on her stomach.

Alina hobbled towards the window opening it climbing out onto the fire escape wincing from the pain. The second her feet made contact with it she heard Peter rushing towards her, "Are you okay?"

She winced at his arms bringing her into his embrace, but she was still grateful for it. "I'm fine," she answered as he pulled apart from her to see her wounds. She had a busted lip cuts across her face and a bruise forming on the side of her face. "It will heal and I'm pretty sure I got still won, so," she attempted to joke as she handed Yelena's bag back to her.

"I won't lie, kinda wish I got to see it," Yelena said having seen the aftermath.

Alina chuckled telling her, "Yeah well pretty sure they are going to be majorly pissed off at me during round two that is no doubt going to find us. Should be fun, and you'll have a front seat to that one at least." Yelena hummed approvingly as Alina also informed, "Also we're gonna have to mail that package."

"I thought you were supposed to send it away with magic," countered the assassin making sounds with her mouth wiggling her fingers in the air at her.

"First, that's not how that works. Second, that was before the first shot," she said reaching to her left arm pulling out the needle still in her arm, "And definitely before the second."

"How long will it last," asked Peter.

"Two, maybe three days," said Alina with a heavy sigh. Looking to Yelena she added, "Which means we have to go now before they catch up."

Yelena nodded holding out her arm to allow Alina to lean on her for a moment. "Okay, I'll make up something for May and come with you," Peter tried.

Alina refused telling him, "No, you can't come."

The vigilante looked at her questionably, "Alina, you helped me just a little while ago let me help you."

"No," she said once more knowing he wasn't ready to see the evil she'd grown up seeing. All that darkness, sAlina was desperate to keep it from him. So she insisted once again, "This is our problem, and I'm not going to be alone. I know where Natasha is, we're going to go find her. Someone needs to be here to cover for me if Ross comes, or Tony. I'll be back in hopefully in a week or two. Maybe even less."

Peter searched her eyes for room to change her mind, but there was none. "Promise me you'll come back," the Parker teen said fighting every urge he had to go with her.

The brunette offered a small smile letting go of Yelena and putting her arms around him hugging him lingering for a moment. "I'll come back, Spidey," she promised speaking into his ear as they hugged, Alina stayed a moment longer before pulling away, "I promise, and I won't be under arrest either. Also, since May's out go anywhere but home until tomorrow, both of you. By then the iron giant will be on our tail, don't think they care much about you at all." Peter nodded watching as the two assassins rushed off down the street quickly getting out of sight leaving only the blood that had pooled beneath Alina behind.

alina's outfit next chapter