Yelena had been sitting and waiting for what seemed like hours. The small, sterile interrogation room appeared to shrink with every minute that passed. She could've run from the scene but Wanda convinced her to stay and deal with Maria's murder head on. Before she was whisked away in the back of a police car, she had refused emergency services for the graze wound on her arm, "military. If you think this is my first gun shot, you are an idiot." Okay, maybe that wasn't the smartest approach to dealing with the cops but they were treating her like she had committed the crime. "Do you honestly think I would still be here if I did this? No. This is not my style. It was way too messy." That was the moment she decided to enact her right to remain silent. So, here she sat in the small white room. She looked down at her blood soaked jeans and then up into the obvious two way mirror. A little laugh came out before shaking her head, "see what happens when you fall in love? Woah, where did that come from?" She dropped her gaze from the mirror when her mind immediately bombarded her with memories of Kate. When had she fallen in love and why did her mind decide in the middle of a criminal investigation was a good time to voice those feelings? "Stick to the facts," were the last words from Wanda before she called her contact. Yelena was still waiting for this mystery friend to arrive. When there was a knock on the door she couldn't help herself, "finally. I thought you were going to leave me to die here."

"Ms. Belova. Of course I didn't forget about you."

"Doctor," she quietly groaned. Why did she correct this man?

He just let out a laugh, "as I was saying, Dr. Belova. I would never leave the future sister in law of my good friend Wanda to die in an interrogation room. I was getting all the info from the police who had worked up the scene." He slid over a cup of coffee.

"Thanks. Detective."

"It's Captain. But you can call me Fury."

"Fury? Captain Fury? Is that your first name?"

"We aren't here to discuss my name. And it's just Fury. Not Captain."

Yelena stared at him for a moment, "what does the chief of police call you?"

"Fury."

She noted the unamused look on his face, "your detectives?"

"Fury."

"And Wanda?"

His face never wavered. "Fury."

"What about your mama?"

Yelena saw the slight smile cross his face, "she calls me Fury. And here I thought your sister would always be the biggest pain in my ass. I stand corrected."

"You must not know Kate Bishop."

"Natasha is the pain in my left ass cheek. Miss Bishop is the pain in the right one," he watched the blonde watching him carefully before she nodded and took a drink from the coffee he brought her. "So why don't you tell me what happened tonight."

"It seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?"

Fury's head tipped to the side, "nothing is ever obvious in this profession. So if I had to make my most intelligent hypothesis, I would say that you were confronting Maria about the whereabouts of Kate Bishop."

"How much do you know?"

"How much do you know?"

Yelena cursed under her breath, "cyka."

"I do not speak a lot of Russian but that didn't seem very nice, Doctor. I'll answer one of your questions if you provide the same courtesy. If you are asking if I know about Kate's nighttime activities, the answer is yes. She and I have met on several occasions and she has been a great assistant to the police force. I have asked her many times to consider coming on full time but it is usually met with a laugh and she trips and falls on her way out of my precinct. Now, please tell me what you and Maria were doing inside of Kate's charbroiled apartment."

"Did you know Kate Bishop had been taken?" When Fury did not confirm nor deny that question, Yelena continued, "Christmas morning, Kate was taken in an unmarked van outside of the hospital the same moment my sister was shot. We both know who took her."

He finally nodded, "the men who had her captive before. We never assumed they went away; however when her mother was taken into custody, we thought their interest in Kate would diminish."

"Clearly, that was not the case. Maria had made a comment at Carol's funeral that if Kate kept on the path she was on that she would end up buried next to her friend. I kind of punched her and then we decided to meet and talk things out. Cassie Lang was there with me but when everything went down, I think she was taken, too."

"We had suspected Miss Hill's involvement for a while with the group but could never confirm it. I had a detective trailing her for a few years but she never was able to confirm anything."

"Before Hill died, she said they had taken her mother and that's why she was involved." Yelena figured it would be best for her if she just told Fury everything she had learned tonight because keeping secrets didn't work for anybody and she really just wanted to do whatever she could to get Kate and Cassie out as safe as she could. "I did not see any of the men. They used smoke grenades and flashbangs. I would've tried to follow but Maria… she wasn't going to make it and I did not want her to die alone."

"We know a few of their warehouses and hideouts and can narrow down where they have taken your friends."

