D A R K

M O R N I N G S U N S H I N E

Natasha woke up alone. On the cold floor. At first she was disorientated, the silent thrumming of the Hellicarrier underneath her reminding her of where she was. The scratchy S.H.I.E.L.D issued blanket was pushed under her head, assuming Agent Hill had put it under her to act as a pillow whilst she slept. Embarrassment flooded her face, shame kicked her in the gut. Not only did she fall asleep on Agent Hill, she failed to wake up when Agent Hill left. Natasha felt sick, how could she let her guard down so easily. Madame B would punish her for this, but there was no Madame B, there was no Red Room. As brilliant as that was, Natasha remained nauseated. Everything she knew, everything she lived through all stemmed from the Red Room. As cruel and volatile as it was, it was her home. It was the foundation of everything she was.

Maria's kindness did not go unnoticed, but for some strange reason it pissed Natasha off. Who did Agent Hill think she was, Natasha's mind began to play cruel games with her. Kindness twisted into manipulation, Natasha concluded that Agent Hill was only nice to her as a way to trick her into telling her all of her secrets and her past so that Nicholas Fury could use it against her if she ever defied his orders. Natasha's rage built up, ever cell in her body screaming at her to break out and somehow get off this stupid floating ship. 

Natasha was snapped out of her thoughts abruptly when the door was opened, Agent Hill walking in with a small smile on her face upon seeing Natasha on the floor. She knew that meant Natasha finally had a full night sleep.

"Morning Sunshine" Hill stated, offering Natasha a bottle of water and a towel, Natasha grunted and pulled herself off the floor without a word, snatching the items from Hill. Maria grimaced at Natasha's actions.

"What are these for?" Natasha asked, she didn't need a water bottle or a towel. Whenever she was escorted to the showers there was a towel already there for her, and besides it was a Wednesday, she was only ever taken to the showers on a Thursday and a Monday. She also did not need a water bottle, there was a tap in her room.

"We're going to the gym Sunshine" Maria teased her, knowing the Russian was in a grumpy mood. Natasha did not laugh.

"I'm not allowed, it's against protocol. I stay here, eat here, sleep here. I'm only allowed to leave when I'm escorted to the showers. And, that's only 15 minutes per shower" Natasha stated the facts.

"Well, Romanoff, Protocols changed. Let's go, or you can stay here" Maria quipped.

Natasha looked around her cell, there was nothing to do here. She simply nodded her head and followed Maria out. As they walked the corridors, Natasha observed everything. She had the whole section of the Hellicarrier she had seen mapped out in her head. Maria, being the soldier she was, noticed.

"Romanoff, you can't go anywhere. We're thousands of metres off the ground. Even if you wanted to escape, there's nowhere to go"

"Down, there's always down." Natasha cooly spoke, Maria tried to ignore what Natasha was insinuating. Surely the Russian was not on a suicide mission, not after everything she had been through to get here. "Relax, Agent. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I choose to be here" this time it was Maria's turn to just nod her head.

When they reached the gym, Natasha was surprised to see a locker with her name on it. Her Americanised name no less. 'ROMANOFF' in big bold letters. She didn't say thank you, or express any kind of emotion. Still under the influence that this was all an elaborate plan to make her conform to S.H.I.E.L.D, to supress her own identity to be nothing more than a S.H.I.E.L.D foot soldier.

"Codes 1984" Maria spoke out, of course S.H.I.E.L.D chose the code to the locker to be the year that she was born. what came next surprised Natasha, "You can change the code too if you want" Natasha froze in her tracks, her fingers stilling on the padlock.. She had never had something that was her own before, something she could keep to herself. She knew it was stupid, feeling so happy about a locker. When she opened it, she was also shook by the gym clothes in it, she was sick of wearing the tracksuit with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on. But she still didn't say thank you, she was annoyed at Hill. Annoyed at her for being kind, annoyed that her kindness was fake. There was no way this could be genuine, Agent Hill knew the things that she had done. Telling Romanoff that she could make up for her sins and have a second chance must have been bullshit.