Small gestures Chapter 6, an avengers fanfic

Chapter 6

Maria always feels a little odd, going back to her appartement. After so many years in the service, first joining the army then joining with SHIELD when Fury came for her, the civil life seems a foreign concept to her. She feels awkward. She limits her interactions to 'hello', 'thank you', 'have a good day' with a nod and a hint of a smile she hopes is genuine. She tries. But she doesn't belong in this world anymore.

Still, it is nice to come back to it sometimes, if only to remind herself why she is doing her job for. Maria is protecting all of those people, who are going around with their life clueless about the underlying world where she thrives in the shadows. They don't know how precarious their easy lives are, it's a blessing they all give them, to not feel the burden that comes with keeping them safe. Maria is working for them all, for their nice life, their easy smile and their futur. She reminds herself that. Even if she herself doesn't belong in civilian life and probably never did, she comes back to her appartement in Boston every now and then just to live alongside of regular people. It helps her to remember that beyond the never ending spying, handling and manipulating, beyond the fighting and sometimes killing, there is a goal to achieve. Protecting human kind, sometimes from itself, sometimes from aliens.

Also, she comes back to her place to check in on her spa time – believe it of not she actually owns a member card of the facility - and her nap time, preferably doing both at the same time, dozzing off while lying in a bench in hot steam with the scent of essential oils being rubbed on her back...

Fury and Coulson are both at the helicarrier, ready to handle heavy situations, while her new assistant is dealing with unurgent paperwork and such. She can allow some precious time off and she intends to enjoy every minute of it.

Maria just came down from the pod that dropt her off from the hellicarier, took a detour, bought some basic groceries with a tight smile to the cashier – it always takes her some adjustement to really smile while off duty. Finally she opens the door of her appartement, and she leaves it all there.

Bags of food are spread in the kitchen counter uncarringly, same fate for her duffle bag full of her clothes and necessary stuff. She doesn't unpack anything, she doesn't have much and she doesn't care, she is not a material person. All she cares about right now is heading for the back pack waiting for her in the corner of her living room, already full with towel, novel, ipod and swimming suit. She grabs the item, her keys, and is already one foot out in the doorway when she hears is. The click sound of an automatic weapon.

Deputy Director Maria Hill isn't paranoid nor is she a fighting maniac. She doesn't live for the conflict, but she still unknowledges its possibility at all times. Like today.

She doesn't have time to bent and retrieve her hidden gun strapped at her right ankle. She doesn't have time to do much except jump inside her appartement when the grenade comes flying at her hard. Maria briefly registers the bizarre aspect of the projectile shining a green colored light, files this information for later, lays flat on the kitchen floor and covers her head for the explosion. The blast is strong and shatters everything arround her, making her ears ring. On the moment she feels numb on her left side. She's going to bruise for a week after this. Her whole left side hurts while her whole body feels tingly, and there is blue in her vision. She knows this phenomenom and doesn't linger on it, she focuses and makes it discret. Now is not the time to point out her position to her enemies. She grittes her teeth and swallows the hurt, blinking out the dust, ignoring the ringing in her brain. She tries to find balance, fast, assessening her options in heartbeats. She knows the attackers are at the corner, about to rain bullets on her.

Maria's training knows the procedure. She needs an extraction team immediatly.

She rolls on her back as noiselessly as possible, ignoring her injuries and coming headach for now. She's bledding somewhere on her face and her left wrist is burning, but it will have to wait. She'll assess her condition after making her phone call, going for her gun and taking cover, in that order. She snatches her phone out of her bra with her valid hand and presses the button. Help is on it's way. The JPS tracker is telling them where she is and she knows it won't be long for the rescue to show up.

She'll have to stall and hide until they come.

A lot can happen in the maybe twenty minutes or more it could take for SHIELD to retrieve her. She can't stay here, a sitting duck waiting. She swallows her pain and glances at the floor. Her blood drooping from her eyebrow down her chin gives her away, the hiding option is off then. Even with her left side injuried she still can move her leg and arm though, it will do. In three efficient moves she has her gun in her right hand, a kitchen knife in her right, her earpiece phone in place, she clicks to the side.

