𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 || 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯-𝘓𝘢𝘸𝘴

AS FAR AS NOVA COULD THINK BACK, THE BUDAPEST OP HAD ALWAYS BEEN A SECRET BETWEEN CLINT AND NATASHA. Even when Nova persisted in asking about the mission, Natasha never gave anything away. Constantly dismissing the girl and her curiosity for a simple "you don't wanna know."

Many of the missions had been left up for the imaginative minds outside of the tight circle of three that had been a part of the mission. Many speculated that it'd been something so secretive and deplorable that Nick Fury would face the wrath if the specifications of the op came to light. Others thought it to be something that had happened in the past decade or so and was swept under the rug. But with it being mentioned in some of the most dire moments, it seemed that it was just as chaotic as the attack on New York.

Yet at the end of the day, all it had been was speculative as neither Natasha, Clint, nor Fury seemed inclined to divulge any info on the infamous "Budapest Mission."

Today seemed to be the first inkling of the truth for Nova who followed her wife off the train. Fingers interlocked with Nova surrendering her insistence to badger Natasha about details and trusting that with due time they would come naturally.

Nova personally had never believed she would meet Yelena, and she had been fine with that piece of reality. Already there was enough stress on their shoulders and adding the meeting of the sister-in-law didn't seem like a needed addition. But she suspected this meant more to Natasha than herself and she was more than willing to oblige Natasha's wishes.

They arrived at a hotel; its rather quiet and bare exterior brought a clear image of the establishment's beauty. For what it was, it seemed to have been built years ago, maybe even when Nova was still a child based on the concrete chipping from the walls and the overall appearance of it. Reminding her of how the structures were in New Orleans.

Adventuring inside Nova stared at the oddly beautiful interior. Gently squeezing Natasha's hand with a warm smile pressed on her face. She wasn't one to be so gobsmacked by structural choices, but perhaps it connected to this holding a secretive part of Natasha's past that she was getting a front-row tour of it.

As they came to a stop in front of a door, Natasha shifted from Nova's side and opened a tiny latch. Reaching inside she pulled out a pistol and lockpick. Pulling the slide back Natasha sighed in relief of the bullet resting idly in the chamber.

"Stay behind me." The order had Nova immediately spiralling in confusion as she backed up and allowed Natasha to stand in front of the door.

Plunging the lockpick into the key hold and gently jostling it, a voice spoke from inside. "I know you're out there."

There was a long pause where Nova looked at Natasha expectingly with their cover now blown."I know you know I'm out here."

It hadn't and it wasn't ideal that Nova didn't have her pistol. Leaving it at the trailer entirely based on getting through customs and not needing unwanted attention. So, she stayed close behind Natasha as they entered, shutting the door.

The atmosphere was incredibly dense entirely based on the dread and apprehension filling Nova's body. Almost able to pull the oxygen straight from her chest leaving her knees slightly wobbling beneath her. Eyes flickering around to find the source of the female voice within the apartment, likely Yelena.

"Then why are you skulking about like it's a minefield?" Yelena asked, her voice a rich Russian accent.

Natasha glanced back at Nova and held a hand out. Motioning her to stay at the door as she kept moving forward. "'Cause I don't know if I can trust you."

Yelena chuckled. "Funny, I was going to say the same thing."

"So, we gonna talk like grown-ups?" She asked, coming to the end of the main hall, gun levelled toward the living room where she stopped.

"Is that what we are?"

Out of abrasive curiosity, Nova couldn't help but walk toward the nearest entrance. Leaning her entire body against the doorframe she peeked around the corner. "Put it down before I make you."

Nova stared at the back of Yelena's head, only able to make out the grey suit jacket and glowing blonde hair that shone from the slice of sun that slipped through the blinds.

"You put yours down," Natasha ordered as she continued to walk toward her sister. Smirking as Yelena nearly tripped from the noticeable dip going in and out of the kitchen. "Watch your step."

As they entered the kitchen, Nova carefully backed up, holding her breath to not alert Yelena and possibly be shot. But as she did so, she met the wall noticeably faster than she thought. But this wall had surprisingly more give than would be possible.

So turning slowly, Nova anchored her head to meet the eyes of a man who stared down at her emotionlessly. Ever so slowly, Nova backed away as the man rolled his shoulders back.

