Chapter 5
Yelena wondered who was teaching these kids before she got her hands on them. She wondered if there was some sort of rule when becoming a ‘hero’ that stated sacrifice was a must.
She and Kate had not spoken about their fight, merely moving on and ignoring what had happened. Yelena continued on with training, focusing on group exercises and training simulations.
It was almost as if it was a contest as to who could have a more dramatic self-sacrifice. Rather than think the situation through carefully, they’d take a hard situation face-to-face and stare it right back. They never seemed to know when to retreat.
It finally came to the point where she was tired of it.
Yelena stared at the gaggle of literal children in front of her in complete disbelief, unsure of how any of them had survived for as long as they had. "Do any of you have any self-preservation instinct?"
A hand slowly raised.
Yelena sighed. "Put your hand down, Parker."
Peter lowered his hand.
“I swear that it is like you look for ways to endanger your life!” Yelena paced in front of them, frustrated with the situation. “At the first sign of a tough situation, you throw yourself into danger with no regard for your life!”
“Haven’t you ever done something like that before?” Peter stubbornly folded his arms. His challenge took Yelena off guard.
She thought for a moment. The fall of the Red Room. Her collapsable bo staff. The helicopter with Dreykov. The odd sense of peace she felt as she shoved her weapon into the engine. Falling through the air. “No.”
Peter squinted at her as if he could detect her lie.
Yelena sighed, rubbing a hand on her forehead. “Listen. You are heroes, yes?”
The group in front of her nodded.
“How do you expect to be a hero if you die?” Yelena demanded. Her harshness took them off guard. She approached the group, looming over them as she looked each of them in the face. “You cannot help others if you do not help yourself first.”
“Sacrifice is a part of this!” Peter retorted.
“You are no good to anybody dead!” Yelena snapped at him.
“If I have these powers and I can help people, and I don’t, and things happen, then it’s on me,” Peter said.
Yelena had to pause for a moment. His statement took her off guard. “What kind of thinking is that!?”
Peter shrunk in on himself slightly.
“If we can help people, shouldn’t we?” Cassie butted in, attempting to play the mediator.
“Not at the cost of your own life,” Yelena told them sharply.
“The Avengers saved the world! They sacrificed so much for it,” Kamala finally inputted.
“My sister is dead!” Yelena finally yelled at them. They went quiet, eyes widening slightly. “Natasha Romanoff is dead. She saved the world and I hate her for it!”
The group was silent.
Yelena took a ragged breath, familiar burning at her eyes as she clenched her jaw. “I came back into a world without my sister in it. She was the one person I could rely on. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. There was no body. The whole world kept spinning.”
She took a moment to calm herself before she got overwhelmed and did something she regretted.
“Each one of you has somebody waiting for you to come home,” Yelena continued on much quieter. “Parents. Aunts. Mentors. And if any of you die, I will not forgive you.”
“That’s not fair,” America said, her voice cracking as she sniffled. The group in front of Yelena was tearing up.
“Life isn’t fair,” Yelena said, the heat gone from her voice, nothing but exhaustion left. “It will take and take from you if you let it. You can’t just lie down and let it, you have to fight back. Do not be content with dying the death of a hero, you have to fight to make it home to those who matter.”
Peter reached up to rub a palm across his cheek to erase the tear there.
“If you die, I will not forgive you. And I will not forgive myself.” Yelena moved closer to the group, looking at them one by one. “Do you trust me?”
There was barely any hesitation as the group nodded, unable to speak.
“Then trust me on this. No more sacrificing. Never give in. There is always another way.” Yelena nodded at them. “Got it?”
Kamala moved first, thrusting forward and wrapping her arms tightly around Yelena. Just like on the nights she had nightmares, Yelena could hear her crying quietly into her shoulder. Yelena looked up at the rest of the teary-eyed group who she had thoroughly dressed down. After a moment she held her arm out.
