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There were rumours that a man was getting away with murder, literally, and no one could figure out how. He had shot a man in the middle of the street, but the police present hadn't even tried to arrest him, instead they just walked back to their precinct, abandoning their car.
It was weird, and was enough for S.H.I.E.L.D. to be concerned, as someone having that much power should, so Yelena is asked to investigate, with Kate as her backup.
It was strange at first, working with someone she cared so much for, that protective streak growing alongside pride with each successful mission. They worked well together, really well, even the unflappable heads at S.H.I.E.L.D. had to agree. Kate Bishop truly was the World's Greatest Archer, matched with her drive to protect and help people, alongside Yelena's brutal methods, they were a well-oiled machine, constantly producing the best results.
She also enjoyed the things Kate would say when they got a call, not that she would ever tell her. The excitement and determination mixed with her gentle humour to bring the severity to a manageable amount, like right now, as she hung up her cell, dropping her forearm across her forehead with a quiet sigh, Kate already sat up next to her, practically vibrating with energy.
“This is gonna be one of the coolest and spiciest date nights ever.”
Yelena smirked and rolled her eyes as she got out of bed, pulling one of Kate’s sweaters on, not minding at all that it was so long it brushed the top of her knees.
“Most of our nights end spicy, Kate Bishop. We do not need a mission or a date for that.”
Kate snorted and reached for her sleeve, pulling her to a stop with a soft tug. Yelena looked down at her, sleepy but breathtaking, and Kate exhaled, a flush on her cheeks.
“Think we can be a little late?”
Yelena scoffed, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder to ease her backward.
“I am dating a horndog.” she muttered, and Kate grinned, guiding her to straddle her thighs, and Yelena willingly did.
Maria wasn’t thrilled that they were late, but she didn’t have a leg to stand on considering her own tardiness with Natasha.
The target was British, tall, arguably pale, with neat brown hair, a tidy beard, and a level of insanity in his eyes that made Yelena nervous. He seemed to always wear a neat suit, black and purple, and Kate muttered a comment about branding .
“We don’t know what his deal is, but he shot and killed this man in front of armed police, who attempted to arrest him, but after two words, they got back in their squad cars and drove back to their precincts. I want zero contact. Be careful.”
They found him within twenty minutes of camera surveillance, in a club near the industrial district. Kate took point on the building opposite, stood on the roof, and watched Yelena sneak into the establishment through a window.
“I thought I was special, you just do this for everyone.”
Yelena grinned and left the window open a slight bit.
“If it helps, you’re the only one who was flattered by it.”
“Not entirely surprising.”
The pulsing music below gave little comfort as Yelena sulked the halls to the manager’s office, which was the only place Kate didn’t have eyes. This building was a new purchase of their target, whose name even S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn’t find. The office was empty when she unlocked the door, locking it behind her, the computer was open.
“I found the computer.”
“Cool, the guy is still downstairs.”
Yelena connects a black disc to the base of the computer, cursing a little at the time on the encryption.
“Keep tabs, this needs five minutes.”
Kate hummed down the line.
“On it.”
Three minutes pass without incident, Yelena watching the small line fill with green, and then Kate speaks again.
“He’s moving, be ready.”
Yelena hid the download from the screen and looked around, there was a vent on the wall that would do just fine, and maybe they’d get some more information while the disc copied the data over.
“Definitely headed your way, ETA 60 seconds!”
She managed to pull the grate over just when the door was opened, the man sauntering in behind his security. He seemed unimpressed at their actions, looping around to the desk and collapsing into his chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk.
“There’s no need for that.” he announced entirely condescendingly. One of the scantily dressed women he had arrived with walked behind him and rested her hand on his shoulder, fingers dragging seductively across his suit.
“Stop that.”
She did, stepping back like she was burned. One of the security raised his hand that the room was clear, informing him as such.
“We’re safe, Mr Killgrave.”
“Are we?” he asked with no small amount of sarcasm, sitting back in his chair, sighing heavily, “you’ll forgive me for not believing you, I hope.”
“Of course sir.” the guard replied quickly, and Yelena caught the target's eye roll from her vantage point. The man, Kilgrave, lifted one hand and waved it weakly in front of him.
“If anyone is hiding in this room, come out here now.”
