I didn’t raise my girls to fall into traps
The three Russians walked and walked through the fields for what felt like an eternity – the heavy silence and tension between the three making the situation even more uncomfortable – before they finally came upon Melina’s house. They approached through a pigpen set a few feet away from the house, and found Melina holding a big rifle to their faces; the older Widow looked at her three visitors in astonishment as if she was seeing real ghosts.
Melina had received word from Dreykov about two Widows stealing away the counteragent gas, she was warned to be on the lookout if they were to show up at her place; he hadn’t said names but Melina should’ve known it had to be her girls who done that deed. Natalia and Yelena were the best Widows, she had personally seen to that. Still seeing the two right there alongside Alexei had been quite the shock, something she certainly was not expecting to happen ever again.
- Honey, we’re home. – Alexei said with a big smile; any reservations or issue he had thought about went out the window as soon as he laid eyes on Melina, as beautiful and frightening as the first time they’ve met.
Melina didn’t say anything, simply exited the pigpen and started towards her house, the other three soon following behind; Natasha had avoided looking at Melina, her thoughts and feelings still reeling from the discussion hours prior, so she took a deep breath while walking and once again pushed away from her mind anything that could distract her from the mission. Natasha was there solely for business and that was how she would act: with cold, indifferent professionalism.
- Welcome to my humble abode. – Melina said when they entered the house, and walked straight to the kitchen. – Make yourself at home… Let’s have a drink.
Natasha went after her, not trusting the older Widow to be left alone to do something harsh. The red head observed Melina open the pantry and then pushed the shelve aside to reveal a hidden room full of equipment, that was so predictable Natasha almost chuckled.
- No funny business. – Natasha said in a grave tone.
- I am putting away my weapon.
The red head didn’t say anything else and turned to look around the room; while on the dining area Yelena was sitting at the table, taking a moment to contemplate over all the memories and feelings that house brought back to the forefront of her mind. All the meals the four of them had during their time in Ohio, the three years playing happy family in a house not much different from that one. Yelena felt her heart start bleeding all over again for the life she had lost.
- Are there any booby traps around here? Anything we need to know about? – Natasha asked Melina; scattering booby traps in any enclosed space they have to be in was a lesson Melina taught them really well.
- I didn’t raise my girls to fall into traps. – The older Widow answered with a knowing smirk, she had also taught them how to identify any sort of trap from a mile away.
- You didn’t raise us at all. – Natasha bit back in a second; Melina was their mother for three years but after that, back at the Red Room, she was nothing but another cold insensible trainer.
- Maybe so. – She agreed in what almost sounded like a hurt voice. – But if you got soft, it wasn’t on my watch.
Natasha looked away; of course Melina would also imply her time in the West as an Avenger was a bad thing, something that broke the perfect little killer they created. She shook her head and snorted, they were all so predictable and she was so done with their cynical behavior.
- Do you have anything I could use to send an encrypted message? – She asked looking pointedly at Melina; she didn’t intended to contact Steve or anyone else until the end of the mission, if she was completely safe to do so but now Natasha wanted to do it just so she could rub it in their faces. Too much time around Tony Stark would make you petty like that.
- Oh. – Melina smiled in understanding. – Wanting to send a signal for your friends to come as well? Should I put more plates at the table?
- No, I’m fine on my own. They just care to know if I’m alright or not.
- Don’t be rude now, Natalia. You should introduce us to your work colleagues sometime. – The older Widow kept her sweet smile and then picked a laptop, giving it to Natasha. – Here, you can use this one without worries.
Natasha returned the feigned sweet smile, both Widow staring at each other, waiting for the one who would lose first; the red head tensed her jaw and looked away begrudgingly, focusing her attention on the laptop in her hands. Melina gave her big girl a light squeeze in the shoulder before walking to the dining area, surprised to find her baby girl sat down quietly. It has been too long since the last time she saw either of her girls or Alexei and so much had changed since then that Melina secretly dreaded what would come of this family reunion.