America didn’t hesitate to join, her own sniffles joining Kamala’s. Peter was next. Then Cassie. Then Kate. A tight group of crying and sniffling kids who had never been told that their lives mattered.
Yelena wrapped around them the best she could, fighting to keep her own tears at bay.
Fuck Maria Hill for making her care about child heroes.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” America inquired.
“If you manage to use your sling ring to open a portal,” Yelena retorted. Doctor Stephen Strange had actually approached her and mentioned how America made improvements since joining up with the team and inquired whether Yelena would be of any use in helping America get down the basics of using a sling ring. Apparently they had tried but America had a hard time grasping it.
So there Yelena was in the gym, working with America over magic she wasn’t quite sure the physics of.
America huffed unhappily but focused intensely on her forms for the next few moments. Yelena watched as America did her best to focus and then she opened a portal to the other side of the room. It closed almost immediately as America lost her focus in her excitement. “Did you see that? I did it! I bet I could have stepped through it and all!”
A small smile graced Yelena’s lips. “Indeed.”
America jabbed a finger at Yelena. “You promised to answer a question!” she reminded her.
“I did,” Yelena acknowledged. “What do you want to know?”
America folded her arms and Yelena could see a slight guilt about the question she was going to ask but the young girl continued on anyway. “What will happen if one of us dies?”
Yelena frowned. “I don’t understand your question. Depending on if we can recover your body then I suppose it will go to Strange or whoever is their guardian.”
“No. I mean like… with you,” America clarified. “What will you do?”
Yelena let out a sigh, leaning back on her heels for a moment as she took stock of America. “You want the truth?”
America nodded.
“I would get revenge. I would hunt down whoever killed you and I would grant them a slow and painful death.” Yelena tried not to think of her sister and Clint Barton.
“What about the team?” America asked.
“You haven’t earned another answer,” Yelena retorted, trying to avoid it.
“Yelena, please,” America begged. “I just-- I need to know. If something happens, are you gonna leave us?”
Yelena took a moment to really observe the girl in front of her. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted.
America’s shoulders sagged and her gaze fell to her shoes. “We really don’t want you to go.”
“Sometimes that’s not a choice,” Yelena told her. “Sometimes things happen and we cannot stop it.”
“If something does happen, can you promise to come back?” America inquired. She peered up at Yelena through her lashes, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt.
“I can try,” Yelena offered. It was all she could. She could make no promises.
America shuffled a little closer and after a moment leaned against Yelena’s side. Yelena could tell what she wanted even if she wouldn’t ask for it and draped an arm over her shoulders.
America let out a small sigh and relaxed into her side.
Kate realized it first. It wasn’t unusual for Yelena to disappear for days on end sometimes. She’d occasionally miss one-on-one sessions with them too. But if she was thinking she may miss a group training session then she would usually call ahead or leave them a note.
Yelena liked to train early in the morning so the group gathered in the gym at their usual time, the sun still rising in the sky as they yawned and rubbed their sleepy eyes.
Yelena didn’t usually run late. In fact, she’d punish those who did by making them do push-ups or sit-ups, or in Peter’s case with his enhanced strength, she’d make him do handstands and hold them.
Kate could hear the whispers of her teammates. Cassie thought it would be funny if they tried to tell Yelena that she needed to be punished for being late. Kamala and America were discussing whether Yelena would have more trouble doing push-ups or sit-ups. Peter seemed convinced she couldn’t hold a handstand as long as he could.
Five minutes late turned to ten. Then fifteen. The group had quieted down and unease overtook the elation.
“If she was going to cancel, she could have at least told us so that we could sleep in,” Cassie huffed as she folded her arms.
“I’ll go check on her,” Kate volunteered. She would rather be faced with Yelena on a bad morning than subject one of the kids to it. Kate scurried off to Yelena’s room and knocked a few times. When there was no answer, Kate eventually opened the door.
The room was empty. Kate had never been in Yelena’s room before but it was such a difference to her own room. Kate’s room was a bit messy but Kate always called it organized chaos. She knew where everything was. Yelena’s room however was pretty much bare. There were very few personal items set out.