Cold settled over her head, sinking down her spine, numbing her body and taking residence, dousing the panic she felt a spark in her mind. Yelena pushed the grate and landed silently, the sound of it slamming back into place bringing everyone’s eyes to her. The man looked her up and down, taking in her wide eyes as she realised what she had just done, right when she reached for the gun on her hip.
“Freeze.”
She did, her gun barely out of its holster, unable to move even as she screamed for her body to do something .
“Yelena? What’s happening?”
The man stood and walked around his desk slowly, glancing at her gun.
“Put that away,” she did, “and stand up straight.”
She did that too, gun back on her hip, standing just like she would as a child in the Red Room, perfect posture, silent. He hummed appreciatively, raising his finger and dragging it along her jaw.
“Who are you, and what’re you doing here?” he asked, and her normally tight lips loosened.
“Yelena Belova. I work with S.H.I.E.L.D. We are investigating you, and any danger you may possess.”
“Yelena?!”
He hummed, finding the earpiece hidden away, but didn’t remove it, instead tapping the skin below her ear.
“Is someone else here?”
“Yes.”
“Shit, shit, shit! Okay, think, Kate!”
He moved back a step, pushing his hands in his pocket.
“Who?”
“Kate Bishop. She is the new Hawkeye.”
His brow peaked, and he looked at one of his guards with a scary grin.
“Bishop, interesting. We know her mother, don’t we?”
The guard didn't blink or move, Killgrave sighed regardless, putting his finger under her chin and making Yelena look up, staring into her eyes.
“I’m gonna get a different angle!”
“Who is she to you?”
The words eased over her ears, willing her to do as he said, despite the thrashing she went through to try to escape his control.
Not again, not again, not again, not-
“She is everything to me.”
He tilted his head, eyes changing, becoming noticeably darker, something evil churning up inside him. His smile breaks out, and he sighs through a laugh.
“Okay. Where is she?”
Yelena doesn’t look but points out of the only window in the office.
“She would be at a vantage point opposite this room.”
He looked, squinting, seeing nothing, and then popped his tongue against his teeth, stepping away from Yelena once again. He couldn’t see Kate, she doubted anyone could, but her location would be enough to cause damage if needed.
Kilgrave looked back at her, brown eyes black in the light.
“… Kate Bishop.”
“Yelena if you can hear me, it’s okay, you’re going to be okay!”
She knew what he was going to say, trapped in her body, watching this man leer through the window, as though he could see Kate, with an evil smile twisting onto his face.
“Kill her. Slowly.”
She didn’t even hesitate. Yelena turned and ran from the room, just when an arrow shattered the window and embedded itself in the desk, pink smoke hissing from it, knocking the remaining occupants out, including the target who screamed with rage before collapsing.
But it was too late, she was too late, Yelena had got out though, where had she gone?
“Yelena? Talk to me!”
There was no reply, she didn’t see her leave the window, she couldn’t see her anywhere, and Kate was getting beyond worried.
“Yelena!” she tried again, touching her comms, “I’m calling Natasha!”
She hopped away from the roof lip, rushing for the fire escape and taking the steps two at a time, headed for their car.
“Nat!” she shouted into the earpiece, almost at the bottom of the stairs, hearing it crackle in response.
“Kate, what’s happening?”
She was relieved to hear her voice, slowing for a second when she walked across the fire escape to get to the next set of stairs.
“It’s Yelena, she-”
Something made her turn to the right, being cut off by the smashing of glass. Two sharp slugs hit her chest, Kate cried out, twisting over the banister and falling from the first floor, slapping against the cement ground with a painted gasp, the two bullets caught in her kevlar. Yelena had been waiting in the building for just that moment apparently, Kate rolled onto her back to see her glaring down at her.
“Yelena?!"
“Bishop? What's wrong with-”
Yelena leaped from the railing, boots aiming for Kate’s head.
Crap.
Kate scrambled, rolling out of the way and rushing to her feet, stepping back to avoid a sweeping kick with a small gasp.
“Yelena! Stop!”
She pulled up her gun and Kate grabbed it, thankful that she was at least physically stronger than her girlfriend, holding her aim down until she shot the ground near her feet. She did all she could to keep the gun aimed away from her, even as the Widow kicked her foot and knee, firing again just past Kate's head. The archer got the upper hand for a second, twisting the Widow’s arm uncomfortably.
