Chapter Text
“Wanda!”
"Pietro!"
Wanda found herself getting swept away in the crowd of protesters.
Several months ago, a new American military base was announced to be stationed on the outskirts of Novi Grad, and today was the day the Americans were flying in and setting up in said base. Wanda and her brother, Pietro, were a couple of many who were against this, harboring deep hatred for the US and Stark industries for the destruction their weapons brought upon their country. Ultimately, Wanda and Pietro lost their parents to the war due to being innocent bystanders in the crossfire. They were only fifteen, but Wanda joined her twin brother in the protests, tired of how the Americans treated their country like dirt.
However, civil unrest in the city caused the protesters to become more violent than either twin anticipated. Law enforcement became equally violent as a result to break up the crowd. Pietro tried to hold onto Wanda's hand, but he wasn't strong enough to keep her by her side, screaming her name while she was shoved further and further away from him.
Fortunately, Wanda was small enough to push herself through the countless bodies with relative ease, opting to go with the flow of the crowd rather than fight it. The moment she managed to be free from the center of the protests she ran away, hoping to circle around in hopes of finding her brother. Hugging her red shawl tightly around her, she jogged through the backstreets of Novi Grad to stay warm, knowing the pathways by heart.
What caught her off-guard was the sight of a man in a lab coat clutching his side and hissing in pain. As Wanda cautiously approached the man, he whipped his head at her, revealing blood coming from his nose and a cut lip.
"Who are you?!" he screamed in a way Wanda could on describe as fear. From his accent, he was definitely an American. "Are you one of them?!"
"W-What do you mean?" Wanda stammered, raising both her hands defensively. "I do not know what you are talking about."
"Don't lie to me!" The man was becoming desperate. His eyes widened in horror, looking past Wanda. "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME--"
The next thing Wanda registered was the muffled sound of a gunshot coming from her right and the bullet hole in the man's forehead. The body fell to the cold cobblestone ground with a thud.
Wanda screamed.
Or she was going to until she felt a leathered hand cover her mouth and the sound of a low, scratchy growl came from her left.
"Scream and I will kill you too."
The voice was female. Wanda couldn't pinpoint the region precisely, but it was Slavic. Though her curiosity was quickly put out when the threat finally registered in her mind, whimpering in fear in the woman's hold and tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"I will let you go, but as a reminder, if you scream you will end up just like him. Do you understand?"
Wanda fervently nodded her head, praying it was enough to convince whoever this person was. After a prolonged pause, Wanda was let go and she quickly swiveled around to look at who the man's killer was.
The person in question was a young girl who looked to be close to Wanda's age, perhaps a bit older. She wore a tight black body suit with a utility belt hung around her waist, catching Wanda's eyes due to the belt buckle resembling a red hourglass-like image. In the girl's right hand was a pistol with a silencer attached, the gun that ended the man's life. When Wanda found the courage to meet the girl's eyes, they were a piercing verdant green that drew her in, mesmerized, and the color those eyes only stood out more in contrast to her raven-colored black bob haircut.
"Surprised?" the girl snarked as she put away the pistol in its holster. Wanda nodded slowly, which apparently amused the mysterious girl. "You can speak, just not scream."
"Yes… I was surprised," Wanda croaked out, still unsure of the latter's intentions.
The girl's eyes darted all around them, surveying their surroundings, then landed on a scaffolding not too far from them. She pointed at it. "You're coming with me. We're going up to the rooftops." She saw that Wanda was about to protest and swiftly cut her off. "This is an order. You have no say in this… unless you'd like to be the prime suspect for his death?" She nodded to the lifeless body behind Wanda.
Wanda could say nothing more and reluctantly followed the mysterious girl up the scaffolding. They climbed the rusted, worn-down ladders to the top of the scaffolding; however, it wasn't enough to reach the roof of the building. The other girl caught Wanda off-guard yet again when the girl demonstrated graceful athleticism and hopped from the railing to a window ledge to dig her fingers into crevices of the building, then hoisted herself up to the top.
"I can't do that," Wanda admitted without thinking. She saw the raven-haired girl roll her eyes then dropped down a rope.
"I hope you can climb at the very least."
Wanda started to feel less threatened by the girl and instead began to be feel annoyed by the condescending tone she was using on her. With a huff, Wanda grasped the rope with both hands and began climbing to the roof. The distance wasn't much, but Wanda's upper body strength wasn't the greatest and knew her arms were going to be sore the next day.
While the girl was recollecting the rope, Wanda spoke up. "Why are you doing this?" The question was lingering in the back of Wanda's mind. Why did this girl spare her life when she witnessed her murder that man? Why did she offer to let Wanda escape when she could have easily left her behind to take the blame.
The girl maintained a straight face as she looked Wanda in the eye.
"Because you didn't kill him. I did," she explained with a shrug. "You're only a kid. I'm not going to frame you."
Wanda frowned and scrunched her nose. "You don't look that much older than me."
"I'm old enough to legally drink," the girl shot back with a raised brow. She started to walk to the other side of the roof with Wanda already moving to follow her. "Which direction do you live? We'll have to hop to another rooftop where the scaffolding reaches the ground."
"I cannot go home. Not until I find my brother… And I'm sorry, did you say, 'hop to another rooftop'?"
"Okay, then. Do you remember where your brother was last? And yeah, I did say that."
Wanda could already feel the color draining from her face at what that meant. "We got separated during the protests at town square… do we really need to jump to another building?"
"You and your brother were a part of that nasty protest? You're lucky you weren't trampled." She pulled out a grappling hook, expanded its claws, then locked the base into the barrel. "It's best to get away from the body rather than lingering nearby." Her eyes landed on a nearby water tower. She then returned her attention to Wanda and beckoned her over with a finger. "Come." Wanda sighed in defeat. There was no way out of this without upsetting the other, and reluctantly complied. When Wanda stood beside her, she let out a tiny squeak when she was pulled close. The girl fired the grapple hook at the water tower, securely wrapped around the highest railing. "Put your arms around my neck and hold on tight."
"Wait, w-what?"
The girl rolled her eyes and forced Wanda's arms around her neck. "Stop being a coward." Wanda felt the hairs on her neck stand on their ends when the latter learned into her ear. "But if you scream while I swing us across, I will not hesitate to drop you," she hissed.
Wanda knew from the piercing, verdant glare the raven-haired girl was giving her that she was serious.
