Date: January 25, 2024
Words: 1794

~ Author's Note ~

Should I have the characters start guessing who they are going to watch next? (Mainly for the happier scenes.) I think it could be funny - lol.

• Seating Chart •

Role 1: Laura/Clint/Natasha/Yelena/Steve
Role 2: Rhodes/Pepper/Tony/Peter/Happy
Role 3: Fury/Maria/Bucky/Sam/Ned/MJ
Role 4: Wanda/Empty/Bruce/Thor/Loki

"So, I'm not the only one who wants to watch something a little happier, am I?" Sam comments, glancing around the room to see if anyone's in agreement. They all are - yes, even Bucky - and with this group of individuals that's rare. And alarming.

The Watcher observes his charges closely - taking note of the anxious glances shared between them, particularly the ones surrounding Natasha and Tony's seats - before sharing a meaningful nod with Dr. Strange. "Alright," the seer acknowledges their wishes swiftly, "The next clip will be insightful - but has a more cheerful tone."

Dr. Strange shifts his arm toward the screen, a gold ring beginning to circle his arms, when his coat suddenly flies off his shoulders. It floats in the air - shifting in a little dance-like formation - and completely ignores the shocked audience before him.

The doctor shakes his head, a deep sigh slipping past his lips, before he commands in a scolding tone. "Sit down."

The coat freezes. Raises its corner as if it is a hand.

And completely ignores its Master.

"Does he do that often?" Natasha asks, raising a tilted eyebrow, before clarifying. "Completely ignore you?"

"Sometimes," the doctor replies, but with a swat from the coat, he quickly amends, "Most of the time. He just enjoys this clip - don't mind him."

"Cool," Ned breathes in awe, watching the coat. But his words shift everyone's attention toward him - which was not his intention in any way, shape, or form. His eyes go wide at the knowledge of Iron Man and Captain America staring at him, heart fluttering against his ribs, while a stream of useless mumbles slip past his lips. "Hi, umm... you... you're staring at me," he breaks off into a weak chuckle, before shifting his gaze toward the Wizard. "Is it possible we can have clues for the clips before we watch them? Or at least who's in them?"

"I suppose," Strange agrees cautiously, sharing a glance with the seer. "One of the individuals in this clip is always bringing herself down and is definitely her own worst enemy."

Bruce nods thoughtfully, "She," that cuts down most of the people on the list."

Rhodey nods, glancing around at the girls in the room, "I bet it's Wanda." Happy and Sam nod in agreement. She is always fearful of her powers and bringing herself down.

Fury disagrees. "It's Romanoff." Bruce, Tony, and Steve comment in agreement. Natasha is her own worst enemy, and is never aware of how great she really is, always bringing herself down in some way.

"It is Natasha," Strange confirms swiftly, "Now let us begin."

The screen brightens to life, showing the sisters walking side by side toward a VAROIL gas station. Yelena enters first, observing the room subtly. Natasha follows in after her, asking, "If the Red Room's still active, where is it?"

Natasha swallows thickly, guilt spreading through her veins. And it's as if the pressure drops in the room - even those unaware of her past since the darkening horrors. She should've checked the body and confirmed the kill. But she didn't. Amateur mistake. Which costs all of them greatly - each in their own different ways.

Clint glances at the sisters beside him, narrowing in on their hands wrapped in a tight grasp. He notices Yelena's blank face and Natasha's guilt-ridden one, and his mind shuffles through every single word that ever slipped past Natasha's lips about her time taking down the Room - and it wasn't very much. But it's enough for him to know that's where she was before they all woke up in this strange theater.

The events - the memories - are fresh. Painful. He knew their "Budapest Mission" messed her up - even though they told themselves it was necessary - and he can't even imagine what she is thinking now. The Red Room survived. Which means the destruction caused wasn't necessary - and Dreykov's daughter shouldn't have had to be involved.

He settles his gaze on his best friend, taking in the bruises on her face, the dirt and blood stains on her suit. "Is he gone for good?" He already knows the answer, but it's evident within the relief shining in her emerald irises that she needed to hear these words out loud.

"Yes," Natasha breathes heavily.

"Are you okay?"

He's not going to ask which one of the siblings finished off the bastard. Or how it happened. It's not important right now. Dreykov is gone. Permanently. And Clint reaches forward, wrapping his hand within her own. Natasha smiles weakly, managing a brief nod.

"I have no idea." Yelena walks around the corner of the door opening, as Natasha looks at the contestants on the shelves. "He moves location constantly, and every Widow is sedated on entry and exit for maximum security."

Natasha frowns, moving around the corner. "I'm just finding it hard to believe that he could stay off my radar."

