C427 Past Decisions & Regrets

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In Peter's office, Natasha and Yelena walked in, and Peter couldn't help but notice the complex emotions on their faces. On the way up, Yelena explained her ordeal of being mind-controlled by the Red Room, and that the captured Widows were currently under the same influence.

Peter turned to Natasha as she and her sister took a seat across from him. "So, she's really your sister, huh?"

Natasha nodded solemnly, "Not by blood, but we grew up together."

Peter nodded understandingly. "What do you want to do about the Red Room? I can put you in charge of this and give you a team, if you want?" He wondered if she wanted to fight them again. "Of course, I'll help where I can."

Natasha's eyes hardened with determination, "I'll take care of it. I don't know how Dreykov survived, but I failed once to take him down. I won't fail again..."

"How do you think he survived? I mean, you put two in his chest and one between the eyes right?" Yelena asked, repeating what they were taught in the Red Room. "Did you check the body?"

Natasha took a deep breath, her mind drifting back. "I had a plan to take down the Red Room, but in order to do that, I had to take out Dreykov, but that was impossible…"

-Flashback-

A much younger Natasha Romanoff stood outside her small, run-down apartment, clutching a small card with a phone number she had received from an odd bow and arrow wielding agent. He gave her an offer that could change her life forever. The past few years had been a constant struggle for Natasha as she tried to distance herself from the Red Room's darkness, all while looking after her newfound baby sister, who had been thrust into a life of violence and manipulation.

Opening the door, Natasha found Yelena sitting at the table, surrounded by piles of books and dangerous-looking weaponry. The sight of her trying to learn the art of assassination filled Natasha with anguish.

'At least, I was able to bring her with me on my missions, or else who knows what they'd do to her…' Natasha thought as she frowned softly. "You should be in school, Yelena."

Yelena looked up, her eyes filled with a mix of innocence and curiosity. "But I want to be like you and you didn't go to school," she said, her young voice filled with admiration.

Natasha's heart ached at the sight of the young girl aspiring to become a cold blooded murderer like her. She knew she had to make a choice, either let Yelena continue down this dark path or take the opportunity she was given and give her a chance at a better life.

…

Later that night, after tucking Yelena into bed, Natasha sat alone in the darkness, contemplating her decision. The bow wielding man's words still echoed in her hand, urging her to join SHIELD and work from within to dismantle the Red Room.

"I can't let Yelena go through this," Natasha whispered to herself, her resolve firming. "I'll take down the Red Room, protect her, and make sure she has a future free from all of this bullsh*t."

The next day, Natasha made the call, accepting the offer to join SHIELD. It was not an easy decision, as it meant eventually leaving Yelena behind. But Natasha knew it was for the greater good. After all, she can't give her the life that she deserves. She had to ensure that Yelena had a chance at a normal life.

But before any of that, in order to win SHIELD's trust and prove herself, she had to do the impossible.

Destroy the Red Room.

And with a heavy heart, Natasha knew what she had to do…

…

..

.

One fateful night, Natasha stood hidden in the shadows, watching the great General Dreykov and his young daughter enter their luxurious house. Her finger hesitated over the wireless detonator in her hand.

She had planned for every contingency, calculated every risk, but there was one thing she hadn't accounted for…

The sight of a child in the blast zone.

As she stared at Dreykov's daughter, innocence radiating from her, Natasha's own memories of Yelena as a young girl flooded her mind.

Tears welled up in Natasha's eyes as she struggled with her emotions. She didn't want to take an innocent life, but she also knew that this was the only way to free countless other children from the Red Room's grip. And who knew when Dreykov would give her an opportunity like this again?

In the end, Natasha clicked the detonator, her heart shattering as the explosion engulfed the house. She knew that Dreykov's daughter was inside, but she had to remind herself that she was doing this for Yelena and all the other children trapped in this nightmare.

The weight of her actions weighed heavily on Natasha's soul as she fled the scene. The first part of her mission was accomplished, but the cost was immeasurable. She couldn't escape the guilt that washed over her, knowing she had taken a young, innocent life, even if it was to save others.

-Flashback End-

"He survived an explosion?!" Yelena exclaims in shock.