'Extract team coming in thirteen, Commander'

She taps the com multiples times with practise ease, saying she adknowledges the info. Maria prefers not to talk and uses morse code as everyone in SHIELD knows. As they also know she only wants the essential informations, nothing more.

'How many attackers ?'

Good, the man handling her seems to be efficient enough. At this point, Maria is glad the agent talking to her isn't a new clumsy recruit eager to make his mark. She taps the earphone.

'Unknow'

She is hidding behind the counter dividing the kitchen and the living room. Crounched down as much as her wounds allow, she slides the blade in the belt of her jeans and sneak a peak. The smoke is only fading, the grenade exploded seconds ago and the attacking team hasn't made it's move. It is strange but not surprising either, they are attacking the head of SHIELD after all, they must take precautions.

At that point, Maria doesn't know what to expect. It could be one individual working alone, two, three or fifteen... There could be snippers on the roof accross the street waiting to take her out once she goes for the ladder. There could be an other grenade thrown for good measure. If they want her dead, that is. Because she is the Deputy Director of SHIELD, she knows she has value both dead or alive. If they wanted her dead they would have hit a different way, much quicker and quieter too. A good shot would have suffice, but here they are blowing up the place with a … green... weapon. With smoke.

The mist. The mist spreading. She didn't see it at first. The green-ish cloud is so minimal, almost invisible. The explosion isn't the only goal of the grenade. And the attackers are not coming still. They don't want to be exposed to the mist, even with masks on. They prefer to wait for it to act, before picking up what's left of her. It's been maybe two minutes. Maria is breathing the air and she doesn't know what it is, but she can only guess it is a chemical gass of sort. Nice try. She doesn't brings her sleeve to her mouth and nose, there is no need for it as the blue takes over. She can't stay here if she wants the extraction team to get to her withou dying from the gas. It's time to move out.

There must be attackers in the corridor. Her better chance is for the window and emergency exit. The roof.

With one swift motion, Maria goes for the bedroom, then the safe in the closet. Eyes on her task, she keeps an ear out for footsteps that don't come, confirming her theory of exposure. 'Fuck', she thinks, but now is not the time to analyse that particular aspect of the event. Now is about the ten minutes before extract team shows. Her hand goes quickly to her earphone.

'Been exposed to chemical weapon. Prepare chemical suits for extract team. Quarantine for me.'

So much for her spa time.

'Roger that, Commander.' The agent speaks back to her. 'Extract team will be wearing necessary precautions. Nine minutes out.'

Nine minutes. Maria takes what she needs from her safe, slides the loop of the grenades belt on her chest, takes two gun magasines in the pockets of her jeans. Thankfully she is wearing an old loose jeans, not the skinny type, there is actual place in her pockets for the ammos. Her gun is momentarely tucked in her belt with the knife. One hand goes for the shotgun already loaded and ready to be used. In her slightly swolling left hand is the first smoke grenade. If, as she assumes, there are snippers ready for her to show, she's gonna need a wall of smoke to hide behind. She's not about to give a show to anyone if she can prevent it.

Maria is going for the roof, both for the choper access of the extract unit and the easyness to shot off whoever comes after her. She'll just aim for the ladder along the building, blocking the main doors with some iron bar. Of course, this choice has a down part. She would be trapped with no other way out. It doesn't matter to her though, they can't grab her, they can't hurt her, and they have nothing to bargen with to make her fallow them volontarely. She smirks. The green mist was their only option, and it failed enormously.

'Roof top. Extraction by air.'

'Seven minutes'

Maria returns to the living room in a blur, noting the absence of attackers, nothing but the green-ish gas that is starting to fade. The only access to the ladder is from the window on the other side of the living room, so she goes for it. Her vision goes blue again, and she sees the blue light coming out of her, but she doesn't stop to focus on making it smoother, she knows in the middle of the chemical green it is her best defense. She moves on instinct, reaches the frame and pulls the window open. As soon as the window slides there is a gun shot. Maria ducks back inside, back to the wall.

