𝔸𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕤 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦

Chapter 4

Tw: Mentions of injury, violence

Looking aghast, Nat stared blankly down at her hands, which were now stained with spots of bright red blood. Wanda looked helplessly after Tony, who obviously had no intention of going to combat. She hoped he would go to the nurse, or at least Bruce, but from what Wanda had been told, Tony was far too stubborn and proud to ever admit he'd been injured.

Nat wiped the blood off on her pants before slinging an arm around Wanda's shoulders hesitantly. "C'mon. Let's go."

The first thing Nat did when she entered the Sports Hall was scan the waiting students for Tony. But he was still nowhere to be seen; perhaps he was at the nurse or pretending he had a free period by slacking off in the library. Nat knew he was probably fine. Still, that didn't stop her from worrying.

The second thing Nat did was look for Clint. She needed someone to confide in, someone who knew Tony well enough to console her. But Clint was busy spitting insults at Obadiah, who had called Bruce a freak. "Nat?" Wanda asked, noticing her troubled expression.

''I'm okay.'' Her reply was short; even now, after Wanda had reminded her Tony would be okay. She knew Wanda did not deserve it, but she could not help herself- her consternation for Tony was like the sea during a tsunami, drowning out everything in its path.

Last year, when they were forced to choose sides between Tony and Steve, Nat had picked Tony, although Steve was one of her closest friends. She had stayed with Tony- not because she thought he was right, but because she thought he needed her. Not in that way, of course. He'd always remained adamant that Natasha was better for someone else, although it drove her crazy trying to figure out who he meant.

But even under his wry, cocky, indifferent façade, Nat knew, like her, there'd been a more vulnerable, easily hurt side. However, unlike her, Tony chose to bottle his feelings. It was only just today that she actually realized he was broken inside, realized just how much he was hiding from her. But Nat didn't resent him for that. In his position, though she had no idea how much pain he was in, she could not be entirely sure that she would not have done the same thing.

Even when he was suffering, his arrogance and his hope for everyone to view him the same way- not with pity, but their usual exasperation and fake but altogether contented annoyance- never changed. He would always be the same Tony Stark; sarcastic, witty, wry, scornful, even as he broke, slowly, on the inside. And nobody would ever know.

"Nat?"

Someone caught her by the shoulders and shook her roughly. Nat's hand instinctively whipped upwards, closing around her attacker's wrist- and loosened as her vision cleared, and she realized it was Wanda.

"I'm fine."

Wanda shot her a suspicious look, but dropped it and turned to the front when Miss May began to speak. ''This year is an important year for you. Year ten. The breakthrough year. Like always, we shall begin with weapon combat. Afterwards, it's hand-to-hand combat. Unlike last year, however, we shall be using sharpened weapons. Now- ''

He broke off as just about everybody but Wanda and Nat started talking. Over the general clamor, Miss May raised her voice and said: ''Listen up!''

Unlike other teachers who might've been put in the same situation, Miss May's face remained surprisingly composed and serene in even the hardest classes. ''Now- and this is important- you must use the braces supplied especially for this class. Failure to do so may result in serious injury or paperwork that I do not want to file.'' She clapped her hands together, a sharp, harsh sound in the silence of the hall. ''Right. Let's get started.''