Chapter 7
“You should go to the bathroom.”
MJ looks up from her pancakes at the sudden words. Yelena’s not grinning. She’s not joking.
“What?” MJ doesn’t know if she heard correctly.
Yelena sets her phone on the table between them. “You should go to the bathroom.” She repeats.
MJ takes a second before nodding, taking the phone, and heading into the bathroom.
The phone is already unlocked and there is a number pulled up ready for MJ to call.
She doesn’t know who it is or why Yelena wants her to call them. Her finger hovers over the button, confusion swirling in her head but she figures that Yelena wouldn’t fool around like this.
MJ flinches when the first gunshot rings out, her finger pressing the call button on the phone and pulling it up to her ear as she gets into one of the stalls to hide.
The answer when the phone picks up is in another language. Russian, MJ thinks.
“Hi, I’m MJ-- Michelle--” MJ hurries out moments before more gunshots ring out.
“Where is Yelena?” Came the demand.
MJ rattles off the address, her heart pounding in her chest as she listens to broken yells and crashing coming from the restaurant.
“Where is she?” The voice demands again. “Where is Yelena?”
MJ takes a second to reply. “She told me to go to the bathroom.”
MJ knows that Yelena’s had a fucked up past. She’s not entitled to any of it. But there is currently a gunfight going on in a diner and it’s barely nine in the morning. A little explanation would be nice.
There’s silence from the phone. MJ can only assume that she’s put on mute when she checks to see if the person had hung up.
It’s quite only minutes later. MJ wants to go out and check but it’s so quiet and she’s afraid of what she’ll find. She can barely hear a few words being murmured and strains herself to listen.
“Come out of the bathroom,” The voice on the phone startles MJ. She nearly drops the phone but hastily grabs it before it falls. The person hangs up and MJ is alone.
She pushes open the door to the bathroom and is greeted with a bloodbath. There’s blood everywhere not included the number of dead men that litter the floor.
MJ feels like she’s having a dream because there is no way that this happened. She steps forward but slips on a puddle of blood. She manages to catch herself but she has to wipe the blood that got on her hands onto her legs, feeling nausea churning in her stomach.
“Hey, are you Michelle?” A hand falls onto her shoulder and MJ drags her head up to look at the Black Widow. She then realizes that she was asked a question and nods. She lets herself be guided past the dead bodies and out the front door, the glass shot out and leaving an empty metal frame.
Iron-Man is there, suited up and ready.
“Where’s Yelena?” MJ manages to choke out and the two Avengers glance at each other.
“We were going to ask you the same question,” Came Natasha’s reply.
MJ realizes that she’s still holding Yelena’s phone and reaches a hand up to offer it back to one of them. She belatedly realizes that her hand is shaking. “I’m sorry--” She doesn’t know where Yelena is. She glances behind her as the massacre, her eyes briefly scanning for a head of blonde hair in a navy blue hoodie.
She’s not there. Just men in suits and a few unlucky patrons that hadn’t managed to escape. The waitress that had served them is slumped over the counter, a shattered coffee pot still in their hand as blood trickles from a gunshot wound to the forehead.
A metal suit blocks her view and MJ cranes her head up to look at Iron-Man.
“You are in shock,” He states, the faceplate lifting up to reveal the man that had brought her and Yelena pizza just the night before.
MJ’s legs decide to stop carrying her weight and she lurches forward, two sets of hands grabbing her arms to keep her from faceplanting.
“Woah there, kiddo,” She’s lowered to sit on the curb just outside the diner.
“Where is Yelena?” MJ repeats her question even though she knows that they don’t have a question for her. “Where is she?”
There’s a bottle of water being pushed into her shaking hands, guiding it up to her lips.
“Drink,” Natasha is kneeling next to her and MJ manages to take a few small sips. “It’s okay, you’re alright.”
MJ never took Black Widow for being a comforting person but she’s relieved that they’re not upset with her.
“Sorry--” MJ tries to force out a full apology but her lips won’t work and form the sounds.
“I know. Nobody is mad,” Natasha reassures her. “Deep breaths.”
MJ forces herself to pull in a lungful of air. “Yelena--” The lungful is gone in an instant as her friend’s name leaves her mouth.
“We’ll find her,” Tony tells her firmly. “It’s okay kid.”