'Fuck'

She tries for the window again, this time with her smoking grenade. The smoke covers her enough to jump out blindly. The smoke is more to maintain the illusion than anything else, though she can only guess her attackers already know who it is exactly that they are targeting. She breathes the free air and the blue stops. She moves like lightning up the stairs while bullets rain all around her. And on her. She can feel it, while she is climbing and hiding under the grenade smoke. She has to hurry to get out of sight.

Her legs are starting to go numb from exhersion, but she keeps on going up. The smoke isn't hidding her enough now, but she lives just two floors down from the roof, it doesn't take long to come to the top. Maria grits her teeth and doesn't relent, she is dragging her left leg now that she is on the roof. She must have hit her muscle hard when she covered from the explosion. Stupied reflexes, she should have known better after all this time. Habits die hard. She is running for the door, taking cover behind the furnitures where the janitor keeps his gardening stuff – there is a green organic group gathering in the building twice a week, apparently, they started on an organic garden, growing tomatoes and such, on the far south of the roof. The bullets keep flying, but Maria gathers there is only one shooter. From that angle anyway. There must be more in the street, waiting for her. She is not coming down, too much casualties, and too much exposure. She takes the clip out of an other smoking grenade, masking herself in it.

She hears footsteps in the main stairs of the building. Hidding behind the supplies closets, Maria searches for anything solid enough to barricade the doors, but all she can find is a shovel with a wooden handle. She would really prefer iron right now, but that will have to do.

Short of breath, air distangle, the Commander looks down at herself fast before heading for the doors. Her brain is triaging informations. While she is acting, cloosing the doors and sliding the shover through the handles then pushing everything she can – box of seedlings, box of tools, wheelbarrow... - in front of it even though she already knows how futile that is, she is listing her physical state. Her head is dizzy, she feels hot, she is sweating, and not only from exhersion, she has a fever running. Her wounds from the fall seem to have stopped bleeding, the blood on her once white tank top is turning dry, which is good. Her left thigh is still aching, her left wrist burning. She must have torn her muscles. She knows her state well enough to know that soon she will be loosing her bearings completely, making her vulnerable. This always takes a tool on her. She'll have to work on it.

The blue halo is gone for now.

There are bangs at the door. Maria doesn't stay there, she takes cover behind the green house, out of sight from the sniper for now. She takes position, squattes between two smoking grenades, wipes her forehead with a shaky hand before pulling out her gun. She is trembling. She forces herself to breath when she positions the shotgun next to her on a box. This weapon is efficient but the take back will take it's tool on her. She is growing weak by the minutes. 'Fuck'

She puts the gun on her valid hand and brings her other injured hand to the earpiece.

'In position. Roof. Minor injuries. One sniper north'

'Four minutes, Commander. Medical is ready for you.'

She frowns. 'Quarantine' she taps furiously, her fever growing by the minute. She doesn't know what this green gas is about. Maybe it is contagious.

'Yes, Commander. Everything is in place for quarantine and treatment'

There is nothing left to say then.

Maria is in position and wait. It is only now that she can start and analyse the situation. The green mist was supposed to kill her, she is sure of it. Still, she is alive and that wasn't part of their plan. This weapon must have been the must of chemicals, seeing her reaction to it, but it wasn't enough They were over confident. The shooter targeting her isn't a good shot. He didn't have to be, she should be dead, not running around on the roof. Those attackers are working like amaters, and their lack of professionalism doesn't add up with the chemical weapon they thrown at her. That weapon is high technology.

She feels nauseous, the fever is growing. Great. She is getting weak fast.

It doesn't take long for her attackers to break the shovel handle and burst the doors open. Maria doesn't let them step out, her valid hand fire a shot with her gun. She adds two more shots as a warning. She doesn't like to waste bullets if she can help it, ammo doesn't grow out of thin air.