"So what does this mean? You know I didn't have anything to do with Maria's death. If it had been me, I wouldn't have stuck around. What do you need from me tonight? It is very late." The intensity of the evening and shock of events had finally caught up to her. Now she was not only worried about her girlfriend but Cassie as well. "Are you doing to alert, Dr. Lang that his daughter has been taken by traffickers?"

"We did not know about Cassie Lang until just now. So, yes. We will be in contact with her father. Dr. Belova, I need you to trust that we will have this under control."

Yelena chuckled, "if you are asking me to not go looking for my girlfriend then you are crazy."

Fury laughed this time, "I never thought you'd agree to that. The stubbornness runs deep in your family. I am just asking that you let the police do their job and work with us to get this taken care of."

"I suppose I could," she crossed her arms over her chest. "But we move out tonight. I'm not about to leave Kate with those sick assholes."

"I'll bring my people over tonight. We will come up with a plan now and meet you at nightfall. Be ready for anything." Yelena watched him get up and head to the door. "I am quite fond of your, Kate Bishop. We will get her back." He left as quickly as he had entered and Yelena took that as her sign that she was free to go.

Kate was woken up by the footsteps outside the door of their shared cell. Thankfully nobody came in this time but she heard them say, "we should take the new one out for a spin," and she saw red knowing they were talking about Cassie. Nobody fucks with her friends and gets away with it. Before she could turn over in her sleeping bag, she felt warmth pressed up against her back. Turning slightly, she saw that Mac must have snuck into her sleeping bag in the middle of the night and her heart broke for the girl. She couldn't even imagine not having real human connections with another person for so long. She turned over completely and wrapped the girl up in a hug. Mac didn't hesitate to snuggle in closer, burying her head in Kate's chest. "I'm going to get you out of here," she whispered agains the top of her head. "You are safe now."

"You two okay over there?" Cassie turned in her sleeping bag to face Kate.

"Mmhmm," Kate lifted her head and gave her friend a little smile. "Your phone still have battery?"

"Let me check," she pulled it out from the inside of her boot. "Just barely but yes."

"Send your location to Yelena. And then turn your phone off. Preserve the last of your battery for later. We will need it."

Cassie did as she was told, "it's like you've done this before," the words died on her tongue when she remembered the small amount of information Kate and Carol had shared with her about their joint past. "I'm sorry. That was stupid. Sometimes I have this disease where I don't have a connection between my brain and my mouth."

Kate chuckled, "I think I suffer from the same disease." When she looked back down, Mac's cheeks were bright red, "good morning."

"Oh god," she tried to shuffle away from the warmth. "I am so sorry. I meant to sneak back over before you woke up."

"Don't even worry about it," Kate didn't want her to feel upset about the need for a human connection. "Did you sleep okay?"

Mac gave her the smallest smile, "best I've slept in years."

"Glad to hear it," Kate watched the girl stretch before leaving the sleeping bag, shivering slightly at the cold air in their room. "Okay, I've tried to hold off as long as I can but I need to use the bucket."

"The bucket?"

"Our bathroom," Mac pointed to the bucket that was near where Cassie had set up her bag. "You might want to move."

Cassie looked to her right and saw Kate standing, almost jumping up and down on her feet, "is it just a number one?"

"Yeah but I've been holding it since I got here," she watched her friend nod and move over to her own sleeping bag. "Thanks," she moved past Cassie and utilized the bucket. "I have never been happier for a supply bucket in my life."

"Don't forget the cover when you are done," Mac was resting against her wall of the room trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Is it weird if I use the bucket too?" Cassie waited until Kate crossed back over the small room. "I apparently don't have a bladder of steel like you do." After Cassie relieved herself, she went over to sit against the wall with Kate.

"Why are you both staring at me like that?"

Cassie smiled a very strange smile, "come on now."

"You know you have to pee too. It's like some super strange summer camp bonding experience. Everyone uses the bucket and becomes like soul sisters or something," Kate kept a straight face.

"I don't think that's a thing," Mac had thought the two women had lost their minds. "I've never been to summer camp but if joint pissing was a thing then I'm glad I missed out." She watched them watching her and shook her head. Okay. so she did have to pee but this still seemed weird. She rolled her eyes, "fine but you can't watch."

Kate and Cassie averted their attention to give the girl some privacy with the bucket, "so what happens next?" Cassie whispered, "I would like to avoid being raped at all costs."

"Hopefully Yelena got your location. Whether the cops come or not, we make our move tonight. I'm think…"

"Hey," Mac sat down on the other side of Kate, "no planning the escape without me."