But as the sound of fighting erupted in the other grabbing Natasha's attention, she stopped when the man raised a hand shaking his head. "Let them fight. It calms them down."

Nova could stare at the man with a frown as he moved past her and toward the room with guns mounted on the wall. "You must be Nova, yeah?" He asked as she glanced toward the continued noise of fighting and things becoming broken.

"Yeah, and you're..." She stared at the man as he turned to her and stuffed tucked pistol in the back of his pants. Adjusting his shirt to obscure the view of it. "Andrei? Natasha's brother."

He hummed and without warning, he charged and picked her up into the air. Nova let out a yell as her body made contact with another wall that gave at the speed and mass of both her and Andrei's bodies. Sending them flying into the living room, joining the fighting between the sisters.

Nova groaned as she leveraged her feet on Andrei's waist, forcing him away. When he threw a few blows she did her best to block, but ultimately felt one connect with her cheek. Rolling out from beneath, and allowing the man to fall to the ground with a grunt.

She was quick to hop on his back and start elbowing him on the top of his head. Felt his grasp on the back of her head and arm, ripping her off his back and slamming her onto the ground. The impact felt like it couldn't send her through the floor, but she was left to gasp and writhe on the floor.

Peeling her eyes open, she was greeted by the upside-down smirk on Andrei's lips as he stared down at her, amused.

With a growl of annoyance, Nova forced herself to her feet and attacked the man. He blocked most of them, never able to counter her persistent blows that landed. When he caught one of her legs, she quickly used her momentum to hop off her other foot and hit him in the jaw with her heel. Safely landing on her one foot as Andrei held his jaw.

She didn't expect to win in this fight. Never had she been good in hand-to-hand combat even with a thousand hours of training from both Clint and Nova. At some point, a person has to accept their abilities lie in another field. Flight combat was Nova's. But she could stand her own against the common man. If Andrei was anything like Natasha, she wouldn't still be standing here with little injuries.

Andrei rubbed his jaw as he smiled at the woman. "Pleasure to meet you. Nat told me a whole lot about you the last time we saw one another."

The tonal shift made Nova frown for a moment but take his hand offered to her. "Same here. Didn't expect to share our first interaction of going through a wall. But I guess I should expect that from her family," she laughed, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"Just wanted to make sure you could hold your own. Tackling you through the wall was a quick decision," he commented, looking her up and down. "You aren't hurt or anything, right?"

She shook her head with a dismissive wave as the man patted her back and walked toward the kitchen. She followed closely behind seeing both Yelena and Natasha had also stopped fighting.

"So, you two married?" The question made Nova flinch as she looked at Andrei. His eyes flickered to the ring around her finger. "Last time Nat and I talked, she said she was going to marry you. Guess she did," he quipped, glancing at his older sister.

"Uh, I did, actually," Nova answered, glancing between her wife and Andrei. "She got all teary-eyed about it though."

The teasing comments only warmed Natasha's cheeks as Andrei laughed who slapped Nova's back. The sudden slap made her grunt from the force, gladdened by her metal exterior. "We're gonna get along just nicely."

"You two just had to come to Budapest, didn't you?" Natasha questioned, looking between her siblings.

Yelena sighed. "I came here because I thought you wouldn't." She smiled fakely as she grabbed a bottle of vodka and shut the fridge door.

When Natasha looked to Andrei for a response, he looked at her cluelessly. "You also told me to come here," Andrei added, making his way to the table where he collapsed into one of the chairs. "I wasn't going to turn Yelena away when she showed up suddenly. So, don't be giving me that bullshit."

"But since you're here, what bullet does that?" Yelena nodded, eyes quickly averting to the three shots she poured.

Looking behind her, Natasha stared at the three holes in the wall. "Not bullets. Arrows."

Andrei snickered. "Yeah, but Yelena is an idiot. You think she can tell what's a bullet hole or not?"

"Andrei, I'm going come over this table and break your arm," Yelena warned with a glare as her older brother chuckled.

"If you didn't think I'd come here, why'd you send me this?" Natasha questioned as she laid out the red vials and Polaroid pictures.

