Chapter 7
Nice to finally meet you dear." Valentina exclaimed as she wandered off her window, giddily gazing at the destruction she caused.
Yelena placed herself at one of the chairs in her office as the older woman placed herself on her boss chair.
"I have to say, you made it possible. Making the avengers believe you and let you be a part of the team. Requires talent" Val remarked.
Yelena shrugged with a smirk.
"What's the plan now? Since I am to believe most of your guys are helping the avengers now." She enquired in a calm demeanor relaxing into the chair.
"Oh, they will see just how wrong their choices were. These 'dark avengers', I made them and they have the audacity to betray my orders. They'll go down and history won't remember them as heroes, I tell you."
With that she placed a random object on the desk earning a frown from the blonde.
"You had to go through some tests. Here's the result. I had a chip implanted in them, with implosives so strong that one click and they will explode with the rest hundreds near them."
Yelena picked up the device as if it was nothing, as if it wasn't the proof that her body was never truly hers, as if the freedom she believed she had was never really hers, as if it wasn't the proof that she was still nothing more than a weapon.
"They are individually connected and one explosion won't harm the other member, at least not if they aren't in close proximity."
Val elaborated her plan.
Her plan which had erupted chaos in New York. Emplacement of deadly killers on streets just so the dark avengers could pretend to win this war and gain people's trust. Except that plan wasn't completely fleshed out to them. The explosives and casualties were never supposed to be a part of it. And when her true intentions unveiled, her own team had switched sides. Everyone leaving her, except one.
"Yelena, Please this was a safety measure that had to be taken. Look on the bright side, huh. You take them all out and become their hero, their new Black Widow. A figure to be looked up to. And with that comes a lot of responsibilities and advantages." She smirked, positive that Yelena would take up her offer.
Val moved up to her door when she heard an unexpected click. She turned to look at Yelena still placed at her seat now casually wavering a gun at her.
"We're not done yet" She announced as she beckoned Valentina to sit back. Val obeyed.
"Let me paint you a picture now." Yelena explained after a moment of silencing, piercing into the eyes of the woman she detested with every inch of her body.
"You mislead me with the death of my sister. Someone who was everything to me and then even after I was told the truth, you belived that I would still trust you after that."
Valentina's signature smirk began to falter.
"I gave you information of the avengers. Only the information that they could afford to give out. And now, I seem to be the one in control of your little depressed adult team."
Valentina nodded as she saw Yelena hold up the device she carefully managed in one hand as her grip on her gun tightened in the other.
Val exhaled before regaining her composure. Her little moments of wavering expression was enough to convince Yelena she hadn't taken Yelena's betrayal into consideration before.
"So, that's the plan huh? You shoot me, and become one of those very people you once seemed to resent. The people who stood by and did nothing as your sister died. Look at the people you are trying to save, they don't deserve it. They'll worship you one day and spit at you the other. They don't deserve this kindness."
Valentina began to cool down as she saw Yelena processing her words in a moment of silence beneath her stoic face. Maybe, just maybe, she could make her manipulation work.
"I don't think I'll become a hero. I don't think I can ever be one. I am just maintaining a promise I made to someone. That someone who gave me a free life." Yelena exhaled as she finally reason with herself as to why she was doing this. "That someone who helped people. She gave her life for me and countless others. Maintaining that promise of caarying forward her legacy is the least I could do for her." She decided.
Valentina shook her head but before she could let out the words, Yelena threateningly clicked the safety off the gun
"Thank you for your cooperation."
A gun shot echoed in the hallway where Kate was struggling with some guards. She knocked the last guy over as felt a disruption on the ground.
---------
Natasha halted as they approached the top of the cliff.
"You okay?" Clint asked clearly out of breath.
"When am I not?" She remarked, masking her fears with a smile as she proceeded with the one act she still perfected at, lying.
--------
Yelena looked through the railing of the first floor. Valentina's back up plan tgat she had somehow managed to commence had begun pacing.
The drones, whose affects she was very well acquainted with began to crowd at the ground floor.
She looked around to find Kate a feet away from her, her eyes fearful. Yelena had to take one look at her to finally decide what she was about to do.
She wouldn't just take down the head, but the organization.
She smiled as she watched Kate's face glistening even in the chaos.
"Kate!" She turned her comms on.
Kate focused on her earpiece.
As soon as she saw Yelena just a little distance away from her, she began her walk towards her.
Yelena signalled her to stop.
"No, take a position far away. I'm gonna need a great sniper. Take every civilian nearby to a safe place. Quick." Yelena commanded as Kate obeyed.
She sucked in a breath before gazing down at Val's plans.
She focused on the device in her palm, small but lethal. At the back, only one word had been placed,"Yelena". She had found one with her name in less than a second. Now, she thought maybe she should have taken up more time finding it, considering the consequences it would bring.
"I'm gonna need a great sniper"
She wondered if it would be the last lie she would ever tell Kate.
-------
"It's okay"
Natasha had whispered dangling over the edge because that was what she had wanted, for him to be fine. For him to be able to forgive her, to forgive himself and look forward to his life. She wanted him to live, even if it would require Nat not being able to live hers ( Clint had already given her enough life)
Maybe they would grieve her, maybe she would be able to erase her ledger.
Everything will be okay, she decided as she took the leap.
She saw the life she was fortunate enough to live flash before her eyes as she rested her eyes. She saw Clint, Laura and the Bartons, accepting her into their perfect little family. She saw her friends at Shield and Avengers, most importantly, she saw Yelena and her beautifully precious smile.
She fell with a hope to be forgiven, she fell with a hope that her sacrifice would mean something, she fell and fell until all she could see was darkness.
All she felt was fulfilment.
--------
Yelena peeked out the window to make sure Kate was far away.
"You're coming?" Yelena saw Kate position her bow and arrow for safety, far away from any harm but close enough to shoot someone for defence.
"Yelena, come on, the drones are accelerating in numbers. Get out of there." Kate warned, clearly concerned for her partner.
Yelena smiled a sad smile as she began her walk down the stairs earning a frown from a surprised Kate.
"What are you doing? Get out"
Before Kate could make any move, she heard the whisper aimed softly at her, "Farewell Kate Bishop."
Yelena pushed the button with her eyes fixated on Kate. She felt the warmth. She saw her sister and the few friends she had made on her journey. She saw darkness.
Yelena didn't feel Kate's soft fingers caressing her face, didn't feel Kate's sobs against her chest or her agonizing wails. She didn't feel Kate's endless guilt and regret, all she could feel at her last moment was fulfilment: Kate was safe. She could live her life, that was all that mattered...
Because these spiders don't weave their webs to trap their enemies.
They weave it to protect their hawks.