Hey everyone! So lately I have been having a lot of personal family problems. This week I'm heading up to my aunt's and won't have a chance to write. The next update might be later, I'm not sure yet. Just hang in there. I'll get it to you guys eventually! Thank you for showing your support. I really appreciate it :) And major Bruce/Saniya bonding next update. This update is to set up what is about to happen next, so prepare yourselves! It's going to get intense.
Nik1804: I love writing fluff! Unfortunately there isn't much in this update, but next one there will be quite a bit of bonding between the two. And don't worry, we'll find out more about the secret relative in the next few updates ;) She's pretty important to the plot line, so we'll a lot of her.
addicted2memories: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it :)
major-fangirl-in-here17: I laughed after seeing your review haha. I'm glad that it did! I was hoping people wouldn't see it coming.
Tigers are lazy animals, she thought to herself. Well, at least the ones in zoos.
She leaned over the railing to get a better look of the felines. They stretched out under a tree, ignoring the tourists and cameras. She envied the animals for their calmness when the insanity of the zoo was bustling around them.
A woman's dress brushed her legs and she flinched. Her body squeezed as close to the railing as possible. Two children bumbled after the woman. One of their hands accidentally swatted her pants.
This was a bad idea. She should never have left the motel, but she couldn't help herself. Her mother video chatted with her earlier and was concerned about how sickly she looked. Her mother had a point, so she made an effort to spend time in the sun and to eat a full breakfast. Some time outside was bound to make her look less like a zombie.
Now she was regretting it like she knew she would.
There was too many people, too many noises, and her gut felt sick with apprehension for her next incident. They were happening more and more frequently, all too intense to ignore. She dreaded what was going to happen and when.
Over the past year, she discovered that her incidents didn't care whether she was in public or not. It just happened with no warning. The small children flashed in her mind. She hoped they wouldn't get hurt.
She looked up again, searching for the tigers. They were not there. She strained her neck to scan the whole fenced enclosure. The tigers were nowhere to be found. They weren't hiding behind any rocks or trees. All the tigers were gone, completely disappeared.
Her stomach twisted. Somehow this was her fault.
She balled her hands in her hair. This was her fault. Out of the millions of explanations for what happened to the animals, she did this.
"Is something wrong?" A voice behind her asked.
She turned to see the most beautiful woman she had ever met. It was like stepping into a magazine. The woman had red shoulder length hair that reminded her of her Irish aunt. Her eyes were like a siren's call. They held her attention and refused to let go. She couldn't look away. All thoughts of the tigers drifted from her mind.
Her hands fell limp by her sides. "I'm just being silly, but thank you for asking," she murmured.
The woman held out her hand. "My name is Natalie." She stared at Natalie's hand like she'd never met another human before. Natalie let it drop without a bat of an eye. "And what is yours?"
"Marsha," she answered. Marsha leaned against the stone wall. Without knowing it, she was backing away from the woman.
Natalie's lips curled into a smile as she placed her weight on the short wall. "That's a pretty name," she commented. Natalie shifted her body to face her. "Say, your name doesn't happen to be Marsha Elliot?" Marsha nodded. "What a coincidence! I go to the same church as your parents. Fellowship of the Father."
Marsha's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Her apprehension melted into her typical social anxiety. She was back in familiar territory. "In San Francisco? North Carolina is a far way from home."
Natalie laughed. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "I could say the same for you. My job has business in Charlotte. Your mother mentioned you'd be here this weekend as well and I'm in need of company." Natalie ran a hand down Marsha's arm. It was a calming gesture. "How long are you staying here?"
She was frozen until Natalie stopped touching her. Marsha cleared her throat. "Only a couple days."
"Plenty of time to have dinner together," she said with a smirk. Natalie grabbed Marsha's wrist and wrote a phone number on her skin. "Call me when you want to meet up." She peered through her eyelashes. "You will call me, won't you?"
Marsha's mouth was agape. "Y-Yes, I will."
"Good. I have to go." Natalie winked. "I can't wait to see you again."
"Goodbye," Marsha breathed as Natalie sashayed away. She felt her knees grow weak from the conversation. There was no way she was not calling her later.