In seconds, Wanda was being propelled over the large gap and she clung to the older girl for dear life. She grinded down onto her teeth to hold back the scream that wanted to spill out and buried her face into the crook of the girl's neck. For a very brief moment, her fear subsided, and she was comforted by how nice the other girl smelled. Wanda could feel her cheeks warming at the thought.
When they landed on the rooftop of the adjacent building, Wanda was so happy her feet touched solid ground, almost falling to her knees from relief. The other girl left Wanda's side to check their current building's scaffolding and threw a crooked smile in Wanda's direction. "Looks like you can get back down to ground floor from here."
"Thank God…" Wanda exhaled a loud sigh.
"This is where we part ways." The girl was already walking away towards a completely different direction.
"Wait!" Wanda blurted out and chased after her. The older girl turned around and raised an eyebrow at her. "Thank you for what you did for me."
"You mean not killing you," the girl remarked with a deadpanned expression. It made Wanda want to fidget.
"Yes," Wanda admitted. "And taking me away so I would not get the blame. You didn't have to but… you did. Can I at least know your name?"
The girl narrowed her eyes at Wanda for a moment then turned her back to her. "Natalia. It was once my name."
Wanda tilted her head to one side, puzzled. "Then what is your name now?" When it was clear her question was not going to be answered, she continued. "Okay then. You do not want to talk about it. Um, well, my name is--"
"I do not need to know your name," she harshly cut off Wanda. "After this, you will never see me again."
Despite everything that happened between them, Wanda felt oddly saddened by the older girl's words. All she could do was watch the girl gracefully and effortlessly jumped down from window ledge to window ledge until she was back on the ground. She looked up and met Wanda's eyes once more then dashed away into a narrow alleyway. Wanda continued to watch her until she could see her no more.
Wanda hugged her shawl closer to her body and whispered the girl's name.
"Natalia."
It felt nice on her tongue. She wondered why.
With a somewhat heavy heart, Wanda carefully made her way back down the scaffolding to resume her search for Pietro.
The Red String of Fate
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
Notes:
We're just getting started :) Let me know your thoughts and thank you for reading!
---
@fukanouna on Twitter/Tumblr
Chapter 2: Avengers Compound (2015)
Notes:
Timeskip to present day - and by present day, I mean after AoU.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"On your left."
Profusely sweating, Sam grunted in exasperation when Steve lapped him for the fifth time.
"On your right."
Moments later, Natasha smirked as she passed Sam, making better progress at keeping up with the blonde super soldier than he was. Sam's brow furrowed in annoyance but kept pressing on.
"Above."
Before Sam could even question who the voice belonged to, Bucky dropped down from the air several feet in front of Sam and chased after Steve and Natasha without looking back at the former Air Forces soldier.
"OH, COME ON! YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS ON PURPOSE!" Sam cried out in annoyance and pushed himself to close the distance between him and the others to no avail.
From a rooftop of a building beside the compound's track field, Wanda stood beside Vision and giggled at the sight of Sam complaining to the other three runners at the finish line. Steve didn't break a sweat, not even a strand of hair out of place, but still tried to placate his friend. Natasha stood off to the side and leaned against the fence while sipping from her water bottle to hide her smirk. Even Bucky, who took residence at the compound not too long ago, was expressing amusement when he was characteristically more aloof and stoic.
It had been several months since Ultron's defeat. As there was nothing left for her in Sokovia, Wanda took up Tony Stark's offer to move to America with the rest of the Avengers on a green card. The transition to another country was difficult, experiencing the concept of culture shock firsthand, but she couldn't deny her curiosity or excitement. She was always fascinated by American culture ever since she was a little girl from all the American sitcoms she watched with her family, and though those sitcoms were old and dated to the present, it was still an eye-opening experience to walk through the bustling streets of New York with the team or the more suburban areas of New Jersey on days they took off from training.
Despite the terrible things she did when she was on Ultron's side, the members of the Avengers were surprisingly welcoming and oddly protective. She was never near the conference room or the lab whenever Steve and Tony were discussing her presence and living arrangements in America with Secretary Ross, but she heard from Sam that the two veteran Avengers fought for her right to stay at the Compound.
Wanda was already surprised by the fact Tony Stark stood up for her, even though he was well aware of her feelings towards him, but she was even more shocked to hear that it was Natasha who managed to convince Ross.
"I don't know how she did it either," Sam agreed with a shrug. "But considering the type of woman Nat is, I'm sure she had several methods up her sleeves to convince that hardass Ross."
Natasha Romanoff.
The Black Widow.
The former assassination barely spoke to Wanda when she first officially joined the team. She thought Natasha held a grudge against her for causing terrible memories to resurface. When Wanda witnessed the redhead's memories back at the shipyard, she felt remorseful for causing Natasha to relive those memories, even though they were on opposing sides. The things she saw in Natasha's memories… no one deserved what the other woman went through.
When she approached Natasha to ask her why she defended Wanda, Natasha answered without hesitation.
"You deserve to be here just as much as anyone of us."
"But I couldn't protect the drill," Wanda protested. "Everyone trusted me, and I failed."
Natasha's green gaze bore into Wanda's. "You saw your twin brother, the only family you had left, get buried in bullets. No one can blame you for letting down your guard after witnessing something like that."
That was when Wanda discovered that Natasha wasn't as heartless or emotionless as she originally believed, and not long after, she was assigned to train directly under Natasha's supervision.
Wanda snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Steve and Natasha were calling out to her and Vision. Together with the synthezoid, they both slowly descended in front of their mentors.
"We'll take an hour break before resuming today's training itinerary," Steve announced to the team as they gathered around in a circle. He points two fingers at Vision and Sam. "We'll resume Monday's focus on team formations in the forest conditions."
Natasha looked over at Wanda and nodded towards her. "You and I will be in the good ol' gym. I got something new for you."
"That's just another way of telling me to prepare myself for another beating," Wanda whined. Natasha never seriously injured her during the times they've sparred and when the redhead tested her physical endurance, but that didn't mean Wanda wasn't going to feel the burning ache in her muscles the following day.
"You'll be fine. You're a tough girl," Natasha smirked in amusement, which only made Wanda let out a defeated groan.