“Yelena?” Kate called out. She dared to enter the room to move toward the bathroom. The door was open and there was no sound of water running or shuffling to indicate Yelena was in there.
Kate figured that Yelena was called out last minute. Not ideal but it happened. Kate trudged back to the others and declared they could have a lazy morning because Yelena had to go off.
Most of them went back to bed. They were tired and usually ended up taking a nap after training anyway. But there was a lingering feeling of wrongness that Kate tried to shove down.
“Hey,” Peter slid up next to her after the others left the gym. His voice was soft, face earnest as he told her, “My spidey sense isn’t going off.”
That was a comfort to Kate. She gave him a weak smile and threw an arm around her shoulder before giving him a noogie.
Kamala sat in her bed, knees pressed to her chest as she swiped at her face with the sleeve of her pajama top. Her phone was clutched in her hand, a contact already pulled up as she debated whether or not to call.
Yelena would usually always answer, even if she was out doing something else. Kamala could even sometimes hear something chaotic going on in the background and Yelena would tell her she had to call her back, but Yelena always did. However, Kamala knew that whatever Yelena was doing must be important because she had missed their group session and one of Kamala’s one-on-one.
Kamala thought of her recent night terror. It just made her scrunch her face up in a vain attempt to gather some semblance of control over her tears. She had started using Yelena as a security blanket of sorts when it came to her nightmares and at the moment she needed the older girl.
Kamala finally pressed the call button and pulled the phone up to her ear. It immediately went to voicemail and Kamala felt her heart sink. Yelena must have turned her phone off to not be distracted, or perhaps it even died. Kamala repeated that to herself even though she didn’t believe it. It must be the dregs of her nightmare clinging to her.
Instead, Kamala sent Yelena a simple text simply informing her that she had another nightmare. Kamala then took a few deep breaths and climbed out of bed, already knowing that she wouldn’t be getting much more sleep.
Kamala found herself in the living room watching television, some trashy late-night show that she couldn’t follow the plot of.
“Hey.” The sound of Cassie’s voice startled her.
“Hi,” Kamala whispered. Cassie took a seat beside her and glanced at the television.
“What are we watching?” she inquired.
Kamala shrugged. “Dunno.” After a moment she hesitantly asked, “What are you doing up?”
“Probably the same as you,” Cassie replied. She tucked her knees against her chin and glanced at Kamala. “You okay?”
Kamala shrugged slightly. “I just-- I have this feeling that something is wrong with Yelena.”
Cassie gave her a sympathetic look. “Did you have a nightmare about her?”
Kamala shook her head. “No. But still. She usually calls us if she’s going to be gone this long.”
“Shit happens,” Cassie shrugged. She didn’t look worried. “Yelena’s fine. She’s a Black Widow, remember? Nothing can happen to her.”
Kamala looked at the television as she picked at the hem of her shirt. “It still doesn’t feel right.”
“We can yell at Yelena about keeping us updated when she comes back,” Cassie soothed as she wrapped an arm around Kamala’s shoulder. “Okay?”
Kamala sighed and leaned into the older girl’s side. “Okay.”
Kamala couldn’t help herself. When Yelena had been missing with no word she finally decided to reach out to SHIELD to see if maybe they had sent Yelena away on some errand or something of the like. They’d surely know where she was, they wouldn’t just lose her.
However, when Kamala tried to call Maria Hill, a different agent picked up the phone. His voice was deep and he sounded relatively friendly. However, once Kamala started to speak and tried to ask to be put through to Maria Hill and he denied her, his friendly demeanor wavered slightly.
Then he started speaking to her as if she were a small child, condescending and slow. Kamala’s impatience grew as well. He kept telling her that Maria was busy, that she didn’t have time for a “little girl” like her, and that he couldn’t give out information like that over the phone. Kamala demanded to know what happened to Yelena and he told her that he didn’t know and he couldn’t be bothered to look.