"Never," Kate slid over so there was more room for the girl to sit comfortably. "Thankfully, Cassie's phone still had charge this morning so she was able to send our location to Yelena's number. Hopefully she gets it. I'm sure she will. It's not like Apple to ever fuck things up. Right?"

"Still got juice in that thing?"

Cassie chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm, "Not much unfortunately. I'm trying to preserve the small life left in it. Yelena did grace me with lots of weapons so we need a plan?"

"Yes,' Kate knew that they had to make their move. They wouldn't wait too long before coming in for one of them. "It's been too long since they've gotten their fix. I say next time they come in…"

"It's usually two of them. Always the same two. One particularly large one and a small one."

"That's good information to have," Kate smiled at Mac. "I say we try to take down the big one. One of us will wait behind the door so when they come in, they only see the two of us and the third one is waiting with one of Cassie's knives and goes for the achilles. It'll take care of the big one. He won't be able to move. Then we bring out the gun. Tell them that nobody has to die if they just get us out of here."

"I don't know if that's going to work. They are a stupid group of guys but we have one gun and a handful of knives. There's so many of them."

"You forget…" Kate reached under her sleeping bag and pulled out her lighters. "We have fire. We have a bunch of fire starters that you've been squirreling away. I will work on the explosion if things go wrong. Let's just say, I have experience with arson."

"Very comforting, Kate Bishop."

"Stop," Kate rolled her eyes. "You are starting to sound like Yelena."

Cassie laughed, "we do spend a lot of time together."

There was a loud bang on the door that had all three of them jumping, "keep it down in there."

They sat in silence until they heard the footsteps retreating, "I hope my dad isn't worried," Cassie whispered.

"I know Yelena will tell him what he needs to know if the police don't."

"So we go tonight?"

Mac grimmaced, "they usually come for me after sunset. I sure hope the two of you know what you are doing."

"I promise you. It's going to be okay."

It had taken Yelena a ridiculously long time to fall asleep after she was finally home from the police precinct. She had too much pent up energy so she headed to the gym for a quick arms, shoulders and abs session before taking a warm shower to relax her body. When she crawled into bed around 4am, she passed out almost immediately. She woke to someone gently running a hand through her hair, "Yelena, sweetheart, it's nearly 4pm."

She blinked her eyes open, "Wanda?" She tried her hardest to clear the sleep from her eyes before the time registered, "4pm? Did I miss Fury? He said he would come by later." Yelena grabbed her phone, "no. it's dead."

"I just got home from the hospital. Your sister is still pouting that I won't release her. I think she's about ready to kill Sonya and Peter. Fury told me he'd be here around 6 so you have time to get ready and eat something," she grabbed Yelena's phone. "I brought home some food from your favorite Indian place."

Yelena gave herself a moment to breathe and reflect on everything that happened, "he seemed nice enough. Said he would bring his people. Whatever that means." Her train of thought was broken when a loud rumbling came from her stomach, "I can't remember the last time I ate. Did you say Indian?"

"I'll get it ready and set this on the charger in the kitchen for you," Wanda kissed her forehead before leaving her to change out of her sleepwear.

She got out of her bed and quickly changed into a pair of cargo pants and a black tank top even though they were fully entrenched in winter. It was warm in the apartment and with growing up in Russia, she always felt she ran warmer than Americans. "It smells so good," she quickly slid into her seat at the island, happy to see that Wanda would be joining her for dinner. "Are you going to come with us tonight?"

"If I didn't have to get some sleep and head back to the hospital to make sure your sister doesn't leave AMA then you know I would. Kate and Cassie mean a great deal to me," she passed Yelena a bowl full of chicken curry and some naan bread. "I know that you'll be in good hands with Fury but I don't suppose there is any way I can talk you out of going along tonight? Leave the heroine stuff to the police force?"

"Because the police have been great up until this point? No. I do not trust anyone to save Kate if i am not there to oversee that they don't fuck things up. Besides, I have dozens of rescue missions under my belt. I may have been a medic but they utilized everyone in rescues when we were overseas. I'll be fine," she knew the motherly look she was going to see if she looked up from her plate so she continued to eat. "Do not look at me like that. I can sense you giving me the look."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, dear."

Yelena chuckled before taking a big bite, chewing a couple of times before responding with a half of a mouthful of food, "yes you do. It's that look you give to me and Natasha before either of us do something you think is ridiculous or dangerous or just plain stupid."

