Wanda was huffing crazily as she tried to breathe after the intense fight against Natasha that had kept her on her toes for the past 6 hours. Nat was also sweating and was slightly out of breath but She was in a much better state than Wanda.
"Are we done?" Wanda asked with desperation in her eyes.
"We're done…" Nat smiled amusedly, "I can now leave you alone without any worry."
"God…"Wanda slumped on the ground and just lay there splayed.
Natasha chuckled, "Enjoy your rest. You're going to miss my training in a few days." Nat commented as she walked out of the training area.
They had both gotten much stronger in recent days.
[ «Status- Host #3»
«Name: Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) (MCU Earth)»
«Bonding Rate: 32->34%»
«Bonding Level: 2»
«Powers: Low Superhuman Physique (10->15 Tons)— Melee Mastery— Espionage Mastery»
]
[ «Status- Host #4»
«Name: Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) (MCU Earth)»
«Bonding Rate: 30->38%»
«Bonding Level: 2»
«Powers: Low Superhuman Physique (3->7 Tons)—Chaos Magic»
]
Wanda was too tired to even comment on Natasha's words.
[Can you get me back to top shape, Alex? It's going to be a long ride to Budapest.] Natasha said in her head as she walked out of the mansion.
[You don't want to rest a bit?] He asked after fixing her up and removing all her physical exhaustion.
[I've delayed it for long enough. I should check it out. If that message has even the tiniest bit of validity, I need to know.] She said and walked to the newly stolen helicopter that they'd gotten after the events in Wakanda. A plane was very impractical for a place such as this safe house so they ended up stealing two helicopters in exchange for that plane.
[Understandable. Though what do you think?] Alex said.
[To my knowledge, The Red Room, Dreykov was all destroyed with those bombs. Shield compromised an entire city to bring them down. It couldn't have failed. But if it did…] Nat said, her conviction faltering as she spoke the last words.
[What are you going to do if Shield did fail and The Red Room still exists? Shield wasn't exactly the most reliable of organizations after their whole Hydra infiltration situation, was it?] Alex asked.
[Then I'll take care of it. I'll finish what I started.] Nat said.
ƥαṇdα- ηθνε|·ƈθm [I don't think you started The Red Room…] Alex tried to lighten the mood.
[You know what I mean…] Nat smiled lightly, [The destruction of The Red Room was the condition for my defection to Shield. If it still exists, then it's my job to finish it.] Nat told him.
[I like your conviction. You should call in your friends.] He said.
[I don't think Tony is very inclined to help here.] She said.
[Rogers?]
[He's busy with Bucky.]
[Wanda?]
[She has to train her powers.]
[Just say that you want to do this on your own and don't want to involve anyone else. Holy mother of god girl, it's like you're in denial] Alex snapped.
[Whatever…] Nat said with a wry smile and got quiet as she focused on the controls of the helicopter while piloting to Budapest.
…
"Will she be fine?" Wanda asked as she looked at the disappearing helicopter that was no more than a dot at this point.
"Of course. I'm with her. She'll be fine, no matter what." Alex told her as he rubbed her back while standing beside her.
"Yeah but, she seemed… I don't know… conclusive as she left." Wanda said.
"Because she's not coming back here after this. I think she's planning something. I don't know what, but she's got something that she wants to do after taking care of this ghost from her past." Alex told her.
"I hope she'll be fine…" Wanda said.
"Don't worry so much. What you should be worried about is where to find the Book of the Dammed." Alex told Wanda.
"I don't want the Book of the Dammed. Can't I get something that sounds positive? Like the Book of Truth or something?" Wanda said in a spoiled manner while looking into Alex's eyes with an adorable look.
"It doesn't work that way. Your powers are extremely strong and they can only be truly utilized to their fullest after you find the Darkhold." Alex loved seeing Wanda act spoiled with him.
"I know…" She grumbled, "You don't have any clues about its location?" She asked.
"It's supposedly connected to you and your Chaos magic. You should be able to locate it if you focus your intent on your chaos magic to locate it." Alex said.