Kamala hung up the phone in frustration, nearly chucking it across the room because of her anger.
“So…” a voice spoke from behind her and Kamala spun around to see Kate. “It didn’t go well?”
Kamala felt her face crumple. “I couldn’t get them to speak.” She reached a hand up to swipe at her eyes. “I just-- I feel like something’s really wrong, Kate.”
Kate let out a sigh and nodded. “Yeah. I think you might be right.”
“You know how I feel about heroes in Hell's Kitchen,” a gravely voice spoke. “You know better.”
“Sorry,” Peter apologized sincerely as he perched himself on the rooftop next to the man donned in red. “I need to ask for a favor.”
“You’re not allowed to come into my turf.” Daredevil angled his head toward Peter. “I work alone.”
“No, I’m not here to ask to help or anything,” Peter waved his hands in reassurance as he straightened up from his spot. “I-- um, I actually need information.”
Daredevil cocked his head to the side in curiosity. “What kind of information?”
Peter let out a breath of relief, glad that Daredevil was at least hearing him out. He’d only interacted with the man a handful of times and had a conversation twice before mainly consisting of Daredevil claiming Hell’s Kitchen and ensuring Peter knew he worked alone.
“I’m looking for someone. She’s missing,” Peter started to explain. “I was wondering if you’ve heard of anything.”
Daredevil shook his head. “It’s been rather quiet around here. I doubt the girl is here.”
Peter pressed his lips together unhappily. “Would you-- would you mind if I looked?”
“This person must be pretty important to catch your gaze if you’re asking permission,” Daredevil grunted.
“I know her,” Peter said before his voice caught in his throat. He floundered for a moment before he managed to continue. “She’s my mentor. Something’s happened to her.”
A frown marred Daredevil’s face as he angled his head toward Peter. “Spider-Man’s missing mentor,” he mused, “and you think she’s here?”
“I dunno.” Peter ran a hand over his mask. “I just-- I can’t take the chance that she is and I didn’t look.”
Daredevil was quiet for a moment before he folded his arms and asked reluctantly, “What’s her name?”
Peter allowed himself to have a spark of hope. “Yelena Belova.”
Surprise colored Daredevil’s tone as he inquired, “Russian?”
“Yeah.” Peter swallowed down the feeling of relief threatening to clog his throat. “She’s the next Black Widow.”
Daredevil folded his arms in contemplation. The heavy silence in the air told Peter that the man recognized the danger that Yelena posed. If she truly was being held in Hell’s Kitchen then the type of men to capture a Black Widow were much more of a threat than he thought.
The longer the man kept silent, the more Peter got nervous. He shifted from toe to toe, trying his best not to be impatient before his crumbling nerves got the best of him. “Please. I can’t--” his voice cracked as tears sprung to his eyes. “I can’t lose another person. I lost Mr. Stark. I can’t lose her too.”
Peter couldn’t handle the thought of finally arriving and showing up only to find a body. Grey skin, lifeless eyes, the overpowering scent of rust in the air, crimson congealed and crusted on the skin, limbs sprawled like a broken marionette--
“Spider-Man.” Daredevil was suddenly much closer and Peter instinctively swatted at him. Daredevil caught his hand easily. “Take a breath. Calm yourself.”
Peter did as ordered, managing to drag a breath into his mouth. His mask almost felt stifling.
“I will allow you to look,” Daredevil told him as he released his hand. “But you must tell me if you find her here so I can get involved. Deal?”
Peter managed to give a jerky nod. Relief pooled in his belly as he let out a sigh. “Thank you. Thank you, really--”
“I hope you find her,” Daredevil told him as he moved toward the ledge, deeming their conversation over. “Alive.”
Peter watched Daredevil disappear from the rooftop and nodded. “Me too,” he whispered.
Ultimately it was Kate who found the lead through Bishop Security and Peter who went to go investigate it through his connections. Once they were sure that they had a positive connection, they held a team meeting.