“I heard--” MJ lets out a frustrated grunt when she can’t get herself to form the words.
“We’ll talk about that soon,” Tony then glances at Natasha. “You got her?”
Natasha nods, looking down at MJ. “You’re gonna ride with me back to the tower.”
MJ lets herself be hauled up to her feet as Natasha keeps talking to her.
“You said your name was Michelle,” Natasha comments, letting MJ lean on her as she’s guided toward a motorcycle.
“Yes…” MJ mumbles, letting Natasha sets a helmet onto MJ’s head when MJ can’t get her fingers to work. “MJ.”
“How old are you, MJ?” Natasha buckles the strap under her chin.
“Fifteen,” MJ whispers. Natasha has her climb on the front of the bike.
“I don’t trust you not to hang on,” Natasha said, getting on behind her and reaching around her, one arm pulling MJ against her while the other grips the handlebar. “Relax and trust me to hold on for you.”
MJ trusted Black Widow to ride a motorcycle with one hand. She focuses on remembering how to breathe as she leans back against Natasha. They arrive at the garage of the tower and MJ manages to remove the helmet on her own. Natasha wraps an arm around her, letting MJ lean on her again as they head into the tower.
The other Avengers are waiting in the living room. They turn and hope dies from their eyes when they see her and not Yelena.
“I’m sorry--” MJ’s voice cracks and it’s absolutely pathetic and she tilts her head down to try and hide the fact that she’s having a breakdown in front of a bunch of Avengers.
“Quit staring,” Natasha snaps at them and MJ flinches when something is draped on her shoulders only to realize that it’s a blanket. “Sit.” Natasha’s voice softens immensely when she talks to MJ.
MJ sits automatically, looking up at the other Avengers who had been pacing nervously.
Tony appears a few moments later, clapping his hands together. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
“Right. MJ,” Natasha turns to look at her. “Can you tell us what happened?”
MJ feels so many eyes on her.
“Look at me, MJ,” Natasha tells her firmly. “Keep your eyes on me and tell me what happened.”
MJ takes a deep breath and does. She struggles through the story. “...and I only heard one of them speak.”
“What did they say?” Tony speaks up and MJ turns to glance at him.
“Broken… ballet… six...” MJ starts but Natasha jerks forward and the man Yelena doesn’t like steps forward.
“Shut up,” He growls and MJ shrinks into herself before standing.
“No, you shut up!” MJ shoves a finger at her. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“Everybody needs to take a breath,” Steve interrupts. “Bucky, step back.”
The man, Bucky, takes a deep breath and steps back.
“Continue,” Natasha tells her, her voice wavering and MJ is suddenly worried that this string of meaningless words does actually mean something.
“Handcuff… star… three… small…” MJ continues to list, hoping that she’s getting the order right in case that was important. “Firefly… fourteen… venus.”
It was quiet in the room.
“Does that mean something?” Sam finally speaks up, glancing around the room.
“It’s trigger words,” Bucky grunts.
“Trigger words?” MJ finds herself repeating slowly.
“What do you know about Yelena?” Tony turns to look at her.
“More than you losers,” She finds the words leaving her mouth before she can help it. She’s lucky that none of them look pissed off. “You just recently showed up.”
“What do you know about her past,” Tony clarifies and MJ glances around.
“I’m not airing out her dirty laundry for you to gawk at,” MJ huffs, folding her arms.
“Well, did you notice anything before then? Was she anxious last night?” Steve asked her. “Do you think she expected this?”
“You think that Yelena would just let me take her out in public if she thought it would end in a gunfight?” MJ demanded from him. Yelena wouldn’t do that. Yelena wouldn’t take her someplace if she thought it was unsafe.
Yelena was overprotective of her to a point that she found endearing.
“I’m just covering all bases. What did you talk about last night?” Steve then questioned and MJ can’t help the flush that comes to her face as she remembers the previous night.
“None of your fucking business!” She huffs. “I don’t have to stay here.”
“You don’t,” Tony concedes as if he’s reminding them that she’s fifteen and not a hostage. “And if you want, I’ll take you home.”
MJ takes a moment to look at all of them. “Where’s Peter?”
“What?” Tony’s head turns to look at her. “Why would he be here?”