Yelena looked between the vials and her sister with a distraught look on her face. "You brought it back here?" She questioned, walking past Natasha. Andrei snatched one of the shots and knocked it back before nodding to the pair for Nova to follow.

"I'm not here trying to be your friend, but you need to tell me what that is," Natasha stated, following Yelena into the bedroom. "My wife could've gotten hurt because of it."

"It's a synthetic gas. The counteragent to chemical subjugation. The gas immunized the brain's neuropathways from external manipulation."

"Maybe in English next time?" Natasha huffed, walking past her sister and to the rack of clothes.

"The gas breaks through the infliction on the mind programmed to follow orders and not deviate from the leader." Both sisters looked at Nova who stood at the entrance, shrugging. "Upon inhaling it, it should do the trick for reverting and giving control back to the person's body."

Yelena looked at her sister with her hand motioned toward Nova. "Why didn't you just let your wife look at it? Or Tony Stark, maybe?"

Natasha scoffed. "Oh, yeah. We're not really talking right now, so..."

"Great. Perfect timing," Yelena remarked, stuffing clothes into a duffle bag. "Where's an Avenger when you need one?"

"I don't wanna be here, and I sure as hell don't like Nova being here. We're on the run," Natasha reminded her sister. "You could've gotten us killed."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? You're the only superhero person that I know." Yelena's eyes stared at the multiple bruises scattered across Natasha's back. Swallowing the lump in her throat. "That was the whole reason I sent it to you."

Reaching into her pocket, Nova pulled out an injector and walked toward Natasha. Placing a comforting hand on her hip, she pressed the injector tip on her right shoulder blade. "Breathe." Natasha inhaled deeply, but let out a groan, the thick needle piercing through the skin. Her hand instinctively grabs Nova's resting on her hip and squeezes.

"What's that?" Andrei asked, staring at the device that Nova carefully pulled from Natasha's body.

"Gen-D. My Dad's creation for hospitals and paramedics. He was able to get me one before we went on the run," she explained shortly before pressing a soft kiss on Natasha's shoulder. Able to tell the drug was taking effect from the relaxed breaths falling from her lips. "Good job."

"I kept checking the news, expecting to see Captain America bringing down the Red Room."

Yelena's comment made Natasha exhale sharply, turning around with a frown. "What?"

Andrei sighed. "Nat, things didn't change when you left."

That only deepened her frown as she stepped through the doorway to follow her sister. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?" She questioned. "It's been gone for years. Dreykov's dead. I killed him."

Both Nova and Andrei followed idly as Natasha stood at the doorway of the gun room. Able to hear Yelena let out a soft laugh. "You don't actually believe that, do you?" When Natasha didn't respond, Yelena's smile fell as she now stood opposite her sister. "You really do believe that."

"Dreykov's dead," Natasha said resolutely. "It took almost destroying the entire city just to get to him."

"If you're so sure, then tell me what happened. Tell me exactly."

"We rigged bombs."

"Who's we?"

"Clint Barton. Killing Dreykov was the final step in my defection to S.H.I.E.L.D.," Natasha explained.

Yelena nodded, shrugging as she asked, "Simple as that?"

"Yeah, sure, simple." Natasha entered the kitchen. "That's what I'd call imploding a five-story building and then shooting it out with the Hungarian Special Forces." Grabbing the bottle of Vodka, Natasha continued. "Took 10 days in hiding before we could even get out of Budapest."

"And you checked the body? Confirmed the kill?" Yelena persisted as she stared at her sister closely, watching her down a shot of the alcohol.

Natasha clenched her jaw and nodded. "There was no body left to check."

As she turned to leave, hand outstretched to Nova, Yelena spoke up. "You're forgetting Dreykov's daughter."

The group froze at the quiet footsteps from above. All turned toward the sound before the roof of the living room blew open. Andrei grabbed Nova by the shoulders and ushered her into the bedroom. The immediate smoke obscured the entire apartment with red lasers able to be seen drifting across.

Nova turned to Andrei who pressed a finger to his lips, grabbing his pistol and handing it to her. She took it and pulled the slide back before flipping the safety off. Watching the man grab a belt with 12 gauge steed slugs attached to mounts and buckled it on before pulling out Benelli M4 from the cabinet they were pressed against. Flipping the safety and glancing at Nova with a nod.

