CHAPTER TEN; BLACK WIDOW

❝  confronting your past can do more to heal you than running from it ever will ❞

･ ｡ﾟ☆

❝ the red room [ dreykov's office ]❞

ALINA COULD SEE AND NOW FEEL THE FEAR growing inside Dreykov. She could feel just how powerless he felt in their presence, he knew, he was no match for either of them. "You weren't quite strong enough, so... I'll have to finish it ourselves," said Natasha looking at Alina to do what they had planned.

"What are you going to do," he asked them.

Her eyes becoming gold as the chains began to burn off her wrist Alina answered, "Sever the nerve." In a flash he reached for the controlling tablet only for Alina to freeze his hand to the table.

As he grabbed the knife trying to pry himself free, Natasha took Alina off guard punching her in the face severing the nerve. Mocking Dreykov Alina cradled her nose, "See now that's a punch that hurt!"

Acting just as quickly, Alina used her heighten strength to ensure when she hit her, she'd sever the same nerve. In the time Natasha was recovering, Dreykov broke free of the ice hitting the alarm on the tablet. In an instant, Alina had brought her fist across his face knocking him clean out of his chair.

"So how about that fair fight," questioned Alina as she removed the glimmer covering her dagger. Holding it in front of him, "Do you remember giving this to me? I'm going to use it to kill you."

Standing in front of him the Romanoff began, "Not so talkative now, are you?" Without mercy, she kicked him in the face knocking him on his back. Alina watched allowing Natasha a moment to make him suffer. Pulling out her baton she said, "You took my childhood. You took my choices and tried to break me. But you're never gonna do that to anybody ever again."

Alina turned around seeing widows aiming their widow bites at Natasha. With little time left to react, Alina raced behind her blocking her from the hit. Not only did the widow bite have painful electricity coursing through her, but it was attached to a rope they used to yank her across the floor. Natasha attempted to come to her aid only to be shot with her own bolt of electricity.

Getting off from the floor Dreykov ordered, "Nobody leaves this room until they're dead. Make them suffer."

As he rushed out of the room Alina yanked out the rods in her skin shouting, "Not even death's going to stop me Dreykov! I'm going to fucking kill you today!"

"We don't wanna hurt you. You don't wanna hurt us," Natasha tried to tell them as she pulled out her baton but they refused to hear.

 "This is so fucked," groaned Alina as she and Natasha moved so they were back-to-back. 

As soon as one moved towards her, Alina created a blue shield to block and evade on widow and then quickly does the same to another. Alina couldn't even see what was happening with Natasha anymore with all eight widows surrounding her now.

All at once they charged at Alina, grabbing the wrist on the one closest to her, Hex threw her into another widow causing three of them to all go down. Suddenly, another had jumped onto her back and began choking her. Alina backed up all the way until she felt a wall. Using the leverage the other widow offered, she slammed her into the wall hoisting her legs up to kick back another widow waving a baton.

Once she had been let go, Alina pulled out her dagger and began slicing the air in front of her to keep the widows back. She wasn't trying to hurt them, but they weren't leaving her much choice. Suddenly, someone was ramming into Alina from the side room slamming her into a wall. 

More widows joined, glamming electric rods into her gut. Alina screamed out as Natasha was flung into a table. Doing the same thing with her, they shoved Alina down in front of her. Each had a widow holding their throats, over and over, the widows' punches overlapped each other's.

"Stop," Alina shouted seeing how much blood was coming from Natasha's face now. But they didn't, over and over again their hands came down swinging on them. "I SAID STOP," Alina wailed out her voice shaking the entire room and echoing so loudly everyone had to cover their ears. This was just the coverage Yelena needed, because while they were all hunched over, she threw the antidote into the room.

The explosion forced Alina to duck simply not having been prepared for it. As the red dust settled each of the widows stopped, they could feel the fog slowly lifting and the guilt of what they'd done setting in.

Running into the room Yelena looked to both her companions helping a still kneeling Natasha up. "Are you okay? That looks like it hurts. Okay. I take out on three, ready?" Gripping the blade in Natasha's back she ripped it out making her grunt, "I'm sorry."