From the corner of her eye, Wanda watched as Bucky quietly walked away back into the compound. The former Winter Soldier was the latest addition to the team, although Ross was not aware of this. About a month ago, Steve and Natasha went on a mission alone to bring Bucky back when there were rumored sightings of him in Romania. Neither Avenger went into detail how they managed to bring him back, but Steve was happy and that's all that mattered. Tony made it mandatory for Bucky to undergo a special type of neurotherapy every day in the lab to remove the troubling psychological conditioning HYDRA forced upon him because they'd eventually have to inform Ross of Bucky's presence in the compound. Better that the former sergeant was free from his mind control if they were to get on Ross' good side.
Within moments, everyone else followed right behind Bucky. Wanda fell into step with Natasha, walking beside the older woman. "Would you be willing to tell me what this new form of training you have is?"
"Patience, Maximoff. Take advantage of your one-hour break and don't worry about it."
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who is going to be sore tomorrow morning," Wanda huffed. She made a mental note to herself that she caught Natasha smiling again, something that became more common when the two of them talked. Before, she only saw the former Widow smile around Steve and Clint, but now knowing Natasha smiled around her made Wanda feel special in the form of her heart doing what she could only describe as flips. It was a silly feeling, sure, but it mattered a lot knowing Natasha felt comfortable around her.
"Pain only makes you stronger," Natasha responded with a wry smile.
"I'm starting to believe you enjoy seeing me in pain," Wanda muttered flatly, which drew out a chuckle from the redhead.
"I take pride in knowing my training shows results, that's all."
---
After washing her face and changing into another plain tee and comfortable sweats, Wanda made her way to the gym once it was time for her training with Natasha. She always had to be punctual and put in effort to be at the gym ten minutes early just in case, or else the spy would make her run laps until her legs actually gave out.
Once Wanda pushed through the double doors of the gymnasium, she saw Natasha standing on the mats as usual. What caught the Sokovian's eyes was a long, black cloth in Natasha's hands. "I'm assuming that has something to do with this new training you have in store for me," Wanda commented as she pointed at the piece of material in question.
"Very perceptive of you, Maximoff," Natasha grinned slyly. "You'll be blindfolded during your training today. You will also be using your powers."
This surprised Wanda. Ever since she began training as an Avenger, it was always with no powers. Steve put emphasis on improving Wanda's physical strength and stamina, toning her body as a whole, and under Natasha's mentorship, the brunette has seen and felt a difference in her body's physique. The sudden switch to her powers made Wanda nervous.
"Did… did I do something wrong?" Wanda carefully probed. She wondered to herself if her powers went out of control when she was asleep, like times when she'd doze off in the common area while reading. The Sokovian was certain she could control her powers when she was conscious, but she couldn't throw out the possibility that her powers could be a risk if she wasn't conscious and aware.
Natasha easily picked up on the underlying concern behind the question and immediately shook her head. "You didn't. I promise," the older woman assured her. "You've done well in your physical training, and I thought it was time we start to mix things up and implement training with your powers." Natasha walked over to Wanda and stood behind her, already putting the blindfold over Wanda's eyes without warning. "Today's focus is what I call sensory training. For you to be ready for field missions, you need to hone your other senses in order to increase awareness of your surroundings. In Novi Grad when you were fighting against Ultron's sentry units, you destroyed so many on your own with ease, but you had all of us to watch your six. However, there will be times when you'll be alone in enemy territory, and you will need to be able to pick up on the quietest of sounds because not reacting to defend yourself in time is the difference between life or death."
Wanda simply gave a firm nod as Natasha tightened the knot of the blindfold. What the other woman said made sense. This was another skill she needed to learn and quickly master if she wanted to be chosen for missions like the others. "What will I be doing?" she asked. She tried to look through the blindfold, but the thick material made it difficult, only able to see darkness.
"You must use your other senses to gauge where I'll be attacking from. Once you've discerned which direction I'm coming from, you will put up a shield with your powers to block my attack," Natasha instructed.
Wanda held her breath when she could hear Natasha walking around her and tensed when she could no longer hear the other's footsteps. Suddenly, she felt hot breath on her right ear.
"I could come from your right."
That same breath suddenly shifted to her left ear in less than a second.
"Or your left." Natasha's voice was low and gravelly, and Wanda felt goosebumps form on the back of her neck. She could have sworn she felt Natasha's lips on her ear just now. "Now the test begins."
When silence followed, Wanda stiffened in anticipation and her palms glowed red, temporarily burying her previous thoughts for now. She desperately tried to hear the spy, but Natasha's footsteps were too quiet, and the anxiety bubbling in her stomach began to grow.
"Wanda." The Sokovian instantly put up a barrier in front of her out of panic. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment when she heard Natasha tutting at her, an indication that she was incorrect. "I'm still on your left," Natasha revealed to the younger woman. "You need to take slow, deep breaths, Wanda. I can tell from the rise and fall of your chest that you are stressed. You won't be able to listen for me when all you can hear is the blood pumping in your ears. Calm yourself. Breathe."
"Sorry…" Wanda mumbled but did as she was told. The Russian was right; all she could hear was the loud throbbing of blood in her ears. She deeply inhaled through her nose and exhaled slowly through her mouth, over and over until there was better clarity in her hearing. Once she felt her heart slowed down, the pulsating feeling in her ears started to go away, and Wanda could listen with a bit more clarity. It was very faint, but she could pick up on the sound of Natasha's footsteps, though she couldn't pinpoint which direction. The next thing she knew she was being shoved to the ground, falling onto her back with a yelp.
"Concentrate," Natasha commanded. "You must control your breathing while remaining aware of your surroundings." To Wanda, it seemed that Natasha's voice was coming from every direction, as if the spy was constantly circling her. "You have other senses than just hearing and sight; you also have touch. I can control my footsteps, but I cannot control the air around me as I move around, especially when I move swiftly. Learn to feel the shift in the air around you."
For the next fifteen minutes, Wanda was either pushed or kicked down to the mats. It was frustrating that she couldn't guess the correct direction, but with each attempt, Wanda was learning. She began to notice the feel and direction her hair would move in just before Natasha would attack, committing the sensation and direction to memory. The brunette wasn't sure when it happened, but she was no longer anxious while waiting for Natasha to make a move. Wanda was able to maintain her composure while being alert to any sound or movement.
Then Wanda felt a slight breeze flow past her right. Without turning around, she created a misty crimson barrier to protect her backside followed by the sound of something colliding into her shield. A low, thoughtful hum came from Natasha. Wanda interpreted the sound that the redhead made indicated that she was impressed. Wanda really hoped she impressed her mentor. Her body unintentionally froze when she felt Natasha's lips near her ear again and couldn't stop her cheeks from growing warm.