"Noticed that, did you? I've been with your sister for years and she still doesn't know the face."

"Oh she knows it. She just thinks that she has special girlfriend powers that get her out of trouble with you. I'm sure she thinks that she can use sex as leverage to act as stupid as she sees fit." She looked up to see the redhead nodding in confirmation, "It's a shame she can't be here. I know she would go into that building with me to save our people. Natasha always did have a weird relationship with self-preservation. Her hero complex rivals that of Kate Bishop's."

"Your sister would do anything in her power to help with this rescue. Unfortunately she is facing an uphill recovery and still peeing into a bag."

Yelena made a disgusted face, "yes, that piss bag would slow us down tonight. Good call chief."

Conversation flowed easily between the two of them as it did the entire time they had known each other. It only stopped when Yelena's phone lit up, finally charged enough to turn on and a bunch of notifications lit up the screen. "Anything important?"

Wanda reached over and grabbed the phone. Her eyes lit up, "holy shit." She handed the phone over to Yelena.

"It's from Cassie." She opened the text, "a location."

"They didn't search her? Incompetent kidnappers."

"This is good. Fury said he had a few ideas where they could be but this means we have the exact location and if they didn't take her phone then she probably still has the gun I gave her last night before we met up with Maria."

"You gave that child a gun?"

Yelena smirked, "it's not like she didn't need it last night. She just didn't get a chance to use it. Can you send me Fury's contact information? Or text him mine and tell him I have an important update and he needs to get over here sooner."

"I'll text him your information."

45 minutes later, there was a knock on the apartment door. Wanda had stayed awake so she could hear any plans that they made but mainly because she was worried about Yelena's safety. "I'll be fine. But you can stay," she liked that the Chief was protective of her because she was missing her annoying sister at the moment. Natasha would in no way let her do this on her own so it was nice to have a sister watching over her. Yelena opened the door, "I thought you were bringing your people?"

"Hello to you too," Fury pushed past her and entered the apartment. After he quick hello to Wanda, another girl walked into the house. "My people."

"This is just one girl," she looked the woman up and down. Short, brunette, dressed in slacks and a white button up. She was wearing an over the shoulder gun harness but in no other way looked like a police officer. "She's your people?" Yelena turned to Wanda, "I am far less confident now."

"Hey now," the brunette sounded offended.

"Dr. Belova, this is Detective Darcy Lewis. She has been tailing Maria for the past few years. She knows the case and has been highly active with Kate Bishop. Don't let her size fool you. She is a highly trained member of the force."

"Sup," Darcy nodded at Yelena. "Thanks for that unwavering welcome. So they got your girl?"

Yelena didn't know what to make of this woman. She seemed overly confident yet aloof at the same time. Kate would most likely get along with her. "Seems that way. They also got one of my interns and who knows who else is in that warehouse. Did you get the location I sent over?"

"It's one of the places we had flagged."

"Fury's right. I had followed Maria out there a couple of times. That's where they were the night Carol got shot. Or so we think. Nobody was actually there to confirm it and your intern doesn't talk much."

"You brought Cassie in for questioning? How did I not know this?" Yelena didn't know if she should be upset about that or impressed that her intern was able to hide something like that from her. When they got the girls out of that hell hole, she would have to have a conversation with Cassie about the importance of not keeping secrets. "So what's the plan? The three of us just go in there? Guns blazing?"

Fury shrugged, "that's the general plan."

"We don't know how many people are in there," Wanda joined in sensing the plan seemed half baked and completely asinine.

"No," he shook his head, "we don't. But the longer we wait the worse it'll be for your friends."

"We go tonight," Yelena didn't need any further encouragement than that. She wanted them back and she wasn't scared. If the military taught her anything it was that the things you care most for can be taken away in an instant. "I'm all in. Come," she waved to Darcy, "I have many weapons in my closet."

"Cool. Fury?" She turned to her boss, "I'm going to follow the scary Russian chick into the room with the weapons."

"She's military. She's cool."

Darcy smirked, "somehow that doesn't make me feel better."

"Come. I show you the weapons."

Night had fallen. It had been hours since the food rations were pushed through the slot in the door. Kate had mapped out of plan banking on the fact that she hoped the warehouse was similar to the one she was in last time. "Everybody remember the plan?"

"Relax Kate," Cassie had attempted to take a nap which failed almost before it started. "We've been over it like 20 times. What could possibly go wrong?" A piece of wadded up bread hit her in the side of the head, "what?"