Kate stood at the head of the table as sets of eyes latched onto her, the gazes of her team feeling heavy. Kate wasn’t sure how she didn’t notice just how young everybody was until that very moment. Yelena had always had issues with their ages but the young sullen faces of her team really drove home everything.
For a very brief moment, Kate wondered if she could just take Peter and go by themselves. Peter had the most experience out of all of them. But she also knew that the others cared about Yelena just as strongly.
“We have a lead,” Kate finally announced, watching as the group of fallen faces shifted into something determined. Kate cleared her throat before looking down at the notes she gathered. “Peter confirmed it.”
She knew there was no going back.
America was the only one without an official suit. Kate wasn’t sure why she only realized it while everyone was suiting up in their own. Peter had his Spider-Man costume, Cassie had Stature, Kamala had Ms Marvel, and Kate had her own Hawkeye costume. America didn’t have a moniker. Or a costume.
Kate wanted to tell her to stay behind. To make some excuse. Perhaps even threaten her with Dr. Strange. But America was nothing if not stubborn. Kate still remembered how America refused to back down from fighting Yelena when they first met and how she still struggled even after Yelena dangled her upside down without a care.
Cassie was the one who ended up pointing it out though. “You don’t have a suit.”
“So?” America challenged, folding her arms and cocking her hip as if daring them to make another comment.
“It’s dangerous. You can’t just run around in a jean jacket,” Cassie retorted before glancing toward the others. “Back me up.”
“You could get hurt,” Peter slowly agreed.
“Your first suit was literally sweatpants!” America accused him and jabbed a finger in his direction.
“Well, what are we supposed to call you?” Kamala asked a little softer than the others. “We can’t just call you by your name.”
America pressed her lips together unhappily. “Yelena said I don’t need a name.”
“That’s because you weren’t going out to fight crime,” Kate told her. “It’s dangerous for them to know your name.”
“Why? Because they’ll come after my family?” America inquired hotly. It was quiet for a moment. “I technically don’t exist in this universe. No papers. Birth certificate. No photos or footage of me as a kid. Stephen and Wong live in a sanctum, you guys have powers and training, and they already took Yelena. Who are they going to get?”
After a moment Kamala tentatively offered, “You can be Ms America. That way it sounds like a title instead of just your name.”
America relaxed a fraction and offered a genuine smile to Kamala. “Yeah. Okay. That works. Thanks.”
“Are you sure you want to go?” Kate asked once again. She was the oldest which made her the de facto leader, a position she didn’t exactly want. The last thing she wanted was to forbid anything but letting a fourteen-year-old with no suit come with them just seemed to be asking for problems.
“I have my sling ring,” America told them. “I can get us in and out of hard places. And I’ve been getting more control over my portals in the same universe. I can do this, I promise!”
Kate was pretty sure that everyone on their team had a “Go home, kid” moment where they weren’t seen as worthy or strong enough to handle what was thrown at them. She didn’t want to be America’s. “Okay.”
“Okay?” Cassie echoed in disbelief.
“You’re there to provide backup,” Kate made clear to America. “And to get us out of there if things get hot. No fighting unless you have to.”
“Deal,” America promised. Kate knew Yelena would probably be pissed at her later on for letting America go.
At least Yelena would be alive to do it.
It was difficult but they managed to slip inside the building where Yelena was being held. Security was tight and the entrance led underground which made it clear that there was only one true exit. Peter’s webs took care of cameras and Cassie would shrink down to slip under cracks in the door to check for guards on the other side and count cameras.
Kate and Kamala were on guard duty, subduing them as they became obstacles. America was in charge of frisking them for security badges. Peter used his enhanced hearing to guide them deeper into the compound.
There was a brief fleeting moment when Kate wondered whether she should call SHIELD for backup, especially once she got a good look at the skull with tentacles branded on the sleeve of the uniforms the guards wore. But then she thought better of it. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission and all that.
They accessed an elevator to take them to the sub-levels by a keycard they found. As they were crammed into an elevator to descend, Cassie suddenly let out a snicker.
