บท 429: C429 Obvious Trap…

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As they stepped through the portal, Natasha and Yelena followed their father's lead, but Peter lingered for a moment, casting a quick spell on Alexei's prison cell to camouflage it.

"What is he doing?" Alexei asked his daughters as he picked himself up off the floor.

"Magic?" Yelena guessed due to the glowing spell circle.

Satisfied with his work, Peter joined the group on the other side, the portal snapping shut behind him.

Alexei looked around, confused by all the magic that was happening. "What did you do? Is this some sort of witchcraft?" He exclaimed, crossing himself and spitting on the floor.

Peter chuckled behind his mask. "Not witchcraft, just a little magic. I cast a spell on your cell to make everyone think you're still inside while also forgetting to check on you. This way, Dreykov won't be alerted to your disappearance."

"Dreykov!" Alexei spat again, a deep-seated bitterness in his voice. "He's the one who put me in that place. We used to be like brothers, but after the Ohio mission, I told him I wanted to take Melina and my daughters away to retire as a family. He refused, and instead, he sent an army of soldiers to attack me."

Natasha's eyes widened in shock. "He attacked you? But I thought you were just locked up for criticizing the government…"

Alexei shook his head, his face darkening with resentment. "No, he betrayed me. I was no longer useful to him after I started talking about retirement, and he couldn't risk me taking away his precious Widows. So he had me thrown in that prison and branded me as a traitor."

Yelena's fists clenched with anger. "He's going to pay for this..." She growled, realizing that her and Natasha could have lived normal lives again if things just went a little differently.

"I agree," Natasha said, her voice filled with the same anger as her sister. "We'll make him pay for everything he's done, but first…" She turns to her father, a frown marring her face. "I'm sorry."

"What? Why?" Alexei asked in confusion, realizing that things just got emotional out of nowhere. "What's happening? You know, I'm not good with these sorts of things."

Natasha looked down at her hands, struggling to find the right words. "I believed for so long that you left us behind willingly. I thought you abandoned us to the Red Room."

Alexei's expression softened with understanding. "I can see why you would think that. But don't be sorry. This is my fault, not yours. I should have listened to you all those years ago. We could have stayed in America or hid in Canada. Things might have turned out differently…"

Natasha looked up, meeting her father's gaze. "Yeah…" She still felt bitter from the betrayal of that moment.

All those years ago, in Ohio, Natasha pleaded and begged Alexei to not return to Russia, hoping to stay and be the family they created. After all, Yelena was only 4 years old, she didn't deserve a life in the Red Room. But sadly, Alexei wouldn't listen to her pleas, thinking he knew better.

Alexei sighed, looking at his two grown daughters. "I know I can't change the past, but I promise you both, I will do everything in my power to protect you now. I won't let anyone hurt our family again." He says seriously before a playful smile forms on his bearded face. "Though we all know you don't need my protection. My little assassins could kill a thousand man army in their sleep and no one would wake up to find the bodies. You take after your mother in that way."

"…" The sisters rolled their eyes at his constant mention of their killing abilities.

Finally, Natasha broached the topic that they broke him out for. "We need to find Dreykov. Do you have any idea where he might be or how we can get in touch with him?"

Alexei thought for a moment before shaking his head solemnly. "I wish I did, but it's been many years since I was a free man. Everything has changed by now. And Dreykov won't trust me anymore after what happened."

Yelena frowned, frustration evident in her voice. "So, what do we do then? How do we find him?"

Alexei hesitated for a moment before speaking. "There might be one person who could have some information, your mother. Melina was always close to Dreykov, and if anyone knows where he is or how to contact him, it would be her."

Natasha raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Is she even still alive? It's been so long, and I haven't heard anything about her."

Alexei's smirked. "My lovely Melina is a survivor. Nothing but death itself could kill that woman. She's resourceful and cunning. If she's alive, she might be hiding somewhere, keeping a low profile. Or she's still working for Dreykov…" He frowned at that last part.

Yelena looked determined. "Then we need to find her. She might be our only link to Dreykov."

Peter leaned forward, intrigued by the possibility. "How can we reach her?"

