Dirty converse

Heavily sighing Kate dragged herself to her front door. With her legs stiff and back aching she rummaged around her bag, begging to see the glimmer of her silver door key. As if determined for everything in her day to go badly, fate had decided that she would have to empty out the contents of her bag to have any hope of finding the key.

At last! She reached for the key and kissed it with immense enthusiasm, grateful that the day would soon be over and that she could hibernate in peace on her sofa. Was it so much to ask?
Turning the key, and pushing the door open, she blocked the entrance expecting for Lucky to try and bound out as had become the routine. He did not come. Hesitant, she carefully retrieved her bow, pleading for everything to be okay and for Lucky to just be sleeping heavily. But something was off.

She swung the door open, and it crashed into the wall with a bang. She stormed into the room before her, ready for battle.

“Hiiii”

Kate stood frozen.

Realisation washed over her, and the breath she hadn’t registered she was holding was released. With some unease still left in her she approached the blonde at her dining table wearily. An image shot across her mind of the last time Yelena Belova was in her apartment. Kate must admit that the recurrence of meeting this way was entertaining.

Attempting to cover her shock, Kate deflects and snaps at Yelena.

“YOU HAVE GOT TO STOP DOING THAT!”

She hesitates sensing that Yelena is seeing through her transparent act.

“Thank God I didn’t kill you there”

Yelena immediately retorts “Amusing as always Kate Bishop.”

Smirking, Kate looks upon Yelena for the first time in what must be a year. She is chuckling to herself heartily, truly amused by Kate. The shock of Yelena being in her house had only just dissipated when it returned. Yelena was laughing. Its was an earthy, rough laugh but one that was honest. Kate was so taken aback that she too began to giggle, infatuated once again by the joy they were both sharing. It felt good to liberate the tension. Eventually, they both regained their composure and finally took each other in for the first time in a year.

Kate studied Yelena thoroughly, as if she would never see her again. She savoured surveying every inch of her. Her hair draped over her shoulders, her rings arranged carefully on her nimble fingers, and her piercing doe eyes that she was sure were assessing her too. She had missed her.

After concluding her analysis, Kate perched on a mahogany dining chair opposite Yelena. She drew herself closer. Not wishing to avoid the blatantly obvious question any longer, Kate finally concedes and asks:

“So, why are you here Yelena?”

“I thought you Americans always have girl’s nights!?”

Kate stares her down, almost pleading with her. But Yelena, stubborn as ever does not respond.

“I saw you in central park. “Kate blurts out, now desperate for an answer.

After a pause, seemingly weighing up what to say, Yelena finally replies.

“Elenor was just murdered in her cell.”

An eerie silence filled the room.

No. She's wrong. She isn't dead because this isn't real. This stuff only happens to other people. The same thoughts circled her head to the beat of her rapidly pulsating heart.

After a few moments of rapidly firing thoughts, Kate's phone began to ring. The noise seemed to bring her back to the present moment, like awaking from a deep slumber to a not unfamiliar alarm. Still disoriented, Kate found herself rising from the table and making her way to the phone. Picking it up, sliding the green button and accepting the call, she placed the phone to her ear. The words spoken were lost to her, she managed to capture the words 'mom, stabbed and condolences' and piece them together. The confirmation of such a cruel reality caused the ground beneath her to contort and become fluid, her legs became flimsy and the grip on her phone slackened. As the floor became closer, her heart pounding accelerated in her chest almost as though it knew it was breaking. Her heaving chest felt heavy and restricted, unable to take a breath her swarming thoughts continued to worsen her wheezing. Unfiltered, raw tears cascaded down her face. Pain was unrelenting and merciless. She felt it deep in her chest like a festering wound

Arms weaved under Kate's own and attempted to cradle her from behind, refusing to be pushed away by Kates squirming. They felt safe, familiar and strong. Accepting her own vulnerability she conceded and let her back fall into the warm presence, desperate for consolation and they accepted her entirely. She nuzzled into them, wanting to pour the love she could now no longer give her mother. She pressed into them with her whole being and listened to their heartbeat. Kate felt her breath become easier to catch and her heartbeat slow. Her surroundings started to grace her consciousness and she felt herself regain a sense of composure. She had no concept of how long she had been on the floor Sitting up, the arms that held her slipped back and allowed her to gain independence again. She turned around. Yelena faced her.

