"Thank you, for your cooperation and your guidance." Nadia spoke low in the Weasel's ear, "However, you can no longer be allowed to live. Failure to thrive and all." With that, she put two shots in his head without waiting for a reply. Now wasn't the time for sentiments. She had someone else to kill – again.
To live the life of a shell was no life at all. Much less whatever was about to happen now. He didn't deserved to live a life like that. Neutralizing him would be the mercy. But maybe… no. She wouldn't get her hopes up.
It had to be done. The fail safe would cause unnecessary damage and harm that would catch the attention of the public. Then that potentially leading back to her or Hydra. That should be reason enough. No sentiments. He was no more her brother than the Weasel was her father or the Soldier someone to trust. Right?
The screaming somehow got louder than it already was before going deathly silent.
"He isn't dead." Nadia answered before they could ask, "But his mind is. Try the tranquilizers I'm sure you brought first but if they don't work just go for the kill. If he gets out of this room he'll more than likely kill everything in sight before someone eventually neutralizes him." She paused, listening, he was coming down the stairs, "However, I have his master's blood all over me so he'll be trying to kill me first. If the word of a mad scientist is to be believed."
"Why do you say he's brain dead? How is he still alive?" Her father asked, pulling a tranquilizer gun from his pocket.
"His failsafe was better than mine." Nadia shrugged, "Think zombie with healing powers, strength, and slightly less fighting capabilities than me. He was already a shell before, now he's one without a master."
The man went to speak again but Nadia held up her hand, "He's here." If your brains were just electrocuted or some such, what would be unpleasant to you? Besides everything. Loud noises?
The shell burst in, looking haggard, pale, and the light in his eyes was closer to a wild animal than human. His breathing came heavily as he scanned the room, sniffing the air. Five had always been more in tune with sound. He locked on Nadia as three darts hit him in the neck.
Nothing. Not even a flinch. His eyes went to the Weasel and that ear splitting scream came again. He launched himself at his sister.
XxX
The young man was mid-air when Steve's shield would have hit him – if the boy hadn't twisted to catch it in midair and use the momentum to smash against Nadia in the midsection. He didn't need to have super hearing to know that at least a few of her ribs were broken.
The experiment had barely landed and rolled to his feet before Nat was on his shoulders, Widow bites in hand and legs locked to choke him. He let out a scream, grabbing her and threw against the wall as if she were nothing more than a doll. Nadia had scrambled up, landing a kick to his chest, making him stumble towards Steve.
Steve went to grab him but the boy fell before he could. Nadia's eyes widened but said nothing. The redhead spun on his back, now close enough to use his legs to wrap around Steve's and sweep him. His head smashed against the concrete floor, the useless tranquilizer gun skittering away and stars swam in his vision as blow after blow was suddenly coming down at his face. He covered his face with his arms. How had the kid moved so fast? He was perched on top of him, sitting high on his chest. Steve cross grabbed the next fist that came his way, scooping under the leg on the same side and flipped the kid to be on the bottom. Pain exploded across his face as a knee was brought full force against his jaw followed by a foot crushing his throat to push him away.
The kid rolled backwards to a standing position before sending a lighting kick towards Steve's head. He just barely dodged. This was not good.
XxX
Natasha struggled to get up, her leg had caught on the desk before her shoulders hit the wall with the force of a moving train. Damn. That hurt.
From where she was, she could see Steve was barely holding his own. The shield. Where was it? Where was Nadia? There was the shield, on the floor near where it had hit Nadia. Struggling to her feet, she limped to the shield, picking it up. Steve was going to need this.
The boy's back was to her and Steve was fully occupied. Natasha whistled low, knowing everyone else in the room would hear it. Only one other would understand, though. Steve nodded imperceptibly, working his way to have his back to Nat. Finally, Natasha threw it as hard as she could her shoulders singing in pain. Steve turned to grab it, creating distance from the boy. In that second, Steve caught the shield and the kid had pulled out a grenade from his pocket.