Yelena scoffs, grabbing some ibuprofen off the shelf in front of her. "Well, it's not smart to attack an Avenger if you want to stay hidden. I mean, the clue is in the name. Dreykov kills you, one of the big ones comes to avenge you."

Natasha frowns, "Wait, what are the big ones?"

"Well, I doubt the god from space has to take an ibuprofen after a fight."

"Wait?" Thor questions, "What is ibuprofen?"

Yelena smirks, raising a cocky eyebrow in her sister's direction. "I rest my case."

Natasha glares playfully, "Hush."

Yelena glances down, composing herself, before she turns to meet her sister's gaze with no emotions in her hazel orbs. "Where did you think I was all this time?"

Natasha freezes, unable to continue meeting Yelena's gaze as her breathing hitches. She moves around her sister, toward an old sink in the corner. "I thought that you got out and were living a normal life."

"And you just never made contact again?"

"Honestly, I thought you didn't wanna see me."

Yelena rolls her eyes, mumbling under her breath, "I always want to see you."

Yelena scoffs, "Bullshit." She moves forward, into the main part of the store, while Natasha starts drying off her hands. "You just didn't want your baby sister to tag along, whilst you saved the world with the cool kids."

"So, she's your sister?" Sam asks loudly, drawing everyone's attention toward the duo. "Did we know you had a sister and I just missed the memo?"

"It's a complicated story," Natasha begins, sparing everyone a glance before her emerald irises settle on Yelena. She squeezes her sister's hands tightly - this is not something she likes to talk about. "But yes, she is my sister. In every way that counts. And that's what matters."

"You weren't really my sister."

"That's cold, red." Tony winces, glancing at the two sisters, catching sight of the guilt shining in the older one's eyes. Their conjoined hands.

Natasha sighs, "I didn't mean it."

Yelena nods, a smile brightening her lips, "I know that now."

Yelena freezes, her jaw clenching as she tries to hide the hurt. She spits out, "And the Avengers aren't really your family."

Natasha comments, "They're one of my families."

They watch the screen return to Yelena asking, "Why do you always do that thing?"

"Do what?"

"The thing you do when you're fighting. The... like, the..." Yelena bends down, coying the pose, before she begins to flip her hair back and forth. "This thing that you do when you whip your hair when you're fighting with the arm and the hair. And you do, like, a fighting pose."

Clint laughs, "You are a poser."

"Oh, shut up," Natasha exclaims, shoving his shoulder playfully, "I'm not a poser."

"It's a fighting pose," Yelena comments brightly, "You're a total poser."

Natasha shakes her head, "I'm not a poser."

Yelena laughs, moving into an upright position. "Oh, come on. I mean, they're great poses." She waves her hands around trying to get her point across. "But it does look like you think everyone's looking at you - like - all the time."

"All that time I spent posing, I was trying to actually do something good to make up for all the pain and suffering that we caused." Natasha looks back towards the shelves, away from her sister's prying eyes. "Trying to be more than just a trained killer."

"You are so much more than a trained killer," Steve comments. His sky-blue orbs meet her irises only briefly - but it's long enough for him to notice the traces of doubt shining within. "You are so much more. And I need you to believe that."

Natasha shifts under the weight of his words, smiling tightly, "Thank you."

Yelena nods, clenching her jaw as she turns away. "Well, then you were fooling yourself because pain and suffering is every day and we are both still a trained killer."

Yelena grimaces, grasping her sister's hand tightly. Now she can see the impact of her words on her sister - she couldn't then, the anger was too fresh. - and there are not enough words in the world for her to describe how much she's sorry.

The blonde turns towards her sister, walking closer until she catches Natasha's lowered gaze. "Except I'm not the one that's on the cover of a magazine." Natasha glances up, her emerald orbs shining in the light. "I'm not the killer that little girls call their hero."

Natasha swallows deeply, her fingers picking anxiously at her nails. Her thoughts are spinning in different directions - and Yelena shifts over, trying to get her sister's attention. But it's no use. It's as if a fog has formed around the redhead - with only a few words managing to slip within - and nothing is strong enough to pull her away from her tormenting thoughts. Not until MJ notices the swarm of emotions passing over the assassin's face.

"You're my hero."

Natasha flinches, her head snapping toward the teen. "What?" She asks hoarsely.

"You're the Avenger I look up to," MJ replies, staring at those watching her without fear. "You are resilient. Fearless. People try to downgrade everything you do, but you come back stronger. The media likes to frame you as a monster, but you don't let that stop you. You've had to experience things no one should. But despite all the wrongdoings done to you - you still try to save as many people as possible."