Swapping Sides

Robots?

I woke up in a tangle of sheets, Nat and Wanda. I just lay between them for a while listening to them breathe, I'd never felt this safe before. Safe but restless, there was so much going on and so much I didn't understand, I decided to hunt Bruce down and find out more about the chip and the clones.

Getting out of bed without waking them was easier than I though, I left them and headed down to the lab. Bruce was bent over something which he quickly covered when he saw me appear through a wall.
"Jesus, can't you use the door like a normal person" he scrambled to cover the table he was working out. I frowned and tried to see what he was doing but couldn't because of the sheet.

"Nah, over rated...what you hiding Bruce?" I asked, no point beating around the bush.
"Can I scan you?" He asked without answering my question. I frowned, he normally didn't ask me to do anything unless Natasha was here incase I panicked.
I shrugged, how bad could it be, what I didn't expect was him to break out a metal detector.

I raised my eyebrows, "are you checking I'm not a robot?" He approached me without answering. I better not be a fucking robot.
"No but that chip you gave us, it's an implant..." he trailed off as he began to scan me. He started at my feet and worked up front first then sides, no beeping winning!

My heart fell when he got to the base of my skull and the detector began to beep. Fuck, I lifted my hand to the area just behind my ear, I couldn't feel anything. Bruce was silent which made me nervous.

"The chip...well the one we have anyway seems to have a control programme on it. In theory whatever it's inside would control something else" I listened to him unsure where he was going.
"Like a computer programme?" I asked confused.
"No it seems to work with biological matter"
"You've lost me Bruce!" My head was hurting, the high of Natasha and Wanda was fading, I wish one of them had come with me.

"If it was implanted in the right persons head they'd be able to control... the clones for example" my knees buckled underneath me and I crashed to the floor. Surely he doesn't think I have the same chip in my head. I ran my fingers back over the place in my skull.
"Is that what you think I have?" I asked staring at him.

He didn't speak for a while he just seemed to be deciding what to say
"Yes and no, I think Hydra implanted something with you but I think it was something much more basic than this. Maybe in case you went off the rails, which you did, they wouldn't have wanted to lose you and this. Especially with it in you. Or maybe they were still experimenting"

I couldn't breath. "I can take a look and take whatever's in your head out? It might be nothing" he said hopefully. I nodded.
"Do it now" I ordered with a lot more force than I felt.
"Don't you want me to get Nat or-" he was trying to be nice but I couldn't wait even 5 more seconds, whatever was in my head a to come out.

"No. Now"
"Okay but we need to scan-" he tried again
"Now Bruce I can't..." I don't know what I can't but I just can't!
He sighed and pulled me into a different part of the lab and sat me down.
I closed my eyes and let my mind wander as he shuffled around me getting ready. So maybe there was time to go get Nat or Wanda but I'm a big girl I can do this alone.

I tried to zone out while he began the procedure, but my whole body was shaking. I was about to quit and tell Bruce I couldn't do it when I felt someone's hand slip into mine.
Natasha's voice broke into my trance "do you always have to be so stubborn? Wanda could hear your thoughts in the kitchen. She said they were loud" she kissed my cheek, I opened my eyes and she was glaring at Bruce. "We need to talk Banner"

"I told him not to get you! I just want whatever is in me out" I rubbed my thumb on her hand, she was the one who made me feel safe.
"It's not just that" she looked at me for a second before glancing back at him, "I saw what was in your lab"

"Ready? It should be numb now...any issue let me know" he said from behind me not acknowledging anything Nat had said. I pressed Nat's hand into my face and took a deep breath before he began.

A few hours later I was lying across Natasha on the sofa as she played with my hair, Wanda had agreed to go get us some pizza.
"Not to go all soft on you...but you don't have to prove yourself all the time. You don't always have to be so stubborn and independent" she spoke softly, I knew she was right but I couldn't help it. I'd always been alone, surviving. "You've got me now baby" she kissed my head and then continued to stroke my arm.
"They killed my mum you know..." I started and my voice shook. "She was meant to be the wall Walker, the weapon but it didn't work" I don't know why I was telling her.
She listened quietly, she slipped her hand into mine and gave it a squeeze. "She was one of them, it was her choice but she had me...she didn't think..." I felt hot tears wash over my face.
"It's okay little mouse" she held me while I cried and told her about how my mother's death sparked the concern that adult bodies couldn't handle the experiments they were doing so they switched to kids.
"I was first...the DNA match made it easier, I guess they thought I'd grow into my mother and they were wrong" I sat up so I could wrap my arms around her and burry my face in her neck.
"Thank you for sharing that with me" she whispered in my ear.