Yelena Belova imagined many different things when she was tasked with assassinating a former Avenger, she imagined traveling back in time... Traveling through space... Tearing through ancient temples, and battling green giants. What Yelena did not expect was sneaking through suburbia while wearing what essentially amounted to a tinfoil hat.

Val had briefed her a few days ago about the situation, about the small town of Westview, a little haven of normality cracked open to reveal the extraordinary. S.W.O.R.D. had paid the citizens to leave and then converted the entire place into a massive research facility and living quarters for its permanent staff. Their goal was to research the effects of reality manipulation and find a way to reverse engineer such a thing in the long term.

The research was slow, bordering stagnant and what little results they did have made very little sense to them. It seemed that they were playing with forces they had no hope of understanding, at least at first, but over months and through a process that Yelena did not have security access to view, they somehow managed to do the impossible, they discovered a way to exorcise certain particles left by Wanda Maximoff, they managed to exploit their unique properties and hack into the very fabric of existence itself.

The Director of S.W.O.R.D. , a man called Henry McCoy, dreamt of a world united under kindness, love, and acceptance. The Secretary of Defense, a Miss Victoria Hand dreamt of one nation under complete control and its enemies weeping for forgiveness. Even President Ritson apparently had ambitions of molding rivals in his own political party and rewriting those naysayers into his own loyal allies.

No fantasies came to pass of course, the hack wasn't what they had hoped for, it wasn't a way to harness Wanda's power, as it turned out, Wanda's reality manipulation abilities were somewhat symbiotic in nature, you can't have one without the other. What the scientists had done was create a backup version of Wanda from these particles.

The Backup Wanda was a prisoner for three whole hours before S.W.O.R.D. lost control of Westview, before the force fields went up and the broadcasts began again. This time the audience expanded from what used to be small local areas with old fashioned equipment to every channel on the entire East Coast. Thankfully most people just assumed it was a Cheers reboot and that Wanda had sold out like most other celebrities did.

Some viewers loved her, idolised her, others hated her and review bombed the show, but all watched, every Thursday at seven thirty. Changes started slowly, started obviously, a surge in eighties fashion, a fondness for somewhat classic expressions, both fairly normal for a new television series. It became problematic however when the viewers refused to sleep, when they started acting out their own storylines and attacking anyone who got in the way of their creative vision. Their own personalities became completely disassociative, entirely embodying their new character instead. Entire cities were thrown into raging chaos.

Fontaine's Thunderbolt Initiative was contacted by the FBI who had been "supporting" S.W.O.R.D. since the end of the last season of Wandavision. Yelena was designated the optimal operative for a mess like this. Forty two hours later, she was escorted to the border of Westview by two so-called "Mutants" One gifted with intangibility, the other some kind of psychic soldier, they helped her skip through the force field without alerting anybody. Since then Yelena had been trying to stay as covert as she could while wearing a silver reflective hat, a portable anti mind control device, according to the Thunderbolts Tech team.

The streets of Westview were cozily serene, with only soft lights from the windows of picturesque homes and the only noise the sounds of horny Crickets chirping from their immaculate lawns.

Only one place in town was the exception to Westview's quiet calm. Just off the town square stood a three storey, booming public drinking establishment. A colorful sign outside confirmed the place to be "The Wanda and Vision Pub" - the 'set' for the second season of Wandavision... and with any luck, the place Wanda would finally find peace with what she has done.

Yelena unholstered her Glock 26 and headed around to the back of the building. Fighting Wanda head on would be suicide, she'd need to be smart, end the story before Wanda even knew what had happened.

The pub's backyard was no less idyllic than the rest of the town, with a little garden, a seesaw, and even an old oak tree with a tire swing hanging from it. All of it reminded Yelena of Ohio, of her Mom and Dad... and Natasha. Warm summer nights when she was tiny, barbeque parties under the stars with their neighbors. The smell of sizzling hot dogs and the American spicy sauce.

Yelena shook away the memories of yesterday and turned toward the problems of today. The pub had a second floor window ajar, letting out warm light from within. A kitchen, maybe?

Yelena was just about to make a start on climbing up the drainpipe when someone from behind her broke their silence.

"I really wouldn't do that"

Yelena snapped around, expecting instant death but instead, thankfully she only found a young black woman smoking a cigarette by the tall oak tree. Had this woman always been there? Lurking in the shadows?

"Sorry" Yelena retracted in her best Jersey accent "I was just checking the guttering"

"By trying to climb it?" teased the other woman with her silky smooth British accent, before putting her cigarette out on the poor tree.