Moving to the other doorway closer to the door, Nova sprinted across to the kitchen with bullets flying past her as Andrei moved from the other doorway. Killing the two assassins with well-placed shots to the chest. Ducking as gunfire danced around him, moving to Nova who was crouched behind cover.

As the lights began overpowering, and exploding, Andrei grabbed Nova and urged her through the kitchen and out the front door as Yelena and Natasha dealt with the remaining two assassins.

Entering the stairwell only caused them to be blocked off from the street and a floor below. Gunfire echoes and deafens all other senses. Andrei killed the two left in the apartment and hugged the wall beside Nova.

She heard him laugh. "Did Natasha ever mention Budapest?"

Nova flinched as sparks from a bullet hit the elevator wall. "No. But I guess I didn't deserve to know any of this shit," she said, glaring at her wife.

"Not the time, babe!" Natasha called over the gunfire.

Yelena pulled the pin of a grenade and tossed it down the stairwell with the three following her upwards.

"Where are we trying to get?" Natasha called out.

"Motorbike! East side of the building," Yelena replied, flinching as a bullet pierced through the window, trained in on all of them. "Andrei, get Nova to the truck."

Without so little of a warning, Andrei grabbed Nova by the scruff of her jacket and forced her forward, away from Yelena and Natasha who hopped through a window. But her protests were put on hold as they were running toward a window at the end of the hall.

"Do you trust me?" Andrei asked.

"Well, you're my brother-in-law, so I suppose I-"

"Great. Hold on!" Grabbing her, he lifted her and used his body as a shield from the glass that they broke through and were quickly met with a threatening descent. But doing as she was told, she held onto the man as he spun her around so he would take the brunt of the impact as they slammed into a car.

Despite having the stiff cushioning of Andrei's body, Nova still groaned as she sat up. Hopping off the caved roof of the vehicle and scrambling to her feet. Grasping the Benelli and passing it to Andrei who recovered faster than humanly possible.

"This is my Budapest secret," she groaned, limping toward the truck Andrei motioned to.

"Welcome to the family," Andrei cheekily commented, slipping into the driver's seat and starting the vehicle. As soon as Nova was in her seat he pulled the car back and floored it.

"What the hell is the Red Room and who the hell are those assassins?" Nova questioned, turning to Andrei.

He frowned, looking between the road and her. "Natasha didn't tell you?" When Nova didn't respond, Andrei sighed. "Red Room was where all three of us were taken. Practically sold off by our parents and forced to become trained killers. Many others suffered the same fate, but none have gotten out like the three of us. And those people are Widows."

Seeing Nova's disgruntled look, Andrei sighed. "Don't take Natasha's lack of opening up as a bad thing. She has more than enough reasons as to not show that part of herself to you," he explained. "Everything that she's said about you tells me she thinks it'll be more damaging than enlightening to you."

Nova didn't expect the insides and outs of Natasha's past. Truthfully, she was happy enough to know Natasha had siblings and that she hadn't been alone her entire life. But as it was, Natasha perpetuated that her current self was more intriguing than whatever was behind her. And maybe Nova should've asked more questions. Or slowly pull that side of her out of the shadows and provide a slice of safety for her to tell.

But Nova couldn't help but think she might've not done enough. Even if she said she wouldn't pressure Nat about her past, it still felt one-sided at times. Nova could tell her everything but learn very little in return. And it wasn't resentment that bothered her. It was just disappointment. Maybe even a little bit of frustration.

As her thoughts began to spiral, the squealing of the tires filled the air with Natasha and Yelena rolling off the hood. "Fucking children," Andrei muttered before rolling down the window to look at the pair. "Get in or I'm leaving you!"

They scrambled in just as bullets began to hit the vehicle. "Any time now!" Yelena urged her brother.

"I have no problem leaving you, Yelena!" He pressed his foot on the gas and began to force vehicles out of the way before creating enough of a clear to gain some speed and distance.

Behind one of the Widows followed on a dirt bike, keeping enough speed to stay right behind them. And Andrei did his best to wave through traffic, hopeful to shake their pursuer. Yet, it proved to be fruitless.

Nova growled. "Keep the truck steady-!" Before she could finish, Andrei swerved onto a street, nearly sending her flying over. "What did I just say?"

