Chapter 17: Winner

"You move and I'll blow this whole place to the ground!" Said the doctor, and that was all it took for Natasha to open her eyes a little wider. They were this close to escaping but things never really do have happy endings do they. She wanted so badly to give in to the eternal sleep awaiting her, but she knew she was the only one that could talk the doctor out of this and she couldn't leave Steve to pick up her mess.

"Put the gun down and we can talk about this" said Steve.

"No! You put her down and your hands up. I'm in charge." He responded grasping the gun a little tighter.

Steve did as he was told and gently set down Natasha, so that she was leaning against the rusty table for support. They made eye contact for a brief second and Steve recognized one emotion in her eyes, that he's never seen before. It was fear.

Steve took a step forwards and said "look, she needs to get to a hospital, just let her go and then we can talk. I'll do anything you want."

"You'd really risk your life for her?" Said the doctor.

"I know she would do the same for me."

"You just don't get it do you? She's nothing but a tool, she doesn't deserve to be loved. She was made for one purpose only and that was to serve the Red Room. You can try as hard as you want but she will always be broken."

"Well I guess I'll just have to help pick up the pieces."

"Can you pick up so many pieces captain! I know you're a super soldier and everything but even you can only save so many people."

Natasha knew that Steve had no response to that so she took that as her cue. She knew that Steve was gonna hate her for this but she had no choice. She's never seen the doctor so uncollected before. There was no way this was ending well. She had to give him what he wanted.

She stood up a little straighter, still leaning against the table for support and said "Steve he's right. It's too late for me to be saved. I'll never care for you the way that you might for me and I never have. We're too different. I'm just here to do my job, not babysit you and I don't need you to rescue me." She meant none of it, but she had to sound convincing, she had to get him to get out of here.

She saw the hurt in her eyes and in that moment she felt the real pain. Not the one in her legs or head, the one in her heart. She felt it break slowly piece by piece and be replaced with something cold.

"I told you captain, all of this is one big lie. It's a joke and you were unlucky enough to end up in the middle of it all" said the doctor with a smirk.

Natasha looked at the doctor and said "now let him go and I'll come with you and you win."

"Nat don't do this" said Steve.

She ignored him but on the inside she was dying.

"Well you see Natalie, as nice as that offer is, that's not what I'm here for. I want to see you beg for your life." The doctor said and shot Steve in the shoulder.

"No!" Natasha screamed and tried to push him out of the way but her legs failed her and she fell to the ground helplessly.

The doctor then walked slowly over to Natasha while pulling a knife out of his pocket. 'This is it this is the end' she thought to herself.

He leaned over her and said "beg for your life and I'll show you some mercy."

"I would b-but you have no mercy to show."

"You always were a smart girl." He said as he stabbed Natasha in the palm with his knife.

Steve could hear Natasha scream from across the room and for some reason that gave him the strength to stand up and tackle the doctor.

They fought for a few seconds but Steve was able to get the upper hand. He punched him one last time and got up to get to Natasha, without checking his pulse.

He quickly helped her up, supporting her with one of his arms around her waist. They were just about to open the door when Steve heard a gunshot go off and Natasha collapse in his arms.

He turned around just in time to see the doctor say "I always win" as he put a bullet in his head.