She can hear the helicopter coming, but she doesn't loose her attention on the door, nor the ladder, even though if no-one came after her in her living room by fear of the green mist, she doubts any of them would come for her from the security exit. She changes her weapon and grabs the gunshot with both hands. She fires two shots when two men wearing civilian clothes try to step out of the doorway. Her aim is not good with her fever and shivering fingers, but at this point it is more about keeping them out than taking them out. Still, she manages to wound the giant blond guy in his left shoulder. She thinks she hears him crying 'bitch' and she smirks. Part of her wants to confront those men, find out who they are and who gave them this green weapon to attack her with. Why they attack her specificly. What do they know about her ? Apparently no enough, judging by the cursing she hears from there.

A uge part of her wants answers. But Fury chose her for a reason, and it is her ability to keep her head in the game, to always see the big picture and make hard calls without doubt or guilt nor regret clouding her judgment. She is used to take out the best of every situation in a heartbeat, and she knows hers isn't about gathering intel. If she goes for it, she'll lose her advantage, her covered position, and herself. She is too weak and will likely be taken if she is not careful. She is not invincible.

There is no scenario where she ends up with answers, not here, not right now, not alone. So she lets the choper comes closer, the extract team raining bullets to her attackers while a rope is thrown her way. She starts an other smoking grenade to cover her figure, slides her gun in her belt, shotgun still at hand, but she realises her left wrist is too weak now to support her weight, she needs both hands to grab the rope. Her agents read her state and adjust. Maria tangles herself in the rope, arm, hands and foot, secures her hold and wait to be pulled up. She doesn't have the strengh to climb.

Everything is moving, emplifying her dazzyness while the extraction takes off in the air. Two agents are pulling the rope inside, their Commander coming closer to them, and Maria can't find it in her to put up her stern façade. She is exhausted. Finally she is helped to the carrier, laying down on the cold metal she quickly scans her agents, making sure they all have their protective suit on. She then closes her eyes and focuses on breathing. The adrenaline is leaving her system fast, and all she feel is pain. She is about to black out. She grites her teeth and orders loud and clear over the noise :

'Put me in quarantine'

Maria can barely feel anything when she first wakes up. Her body is numb, heavy. She can hear a distant bip somewhere near, it must have been this annoying sound that brough her back from... It is hard to think, everything is hazzy. But she starts feeling her fingertips again, and her mouth. It's dry. Pasty. Disturbing and unconfortable. She can't swallow. She tries something else and opens her eyes.

There is movement in her vision. Maria is moving her eyes, her eyelids flutter but her sight is blury. The light is too intense and she blinks and frowns the light away. She can feel her face now.

She is busy moving her head to the side in slow motion when her brain registers something red.

At the same moment she realises there is something warm on her hand. Maria blinks again, tries to swallow, tries to focus, but the fog doesn't clear and she is exhausted. She can feel the oblivion of inconsciousness beckoning to her and she can't resist it. It is an hypnotising lullaby.

Still, before everything goes black again, she struggles to keep the image of red in front of her, surrounding her. Nothing else matters than those hair and the warmth on her hand. She holds on to it a little while longer.

'Nat ?'

It is the shaky murmur of a dry throat, but the red moves instantly and comes closer. The figure is hovering over Maria now, so she can rest her head and relax her frown. She can see. The face vibrating with a scarlet halo is smiling at her and in that moment, where Maria remembers nothing and is about to pass out again, it is okay, because she reconises her. Natasha.

She is safe here. Natasha is here with her. She can collapse again.

A warm hand comes brushing her forehead in a soothing motion. The red surrounding her is a peacefull sight. Maria closes her eyes and sighs.

She is almost asleep when the fingers leave her head and are replaced by something soft, smooth. The touch of velvet lips on her skin.

The feeling rouses something in her and she tries to move when the lips float, levitate, breath carressing her ear.

'I'm here Maria. You can rest. I'm not going anywhere'

The next time Maria awakes, she is more conscious of herself and her surroundings. She is just coming out of her sleep induced injuries, she is still so very tired, but she scans the room as her instinct kicks in. Exits, possible weapons..., her brain registers all.

She is assessening the place and recognises the standards of a white SHIELD quarantine airplaned pod when she remembers both the attack and Natasha. The woman was in the room with her the first time she woke up. She was red, hair flying all around. She remembers feeling safe then.