"Me, climb that thing?" Yelena played dumb "Nah, only in the daydreams I imagine I'm Ellen Ripley, heh"

"Good thing too" the Brit approached but still kept a respectful enough distance "Wanda only keeps that window open for... let's say 'out of towners' who are stupid enough to try and break in... it leads somewhere incredibly hot, I think"

Shit. Beginner's trap. Yelena should not have let her mind wander before.

Yelena noticed the other woman didn't stand like a civilian, she had a trained commanding posture like that of a soldier or a marine. She didn't belong in this picture of sanitized television suburbia.

"Do you know Wanda?" Yelena asked, carefully

The Brit shrugged her shoulders "Only by reputation... I'm not really supposed to be here, you know? So shhh"

Not supposed to be in this town? Or in this episode? The plot thickened.

"Then why are you here" Yelena asked with as much playfulness as she could muster, she was trying not to be the first to give something away

"Well... I was told that Westview was the only place we could speak privately, Yelena"

Fuck. Shit. Damn. This wasn't good.

Now came the crossroads to either double down and use an alias or cut through the bullshit.

"Who are you?" Yelena dropped the accent and inched toward grabbing range

The other woman backed up, just slightly before giving her a beautifully cocky smirk, she was gorgeous, aesthetically speaking of course, Yelena never found herself attracted to anyone but she certainly understood the concept of beauty and the person in front of her was just that.

"British Secret Intelligence Service, Agent 007, Call me Nomi"

Oh no, the new 007. Yelena had heard about this one and the chaos she unleashed in Paris earlier this year. The United Kingdom still owed the French the rebuilding cost of Elysee Palace because of this 007. She was a frustratingly uncompromising lateral thinker and tactician. She managed to root out a conspiracy to overthrow the President of France and install a new Emperor. Yelena's sources told her that Nomi was personally responsible for the destruction of the building after a series of hostile parleying with the would-be Emperor and his militia reached boiling point.

"You aren't here to explode Maximoff, are you? That's kind of my job" Yelena taunted, smugly

"Wouldn't dream of it" Nomi dismissed the very idea "I really wasn't sent here to interfere in your mission, just to propose a new opportunity to you"

"I'm intrigued"

"British Intelligence is forming a new division, one to deal with the unusual, the bizarre, the supernatural... like this Pub and its Landlady"

"You came all the way out here to this hell town to pitch me a team? I'm already on one"

"Who? The Renford Rejects?"

"That isn't very nice" Yelena chastised, half heartedly

"I'm sorry but dollar store Captain America and Apple Mac Vision don't really strike fear into my heart"

"You aren't winning me over, you know"

"You'd be team leader"

"I have too much anxiety already" Yelena shot down

"No more killing"

"Well that has to be a lie, I'm an assassin, it's what I'm best at, it's why people like your bosses would even consider me"

"You're more than that to them, they know what you did for the Black Widows, they're impressed"

"I work well alone"

"You'd work better with us... Especially in light of your sister's wishes"

Yelena's blood ran cold.

"What are you talking about? My sister's wishes?"

Nomi mimed zipping her lips shut.

"I think I've already said too much as it is... The choice is yours, once you sign the Official Secrets Act, we can give you a proper debrief on Ms. Romanoff's final message"

Yelena didn't want to play the sick games that governments played with their little pawn agents. Being a part of Lafontaine's circus was bad enough and she was independent for the most part. No, no. No more nonsense, if Natasha actually left her a message, she would have it now.

Yelena raised her Widow's Bite wrist strap at Nomi but before she could even get a threatening ultimatum out of her mouth, the Brit opened fire from a concealed weapon.

The 00 agent had good aim, the bullet tore right through the Widow's Bite device, the intricate mechanisms inside sparked and burned against Yelena's flesh. Yelena had no choice but to tear it off, still she supposed that it could still serve a purpose.

Yelena threw the melting Widow's Bite in Nomi's face before attempting to tackle the English woman to the ground, however Nomi must've been expecting this as Yelena found her own skull redirected immediately to the side of the nearby metal slide.

It hurt to say the least but Yelena had no time to waste, she activated the blade function on her remaining gauntlet and tore a chunk out of Nomi's face with it. The Brit staggered and was rewarded with an elbow to the face for her momentary lack of concentration.

Yelena forced her down to the lawn, making another deep gash in Nomi's face, this time with the discarded smoldering scrap metal that used to be the Widow's Bite. Nomi didn't even give Yelena the satisfaction of screaming, instead her next move was only telegraphed by a sting in the side of Yelena's neck. Nomi had punchered her skin with a syringe full of blue liquid.

Before Nomi could press her thumb down on the syringe top, a furious voice rang out behind them.

"Cut that out, right now!"