“Why wouldn’t he? Isn’t he a temporary Avenger?” MJ raised an eyebrow. “Can’t he use his senses to help us?”
She then glances at the others and realizes that maybe not everyone knew Peter’s identity so she lets the subject drop.
“Sit down, MJ,” Natasha said. “In fact, all of you. Sit down.”
MJ does feel better when she’s not the only one sitting. Natasha sits on one side of her on the couch, Wanda on her other side.
“Okay, Nat. I know that the baby spider is important to you but we need to know what hole you found her in,” Tony speaks up.
“You already know, don’t you?” Natasha raises an eyebrow as she stares at him but it’s not accusing. “Are you really asking me to tell everyone else that?”
Tony’s face does look regretful. MJ wonders if she should leave because maybe Yelena didn’t want her to hear this.
“How about we just state what we know about her first,” Tony points at Sam. “You start.”
Sam blinks in surprise. “Me? I’ve had, like, two conversations with her.”
“Exactly. What do you know about her,” Tony is staring at him and Sam sighs.
“She’s got PTSD. That’s clear to me,” Sam finally replies. “She’s got a look in her eyes that many of my vets have.”
Tony nods his head and then points at Wanda. “Okay. Go.”
“Her mind is shielded unconsciously. Some of your thoughts reach out and I can hear them without even meaning to. I’ve heard nothing from her,” Wanda replies softly.
Tony then points at Steve.
“She hates Bucky with a burning passion,” Steve glances at Bucky. “And she refuses to sleep around anybody, even when she’s literally drooping with her eyes closed.”
Tony points at Bucky.
“I knew her when she was little… I hurt her.” Bucky’s shoulders slump.
The finger moves and points at MJ.
MJ glances around at the eyes that stare at her. “I still don’t agree with this.” She comments before sighing. “You hurt her.” She points a finger at Bucky. “You scare her so much that she tried to physically protect me from you.”
“Okay--” Steve starts but MJ shakes her head.
“I’m not finished,” She snaps. “She can’t sleep without someone else in her bed. That scar on her forehead was caused by a scalpel. She’s never willingly kissed anybody except for one person and she carries the vest with the zippers and buttons like she’s going off to war. She tries to claim any control that she has.”
MJ looks around the room. She knew a few other things but none of it was relevant. Nobody needed to know that Yelena was asexual or fascinated with Peter’s lego creations or taught MJ to throw knives or enjoyed chocolate chip and banana pancakes.
“Come on,” Natasha sets a hand onto her shoulder and MJ hadn’t even realized that she stood up. “Let’s take a break.”
MJ lets Natasha guide her into her bedroom. MJ glances around the Black Widow’s bedroom as Natasha rummages through her dresser before holding out a pair of sweatpants. “Here.”
MJ looks down to see what was wrong with her own before remembering when she slipped in blood and wiped her hands off on the jeans.
“Who would want Yelena?” MJ’s voice is not as strong as she wants it to be when it comes out of her mouth.
“A couple of people,” Natasha guides her to the bathroom. “Wash your hands.”
MJ looks down at her hands stained red. She scrubs at her skin to try and remove the blood. “Who?” She needs to know.
“General Ross. Hydra…” Natasha hesitates. “Some people she pissed off.”
MJ swallows hard, leaning over the sink with a small huff. “Who the hell is Yelena Belova?”
“You know her full name,” Natasha comments although her tone isn’t surprised.
“I don’t understand,” MJ lets out a frustrated yell before turning and shoving at Natasha. “Who is Yelena Belova!”
She knew that picking a fight with Black Widow was stupid because her hands don’t even make contact with Natasha before she’s pushed against the wall and her wrists are pinned next to her head.
“Yelena Belova is my sister,” Natasha answers calmly. “She was picked at the age of three to be the best child assassin ever. She finally got out at the age of fifteen.”
MJ didn’t expect an actual answer. She stares at Natasha and then sags in her hold as tears finally burst forth. “I’m sorry!”
Natasha lets out a small sigh and lets MJ go, pulling her against her.
MJ doesn’t even care that she’s crying all over the Black Widow’s shirt. There are so many emotions overwhelming her.
“We’ll get her back,” Natasha murmurs, and MJ squeezed her eyes shut. “That’s a promise.”