The Broken Ballerina | Wanda Maximoff [slow updates]

chapter twenty

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PRESENT DAY

I woke up on a boat, Natasha was next to me. She had just finished on the phone. 

"I ditched our trackers," she informed. "Or my tracker, you didn't have one."

"Where's Wanda?"

She didn't respond. 

"Natasha, where's Wanda?"

"I had to leave her. I needed to get you out," she told. 

"They're probably torturing her, Nat. They're not exactly great with people with powers!"

"You had just had a seizure. You were my priority," she explained. "We'll go back for her." 

I nodded, taking a deep breath. 

"I ditched our phones," she added. 

"Okay. Promise we go back for Wanda, okay?"

"We will. I know how much you love her," she assured. "It's kind of sweet."

"Thanks, I guess," I replied. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see. We need to hide out for a bit."

"No, we go for Wanda as soon as we hit land."

Nat shook her head, "Two days, that's all I ask, for us to get everything together."

I stared, before nodding, "Fine."

---

We stopped off to get some groceries with our new car before we went to where we would be staying for a while. It was in Norway, cut off from anyone who could recognise it. The radio mentioned our names as we pulled to a stop outside a rusty trailer. 

We entered, guns out. Rick, our supplier was asleep on the bed. 

I sighed, kicking him. 

"You're in our bed," I spoke. 

"I'm... I'm not even under the covers," he responded. 

"Did you get everything on my list?" Nat asked. 

"Got passports, entry visas, a couple of local driver's licenses. Mix and match, you should be able to stretch it to 20 or so identities," he explained. 

I froze. She lied. The plan was to never go back for Wanda. It was to run. Everything after that was just noise. I didn't listen to him as he spoke. Instead, I started to think. How could I get Wanda out? I had to get away from Nat and back to Wanda. It wasn't fair. She was alone, probably being tortured, while I was free. 

"Ugh. It's fine. I'm actually better on my own. Well on my own with Anya," Natasha answered. 

I took a deep breath, moving to look at the box by the door. It was mail. I ignored their argument about the pronunciation of Budapest. Natasha was right. I grabbed the box, putting it in the car. 

"You were never planning to go back for Wanda, were you?" I spoke up. 

"Anya..."

"20 identities isn't for someone planning to go back," I interrupted. 

"We will get her, I promised, Anya. It's a precaution," she reassured. 

"Lie to me again and I leave okay? I fucking hate lying about big things, and you know that," I warned, going back inside. 

---

That evening the generators went out while we were midway through a movie, which meant a trip into town for more fuel. I refused to let Natasha go on her own. We got to a bridge, about to pull out when we were hit with something, causing the car to fly and roll. We were hanging half off the bridge.

"Fuck, Nat, you good?"

"I'm awake," she slurred. 

I yanked my seatbelt off, doing the same to Nat's.

We began climbing up as someone began walking towards us

"I'm pretty sure Ross has no jurisdiction here," she yelled. She reached the next window. "And you should know I'm a better shot when I'm pissed off."

She began shooting, the person throwing up a shield. 

"Oh, you're kidding me," I muttered, moving to climb out of the back of the car. 

They threw the shield, it implanting itself in the window frame. We jumped out. 

They'd climbed onto the car. Nat shot up as they flipped over. They were quick to throw her to the side.

I began fighting, dodging their blows, them avoiding mine. I tried throwing fire but it was like their suit was fireproof. We both fell to the ground. I pushed myself up, watching as they landed in the same position. I tilted my head. 

"What the fuck?" I muttered.

The person turned their head, their eyes landing on something else. 

"You're not here for us," I whispered. 

Nat clocked on, quickly to what they were doing, attacking them before they could reach the parcel on the ground. She was thrown away again. 

I moved in, getting kicked down. I grabbed a grappling hook of sorts, attaching it to their leg. I grabbed the parcel, slipping the contents into my jacket. Nat blocked a blow sent my way, flying straight into the river.

"Nat," I screamed before the same happened to me. 

We emerged elsewhere, the pair of us not too far from each other. 

"Natasha," I called.

"Here," she yelled back. 

"You gotta walk to me, I'm not getting up," I shouted. Before I knew it she was standing above me. I patted the ground next to me.

"I grabbed the package they were after," I informed, pulling out the red test tubes. "It's a cure," I muttered, handing it to her. She pulled out the paper tucked into it. It was the third piece of the strip of photos from when we were younger. 

"Yelena," I spoke. 

"Yeah."

"We're going to Budapest, aren't we?"

"Yeah."