“Yelena-!”
Her words died in her throat at the absolute fear in Yelena’s eyes. Terror at what was happening, tears building but being unable to fall.
She’s not in control here.
The gun cracked against her face and Kate grunted, pushing the blonde back and resisting the urge to hold her throbbing head. There were three sharp clicks, and Yelena looked at her gun in confusion.
Kate held the magazine in her hand, throwing it and scattering the bullets.
“Sorry.” she shrugged, barely ducking to avoid the gun being thrown, followed by a second attack, a knee being driven into her chest.
Kate managed to get her palms around it, pushing her knee down, but unfortunately left her face exposed for a sucker punch. She staggered back against the wall, grunting when she felt thighs slip around her neck.
Oh, that’s not good.
As expected, Yelena flipped her onto her front in her usual manoeuvre, the one that normally Kate found so hot, but not as much now.
Whenever Yelena practised this on her, she held back, but not this time. She launched her with all her strength into the wall, right against some pipes that definitely caused some damage if the sharp wail of pain from Kate was any inclination.
“Kate I'm on my way, just hold on!”
She held her side when Yelena pulled a knife from her belt, and Kate groaned.
“Oh you are so buying me ice cream after this.” she spat blood, weeping from her nose, or was it her mouth, she didn’t really know. Her hands snapped around Yelena's wrist to catch the knife descending on her.
She missed. A painful choke slipped from her teeth when she timed it wrong, the knife easily slipping between the bones of her forearm.
“Ffffuck!”
Yelena let her go with a shove, and she stumbled back a few steps. Her mouth felt metallic, her stomach churned and she looked at the knife lodged in her forearm. Her vision swirled and blinked, knees shaking, but staying on her feet.
Do I pull it out? Keep it in?! What is… what is best?!
“Bishop, stay with me.”
Kate groaned, looking apologetically at Yelena for a moment, who set her jaw in that same way the night they met on the roof, the shot Kate didn't take.
“Don't hate me for this.”
She grabbed Yelena's collar, and the Widow grabbed her uninjured wrist, probably to break it, but not before Kate cracked her forehead against Yelena’s.
The Widow fell back a dizzying inch, which was enough for Kate to pull a trick arrow from her quiver, the arrowhead splitting and clipping onto Yelena's jacket right as 500 volts of electricity shot through her.
Yelena’s voice cracked and she went rigid, falling to the ground and buzzing with her taser arrow.
The archer forced herself up, parts she didn’t even know could hurt burned with an awful ache, but she had to move.
That arrow had a finate charge, after all.
She held her hand to her ribs, because yup, they're broken, and started hobbling down the alley.
She reached for her bow, thinking of all the nonlethal arrows she could use when agony clutched her side, blood spluttering from her lips, and she quickly brought her arm back down to calm her ribs.
No to the bow, great.
Kate started a painful jog away from the Widow, her sounds of quiet pain haunting her with each step, fighting every fiber of her being that told her to go back and help her.
She shook her dizzy head. She isn't Yelena, not right now.
Kate swallowed the blood in her mouth, touching back on her comms.
“The White Widow has been compromised.” she heaved, staggering to lean against a lamppost for a moment to catch her breath, hurrying across the desolate street, splashing through puddles from last night's downpour, entering a car park.
Her arm throbbed, the knife still lodged deep in it, blood soaking through the fabric of her suit and starting a steady drip down her skin, Kate didn’t even want to look down at the state it was in.
Is it better to leave the knife in?
“The Widow is en route.” Maria replied, and Kate spat out some more blood, leaning against the cool metal of the car, head spinning as she breathed, and tried to steady herself.
You can’t beat her, there is no way.
She winced from the agony, so so much pain. In her ribs, her arm, her head, her chest.
Then she thought of Yelena's bright green eyes full of fear.
C’mon, Hawkeye. Survive for her.
“I hope you mean the Black Widow and not-”
A baton smacked across her head, and Kate is sure she blacked out for a second, only to be brought back by another crack against her back. She fell to her knees with a choked grunt, not at all surprised to see Yelena heavily breathing over her, looking very angry.
“Fancy seeing you-”
She covered her face to try and block it with her bicep, the knife-less arm taking a firm hit, the wet slap making her cringe, already feeling the bruise blossom. Kate tried to get to her feet, another slam against her back pushing her back down onto the pavement with a whining groan, another cracking her shin.