"Well done, Maximoff."
Wanda bit back a smile as she lifted her blindfold to meet Natasha's deep green eyes that shone with pride.
"Hello, ladies. Hope I'm not interrupting girl's night."
Both women turned their heads to the double doors to find Tony wearing a business casual outfit and glasses that were still transitioned from the sun.
"Stark." Wanda acknowledged his presence with a dip of the head. She knew that under his egotistical and cocky nature was a genuine kind and thoughtful man, but she still had trouble figuring out how to act around the billionaire.
"First off, it's only four-thirty in the afternoon," Natasha pointed out with her hands on her hips. "You were only interrupting my training with Wanda, but we were just about to wrap up."
"Great! I just finished telling the others that we'll be flying to Seoul tomorrow morning so make sure you pack a duffle or suitcase tonight," Tony announced with a boisterous voice. Then he turned to Wanda with a grin. "I heard back from Dr. Cho."
Wanda immediately perked up at the mention of the South Korean city. "Does that mean…?"
Tony nodded. "That's right. We're going to see your brother."
Tears brimmed Wanda's eyes as she broke out into a broad smile. Natasha came over to her and placed a delicate hand on her shoulder. "I'm happy for you, Wanda."
Wanda could only relay her appreciation by directing her smile at Natasha, the emotions that were welled up in her throat making it difficult to speak.
Pietro… I'm coming.
Notes:
So yeah! Pietro is alive and didn't die. Things will start out slow between Wanda and Natasha, but the snowball has been formed and has begun rolling :)
Please let me know your thoughts and hope you all enjoyed reading. Till next time!
---
@fukanouna on Twitter & Tumblr
Chapter Text
With teary eyes, Wanda stared down at the Regeneration Cradle that contained her comatose brother. She peered through the circular window that displayed his face, a cool bluish tint coloring his skin from being cryogenically frozen.
When Pietro saved Clint and a small boy in Novi Grad by shielding them with his own body from a flurry of bullets, the only thing Wanda could remember after watching her twin brother's body fall limp to the ground was a painful surge of anguish and despair that bubbled in the back of her throat as she cried out Pietro's name. Then the only emotion that lingered was anger as she sought out Ultron to get her revenge.
What Wanda wasn't aware was that the gunfire did not immediately kill Pietro. Clint and a group of SHIELD agents brought her brother onto Fury's Helicarrier and placed him into a cryogenic pod to slow the damage done to his body. When Ultron was finally defeated, Tony and Helen worked together to convert the pod into another Regeneration Cradle, one that was strong enough to heal Pietro's wounds and save him from the brink of death.
The effort was a success, and after three months, Pietro's body was healed with the use of synthetic tissue. However, throughout the process, Pietro was still in a comatose state with very little brain activity. But Wanda refused to give up on him. She could feel her brother fighting his damn hardest to stay alive.
"The moment we registered an increase in his brain activity, I immediately contacted Mr. Stark so he could inform you," Helen explained as she came from behind to stand beside Wanda.
"Thank you so much Dr. Cho. Thank you for saving and watching over my brother," Wanda whispered, blinking back her tears.
"You're welcome. I must preface that it doesn't guarantee that he will wake up from his coma, but rather, it means that his chances that he will have increased." Helen stepped around the cradle so that she stood opposite of the younger girl, wearing a smile. "And I think it'd help if you could visit him as often as you can. Say hello. Tell him stories. Anything, really, so long as he hears your voice."
"I will consult Stark about arrangements. I want to do everything I can for Pietro," Wanda mumbled more to herself than to Helen.
Wanda continued to stare at Pietro's sleeping form through the small facial window, looking forward to the day they would finally reunite.
---
Helen kindly provided the team accommodations, encouraging them to stay in Seoul another day.
Wanda took the elevator from the lab to the communal floor that connected to the hallways where their individual rooms were. She found Vision relaxing on the couch reading through a small book. Upon closer inspection, Wanda realized the book was in Korean and the cover had a picture of two hands of different sizes with each end of a red string tied to their pinky fingers.
"I didn't know you could read Korean," Wanda remarked with a smile as she sat beside the synthezoid.
"I learned the language approximately one hour and forty-seven minutes ago," Vision stated a matter-of-factly like it was normal. Wanda held back her laughter. He closed the book and set it down on his lap. "I'm still trying to learn and comprehend what the human heart is when emotions and feelings are involved. Through my studying, I have discovered cultural differences can also play a factor in defining a population’s general understanding of what the heart is. When I mentioned this to Dr. Cho, she gave me this book." He held out the book, motioning for her to take it.
"What's the story about?" Wanda asked while flipping through the pages. The book was written like a novel, but there were a few pages with pictures that reminded her of drawings in children's books.
"A simplified, Korean interpretation of the tale, The Red String of Fate. It is believed that an invisible red cord connects two people by being wrapped around their pinky fingers, symbolizing that they are destined to be together. The string is bound to stretch and tangle as life goes on, but it will never be severed," Vision explained.
Wanda lingered on the image of the connect pinkies a little long, letting the words sink in. "It sounds beautiful," she finally spoke with a gentle smile at the synthezoid. "Like an Eastern version of what is a soulmate."
Vision nodded in agreement. "It is poetic in its concept. It acknowledges that the path to be with the one on the other end of your string is destined to be a difficult one, but there is comfort knowing that you are still connected to them, whether you realize it or not."
Wanda continued flipping through the book until she reached the final illustration of a man and a woman holding hands, the red string drawn in a deep, vibrant red.
"Too bad it isn't so simple to find your soulmate," Wanda muttered to herself.
---
Since it was the night before they would leave Seoul, Tony in typical Stark fashion, held a party, with Helen helping him make the arrangements and booked one of Gangnam's finest venues with the best view of the city. Anyone who was affiliated to the Avengers, SHIELD, or Helen's department were invited. Wanda was saddened that Clint couldn't come because he promised a road trip to Minnesota with his family, but she understood family was his priority and was happy to hear he'd make an effort to join her the next time she flew to Seoul.
After grabbing a glass of champagne from one of the many servers walking around with trays for the guests, Wanda made her way to join Steve and Sam who were watching another pair of Avengers with great interest.
"You think he's trying to make a move on her?" Wanda overheard Sam spoke as she took her place beside the blonde super soldier.
"I wouldn't be surprised. He was always into redheads," Steve laughed.