"Y-Yeah…" Natasha stuttered, unable to reveal who else was in the house at the time. She couldn't help but wonder if his daughter survived as well, finding herself hoping that she did. 'Maybe she's fine?'

"I see…" Peter nodded, knowing that Natasha was leaving out a key detail. 'Didn't Dreykov turn his daughter into a cold blooded killing machine? Maybe I can help her…'

"So, what do we do now?" Yelena asks, ready to work.

"Well, do either of you know where Dreykov is?" Peter asks, unable to remember much from the movie. 'I guess, I didn't really care about the Black Widow movie at the time…'

"Nope/No idea." the sisters answered in unison.

"Okay, then let's move on to plan B…" Peter says as he stands up and walks to the door. "Follow me."

…

Peter, Natasha, and Yelena stood before a row of glass prison cells, each containing a mind-controlled Widow. Their dull and lifeless expressions sent chills down the sisters spines, especially Yelena, who recalled all sorts of atrocities she had endured under the Red Room's control.

"Jarvis, let's do it," Peter commanded, his voice firm but filled with compassion. A red gas began to fill each cell, as the AI carefully administered the antidote that would break the mind control.

Yelena jumped in place as she turned to Peter, a smile forming on her lips. "You were able to make more?!"

Peter smirked under his mask. "We're the Avengers. There's nothing we can't do."

As the Widows breathed in the gas, their vacant gazes slowly began to change. Confusion gave way to awareness, and the transformation was evident as they blinked and looked around with uncertainty.

In the first cell, a Widow clutched her head, her eyes widening with recognition. Memories of the horrors she had been forced to commit came flooding back, and she broke down crying, the weight of her actions overwhelming her.

One by one, the other Widows followed suit, tears streaming down their faces as they recollected the dreadful acts they had been compelled to perform. The room filled with the sounds of their anguished sobs, as years of suppressed emotions finally found release.

Yelena watched with experienced empathy, knowing all too well the pain of being controlled and manipulated. But even through their tears, there was a sense of relief on the Widows' faces, as they began to regain control of their own minds.

"I'm free," one of them whispered through her tears, her voice trembling with gratitude.

Natasha stepped closer to the cell, her heart heavy with sympathy. "You're free now," she assured, her own voice choked with emotion. "We're here to help you. You're safe now."

With newfound hope, the liberated Widows looked to Natasha as a symbol of strength and freedom. Yelena, too, approached the cell, her presence a reassuring reminder that they weren't alone in this fight.

Peter's step forward as well, hoping to get some answers from them. "We need your help," he said gently. "We need information about the Red Room. High level targets, bases, and especially Dreykov's location. Can you tell us anything that might help?"

Through tears and shaky breaths, the Widows began to share what little they knew. They spoke of secret facilities hidden around the world, the intricate network of agents and operatives, and the sadistic cruelty of Dreykov. But sadly, none of them seemed to know where Dreykov could be.

As they recounted their experiences, Natasha's anger grew, but she pushed it aside, knowing that they needed to focus on gathering as much information as possible. Peter listened intently, offering comfort and reassurance where he could.

"We'll do everything in our power to bring down the Red Room and kill Dreykov," Natasha promised, her voice unwavering. "You have my word."

…

After getting everything they need, Peter prepared to leave, but Yelena stopped him. "We aren't leaving them here, are we?" She asked, motioning toward the still imprisoned Widows.

"Yes, we are." Natasha answered for him.

"Why, they aren't being controlled anymore!" Yelena was not happy.

This time, Peter spoke up. "Because they need to go through a ton of security procedures. Not to mention the possibility of one or more of them tipping off the Red Room." He said, causing each captured Widow to look amongst one another suspiciously.

"They wouldn't do that!" Yelena yelled angrily.

Peter nodded. "That may be true, but it also doesn't mean we shouldn't take precautions."

"…" Yelena glared at him and Natasha for a moment before letting out an annoyed sigh. "Fine…"

"Good, now let's go and figure out where Dreykov is hiding…" Peter walks off with the two sisters following closely behind.

"I think I might know how to find him, but I'm not going to like it…" Natasha said, piquing everyone's interest.

"How?" Yelena asks curiously.

Natasha turned to her sister, a frown forming on her face. "Simple, we ask our parents."

A/N: 1700 words :)

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