CHAPTER NINE, no resistance

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IVANNA SPUN AROUND the small room making sure that nothing would be caught as Melina began opening the vent. Melina opened the vent cover and began to crawl through, leaving Ivanna to follow after her soon after. The two women shimmied through until Melina was able to open another vent cover.

Ivanna waited behind while Melina crawled out and swept her leg through a guard's legs. Ivanna followed after, grabbing a guard's leg and listening to him scream in pain as she electrocuted him. Ivanna pushed herself out of the vent and rolled on the ground, kicking a guard down and jumping to her feet.

The two women fought the guards until they both had guns and were on a catwalk in the middle of the jet. Guards were charging at the women and demanding that they drop their weapons, and Melina was surveying the area around them. Guards kept demanding that Melina and Ivanna dropped their weapons when Melina finally nodded.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Melina shot toward the ceiling, where the engine was, and then dropped her gun. Ivanna made her shot as well and quickly emptied the bullets of the gun before throwing it at the heads of guards blocking her and Melina.

"Shit," Ivanna mumbled as more guards made their way into the pit, only to see what was happening and scramble out of the room.

"Yelena, slight change of plan," Melina spoke as she and Ivanna started walking along the catwalk and I completely demolished one of the engines and we are going into a controlled crash."

Ivanna rolled her eyes as she waited for Melina to finish talking to Yelena, they needed to get out.

"No," Melina spoke suddenly, the men on the ground were coughing and groaning as debris fell on them, "We have to go."

Melina and Ivanna ran as fast as they could back to the room where the women had left Alexei. Ivanna froze instantly at the sight of the man struggling with the suited figure. Melina disappeared, only to show up once more a few moments later. Melina threw her body onto the suited soldier and threw them into a cell. Alexei quickly locked it and Melina landed on the ground.

"We need to get out of here," Ivanna interrupted the two as they started talking to each other, "at least you. I need Nat."

Alexei tried to stop Ivanna, but she took off through the corridors in search of her sisters.

After a while, Ivanna ran into Yelena. The blonde held vials with the red inside of them. Ivanna's blue eyes widened at the sight of Yelena,

"Vanna," Yelena breathed quickly.

"Natasha, we need to go," Ivanna instructed and the two blonde women took off with one another.

They reached Dreykov's office, only to find Natasha to be struggling against the widows. Ivanna's hand flew to her forehead as she spotted the scene in front of her. Natasha had taken a beating, much worse than Ivanna ever thought imaginable.

Ivanna grabbed a loose baton from the ground and started swinging, using her hands to physically electrocute the widows as well.

"Yelena!" Ivanna shouted in Yelena's direction, "The vials!"

Yelena nodded and threw the vials to Natasha, and when the vials reached her hands Natasha busted the collection of vials. Ivanna watched a red cloud fill the air, falling onto the widows attacking her, Yelena, and Natasha. The girls released their hold from Yelena, Ivanna, and Natasha, giving the three women the chance to get to one another.

"Hey," Yelena helped Natasha up to her feet, Natasha groaned in response, "are you okay?"

"That looks like it hurts," Ivanna informed Natasha who waved her hand to silence the blondes.

Russian words pulled the women's attention back to the group of Widows surrounding them. It was Natasha who took over instructing the girls, "Get as far away from here as possible. You get to make your own choices now."

The sounds of explosions met the girls' ears even more, and Ivanna looked around releasing her hold on Natasha's wrist and dropping the baton in her hand.

"We need to get out of her," she mumbled and Natasha nodded.

"We need to find Dreykov," Natasha corrected, "are you coming?"

"I'm right behind you," Yelena spoke and Ivanna nodded. The Widows and sisters started moving toward the door when Natasha froze in her tracks,

"Wait, wait!" She called after Ivanna and Yelena, "I have to go back."

Ivanna nodded swiftly, then she and Yelena made a run to leave.

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"They were supposed to be here," Ivanna spoke while she and Yelena reached the platform with jets and planned. Yelena glanced around and found an engine to the jet Dreykov was on, taking the baton she had and rushing toward it.

"Yelena!" Ivanna screamed after Yelena and began to follow her, "Yelena don't be stupid!"

"Yelena!" Natasha's voice caused Ivanna to spin around. The redhead was running in their direction. Yelena pulled the baton apart and held it above the engine, "Don't do it!"

"This was fun!"

"Yelena!" Ivanna shouted as Yelena jammed the baton into the jet's engine. Ivanna lunged after Yelena as the jet exploded and Yelena's body went flying through the air but was stopped by Natasha, "Nat she could die!"

"I know," Natasha snapped and ran forward to grab a parachute and dove after Yelena.

Ivanna followed soon after, but only when seeing the suited figure they had been fighting so often going after Natasha. If Natasha was caught, Yelena wouldn't be saved. And then they all wouldn't make it out of this. Ivanna jumped after the figure and picked up her speed to grab onto the taskmaster.

Ivanna and the suited figure fought back and forth throughout their fall. Ivanna's only goal was to keep them away from Natasha, but she was soon flung out of the way. Ivanna saw Natasha taking over the fight, and glanced to see a parachute drifting down; she had saved Yelena.