“Your form is so good,” she groaned, dragging herself along by her one useful l, but fractured, arm, cradling the other close, keeping the knife from dragging on the wet ground, “must be all the Wii sport with your girlfr-”
A heavy boot stomped on her hand, twisting and making her yell out in agony, long and stretched, as a horrid snap vibrated through her hand. It was blinding as two fingers broke, she was almost sick, needed to be sick, fire flared down her arm like a punch to the throat.
That hurt.
Yelena stepped back, dragging her foot to remove Kate's blood from her heel.
A near manic chuckle broke through Kate's sob, and she rolled onto her back, holding both arms shakily to her chest, slowly pushing along the ground with her feet, blood sleeping from her fingers because wow she was bleeding.
Don't look, don't look.
“That’s gonna be funny when it doesn’t hurt so much,” she promised, Yelena tilted her head at Kate, and the archer nodded with blood in her teeth, “Trust me, when I’m better, we'll laugh about it, I’ll find a bright side.”
“Vy ne opravites' ot smerti.”
Kate beamed, even as Yelena brought her baton up again, knuckles white against the weapon, tears soaking her cheeks.
“That’s what you think.”
This time she timed it just right, kicking out at Yelena when she was about to swing, attempting to sweep her feet out. Obviously, Yelena stepped over her foot, leaving her torso exposed for a moment too long. Kate snapped her knee up and planted her foot against her chest, and with whatever energy she had, pushed Yelena as hard as she could.
She raised from the ground slightly, smacking against the car behind her with a restrained grunt.
“ETA 3 minutes.”
Kate scrambled up and grabbed Yelena's wrists in her hands, holding them to the side. It was tricky, her ribs creaked, her blood-soaked hand slipped as a wave of nausea shook her, and the action filled her mouth with the taste of copper. She almost passed out from the searing agony the action caused, not entirely sure how she wasn't unconscious.
Or maybe the head trauma helped delude her into thinking she was conscious, and she's actually lying on the alley floor, who knows?
Whatever it was, there was no way she should be standing. The adrenaline and desperate need to survive must be the only thing stopping her from giving up. That and the very real fact that if she died, if Yelena killed her, she would never forgive herself.
She shook the blonde by the wrists.
“Yelena, stop!”
The assassin spat and slipped one hand free from her tight grip, assisted by Kate's own blood, and slashed with a knife, which Kate actually managed to avoid. Yelena brought a knee up to push against her chest, but Kate stayed resolute, struggling with her arms and smacked her wrist against the car, her knife clattering to the floor.
“It's me!” She tried again, and Yelena's face twitched, a flicker of recognition. Kate nodded excitedly and ducked to look her in the eyes.
“You remember me, right?!”
The blonde's face screwed and that same horrid fear bubbled up, tears building up and threatening to fall, a sob breaking from her lips.
“Kate?”
Kate dropped her wrists, and Yelena fell to her knees. Kate would have followed, but she was already risking becoming a blood bag full of broken bones instead of a person at that point.
“You're okay!” She cried, smiling around the agony as tears pricked her eyes, finally relaxing, “Oh my god, I was so-”
Yelena swiped the knife out of Kate's arm and shoved it into her gut, stealing her words, replacing them with a broken gasp of pain.
“... Oh.”
Yelena grabbed her hair, pulled her head back so she could look her in the eye, and twisted the knife.
“Idiot.”
She pushed her hard, and Kate fell onto her back, hands hovering over the bleeding wound in her gut, but not touching it. Touching it would hurt, and she is sure that, while it would help, pressure on the wound would just cause more of this familiar agony.
Yelena stepped over her, baton in hand, and started it up with a charge. Kate had never felt more pain in her entire life, especially when a cracked sob broke from Yelena's lips.
Despite everything, Kate grinned.
If this would be the last time she saw Yelena, she would do it with a smile on her face.
Yelena wanted to die.
She wanted Kate to fight back, slip an arrow in her chest, do something, anything, fight like Yelena knew she could.
But she just did her best to smile up at her, blood staining her teeth, while she almost choked on it.
Choking.
Drowning.
The voice coiled back in her head, and she holstered the bloody baton back to her hip.