“What?” Kate turned toward them in confusion.
Cassie pointed her finger to the ceiling, mirth in her tone as she replied, “They have elevator music.”
That caused a chain reaction of muffled laughter among them. They nudged each other's shoulders and shushed the person beside them and quickly gained control over themselves once again. But Kate thought of the elevator music once more and grinned.
When the door opened to the sub-level, Peter told the others that he would go ahead to try and locate Yelena. He crawled up the wall onto the ceiling and slithered away down the hall quietly. The others held up their position while they waited for him.
Peter came back minutes later. “I see where she is. I can’t access it. There’s a keypad and biometric lock.” He glanced at their youngest member. “Ms America, think you can get us on the other side?”
America gave a determined nod as she straightened up. “Show me.”
The group moved toward the door Peter saw, taking out a few stray guards along the way. Peter’s enhanced senses gave them an advantage. When they reached the door, the group formed a semi-circle around America to cover her back while she focused.
America took a few deep breaths and opened a portal on the door with her sling ring so they could step through. Cassie had to yank America through when she entered last and nearly lost her concentration trying to walk and summon a portal at the same time.
It was colder in that section of the compound, goosebumps forming along their skin as they slowly made their way down the hall. They came to a long corridor of doors where Peter held his hand up and listened for a moment before pointing to one near the end. “There.”
The door was solid metal with a sliding slot to peer through. Kate tugged it open to look inside and her stomach turned when she caught sight of Yelena.
“Is she okay?” Kamala inquired when Kate stood frozen for a moment.
“She will be,” Kate said, her own words sounding slightly far away. “She’s, um, a little bloody. And bruised…”
“Her heartbeat is strong,” Peter reassured them although he sounded slightly shaken.
“Do we have a key to the door?” Cassie inquired.
“I can pull it open with my strength,” Peter offered. Kate shook her head. He could risk setting off an alarm and he seemed to realize that too.
“Ms America, can you make another portal in?” Kamala asked America.
“I can try,” America said with a nod. She fumbled for a few moments before managing to open a portal.
“Wait here a moment,” Kate told them before they could rush through. She got a few disgruntled looks but Kate sent them a firm stare back and repeated herself. They reluctantly stayed while Kate entered the portal that wavered and closed behind her.
Kate approached the threadbare mattress Yelena was sprawled on. She crouched down and cleared her throat. “Yelena?”
Yelena didn’t stir. Kate dared to reach out and touch her shoulder. Yelena didn’t even twitch.
Kate grimaced when she took stock of Yelena. She had been pretty badly beaten and possibly tortured. Yelena was stripped down to her underwear, likely some sort of punishment coupled with the cold air. Kate unzipped her purple jacket and didn’t waste any time slowly working it onto Yelena’s battered body, the whole time quietly chanting to herself, “Please be okay.”
When Kate zipped the jacket up and decided she had done all she could, she reluctantly moved away from the mattress to knock on the door. “Spider-Man, can you carry her?”
“Yeah,” Peter replied back. There was a moment before the portal opened again and Peter stepped through. He seemed to hesitate before picking Yelena up and holding her close. “Alright.”
“I don’t suppose you’d be able to make us a portal back home, could you?” Cassie asked America dryly.
America’s shoulders slumped. “Not that far away. I can mostly just do the same room or a few rooms away. Sorry.”
“You did good,” Kamala offered her and America gave her a small smile.
“Right. Let’s go back out,” Kate collected herself.
It was messier going back out than coming in. The biometric lock tripped an alarm which meant they had to move quickly. Kate grimaced when gunshots rang out and they had to transfer Yelena from Peter to her so that he could build web traps. Kamala used furniture to make obstacles and Cassie cleared the way ahead for them.
A gunshot rang out and Peter let out a small yelp. “You shot me!” he accused the men. Kate had to spin around just for a moment to ensure he was okay. He was holding his upper arm where the suit had luckily protected his skin and he was more startled than anything.
