black widow

“да.” Bucky replied with a single nod. “Certainly not by choice, but it’s a good skill to have. Not that I’ll be thanking the KGB or HYDRA anytime soon.”

“Although those are certainly powerful ties to retain. I can attest to that.”

Alexei couldn’t help but scoff. “If I did not have your scornful eye watching me always, my dear, I would not know what to do with myself.” He said it jokingly, but it was also partly true.

“Crash and burn, my love,” the ‘my love’ was mostly sarcastic, but partly not, “Crash and burn.”

“That depends on what you find more ridiculous– a giant star, or a giant 4.”

“The 4, clearly. Why advertise the number of teammates you have? Seems like shit design to me.”

“he’s the token human of our team. if you ask me, that’s about all there is to say.”

“Sounds like quite the teammate,” Melina responded dryly.

“Maybe you should start there then.”

“Marriage has always been a-- a convenience to me. Never put much thought into it. Could be why Alexei and I didn’t work out,” Melina suggested before immediately busting out laughing. Even the idea that the reason their ‘marriage’ failed was her fault was hilarious.

“I spent the last five years as ash and before that I didn’t have a strong stance, so overall I’m basically useless to you.”

Melina’s eyes widened slightly at the girl’s confession, “You were ...ashed? My sincerest apology.” Despite the cold and calculated exterior, there was a caring, empathetic human being buried deep within Melina.

“A long time ago.” She had been young when they had brought her to the mutants in America. Young when they had dragged her to hell.

Melina sucked in a breath, carefully pondering her response, the words as calculated and unfeeling as usual, “I came here looking for a friend-- family of mine. Only to find out she was killed. опрометчиво.”

“Why would I? I work well as I am.” The answer there was obvious. Out of all of its students, the Red Room had done a particular number on the little girl they wanted to replace their prodigal soon. The name Natalia had run through her mind thousands of times before they had become sisters. “You haven’t either, Melina. Or Alexei. Here we all are except for one.”

Melina scoffed, mood instantly dropping at the mention of their fallen sister, “Do not remind me.” A pause, then Melina continued, disregarding her own words, “--if we had been there, perhaps things may have gone differently.”

“It was a long time ago.” The sad words tried to mask the fact that time hadn’t softened the blow for Nadia at all. She had once been obsessed with a woman she would never meet, but Janet had helped. Now, Nadia had a mother even if it wasn’t her biological one. Life outside the Red Room had taught her that family wasn’t always blood. “Really? I wasn’t a Black Widow or anything. They preferred me in the labs. You’re from the Red Room too then. What’s your name?”

“Меня зовут мелина. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nadya.” Understanding it may have been more appropriate to shake hands ( Melina was never one for touching ) Melina gave the girl a polite nod instead.

“You were quite the smart one in the labs, no?” 

“Do they have those in Russia?”

Melina paused for a moment, “You know, I’m not completely sure.”

“I used to be, but that was when I thought my mom was dead. It was easier to feel sorry for her when she was buried and not being a degenerate. Marriage is complicated. It’s why I’m pretty sure I will never get married.” 

“I wish you had delivered this explanation to me years ago instead of now, could have saved many many fights and wasted effort.”

“Good on you. Taking initiative. When did you get in? You’re fresh.”

“Not long ago,” Melina replied, not too eager to dish out every detail of her life to the strange child beside her, “--you?”

“With that accent, you probably should just stick to ‘I agree.’“ she wasn’t being rude, in this instance.

Melina rolled her eyes, aware of how ridiculous she surely sounded, “Fair enough.”

“When you really think about it, it is kind of ridiculous.” 

“Agreed,” Melina nodded, “It’s like they think with everything but their brains.”

“привет любовь моя. At it again, are we?” His tone was sickly sweet, a fake smile stretched across his lips. “All of Russia has heard you complain, is that not enough? Now you must do it here?”

“ты не должен ожидать ничего меньшего, дорогой,” Melina replied dryly.