Wanda followed their line of sight and saw Bucky speaking with Natasha from the other side of the room. The pair stood close together. Natasha whispered something into Bucky's ear that pulled a subtle smile on his typically apathetic face.
"What do you think about Nat and Bucky?" Sam asked Wanda with a cocked eyebrow and an amused grin. "They've gotten pretty buddy-buddy with each other lately, don't cha think?"
A memory from a particular night resurfaced in her mind.
Wanda woke up in the middle of the night with a dry and scratchy feeling in her throat. Exiting her room, she tiptoed her way down the silent halls of the compound to make her way to the kitchen for water. What she didn't expect were two hushed voices of her fellow teammates coming from the kitchen, engaged in a conversation over glasses of alcohol. From the shadows, she recognized it was Bucky and Natasha, situated on the high countertop stools. Wanda remained around the corner, quietly listening in.
She heard the sound of pouring liquid, a refill of whatever hard liquor the two partook in.
"How did you do it?" Bucky spoke in his usual gruff voice. "How did you go back to the person you used to be?"'
A brief pause - then the sound of a shot glass being set down. Another pause before Natasha's naturally sultry voice filled the air.
"That's the thing, Barnes. I don't know the person I used to be to begin with. I threw away my birth name long ago. The 'family' I grew up with was fake, all for an undercover mission. Once I became a Widow, my sense of identity became even more muddled. I became whatever was needed of me: a bartender at a nightclub that was connected to a drug cartel in running rampant in South America - a stewardess on an Emirates flight to corner a corrupt politician - a one-night stand to men and woman alike, under different aliases and fabricated backstories each time, to extort information out of them."
Natasha poured herself another glass.
"At least you know who you were before, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. I don't have that luxury."
More silence followed. Bucky thought deeply about what Natasha told him.
"Then who is the Natasha sitting in front of me?"
The redhead gave him a nonchalant shrug.
"The Black Widow, a spy for SHIELD. Natasha Romanoff of the Avengers."
Natasha gave him a wry smile then downed her shot.
"But don't forget, Barnes. Everything is temporary… even the Natasha you know."
"Wanda?" Sam pressed, wearing a confused expression.
She blinked rapidly and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Sam. I didn't mean to zone out." Wanda's gaze fell back on the pair in the distance. "I don't think their relationship is like that," she finally said.
"Aw, you're no fun, Magic Hands!" Sam frowned exaggeratedly.
Wanda thought Steve would join in and agree, but he gave her a look that implied he could tell she knew something. Fortunately, neither man pressed Wanda for her reasoning why and instead, Steve said they should try the sweet red bean Korean pancakes Helen recommended at another table. While Sam trailed right behind Steve, Wanda gave one last look over at Natasha. To her surprise, Natasha briefly looked away from Bucky and shifted to her direction, almost as if she could feel Wanda staring at her. Wanda felt her cheeks flush at being caught, but relaxed when Natasha gave her a small smile before turning back to Bucky.
Wanda ignored the way that smile made her stomach do uncomfortable flips and chased after Steve and Sam.
---
At some point, a karaoke set-up made its way into room. With mostly everyone tipsy or drunk, the atmosphere of the party shifted from a semi-elegant and formal gathering to something louder and a tad more chaotic.
While Wanda enjoyed listening to Steve drunkenly sing Frank Sinatra and was impressed by Sam singing Marvin Gaye, it was when Tony began singing The Eagles extremely off-pitch that she decided she needed to exit the room. She opted to get some fresh air and stepped outside to the balcony overlooking Gangnam's view in the night.
It seemed that Natasha came to the same conclusion as Wanda, already looking over the railing with a green bottle of soju in hand.
Natasha looked over her shoulder to meet Wanda's eyes and flashed an amused grin. "Let me guess: escaping Tony's horrendous singing?"
"He's absolutely terrible," Wanda agreed, deadpanned, which made Natasha chuckle.
"Tell me about it. He ruined Hotel California for me." Natasha held out the bottle of soju. "Want some?"
Wanda shook her head. "I'm alright. I've had enough alcohol this evening."
Natasha nodded, respecting Wanda's decision, and brought the bottle back to her lips. "How was it seeing your brother?" she said after awhile.
"I am hopeful he will recover," Wanda stated adamantly. "I can feel him fighting."
"Because you read his mind?"
Wanda shook her head. "No. His mind is in a delicate state. I do not want to risk his recovery by diving into his mind. The feeling I mentioned… call it a twin's intuition."
Another swig of soju. "Because you two are siblings," Natasha repeated softly. "I get that."
Wanda's interest was piqued. "Do you have a sibling as well?"
"I did," Natasha answered even softer than before as she gazed down at the people walking on the streets.
Wanda didn't miss how it was said past tense.
While Natasha was a rather warm and pleasant person to be around ever since they became friends, even showcasing a playful side from time to time, there were moments like now when the woman was aloof and distant, a cold and invisible wall making it difficult for Wanda to speak to her. Even though the spy was within arm's reach, Natasha felt so far away, eyes glazed over, lost in thought or lost in time, Wanda wasn't' sure. Normally, she opted to excuse herself from the uncomfortable situation, but for some reason, something compelled Wanda to stay this time. She didn't want to leave Natasha alone with those dark memories of her past.
"Vision told me a tale he discovered today from a Korean book Dr. Cho gave him," Wanda spoke up, attempting to break through the awkward silence.
"Is that so?"
Wanda was surprised that Natasha answered immediately. "Yes, he called it The Red String of Fate."
"I've heard about this before. The one where a string connects two people together by being tied to their pinkies," Natasha said, finally turning her gaze back to Wanda.
"That's the one," Wanda confirmed with a smile, happy that Natasha was looking at her again. The joy was short-lived, however, as Natasha's attention shifted back to the civilians below.
"Pretty sure there's no one on the end of my string," Natasha remarked wryly.
"Is it because of what happened with Dr. Banner?" Wanda flinched when she saw the way Natasha looked at her in shock, fearing that she overstepped her boundaries.
But Natasha's posture relaxed and shook her head slowly. "Because of what I am, with a ledger that's drenched in red - drenched in blood. Bruce leaving me behind is only confirmation that destiny has determined I don't deserve a soulmate because of the things I've done."
Natasha spoke evenly with a straight expression, but Wanda could practically feel the heavy weight each word carried to the point it caused her own heart to ache with pain.
An indescribable loneliness that enveloped Natasha and kept her trapped like a strait jacket.
Wanda wanted to free her.
