Buried Secrets

Chapter 5

Two weeks later

"What the heck is that," I ask.

"It's a serum to seize control of your brain and wipe your memories. I'm told it can be excruciating if you fight it. I suggest you take a few deep breaths and try to relax". Dr Neiman catches my expression. 

"It's a fascinating piece of research, really. Taking control of your mind and making you an unbeatable soldier".

How could I possibly relax to that!

"You don't have to do that," I say quickly. "I'll do whatever you want-".

"We tried that," Dr Neiman explains, meeting my eyes. "You proved that you can't be trusted".

I swallow. I never imagined that this would be the result.

"I didn't know," I whisper.

I scour for anything I could say or do that would stop him, make all of this go away. I yank uselessly against the cuffs again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'll be so good-".

"-ok. So you're going to fight. Bite down on this" he shoves something into my mouth, stifling my last possible defence.

I don't remember screaming, though somebody was. The serum scorches through me, but the feeling that follows is worse. It is a skin-crawling feeling like something had settled in my head and was now slowly tightening around every bone and muscle in my body, coating something inside of me and sealing it tight. There is nothing but the burn of the serum, awaiting purpose. The panic was gone. The bad things were gone. I feel Dr Neiman’s finger on my cheek, brushing away something wet.

"Tell me how you feel. Are you hurt?"

The instruction was good, the purpose follows. It soothes the unbearable burn of the serum.

"I want to serve," I say. "Tell me how I can be of assistance."

Dr Neiman smiles.

Nats pov

It has been a year since Avery disappeared when Fury calls us into a mission. I groan not in the mood for one. We all suit up and go into the meeting room.

“There has been an assassin running around your job is to arrest them,” Fury informs.

“Any information on them?” Steve asks.

“Only that their next target is you guys,” Fury says.

“Now go” 

We all load into the quinjet and get ready. I read through the files provided there's not much but we will have to go with it. We arrive after a few hours in a clearing in the middle of the woods.

"Nat, Clint, Sam and I will take the left perimeter. Tony, Thor and Vision take the right and the rest take the middle" Steve explains.

We all go our separate ways. Keeping an eye out for any possible threats. 

"Why would an assassin be in the woods?" Clint asks.

But before anyone could reply a loud bang rings through the forest. More bullets come flying towards us and a man runs towards us with guns loaded.

"Run!" Steve yells seeing that we are outnumbered.

We run through the trees. Running for our lives. All around us shells explode and guns rapid fire and all I can think is that we have to get the hell out of here. The team is outnumbered, outgunned and if any of us want to get out here alive, we have to flee rather than fight. It was a tough decision. Especially for Cap who we can all tell struggled with giving the order. Still, he's in front leading the retreat, directing us all down safe paths.

Steve's pov

No one is particularly sure when or how it happens. One moment we are running pell-mell through the forest and the next we have halted, diving for cover behind the thick trees that make up this part of the world. All of us manage to get out of sight, except for Nat. In the distance, explosions rock the earth, but she doesn't move, just stands stock still in the middle of the clearing, her back to the rest of the team. Clint makes a cautious break from under the cover of the trees and approaches her.

Clint's pov

I quickly make my way over to Nat. She is breathing heavily and there is an uncharacteristic shake to her shoulders, but other than that, everything appears to be fine. 

"Nat, are you alright," I ask tentatively as I approach her. I simultaneously look her over for possible trauma all the while trying to gauge how far the enemy is from our current location. Judging by the shouting heard echoing through the trees, it's not far. 

"Natasha we've got to…" I begin with a hint of panic in my voice just as she starts to turn. Her movements are jerky and she stumbles a bit, and for a moment, I'm confused. In her eyes, Natasha is infallible, unshakable. There's no earthly reason why she should be behaving this way…. And then I see it. Natasha's blood-covered hands are clutching protectively at a slowly bleeding wound in her stomach. My eyes go wide as I finally look up to meet the gaze of The Black Widow, my friend, the lady I and every other member of the team would gladly lay down their own lives for.

"Get them out of here," Natasha says weakly, coughing as she desperately tries to appear in better shape than she actually is.

"You've got to get them out of here". She says before collapsing onto the ground.

"You have to get up!" I cry as chaos reigns down around us. Explosions echo too close for comfort and the scent of blood adds an unnerving weight to the air.

"Please" I plead.

"You're important to me, you piece of shit!".

Nats pov

The loud screams and sounds of people frantically fleeing, we're strangely muffled to me in my disoriented state, the persistent ringing in my ears from the explosion, only confusing my dazed state senses further, as I laid beneath Clint. It wasn't until I felt his hands gently but firmly pull me into his careful hold, as he got to his feet, that I finally start to come back to myself. 

"Shit we do have to go," I say.

Clint starts running with me in his arms.