“Bored of me?” Kate tried to ask, blood seeping from her mouth, one eye swollen shut, but the other swam with illusive mirth. Yelena stepped around her, snatched her bleeding, not almost broken, arm, and dragged her.
“Wh’re we goin’?” she asked, sluggish and slow, entirely limp as Yelena got her in place, “We gottsa date?”
Yelena threw her onto her front, making her crack her chin off the ground, before realising she was looking down into a puddle.
Oh.
Kate sighed, even as Yelena rested a knee on her back and got a firm grip on her hair.
I'm sorry, Yelena.
“I lo’ve you.”
Yelena's face was soaked with tears, baring her teeth, and Kate closed her eyes.
“I love you Yel-”
She pushed her down into the water, it barely reached her ears, but it was enough. It would be enough.
Kate began thrashing, but Yelena held her in place, the blood soaking the water as her broken body did its best to fight, even if her mind had given up.
It didn’t take long, her heart was racing in her head as Kate’s body started to panic, trying to get up, escape, to breathe, but it was in vain. Fire burned in her lungs, her hands clawed at anything they could get a grip on, her feet kicking, trying to push her away along the floor, but Yelena was too strong, too determined to kill her.
Kill her. Slowly.
Her eyes rolled, blood soaked the water, and Kate Bishop gradually lost grip on the ground, herself, and her mind. And then, eventually, everything.
The water rippled with her last twitch, and she went limp.
Yelena let the hair go.
She looked at her hand curiously, it was bruised and bloody, a slight pain flexing down her middle knuckle.
Her head throbbed, a cold presence receding from her head, draining out into heat, fire, and fear.
Why am I so afraid?
Her knee pushed something soft, something she knelt on, what am I-
A body. No, not just, not just a body.
“Kate, why aren't you moving?”
Her voice was sluggish like she was drunk, squinting at her back as her vision slowly returned to normal.
Then everything returned.
Every impact, broken bones, and split skin.
Every scream.
Her breath loose in her chest, she scrambled, and pushed Kate onto her back, out of the water, wet hair clung to her face, one eye open and unseeing, the other swollen shut.
No.
Yelena screamed, Kate's name on her lips, her hands shaking over the other woman's broken body, tremendous guilt and hatred battling together in their shared goal of burning her entire body at the sight of what- of what she had done.
Empty blue stared into nothing.
No, no, no, no-
Yelena is kicked away from Kate by one firm boot to her side, launching her to the right and going limp against the ground. She fell and rolled, barely steadying herself before electricity coursed through her body, Natasha’s Widow Bites making her collapse.
As she writhed on the floor she saw Nat look over Kate Bishop, her face paling and she stopped the charge. Yelena fell limp and the Black Widow grabbed at Kate’s jacket, hands only slightly shaking.
“I need a med team now! Agent was drowned.”
Yelena heard their feedback in the comms she shared, and moved her head to the side, staring at the silhouettes of Natasha and Kate, as her body twitched from the aftershocks. She choked on tears as her sister started chest compression.
She can remember all of it.
The blood.
The bones pushing against her skin.
The blank stare.
She rolled to her front and started crawling over, her sister stopping her compressions to breathe for the other woman, jaw clenched when there was no response, and continued the compressions.
Yelena inched up to her knees, and Natasha snapped her eyes at her.
“Are you you?” she asked, powering up her Bites again in threat, still not breaking the pattern. Yelena nodded, and Nat sagged ever so slightly in relief.
“Good, I need you here.”
Yelena puts pressure on the wound, the wound she had-
"Yelena."
She looked up, her sister was pushing Kate's chest.
"I need you to focus. Pressure."
Yelena swallowed her swell of tears and pushed, her hands staining bright red, and she started talking.
“I didn’t do it,” she promised, “I didn't want to. He made- Natasha he- I swear I didn't-”
Her sister nodded, a little out of breath, but rigorously continuing the motion.
“Breathe Yelena, she’ll be okay.”
Yelena didn't believe her, even Natasha doubted herself, not looking at her sister’s dripping red hands.
She thinks you're a monster. You are, you killed her, you monster-
A S.H.I.E.L.D. van skidded to a stop, three medics rushed out, two carrying a stretcher.
“Clear the area!”
