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She walked silently through the snow-covered woods, her breath visible but not audible, her footsteps reduced to mere poofs. Clad in a crimson wool coat, she surveyed every tiny space between the leafless trees, waiting for the opportunity to pounce. To kill, just like she was taught to do. This was her life, and this was the reason she was born into this world.
Her eyebrow twitched. Her sharpened senses had caught the enemy's presence. She spun on her heel and quickly pulled out a handgun from within her coat, aiming it at the man who was trying to sneak up on her.
"Yelena...it's me. Bob. I've come to take you home."
The tall blue-eyed man with dark brown curls spoke her name in a gentle tone, his voice and gaze soft as the bed of snow he was standing on. She wasn't going to fall for that.
"Target acquired. Preparing to engage," she said into her earpiece with a solemn expression.
"Wow...you don't recognize me at all, huh? That Red Room fanatic must have brainwashed you really bad."
At that moment, she fired the first bullet, and Bob stopped it in mid-air with his force field. However, the bullet was somehow piercing through the invisible wall, so Bob had no choice but to catch it with his bare hand. Though he succeeded in reducing the impact, it left a nine-millimeter burn mark on his palm.
The ammunition was made using a technology from another world, another dimension; her boss had properly thought this through, since she was about to go against the mighty Sentry. She was fully prepared to eliminate him, without fail.
"All right, then...I guess we'll have to do this the hard way," Bob said, transitioning to a fighting stance.
She unleashed three more bullets, which Bob dodged past in order to zoom toward her. She pulled out a knife, however, and swung it at Bob's neck, forcing him to back away a little. He dodged the next few swings and then grabbed her wrist, firmly but not strong enough to crack any bones. Her foot shot up to kick him in the side, so he blocked it again with his force field. He realized, though, that a blade was protruding from her sole, and it was tearing through the force field like the bullet from earlier.
Left with few options, Bob whispered, "I'm sorry," before headbutting her very hard, causing her to stumble backward in pain. With a hand on her forehead, she groaned and hissed, suffering from a heavy throb and a loud ringing in her ears.
Then, an image suddenly popped up in her head. A man with deep blue eyes and dark brown curls was smiling at her, speaking her name so sweetly and tenderly.
She felt a pair of hands enveloping her wrists in warmth, heard a desperate voice pleading to her.
"Yelena...Yelena, you've got to remember. You're not a killer. You never wanted to do this. Remember what you talked about with your dad. With me. Remember Anya."
She let out a roar of anger and swung her knife outward, forcing Bob to dodge again. But her upper body was exposed. This was his chance. Bob immediately spread his arms and wrapped them around her, locking her in a tight embrace. She froze on the spot, her eyes wide in shock, her face buried in his chest.
"It's okay, Yelena. I got you. You won't have to take any more lives. I promise."
His soft whispered triggered a rush of images within her mind, memories of her sins, her reconciliation, her encounter, and her happiness.
She...was Yelena Belova. A New Avenger. The one and only lover of Bob Reynolds.
"Oh God...Oh God, Bob..." she said frantically, bursting into tears, looking up at the reassuring face of her dearest.
"Yelena...you're back," Bob said with a smile of relief.
Yelena grabbed Bob's hand and stared at the burn mark on his palm, saying with a trembling voice, "I'm sorry, Bob...I'm so sorry."
Bob then cupped her cheeks and kissed her cold lips, thawing the ice in her heart with his love.
"There's nothing to apologize for. What matters is that you haven't forgotten who you are."
Those kind words and that sweet smile made Yelena shed even more tears, burying her face in Bob's chest again and grasping his clothes tightly.
About a minute later, when she finally pulled away, Bob asked, "You ready?"
"Yeah," Yelena replied, wiping her tears, before yanking out the earpiece and stomping on it with her boot. "Let's go kick that psycho's ass. Together."
Bob's smile widened as he gave a firm nod, holding Yelena's hand and walking side by side, out of the woods.