BEAUTIFUL CRIMES ▹ Mama!Nat

FIVE. in which the heroes are on the defense

[ BEAUTIFUL CRIMES ]
chapter five; in which the heroes are on the defense

❝ I have no place in the world. ❞

SHE EYES THE SANDWICH NEAR THE ELECTRIC WALL. One of the agents had opened the wall for just a moment before closing it. Now, a sandwich sits on a plate, almost teasing her. She wants to eat it. She's starving by this point. She can't remember when her last meal was, but she knows it wasn't pleasant. Adelina lays back on the bed — uncomfortable cot — as she stares into space. Her eyes follow the lines on the ceiling as she ignores the angry voice in the back of her head.

It's poisoned. They want to kill you. Dreykov is angry. I'm free. What is freedom? Kill them. They fed me. They want to help. You're weak. You are marble. Do not break.

Footsteps are nearing. She knows who they belong to.

"Valieva?"

She sits up. Natasha and Maria. ">>Jesus Christ...<<" She mutters in her native language before rising to her feet. "What now?"

"Wanted to check up," Natasha offers a sliver of a smile. "I know security gave you some food earlier."

"You and I both know they probably spiked it." She deadpans. "I'm not eating SHIELD food, I'd rather starve."

"Look, Valieva, you may think this is a game, but we're trying to offer you some peace, alright?" Maria is stern. She's reaching a breaking point. Adelina hides her smirk. "We can help you get accommodated to normal life, help you adjust. Your identity hasn't been exposed to the public, there's just the Black Dahlia. We can get rid of the Dahlia, let everyone think she died. There's a chance to get out of this."

Adelina pauses to think. Her eyes, for some reason, land on Maria's hand. She notices the golden band on her ring finger. She looks to Natasha's hand; she adorns the same band on the same finger. "Oh..." Adelina nods, her brows furrowing as a smug smile spreads across her face. "I get it now. You're not helping me because SHIELD told you to, you're doing it because Natalia told you to." She snickers. "Happy wife, happy life, right?"

"I know it's easy to deflect," Natasha speaks before Maria can let out some obscenities. "To try and manipulate us. It's first nature. It doesn't have to be. Adelina, there's a life outside of the Red Room, outside of killing. You have a place here-"

"I have no place in the world." She interrupts. She sounds almost mechanic, like that line had been rehearsed a thousand times over. It breaks Natasha's heart to know that it probably has been rehearsed a thousand times over.