August 1: Committed
Title: Committed
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Fandom: Black Widow, BtVS
Character(s): Antonia Dreykov, Melina Vostokoff, Red Room Assassins/Black Widows
Rating: PG/FR-13
Summary: Melinda Vostokoff promised to take care of freed Red Room assassins-all of them.
Length: ~490 words
Disclaimer: Only the words are mine, and that’s probably up for philosophical debate.
Notes: Spoilers for Black Widow. Don't say I didn't warn you. For BTVS, set after S7 and borrows random bits from the comics.
“Sir!”
Melina didn’t know who she had just handed over flight duties to, but she was certain that the young woman was more than up to the task. Not one person on their flight (except for perhaps Alexei...though he wasn’t all bad) was anything less than exceptional. Particularly the young woman Melina had come to see.
“Antonia…” Two days ago Melina would have sworn that any maternal instinct she had were both artificial and far beyond rusty. But she had found herself falling into them quite naturally with her girls. And she found found herself falling into it quite naturally with the scarred young woman lying before her.
“Antonia,” she said again as she brushed damp hair away the woman’s forehead. “I know you are not all right, but are you well enough?” Melina had rarely spoken Russian to Natasha and Yelena when they were young to help them maintain their cover. She spoke it without hesitation to Antonia, though the tone she used-soothing, welcoming and soft-was the same.
Though she was trembling all over, Antonia grasped Melina’s free hand with a surprisingly strong grip. “We have to go to Scotland.”
Melina frowned. “Why Scotland? Even so, we don’t have enough fuel.”
“We have to go to Scotland,” Antonia said again with almost feverish intensity.
Melina tried to soothe her, but Antonia’s grip only tightened. “What is so important about Scotland.”
“Slayers.”
Every woman within earshot tensed. Slayer was anathema to Black Widows and Red Room assassins. Almost like the pheromone blockers, they were taught early and often to avoid any contact with the slayer and her watcher-or slayers and watchers. Times had changed for everyone.
Melina was shaking her head long before the words came. “You know we can’t--”
Shockingly, Antonia’s grip tightened. “I am one. We can go. Have to go.”
Melina’s bones felt like water. “You are…” She couldn’t even bring herself to say the word, not in any of the half dozen languages she knew. “...one of them? How? The chemical conditioning doesn’t work on them?”
“Child. Started early. Trauma. Drugs worked.”
Antonia’s trembling increased. Immediately, Melina stretched out her free hand, reaching for the medical bag that one of the young women had thoughtfully left near Antonia’s bedside. “You, prepare the sedative,” she said to whomever was nearest.
Antonia’s trembling grew stronger. Her grip on Melina’s hand almost crushing. “No drugs. No more. Ever.”
“All right, all right…” Melina said, smoothing her hand over Antonia’s brow. “No drugs. Never again.”
“And Scotland.”
“Antonia, we can’t--”
“Scotland!”
The wild look in her eyes was worse than the deep muscles tremors. Melina sighed deeply. “All right, all right! We will go to Scotland. And we will meet them. Then we will go to my safehouse when it does not work.”
But Antonia was no longer listening. For the first time since Natasha had freed her from her father’s (from Melina’s) chemical bondage, she was at rest.
fin
Author: Vashti (tvashti)
Fandom: Black Widow, BtVS
Character(s): Antonia Dreykov, Melina Vostokoff, Red Room Assassins/Black Widows
Rating: PG/FR-13
Summary: Melinda Vostokoff promised to take care of freed Red Room assassins-all of them.
Length: ~490 words
Disclaimer: Only the words are mine, and that’s probably up for philosophical debate.
Notes: Spoilers for Black Widow. Don't say I didn't warn you. For BTVS, set after S7 and borrows random bits from the comics.
“Sir!”
Melina didn’t know who she had just handed over flight duties to, but she was certain that the young woman was more than up to the task. Not one person on their flight (except for perhaps Alexei...though he wasn’t all bad) was anything less than exceptional. Particularly the young woman Melina had come to see.
“Antonia…” Two days ago Melina would have sworn that any maternal instinct she had were both artificial and far beyond rusty. But she had found herself falling into them quite naturally with her girls. And she found found herself falling into it quite naturally with the scarred young woman lying before her.
“Antonia,” she said again as she brushed damp hair away the woman’s forehead. “I know you are not all right, but are you well enough?” Melina had rarely spoken Russian to Natasha and Yelena when they were young to help them maintain their cover. She spoke it without hesitation to Antonia, though the tone she used-soothing, welcoming and soft-was the same.
Though she was trembling all over, Antonia grasped Melina’s free hand with a surprisingly strong grip. “We have to go to Scotland.”
Melina frowned. “Why Scotland? Even so, we don’t have enough fuel.”
“We have to go to Scotland,” Antonia said again with almost feverish intensity.
Melina tried to soothe her, but Antonia’s grip only tightened. “What is so important about Scotland.”
“Slayers.”
Every woman within earshot tensed. Slayer was anathema to Black Widows and Red Room assassins. Almost like the pheromone blockers, they were taught early and often to avoid any contact with the slayer and her watcher-or slayers and watchers. Times had changed for everyone.
Melina was shaking her head long before the words came. “You know we can’t--”
Shockingly, Antonia’s grip tightened. “I am one. We can go. Have to go.”
Melina’s bones felt like water. “You are…” She couldn’t even bring herself to say the word, not in any of the half dozen languages she knew. “...one of them? How? The chemical conditioning doesn’t work on them?”
“Child. Started early. Trauma. Drugs worked.”
Antonia’s trembling increased. Immediately, Melina stretched out her free hand, reaching for the medical bag that one of the young women had thoughtfully left near Antonia’s bedside. “You, prepare the sedative,” she said to whomever was nearest.
Antonia’s trembling grew stronger. Her grip on Melina’s hand almost crushing. “No drugs. No more. Ever.”
“All right, all right…” Melina said, smoothing her hand over Antonia’s brow. “No drugs. Never again.”
“And Scotland.”
“Antonia, we can’t--”
“Scotland!”
The wild look in her eyes was worse than the deep muscles tremors. Melina sighed deeply. “All right, all right! We will go to Scotland. And we will meet them. Then we will go to my safehouse when it does not work.”
But Antonia was no longer listening. For the first time since Natasha had freed her from her father’s (from Melina’s) chemical bondage, she was at rest.
fin