No-One But You (The Zephyr Endeavor)
Chapter 55: Chaos Control (Part 5)

Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova, and Bucky Barnes went in the complete opposite direction of Rae-Ann and Wade Wilson.

The group needed to talk, and Natasha's leadership skills rose to the top of the conversation pretty quickly. She was their "superior" after all, and she made sure it was known that she didn't like what was happening at all.

She didn't like Ezekiel Stane's clever disguise, and she definitely didn't like him having his own division. She wanted him to hand over all of his information to S.H.I.E.L.D. centuries ago, but the "White Jackal" was doing everything BUT that….

He couldn't just give out life-saving information, oh no… he had to get himself set up for success first and foremost.

That's the information Natasha was sharing with her adoptive sister, because Yelena was actually speaking up for what she'd been witnessing on the surface level.

Clint Barton actually heard her say that Ezekiel seemed like a "nice guy", and she even defended his plans for S.H.A.D.O.W. Wowwwww…. the archer held a deadpan expression, then he kept turning his focus back out one of the giant windows.

It looked like he was up in a bird nest or something. Barton always found a way to sit up and far off from the rest of the group. His mind was swamped with stupid shit, and he felt like being alone…

…

"LOOK, I get you two don't like him, or uhh, her, on a personal level, but this person is trying to save, how many people? I've been reading this file, hearing all of this, but I can see what the plan is going to do. You two need to get over yourselves a little bit, my God…"

…

"Give this Ezekiel guy a break, I mean, was he abused all his life or something? How does he know all of this stuff?"

…

Yelena kept her rant going, and Natasha drew in a slow breath after she let her sister speak. Yes, on the surface it certainly seemed like little miss "Rae-Ann" was a delicate victim, but the truth to that was far more complicated.

Barton and Romanov knew that, as well as one other person. She glanced over at the Winter Soldier for just a moment, then she returned to the task at hand.

…

"HE is the reason why innocent people are there in the first place. He's playing both sides to save his own ass, and now he has someone who CAN'T DIE protecting him 24/7. This shit is so complicated and crazy, I can't believe S.H.I.E.L.D. is even letting this shit show happen in the first place."

…

Fuckingggg UGHhhhh. Barton added his rant into the mix, then he inwardly imagined someone locking Ezekiel SMUG-FACE Stane in a box and throwing away the key forever. Someone dump that shit in the ocean already pleaaaassseee…

…

"That fucker is playing games Yelena, like always, and he's got that stupid Surveillant Council fooled, he has Wade Wilson fooled, as well as that AIRHEAD named Victor Strange…"

…

Coincidentally and specifically speaking, Wade and Victor alone were, how powerful? Yeah, go figure….

Yelena heard what the archer barked out from the heavens, then she looked around the room they were in for a long while. She was an outsider in every possible way, so she took a moment to think over everything she was learning and hearing.

She watched Ezekiel, well, Rae-Ann, as she spoke in front of everyone back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Yelena felt a softness for sure, but there was also something else that MAYBE everyone else wasn't seeing.

…

"And what if you're wrong? What if this person is hiding from someone, or SOMETHING that none of us can see? Look how hard this person is trying to protect herself, hide and… maybe save herself? That alone is a big sign for me."

…

Complicated or not, Yelena Belova could tell something was off. Sure, Clint Barton was obviously pissed and SUPER bitter because Ezekiel "stole" Victor Strange from him, or whatever. That was soooo beyond obvious it hurt Yelena's brain, but her sister?

That part added to the complication, but she could see a change in her sister's expression after she spoke.

There were definitely some war wounds, and bad blood going on between Ezekiel Stane and the Black Widow, but Yelena's perspective caused a stir..

…

Chapter: END

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