Natasha is still here now, sitting nonchalantly in a chair. Her legs casualy stretched on an other chair in front of her, the agent is reading a book. Harry Potter. In any other circonstance this vision would have made Maria smile. Even now it would probably have.

But Natasha isn't wearing any protective suit.

She is sitting right next to Maria, and she is exposing herself to the chemical effects.

That thought finishes to wakes Maria up like she's been thrown in ice water. She hisses and braces herself on the mattress to sit. She needs to know what is going on, needs to recall as much information as she can. She is the only witness, as she imagines the cameras from the building and the streets have been cut off before the assault. Those are the thought of the Deputy Director of SHIELD. But on the front of her mind all Maria can think of is that Natasha, the sweet, soft, caring, Natasha, isn't wearing any protection.

Blinking and a little off balanced, little physical inconvenience doesn't keep her from pushing the sheet out of her way. Her throat is dry but she doesn't care, she is about to lecture those idiotic morons who dared not to listen to a direct order. She told them multiple times to put her in quarantine, damn it !

Her hands are shaking when she creases the sheet in her knukles turned white. She needs answers. More urgently, she needs Natasha out of this room. Right now.

'Hey' the husky voice she came to long for greets her.

Maria only stares. Her body's reaction is too slow, why isn't she screaming at the woman to get out already ? Probably because, for a second there, she can't comprehend how Natasha can be so relaxed about this.

She forces her voice to speak.

'You shouldn't be here. It could be contagious.' She is harsh, glaring, she knows, but this is important.

Natasha only nods and doesn't move from her spot, legs still spread on the chair, feet crossed at the ankle, book open in her hands. She sends her a small smile.

'You are being quarantine, Maria'

Confused, Maria distractly rubs at her throat. Okay. Good. She is in quarantine. But why is Natasha here with her ? Natasha moves then, leaving her book open at her page face down on her sit, she comes to the bedside table and offers her a glass of water. Their eyes lock and she smiles again. Maria thinks it is the first time she sees Natasha smile twice in the space of two minutes. She feels priviledge. And it is so not the point right now.

'Then why are you here ?'

The Russian only shrugges one shoulder, snatches her book back and sits on her chair again. 'They said i could try'

Maria almost chokes on her water. She grunts 'What the hell, Nat ?! This is serious, you can't just come here ! I've been exposed !'

Natasha cricks an eyebrow. 'I know this is serious, Maria. You've been out for hirteen hours.' Thirteen hours ? She really needs to practise more. And sleep more. She was about to, in her spa time. Before the interruption. 'The doctors scanned every inch of you, inside and out, they took samples from the scene. They went through protocol of confinement and decontamination.' She waves to the room around them. 'They are sure the chemical you've been exposed to isn't there anymore, and they think you're not contagious-'

'They think ?' If her throat wasn't so soar, she would be shouting, they both know it. Deputy Director Hill doesn't lose her cool, but Natasha seems to be the exception to that rule. 'That's not enough, Natasha.'

'As i was saying...' the agent says with a sarcastic tone, 'the doctors analysed you and they found change inside of you but nothing indicates that you could affect anyone. The chemical gas is no more. They think it's safe to be in the same room as you or be in contact with you, so i said i'd go first.' She finishes while putting her booted feet on the chair once more.

Maria watches her for a moment. Natasha has many faces to show the world but she thinks there is a silent agreement between them, a silent promise from the former assassin to be her true self when they are together. Maria thinks that priviledge still stands. The woman isn't playing, she is seriously relaxed about breathing the same air as her. She even touched her. On her forehead. Maria remembers the feeling of her lips. She touches her forehead, then shakes her head and sighs. She needs more information about this gas.

'I need more information.'

'I know' Natasha's small smile is here again. 'Commander' she teases with a smirk. 'I called for back up the moment you sat on your bed, they are coming.' She points to a button next to the bed, near the water jar. When Maria glances arround the white room, she informs her more 'We are on Coulson's Bus. It was the closer medical facility near your extraction point. It was decided that you will stay here until you wake up. There was nothing more to do than wait.'

Maria nods. 'Do you know anyting ?' she props to gain time on gathering intel.

