Chapter 15
KATE’S P.O.V.
Kate sat in the copilot seat. She and Yelena were both wearing headsets to hear each other over the rippling sound of those loud propellers. They both had special goggles that offered night vision, but they weren’t the same as military helmet NVGs. They didn’t need another source of light like the moon in order to work. There were lights built into the frames, specifically where they could see in the dark but not have the lights shining in their eyes.
“I haven’t needed these goggles since we first met.” said Yelena.
“You mean the big fight where you focused on Clint and threw me off the roof?”
Yelena gave Kate the ‘how dare you’ look as if she were actually offended. “I put you on a wire since you were in my way.” Yelena said defensively. “But yes. It was dark, so I needed these so I could see everything. Besides, I still haven’t forgotten your ‘sonic pulse’ arrow that nearly blew my eardrums out.”
Kate grinned subtly, remembering that.
-/-
“How much further?”
Kate checked the iPad like any GPS, watching for the Red Room convoy. They were hoping to find it before Lena could be loaded back onto it, but…
“They’re still moving. The trucks are speeding up, we gotta gas it.”
“What do you think I am doing, Kate Bishop?” Yelena said, struggling with the controls and frustrated that she couldn’t go much faster. “And you didn’t answer my question!”
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. The iPad showed Kate that they were close, the chopper practically on top of them. Her keen eyes stared out the windshield and the right side window, watching.
“There!”
Kate pointed out the windshield, looking down past the treetops to a back road with no houses in sight. There were a few large black trucks that looked like tractor trailers. They were moving along rather quickly, but not a lot faster than a normal one would; probably to avoid suspicion. With that being said, it was no match for how fast this flying bus was. Especially not the deuce-and-a-half up front.
Yelena saw the convoy and adjusted her steering, placing the helicopter to the right side of the convoy and gaining on them.
“THE E-M-P!” said Yelena, watching through her left window. “Use one of those EMP arrows you showed me!”
Kate nodded, unbuckled herself from the copilot seat and grabbed her gear.
“Where?” she asked. She double-checked her knee pads, making sure they were secure. Kate had planned to kneel down so she’d be as small a target as possible from the air.
“Lead truck!” Yelena answered.
Kate tightened her goggles, stringing her bow and preparing to shoot through the sliding left-side door. At the same time, Yelena looked out the window to make sure she stayed parallel to the convoy.
“That lead truck has the main navigation and communication systems leading to their next stop, and the others are linked to it. It needs to be disrupted before they change their objective, before they change their route to get away from us. Then, they will have no choice but to fight back. And don’t worry, they never carry girls in that vehicle. Only some supplies like weapons and, MAYBE, a few widows keeping security. BUT I’LL KILL YOU IF YOU CRASH ONE OF THE FREIGHT TRUCKS! Lena is down there somewhere and we don’t know which one she’s in!”
“Gotcha! And don’t worry about the others, the EMP detonator arrows will just turn them off. You know, just in case she IS up front. The name Romanoff does have a reputation, after all. Odds are it makes her a target for these douchebags.” With both quivers, plus a harness strapped on to keep her inside the chopper, Kate peered out the door to check if she was in a good position. “Alright, get me closer! Ahead of the lead so I can hit it directly!”
Good thing her hair was tied down, Kate thought as the wind from outside the chopper blew around her. To make sure the E.M.P. DETONATOR arrow was fixed until shooting, she put it on the right side of her bow with her forefinger pinning it there. In her left hand were extras with the heads pointed up, this type that released a burst of electromagnetic energy on impact. Since they’d disable any electronics within its perimeter, whatever truck little Lena was in would be stopped.
Kate pulled the string back under her ear, both eyes honed on the front of the deuce-and-a-half. She remembered that rule about moving targets, to aim where they will be instead of where they are. So she swiveled her aim enough so it pointed ahead of the truck instead of right at it.
“Get ready!” she called out as Yelena kept the chopper aligned with the convoy. After taking aim, Kate let go of the bowstring and let the arrow fly. The truck drove right into the spinning arrow’s flight path before…
ZZZZZZZZ!
The vehicle slid over the ground, skidding into a tree and lying there like a dummy. Almost immediately like a train, the tractor trucks swerved to a stop with their lead now gone. At least they didn’t tip over, though. They must’ve been really heavy with good drivers. She shot another EMP arrow at the rear truck, so both ends of the convoy shut down which led to all of them stopping. All the vehicles’ lights had turned right off, tires skidding and scattering dirt in the air.
But now, of course, any Black Widows on guard were going to respond since they just stopped the other vehicles. They were going to jump out and fight. To hold them off just a little longer, Kate fingered the nocks of her other trick arrows thinking of what else she could use. “Yelena, we got ‘em trapped! We’re gonna be contacted!”
Yelena’s eyes went wide as she looked back at her friend. “RPG!”