Yelena and Nomi spared a nervous glance to the figure standing at the back door of the Pub, she was bathed in scarlet light. They both knew who she was, They both knew what she could do.

Yelena didn't even need to check to know that her tinfoil hat was gone. It must've fallen off in the fight.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Making your way in the world today takes everything you got, you know? Taking a break from all your worries sure does help a lot. Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, that's reassuring, friendly and warm, just like the little Pub that Maria Nomi found herself spending her Friday evening in.

So many sweet and kind people just enjoying each other's company. From teenagers, like the proprietors' twin sons, pouring their pocket money into an old Donkey Kong arcade machine with their friends, to elderly visitors like old Captain Rogers and his wife Peggy enjoying their early bird special together, this Pub was a bastion of the community.

"Anything else I can get for ya, old bean?" Agnes the bartender ribbed, bringing Maria back to the moment

"Some pork scratchings?" Maria asked, hopefully

"For the millionth time, you're not in England anymore, here let me introduce you to a good ol fashioned American Lay"

Maria blushed but soon came to realize that Agnes just meant a packet of potato chips. Quietly thanking the lady, she took her drinks and chips over to the table she shared with her best friend Yelena.

Being the only two foreign exchange students at Westview High, Maria and Yelena immediately had a rivalry, it got a little out of hand when Maria discovered some secrets about Yelena's sister Natasha but throughout the years and with the help of a shared friend, the two eventually broke through their childish nonsense and became besties.

"Hey loser!" Yelena greeted

Maria grinned and rolled her eyes before depositing the Russian's Banana Daiquiri on a coaster beside her. Maria took a straw from the Viking statue on the table and made a start on her own glass of Sorrel tea.

"So... her blonde BFF began, a little awkwardly "Kate told me that you have a new girlfriend"

Ugh, Maria only told Yelena's partner Kate about Eve to stop her setting her up with some stiff arsed suit from her office.

"Don't worry" Yelena tried to reassure her "My... interrogation of your potential lover won't be as intense as the last one"

"You say that but then I catch you buying torture devices from Channel 616"

"Hey!" Yelena giggled "Those are gifts for Kate Bishop, she is into all that stuff and even though I do not partake, I do enjoy gifting her various pieces of equipment because I love her and support her... And also it is hilarious to see the look on her face when I hand it to her"

Thankfully Maria was spared any more information by the chime of the welcome bell over the wooden doors to the Pub.

"Hey everyone!" A silver haired young man greeted

"Peter!" Every single Pub patron called back

"It's Pietro" Peter Maximoff grumbled, the brother of the landlady never did like his nickname but it stuck when he was running track in High School.

"Can I get you a drink, Mister Maximoff" Agnes asked

"After the day I've had I could do with something strong and manly to keep me on my feet and drown my sorrows"

"Whiskey, neat?"

"Nah a true warrior's drink... like an appletini but real easy on the tini, I'm working tomorrow"

"Sparkling Apple juice it is, Pete"

Turning her attention back to her companion, Maria caught Yelena staring at Vision Maximoff, the landlady's husband, as he dined with his wife and kids in a booth at the far end of the Pub.

"Yelena Bolova, are you making eyes at a married man?"

Yelena snapped her gaze away, she looked as if she was starting to tear up.

"No, No, sorry, I was just... daydreaming"

Maria put two and two together.

"Hold the front page..." she lowered her voice, conspiratorially "Are you and Kate thinking about starting a family?"

"Kate?" Yelena sounded confused "Kate Bishop...?"

"No duh, your little non romantic, non sexual, holiday obsessed soulmate... I'm right aren't I? You want to have a baby with her"

"Yes, no, I don't know" Yelena stuttered, weakly, that Banana Daiquiri must've went straight to her head

"Don't worry, old buddy, my lips are sealed"

Maria mimed zipping her mouth shut. Yelena's eyes widened like she just saw something that broke her brain.

"We need to get out of here" Yelena whispered, almost desperately

"Time gentlemen please" Agnes called for last orders "That also goes for ladies and non binary folks too"

Maria took another sip of her Sorrel tea, cool, tangy and delicious. She could almost feel the sun touch her face as she closed her eyes and relaxed.

Yelena would only let Maria savor one brief moment alone, her Russian bestie put her hand on top of hers. Maria couldn't help but smile, she was so lucky to have Yelena in her life, she was the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

Yelena dug her nails deep into Maria's hand, causing the English woman to cry out in pain. Her hand was a bleeding mess.

Everyone in the Pub turned to them to see what the problem was. Maria noticed something scary about their reactions, their expressions were frozen, they seemed so cold and calculating, like wild animals waiting to pounce. They didn't even blink.

