From The Treaty of the Treason. In the penance for their uprising each district shall offer up a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping.

These tributes will be delivered to the custody of the Capitol then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to death until a lone victor remains.

Henceforth and forevermore, this pageant shall be known as the Hunger Games.

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Chapter 25

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I've slept right through the late afternoon and night, and I'm starving. My breakfast is disappointingly small, just a few cubes of bread soaking in warm milk. The reason because of that is because I was called down to command to discuss the aftermath of my propo. I was just given the basics yesterday because of Coulson, but everyone believes I need to be more informed. I appreciate it but I'd also like to be more fed too.

Couldn't I be informed on a fuller stomach? Still I scarf down my mediocre breakfast and immediately after two guards come with a wheelchair. When I was told I was leaving the hospital I thought I was released, but unfortunately that wasn't true.

I turn to Steve and narrow my eyes at him, "I'm not going in a wheelchair. I can walk."

Steve glances at Bruce and I turn my gaze to the him. "You're body is too weak to carry your weight, it still hasn't recovered yet."

Grumbling, I push everyone's hands away when they try to help me. I lower myself into the wheelchair myself. I feel fine really except for my head. Also the soreness of my bruises and the nausea that hit a couple minutes after I ate. I pouted about having a small breakfast, but now I'm grateful for it.

Maybe the wheelchair is good idea.

Before leaving, I roll over to Gwen and wake her up. I don't want her to waking up to my empty bed, she'll get scared. She stirs and blinks the sleepy haze out of her eyes. "Hey sweetheart, I'm going to be gone for a little bit." Her eyes widen in fear for a second before I reassure her. "I'm not leaving, I'll be back."

Gwen's arm lashes out and grips onto my wrist tightly, "Promise?" She asks her voice timid.

I smile at her and brush her hair out of her face. "I promise. Here," I take my dad's ring off my finger and places it securely in her small hand. I hear Steve take a breath from behind me, but I pay no attention. Steve never got to hold it because it never left my finger. The fact that I'm giving to Gwen is shocking, even to me, but I can't leave this little girl scared. Besides I know I'm going to get it back. "Can you hold onto this for me and keep it safe?" She stares wide eyed at the ring because she knows what it is and what it symbolizes.

"A-Are you sure?" She asks, her little voice shaking in happiness.

"Positive. This is my dad's ring and I love it with all my heart. Can you take care of it for me? I trust you." She nods her head happily and gripping onto the ring with both hands.

"I keep it safe." She promises me.

"Thank you." I squeeze her hand once before letting go and wheeling myself away. As we're leaving, I pass by Tony who saw the entire exchange. He smiles lovingly at Gwen before looking down at me.

"You don't know how happy you made her." I peer around Steve's body to see Gwen smiling down at my dad's ring like it was the greatest treasure she's ever received. "It's been a long time since I've seen a smile that big on her face."

I smile and look back at Tony. "Glad I could make it happen. You ready to go?"

"No," Tony grumbles, "But I have no choice."

When I get to Command, we're the last to arrive. Gale and Fury are in the midst of some exchange that seems positively chummy. When he sees us, he excuses himself to come to my side. "Making new friends?" I smirk up at him.

He walks alongside my wheelchair after greeting Steve. "One of us has to be accessible." He touches my arm gently, "How do you feel?"

I shrug, "Okay if you take out the massive headache, bruised torso, burned arm and leg."

Before Gale can dignify my answer with a response, Fury calls the meeting to attention. Standing at the front of the room, dressed in a black trench, he stands like a soldier. Arms clasped behind his back, shoulders back, chin up. "Our Airtime Assault has officially launched. For any of you who missed yesterday's twenty-hundred broadcast of our first propo- or the seventeen reruns Bruce and Tony has managed to air since- we will begin by replaying it."

I repress a groan and bury my face in Steve's shoulder. He laughs, "You did great. I don't know what you're groaning about."

"I looked horrible." I mutter into his chest, my voice muffled.

Steve's arm wrapped around me instinctively, "You looked fine."

When the video begins, I refuse to look from Steve's shoulder at the screen, but I can feel some people's eyes on me.

After long agonizing minutes, the video finally ends. There's a moment of silent relish, then applause. I look up and address Fury. "Did it play all over Panem?" I ask needing to know more about who's seen this video.

"Not in the Capitol," Coulson says, "We couldn't override their system, although Tony's working on it. But in all the districts. We even got it in two, which is even better than the Capitol."

I nod my head and a thought comes to mind immediately. "Is Caesar Flickerman with us?"

This gives everyone a good laugh, "No," Maria answers, "Only his voice. But that's ours for the taking. We had to do some modification and distorting to get him to say that," She shrugs, "But that's okay. Thank god we have Bruce and Tony."

Fury's tolerance for self congratulation has reached its end. "Yes, well done. The result is more than we had hoped for. Now that that's over, we need to discuss some important detail about Romanoff's participation in the fight." He gives me a pointed look, "Considering the large risk that you were willing to operate within to create this propo with her flagrant disregard for orders."

