I own Nothing other than my OC
Natasha Prov
I snap my eyes open as I shot up in bed. Feeling the sweat covering my body making my hair stick to the sides of my neck. Running a hand through my shoulder length red hair, I glance at the clock 7:00 am. I let a puff of air, taking a deep breath trying to calm my racing heart. Nightmares aren't an unusual thing but lately, they seem to be happening more often. The worst part about it is that it seems to be the same handful of nightmares that just keep recurring. Days of the training and torture of the Red Room, the faces hundreds of innocent that I have killed, the Loki incident. Though the worst one seems to happen the most often the day they told me Emilia had been killed. The Red Room used the angrier I did not realise I had, taking advantage of it, they sent me on a killing spree which resulted in the hospital fire. The day I truly earn my name as the Black Widow and the day Clint was sent to kill me.
Climbing out of the bed I slowly unclench my hands from the sheets and unevenly make my way over to the wardrobe. Pulling out a large sleeveless tank top that I stole from Barton a few years. That, of course, had BARTON written across the back in big letters, slipping it over the sports bra I had on while sleeping. I grab out a pair of short black workout shorts slip them on and head out the bedroom and down the floor to the gym. Not even bothering with strapping my hands I head straight for the boxing bag. As I feel the memory starting to flood my mind. Placing my feet into the stance that I had drilled in my head since I was 4. I begin hitting the bag with everything I have. Left, right, left, right, jab, uppercut, sidekick feeling my body get into the natural rhythm I have implanted in my brain, I lose myself in the feel. Not even noticing that my knuckles have started to bleed. I just keep going ignoring the pain, again like I have I have been trained to do. Focusing all my attention on the bag trying to blur out the images that are rushing in front of my eyes. Images of small girls standing together in a line. Being looked down on as if they are only weapons.
Flashback
1993
The walls are so white and ground is cold where my bare feet stand. Standing in line with other girls, all the girls are different. Some had blonde hair, black hair some had brown but I was the only one with bright red hair ' which made makes stand out more than I already do making me an easy target'. Girls of different ages stand together ranging from 10-4. Me being the one the youngest at the age of 5 already being here for one year. A man standing around 6ft walked along the line. The man is known as Ivan. He was our commander he was in charge of everything, the training and even the trainer. He had short greasy combed black hair. A matching moustache, pale grey skin and darkest eyes I have ever seen. He was a large man with a thick and tall build. As he stands there he observes each girl. He stops in front of one girl, who I have seen around but never really talked or interacted with, she mostly sticks to her in here like myself. I would say she only maybe one year older than me making possible she has already been here for about twos year maybe more but by gods was she good. She was small like me probably around the same height. She stepped up in front of the man her hands behind her back as she stands straight her very long dirty blonde hair going down her back in a low ponytail. Ivan nods " Emilia Over there NOW!" he yells and points to the edge of the mat. She obeys without hesitation. He continues down the line slowly. I feel my nervous kick in when he slows down and stop in front of me " Hmmm Natalia, Mat Now" He says with that evil smile he has that gives me the shivers every time. I run to the other end of the mat getting in the fighting stance. I take a deep breath focusing on the girl in front of me. Having a good look I notice that blonde girl known as Emilia is already covered in bruises and has a black eye and a split lip from a beating from either yesterday or early this morning. I look up her face and see the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen before. Staring at them they look cold and emotionless but as I look at little harder they just so ...lost. I hear Ivan yell fight and neither one of us hesitates here there is no such thing as hesitation because in here in the red room, that is a sign of weakness and they do not train the weak. Straight away I'm blocking and dodging every move she throws at me. After a while of her blocking my attacks and myself blocking hers, she lands a solid hit to my stomach and I get thrown back. I immediately jump up before she attacks again. Swiping my foot I kick her legs out from under her and throw a decent punch to her face and a swift kick to her side hearing a crack of a rib. As she falls I jump on her pinning her to ground, but as I reach for her hands she grab my wrist and twists and I hear a snap and she flips me on my back and pins me to the ground. She has my pin on my back with my head in a headlock. Unable to breathe I feeling my vision going blurry from the lack of oxygen seeing spots in vision. I'm about to greet unconsciousness when I feel her let go and I lay on the ground trying to catch my breath. I look up seeing the girl stand above me her arms behind her back and I can tell by the way she breathing she is in a lot of pain but you would not be able to tell by her face. I look over to see Ivan shaking his head disapprovingly " I'm Disappointed my two best fighters can do better than that" He says warningly" I will let you both off this once but by, gods, if you ever fight that weak again you are going to wish you were never born, now go to the medical and get checked you are dismissed" He yells walking out the room as do the rest of the girls. I lay on the ground a little longer and go to get up but as I turn to get up I feel a body standing over mine " Here Let me help" She says in Russian but the accent is not Russian, something I have never heard before. She places a handout and I take it surprisingly without no hesitation. I just nod my head as thanks. Following her, to the medical, I notice she is holding her ribs on the left " sorry about your ribs" I whisper making sure only she heard. She turns and gives me a look of confusion and I realised I just apologised and that never happens in here ever. Though she gives me warm smile a smile I haven't seen from a person since I have been here. " Sorry about your wrist " She whisper. I smile back completely shocked. " I'm Natalia," I tell her she slows the pace and stands beside me " Emilia" she replies. " You did really well back there, " She says giving me that smile again still having that accent I can not place. " thanks, I guess I definitely need to improve," I say staring at the ground. She just , places a soft hand on my shoulder " we all need to improve if we want to stay alive " Emilia adds " How about we train together you seem like you need someone to practice with and I have notice you don't , interact with the other girls either " She offers an I nod my head approval " I would like that " I say softly " well it's settled we will train together and become the best " She says with reassuring smile. " oh and call me Em" she says opening the door to the medical. From that day forward we did we train in private, showing each other our flaws. Study together when we knew no one else was around to see and yes we did become the best.