Yelena offered out a hand and together they got up off of the floor. Kate felt her face was red. Unsure as to how break the silence, she allowed Yelena to take the lead again. She didn't think the had the capability to piece together words to speak.

"I'm sorry, Kate Bishop, but we need to leave. We cannot wait any longer."

"I will help you pack"

Kate shook her head. She appreciated the offer, but she didn't need it.

Yelena seemed to look her over, as if debating whether or not to accept Kate's refusal. She eventually nodded.

"I will wait outside"

Kate wandered into her bedroom completely in a daze and grabbed her pre packed bag she always saved for emergencies. She was glad she thought that she had the foresight to be organised for a change. Continuing to wander, she entered the kitchen and grabbed Lucky's food from one of the cupboards which she then shoved in a separate bag and a slice of pizza from a box on the counter top for good measure. Winding though the apartment she grabbed her bow, some trick arrows and keys from their home on her coffee table and made her way to the door. Lucky sprinted to the door, knowing the keys jingling as a cue Kate was leaving, and sat like a very good boy. He graciously accepted his harness, stepping into it without protest. Lead now clipped on, they were ready to leave. She took one last glance at her sacred apartment, her safe space longing to be home again soon, and closed the door behind her.

Yelena was, as expected, waiting for her outside her door. She was leaning on the opposing wall checking her assorted weapons before placing them back in her treasured little pockets. She stood up and took them to the lift. A minute later, the elevator arrived and Yelena, Kate and Lucky piled in before descending. Nobody else was in with them, she was grateful she didn't have the capability for polite small talk right now. Yelena had pressed the ground floor button. But wouldn't this mean risking being seen? Wouldn't it be logical to go to the garage and drive to a safe place? They could go to Clint's ranch. But would that endanger his family? Fuck. No, it was just better to follow whatever Yelena decided to do.

The elevator bell chirped and the doors slid open, they exited into the atrium. The atrium is one of the places she truly adores in New York, and it was the reason she moved into this apartment. Vintage chandeliers droop from the ceiling filled with flickering candles which perfectly complement the mood of the jazz that always plays there. Tiffany lamps perch next to smoking room style armchairs all surrounding the centrepiece fireplace that calls to her on this particular autumnal evening. Reluctantly, she still follows a fast walking Yelena through the doorway and out into the crisp city night.

The remains of puddles linger on the sidewalks from some recent rainfall Kate wasn't aware of. The streetlights and shop lights glimmer on the puddles and mesmerize her as she walks on by, something about them has always attracted her eye and intrigued her mind. Her mind, now however, had been snatched out of its wondering by a sudden unfamiliar turn into a dark alleyway. There wasn't much there but foul smelling industrial garbage bins which Yelena pushed aside to reveal a white, newish looking car. She watched Yelena climb into it and took that as a cue to get in too. She opened the back door for Lucky, who promptly jumped in and made himself comfy and then chucked her bags in the boot. She was immediately hit with the new car smell when she sat down and inhaled as much as possible to savour every bit of it, for which she received a vicious side eye from Yelena.

They set off. Kate brought her knees up to her chest and tried to rest her head on the window. Yelena seemed to be taking a random route for now. Both consistently checked mirrors for tails to the point it verged on paranoia, well for her at least. She imagined it was just second nature for Yelena after her training. After half an hour she started to take a logical route and head toward the freeway. Kate had no doubt they would be taking a never ending journey, attempting to put as much distance between them and their pursuer and arrange an a plan on their own terms. The evening since seeing Yelena had been a complete blur. Everything had gone so fast, then again it always does when you don't expect something.

Yelena's phone pinged. Then again, Then again. She grabbed it and checked whatever it was immediately. Her face contorted in a way Kate had never seen before. She couldn't place what it was. Yelena looked up at Kate, and then showed her the phone. It was her apartment, a live streaming feed from what she guessed was a camera Yelena had hidden. There were 10-12 armed men turning over her apartment, looking for her. She looked up at Yelena. Relief. That's what was painted on Yelena's face. If Yelena had came half an hour later, Kate would be dead.

"Thank you"

Yelena smiled.

"I owed you a debt. It is now paid."

"Anyways, I couldn't just let you die. You will come to my safe-house."

"What if they find us?

"Don't worry Kate Bishop. I am way too talented for that"

Kate returned the smile.

"where is it we're going?"

"Ohio"