'Only that your vitals are stable and you seem to be fine by all standards. I wasn't privy to other informations, and honestly i didn't care at the time.' She pauses and looks away. Her voice is only a murmure when she says 'I was worried about you'

It is soft, and shy, and so not like the Natasha she shows the world.

'Hey'

Maria calls with the same tone Natasha called her minutes ago when she awoke. When Natasha turns her attention to her, Maria smiles. It is the first true smile she is giving her since the gym, which seems so long ago now. They are alone, and she is waiting for information, so she can at least enjoy their moment while it last. Before complications hit once more.

'Hi' she says with a soft voice, her smile never leaving her lips. For the first time she really look at Natasha then, seeing her black boots and black jeans, her green shirt and brown coton vest. She is wearing very casual clothes and no make up. Her long curly red hair are down, free. She is beautiful. Their eyes lock, and Natasha smiles her small smile.

'Hi'

Maria's mind is blank then. She doesn't know what to say. Thank you for coming ? I like waking up with you being the first thing i see ? No. So she sighs and sinks back in her bed. Her body is tired, she feels her left side wounds burning her. She is sore. Good, they know she doesn't want to be drugged. The truth is, the drugs only work on her if she is the one to take them, consciously. Still, she prefers feeling her injuries than having her thinking capacities limitated by sedation. She brings a finger to her itching cheek. There is a scratch here too. She closes her eyes brifly and goes for a light comment.

'So, how was your day off ?'

She ears Natasha shifts beside her, and she opens her eyes to see. Maria wants to watch her as much as she can before the doctors come in, every minute now. There is a spark in Natasha's eyes when she shows her the book.

'I discovered Harry Potter'

The book she is reading now is the third of the collection. There is relief in her voice.

'You're a fast reader'

'I had time to spare'

Maria remembers scanning the room when she woke up. She saw the two other novels stacked on the floor under the bench, next to the door. Her eyes find it and she asks 'How long have you been staying here ?' Now that she thinks of it, she remembers the husky voice lulling her slumber like a constant melody in the background of her sleep. 'Have you been... reading to me ?' She tries to keep her voice neutral, but she knows the wonder she feels is shining through.

Natasha Romanoff, the bad ass agent, the ancient KGB assassin, the deadly Black Widow was reading her, Commander Maria Hill of SHIELD, a story.

Maria blinks and smiles, she feels warm and suddenly she doesn't care about who attacked her, she doesn't care about quarantine or her messy body full of injuries and knots in her hair, all she can do is feel this warmth all around her, envelopping her like a cocoon. Their eyes are locked now, green iris open and vulnerable. Natasha has her mouth open but nothing comes out, she doesn't know what to say, this is new territory for both of them. She looks small and slightly lost, and so sweet. The vision is endearing.

Natasha closes her mouth, averts her eyes a moment, then comes back watching Maria with the small smile she's been giving her since she woke up. She is about to answer, her honest answer, when the door of the pod slides opens to a femal doctor in white blouse. Maria recognises her, agent Simmons.

'Commander Hill, it is good to see you awake and well !' The woman starts with a smile, a chart in her hands. 'Well' isn't the word Maria would chose, but she knows she could be in a worse shape than she currently is. What troubles her is the chemical unknown part of her situation. 'I would like to check your condition now that you are awake.'

'No need' Maria's stern voice answers in her commanding tone. 'Vision clear, memory clear, i can move my fingers and my toes. I know how to assess basic body fonctions, agent.'

'Oh, well.' The woman rolls back on her hells, her smile wavers. 'You must have a lot of questions after your waking up from your short coma, i'll try to give you all the information i can to the best of my abilities. Your clerance level is the highest, after all.'

Okay. So this woman is the ramble type. The Commander will have to lead the debrief.

'Coma ?'

'Yes. Your injuries were not severe but you body shown heavy exhaustion. It shuts down for a moment, but Director Fury said it as normal... and then it needed time to heal. Short coma are curent in the healing process, there was nothing to worry about. Your metabolism is strong, quite strong actually.'

There is scientist wonder in the last sentence, but Maria only nods. Her stare is enough to make Simmons swallows and glance at the chart once more.