Kate turned out the open door and saw a few riot-gear figures leap out of the deuce-and-a-half. They were bringing out their machine guns while one had an RPG ready. On impulse, she grabbed an explosive arrow labeled TOO DANGEROUS and shot it right down at them as the grenade was aimed.
BOOM!
“Holy sh—!” Kate exclaimed, still not used to seeing that. At least they were far enough away where it was mainly those guys burning. The arrow had collided with the projectile just as the guy released it, and it fell back. That truck exploded in a tower of flames and black smoke, flipping over and lying there as the blaze took over.
-/-
YELENA’S P.O.V.
“HA!” Yelena exclaimed as the convoy stopped. She set the helicopter to hover on its own above the trucks and got out of the pilot seat, back to the fuselage where Kate was. Under her jumpsuit was a wide shoulder piece like a hood, keeping her nomex gaiter in place. She double checked her pistol’s magazine before sliding the gun back into its drop leg holster. Once she was satisfied, she reached for the fast rope bundled nearby.
“Stay on overwatch, Hawkeye, and stay low.” It felt a little strange calling her that for the first time. But with Clint Barton retired and passing the torch to Kate, she saw it fitting for this situation. “I’m going to ground. Cover me.” With that, she pulled the upper end of her gaiter over her nose like a mask and cinched it to filter the smoke and whatever was in it.
She reached out and tethered the strong fast rope, gave it a tug, and threw the bundle out the door. It was a few inches thick, as it had to be so it wouldn’t jerk around from the helicopter’s movements. She grabbed a strong pair of gloves to protect her hands from rope burn, taking a deep breath.
“Yelena…” Kate nocked an arrow on her bowstring looking directly at Yelena through her goggles. “Let’s give ‘em hell.”
She nodded to Kate, hanging onto the rope with both gloved hands, and leapt out of the helicopter. She hung on only as tightly as necessary while her boots gave just enough friction to not make it a freefall. Yelena landed on the ground with her knees bent to cushion the drop, immediately tossing her thicker gloves aside. She grabbed the Glock and pointed it at each truck including the smoldering wreckage.
She stood bracing herself for more Black Widows to emerge. But right now, the only real noise Yelena could hear was the fire crackling as the lead truck burned up. The light wind spread cinders through the air with dark smoke. A few trees and bushes near it had begun burning as well. Good thing the other trucks in the convoy had kept a good distance from each other. She couldn’t know for sure which one the little girl was in.
“Where are you, malyshka…?” she muttered, the gaiter muffling her voice just a little.
“I TOLD YOU!”
Yelena turned around. Through the smoke, she could see the short-haired black widow and recognized her Filipino accent. She clenched her jaw at the sight of her old friend who’d betrayed her.
“I said kids make you sloppy, Yelena.” she said out loud over the crackling fire. The small gas mask on her lower face made her voice sound almost robotic. “The reason I asked if you’d wanted any… I was hoping you’d say no. I was hoping you’d see sense and just stick with the dog, at most. But no, you just had to lower your guard for five minutes and lose yourself to a pair of big goo-goo eyes!”
The ex widow shook her blonde head and kept her composure, eyes locked as the two of them circled each other like wolves through the smoky wind. She knew she wasn’t going to get her niece out of here with Sonya on the alert. She had to be eliminated however possible. Then Yelena would have to deal with other oncoming widows.
With the fireproof gaiter covering her lower face, Yelena raised her voice. “You’re wrong, Sonya. Raising my niece gave me strength. Gave me something to fight for. And here I am, suka.” With added hostility, she slid the Glock into its holster and said, “You made a grave mistake taking her from me. I’M TAKING HER BACK! And if you come near us again, my face will be the last thing you ever see!”
And that’s when they both simultaneously launched their first strikes. The Red Room’s fighting style was modeled off Systema, giving the same discipline and rhythm as when they trained in ballet. Needless to say, Yelena and Sonya were very agile and good at dodging, deflecting, and just striking back.
At one point, Sonya drew her own pistol and Yelena—using one motion—drew one of her batons with her right hand and swatted the Glock away. With the other baton in her opposite hand, in the same fluid motion and momentum, she managed to break the gas mask off Sonya’s face. She winced as the end of the baton cut into her cheek, Yelena’s force driving it powerfully and knocking her out of her stance. With that, the ‘deserter’ saw her opening and threw her foot straight into Sonya’s gut like a ram.
A long arrow hit the front of the first tractor truck and went off like a stun grenade. Within seconds, another one hit the dirt next to them. The treacherous widow wound up coughing from purple smoke that suddenly emerged like a geyser. “Flashbang, smoke screen arrow…” Yelena muttered. “Perfect timing, Kate Bishop…”
-/-
KATE’S P.O.V.
With her own gaiter tightened, Kate watched from the helicopter with worry. She saw Yelena fight Sonya very acrobatically with a lot of flips, turns, grabs, and so on where it seemed like she was barely having to break a sweat to get in all her moves that she needed to. They both seemed like a tie when it came to who would win.