"I find it hard to believe that we are born into this world to end up alone," Wanda countered softly, staring back at Natasha with an unwavering gaze. "That goes for you too, Agent Romanoff."
Like true Black Widow fashion, Natasha stared her down, unfazed. "How optimistic of you." The older woman's expression eventually softened, and she gave Wanda a smile. "But thank you, Maximoff. I… appreciate your thoughtfulness."
"No need to thank me. What I want is for you to remember what I said."
"You sure have gotten bolder since you first joined the team. Talking to your superior like that." When Wanda opened her mouth to object, Natasha raised her hand, signaling for her to stop. "It was a joke, Wanda. Like I said, I do appreciate you watching out for me. I promise I'll do my best to do so. But enough about me, what about you?"
Wanda blinked. "What about me?"
"Do you believe there's someone on the end of your string?" Natasha pressed nonchalantly, raising her brow.
Wanda didn't know why she was so focused on Natasha's silhouette that was outlined over the fluorescent background of Gangnam's vibrant neon-lit night, unable to look away like a moth to a fiery-red flame. Then she found herself drawn to those jade-green eyes that looked at Wanda so deeply, the Sokovian felt herself drowning in them. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself and realize the reason why Natasha was looking at her so deeply was because she was waiting for an answer.
"I do. I hope that, someday, I will find out who that person is, and hopefully, it is someone Pietro will approve of."
The two of them shared a moment of laughter together, with Wanda sharing short instances of Pietro going into overprotective-brother mode and Natasha listening quietly, chuckling here and there.
At some point, Wanda realized their shoulders were touching and just how close Natasha was, but she didn't say anything, liking right where the other woman was.
Notes:
Thank you for reading :) It means a lot considering it's been awhile since the last chapter.
Till next time!
---
@fukanouna on Twitter/Tumblr
Chapter 4: Conflict
Summary:
Natasha takes Wanda to see Pietro. Later, the Avengers finally find Rumlow.
Then Natasha hears a whistle...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wanda found herself falling into a routine.
Helen informed Steve and Tony the importance of Wanda visiting Pietro. Since Tony wasn't at the Compound as much as Steve, the billionaire left the decision and coordinating-making to the blonde super soldier, and Steve made sure Wanda visited her brother once a week like Helen suggested. When she wasn't traveling to Seoul, she was doing her usual training regimen with Steve and Natasha.
It was usually Steve or Sam that flew Wanda to Seoul on the Quinjet. The one-time Clint was her pilot was due to a special occasion. Wanda didn't know all the details, but from what Vision could tell her, Steve, Sam, and Natasha were following a lead to find Rumlow, and perhaps, find other leads to members of HYDRA who were still in hiding.
The three of them were gone for five days.
When the veteran Avengers finally returned, aside from the usual scratches and bruises, they returned mostly unscathed. Natasha received the worst, a second-degree burn to her right shoulder from a flamethrower, and she considered herself lucky that she was able to dodge the blast of fire in time or it could have been much worse. Wanda couldn't help but fret over the other woman's condition, but Natasha kept waving her off and insisted she was fine to resume training Wanda.
"Gotta make sure you haven't slacked off while I was away," Natasha explained, her jade green eyes twinkling playfully despite the deep, dark bags below those eyes.
"I sparred with Barnes often, practiced flying with Vision, and kept up with my cardio," Wanda defended and gave the redhead a worried look as she followed her down the hallway. "Please rest, Natasha. You've only returned no more than two hours ago. When was the last time you changed your bandage?"
"It's not as bad as you think. You're fretting over nothing, Maximoff," Natasha coolly. She reached for the door handle to the woman's locker room, but Wanda used her powers to keep the door shut, causing the redhead to shoot her an annoyed look. "Wanda, let me in."
"I will not. Please, Natasha," Wanda tried again, refusing to back down. "There is no reason why my training cannot wait another day. You can kick my ass tomorrow."
The last remark was enough to pull a smile out of the other woman. Natasha relented for the moment and let go of the door, fully facing Wanda. "Our lead in hopes of finding Rumlow was a dead end. It did lead us to finding former STRIKE soldiers who created their own faction, but they had no idea of Rumlow's whereabouts. Steve and Sam are somewhat dejected by the discovery, but I still have a lot of energy and frustration to expend, even with my burns." When Natasha looked into Wanda's eyes, it finally dawned on her how seriously worried Wanda was for her. Her expression softened and she placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "How about we make a deal? Help me release all this pent-up energy and I will be the one to take you to Seoul next time."
Wanda couldn't stop herself from visibly perking up at the offer. It had been long time since it was just the two of them. She dearly missed the other woman's company.
Natasha's lips curved into an amused, crooked grin when she noticed Wanda seriously contemplating. "So… do we have a deal?"
"We have a deal but please do not push yourself," Wanda finally agreed, mimicking the redhead's smile. "But if you think about breaking your promise, just know that I will be deeply disappointed and will constantly pout in your presence for months."
"Sounds like absolute torture," Natasha laughed wholeheartedly while she held open the door to the women's locker room for the brunette. "Don't worry, though. You're the last person I want to disappoint."
---
True to her word, Natasha volunteered to fly Wanda to Seoul to visit Pietro the following week.
The visits never lasted more than two days and begin flying back to the compound on the third. Wanda and Natasha shared a small suitcase for the trip, with Natasha bringing an additional emergency backpack with basic first-aid supplies.
Wanda sat in the co-pilot's chair while Natasha piloted the Quinjet. Sam taught her that the ship had an auto-pilot function that had the coordinates to Dr. Cho's lab locked into the navigation system's database, but Natasha preferred piloting on her own. The redhead said it was better to be prepared for anything, no matter how quiet the skies seemed.
Helen greeted both of them with the same warmth as she always did, even more so since it had been so long since she saw Natasha. Wanda couldn't stop her expression from falling when Helen said there was no change in Pietro's brain activity, but instead shifted her line of thinking to the fact it was also a good thing. Pietro was still fighting; he was still there.
Once Helen and Natasha left her alone in the lab with her brother, Wanda took her usual spot beside Pietro's cradle. He looked so still and peaceful every time she visited, as if he was simply sleeping the day away, when in reality his usual appearance when he slept was messy, disheveled hair sticking out in all sorts of directions, mouth agape with drool that was accompanied by light snores. Wanda took for granted those moments with Pietro, and couldn't wait for the day for her brother to be running free and alive like before.