Speaking Finnish one of the widows asked what was next, where did they go from there? "Get as far away from here as possible. You get to make your own choices now," Alina told them fighting back how overwhelmed she felt.

Abruptly the whole base shook from an explosion, "We gotta get outta here. We need to find Dreykov." Yelena, Alina, and the widows made their way to the door. When she realized her sister wasn't there Yelena asked, "Are you coming?"

"I'm right behind you," she insisted so the two reluctantly continued without her.

As they ran down the hall Alina knew she had to finish this, "Yelena, wait, wait," she protested.

The blonde paused only to say, "We don't have time."

"Exactly, we have to find him. He can't get away, not now," Alina pleaded knowing how much Yelena wanted revenge.  Seeing the look on her face change she took her by her hand, "He's gotta be heading to the ramp."

Like bullet the two of them took off running down the stairs and outside. Seeing Dreykov entering his plane Yelena pointed below, "There he is!"

"Get the engine, I'll get him," Alina said as they jumped over the edge of the floor they were on and down onto of the helicopter. 

Natasha, who had chaotically made her own way to the same level saw what the two of them were doing. "Yelena! Alina," she screamed out for them.

Dreykov noticed Natasha's line of sight and realized, "They're on the wing! Move! What are you waiting for?" Just as the man began to shoot up, Alina ripped open a whole in the side of the plane. Putting up a shield the bullets reflected hitting the same men who were shotting at her. 

"Yelena it's now or never," Alina shouted up to her as her eyes lasered in on Dreykov hiding in the back of the helicopter.

Natasha had to try to warn them to stop, "Don't do it!"

The blonde smiled at her sister, her beautiful and strong sister she'd finally gotten back, even if it was never real. Inside the helicopter, Alina threw the last of Dreykov men out. "What's the matter Dreykov, afraid of the monster you made," Alina asked knowing her time was running out.

Wanting her sister to know she knew and was accepting the risk, Yelena shouted, "This was fun!"

Looking down Alina saw a wetness grow in Dreykov pants. Laughing at him she said, "I can truly tell people you died pissing yourself now." Alina brought her hands up as blue smoke spilled from her hands and founds its way to Dreykov. Above her, Yelena raised the bow staff about to shove it into the engine. Before so, to ensure that he would be dead and there would be no doubt, Alina used the smoke to grab him. Once she had hold, she said, "Seems like you've lost old man."

In the seconds before Yelena made impact, Alina twisted Dreykov arms all the way around tearing his legs and arms from their sockets and coating her with blood as the explosion destroyed what was left and sent her unconscious out the window.

"No!" Moving as fast as she could, Natasha grabbed a parashoot and dove off the building gliding through the air to Yelena who was closest. The second she could, she wrapped Yelena in the shoot before she pulled it. "You have to catch her," she warned a Yelena who was barely conscious when Natasha released her using all her might to throw her by Alina.

Yelena didn't have time to argue, she used the reins to reach Alina using her legs to pull her in by her waist. Once she was close enough, Yelena grunted pulling her up. Seeing the ground was getting closer for them, Yelena shouted, "Alina, Alina it's time to wake up!"

Hearing her own name, Alina blinked awake feeling the wind swirling around her face. Realizing they were falling and had barely any time before they were going to hit the ground, Alina used the wind to their advantage swirling it around giving them as somewhat soft landing. Soft as in survivable, Alina tucked Yelena's head into her creating a shield around them as they smacked off parts of the red room before they touched down.

Groaning, Alina coughed out, "Y-Yelena? Yelena!" She could hear someone calling out for the both of them, but Alina could hardly hear. Pulling herself up she saw nothing but burning and destroyed pieces of the red room. She didn't notice anything else; a smile broke across her face. They had done it, they had killed Dreykov and destroyed the red room.

Out of nowhere, she was consumed by arms hugging her. They were Yelena and Natasha's arms, "We thought you died," Yelena panicked.

"Not dead, just sore," Alina laughed grateful they were both alive.

Natasha looked between the girl she saw as her sister and the other she'd seen as a daughter and felt relieved and overwhelmed they had both survived. "Neither of you scare me like that, ever again," warned Natasha.