Natasha stopped what she was doing and immediately got out of the way, whirling on her sister. Yelena expected a punch, maybe more electricity, in fact, she wanted that. She deserved it, she-
Her sister hugged her tight, turned them so she couldn’t watch, and Yelena started silently crying into her shoulder.
“I didn’t do it, I swear, he made… I couldn’t-”
Nat shushed her, gripping her so hard they would both bruise.
“You’re okay, she’s okay.”
She didn't let her look while the team got to work, transferring Kate to a plastic sheet and pulling her shirt open, the defibrillator powering up with a whine.
Natasha held her firm, keeping Yelena still, watching the team.
“Clear!”
They both flinch at the sound of electricity.
And the next, and the next.
Yelena holds onto her, Natasha doesn’t let go.
-x-
Doctor Cho’s equipment was unmatched, and saved Kate Bishop’s life.
The cradle reattached tendons in her fingers, otherwise they would be useless with how shattered her hand was. It fixed her bones, reduced the swelling in her brain, got the remnants of water out of her lungs, and was able to transfuse blood fast enough to keep her heart pumping.
The rest took longer. Her bones were healed but still delicate, she would need bed rest and a lot of it, which wasn’t a problem considering the medical coma she was currently in.
Broken arm.
Fractured leg.
Two unsuccessful gunshots, minor trauma to the chest.
Four broken ribs, and a punctured lung.
Two broken fingers, on her least dominant hand.
Laceration through the arm.
Puncture in the stomach, intense abdominal trauma.
Multiple contusions formed along her face, under her clothing too.
The doctor didn’t say it, as Yelena stood with her sister and stared with hollow eyes, Kate’s blood still under her nails, despite being scrubbed away.
They both knew it, anyway.
If it wasn’t for the Cradle, she would have died.
Days pass. Yelena couldn't leave.
Now, she stared numbly at the rise and fall of Kate’s chest. She hadn’t been able to touch her since she was stabilised, and the memory of how her body felt as she broke it beneath her hands-
She swallowed the bile in her throat.
“Belova.”
She looked up, Maria was at the door. She looked tired but alert, a coffee in her hand despite the late hour. The woman placed a folder down and pulled a chair over, noticeably not reacting to the cold expression following her every move, and settled in it with a quiet sigh.
Maria was one of the only people not to look at her with fear, anger, or pity since the incident, in fact, she was annoyingly nonplussed about the whole thing.
She guessed Maria was familiar with the violence a Widow could cause.
Peter hadn't been able to look her in the eye since they brought her in a week ago, despite visiting every day. Yelena always remained, a shadow in the room, an echo stood over the woman she loved.
His reaction hurt more than she was willing to admit.
Would Kate be like that? Flinching at every movement, at every touch? Maybe now she'll finally see what so many other people do, the split second of fear they have when she introduces her girlfriend, the master assassin.
“What is it?” she asked, her throat dry. Maria looked up, eyebrow raised, and passed the coffee over. Yelena took it, chugging the burning liquid in three deep gulps, and throwing it into the bin.
“The Widow and Ronin are waiting for you. You know where.”
Yelena clenched her fists and stood, hesitating for a moment to look at Kate’s bruised face, closing her eyes as her breath caught in her throat again.
“You kept her alive, you know?”
She tapped her pen against her knee, tablet in her hand, her head tilted as she acknowledged Yelena, who glared.
“Is that a joke?”
Maria shook her head but didn’t look away. She had stared down Gods and monsters before, this was far from being out of her comfort zone.
“I don't joke in uniform.”
Yelena didn't move, the only sound breaking the silence was the gentle beep of Kate's heart monitor.
“You’re trained to kill quickly and efficiently, Yelena. Even with his pheromone order telling you to make it slow, you should have killed her in the alley. Somehow you managed to hold back.”
Maria twisted her pen again, expertly controlling it to roll over her knuckles.
“It's also worth noting the way you completed the order was reversible. You could have slit her throat, torn out her insides, but drowning her?”
She steadied the pen, implication hanging between them as Yelena took in her words. Eventually, Maria sighed and leaned back in her chair.
“You resisted the order from a guy who made a man to throw boiling coffee over himself. You’re stronger than you think, Yelena.”
Yelena bit her tongue and left, the door shutting quietly behind her. Maria grumbled under her breath and messaged an intern to bring another coffee.