After she was finished, Wanda found Natasha lounging in the lobby on a couch, the space that connected to the hallway leading to the lab and the elevator. The former SHIELD agent was typing away at her laptop while sipping on an iced americano in a glass.
"Working?" Wanda asked while taking the spot beside the other woman.
"Just doing extensive research on what I'd like to buy when the semi-annual sale at Victoria's Secret comes around," Natasha answered smoothly, but Wanda knew the other woman well enough to know when she was joking. She could also see the way Natasha's eyes were quickly darting left and right as she scanned whatever document she was reading on the screen. Wanda guessed the other woman was still trying to find another hot trail that would lead the team to Rumlow. "Sorry I didn't get you anything when I went out for coffee with Helen. The shop didn't have any tea lattes." The redhead entered a few more keystrokes then closed her laptop shut, turning her body so she was fully facing Wanda. "How was your time with the speedster?"
"It's as Dr. Cho said. There's no change from last week's visit. It is both a good and a bad thing," Wanda spoke her feelings truthfully. "Regardless, I will wait as long as it takes and continue to do what I can for Pietro."
"He's lucky to have such an amazing sister," Natasha remarked with a smirk then took a sip of her iced Americano.
Wanda forced herself to ignore how the praise made her cheeks feel warm and decided to shift the topic elsewhere. "You mentioned before that you had a sister." For a split second, she could have sworn a pained expression crossed the spy's face at the mention of her sibling, but the look was gone as quick as it came.
"I did, yes." Natasha tilted her head to one side. "Curious?"
Wanda nodded, nervously twisting a ring on her finger. "It was the first time you ever brought up family. I thought… Widows didn't have family."
"You're right. We don't have family. Our parents real were either already dead by the time the Red Room took us in, or we were too young to remember who they were." Natasha sighed and looked up at the ceiling, jade green eyes clouded by memories of the past. "But for a special mission, I was part of fabricated family. For three years, I had a mom, a dad, and a little sister. My little sister, Yelena, wasn't aware that our family was just part of the mission, but looking back at it, her obliviousness to the whole thing made it feel more… genuine."
"It felt more real?" Wanda asked gently, to which Natasha nodded with a distant look.
"There were times where we really did feel like a family," the redhead admitted softly, though it seemed that she was admitting it to herself than to Wanda.
"What happened after the mission was complete?"
"Our parents resumed working under Dreykov while Yelena and I were sent back to the Red Room. We were separated. I resumed my training while Yelena was of age to begin hers." Natasha shrugged her shoulders then shook her head slowly as she recalled more memories from her childhood. "Haven't seen her since."
Wanda felt her heart tightened. Hearing Natasha's story made her realize how lucky she was that she had Pietro by her since the very beginning. Even now, it dawned on her how fortunate she was to still have her brother despite everything that has happened to them since they lost their parents. Natasha didn't explicitly verbalize her feelings towards Yelena, but it was obvious how much she meant to the other woman, blood related or not.
"Why have you not searched for her?" Wanda asked.
Natasha shrugged again. "Guilt. Fear. For three years, I lied to her and made her believe we were sisters. When the mission was over, I couldn't protect her from the Red Room. I don't even know if she survived the Red Room, and even if she did, she must hate me for deceiving her. So after I defected to SHIELD, I buried myself in work as an agent, and I'm still doing the same but as an Avenger."
Wanda's gaze softened at the redhead. "Clint mentioned you were trying to get the red out of her ledger."
"I've taken the lives of countless innocent people, Wanda. I'm aware that nothing I do will ever make up for that, but I want to at least do some good for the world." Natasha's voice was barely above a whisper, but it held so much emotion.
Wanda moved closer. When Natasha didn't move away, she placed her hand on top of hers. She felt Natasha flinch and worried she pushed too far, but to her surprise, Natasha laced their fingers together and gave her hand a squeeze. Wanda met the other woman's eyes and found a smile on her face. The brunette forced herself to ignore the heat that was growing in her cheeks and how soft Natasha's hand was.
Then the sound of both of their communicators went off.
Natasha answered hers first, and Steve's face appeared on the small screen.
"Rogers?"
"Sorry to cut the trip short, ladies, but I need you both to head over to the coordinates I've sent to your Quinjet."
Wanda exchanged surprised looks with Natasha. "What happened?" she asked.
Steve's expression turned dark.
"We found Rumlow."
---
It was only three hours ago when Wanda was in Seoul with Natasha to visit Pietro.
Now they were in the middle of a mini warzone located at the northern border separating Latvia and Estonia.
Brock Rumlow, now calling himself Crossbones, cut ties from HYDRA and formed his own band of mercenaries-for-hire, taking whatever black market job paid more and picking up strays who had nowhere else to go or held no other purpose in life other than rotting away on the streets to join him. He still held a powerful, commanding presence like when he was a part of STRIKE, and his men blindly followed his orders, no matter what those orders required of them.
For Steve, it didn't matter that Rumlow no longer had any current affiliation to HYDRA; what mattered that he did at all and that he needed to pay for his crimes. A man like Rumlow was too dangerous to be allowed to do as he pleased in the world.
Wanda agreed.
There wasn't any time for a complete debrief of the situation before Wanda and Natasha were thrown into the battlefield as civilians from a small nearby village were being held hostage and contained in a bunker that was once used in World War I, now repurposed into a new base of operations for Rumlow's dealings. They joined up with Steve, Sam, and Bucky, facing the Rumlow and majority of the mercenaries. Tony, Vision, and Clint (who joined in on the rescue at the captain's request) were in charge of infiltrating the bunker to rescue the civilians.
Wanda tag-teamed with Sam and attacked from the air, while the other three fought on ground. The brunette kept a closer eye on Natasha's six compared to the guys and summoned force fields with her powers to shield the ground team from gunfire when needed. She knew Natasha was an incredible and capable fighter, but she wasn't a super soldier, a god, or a Hulk -- she was still made of flesh and blood.
Over their communicators, Clint relayed to the rest of the team that his end managed to rescue all hostages from the bunker, with Vision in charge of escorting them to safety and away from the battlefield while he and Tony fend off any mercenaries behind them.
Rumlow had new mechanical arms attached to him that put his punches on par with a super soldier, but Steve and Bucky teamed up together to take him down. The moment Rumlow was officially taken down, the rest of his men stopped fighting and surrendered to the Avengers. Maria Hill and other operatives from SHIELD arrived to take the mercenaries into custody, with extra precautions taken on Rumlow. Steve intended on interrogating the former HYDRA operative on The Winter Soldier Program, not wanting to take any other chances that could compromise Bucky again.
