Chapter Twenty One

WARNING: This chapter contains mentioned suicide attempts and blood.

Come out of sadness From wherever you've been, Come broken hearted Let rescue begin Come find your mercy Oh sinner come kneel, Earth has no sorrow That heaven can't heal, Earth has no sorrow That heaven can't heal So lay down your burdens Lay down your shame, All who are broken Lift up your face, Oh wanderer come home You're not too far, So lay down your hurt Lay down your heart Come as you are..." Come As You Are, Crowder

After what had happened in the room Natasha and Clint called for a team meeting in one of the debriefing rooms. Fury was still pissed that they had shut off communication in that room. More than anyone else he wanted to see how the girl would react to Natasha's story. Even he didn't know the full extent of it. Barton was the only one she had ever confided what the Red Room had done to her, and he refused to tell anyone.

"She's afraid she might hurt someone else," Natasha announced as the team gathered into the room. Bruce sat beside Tony, while Steve sat next to Clint. Natasha was on Clint's other side while Fury sat in the front of the table, hands resting on his chin as he listened. "She refused to leave the room after what happened."

"What exactly did happen Natasha?" Steve had the courage to ask.

Natasha ran a hand through her hair as she thought of how to explain what just occurred in that room. She would have to tell them how the Red Room had controlled her. The program Valerie was part of seemed to be doing the same thing, only it wasn't as effective.

"The program she's part of is trying to control her," she explained warily. "Whatever methods they used isn't working, at least effectively."

"She's just a kid." Finally Tony scowled in disgust, remembering the way he had treated her at the tower. Mostly he was disgusted with the program; he still blamed her for what she did to his nose. The 'program' as she called it couldn't have been controlling her than.

"A kid who was trained to kill," Fury pointed out. "Remind me again why we haven't sent her to the Freezer?" The glare Natasha gave him would have sent anyone else scurrying back to their little holes. Fury remained stoic about it though as he ignored the piercing gaze.

"Because Tony's right, she is just a kid," Steve reminded him. "Maybe there's a way to find the program through her and a shut it down."

Fury only let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose. People would want to see justice for what she had done. She had already murdered more than once, and those were only the known victims. Who knew what other crimes she had committed before it got out to the public?

"I'd like a blood sample from her, if that's possible," Bruce spoke for the first time. His voice held an edge to it that made everyone in the room uncomfortable. If he Hulked out now their lives and everyone on the Hellicarrier were in danger.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Steve asked.

"I think I can handle it," Bruce replied.

Getting a blood sample might prove them some good at this point. They needed to figure out what was going on with Valerie before finding the program. She had already survived getting shot three times, and who knew how many others times she had almost been killed. No normal human could survive something like that.

"Just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into," Fury warned him. "If anything happens you're going into that containment cell we built for the Other Guy."

Bruce only nodded in agreement, having come to terms with the fact that the prison was built to protect everyone here. If needed he would go there, hopefully before the Other Guy took over.

Slowly the team departed as Bruce went over to the medical bay to pick up a syringe. It wasn't like he carried those things with him where ever he went. Not only was that dangerous but it would likely scare people more than help them.

Natasha had already told him which room Valerie was being kept in, so finding it wouldn't be a problem. Thankfully it didn't take him long to reach the interrogation room. To his surprise the door was still unlocked, than he mentally slapped himself. Natasha had said that she wanted to be kept in that room. They didn't say that she was locked in it like the room was a prison. Though to her it probably was a prison.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door, careful not to alarm her. That's when Bruce nearly lost it.

Upon entering the room he knew that something wasn't right. The scent of blood hit his nose almost instantly. He was quick to spot the girl, but what he saw nearly did make him Hulk out. Carefully he took deep breaths to try and calm himself down, but the anxiety and horror wasn't helping.

Blood now stained the floor, and he realized that she had been concealing a weapon this whole time. She was clutching on to a blood-stained knife like her life depended on it. Bruce was careful not to hurt her any further as he checked to make sure she was still breathing. A mixture of alarm, surprise and relief washed over him when he realized that she was still alive. Finally he called in an alarm to make sure that someone got here quickly.

"What the hell happened?" One of the nurses leaned as he gently picked her up.

"My guess would be a suicide attempt on her part," he explained as they followed the hallway back to the medical bay.

The nurse said nothing more, much to his relief. Once Valerie was placed on a hospital bed, the room was buzzing with activity. Bruce noticed for the first time that she had tried stabbing herself in the chest, but apparently her attempt had failed miserably.

"My God," was all someone could say when they saw the extent of the damage. "This kid needs help. Mental help."

"I don't think that's something we should tell her when she wakes up."

"She's a danger to us all. I knew that from the start."

"Would you all just shut up already?" Everyone took a step back when Bruce shouted that. He was even surprised with himself. Was that the Hulk shouting at them or himself? "Arguing over what to do with her isn't going to make this any better, or easier for her when she does wake up," he reminded them.

Steve looked ashamed of what he had said, while Tony and Fury looked anywhere but Bruce. He was surprised Clint and Natasha weren't there with them. Those two were always up to something, as far as he was concerned.

"What makes you think she deserves a second chance?" Fury demanded, keeping his voice steadier than usual. He was afraid any wrong move would unleash the Hulk right than and there.

"Isn't that what SHIELD's all about?" he muttered crossly. "I thought everyone deserves a second chance."

Fury knew that he was referring to the Hulk. And much as he hated admitting it, he knew that Banner was right. Everyone deserved a second chance at life. The mistakes they made in their past, it was something that could be forgiven in time.

"Alright fine," Fury replied. "But I'm placing her under MD for what just happened. Her life's in the hands of the Avengers. God help us all."

With that being said he was quick to leave the room in an awkward silence. Bruce only looked down at the girl who was already slowly healing from her self-inflicted injury. He had a feeling that this was not going to be easy, for any of them.

AN: I know I know, the main character doesn't even get the spotlight in this chapter, but I wrote it that way for a reason. Also I apologize for the shorter chapters; they will get longer in the future, I just don't know when... Big thanks to Huntress111111, Spinosa and AmeliaRoseOswald for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D