'Now, about the alteration of your cells...' The biologist is fidgeting, her fingers playing nervously with the chart in her hands. Maria knows how some agents can get unbalanced while talking to the Commander. She has a reputation that makes her intimidating. Simmons clears her throat before straightening herself, ready to develop. 'The chemical you've been exposed to has been retrieve and analysed. Once you were stable i run all tests in the lab to understand the alterations this green smoke was suposed to do. This was used as a weapon, so i first though about a new chemical creat to disable the target, making it easy to adbuct like a sleeping gas, but...'

'It can't be it. The attackers clearly didn't want to come near that thing.' Maria cuts in. 'Spare me the details of your research, agent, and get to the point. What was this gas ?'

She is sitting up in the bed again, uncaring that she is actually naked in a standard medical blouse under the white sheets matching the walls of the pod. Her clothes must have been burn, probably. If they didn't she will do it herself. There is no way she is going to wash off the blood, and honestly she doesn't care about her clothing. Material is only about necessity.

Agent Simmons glances at Natasha, still sitting in her chaire with her legs propt and her open book laying flat on her stomach. Maria sees how the woman battles which face to put on. While around others SHIELD agents, Natasha usualy goes for a blank face, giving nothing away but not lying and putting on a show either. She hesitates only slightly, because when she is with Maria she is learning to be more open, more expressed of her real self, and Maria thinks that Natasha likes those quiet moments they share. But now they have company, and the intimatie of their rare moments is on hold. The decision is made in seconds as agent Simmons pauses before answering the Commander, and her agent Romanoff's face is in place.

Maria exchanges a rapid silent conversation with Natasha, then turn to the biologist. 'You can speak in front of Romanoff' Her tone is sharp, those of the Commander. It's an order, and the girl better start talking now.

'Alright' Simmons clears her throat. 'A cleaning team retrieved the chemical weapon, i analysed it and made a test on an organic subject to confirm my assuption. The cells's reaction to it was immediat, even with a minimal exposure the plant started to glow green before each cell disintagrated itself. ' She pauses. 'Commander, the plant disintagrated in a matter of seconds after being exposed to only two percent of the chemical you have been exposed to. The weapon is extremely dangerous and deadly, with an efficacity frankly horrific. I never knew a composent like this existed. It isn't registered in the biology that we know of. It is foreign... '

Alien then, Maria guesses. Her conclusion are leading her to a shirt list of people able to pull that type of attack on her, in a dangerously clumsy way.

'The scientific team that cleared your appartement scanned the atmosphere and it was as sterilized as a hospital operating room. There was no trace of life there, no microbiological residue of anything.' The British looks at Maria with bright eyes. 'I took samples of your biology, i looked at your cells closely and even though the integrity of your core biology hasn't been compromised, your cells are changed. To survive the chemical gas your body seems to have adapted. You are the same, but different. More.'

Maria only watches her. She already knows that part. She is busy thinking about the brain behind the assault. The people knowing about her specifics can be counted on one hand.

Simmons's rambling fills the air.

'I proceded to different tests. I put some of your blood under the chemical influence of this green composit and filmed the cells's reaction to it on camera. They destroyed the compound. More than that, they generated an electric field around each cell to protect themselves afterwards. I studied the phenomenom meticulously, i compared your medical files from joining SHIELD and your actual statues post exposure, your biology evolved. At this point i can only assume that the chemical triggered something in your dna that wasn't planned by the attackers. They wanted to make you disappear, perhaps using you as an experimental target of practise, but what happened wasn't planned at all. Your body's very structure adapted. It's extraordinary, really.' Simmons clearly seems enthousiastic now. 'As a scientist, i am quite amazed by your biology. I would like to run some more test, if you'll allow it. At this point, i am quite certain the chemical is totaly destroyed, in fact, the best protection against it would be to be standing right next to you. I would like to see how far your spontanious shield reaches. From what i could test on your blood samples i can only guess the protection reaction would be maybe about three feet large around you, like a halo, but it is only speculation. I would also like to see if this protection can be transmis to others, maybe by touch, and -'

'Did you find anything else, agent ?'