"Are you crazy? You can't put that kind of thought out into the universe," Mac was looking for more stuff to throw at her. "If anything goes wrong, you are entirely to blame now."

"Nothing is going to go wrong," Kate was just as nervous as the other two but she wouldn't let it show. The determination to see these two out of here safely was enough motivation she needed. Her hero complex was itching to come out and now was the perfect time.

"So for the plan…"

Mac sighed, "I knew she wasn't paying attention."

"I was. I swear. I just don't feel comfortable being the one with the gun. I'll do the slicing. I'm a doctor after all," she slid the gun along the floor to Kate.

"So I'm still the bait. Fun."

"Nobody is touching you tonight, Mac," Kate truly believed she could get them out of there. She quickly tucked the gun into the back of her pants. "I'll be the gun, girl. No problem."

"Should we use our sleeping bag to put over the guy's head after she cuts him? We don't want his screaming to alert the others."

"Good thinking," Kate was impressed with the girl's train of thought. "Idiot will probably scream. Though when they see the gun, the screams will probably stop. I found that people are much more cooperative when the threat of death is looming."

"I'm glad I am on your good side," Cassie smirked. "And I thought Yelena was the scary one."

Kate was about to respond when there were keys jingling in the hallway accompanied by two male voices, "it's showtime ladies," she whispered. She watched Mac get into place on her bed and Cassie hid behind where the door would open. "We've got this," she looked at both of her friends before the blinding light came in from the open door.

Wanda had refused to yet Yelena leave the house with her bike keys. For some reason unbeknownst to Yelena, the redhead felt safer with her riding with the police. So here she sat, in the back of the squad car, nervously playing with a knife. "Don't cut yourself back there," Darcy looked over her shoulder. "It's been awhile since I took a basic first aid class but i feel an obligation to save your life."

Yelena rolled her eyes, "seriously this is your people? I'm a doctor. A little flesh wound is nothing for me." She thought about accentuating her comment by running the blade along her palm but thought better of it. Being in the presence of cops had put her on edge. "How much longer?"

"We are two minutes out," Fury said, looking through the rearview mirror. "I already have patrol cars set up along the building. Nobody is getting out of there without us being able to make a move."

"This is supposed to comfort me?"

"No," Fury smirked. "I am in no way here to comfort you. I'm just here to save your friends. I suppose I don't have to ask you if you know how to shoot."

Yelena chuckled, "yeah. I'm good."

"She had a very impressive weapons closet," Darcy had never seen a civilian with that many guns north of the mason dixon line who wasn't involved in drugs or the mob. "And," she sounded even more impressed, "all of them had the serial number. I bet you even have them registered."

"Of course I do." Okay, the woman was growing on Yelena. "And if I don't, you don't really think I'd show those weapons to the cops, do you?"

"Oh she's smart. I like this one, Fury."

Fury just shook his head, "I knew bringing you was a mistake. I can see the alligence forming. You already got to Natasha. Don't corrupt this one too."

"Oh you are friends with Nat?"

"Accidentally. I went to the club, following Maria but she never showed up. Natasha had been waiting for her and we danced a little and talked. She bought me a couple of drinks. Thought she was going to ask me to go home with her but we just exchanged numbers and became texting buddies."

Fury nodded, "after she got together with Wanda… she would come with her to the station or we'd have dinners. Your sister is a charming asshole."

"That is my Natasha," Yelena chuckled. Her good mood immediately turned when he slowed the car to a stop after cutting the headlights. They were parked down the street from a very sketchy looking warehouse, "this is it?"

Fury and Darcy got out of the car before Yelena had time to question them any further, "everybody clear on the plan?"

"Get eyes on the girls," Darcy pulled out her gun, checking the ammunition. "Shoot the other mother fuckers."

Yelena pulled out one of her guns, two more ready to go, "what she said."

"It has only been 30 minutes. I do not like this," he waved his hand between the two of them.

Darcy shrugged, "what can I say? Sisters love me."

"Did you hear that?" Yelena turned towards the building.

"Gun shots," Fury took off towards the building. "Stay back," he shouted over his shoulder to Yelena but she had taken off running, immediately forgetting the plan. "Yelena!" He shouted, "get back."

"What?" The question was cut off by a loud explosion. One of the upper side walls blew off the building, smoke and fire filling the night sky. "Kate…"