They both got busy with their discussion to find the Darkhold. They would also be making a trip after Wanda finds a clue to the Darkhold. Alex's canon knowledge was of no use here. Agatha got the Darkhold during the 5-year gap after the snap. Its location before that was mentioned in the Agents of Shield, but Alex didn't bother with that show and had no clues about it.
In the end, Wanda would have to wing it if she wanted to locate the Darkhold, hoping that her Chaos magic could lead her to the book.
…
The door creaked open as Natasha opened the metallic entry door to the apartment complex. It had old architecture as designs ran over the door. She opened it and walked into the dilapidated courtyard that was surrounded by apartments. Noticing a few people out and about, Natasha kept a low profile and walked in with a destination in mind.
She walked through the concrete street and reached the apartment that she wanted to go to. Entering the old elevator that seemed like it would fall at any time, she pressed the button for her floor and closed the double metal grill doors of the elevator. The doors weren't automatic and she had to close them manually.
Breathing audibly, Natasha was more than a little nervous as she waited for the elevator to being her to the designated floor. The only thoughts that were going through her mind were 'what ifs'.
What if The Red Room was still in operation?
What if Dreykov was still alive and was in control of the army of Black Widow assassins?
What if her adoptive baby sister Yelena was hurt?
Countless thoughts were racing through her mind as she waited endlessly. Then finally, the ding of the elevator brought her out of her musings. Natasha opened the door and walked out of the elevator, closing its doors behind her.
She walked to the apartment that she used as a safe house in Budapest, feeling a light wave of memories coming back to her. Her eyes drifted to the designs on the double door, intricate wooden carvings that were a pain to keep clean, a metallic doorframe with even more of the same carving design. All of it brought back memories to Natasha.
With an uncanny familiarity, she grabbed a specific grill and pulled it out, pushing her hand inside the vent and pulling out a taped package that held a gun and the key to that apartment.
She put away the gun in the holster on her belt, in preparation for when she might need it.
She looked at the door and sighed inwardly before pushing the key into the keyhole and turning it, opening the lock.
"I know you're out there." She heard a voice call out to her from inside the apartment.
"I know," Natasha said without stopping her actions and pushed open the door to the apartment.
The doors opened with a creaking sound and Natasha drew her gun and readied herself for a fight, taking a stance before slowly walking in.
"Then why are you walking as if you're in a minefield?" The voice asked again.
"'Cause I don't know if I can trust you." Natasha was on full alert for an ambush. She kept checking her surroundings for someone hiding and about to attack her.
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing." The voice with a slight Russian accent said again. By then, Natasha had reached the area of the kitchen where the voice was originating from.
"So? We gonna talk like grown-ups?" Just as she said that she turned the corner and pointed her gun at the person in the room. Only to see a gun pointed at her too.
Nat gave a glance to the woman that she'd been talking to. She was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Russian girl with a round face. She was wearing some leather pants and what seemed like a t-shirt under a windbreaker.
"Is that what we are?" Yelena asked Natasha while pointing her gun at Natasha's head, apprehensive of her while also being anticipatory, hoping that Natasha was here to help.
Yelena's apprehension was readable by Natasha and she didn't waste the opportunity that Yelena's slight hesitation provided her. She walked ahead as Yelena stepped back, both of their guns still pointed at each other.
Natasha's actions put Yelena at a slight mental disadvantage as she was already pushed back before the fight started.
Yelena was feeling the palpable tension in the room as she said to Natasha in a threatening tone, "Put it down before I make you." She said, referring to the gun.
"You put yours down." Nat was as calm as she could be, being no stranger to these kinds of high-tension situations. Then again, the only reason that Yelena was even a little affected by the tension in the room was due to Natasha's stature as the big sister in their relationship. Yelena respected Natasha so she wasn't able to act completely objectively here.
Yelena kept walking back as she crossed a ledge and Natasha didn't hesitate to take advantage of the little opportunity, "Watch your step," She said with slight derision in her tone that irked Yelena.
Yelena's eye twitched just a little as finally, after this mental confrontation, both assassins made their moves.
***
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