"I can't say that, and you know it," countered Alina with a small chuckle.

Seeing Melina and Alexei approaching she asked, "Everybody good?"

"I am clearly injured," stated Melina dryly.

Natasha looked to Alexei asking, "You got something to say?"

He shook his head knowing a this point, "I'd just mess it up." Natasha took the hand he held out silently agreeing to an understanding.

Hearing the sound of vehicles approaching Alina warned, "Here comes the cavalry."

Melina looked over at them wondering, "So, what's our plan?"

"You guys go. I'll stay," Natasha insisted.

Alexei instantly interjected, "That's insanity. We fight. We fight with you."

"I'll hold them off."

"Natasha, we fight," insisted Alexei as Melina's voice overlapped, "We can't split up. You're so pigheaded."

This time firmer, Natasha repeated, "You guys, go. Besides, if it can work out with the four of us, you know, there may be some hope for the Avengers. Little bit."

Mocking the small gesture Natasha had made Alina said, "Just a little bit of hope."

Unbuckling the fastens of her buckles on her vest, Yelena said, "Okay, well, if you're leaving, then I guess you should take this. I know how much you like it."

Natasha chuckled telling her sister, "Shucks. It does have a lot of pockets."

Alina couldn't resist adding, "Very handy pockets, yeah."

Reaching into her pocket for the last vial the red head handed it to her sister saying, "He had widows implanted all over the world. Melina will need to copy the formula, but you should be the one to tell 'em it's over."

The sound of a loud engine whirring made them all look up to see a helicopter coming down. Seeing the widows exiting once it landed, Yelena went over to speak with them. Before leaving with them, Melina grabbed her oldest daughters hand making her promise, "Hey. Hey. You take care of yourself, okay?"

Confident as she always was the Romanoff ensured, "Don't worry. I got this."

Melina smiled, "I know."

As the others began to leave, Alina pulled off the necklace she had hidden under her suit. "Take this, it's already spelled to send a distress signal if needed. If things go bad, I can get you out of there before they know anything."

Stuffing it inside a place they wouldn't find Natasha promised, "Okay, but only if it's worse case scenario. You have a life to get back to."

Knowing she was running out of time, Alina hugged Natasha tightly. She inhaled deeply telling her, "Goodbyes do suck, so promise me you'll visit."

Still holding on Natasha swore, "I promise, but you have to go." Letting the girl go the Romanoff couldn't help but rub her cheek.

Alina went to leave but at the last second, she looked back pleading, "If you see Steve...tell him I miss him." Natasha simply nodded as her confirmation before taking off towards the plane with all the others.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·

❝ alina's apartment [ the next evening ]❞

"I'm telling you she sounded like she was saying goodbye. Like she didn't fully trust she was going to make it back," Connor argued with Peter as they stood in Alina's empty apartment. When he came to Peter's to talk May said he was looking over Alina's plants while she was gone.

Turns out he had been going there every night since she left, some nights he fell asleep there. At first it started with him cleaning up the fight but once that finished, he was too scared to leave. He hoped one of those nights she would just come walking back in.

"I'm not saying she didn't I am saying she told me to wait until tomorrow before coming to get her," Peter repeated making Connor groan. His plan seemed too risky, what if something had already happened?

"And it's a good thing you listened," Alina announced as she opened the door to her apartment.

Together both boys stood saying, "Alina."

Closing the door behind her she said, "In the flesh, barely." Her wounds had mostly healed but she was still covered in blood and dirt.

"What happened," asked Connor looking to see if she was alright.

"Are you okay? Alina, you should sit," Peter tried reaching out for her.

Alina inched away at first, "Um I uh, I did it," she informed them with only Peter understanding the meaning. Her breath catching in her throat Alina breathlessly said, "I killed him. He's dead." Her lack of breathing forced the sobs she'd been holding in for days to make her come crashing down.

It had all become too much, and Alina had fallen to her knees. The boys rushed to her aid, she leaned into Peter as she sobbed repeating over and over, "He's dead, I'm free. I'm free he can't hurt me. He can't hurt me anymore." Both Connor and Peter spent the night allowing Alina to cry and tell them her story. Something not even she had fully known until then.