I can't help, but wince. So he does know what I did. I disobeyed Steve's orders and gave my bodyguard the slip. Coulson speaks up on my behalf, "I believe drastic measures shouldn't be taken considering Romanoff had done so to save a life. I agree she should be punished for her disobedience, but not enough to prohibit her performance. Besides, we need to put her out on the field; we won't get any decent footage if you lock her in a bunker." I could almost kiss him. He's sticking up for me even after my first mission with the team was a bad one.

Fury gives Coulson a look, "How do you propose we keep her safe?" He gestures towards me, "Look at her. She's in a damn wheelchair. We can't afford to lose the Black Widow."

Before this conversation can continue on, I interrupt, "What does it matter? Snow and half the Capitol want me dead. Like I said before, you won't be able to guarantee my safety. The District 1 incident was a one time thing. I'll be healed in about two days. Besides it felt good to actually do something."

There's a silence for a full minute as Fury and I continue our staring contest. He relents after he realizes Coulson made a valid point. "Fine." He turns to Fulvia and Plutarch, "What else do you have?"

Fulvia gladly steps forward, her body bursting with excitement. "We'll considering Natasha's only been out once on the field, we don't really have enough footage for a new propo."

"Are you suggesting we take her out to the field again?" Fury asks.

Fulvia answers excitedly, "Yes! That's exactly what I'm suggesting! We were thinking something like District 12." I can't help, but tense up in my spot.

District 12… I still haven't seen it. I was offered a chance to go and see what the Capital did, but I didn't think I could handle it. It held so many memories. It was my home. Steve presses his lips into my temple and runs his hands up and down my arm for comfort. Everyone seems to notice my obvious distress, except Fulvia who continues on. "Because no one knows what happened to 12, this will show them what the Capital did."

Plutarch interrupts, "She doesn't have to do anything, just show her face. Her mere presence does a lot of good when people know that she's alive and well and ready to fight."

Fury considers this, his eyes on me. "And you're all right with that?"

Gale has to kick me under the table before I realize he's talking to me. Am I okay with that? Going back to my home district, seeing it in shambles? Looking at the bodies of the people I killed? It's bad idea, yet I can't seem to make myself say no. I want to go, but I can't do this alone. "Yes." My voice cracks on the one word; I clear my throat to continue speaking. "Yeah, I'm okay with that… as long as the team comes with me."

"That can be arranged." He says before turning back to Fulvia. "Anything else?"

She giggles in pure joy, "I came up with a brilliant idea." She smiles proudly, "Plutarch and I discussed this and we decided to do a propo with the theme Remember Me. It's a tribute of the tributes where we feature a dead tribute from the districts. For example, Little Peggy from 11 and Bobbi from 4." Out of the corner of my eye, I see Clint lean forward in his seat intriguingly and a cloud of grief passes over his eyes for a brief second. "The idea is target each district with a personal piece."

I think this idea is brilliant. "This is a great way to remind the people why we're fighting," I speak out loud, smiling slightly knowing the Capitol will be held accountable for the deaths of so many innocent people.

"Can you start producing them today?" Fury asks

"After this meeting is over." Fulvia answers. "Also we were thinking that Captain Rogers could do the intro and narrate the spots, if there were interest in them."

"Excellent. This meeting is over, you're all dismissed. Captain, please follow Coulson, Maria, Plutarch and Fulvia to the studio." Fury looks over at Steve. I can't help the smug smile on my face as I turn to look up at him. He actually looks quite uncomfortable and turns down to look at me with pleading eyes.

"Looks like the tables are turned Captain." I pat his shoulder and lean in to whisper, "You're on your own." Pulling back, I speak out loud to Gale while keeping my attention on Steve. "Gale, can you take me back to my room?" Gale stands up and begins to wheel my chair away, but not before I press a quick kiss to Steve's lips. "Smile for the camera Steve."

After waving bye to the rest of the team, Gale wheels me back to my room with Tony following so he can check on Gwen.

When I walk back in, Gwen perks up and she holds up her hand to show me that she still has my father's ring. I smile at her, "Hey gorgeous." She blushes.

"Hi Natasha." Taking the ring off her finger, she holds it out to me and I take it before wheeling myself over to my bed. "Tony!" She says when she sees the inventor right behind me.

"Hey kiddo." Tony jumps onto Gwen's bed with her and pulls her into his side. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She says, but adds as an afterthought, "And sleepy." I'm not surprised. The drugs they give us make me sleepy too. Luckily I've been off them for a while, but my leg and arm are throbbing so I'll be asleep in a matter of minutes.

I hook myself up to the morphine and my head lulls to the side to watch Tony and Gwen interact with each other. He's a really good big brother. I just wish Pepper got to see her sister again.

