AUGUST

Despite the deep feeling of conflict that had settled into August's gut, she was on her way to Eleanor Bishop's Christmas Party.

The woman's dress was just enough to be considered fancy and blend with the crowd and she supposed the same went for Yelena, not that her friend had made an appearance yet.

The assignment that Valentina gave her was making her feel quite nervous. Which was not the typical response she would feel however, Maya had grown up with Kazi.

So even if August had never particularly liked Kazi, Maya cared about him.

And August? Well she cared about Maya.

"Can I take your coat for you?"

August shook her head, "I'm okay, thank you though." She brushed by the man, her eyes finally landing on her blonde best friend.

"Lena," August reached her side.

"Hey," Yelena forced a small smile, glancing at her friend's outfit, "That should be fun to fight in."

August scoffed, "I didn't have time to find anything else."

A bullet pierced through one of the huge glass windows that Barton was standing near. A few panicked sounds erupted from different areas of the party.

"Showtime, I guess." August spoke, looking over at Yelena who smiled in response.

The two of them snuck through the panicked crowd and to the elevators. Yelena pressed the button, and August leaned against the wall.

"So, I know you're chummy with my mom, but I gotta say, I didn't think you'd make the cut for the Christmas Party." Kate Bishop spoke rounding the corner and confronting the two of them.

"Hey tweedle Dee where's tweedle Dum?" August arched an eyebrow at the brunette.

"Funny." Kate glared.

"We're not here to ruin anything." Yelena dismissed, "I'm just going to kill Barton, have some appetizers, and then we'll go."

"Well, I hope the two of you enjoy the bruschetta, 'cause it looks like you lost him." Kate stated.

Yelena gave Kate a deadpanned look, "He's in the elevator."

"Yeah but what, out of 65 floors, you think you're just gonna magically guess which one he's on?"

The elevator dinged, the number 12 appearing on the screen, "Twelfth floor."

"Damn it." Kate cursed under her breath.

"Enjoy the party." Yelena stated as the elevator doors slid open.

August stepped inside, Yelena only steps behind her. Kate also moved the join them but Yelena gave her a gentle shove.

"No, Kate stay."

The brunette slid through the doors at the last second and Yelena let out an annoyed, "Ah!"

"Did you think  Tweedle Dee over here was going to make things easy?" August asked with a small teasing smile.

The situation might've been funny if it didn't have to do with their jobs. In fact, August liked Kate, she appreciated the determination and loyalty.

The twenty-two year old reached out to hit another button but Yelena slapped her hand away, "No."

When she reached again, Yelena spun her the entire way around causing her to knock into August.

The third time Kate reached for the buttons Yelena swung her down to the floor before pulling her back up.

And Kate slapped her.

August couldn't help but snicker at the shocked look on her blonde friend's face. Even she didn't expect that from Kate.

"What was that?"

"I don't—I don't know."

Kate moved for the buttons and Yelena grabbed her dress muttering a quiet, "What's happening as the fabric spun away from her revealing a purple suit.

"Nice!" August complimented.

"Did you plan that?"

"Yes?"

Yelena arched an eyebrow at her and she shook her head, "No, no I didn't."

Kate spun around sliding her hands all over the buttons.

"No! No come on that is so annoying." Yelena frowned.

"It was kind of amusing." August noted, and ended up on the receiving end of Yelena's glare.
The blonde angrily undid her jacket, revealing her own suit.

"Now why the hell didn't I think of the long jacket thing!" August frowned.

Yelena ignored her, shoving the green coat at Kate, "Suka."

"Well guys, this really was fun, truly." August noted, "But I have a tracksuit mafia to track down."

Yelena gave her a questioning look, and August mouthed 'Valentina'

Before anyone could ask any follow up questions the elevator door opened, and Yelena took off running, Kate following just behind her.

August looked around for the stairwell, just now feeling the annoyance of Kate's action. The woman marched to the door leading to the stairwell and began her trek down, at least until she got to the floor where she had stashed a change of clothes.

By the time she reached the streets of New York she had decided that she wouldn't be the one to kill Kazi.

She couldn't do that to Maya.

"Tweedle Dum!" She pointed with a small smile.

This caused the curly haired woman to turn around, "August? What are you doing here? Have you seen Kate? I'm trying to make sure she stays well— alive."

"Last I saw Tweedle Dee she was chasing after Belova." August shrugged.

This of course lead to Josephine's eyes growing wide, "She's chasing after a Black Widow Assassin!"

"Relax," August loaded her gun, "Lena likes her, she's not gonna kill her."

"Yeah, well what happens when Kate gets in between her and Barton?" Josephine asked, although it was more of a statement.

August opened her mouth to reply but cut herself off as she spotted Kate and Clint fighting off some of the members of the Tracksuit Mafia.

The woman had to admit, the two seemed to be making a very good team. August felt like she was watching an action sequence of some superhero film.

Just as the fight was slowly settling, she spotted Kazi across the ice rink and that same sinking feeling that she had earlier fell over her once more.

What would happen if August didn't kill him that night? Surely Valentina wouldn't let something like that go.

August didn't fail, not ever.

That's what made her so good at her job. She didn't ask many questions and she never let a target get away.

"Kate's going after her mom, she needs you." August noted quietly to the curly haired girl next to her.

Josephine nodded, "What are you going to do?"

"Stay near by for emotional support?" August spoke. There was no way she was getting involved with anything to do with Eleanor Bishop's mess. August would stay on this side of the chaos.

The woman's eyes were drawn back to the ice rink as Clint was knocked back on to it. Yelena standing over him.

She felt for Yelena, she really did.

August had stumbled into a friendship with Natasha entirely by chance. Natasha had saved her from herself when she was a teenager.

The truth of the matter was that Natasha had been a sort of mentor to August, while Yelena was her sister.

The pain of that loss would weigh down on Yelena forever. Just as the loss of August's brother weighed on her.

For both August and Yelena, they only had each other left. Sure they bonded over the loss of Natasha and their common job but they had become more than co-workers. They were family, so no matter where she stood in this fight with the tracksuits and Clint Barton, she would always be on Yelena's side.

Whether she was right or wrong on the matter.

August approached the sheet of ice both quickly and quietly. She wanted to be there in case Yelena needed her, whether that was in a situation where she would talk her down or in one where she would fight alongside her.

The woman was only a few feet away from the stairs that lead to the ice when she spotted a motorbike sliding directly into two of the tracksuits.

Leaving her original target for the night, Kazi, isolated.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This isn't edited yet! So we're all going to ignore any mistakes

I hope you enjoyed!!

—Via