It was definitely different than when Kate was chasing her through that building at the Rockefeller Center since, at that time, Yelena was more up for having fun and “just get out of my way” than actually fighting Kate. Here, she even managed to leap onto the black-clad fighter with her legs around her neck and shoulders, flipping her over by sheer leverage and keeping a hold till they both landed on the ground. Yelena tucked her head in before hitting the ground, rolling diagonally over her shoulder to cushion the fall, and got right back on her feet before striking her opponent again.
Kate looked back and forth as other black widows from this unit came and saw how Yelena’s focus was on the one she fought. Would she notice the others in time and be able to hold them off? Kate had to do something…
She hastily looked through the belt quivers—the one fixed to her left hip since the one on her back held regular arrows—searching for a fitting trick arrow that would hold them back a little longer. She had been told that this generation of widows were chemically brainwashed, so she didn’t want to kill any of them unless it was necessary. Neither did Yelena since it wasn’t their fault. So she had to NOT use another “Too Dangerous” arrow. At least not yet. Not on them.
“Come on, gimme a good one…” she muttered, scared for her friend and trying to hurry. “Ha! Perfect!” Flashbang, and then Smoke Screen. This could make it easier for Yelena and tricky for the other widows, provided her nomex stayed on. Either way, she had to try.
As the helicopter hovered over the burning convoy and other widows sprayed bullets towards her, Kate pulled the black purple-feathered arrow using the thumb draw and let go immediately, sending it plunging towards the first tractor truck like a torpedo. It went off, sparks flying, then she shot the second arrow. It hit the dirt and, on impact, two clouds of purple smoke shot out either side of the arrowhead.
Perfect timing too, seeing how Yelena had just managed to do some major damage to Sonya’s gas mask with her batons and break it right off. She got to her feet, keeping her gaiter secure as the purple smoke surrounded the convoy and other charging widows.
“It’s what you get.” Kate smirked. For good measure she grabbed two more trick arrows and placed them vertically in her bow hand; pepper spray and another flashbang. She kept her eyes peeled just in case she’d need to use them.
Kate saw Yelena push a button on her goggles, probably switching to thermal optics, and walking alongside the disabled trucks. With any luck she’d find little Lena soon.
-/.
YELENA’S P.O.V
Ignoring the cuts and bruises, plus the exertion from all this, Yelena ran from where she’d left Sonya. That heartless traitor would be dealt with in some form or fashion later. AFTER she regained consciousness, anyway, having coughed and passed out from smoke inhalation—which included both the arrow and the burning truck. She kept the thick gaiter tight over her face as she ran, searching for whichever vehicle Lena would be in. It still felt like vigorous exercise after a fight, so Yelena tried to conserve her energy for where she’d need it most.
She had to hand it to Clint Barton and his insane ideas about how he used that collapsible bow of his. Same with Kate’s smoke screen disorienting some of the widows. Prepared for that, Yelena tightened her goggles. She could see them while using thermal, so hopefully she could find the child before one of them could grab her and use her for leverage.
Yelena kept her two telescopic batons out, fitted them together as one by the couplings, and extended them to make a staff.
“YELENA!” she yelled through the loud crackling fire, calling for her five-year-old niece.
As another black widow ran towards her, she held her fist out and blasted the masked woman with one of her widow bites. One blast was all it took to shock harshly and render unconscious. There was no blocking those.
She also managed to land some fast right-and-left flank strikes with her paired batons that formed a powerful staff, swatting with elegant but powerful strikes. Yelena also landed a straightforward thrust to the face or stomach with it. She managed to throw a forward thrust and then another one straight backward at an incoming widow, still aiming for their gas masks and doing some damage.
Then came another arrow, this one being a second flashbang that left some of the widows disoriented as Yelena kept running past them.
“LENA!” She really had to raise her voice though the noise of the burning truck, and other widows she’d been holding off probably drowned out her call. She kept blasting her widow bites, too, as she ran through the glade surrounded by trees that burned near the wreckage, desperately searching for the little girl. “Where are you…?” she muttered.
Wait… what was that??? Yelena’s inner ear twitched a little as she picked up a familiar sound.
At first it seemed like a bird, but then she realized it was the furthest thing. It was the beginning tune of hers and Natasha’s secret whistle! The woman must have taught it to the kid before she died. Yelena hadn’t taught it to her niece, and the only other person she’d heard it from was Clint Barton on Christmas Eve, the man revealing how much Natasha meant to him.
The ex widow gasped upon realizing, her white combat boots skidding over the dirt and ash as she looked around for where it came from. Quickly she inhaled deeply, her lips puckered in an O-shape, and let out the other tune.
“Come on, come on…” she whispered afterward, desperate to hear the rest of that nostalgic whistle again.