#greatcstarcher

Body froze, shoulders unmoving as she replayed the words in her mind. I overheard you talking earlier. Yelena’s heartbeat quickens without her permission, her mouth dried before she could even open it, but her expression stayed neutral as she turned toward Kate and hummed curiously. “And what did you hear, Kate Bishop?” She didn’t even bother to add the word think — gaslighting the other wasn’t an option.

The job had taken longer than expected. But the target she had left three days ago to kill was now very dead, and Yelena now stood next to the archer with a heart shaped box of chocolates in her hand. Because that's what she was supposed to do on Valentine's Day. Right?

comes from here

The stage was set right in the middle of a bustling city street, sunlight pouring down and making everything shimmer. Skyscrapers towered overhead, and the murmur of the crowd buzzed with anticipation behind the barricades. Cameras swiveled, reporters jostled for the best angles, and the hum of city life blended with excited chatter.

Bob stood front and center, his blond roots catching the light, golden eyes bright but a little wide with nerves. He clapped his hands together awkwardly, a goofy grin plastered across his face.

Valentina’s voice cut through the noise, warm and confident as she stepped forward. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my honor to introduce the Thunderbolts—your new Avengers.”

Bob puffed out his chest and gave a big, enthusiastic clap—offbeat but totally sincere. The battle against the Void, the chaos, the powers—it all felt like a blurry dream he couldn’t quite piece together.

Yelena paused, hesitant as her green hues moved from the Widow's bites she had just slid off of her wrists to the excitedly impatient face of Kate Bishop. Absolutely nothing could go wrong with this, nothing at all. For the other's offering, it was easy, a simple bow and a few arrows — a weapon the blonde had used only a few times in training, though one that she at least had some kind of experience with. The bands that had an almost permanent home on her wrists since the day she received them in the Red Room on the other hand, well, they were more than just simple and outside of seeing her use them, Kate hadn't had any experience with them before that moment.

But — she trusted her and, more than that, she wanted the other to be prepared with any weapon that would fall into her hands.

"Okay, be careful. These... really hurt." Yelena explained with a grimace, trying to hide just how unsure she was at being on the receiving end of the bites. "If you somehow manage to shoot yourself, I cannot save you, Kate Bishop." She took the brunette's hand, warm in her own, and held it out while she slid the wristband over it. Then repeated the same action with Kate's other hand. "These are not toys and I know you know that, but you have also never been on the receiving end of these. Ask John Walker, it is not fun."