meet me at our spot | n.r x oc | ✓

3 - no body left to check

Budapest
[natasha's pov]

I walk cautiously into the apartment complex, eyeing the other residents walking about. A flock of white pigeons fly away at my presence. I seem to have that effect on people, too.

I take the creaky elevator up several levels and the doors open to meet the vent that stashed a loaded Glock 26 and a key. I walked a few steps over to the designated apartment and jiggled the key into the lock.

"I know you're out there,"
an accented voice spoke from behind the door. I grab my gun from behind my belt and walk in.

"I know you know I'm out here,"
I respond.

The apartment is quiet, peaceful but unnerving at the same time. I start sweeping the rooms, my gun held in front of me.

"Then why are you skulking about like it's a minefield?"

"'Cause I don't know if I can trust you."

Yelena chuckled.
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing."

"So, are we gonna talk like grown ups?"
I side step to the doorframe of the living area and meet Yelena, who matches my stance stance with her gun pointing at me.

"Is that what we are?"

She backs up as I walk closer to her.

"Put it down before I make you."

"You put yours down,"
I negotiate. Yelena trips behind her own feet and I can't help but tease her.
"Watch your step."

Yelena lets out a soft, unimpressed chuckle. We're now standing in the small kitchen and I take advantage of her misstep and went in to snatch her gun. Unfortunately, Yelena was trained the same way I had been, and she had the same idea. So we're back at square one, with our guns pointing at each other.

I smile at her before grabbing both of her hands and placing a swift kick to her chest. She grunts and grabs the collar of my shirt, twisting me around and then throwing my body back and forth between a doorframe. I retaliate by grabbing her neck and throwing her into a kitchen cabinet that splinters over Yelena's head. I hold Yelena's head over the sink, her body laying on the counter.

"Stay down. Stay down. Stay down."
I warned.

She lets out a scream as she smashes me in the head with a china plate. I fall back and she runs in with a towel to strangle me, but I grab the end of it and twist it around her neck. She manages to push her foot off the counter and rolls backwards, sending me flying into another room with my foot smashing through the glass door.

We move our fight into the living room, me dodging the knife in Yelena's hand. I manage to kick it away and sit on top of Yelena's shoulders, holding her in a headlock with my legs. She throws me against a wall and I yank the curtains off its rings, wrapping it around Yelena's neck. She throws me down, tying the other end of the curtains around my neck and we tackle each other to the floor.

"Stop,"
I say in a strained voice.

Yelena and I have our foots planted on each other's stomachs, hands pulling the curtain tightly. I see Yelena really struggling to breathe and my big sister instincts took over. I don't want to hurt her.