"Are you KIDDING me?" Yup, Sam had officially unleashed the rage of the Agents. She had actually rendered them speechless for a short time, but that didn't last long. At all. "All that was stopping you was you not able to hold a freaking pen?" Yeah, that probably wasn't the best idea. Too late now.
"I told you why I couldn't sign it. I've admitted that I will actually sign it. Now, can we switch the cuffs around so I can sign the paper and get some answers?" Both Agents looked a little taken aback at her directness, but the cuffs did get switched around.
"We get answers before you do." The redheaded Agent reminded her. She had calmed down quite a bit after her initial outburst, much to Sam's relief. "After we figure out as much as we can from what you remember, we tell you where you are, what we found, who we are, who kidnapped you, and anything else you may ask, provided we can."
"So you can tell me everything except for the stuff you can't?"
"If you want to put it that way... Yes."
She had to applaud their honesty.
"Well then. Just wanted to make sure. Let the questions commence, I guess." She said, signing the contract with a flourish. She sincerely hoped she wasn't signing her own death sentence, both literally and figuratively.
"What do you remember about the warehouse you were in?" The redheaded agent asked, straightaway.
"Well, I was blindfolded, so I can't help you much on visuals. But I was strapped to a table... You already knew that... There was a slight breeze, and it was cold, so I guess the warehouse was in a pretty crappy condition." She paused, looking at the Agents. "That's all I can-wait. There were some kind of machines around me-whirring everywhere, then..." She shuddered. "The needle."
The man looked at his partner. They shared a long look. "Can you tell us what you remember about the... Man who kidnapped you?"
"The Baron?"
He looked at her sharply, surprised. "Where did you hear that he was a Baron?"
"Banner told me when I asked about it. Guessing he wasn't supposed to do that?"
He brought his fingers to his head, rubbing his temples. "Well, you know now, and we were going to tell you anyways. Back to what he said to you, what you can remember at least?"
"Well, there was a lot about 'A New Generation' and being the 'Subject'. He was saying something about me being chosen... I still don't know what that's about. He went into a fully fledged monologue, stereotypical villain 'I'm gonna take over the world' bit."
He smirked, then what she said apparently hit him. "He called you the Subject? You are sure that's exactly what he said?" He started pacing, agitated. Apparently being referred to as the Subject wasn't good. At all.
"Can you people please explain what is going on? That was in my part of the deal, I believe..."
The Agent continued pacing, ignoring her. "He's moved on sooner than expected... We need to tell Fury."
"We can't jump to conclusions. We also need to finish this, getting all the information we can." The woman told him.
"Fury? As in Super-Spy Eyepatch Guy? OHMYGOD THAT RHYMED!" She was again on the receiving end of two equally intimidating glares. "I'm ADHD. Short attention span and all that. I haven't had my meds since before I got kidnapped. So sue me. Anyways, yes he called me the Subject, and then there's that thing about a 'New Generation', as well. Can I please get some explanations here?"
"Fine. What do you want to know, and make it quick." The Agent replied snappily.
"We need to tell her what she wants to know, Barton. She gave us a lead, we owe her at least that much. You go tell Fury, I'll stay here." Sam's eyes widened. She was going to be locked in a room with the very person whom she had fought, who had threatened to get vengeance! Not good not good really really bad idea!
"...Fine. But I am not happy with this." With that, the male Agent left the room.
Sam was left in the room with a deadly assassin. "Please don't kill me?" It was probably in her best interests to not piss her off. Or, at least, not piss her off any more than she already had.
"Believe it or not, I didn't ask to be in a room alone with you to kill you. Ask your questions, I'll explain what I can." She actually looked rather... Non-threatening. Well then.
Sam took a deep breath. "Who are you? Who was Traveler-Via-Air-Vent Guy? I have many more, but I need to be able to identify you beyond 'Scary Ninja-Assassin-Agent-Person'. So who are you?"
"My name is Agent Romanoff. My partner is Agent Barton. We work here."
"So your first name is 'Agent'? Along with your partner's?" The Agent started, muttering something about 'Oh god not another one...'. Sam continued. "He called you 'Nat' earlier... Short for Natalie? Natalia?" Romanoff flinched visibly.
"Don't call me that. My name is Natasha. You can call me Agent Romanoff, or Natasha, I guess. I'll leave Barton telling his name to you to him."
"Ok... Natasha. So,-" She got cut off.
"A question for a question? Barton left before I could get everything." Sam hesitated, then nodded. "What do you know about your powers? The black film over your eyes... And the blue, but anyways, any abnormal color your eyes may have been drained after I had you trapped earlier, we know that you were being controlled. I'm guessing your powers left? Or," She added as an afterthought, "You haven't tried yet?"
I had blue/black eyes? When did this happen? "Well... I apparently can manipulate molecules, switch them, expand, contract, change, et cetera. Increased strength, speed, and reflexes as well. And... Well, I don't know if the powers are gone. You're right, I haven't tried. Didn't really get an opportunity to. Didn't expect one."
