one step forward- black widow x b99

FOUR

you can't save everyone

you can't save me

THE HORROR STILL KEEPS ME AWAKE

2017

Stacy swiftly grabs ahold of Jake's arm, tugging at it without giving an explanation as to why. But Jake trusts his wife no matter what, and this is why he allows Stacy to often take the lead on missions, especially ones with reckless and impulsive actions. So, the two blondes sprint across the hallway to make their way over to where Natasha and Yelena are currently hiding behind the painted wall. As this happens, bullets fire from the guns, aimed at embedding into their skin and eliminating them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Natasha hisses.

Deciding to ignore the angered and confused older sister, Stacy reaches over Yelena's body where the tips of her fingers then graze over an object. The switch is flipped without any warning, causing a series of explosions to echo throughout each room in the apartment. Dust fills the tense air, making it even harder to see. Hitched breaths could be heard throughout the room.

Amidst the chaos, Jake's face contorts into a mix of surprise and worry. "Well, this is not how I imagined a family outing," he mutters under his breath.

Using this opportunity to their advantage, all four of them ran forward from each of the rooms in order to make their way to the front door—the only way to escape right now. A few Widows were knocked down along the way, strategically chosen to minimize the chances of being chased and to reduce the number of Widows hunting them. Pained shouts and grunts filled the air, accompanied by the crashing sound of guns hitting the ground and their bodies as the pain spreads and worsens.

As they make their way towards the front door, Stacy notices several Widows blocking their path. Jake, ever the source of comic relief, glances at her with a wry smile.

"You know, honey," he says, his voice laced with a touch of sarcasm, "I always dreamed of a romantic evening with bullets flying and explosions all around. Who needs candlelit dinners?"

Stacy rolls her eyes, a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "You have the weirdest fantasies, Jake."

Their banter provides a brief respite from the tension, but the reality of their situation remains.

The four of them navigate the way out, their senses heightened and their hearts pounding. The sound of gunfire, shouts, and the occasional grunt fills the air, a stark reminder of the danger they face. In the midst of it all, Jake's quick wit serves as a fleeting distraction, momentarily lightening the weight of their predicament.

Stacy wonders how Jake is handling all of this. Her sisters were used to this life. She herself, had once been used to this life. What did Jake think about all of this?

[At the moment, Jake had been thinking, "What did I marry into?"]

"Where are we trying to get to?" Natasha asks, urgency filling her voice. "You have a plan, right?"

"To the motorbikes. They're parked on the east side of the building," Yelena informs them.

The four of them sprint through the hallways of the apartment complex, their legs moving as fast as they can. Bullets whiz past them, fired by the Widows who are determined to harm or even kill them. Stacy feels a pang of sorrow knowing that these girls were once her, Natasha Yelena's friends, now forced to fight against them on Dreykov's orders. The sound of breaking glass fills the air as windows shatter, showering the ground with a cascade of shards.