Ivanna used flying debris to help ensure some sort of safe landing and crashed to the ground with a thud. Ivanna grunted upon the impact and rolled until she could push herself to her feet. Standing full height, Ivanna glanced around to see if Natasha was nearby: she wasn't. Ivanna took the opportunity to search for Yelena instead. Her eyes scanned for a white parachute lying on the ground and smiled softly when she successfully located it. Ivanna ran toward the parachute and Yelena with it.

"Yelena," Ivanna said softly and lowered herself to the ground, pushing the blonde's hair off of her face and grabbing a hold of her cheeks to pat them softly, "Yelena."

Ivanna barely glanced back at the sound of footsteps behind her, she knew them very well to be Natasha's.

"Is she alright?" Natasha questioned and dropped to the ground beside Ivanna who nodded her head. Ivanna turned to Natasha.

"She's just out cold," Ivanna grinned, "and I'd shock her but, that's not very sisterly of me."

Natasha let out of soft chuckle and smiled as well, looking down at Yelena again who started groaning.

"Yelena?" Natasha questioned.

Yelena's eyes fluttered open and a smile grew across her face, "We're all upside down."

"Yeah," Ivanna smiled and kissed her sister's forehead, "but at least we're all okay."

Natasha leaned down toward Yelena and mumbled something in Russian. Ivanna began helping Yelena up as Natasha grabbed both women by their shoulders. Natasha's attention focused solely on Yelena.

"I should've come back for you," she said softly.

Yelena shook her head, "You don't have to say that. It's okay."

"Hey, hey," Natasha pressed her forehead against Yelena's, holding Ivanna's hand tightly, "it was real to me too."

The three women all pulled each other into a hug, tears forming in their eyes as Yelena finally spoke:

"Thank you."

The trio remained this way until they heard grunting in the distance. Ivanna looked back first, finding Melina limping in their direction with Alexei's help.

Natasha pulled away and scanned everyone, "Everybody good?"

"I am injured," Melina informed them. Ivanna chuckled slightly and rose to her feet. Natasha walked toward Alexei with a smile.

"You got something to say?"

"I'd just mess it up," he admitted while helping Melina and smiling at the girls.

Ivanna turned at the sound of vehicles approaching them,

"Here comes the Calvary,"

Natasha turned her attention to the vehicles as well, and let out a long sigh. Alexei straightened up more.

"So what's our plan?"

"You guys go," Ivanna spoke and turned to Natasha who nodded, "it's best if we stay."

"That's insanity," Alexei argued, "We fight. We fight with you."

"Vanna and I can hold them off," Natasha confirmed with a swift head nod.

"Natasha, we fight," Alexei shook his fist in the air and Ivanna shook her head.

"We can't split up," Melina shook her head with an eye roll, "you're so pigheaded."

"You guys go," Natasha tried once more.

Yelena sighed in annoyance, "Oh, my god."

"Besides, if it can work out with the five of us, you know, there may be some hope for the Avengers after all," Natasha smiled and Ivanna moved to stand beside her, she held her hand up and pushed her fingers together, "a little bit."

Yelena giggled and stepped forward, grabbing at her wrist and working with the vest she was wearing, "Okay, well. If you two are leaving, then I guess you should take these. I know how much you like it."

Natasha smiled and took the best in Yelena's hands, "Shucks. It does have a lot of pockets."

"Very handy pockets, yeah," Yelena nodded, her demeanor changed quickly,"he had widows implanted all over the world."

Natasha slid one last vial into Yelena's hand, "Melina will need a copy of the formula, but you should be the one to tell them it's over."

Yelena held the vial in her hand and turned to Ivanna with a smile on her face. Yelena took a step toward the other blonde and held her hand out. Ivanna accepted what was being handed to her, discovering it to be a simple gold chain bracelet.

"It was another one of my first purchases," Yelena shrugged the gesture off, "but I want you to have something as well."

"Thank you," Ivanna smiled.

The sound of a whirring engine pulled the group's attention away from each other, and to the sky. A jet lowered and the group of widows stepped out,

"You came back for us," Yelena said in shock, "thank you."

"Hey," Melina reached for Natasha and Ivanna, both of her hands taking one of theirs, "you take care of yourselves, and each other. Yeah?"

"Of course," Ivanna smiled.

"Don't worry, I've got this," Natasha smirked with a nod.

"I know," Melina smiled in return and she and Alexei turned away, the widows walking toward the taskmasters, "don't worry. She's coming with us."

Ivanna fastened the chain around her wrist as Yelena, Melina, and Alexei walked away with the widows, leaving Natasha and Ivanna to deal with Ross. A whistle, all too familiar to Ivanna, met the girls' ears. Ivanna and Natasha each glanced back, smiles on their faces; and returned the whistle.

Yelena departed with the rest of the group and Ivanna exchanged a glance with Natasha, the two taking each other's hands and squeezing tightly,

"You ready?" Natasha questioned softly, averting her attention back to the approaching vehicles.

"As I'll ever be,"

The two sisters exchanged nods and smiled at one another, then turned back to the approaching SUVs, Ivanna releasing a deep sigh.