“C’mon!” Kate called out and they moved forward once again.
Yelena started to stir when they got to the elevator. It took a moment for her to gain her bearing and when they were all crammed in the elevator she squirmed until she was on her own bare feet as she sent a scrutinizing look over the group.
“I better be hallucinating,” Yelena commented in a hoarse voice, “because I know that you were not foolish enough to break into a Hydra base.”
“Sorry?” Cassie offered out sheepishly and Yelena’s face twisted through a myriad of emotions before she finally sighed harshly.
“Never mind that. Our priority is getting out of here alive.” Yelena swiped a hand over her face, grimacing when it came back slick with blood. It took her a moment to realize she was wearing Kate’s jacket. “Right. Spider-Man--” Peter straightened up. “I need you to procure me a gun from one of the guards.”
The group shifted uncomfortably at the meaning of the words.
“Look at me,” Yelena told them firmly when they avoided eye contact. “I know you don’t like lethal methods. But if it’s them or us then you know who I am picking. They will not stop just because you kick them down.”
“Okay,” Peter finally agreed. The elevator doors opened and they moved once again. Peter managed to web a gun and yank it away from one of the guards. He tossed it at Yelena who caught it and checked the chamber before she raised her arm.
Kate focused on America and Kamala. They were in front of her and she didn’t want them to look back and see whatever Yelena might leave behind. The first gunshot made her flinch. She dared to peek back and saw Cassie supporting Yelena’s weight as Yelena shot behind them, bringing up the rear of the group to get rid of stragglers.
When they finally got outside and to the vehicle they used for transportation, Yelena eyed them.
“Does SHIELD know you eloped with the Avengers jet?” Yelena inquired.
“No. Mr. Stark gave me the codes for it a long time ago,” Peter admitted as they loaded in and the autopilot easily lifted off.
When they were firmly in the air, Yelena finally let herself sag into one of the chairs, letting out a tired sigh as she dropped the gun in preference of running her fingers through her matted hair. Each member of the team braced themselves for a lecture, for Yelena to get angry and upset and yell.
“America,” Yelena finally said and the youngest member of the team froze. “Come here.”
America glanced at the others for help before recognizing that nobody was going to speak up. She shuffled forward in front of Yelena.
“Kneel,” Yelena jabbed her finger at the ground in front of her. Kate wanted to say something, the words stuck in the back of her throat. America slowly lowered herself to kneel in front of Yelena, shoulders tense as she braced herself.
However, rather than lash out or snap at her, Yelena’s hands reached out and carefully cradled America’s face in them. She tilted the youngest’s head from side to side before quietly asking, “Are you hurt?”
America, wide-eyed and mute, shook her head.
“Good. You better not be lying to me,” Yelena told her, a slight warning in her tone before she patted her shoulder for her to move. “Kamala. Come. Kneel.”
Yelena checked over Kamala the same way. Kate finally realized that Yelena was exhausted and holding it together by one loose string. The blonde-haired woman was too tired to stand so she was making them kneel to look them over better.
“Peter, your turn,” Yelena then called. Peter pulled his mask off and knelt in front of Yelena. He admitted to being shot but said his suit protected him and he should just have a nasty bruise for a bit.
Cassie was a little more reluctant to subject herself to Yelena’s ministrations but eventually, she knelt down. Yelena’s fingers found the latches in her helmet and pulled it free from her head, setting it in the seat next to her. Cassie could act annoyed by it all she liked but Kate saw the way the girl leaned into Yelena’s hands in relief.
“Kate,” Yelena then said and Kate realized it was her turn. She slowly moved to replace where Cassie was moments ago and her face was cradled in Yelena’s hands as Yelena manipulated her head to check for injuries.
“Are you mad?” Kate asked quietly, unable to help herself.
“Beyond pissed,” Yelena confirmed and Kate winced. “But… I am too tired. We will discuss this later.”
