YELENA.

“I was in a ship, in space, and it exploded. Not sure how I’m supposed to just move on from that and go be a doctor again.”

“Seeing possible futures is not as fun as people like to think it is. Until you experience it yourself.. it is difficult to truly explain.”

“are you some kind of idiot or somethin’?! don’t touch my stuff!”

“..was I supposed to be listening? If you haven’t noticed, there are more important things currently keeping me occupied.”

“No, sorry. I actually uh, missed out on the second half of the Gala. And the after party.” And the next couple days after that as the Quiet Council and the Five ultimately decided to resurrect her.

“—sorry! Didn’t mean to land so close to you! Are you alright? I didn’t step on you did I?”

“No, you can’t pet Amazing Baby. He’s working.”

“It’s cold out— you should be wearing gloves!”

“I am not the Vision you remember— he is gone. I will never be him, but I know no other name. Even if it feels strange, and even though this body feels as though it does not quite belong to me— it is part of who I am.”

“There’s been a lot going on. Been busy. If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”

“More than that.” Melina answered confidently, smiling at the question. After everything their family had gone through in ending the Red Room once and for all, it was clear that Alexei had a newfound and rekindled love for the girls. Melina liked to think that he realized how much of a mistake it was to sell them back to the Red Room the way he did. Between Yelena being changed and Natalia being… well, pregnant, Melina couldn’t keep up. She knew better than to bring up Natalia in the moment, though. It was very confusing and overwhelming for her younger daughter and the last thing she wanted to do was upset her. “I’m sorry I didn’t storm in there myself and come get you. By the time I realized what was happening, it was over. Living out here has its disadvantages.” After so much time being controlled and robbed of her own free will, living on the ranch was one decision that Melina could control, as much as it kept her out of the loop. “Changed how?”

Daisy made a slight face at the squirting of the Sriracha bottle as she watched Yelena smother the mac and cheese with it. As the bowl was passed to her, she hesitated before grabbing her fork and taking a slow bite. When it actually hit her tongue, she was pretty surprised. “Okay, it’s not bad.” She admitted, chewing some and swallowing before continuing. “Weird, but not bad.”

Clint couldn’t help but smile at Yelena’s laugh, nodding at her words. He knew they sounded crazy because they were. Honestly, he was sure that in another reality there was a Clint who went in there to kill Natasha and was completely smoked. “I remember sitting there, looking through the scope of my rifle and just thinking to myself that she looked really, really unhappy.” Clint admitted, taking a deep breath. 

It was no secret how messed up the Red Room was, and Yelena of all people knew just what Clint meant. His finding Natasha happened before they had any of their mind control technology, and he was sure it would have gone differently if they did. “I leveled with her. Told her that I could tell she wanted out. I’m sure if I went in there guns ablazing she would have just killed me. But she didn’t.”

"She was.” Yelena confirmed. “I know it, even if I didn’t see her then. I’m sure she told you about Ohio and what Alexei and Melina did. Did you know that when they tried to take us back to the Red Room she took a gun and threatened to shoot them if they hurt me? I was six.” Yelena’s voice was wistful. “And she wanted to save me. Natasha was never their brainwashed mind controlled puppet like the rest of us. She was unhappy because she knew she was being used.”

Yelena had been a child. They both were, but she had been young enough to be malleable. She hadn’t even realized Dreykov was controlling her until she had been freed. Clint had known Natasha for longer than Yelena had, but Yelena knew her as a child. She had seen her spark before Natasha had known how to channel it into a blaze. 

“This situation is ongoing. Everything’s changing by the day and I’m hoping that the official press reveal will go positively, but I think we both know how large meetings tend to go.” Medusa sighed, shaking her head softly. Ulysses wasn’t a huge secret anymore, but the Inhumans had yet to actually go fully public. She wanted to do things as delicately as possible. “That does tend to be the main takeaway for most people.”

“What school did you go to?” Gabby asked curiously, nodding her head along with Yelena’s words. “I didn’t either. I’ve done some schooling on Krakoa but it’s not really the traditional either.” Gabby spent more time learning how to use her powers and whatnot. “America sucks, so that makes sense. I mean… they’re called yankees for crying out loud.”

“Okay, but have you had the ones shaped like little characters? Those always tasted better somehow, I couldn’t tell you why.” Miles laughed, looking down at the Sriracha and raising his eyebrows as Yelena passed the bowl over. He never thought to combine the two, but he figured why the hell not as he took a spoon and ate a bite, making a slight face at the spice. Miles was used to it, of course, given his mom’s cooking, but he just forgot he wasn’t eating normal mac and cheese. As he swallowed it, he couldn’t help but smile at the assassin. “Okay, that’s actually kinda fire. Literally and figuratively.”

“Sounds like you should give her a call, then.” Monica tried to dismiss Yelena as she continued to walk, but then the blonde stood in front of her and the scientist stopped abruptly and crossed her arms. “Of course.” She muttered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again as she tilted her head and shrugged at Yelena’s words. While Monica was funding the Thunderbolts and in very close contact with Valentina, the scientist wasn’t behind all of that. Would she have used the same tactic, though? Absolutely. It was right there, an easy emotional manipulator to get Yelena to go after Barton. “I might be I’m funding your little team, but I’m not Thunderbolts HR. Any issues you have with Valentina I suggest you contact her directly. She’s not in today.”