Designation
She swivelled in the chair, watching the platoon of security personnel casually eyeballing her as Fury strutted around his command deck - giving orders.
It was impressive, she would concede that. Glass and brushed steel and so much next-gen technology that even she hadn't been trained in it yet. Once he had seemingly ascertained all was well, Fury turned and walked towards her.
'Doctor Banner is recovering from his concussion in med-bay, no thanks to you. It could have been worse. Doctor Banner has a ….delicate condition.' He remonstrated and folded his hands behind his back as the men assigned to watch her shifted uncomfortably.
She shrugged. Mantis was aware that she hadn't hit the man hard enough to cause permanent injury. He would live.
'You're not remorseful?' He quirked an eyebrow.
'Why should I be?' She replied, perhaps a tad harsher than she had meant it to sound but Fury had so far failed to deliver his promised codes. He seemed to be trying to keep her there.
She stiffened as he leaned down to glare at her with his one good eye. 'Because everyone on this ship is trying to help you.'
'By giving me names?' She snorted.
The glare became a more knowing look as he stood straight. 'Yes, I heard about that. Florence, really?' He shook his head and spoke seemingly to himself. 'I need to talk to Rogers.' His good eye then turned to her. 'Weapons don't have names, do they?'
'No.' She replied.
'You're not a weapon. You're a little girl.'
'I am Praying Mantis.' She retreated, looking for safer ground under that penetrating stare. Not even Soldier managed to look like that.
'You want to find Winter Soldier, huh?' Fury changed tactics.
'Yes?'
He seemed to consider that for some time before he turned to look at her again. 'He left you with your mother for a reason. I imagine he'd be angry if he found out you'd decided to disregard his safeguards and chase him anyway - putting yourself in harm's way.'
'I am trained to do what is necessary to achieve my goals.' She replied - she knew he was poking at the holes in her defense, testing for weakness but couldn't stop the note of venom that crept into her voice.
Fury raised one eyebrow and said 'Really now? Well your goal is to remain under HYDRA's radar. You've been doing a damn poor job of it lately - haven't you?'
Steve Rogers wasn't exactly hot-footing it down the corridor towards the bridge of the Helecarrier and he absolutely wasn't trying to come up with a good reason why a little six year old girl had managed to outsmart not one, not two - but three people who should have been able to keep an eye on her, especially considering her earlier actions - he hadn't forgotten the beaker the little redhead aimed at his face.
His ears were still ringing from Natasha's scathing rant at finding out that Barton, Rogers and Banner hadn't been able to keep her in line.
'Fury,' He sighed when he pushed through the doors and into the control room. 'There's something I need to-' He paused as Fury turned to look at him and a chair swivelled to follow.
It was the little girl.
'Nice of you to join us, Rogers.' Fury intoned mockingly.
'You found her?' Steve replied, in shock. The girl looked unhappy, but otherwise unharmed.
'I found her just as you lost her. We had a nice talk. I was just about to call you. She belongs in medical, after all.'
Steve stared from the girl to Fury and back again. There was something different about her - chastised almost - but it was clear that Fury wanted her out of his control room and Steve knew for a fact that Natasha wanted her contained as soon as possible.
She was quiet on the walk back, contemplative almost. Steve, for his part, wasn't really sure how to react. Talking to kids wasn't exactly his strong suit if the incident earlier was anything to go by.
'I'm sorry I threw the beaker at you.'
He stopped dead and turned to look back at her. 'Excuse me?'
'I said I was sorry,' She replied slowly - almost sardonically before the snark dropped from her voice. 'It's just… A big change. I trusted Winter Soldier, but I am not sure I trust those that he trusts.'
Steve bit back a retort of Father. That man is your father. Not Winter Soldier, he isn't your commanding officer, he's your dad - considering she was opening up at all was a miracle, he wouldn't push it by insisting on what she called Bucky.
'We're all here to help you, Mantis.' Steve replied far more jovial than he really felt.
The little red-head brooded on that for some time before she murmured 'Florence.'
