𝓇𝓊𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒

Part 2- minds of confusion

Your eyes flutter open, quickly squinting as you adjust to the bright white light. The first thing you feel is a hand grazing over your stomach, without thinking you quickly grab the limb, your finger tips wrapping around the wrist with a deathly tight lock.

"Hey, hey, relax, you're safe now" a voice echoes calmly as a figure approaches you, as it comes closer your vision clears as you see who is standing in your front, "Na- Natasha?" you breath out, "wha- where am I?" you look around, beginning to panic once again as the grip your fist holds only tightens, causing whatever you are holding onto to squirm.

"Just relax, you're at the avengers compound, remember?" she places her hand on top of yours, causing your eyes to spring down onto what you're holding. When you see the hand attached to a very nervous looking Bruce Banner you instantly let go, sitting up straight and taking a better look around you.

"What happened, how did I get here?" you stutter, looking around at the sceptical, worried faces of the avengers sat around you.

The concern in their eyes is enough to make anyone worried, and the fact that you can't remember how you ended up in the avengers care, never mind in America in the first place is concerning.

"What do you mean?" Natasha furrows her brows at you, "you came here, asking for me. You were trying to warn me about something" she speaks slowly and clearly, seeing your confused state.

"No... no" you shake your head, a dull ringing noise interrupting your thoughts. Your feet ache although you're not putting any pressure onto them, your mind is exhausted and your head is pounding as you try to retrace your steps.

You look down, your face scrunching, "how did I get out of Rome?" you mumble softly to yourself as the avengers intently cling onto your every word.

You turn your head to the side, hating the fact you're so vulnerable out in the open, your mind races as you stare into the sheer white gloss wall, "I.. I..." you feel a sharp prick in your arm, causing your head to spring around.

Finding Bruce quickly retracting an empty syringe from your arm, you look down in shock to the syringe before looking back up to a nervous face, concerned about you lashing out, Bruce's face drops ghastly pale.

You stand up abruptly, causing the avengers to stand on guard, "wha- how did you get me out of Rome? Why aren't I-" Natasha looks at you perturbed, "how did-" words become harder and harder to form as you feel your consciousness slipping away. Your eyes flutter as you struggle to keep them open and just before you know it, a dark nothingness washes over you as your body collapses heavily onto the cool marble floor, leaving you once again vulnerable to the unknown people surrounding you.

"I don't like this" Bucky admits, watching as Natasha and Steve pick your fragile body up off of the floor, placing you back onto the medical bed, "look at her Buck, you really think she can do any harm?" Steve tries to protest, feeling empathetic towards you, you being weak, confused, and fragile minded as you lay eerily still.

"I can vouch for her" Natasha speaks sternly, "I know when your mind is elsewhere, she is herself, Hydra isn't controlling her"

"Just because hydra isn't controlling her doesn't mean she isn't working with them" Bucky takes a step forwards, anxious for everyone's safety, especially his own. He has finally started getting his life back on track, and the sudden appearance of you, especially after sprouting nonsense about an attack unsettles him.

"I trust her" Natasha confidently states, "she doesn't mean any harm, I'll cover for her if Fury says anything" she watches as Bruce begins to more hesitantly attach needles and wires to you, listening carefully as the heart rate machine regularly beeps in the background.

"Bruce fix her up, maybe she will have a clearer mind when she is rested, everyone else meet in the conference room" Steve orders, Natasha being the first to head for the door, "Bruce, restrain her, just in case" he nods in response as he begins to attach shackles onto your wrists, ankles and across your chest.

"Thought you said she didn't mean no harm" Bucky states coyly, shooting a side glance towards Steve, "doesn't mean she isn't able to do so" Natasha sighs, more nervous for your safety than any of the others.

The last thing Natasha wants is for you to danger yourself by accidentally doing something that you don't mean to, especially when she needs answers.

As the group make their way into the meeting room, Tony brings up the security footage on the main screen, nervous to leave Bruce alone with you, who they still know so little about.

"Who is she?" Steve asks, turning towards Natasha, "she is an old friend, from the red room" she sighs, taking a seat as the others get more comfortable, glancing over to the screen every now and again.

"Where has she been all this time?" Clint inquires, "hydra more than likely, the red room had connections with hydra. I am unsure of how closely they worked together but the more likely solution is hydra took in all the widows when Dreykov died"

"When Dreykov was killed" Tony reiterates, cocking his head over towards Nat, "when Dreykov was killed" she confirms, quietly.

"So what do we do with her?" Steve ponders his thoughts to the group.

"I say we throw her out, you don't know anything about her, she may be working for them still" Bucky raises his voice, not taking his eyes away from the screen as Bruce silently fiddles with your body.

"We're not doing that" Natasha speaks matter of factly, "she just needs rest, you all saw her, she is exhausted" a few moments of silence wash over the group as they all think about their situation. Each individual sharing the same concerns that Bucky does, even Natasha.

"For now get some sleep" Steve orders, "we will discuss this in the morning" and with that, the group all head their separate ways, some heading to bed, and some unable to rest.

Natasha, feeling a sense of guilt, heads down into the lab, "how is she?" she asks, seeing that Bruce has nearly finished with his tests, "okay as far as I can tell, I've given her an anaesthetic to keep her out till morning. Her blood work seems normal but I'll have better results tomorrow afternoon" she smiles weakly and nods in response, which Bruce returns. Once finished, he heads out of the room before turning back softly, "try and get some sleep, Nat"

Natasha hesitantly sits down next to you, unsure on what to think. Guilt, worry, relief all washing over her at an unrecognisable pace. She takes your hand gently in hers, as she looks down, unable to look at you.

"It's not your fault" Clint speaks from the shadows, before walking up to Natasha, "I don't know what you mean" she replies, trying to keep her guard up, her protective mask on.

"Don't blame yourself for leaving the other widows there" he places his hand on her shoulder, knowing the details of his friends past better than anyone, "how can I not?" she sniffles, taking his hand in hers and holding it to her cheek.

"You didn't have a choice Nat" Clint moves around from behind her, pulling up a chair and looking deeply into her eyes, trying desperately to convince her of the truth, "you had no choice"

A single tear softly crawls down Natasha rosey cheek, "all those widows, subjected to hydra's torment. You know what they did to Barnes, you think the women would be treated any differently?"

Clint looks down, not really sure of what to say, or if there is even anything he can say to comfort his friend.

"Maybe I didn't have a choice" Natasha continues as she dares to look up to your frozen body, "but I didn't even try"

——⧗——

Now on day 4 of covid😖🤒

Thank you all for reading, the chapters will get longer soon as we progress, don't forget to leave your comments and please consider a vote <3