RESURRECTION OVERTURE ▹ barnes-romanoff

nineteen.

𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄.
chapter nineteen
a trio of spiders

BUDAPEST is not how Svetlana remembers it.

The city looks different once she is a part of it, blending into crowds like the spy she and her mother were trained to be. She is used to seeing places from the rooftops, from the shadows. Now, she is in the sunlight and amongst its people, and she can't help but drink it in, even if things are bad, even if they're both serious and silent as they move through the city.

The apartment complex her mother leads her into is quiet, simple. Laundry hangs on lines between apartment railings. A flock of white birds are startled and their wings flutter as they fly away. The elevator creaks and groans as it travels upward. The training runs too deep for Svetlana to forget studying her surroundings; the woman sweeps by the stairwell, the sound of a child crying behind the door of apartment 106, her mother letting out a subtle sigh as the back of her head hits the mirrored wall with a quiet exhale.

Svet is kind enough to not mention it.

Though, she can tell whatever they're about to walk into... Natasha is definitely not looking forward to it. Based upon that alone, Svetlana feels reasonable in being a little wary.

She decides not to mention that, too.

"Watch the hall?" It's a question rather than a directive. Svet likes that.

The girl smiles a little, "Da."

Natasha smiles back and crouches down by a small storage hold, pulling out what the teen guesses will be a firearm. Svetlana keeps her back to her, sleepily yawning and nonchalantly studying the wall. All is clear for now. When her mother turns back to her, she's wearing a small tight smile and one of two Glock 26 subcompact 9mm pistols are being held out to her.

Ah. Something familiar.

Svetlana readily accepts it, smoothly racking the weapon to check its cartridge before tossing it hand to hand to get used to its weight and feel. Natasha watches her daughter silently, eyes tracking her movements closely, looking somewhere between proud and terribly, terribly sad.

Svet immediately stills, catching her breath a little, "YA sdelal chto—to ne tak?" Did I do something wrong?

Natasha's green eyes soften almost imperceptibly and she sharply shakes her head, "Not at all." She clears her throat and rolls her shoulders back in preparation, "Whatever happens, please stay behind me and don't get involved."

Svetlana feels something shift in her change, a twinge of concern. If she doesn't want her to get involved, then why did she give her a gun? If she wants them to work together, then why is she is making her take cover?

Something is very, very wrong.

Natasha slips the key into the lock of an apartment marked '406', but before it can even open, there's a muffled voice calling through the door, "I know you're out there."

Natasha stills. Svetlana feels herself tense.

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

The door swings open, allowing both redheads to slip inside. The door slams loudly behind them. Natasha keeps her body blocking Svet's own, clearing each room with her weapon raised. There's a weapons room and a kitchen and a bicycle by the door.

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

Svetlana flinches, but Natasha pushes onward, hand reaching back to pull her closer.