Maria isn't about to become a lab rat right now, not without all the variables.

'Huh.' Simmons looks at the chart still in her hands. 'As far as i can tell those are the only alterations of your body. For now. At this point we can only wait and see, i suppose.'

Wait and see.

'Are you suggesting that i stay in this pod for a long period of time ?'

'Well... Protocol for this type of situation is clear. Observation and isolation until complet clearance. I'm afraid you are under observation still. Your body needs to heal anyway, but even then we cannot let you walk out of this room before being certain of your condition'

Simmons swallows and sends her an apologetic smile. 'You wrote the protocole, Commander.'

Maria sighs and grits her theet. It isn't Simmons's fault if the girl doesn't know anything of the situation, after all. She made sure no one knew.

'No test are requiered. I already know all there is to know about my biology.' She eyes the scientist with a stern face. 'You are not privy of that information. None of the agents are.' Simmons is stunned and uneasy. She nods slowly, her confusion showing. Maria doesn't let her time to adjust. She passes a hand in her hair and starts her list. 'You stop your research now, give me every file, every data, every sample you have collected to fare. I want no trace of this, do you understand me ? I want my phone and my uniform as soon as possible. And a shower.'

The scientist blinks and retorts, unsure. 'Your body has been decontaminate' The look Maria gives her makes her point in the fare corner of the pod. 'The bathroom is this way' she answers weakly. 'Agent Romanoff already has spare clothes for you'

Maria looks at Natasha behind Simmons's shoulder. The Russian profits Simmons isn't watching to send her her small smile with a shrug of her shoulder. Adorable.

Maria keeps her Commander face and just nods to Natasha. She knows the woman will be able to read her gratitude in her eyes. There is one more thing to do. She turns her attention to the biologist once more.

'Contact Director Fury immediatly. He will give me the clearance you want to get me out of here. I have an agency to run. And he will order you to destroy you research as well, if you need to pass my order by him. I'll allow it this once since it is a unic situation for you. But make no mistake, i am your commanding officer and i gave you a direct order. Gather all your research right now. I want a list of those who know about this, and i mean everyone. And don't give me that look. I'm sure it isn't the first time you don't understand what's going on. Just roll with it.'

Clearly the young agent isn't used to deal with Commander Hill. Where Natasha knows Maria is able to handle any kind of pressure, assess and adapt to every situation, even one where she is directly concerned, Simmons seemed to think the Commander should be about to break down from the news she just gave her. Little did she knew that this turn of event isn't newsflash to Maria.

This information, however, is classified. It is Maria's best kept secret and she is not about to divulg her asset off handedly.

'Move out, agent'

When agent Simmons walks out of the pod – run is more like it , probably to find Coulson– Maria only hopes the scientist will remember her list.

Now that they are alone, Natasha raises an eyebrow at her. Still lounging casualy on her chairs, the woman silently gathers her scarlet hair above her forearms before joining her hands behind her head, effectively clearing her neck. The pose is relaxed and her façade is down. She trusts Maria taking charge of the situation like a day to day activity, which, it is.

As the dangerous urgent aspect of the circumstances has been dismissed in a heartbeat by the Commander who obviously knows more about this than she lets on, relief and curiosity start showing on Natasha's face.

'Care to share ?'

A/N

Sorry, computer problems and all that. I so wish to be in holidays already ! Working is overrated. Anyway here is the new chapter ! As always now i totally didn't see that glowing blue part coming, i'll work around it in the next chapters.

I'm not much of an action writter, so i hope that was alright. Those fictions help me improve my style ^^

A also wanted to say i finaly watched all the avengers/thor/captain america movies and i decided that i'm gonna pick what i want from that.

_The story happens few months after New York events on Avengers 1

_SHIELD is still standing and fonctionning

_There is no Hydra infiltration in SHIELD agency.

_There is no Bruce/Natasha romance.

_Natasha has been raised in the Red Room since she was born

_Maria has an obscur past that will be reveal

_The Inhuman part of she serie happened, Ward is dead, no Hive part

That's all i can think of for now.

Thank you for reading and please review !