Not by choice (Natasha Romanoff x Reader)

Circuit board

Bruce and Tony stood facing you, wondering what the next step had to be. Bruce found the reason you were acting the way you were so often and he wanted to help you by changing it, but it wasn't all that easy. "We need a blood transfer, talk to Hill and see what she's able to gather for us." Bruce told Tony as he nodded his head along with his words.

"How long will that take?" Tony questioned, turning his head to watch the doctor.

"About an hour if all's well."

"I think you're making it harder than it is." You shrugged, eyeing the doctor.

"What do you mean?" He asked, setting down his paper.

"Well, there may be an issue with my blood but I can't see how that would change my ways," you looked between the two men across from you before you continued, "I think the issue is on my circuit board, a faulty connection or something." You wondered as you thought about which reason you would like to stick on but waved it off.

"You have a circuit board?" Tony questioned, sounding anything but surprised.

"It doesn't replace anything" he raised both his eyebrows as Bruce listened carefully, "It's there to control my powers, it being so powerful that if it were to break it'll kill me right away." You winced slightly as you had just realized you told them how they could kill you.

"So you think there's a broken... wire?"

"Something of the sort but not exactly a wire." Bruce hummed at your words, understanding your explanation while he tried to understand how you came around to getting this board inside you.

"It was placed there?" He spoke up and you looked at him with a nod.

"That's why I need to find my parents, they created it, they created my powers, without them for this long there's been faults and I have no way of fixing it," Bruce understood what you meant as did Tony, "They're the only ones I know who wouldn't know how to fix me." Tony laughed as Bruce looked at him knowingly.

"Where's the circuit, kid?" Bruce asked, waiting for you to show him, knowing he was able to do something about it.

You were now laying down, knocked out by the drugs Bruce gave you to make it easier on your half, he had cut a neat slit in the back of your neck, a previous scar already there from when your parents had worked on you all those years ago. He worked carefully on you, being sure not to make a wrong move as you had told him it would kill you instantly but the highly advanced doctor knew what he was doing, it was like working with a beating heart with less movement. He was intrigued with the golden color connections, more string like than wires making you that much more delicate.

The doctor worked for what felt like hours, never letting anyone distract him from you as he found the fault, a golden connection had detached from the circuit board, the small fault affecting you highly. He saw how thin the connections were, only one millimeter in width, almost as delicate as a spider's web.

"You nearly done there?" Tony's voice caught his ears as he poked his head around the door, Bruce raised a hand in response telling him not to talk as he was seconds away from reconnecting the string.

It took him a few attempts until he had finally got it right, proud with his work hoping this would fix your random bursts of anger. He closed your open wound, stitching it up with ease and checking if everything was alright with you before he removed his latex gloves and left the room, letting you wake up on your own.

He gave himself a break, getting himself a coffee from the kitchen before relaxing on the couch. "Did it go well?" Maria's voice came in from the entry to the quarters.

"I hope so." He sighed, placing his mug down and leaning back on the couch, his eyes suddenly growing heavy.

"Tired I see." Maria chuckled, pushing herself off the wall and coming to get a drink of her own.

"It was a lot to work with, I've never really seen anything like that before." Bruce admitted, running his hand over his face.

"Hmm," Maria hummed unsure on what to say, "Well, I'll catch up with you later, I have work of my own." She gave him a small wave and left the room, a warm coffee in her hands.

Bruce fell asleep over an hour ago and anyone who saw him didn't wake him knowing he had barely any sleep recently with a lot of work on top, Natasha had to stop Sam from pulling a prank on him as it was unfair on the doctor. Wanda walked by the room you were in and saw you turning over, forcing yourself to sit up.

"Drugs hit you hard?" She chuckled when she saw your hooded eyes.

"No," you lied sliding out the side of the bed, "I'm so hungry."

"I don't think you should be getting up yet." Wanda tried as she held her arms out, being ready to catch you if you were to stumble.

"I want food." You mumbled, brushing past Wanda as you walked out.

"We can go grab a bite to eat if you'd like?" She offered and you smiled at the thought but rolled your eyes when you remembered what Tony had said.

"I can't leave the tower." You shrugged, sliding into your jacket.

"I'm sure I can get Tony to allow it." She smiled cheekily before taking your hand and pulling you to find Tony.