-x-
He is alone for the first time in a week, walking down the street without a care in the world, despite the deep furrow in his brow.
They watch him get a free newspaper and tell a crying child to shut up, then tell the mother to take a long walk off a short pier, smirking as she runs off to do just that, her mute son running after her.
There's no remorse for his orders, and the control is terrifying to witness.
“I’m going in.”
There’s a crackle over the comms as Clint turns them off, as well as his hearing aid. Natasha and Yelena stood on top of the building, watching as the man walked past the alley.
The Ronin punched him in the throat and grabbed him before he could get past, dragging him down into the depths and shoving him against the wall.
“-ill yourself!” the man wheezed, and Clint smiled with the friendliness of a bullet to the head, hitting him in the diaphragm once more and catching him as he bent over.
“That’s it, buddy,” he said, maybe a little too loud, sticking a needle in his throat, “that’s it.”
The needle emptied, and the man went rigid, falling to the ground. He was still aware of everything, eyes moving uselessly as the Ronin knelt down next to him.
“You messed with the wrong people.”
He shoved a wad of fabric in his mouth, covered his head with a tarp, and, for good measure, punched him unconscious. He looked up to them, held up a thumb, and then got back to dragging him to the blank van they had acquired.
“Are you ready for this, sestra?”
The White Widow nodded and grappled down, the Black Widow following a second later. They all willingly stepped back into their darkness for this, without a moment of doubt.
-x-
Kate woke with a quiet whine. Her body ached, her arm most of all, and she tried to move, but her stomach was in agony. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton wads, and there was a really annoying beep that already pushed her to the edges of her sanity.
“‘Lena?” she hushed, voice raw, heart spiking (along with that beep) as she looked around until the blonde came into view.
She wore Kate’s college sweater, BISHOP sewn over her breast, and gym trousers rolled to her knees. Her eyes were sore but expectant. She looked so tired.
Immediately, the beeping slowed down.
Kate tried to hold up her hand, barely getting it up an inch before it fell weakly to her side.
Yelena knelt next to her bed, hands resting just out of reach of Kate's fingers.
“I am here, Kate Bishop.”
She smiled at the name, her face ached. Everything ached.
“How long was I out?” she asked, wincing at the scrape of her voice along her throat. Yelena passed her some water, holding it for her as she took tiny sips, gently placing it on the table next to her bed.
“Nine days,” she answered, blinking quickly and looking down, “eight were medically induced, only one was your body. You should be… okay, for now.”
Kate nodded, slowly because her brain felt like mush, and a movement faster may make it leak from her nose. Yelena didn't look up, her brows bouncing together and her lip slowly moving into a frown.
“Are you okay?” She asked, and Yelena snapped her eyes up, disbelief and mild agitation colouring her expression.
“Kate, I beat you to death. I drowned you. You’re asking if I’m okay?”
Kate smiled, eyebrow raising at her outburst, not quite laughing, but she was close.
“Yeah,” she grunted, raising her hand again, “are you?”
Yelena ignored her shaking arm, clawing at her hair between her fingers, and pushed her face into her palms. Her head hurt.
“No, I am not okay.” she moaned into the darkness, “I was aware the entire time.”
Kate swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d thought Yelena was present but had hoped she was wrong.
“That man. I don’t know what he did, it was like the chemical subjection, but there was no decision I made. I was a puppet and he pulled my strings. I swear to you Kate I didn't... I had no choice but to-”
Her voice cracked and she looked away, leaning back further in her seat, and Kate tried to reach for her, hand falling pathetically short.
"I'm so sorry."
Yelena crossed her arms to hold herself together, nose flaring as she took calming breaths, the tears in her eyes thick once again.
"You have nothing to be-"
“Kate, I felt your bones break because of me.”
The other woman narrowed her eyes in concentration and sat forward with a strangled grunt. The blonde whipped her head up in time for Kate to wrap her hand around Yelena's, keeping as firm a grip as she could, and flopped back with a dizzying breath.
“What-?”
“Oh my god,” she groaned, blinking the spots out of her vision, “terrible idea. Next time hold my hand when I want you to, damn it. Wow.”
She took another breath and exhaled again, deflating, her thumb running along the back of Yelena's even as the other woman shook.
“Lena, it’s okay-”
“It isn’t, Kate.”