Alexei looked at each of them, his expression solemn. "I need to warn you all, dealing with Melina is not easy. She's cunning, manipulative, and sexy vixen. And if she is working for Dreykov, then this could get messy."

Natasha's face hardened with determination. "We'll take that risk. And if she is willingly working for Dreykov, then I guess Yelena and I only had one real parent, after all."

Yelena nodded, her eyes glinting with resolve. "We'll tread carefully, but we have to try."

Alexei took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. "Alright then. There's a specific radio frequency that Melina and I used to use to talk during missions. If she's still using that signal, we might be able to reach her."

Peter snapped his fingers and a Ham Radio appeared on his desk. "Alright, let's get to work…"

…

After tuning the ham radio to the specific channel they believed Melina might be using, they spent an hour periodically calling out over the receiver. "Hello, is anyone there... Please respond…" Frustration was starting to set in, but just as Alexei was about to complain for the hundredth time, a female voice with a Russian accent crackled over the radio.

"This is Melina," the voice said, causing everyone in the room to hold their breath.

Natasha took the lead, speaking clearly into the radio. "Uhh… hi… It's Natasha and Yelena. We need your help."

There was a brief pause before Melina responded, her voice guarded yet tinged with curiosity. "My daughters, is it really you? Why are you calling? How do you know about this channel?"

Alexei, who had taken a shower and changed into fresh clothes, grabbed the receiver from Natasha. "You know, Melina, I never stopped thinking about you all these years. Even in prison my love for you couldn't be extinguished, like a roaring forest fire."

Yelena groaned, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Dad? Now is not the time for this." She said, while Natasha couldn't help but smile at the familiar, yet cringe, lines her father would always spew.

Melina's voice softened slightly. "Alexei, you never could resist your own charm. But enough of the pleasantries, what do you want from me?"

After some banter, Alexei got down to business. "Melina, we need to talk. In person. Where can we meet you?"

The radio went silent for a moment before Melina's voice returned. "Meet me at this address 629 ****** road ******. I'll be waiting..."

She gave them the address, and then the radio went silent. The room was filled with uncertainty, and all eyes turned to Alexei, who was still holding the receiver.

"Well, this is probably a trap…" Natasha spoke what everyone else was thinking, "But we have to go. We can't let this opportunity slip away…"

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In a dimly lit room, Melina sat by the ham radio, her mind clouded and her emotions suppressed by the grip of mind control. General Dreykov loomed over her, his presence suffocating as he commanded her every move.

[Insert picture of Melina here]

"Tell them the address, Melina," Dreykov ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

Melina's expression remained blank, her eyes devoid of any spark of life. She spoke into the radio in a monotonous tone, "Meet me at this address: 629 ****** road ******. I'll be waiting..."

As the transmission ended, Dreykov stepped closer, observing her every move. "Good. Now turn off the radio," he commanded.

Without hesitation, Melina reached out and switched off the ham radio, her movements mechanical and robotic. She was a puppet in Dreykov's hands, bound by the invisible shackles of mind control.

Dreykov's satisfaction was evident in the cruel glint of his eyes. He reveled in the power he held over Melina, using her as a pawn in his twisted game of manipulation and control.

"You will do as I say, without question," Dreykov sneered, his voice dripping with malevolence.

Melina nodded obediently, her mind locked in a state of compliance. She was a highly skilled agent, once formidable and independent, but now reduced to a mere pawn in Dreykov's grand scheme.

For many years, Melina was forced to carry out Dreykov's orders without protest, her free will extinguished by the relentless grip of the mind control. She no longer recognized herself, lost in the labyrinth of manipulation that Dreykov had ensnared her in.

In moments of respite, when Dreykov was not watching, flashes of her past life would briefly surface, memories of her daughters, Natasha and Yelena, and the love she once shared with Alexei, the big, lovable idiot. But those memories were fleeting, washed away by the powerful conditioning that held her captive.

Despite her altered state, Melina still longed for freedom. Deep within the recesses of her mind, a flicker of resistance remained, a tiny ember of defiance that refused to be extinguished.

A/N: 1652 words :)

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