This is why we're fighting Romanoff. For teens like Pepper who never got to see their family again. For kids like Gwen who are destined to put their names in the reaping when they're eligible. For girls like Peggy who died an unfair and injustice death.

I fall into a dreamless sleep with that thought in mind and the morphine drip in my arm.

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Come morning, I'm told that I've healed in record time and can go back to my compartment. Steve helps me gather my stuff and takes me to our compartment. Gwen had left the hospital yesterday while I was asleep. I was hoping to get to my compartment and sleep for the rest of the day with Steve. Unfortunately, when we see Clint standing outside our room, I know today won't be a resting day.

"You're wanted in Remake."

Steve frowns, "She just got out of the hospital and they already want her out on the field."

Clint shrugs, "I don't agree, but they need more footage." He gives me a sympathetic glance, "Sorry 'Tasha."

"Guess when you're the Black Widow, you never stop working." I nod my head towards the door, "Can I put my stuff down first?."

"I got it." Steve grabs the bag out of my hand, along with my other stuff and walks in the room leaving me out in the hallway with Clint. Yesterday comes to mind immediately when Fulvia mentioned the Remember Me propo and she said Bobbi's name. I realized then that I never got the chance to apologize to Clint for losing Bobbi or asked him how he's doing.

"Um… Clint?" He looks up from his phone, raising an eyebrow. "How are you?"

His eyebrows furrow in confusion, "I'm fine. You?"

"No," I shake my head and lean against the wall to face him fully, "I meant how are you doing… since Bobbi's death." Clint reacts immediately, straightening up and putting his phone away. His face turns stoic, as it always does, but this is different. It looks like he's putting a mask over his face, yet I can still see him. He's hurt, he's scared, and he's lost. Those were the emotions that passed over his eyes yesterday. Those are the emotions I tend to hide when I put my mask on. "I'm sorry, I-I just thought-"

"No." Clint says sharply. "Just please don't." He takes a deep breath to calm himself and the emotions rising within him. He's hiding it, or at least trying to.

I place a hand on his shoulder, "Clint you don't have to hide it. It's okay to hurt…" I look up into his eyes, "To grieve over someone you loved." I hesitate to continue, but when I see that I'm finally getting to him I do. "I know how you feel. My father died when I was 11 and my mother checked out. I was the sole provider of my family after that. I was too focused on keeping us fed and alive that I didn't have time to grieve over him, but there wasn't a day that went by where I didn't think about him. Cry about him." I squeeze his shoulder making him look up from the ground and at me. "It's okay."

"No it's not." He snaps, "I'm not you Natasha. I can't just tell people how I feel. It's not like that with everyone."

"I don't understand."

Sighing, Clint glances at the door before coming closer to me and lowering his voice. "You want to know how I feel… I feel powerless. I feel lost. I feel controlled. I won't feel better until this damn war is over with and Snow is dead." He pulls back to look at my reaction, I keep it blank. "Bobbi would want the same."

"Why can't you be straightforward with questions? Surely that's what Bobbi may want, but what do you want and feel?" I start before Clint can walk away. "How hard is it to answer a question?"

He turns to me and frowns, "About as hard as it is for you to be a mother."

My eyes widen and I stare up at him in shock. When I hear footsteps on the other side of the door, I grab Clint's arm and slam him against the wall, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. He flinches in pain, but gives no indication I'm hurting him. "Where did you hear that?" I demand leaning forward to hiss in his ear.

"Hospital visiting hours doesn't end for the Avengers." Clint replies back, his face pressed against the wall. "Gwen didn't take her medication; it was sitting in her room. Tony had gone to bed for the night, so I thought I'd take it to her."

I press his body harder against the wall, twisting his arms even more, "You lying bastard. You didn't take the medication for Gwen; you did it so you could spy on Steve and I."

Clint growls and actually shoves me away from him, slipping out of my grip. "News flash Romanoff, not everything's about you. I did actually take it for her."

"Why? You don't even care about her, why start now?" I question, narrowing my eyes at him.

Before Clint can answer me, Steve walks out the room and immediately takes in the tension between Clint and I as we stare at each other. "What's going on here?" he asks.

"Nothing." Clint says, turning away from us and walking away. Steve starts to follow, but realizes I'm not following.

I feel sick suddenly. I can't believe Clint heard us. He heard me, in my most vulnerable moment. He heard I didn't want kids because I'm scared. He heard of my fears of Aiden dying. He heard things meant for only Steve to hear. I shove Steve out of my way and storm to the archer. Getting into his personal space, my words are clipped and short, "If you tell anyone," I stress, "I'll make sure you can never shoot another arrow ever again."

Clint eyes rise in surprise, "Woah… calm down spider." He puts his hands up in surrender. "I promise not to tell anyone."

Without even glancing at Steve, I know that he heard the ending of my conversation with Clint. I don't have the energy to be mad anymore. I just want this day to be over. Too bad, when we get to Remake they have a mission for us.

We're heading back to District 12 in an hour.