The Story of Adelaida Barnes | MCU

ix. okay, it has a lot of pockets

Addi, Natasha, and Yelena approached a gas station. "The Red Room's still active, where is it?" Natasha asked as they entered. "I have no idea. He moves location constantly. And every widow is sedated on entry and exit for maximum security." Yelena told them. "I'm just finding it hard to believe that he could stay off our radar." "Well, it's not smart to attack an Avenger if you want to stay hidden. I mean, the clue is in the name. Dreykov kills you, one of the big ones comes to avenge you." "Wait, what are the big ones?" Natasha asked. "The men." Addi said and rolled her eyes. "Not counting Clint. And Stark probably wouldn't help either."

"Well, I doubt the god from space has to take an ibuprofen after a fight. Where did you think I was all this time?" There was a moment of silence before Natasha spoke up. "I thought that you got out and were living a normal life." "And you just never made contact again?" "Honestly, I thought you didn't wanna see me." Yelena scoffed. "Bullshit. You just didn't want your baby sister to tag along, whilst you saved the world with the cool kids." Addi's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Why am I now just finding out about this?" She asked. "There's a lot about our family that you don't know." Natasha told her. "Clearly."

"You weren't really my sister." "And the Avengers aren't really your family. Why do you two always do that thing?" "Do what?" "The thing you do when you're fighting." Yelena got down on the ground. "This thing that you do when you whip your hair when you're fighting with the arm and the hair. And you do, like, a fighting pose. It's a fighting pose. You're total posers." "We're not posers." Yelena laughed. "Oh, come on. I mean, they're great poses, but it does look like you think everyone is looking at you, like, all the time."

"All that time that we spent posing, we were trying to actually do something good to make up for all the pain and suffering that we caused. Trying to be more than just trained killers." "Well, then you were fooling yourselves because pain and suffering is every day and we are all still trained killers. Except I'm not the one that's on the cover of a magazine. I'm not the killers that little girls call their heroes." Yelena said and left. Addi went after her. 

"Why don't I remember you?" She asked. Yelena turned to her. "Mind control." She pulled out one of the vials. "Can I?" She asked. Addi nodded. She opened the vial and red dust was splashed in Addi's face. She coughed as the smoke cleared. She looked at Yelena. "Aunt Yelena?" She asked, looking at the woman who had raised her from the ages of two to seven. Yelena nodded. Addi launched herself at her and they hugged. "I'm so sorry." Addi said. Yelena pulled away. "It's not your fault."

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"That gas, the counteragent, it was synthesized in secret by an older widow from Melina's generation. I was on the mission to retrieve it, and she exposed me and I killed the widow that freed me." Yelena explained. "Did you have a choice?" Natasha asked. "What you experienced, and most of what Adelaida experienced was psychological conditioning. I'm talking about chemically altering brain functions. They're two completely different things. You're fully conscious, but you don't know which part is you. I'm still not sure."

"Sounds a lot like HYDRA. As I learn more about my powers, she gets stronger, and harder to control. I dread the day when I can't and she lets go and takes over completely." Addi said, talking about the other half of her, the Winter Widow. "Is that all there is left?" Natasha asked, gesturing to the vials. "It's the only thing that can stop Dreykov and his network of widows. He takes more every day. Children who don't have anyone to protect them. Just like us when we were small. Maybe one in twenty survives the training, becomes a widow. The rest, he kills. To him, we are just things. Weapons with no face that he can just throw away. Because there is always more. And no one's even looking for him, thanks to you and Alexei."

"Alexei?" "Dad. Did you ever look for your parents? Your real ones?" "Well, my mom abandoned me in the street like garbage. What about you?" "They destroyed my birth certificate, so I reinvented it. My parents still live in Ohio. My sister moved out west." "Is that right?" Natasha asked. "You're a science teacher. You're working part time, though, especially after you had your son. Your husband, he renovates houses. Your oldest child, your daughter, recently graduated from high school and is going to Julliard. But she's still getting over the loss of her high school boyfriend." Addi smiled and wrapped Pietro's jacket tighter around her. "That is not my story." Natasha said while laughing. "What is your story?" "I never let myself be alone long enough to think about it."

"Did you ever wish for more kids?" Yelena asked. "I want a dog." She said, putting on a vest. Natasha didn't respond. "Did you?" Yelena asked Addi. "I don't know. I think it would be nice. Maybe Wanda, Vision, and I will adopt. Two little boys. Twins." She said, thinking of the vision she saw just a few seconds earlier. "Where you gonna go?" Natasha asked Yelena. "I don't know. I don't really have anywhere to go back to, so I guess anywhere. Don't." "Don't what?" "You're going to give me some big hero speech, I can feel it." "Speeches aren't really my thing." "Huh."

"It was more like an invitation." "To go to the Red Room and kill Dreykov?" Addi and Natasha nodded. "Even though the Red Room is impossible to find and Dreykov is too slippery to kill?" They nodded again. "That sounds like a shitload of work." "Yup." Addi responded. "Could be fun, though." She said. "Yup." Natasha looked over to the garage across the street. "I saw where he put the keys." "Top drawer, green cabinet." They all clinked their beers together.

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They had stolen the car from the garage and Natasha was driving them down the highway. "You know, this is the first piece of clothing I've ever bought for myself." Yelena said, talking about the vest. "That?" Natasha questioned. "Yeah. You don't like it?" "Is that like a... is it army surplus, or..." "Okay, it has a lot of pockets. But I use them all the time, and I made some of my own modifications." Natasha laughed. "Shut up. The point is, I've never... I've never had control over my own life before, and now I do. I want to do things." "I like your vest." Natasha said. "I knew it. I knew you did. It's so cool, right?"

"It's good. Yes. I like it." "And you can put so much stuff in there. You wouldn't even know." "Like a knife?" Addi questioned. "Yes. Like a knife." Yelena said, looking back at her. She turned back to Natasha. "I really don't know where the Red Room is, though. I'm sorry." "I know. But I think I know somebody who does." "Oh, yeah. Who?" "We're gonna need a jet."