'What?' Steve was clearly surprised.
'My…' She sighed as though she could not believe she was agreeing to this. 'My designation - alias. I...suppose Florence isn't so bad.'
Steve stared at her for some time before he broke into a huge smile. Whatever Fury had said had clearly made an impact and the slow turnaround just proved really that she was a scared, frightened little girl who - like her mother and father - tried to tough it out on her own.
Maybe they were getting through to her.
Once he'd settled her back in medical - without the restraints this time, he always felt it was just wrong to use force to restrain a child - he noticed the way that Natasha watched her like a hawk. Every twitch and movement was noted, every action carefully monitored.
Steve gently slid over to her and asked 'Have you thought about….what'll happen after?'
She turned and gave him the first look she'd given him since he appeared at the door with Florence. 'It depends.'
'On?' He murmured.
'The results. I still don't trust her.'
'She's just a kid, Nat. A confused, hostile kid. Remind you of anyone?'
'She ….reminds me of me.' She admitted after a beat. Natasha brooded, her arms crossed as she turned to watch the little redhead some more as she rather grittily apologised to Banner for knocking him out for a few seconds. Bruce, his usual self, rather shyly brushed it off as no harm, no foul. They might not be so lucky the next time that someone decided to smack Banner on the head. The shock alone could cause him to Hulk out. Natasha's face softened for a moment as she watched them. 'I'm not good with children.'
'You're great with Clint's kids.'
'Barton's children are normal and easily manipulated. She's only known HYDRA. Different name, same regime.'
'But there's a difference, Nat.' Steve insisted. 'You can give her the childhood you never had. Bucky got to her early. If Bruce's tests come back clear - she'll need a home.'
Black Widow, for the first time that Steve had ever known her, looked terrified at the thought.
'You're her mother, Natasha. Bucky's out doing all he can to keep you two off their dance card.' I hope, Steve added in the privacy of his own head. He did not want his best friend to put himself in danger of being dragged back and used by those psychopaths like he had been for the last seventy years just to keep them busy and away from Natasha and Florence.
'I'll talk to Fury.' Nat nodded. 'If her tests are clear.'
Steve nodded. He understood the emotions battling inside of Natasha right now - she had always wanted children of her own, but it had been stripped from her at a very young age. Now her most hated enemy had seemingly dropped this straight into her lap - years of espionage and double-dealing had taught her to never accept anything at face value.
It would take time to adjust to this latest twist but the twist wasn't about to wait - not when she was a six year old little girl.
Banner interrupted the musings on the future to announce the preliminary results of his tests were in. 'They're all fine.' He smiled at Natasha. 'Paternity, age, DNA sequence is scrambled but I assume that is to do with the fact both you and Mr Barnes have the super soldier serum -' Widow waved him on. 'Bottom line? She's healthy and I can't find any trackers embedded in her anywhere - not even in the blood. She's all yours.'
Natasha looked like she'd been gut-punched. 'All of them?' She demanded, as though she couldn't quite believe it.
Banner nodded.
'Maybe you should take her home?' Steve urged. 'The Helecarrier's no place for a little girl.' Not a little girl that seems to get on that well with Fury, anyway.
'I haven't got -' Natasha began but Clint interrupted her.
'Let me call Laura.' He murmured and pulled out a phone. 'We'll get something together.'
Natasha threw a grateful, slightly exasperated look at Clint before she her eyes towards Mantis again. It was certainly going to be interesting to see Natasha adjust to motherhood - but even below that, Steve Rogers could see that Natasha Romanov wasn't wholly trusting of their newest arrival just yet.
A/N: This has been sitting in my Google Docs for months. MONTHS. Dammit Mantis why does everything about you have to be so damn hard? I'm not wholly happy with it but considering I managed to find an ending (for this chapter anyway) it's a miracle in itself.
Still riding the WinterWidow train. You can't change my mind - but tune in next time and you may get to see some Mantis and Soldier bonding. *cough*bitching*cough*. She loves him really.