CHAPTER EIGHT, the red room

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

THUD

Ivanna's eyes snapped open and she looked around the room she was now in. She heard grunting and what sounded like something hitting a wall. Ivanna groaned and her eyes adjusted to the lighting as well as the white room she was located in.

Thud

Ivanna pushed herself into a seated position and rubbed the back of her head, confused on what was going on.

"Alexei,"

Natasha. Ivanna scrambled to her feet and raced toward the wall she heard Natasha's voice through, "Nat?"

"Vanna?" Natasha's voice sounded just as questioning, "Thank god you're awake."

"Yeah," Ivanna looked around the room, taking in the glass door and anything else she could see, "where are we?"

"The Red Room,"

"The Red Room?"

"Yes," Natasha confirmed.

Ivanna spun around and surveyed the room she was in, fear and sorrow settling in her chest. She wasn't in a room, she was in a cell. A cell with one glass door, and Alexei beating on it from his own cell.

"You've got to be kidding, Nat," Ivanna mumbled and looked back toward the wall she had heard Natasha's voice from, "how did we get here?"

"I don't know," Natasha sighed and Alexei let out a cry, causing Ivanna's face to contort in confusion.

"I can't save us, girls," Alexei informed them. Ivanna could hear his voice cracking, for once he was genuine as he spoke, "I pledged my life to a cause. You know, I thought I was being very brave. Possibly the bravest...but I wasn't being brave. I was a coward."

Alexei began sobbing and Ivanna wished she could get through the walls to talk to him, face to face.

"In Cuba, when they came and took you all from me...no cause was worth that. You should only sacrifice yourself for something-"

The sound of glass squeaking caused Ivanna to move towards the door, finding it open and Natasha striding out. Ivanna found Alexei on his knees from beating on the glass, he was staring at Natasha in shock,

"How did you do that?"

"I designed these cells myself," Natasha shrugged.

Ivanna and Alexei glanced at her with similar confusion, "What?"

Natasha looked at Ivanna, and after a few beats it all clicked. Natasha reached up toward her face and peeled it off, removing the mask she was wearing to reveal Melina.

"What?" Alexei questioned, "I bared my soul to you and it was just you the whole time."

Ivanna coughed and cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow when Alexei glanced at her.

"Yes. I'm afraid so, but shh. I'm on comms with Yelena," Melina raised her hand to her ear and Ivanna watched curiously, "Yelena, it's me. It's Mama. You have a two inch blade concealed in your belt-line."

Alexei's confusion visibly grew while Melina continued speaking, and Ivanna crossed her arms with a small smirk while she watched everything unfold. Melina continued instructing Yelena before Alexei finally spoke up, bringing his fingers to his ear as well.

"Okay girls, I'm having trouble hearing you, but Natasha there's something I need you to know," Melina watched Alexei as he spoke, "I need you to know that I'm sorry. No more excuses, okay? I have my life for a cause. I thought I was being brave."

Ivanna smirked and tried to hold back a laugh before Melina silently scolded her and turned to Alexei,

"You don't have earpiece,"

"What?"

"No, she can't hear you," Melina shook her head, "you don't have earpiece."

"Why not?"

"Because it wasn't part of the plan,"

"Oh yeah? So what was the plan?"

"And why couldn't at least I be infromed," Ivanna stuck her hand in the air.

"You were busy hiding out, Natasha and I had time to plan this out," Melina waved her hand and started leading Alexei and Ivanna away.

They entered an empty room and Alexei looked around, "Come on, now. If we're just going to press buttons and hack computers..."

"Yes," Melina nodded.

"I mean, I don't know," Alexei shook his head and looked at his hands, "There's nothing for me to do. I want to...I want to break something."

"Oh do you?" Melina looked behind Alexei and Ivanna did as well, panic setting in at the sight of the suited person she, Natasha, and Yelena had run into before, "oh there is something you could break."

Alexei turned around and chuckled, Melina grabbed Ivanna's wrist and pulled her out of the room. Leaving Alexei behind.

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"You didn't stop to think that I would've loved to know this plan?!" Ivanna questioned while she followed after Melina.

"Natasha said you would complain, but we had no time," Melina said, rushed, found the room she was looking for, and let them in.

"Fantastic," Ivanna checked the halls once more and secured the door behind her. Ivanna watched from against the door, listening for guards or widows, as Melina's fingers flew across the keyboard in front of her.

Ivanna watched Melina intently as she hacked the system, and kept as much attention as she could in the sounds outside of the room for guards, or even Alexei.

"What if this doesn't work?" Ivanna questioned while she took a peak outside of the room again and then turned back toward Melina who was still focused on the screens.

"Well, if Natasha plays her part well," Melina started, "Yelena will be able to get to the Widows with the antidote. If Yelena gets to the Widows, they'll be free. It's just the matter of getting them out safely, as well as us."

Red lights started flashing through the room, and alarms began blaring. Ivanna pushed herself off of the door and paced toward Melina,

"No, no, no!" Melina said in a rushed tone while she watched the screens go blank.

Ivanna spun around at the sounds of the door moving, "Shit!"

The blonde rushed to the door as it sealed shut, banging in the metal in anguish before looking at Melina, "No what?!"

Melina studied the space they were in, her eyes slowly dropping to a vent. Ivanna's blue eyes followed and she smirked when she and Melina thought of the same thing.

"Great thinking, Mama," Ivanna smiled in Melina's direction, receiving a similar mischievous smile in return.