Blue eyes drifted back to green, and Yelena let tears fall at the broken face trying to smile at her, to comfort her , when she was the one to break it.
“Yel-”
“I'm dangerous and this just shows it. It’s ridiculous to think I could be anything less than a killer-”
“Yelena,” she cut in, squeezing Yelena’s hand, cutting her off with just a word, pulling her hand to get her attention, “it wasn’t your fault. None of it was. I don’t blame you at all, and if anyone does I’ll shove my cast right up where the sun don’t shine.”
Yelena’s face crumpled and she looked away, she couldn’t watch her earnest expression anymore, it hurt, she had done this, and-
“And by that, I don’t mean Forks, Washington.”
A shocked laugh wracked her frame, and Yelena covered her mouth with her spare hand. It was inappropriate to laugh, but Kate smiled anyway.
“You always find a way to bring that stupid movie into my day,” she complained with no ire at all, and Kate beamed as best as she could, more like a wince than anything.
“It’s the best movie of our time.”
“I don’t agree.”
“That’s okay, you can be wrong sometimes.”
Yelena chuckled wetly, and Kate squeezed her hand, getting her attention again.
“You know, I’m pretty sure you did all you could to keep me alive.”
Yelena vehemently disagreed, her knee-jerk reaction was to scoff and continue her mission to convince Kate she should never see her again, when the archer squeezed her hand.
“Think about it,” she asked, coughing through her words, “please.”
Yelena couldn't deny Kate Bishop anything. She closed her eyes and examined it like Natasha and Maria had.
She was a Black Widow assassin, the best the Red Room had ever created.
Her shots were never spread apart, but they had been, which meant the Kevlar worked.
When she stabbed someone's arm she ripped it down, severing every vein and artery. She also never left a target with a weapon inside of them.
If bludgeoning someone, she would repeatedly hit their head, not spread her attacks out.
Finally, she would never drown someone, and if she did, their neck would be snapped out of precaution alone.
Kate squeezed her hand again, her eyes feeling heavy, and Yelena noticed.
“You saved me, ‘Lena, and I'm not gonna stop loving you because of some guy.”
Yelena ducked her head, resting it on her arms, holding Kate's one uninjured hand in both of her own. Her shoulders shook with tears and Kate kept a firm grip, whispering words in what she knew of Yelena's mother tongue for comfort.
“I do not deserve you.”
“But you do, and I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
Eventually, Yelena moved, got on the chair, and sat by the head of Kate's bed, not daring to get in it with her, but awkwardly resting next to her pillow, leaning her body to the side.
The archer smiled as much as she could, her eyes drooping.
“I got a bright side to all this,” Kate said, her voice cracking, “we get time off work. I can finally watch the rest of Sex and the City with you!”
Yelena laughed through her nose and, after a moment of hesitation, led by Kate's gentle nod, kissed her forehead.
“You are always finding a bright side.”
Kate's good eye moved in a slow blink.
“I said I would.”
A round of coughs then wracked her frame, and Yelena’s frown returned hand in hand with her self-loathing. Kate took her clenched fist and ran her fingers over it, making Yelena sigh and relax as best as she could.
“Ya ubil yego,” she whispered to her, and Kate didn’t even blink, “with Natasha and Barton. Made sure he regretted what he made me do.”
Kate hummed, shuffling a little closer.
“I thought you would,” she hushed back, bringing her knuckles to her mouth, and placing a kiss on the scrapes and bruises, “you still owe me ice cream, though.”
Yelena quickly wiped away her tears, she didn’t want to get any of Kate’s bandages wet, and Kate smiled sleepily, her eyes sliding shut, succumbing to the exhaustion with a whisper on her lips.
“Love you, Yel.”
Yelena kissed the hand she gripped on her own, holding it as tight as she dared, and leaned her head down beside it, watching Kate’s face as sleep took her back into its grasp.
“I love you too, moy yastreb.”
Yelena finally gave in to the sleep that beckoned her, her head awkwardly on the pillow, the two of them facing each other as they slept.
The rumoured return of the Ronin was enough to shut down the remains of Kilgrave’s operation, and drastically lower the crime rate in the city for at least a month. If that wasn't enough, then his head left on the bar of his club certainly was.
Killgrave and his file were locked away deep in S.H.I.E.L.D’s database, and soon enough, with good faith, no one would even remember he existed.