"You didn't finish your sentence."

Grabbing his shotgun, she growled in annoyance. "Fuck it." Aiming, both Yelena and Natasha ducking away, she fired through the back window and tagged the Widow enough to make them lose control and go flying off.

Natasha and Yelena looked at her in surprise as she slid the shotgun back into its space between her and Andrei. "You're welcome," she huffed.

Yelena looked at her sister. "I like her."

They continued driving until a loud crash filled the air. Looking behind Nova was greeted with the intimidating sight of a modified BTR. Its speed was overwhelmingly apparent as it smashed and drove over vehicles, somehow keeping in pace with Andrei's truck.

"Oh, shit. He's back," Yelena muttered.

On top, a masked figure appeared with a bow in their hand as they aimed. "Fuck me. Seatbelts on, now!" Andrei exclaimed, swerving around vehicles to try and make the assassin hesitate.

But in a split second, the vehicle had met a considerable amount of force beneath and was sent flying up. Nova didn't know when they landed or when they stopped as her body was shaken around with glass flying around her face and slicing.

She only knew the vehicle stopped when two arms grabbed her and pulled her from the vehicle. Her ears rang as she stared up at Andrei, his lips moving but his voice devoid of volume to pierce through the white noise.

Get up...

Forcing herself to her feet, finding her legs weak, she leaned against Andrei who scooped her up and sprinted toward the escalator. Hopping onto the slick and smooth surface dividing the stairs from going up and down, they slid down until reaching the station where trains were on either side.

Her hearing was slowly coming back as she winced, limping with Andrei holding her up as they moved to a vent above one of the trains. As fast as she could with Andrei's assistance she climbed into the vent and crawled back enough to give space for the three to follow inside and shut and pull the hatch over.

Natasha crawled over and looked at her leg. "Do you have any more of the injectors?" She asked.

Nova let out a laugh, shaking her head with a groan. "Only wanted you to have some comfort. Call it an early anniversary gift," she tried to joke but groaned at the pressure of Natasha's hand around the wound on her thigh.

"Well, aren't you two just a cute couple," Yelena groaned, tying off a piece of fabric to slow the bleeding of her own injury.

Grabbing her belt, she handed it to Natasha who immediately wrapped it around Nova's leg. Putting it through the loop, she looked down at her. "This is gonna hurt for a second, okay?"

She huffed, a smile pressed on her lips. "A-Any chance you guys still have that Vodka-MMPH!" Nova whimpered, back arching at the sudden tension around her leg, pulling a muffled cry from her lips.

Feeling Natasha's lips press gently against her forehead, leaning into the comforting action. Sitting up just enough to lean against Natasha, who welcomed her willingly with open arms. Trembling with the first layer of adrenaline has worn off exceedingly quickly.

"This is cozy," Yelena commented, glancing around the ventilation shaft.

"Barton and I spent two days hiding out up here." That was evident by the chicken scratches on the metal of games of tic-tac-toe and hangman.

"That must've been fun," her sister muttered.

"Who the hell is that guy?"

"What I was supposed to be," Andrei commented, turning his gaze to his older sister tiredly. His shotgun resting in his lap. "He can mimic any fighting style, every move, and every action from anyone he sees. Best way to look at it; imagine your fighting your reflection."

"Dreykov only deploys him for top-priority missions..."

"This doesn't make any sense," Natasha muttered, shaking her head.

"Well, the truth rarely makes sense when you omit key details."

Yelena's gaze landed on Natasha, an underlying in her words as Natasha looked up at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You didn't say one word about Dreykov's daughter," Yelena commented. "You killed her."

The feeling of Natasha's body tensing had Nova giving her arm a gentle squeeze. A reassurance unspoken that although Natasha didn't want this part of herself shown so bluntly, Nova was there.

"I had to," Natasha persisted. "I needed her to lead me to Dreykov."

The blonde hummed, staring intently at her sister. "And here you are, not so sure."

"I needed out.

"We all did, Nat," Andrei stated, earning the attention of his older sister. "But there are lines we all know we shouldn't cross for our wants and needs." Was all he said before closing his eyes with a hum. "And I meant what I said, Nova. Welcome to the family."