"Oh no, you have cut yourself on a glass" Yelena fawned over Maria "Come back to my place and we can get that fixed up lickity split and watch some MTV too, I think Queen have a new song in the Top 20"

All of the Pub patrons immediately lost interest and went back to their business, like they had just been unpaused. Maria didn't know what was going on but she also didn't want to either. She nodded to Yelena before draining her Sorrel tea and wishing Agnes a good night.

"Hey, come back anytime you want, honey, we're open every Thursday"

Maria could've sworn that the Pub was open every day but she allowed herself to be led away by Yelena. She had major league questions for her best friend when they got outside.

Yelena pulled the doors open and marched out into the night air, she didn't stop walking. Maria hadn't seen her this determined and secretive since Kate's last Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Wait... Maria was sure she wasn't there for that, so how did she know what Yelena was like during it? In fact, now that she thought about it, she couldn't picture Kate's face in her mind.

The further Maria and Yelena walked, the more came back to Maria. She and Yelena weren't best friends, they weren't friends at all, they hadn't met before this night... Maria was a spy... a killer... an assassin... They both were.

Wanda Maximoff, she did something to them. Maria turned sharply, catching Yelena off guard. She looked back at the Pub. It was gone, replaced by a postmodern building about two storeys taller.

The entire town seemed to shimmer, Suburbia disappeared in the blink of an eye, replaced by ugly makeshift office blocks and uniformed trailers. Westview was back to being a research town again.

Yelena pulled Maria back by her hair.

"We keep walking until we are out, understand?"

Maria slipped out of her grip but nodded in agreement, they needed to get out of Westview. They were compromised. A new plan would have to be made and executed. Moneypenny would never let her live this one down.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Wanda Maximoff sighed with satisfaction after finishing her meal. She squeezed her husband's hand, gently and watched as their two boys ran back to their video game cabinet. It was moments like these that she felt especially proud of them setting up the Pub. It was hard work and not always a barrel of laughs, like today for instance when she caught Maria and Yelena fighting, these two girls she had known since High School, squabbling like they were still in the twelfth grade. Thankfully Wanda was able to channel her best paragon of the community/den mother persona and was able to bring them both back together. She had a feeling that they would treat each other with a little more kindness in the future.

Wanda's brother, Pietro took a seat next to her and reached out to hold her free hand. He was such a sweetie.

"I know this won't make sense to you... but I have no regrets, no matter what happens next"

Pietro was right, she didn't know what he meant, Pietro was always a curious one,but his sentiment soothed a little pain in her heart that she didn't even know existed. Wanda briefly wondered why his eyes were glowing red, but soon found herself busy talking to leaving customers, while her husband went off to make a start on the dishes.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Pietro sipped on his sparkling apple juice, he couldn't afford to drink anything alcoholic with all of the energy he was expending to keep this Pub afloat.

Tonight's invasion proved one thing, they couldn't stay in Westview any longer. Pietro had already released his hold on the exterior illusion, now all he had to do was create a breach in reality that could take him and his... family... to another place, somewhere quiet where no one would try to hurt them.

It had been six months since the lie that was Ralph Bohner was broken wide open. Four months since he volunteered for S.W.O.R.D.'s reality altering program. Two weeks since he received his sister's powers. Pietro knew Wanda was dead, he could feel it in his soul. He didn't know how or why but he knew she was gone. Pietro couldn't stand the idea of living in a world without her. Why should he get a second chance if she's not around to share it? Why would he want to?

This entire Pub/bubble/ interactive sitcom was Pietro's tribute to Wanda and he would keep it going... keep her memory alive... until his last day.

Banishing the dark thoughts from his mind, Pietro allowed himself some levity by pondering the next season of Wandavision. Maybe they'd do a medical comedy theme, he was sure he could create a pretend Hospital somewhere. He considered his alcohol free appletini. Wanda as the tough, old school mentor doctor. Vision as the sensitive newbie, just out of Med School. Both leads find themselves breaking down their own walls and bonding over the fact that they care so much about their patients. Pietro could play the slapstick morgue attendant.

The kids could both be adopted early on, separately by Wanda and Vision because they realize the boys, their former patients, are long lost twins and want them to still be in each other's lives... Want them both to have their second chances together...

It was all coming together. Maybe this time around people would even start calling him Pietro.

"Don't think too hard, baby brother" said the imaginary version of his sister "You'll give yourself a headache"

Pietro looked up to see his sister towering over him with a fresh sparkling apple juice. She nuzzled his head affectionately. He rose from his seat and pulled her into a hug.

"It'd be worth it, just to see you smile"