While Sam helped Maria's men lead the captured band of mercenaries into the carrier helicopters, Wanda turned her head towards the forest on the opposite side from them, where a fog was growing thicker, almost ominously. She heard the sound of a faint whistle coming from inside the fog. The whistle sounded both wistful and somber, almost heartbreaking, and Wanda couldn't understand why she was having this feeling. She wondered if Natasha also felt the same because the redhead also turned her head in the direction of the whistle. However, Natasha paled and her eyes widened the longer she listened to the whistle. When Natasha started heading towards the woods, Wanda called out to her.
"Natasha, where are you going? We'll be returning to the compound soon!"
"I need to check something. Go back to the Quinjet and wait for me there," Natasha answered, not looking back.
"Alone? I can come with you," Wanda offered, jogging right behind the other woman.
"NO!" Natasha snapped harshly in a way Wanda never heard before, the spy still keeping her back to the brunette. "I said go back to the Quinjet. That's an order, Maximoff. Tell Rogers and Hill I'll be back soon."
Without another word, Natasha ran straight into the fog and was soon enveloped by it. Alarm bells were ringing in Wanda's mind and Natasha's odd behavior was the reason. Was it the sound of the whistle? That's when Natasha started to act strangely. A part of Wanda knew she should go to Steve first, but her feet were already moving and chasing after Natasha into the fog.
Even with all her conditioning and cardio training, Wanda was a snail in comparison to the older woman. Wanda's lungs burned as she dashed into the fog, but she saw no sign of her Natasha. Seconds later, Wanda found herself in a clearing where the fog wasn't as thick. The forest was still and quiet. After the constant sound of gunfire and explosions for the past few hours, the silence was unnerving. Wanda tensed, immediately on edge, with her glowing eyes trying to scan her surroundings despite the fog.
"WANDA, GET DOWN!"
Everything went by so fast.
Wanda registered both the sound of several gunshots and the impact of being tackled down into the dirt by a familiar figure, a sweet scent wafting into her nose from soft red locks. It wasn't enough to distract her from the mild pain from having the air pushed out from her lungs as Wanda groaned to push herself up while holding onto the other woman.
"N-Natasha?" Even in the fog, she was able to make out the blood running down Natasha's left, panic suddenly bursting forth. "Natasha!"
Natasha hissed in pain as her arms wrapped tightly around Wanda and forced both of them to roll several times to the right as more gunshots followed them. "Wanda, take us to the sky and get us out of here! Now!"
With glowing red eyes, Wanda slid one arm around Natasha's waist and used her free arm to propel them into the air with her magic, pushing them towards the direction of the rest of the team. They were high enough in the air where they could see the top of the blanket of fog that covered the forest, but the lights coming from the Quinjets and other aircrafts brought in by Maria. Wanda held onto Natasha tightly while they were airborne, though Natasha was holding her just as tight, still hissing through her teeth in pain.
They landed right in front of the team, all of them quickly surrounding them.
"What happened?!" Maria questioned while running over to Natasha and swinging one of the redhead's arms over her shoulder.
"I'm fine, Hill," Natasha muttered weakly, a hand over her injury.
"No, you're not. You're bleeding, Romanoff," Maria snapped.
"Someone shot at us. Natasha protected me," Wanda cried worriedly.
"Impossible. I made sure the area was clear of anyone else," Tony said.
Steve turned to Sam and Vision. "Scout the area again and find this mysterious shooter. We can't let them get away."
"I'll check the ground," Clint offered.
Steve nodded. "Stay sharp, Barton. Especially with this fog."
Sam and Vision nodded and flew into air towards the direction were Wanda and Natasha came from while Clint jogged after them from the ground.
Wanda could only watch as Maria handed off Natasha to the medic team with guilt bubbling deep in the pit of her stomach.
---
Back at the Compound, the team regrouped in med bay, sans Tony and Maria.
The bullet grazed Natasha's side that caused bleeding, but fortunately none of the other shots fired hit her or Wanda directly. Natasha sat atop of the examination table, in leggings and a sports bra with a bandage tightly wound around her abdomen.
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked.
"Fine," Natasha replied tersely. Steve raised a questioning brow but said nothing.
"Natasha…" Wanda began. She flinched when Natasha snapped her head in her direction and glared harshly at her.
"You disobeyed my direct order, Maximoff," Natasha spoke with a hardened tone. "I told you to go back to the Quinjet."
"I wasn't going to leave you alone," Wanda protested.
"I can take care of myself."
"But someone was out there and--"
"Need I remind you that the only reason I was shot in the first place was because I had to cover your ass."
Wanda took a step back as her jaw hung open in disbelief while an uncomfortable yet painful feeling burned in her chest.
"Nat, you went too far," Steve interrupted.
"But am I wrong?" Natasha challenged with a cocked brow.
Wanda felt tears in the back of her throat. She hated the cold, disappointed look Natasha was giving her, and yet, it was true that Natasha was hurt because she saved Wanda.
Still…
"I don't understand why you're acting like this. Is it so wrong that I went after you because I was worried about you? Because I care?" Wanda shot back out of frustration. "But I guess my feelings mean nothing to you, Agent Romanoff."
Wanda stormed out of med bay, ignoring the cries from Steve and Clint, and ran back to her own quarters so she could allow the tears to finally fall from her eyes as she sobbed into her hands.
Somewhere…
Dreykov stepped through the automatic sliding doors and stood face-to-face with a masked skull soldier glad in blue and silver armor with orange accents. A crooked grin curled on his dry lips as he squinted through his thick-framed glasses at his creation.
"Natasha mistook your whistle for Belova's," he said slowly while circling at the mysterious armored soldier. "Good. Soon it will be time… Taskmaster."
Taskmaster stood obediently silent, obediently still.
Dreykov made a gruntled sound. Using a digital panel beside the sliding doors, an advanced image projector activated and a large display played recorded footage of Natasha fighting against Rumlow's mercenaries on the wall across from them.
"Study and learn," he ordered and left the room.
On the HUD integrated to the helmet, Taskmaster breathed heavily while it deeply analyzing Natasha's movement and fighting style.
Notes:
I know it's been awhile but if you're still around and made it to the end, thank you so much for reading. It truly means a lot to me, and if you feel like sharing, I'd love to know your thoughts
Till next time :)