"We can let you test them out if you agree to let us run a couple tests." Woah. That was completely unexpected.
"And you will have that miniature army that you have running around here present, I'm guessing?"
"Of course. You might have been controlled, but you still managed to destroy a high security detention cell. I guess you can feel proud of that, in some morbid way."
"All right, and now for the elephant in the room: Where is 'here'?"
Natasha sighed. "I knew we would get here eventually. 'Here' is the world's greatest covert security network. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. You can call us SHIELD." she added, seeing Sam's opening mouth, ready for a wisecrack.
"Alright, that's a mouthful, but you ruined the humor by explaining." Sam muttered. She wasn't really all that surprised that this was a secret government agency, she had had her doubts ever since she woke up and Banner couldn't tell her... Anything, really. "So can I get to a window or something? Do you people have something against windows? I haven't seen one since I got here..."
"Banner told you that you were about 30,000 feet away from anything recognisable, right?" After Sam nodded, Natasha continued. "He wasn't lying. Or exaggerating. I would explain, but it's better just to show some things." To Sam's utter astonishment, Natasha reached down and uncuffed Sam's right hand. She paused slightly over the left one. "I hope you know that the only reason that I'm doing this is that I have a margin of trust for you. Well, that and the fact that I know that I can beat you. You are in a... Place, surrounded by hundreds of trained Agents, all armed. I am going to show up with you, the youngest person to ever have earned the the Maximum Security Cell, and she will be unrestrained. Try not to cause a commotion."
Sam nodded, still not believing that she would be let out of the stupid cuffs! And to know where she was! "Just one thing..."
"Yes?"
"After this, can I call my parents? I'll tell them what I need to, but I just need them to know that I'm alright." Natasha nodded. "Thank you." Natasha uncuffed her other hand. Sam immediately sprang out of her chair, all of the pent up energy finally getting unleashed. Natasha had started forward, but then just hung back and watched with an amused look on her face. Sam saw the smirk and subdued herself a little.
"Anyways... Shall we?" Sam asked, indicating the door. Natasha walked over to the door, said the snippet to get it to open, and walked out. Sam quickly followed, ready to get out of the room. As they walked up the corridor, Sam found herself looking inadvertently looking up at the ceiling grates.
"He won't be up there, you know. He's probably looking at the security feed and wondering why the hell I let you out. Freaking out about it, too."
"Oh. My. God. You have a sense of humor! A secret agent who actually had a sense of humor! Someone call the newspapers!"
"Wouldn't that completely defeat the purpose of me being a secret agent, though?" Sam actually laughed. A real, loud laugh. Then they rounded the corner, running straight into a group of Agents... Who realized that the random 16-year-old was, in fact, the same person who they had escorted to the very interrogation room she was now walking away from.
"Johnson! Hands above the head, facing the wall! NOW!" Agent Jarrell shouted, his gun immediately pointed at her head. She started to protest, but was only answered with the clicking of a safety off. "I'll only say it once more. Hands above the head, facing the wall." C'mon, Natasha. A little help? Please?
"Stand down, Agent Jarrell." Thank you, Natasha, for creepily reading my mind... "She's with me. Stand down." She repeated, a little more sharply when they hesitated.
"Are you nuts, Romanoff?" Mistake. Very, very big mistake. "She destroyed the detention center! And the interrogation room! And you lead her around without cuffs and just say she's with you?"
"Stand. Down. Sam, get over here."
"While I have guns pointed at me, I think I'll stay where I am, thanks!" Sam snapped back, shaken.
"Jarrell, may I remind you that I am one of Fury's top agents and currently have a higher level of clearance than you do. Stand down. That's an order. I won't say it again." Jarrell reluctantly lowered his gun, as did the agents behind him. "Sam. Over here." Sam glanced over her shoulder, then compiled.
"Look, Romanoff. I don't know what you're doing with that freak, but she is supposed to be in the middle of an interrogation. I don't know-" She stepped forward and grabbed his wrist. He looked at her, eyebrow raised. "What are you gonna do? Shake my hand to death?" Natasha smiled, and a cold and deadly smile it was. "You'll just have to wait and find out, Jarrell." She twisted both of his wrists up into a joint lock that Sam recognised from her martial arts classes. After Jarrell was flinching a little (ok, a lot), Natasha swept her leg under his, knocking him off his feet. Then, with some form of superhuman strength, she picked him up, still by his wrists, and slammed him against the wall.
Must. Take. Notes.
"Shut. Up. You're acting like this was her fault. Do you even know what she went through before she got here? Or is she just the kid with the freaky powers that destroys everything?" She let him go. He hit the floor with a loud thump. ''Now leave with the rest of your bones still intact, while you still can."
They had the corridor to themselves again in less than 30 seconds.
A/N: And as a side note, both the Baron and Sam are my own creations. I do not own the Avengers. (very sad story, I know)
Natasha wants you to review. She does. You should. *hint hint*
