Love and War

Chapter XI- Leave Me Alone

Nat POV:
The sound of Sage's voice caused Ryker and me to snap our heads toward her bed. She was still laying down with her arm over her face. We ran to her bedside keeping cautious of what she may do.

Ryker put his hand on her free hand and whispered, "is it really you?"

Sage moved her hand so we could see her face; I examined it carefully. Studying her expressions and her eyes, it was her. The blank expression of nothingness was gone, Sage was back. But, how certain can we be that she won't turn back and-

I was brought out of my thoughts when she put the bed in an elevated position so she was sitting up, "yes? Who else would it be?"

Ryker and I looked at each other then back at Sage who had a confused face, "what's up with you two? And where am I exactly?" Pointing a finger to me with furrowed eyebrows she added, "and why are you here?"

The way she addressed me caused my chest to sting.

Ryker cleared his throat, "what do you remember?"

Sage sighed and glared at me before turning her soft expression back to Ryker, "I remember being tortured because Natasha just had to ruin everything. I remember that none of you were even my real family and right when I blacked out you came to rescue me. I don't know where I am right now though."

I straightened my posture and crossed my arms over my chest, "you are at the Avengers compound. Ryker called me to help rescue you out of there by the time we got you, you were in awful shape. You've been in a coma ever since."

Sage turned her head to me, I could tell she was studying me. I smirked at her, I am a highly trained assassin, a good freaking spy, the fucking Black Widow no one could ever truly read me even if they tried.

Or so I thought.

She scoffed, "you're hiding something, you think no one can read you but maybe you're not as good as you think."

Ryker punched her arm and glared at her causing her to groan and mumble "sorry" under her breath.

He turned to me and sent a sympathetic nod towards me, "I'm sorry for my sister, she'll get her act together please don't send her away."

Sage snapped her head towards me, "what do you mean send me away? Tell me everything, please."

Sage POV:
I looked towards Natasha, with an encouraging look in hopes she would tell me. Her stern look fell and she slumped her shoulders taking a seat next to my bed, "when I brought you here, to the Avengers compound, some of the others didn't want you to stay here. They wanted to send you to the raft."

I leaned into the bed, "what's the raft?"

She looked towards Ryker to see if he wanted to explain it but he shook his head causing her to continue, "it's a place for the highest set criminals in the middle of nowhere."

"And why did they not send me there?"

She leaned back in the chair, "because I convinced them that you were not a threat. And..."

Romanoff trailed off, I could tell she was holding something back. I straightened my posture and cocked my head towards her, "and what?"

She sighed looking at the ground, "and that you would work with us to prove you weren't a threat. That's the only way they would keep you here."

I chuckled dryly and scoffed rolling my eyes, "I would never work with you people. Just send me to the raft or better yet let me go. Ryker and I will just build a life without anyone."