End Of Flashback
I stare at the punching bag as it lays on the ground. Feeling the sweat drip off my faces I focus on the droplets falling as I try to regain some calmness. Looking down at my hands I notice they are shaking and of course covered in blood. I grab a towel and walk out the gym and back up to my room. Looking at the clock 8:20 am I notice Steve should be back from his run and should be up in the common room. Maybe all I need is some company to get my mind off things. I go to the bathroom and step into the shower turning the water as I let it soothingly run down my body. The images of the nightmare start to reappear so I get out and get dressed brushing my hair and teeth quickly. Pulling on a pair of black skinny jeans and a pullover sweater again Bartons. I go over to my dresser which is the corner of the room and grab some ointment for my knuckles and make my way up the stair.
Walking up the stair I feel immediately something is wrong and grab the Glock that I had hidden in the waistline of my pants and creep up the stair. Hearing Steve ask someone who they are. That's when I hear it. That accent the accent that only I was allowed to hear for years that accent I learnt was Australian. The accent I have grown to love and there only one person I know who would be able to get into the tower without tripping any alerts off. I stand in the doorway. For a moment I'm frozen as I stare at the tall Blonde women with skin that has a slight sun tan to it and a figure like a model, just standing there with her hands on her head with a barrel of a gun pointed to her head. It can't be true she died years ago, then it clicks that's what they wanted me to think. " My name is..." But she gets cut off because I surprisingly answer for her. " Emilia Popov," I say without hesitation. That's when she turns to face me and I have walked in front of her without thinking. Like my legs are on auto pilot as my body as in complete and utter shock. As she turns I see those bright blue eyes I thought I was never going to see again. All I hear is my name and not the one I gave myself I hear "Natalia " and that is all she says. I continue to stare and within seconds of her arms going down to her to her side, I run at her. Wrapping my arms around her my head pressed into her shoulder " Long time no see сестра" (sister). She says softly in my ear so only I can hear her. Grabbing her tighter not wanting to let go feeling as if it is a dream.
That's when I hear a small voice from around the corner and I freeze, feeling Emilia let go and crutch on the ground. I watch in confusion. Then I see her. A little girl with light long Blonde hair covering her face peeks around the corner. She runs into Emilia's arms and watches as she grabs a hold of her tightly placing her head in the crook of Emilia's neck and then it finally clicks and I slowly feels my mind come out the fog it was in " You have a daughter ?" Knowing it was a stupid question but it just slips out. " Yeah Natasha meet Natalia " She responds trying the hide a smirk while she stares at me. Wait she just called me Natasha WAIT she just said her daughter Natalia?! " Her names Natalia" I let out trying to wrap my brain around it.
"Yep Natalia Nadine Popov," She says trying to get her daughter to turn her head towards me. " Sweetie meets Natasha the friend I was talking about," Emilia says softly to Natalia. As the young girl lifts her head her hair falls and there they are the matching blue eyes of her mother's. " Hi, " Natalia says shyly. From that point, I feel everything starts to making sense, this little girl is the reason why Em left me all those years ago. I bend down so I'm level with Natalia " Hi " I say tapping her nose hearing a slight giggle come from the girl " Nice to meet you " I say watching a smile grow across both Natalia and Emilia faces. " Mummy is this the lady you named me after? " She asks leaning up into her mother ear and trying to whisper failing majorly. I try to not to laugh at that. The legendary assassin's daughter unable to whisper.
"UMMMMMMM can someone explain what the hell is going on here and who you are how you got here and how you know red here?" I turn and glare towards Stark always interrupting at the worsts of times. Looking at Emilia she doesn't look fazed by it at all. " My I sit, " She says sitting on the couch pulling Natalia on her lap, ' yep still the same Em does whatever she wants' I think sitting beside her. " Ok firstly my name is Emilia Popov, but you may know me as the Huntress"
"Wait Wait Wait you're the Huntress like the legendary assassin that all suddenly disappeared and hasn't been seen for like 8 years, Nat you never told me you trained with her" Clint says way too excited then it should be, shrugging and letting a smile show I think if only you knew the half of it. Before I say anything I hear Emilia pipe up from beside me " Yep that's me anyways how I got here well that was easy" Of course it was I think knowing you. " You really need to work on your security for a genius I hacked it quicker then I thought I would" Yep still not afraid to says what her mind. " I will let you know I have the best security in New york " Tony pipes back. The look on Emilia says she doesn't believe him and she just shrugs in response. " The reason I am here..." She stops and feels my like my heart has stopped because I know this is not just a friends reunion it is way more. " Because the Red Room is back and they are coming for their prize possessions and they will do anything to get them back" My breath is caught in my throat ' NO NO they can't be back I destroyed them' I think they can't be coming for us. " And I need your help to take them down" The look on her face says it all , that look I have seen so many time before says she not joking " I need all of your help " She say finally and I know by the fire in her eyes that she will either do this with or without our help and when she gets that fire that burns behind her eyes I know all hell is about to break lose. " We will help " I announce.