"Get cover!" Nadia's voice came loud and clear, she came up behind her brother, wrapping her one arm around his neck, the other clamping onto his wrist. That happened to be connected to his hand holding the grenade.
Steve ducked behind his shield and Natasha tried to dive behind cover. The bomb exploded, sending pieces of shrapnel. The familiar sound of ringing ears, dust thick in the air.
XxX
Fire scorched her hand and up her arm but there was no way she was letting go. She had managed to get the grenade in front of his body right before it exploded. He bore most of the impact, her dad was blown back, losing his shield in the process.
There was no ringing. Just nothing to hear. All she could smell was burning flesh and blood. Was he dead? Probably not. She herself had survived something similar before. Nadia scrambled out from underneath him. They'd been exploded against the wall and slumped there. No. He was alive and healing fast. Shit. He really was better than her.
Her hand no longer had an index finger. Pain throbbed dully. Wonderful. He wasn't in a fighting state yet. But he would soon. Grabbing the shield, she walked over to him laying on the floor.
Laying there. Vulnerable. Unable to fight back. Face shredded from the grenade, stitching together as she watched. Alive. And completely willing to kill her as soon as he was able.
She brought the shield down. He turned his head to dodge barely managing it, a grimace now able to form as his face had been mostly healed. She knelt on his shoulders this time, bringing the makeshift blade high.
He smiled at her. His laugh at the gun. Ready to take death on. The animal was gone. He opened his mute mouth to laugh, a hoarse sound that was so different from his childhood. Neutralize him!
Subject Three brought the shield down. Again and again and again. Blood sprayed only after the first two. That was all that was needed. But she couldn't stop. His dead body being dragged away. Suffering with no choices and no ability to make them.
"Nadia!" The voice came through, just barely. They needed to die too. Everyone needed to die.
She was losing it. That's what the feeling was. She was about to go again. Nadia stumbled away, blood dripping from her nose and off of her finger tips. It was everywhere. So much blood.
"Please," She hadn't meant for her voice to shake. "Please tell me you brought the drugs. I'm about to lose it." Was her whole body shaking? When? When had she let go? Shield. Where was?
Not good. This was not good. Subject Three clutched at her head, letting out a yell, wanting to smash something against a wall.
"Nadia, here, take it!" Her mother held out the pills.
XxX
The girl hadn't moved from the corner for the past 15 minutes. After swallowing the pills she'd retreated there. Saying if she saw them she'd probably kill them.
Now the tension had gone from her muscles and her grip on her hair had loosened.
The bodies and blood were something Natasha would rather not look at or remember how they happened. Steve's shield coming down over and over again. The despair and anger written into her features. His smile. It had been a brutal death and might not have even been necessary. But she couldn't shake the feeling that this kid had been her's as well. Maybe even Steve's.
Nadia stirred, taking a breath and finally standing. Her face was as blank as ever. She looked at the body, pursed her lips, and said, "Sorry for the mess." Without so much as a glance at them, she headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Natasha stepped forward.
"Away." She still didn't turn, "I don't belong with you."
"I'm sorry but we can't just let you leave." Steve this time.
"Okay." She turned, deftly shooting two darts at them. Natasha felt the heavy tranquilizers hit home, the world dipped and weaved before going black.
XxX
Nadia made her way to the hole in the wall. Coming to it, she found herself facing Iron Man his palm outstretched towards her.
"Hey, Squirt, where's your parents at?" The slightly robotic voice filtered through, heavy with accusation. There was no heartbeat inside it. This was a shell.
"I tranquilized them." She held up the gun before tossing it aside, "Don't really need that for a bot, though."
"Shame you can tell." The voice hardened, "Can't be letting you skip on out. Not after pulling that stunt, kid."
"I really don't want to fight you." Nadia sighed, hoping to garner some sympathy, "I just want to live a life of my own."
"Good thing you don't have to then." And just like that, a dart hit her right in the neck.