With that, Yelena let her face go and leaned back in the seat. She was asleep minutes later and Kate felt like she could breathe just a little bit easier.
Nobody quite seemed sure of what to do. They had showered and changed out of their suits and were settled in the living room. Yelena made it clear she was going to clean up and take a nap and that they’d talk later.
“So…” Peter finally broke the ice, twiddling his thumbs together anxiously. “On a scale of push-ups to running until we puke, how in trouble do you think we are?”
“Witness protection,” Cassie groaned out.
“How can she be upset with us?” America huffed out as she folded her arms. “We saved her butt! She could at least be appreciative. Instead, we’re in trouble.”
“It just means she cares,” Kate found herself piping up. Heads swiveled to look at her. “The whole reason she was reluctant to join this team was because she was afraid that we’d die while doing our job. She’s scared to let us get hurt.”
“We worked together as a team today,” Kamala pointed out. “She was the one that taught us that. We probably wouldn’t have been so successful if she didn’t take us people-watching at the museums.”
“Or the obstacles courses,” Peter agreed.
Kate leaned back on the couch and listened to them talk.
Yelena sat on the floor of the shower, the water at her feet tinged a soft pink as hot water rained down on her battered body. She still wasn’t quite sure how she should be feeling.
The Avengers, or “Young” Avengers as Maria Hill referred to them as, came to break her out of a Hydra compound on their own with no backup. Yelena wanted to be beyond pissed at them, scream at them to demand to know what they were thinking, ask them how they could be so reckless and stupid, and demand to know if they were trying to get themselves killed.
But the longer she just sat under the water and tried to get the motivation to rinse the blood and dirt from her body, she thought of her sister.
Natasha had once told her that the Avengers were her family. People who cared about her and had her back, even after the rift that formed between Iron Man and Captain America. Yelena hadn’t understood it at the time, bitter and jealous over the relationships that her sister formed without her.
That team out there was the closest thing that Yelena had to a family and she couldn’t say that she wouldn’t have done the same thing if she was in their shoes. Her anger swirled down the drain with the dirt and blood and she was left feeling raw and vulnerable.
And so very tired.
Yelena slept for the next six hours. She tried to set an alarm after one so that she could talk with the team but she was so exhausted she slept right through it. When she did wake up and drag her sore body out of bed, she found the team in the living room, half-heartedly watching something on the television.
They perked up when they saw her before they turned serious and she knew that they were expecting a lecture and a scolding.
Instead, Yelena stood in front of the television that had been turned off and looked at the group in front of her.
“Today you went and infiltrated a Hydra compound,” she started. “You suited up and entered a dangerous location, slowly moving through and taking care of security and guards. You didn’t trip an alarm until exiting. You entered with a clear plan and achieved your goal.”
The group exchanged nervous glances at each other briefly.
“I am proud of you,” Yelena admitted. That seemed to take them off guard, wide-eyed looks and gaping mouths in surprise angled at her. “You took what I taught you to heart. You weren’t reckless, you were careful, and clearly thought out what you were going to do. Am I unhappy that you did something so dangerous? Yes. But you succeeded. You made it out. You came and got me. And for that I am thankful. You are good heroes. You did a good job.”
Nobody seemed to know how to react to Yelena’s words. They stared at her in disbelief, unsure of what to reply.
Kamala moved first and Yelena braced herself for the familiar action. The girl was gentle as she looped her arms around Yelena to hug her. That spurred the others and they crowded around her.
Yelena gathered them close, holding them tightly as she let her eyes close. They were all safe and alive. That was all she ever wanted.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Cassie mumbled, her voice muffled by Kamala’s shoulder as the group tightly packed themselves together.
“Me too,” Yelena said. She had half-expected SHIELD to come pick her up. She also expected the possibility that she would be left to get out on her own. She should have expected her team, the group of young heroes who never backed down from any challenge and faced each fight head-on.
Yelena had to concede that maybe her sister was right when she talked about finding a family in the Avengers.
Yelena found her own in the little team in front of her.