"You laid it on real thick, Nat," Clint buzzed into Natasha's earpiece after she was far enough from the target.
Natasha walked out the large arches that marked the exit. Out of instinct, she kept a careful eye on each person she passed to the getaway car in the front of the lot. All she saw were tired parents and hyper children; nothing to be concerned about. Besides, the perimeter was secured by agents. Nobody was getting in or out of the zoo without SHIELD knowing.
"That was the plan, wasn't it? Gain her trust as quickly and efficiently as possible."
Clint's eye roll was almost audible. "Yeah, I guess. It just seems a cold way to do it, leading her on like that."
She spotted the dark car. Clint's dark silhouette had his hand to his ear. "Like I said, I'm following the most efficient route. We don't have much time before we bring her in." Natasha chewed the inside of her cheek. "She's too trusting. I barely talked for a minute and she's willing to meet me somewhere. Foolish."
"Feelin' bad for her?"
Natasha threw open the door. Clint started the engine while switching off his earpiece. She did the same. "No," she replied, "it was just an observation." She tapped her nails on the dashboard. "Give me two hours with her and she'll be singing like a canary. Maybe shorter."
Clint raised an eyebrow. "Don't get cocky on me, Romanoff."
Natasha placed a hand on his knee. "You know me. I would never."
He scoffed. "Right."
Saniya ran a hand down her face. The past few days were spent in a lab. Bruce was pleasant company; he was a kind man who was more than polite. But when Tony joined, she was caught between hating and enjoying her time down there.
Tony preferred 'surprise tests' where he shoved her into chambers or jabbed things in her arms without telling her what he was doing. But while he was doing things, he cracked jokes that always made her laugh. Saniya appreciated his sense of humor but hated his tact.
They had a typical like/hate relationship if she had to describe it.
Thor and Steve were in the lab that morning also. Thor because he hadn't been on that specific floor yet and Steve because there was no one else in the tower to talk to. Natasha and Clint were gone on a mission and wouldn't be back for a few days. He had no choice but to talk to them, though she had a feeling he would've came anyways. Thor and Steve were friends. Saniya found this a good exercise to watch her friend ignore her and not freak out.
So far she was doing good.
She yelped when Tony yanked a strand of hair from her head with a pair of tweezers.
Steve jumped in his office chair. His eyes zeroed in on Tony. "Stark," he warned for the millionth time.
"Rogers," Tony replied in the same tone.
Bruce spun a holographic outline of her body with his finger. Ripples of color danced around the image, along with numbers that she didn't understand. "You really should ask for permission before you do anything to her," he said despite knowing that if Tony didn't listen the first hundred times, he wouldn't listen now.
Tony waved the strand towards the scientist. "This is for science. Science doesn't need anyone's permission."
Steve's mouth screwed into a tight frown. "Dr. Erskine would argue with that."
The billionaire dropped the strand in a clear zip-locked bag. He wrote her name with a sharpie on the front. "That's because he was experimenting on a human being. I'm experimenting on a strand of hair, thus I don't need permission."
Saniya swung her feet over the side of the table. "It's still my strand of hair," she pointed out. "How hard is it for you to just ask?"
Steve scoffed. "I don't remember ever hearing him ask permission for anything."
Tony spun around. "Maybe because this is my tower?" His arms spread out like a king gesturing to his kingdom. "I can do anything I want here."
Steve's nostrils flared. He opened his mouth but shut it with a snap. Tony wouldn't listen to him. And with his festering bitterness over his broken arm, Steve didn't have the energy to reason with him. The super soldier went back to watching Thor play Flappy Bird. They both groaned when the bird hit the pipe.
Bruce's eyes wavered between Saniya and Tony. "You really should ask next time," he suggested. The image spun with a flick of his wrist. It changed colors, from a dark red to a light blue.
Tony rolled his eyes. He picked up his phone and furrowed his eyebrows with thought. One could see the moment he made a split-second decision. Tony's eyes lit up and his mouth was set in a determined smirk. He moved until he was right in front of her.
"You're a woman right? In tune with the rest of the womenfolk on the earth?"
She blinked. "I... guess?"
He grinned. "Perfect." His fingers opened an app on his phone. Dozens of pictures of women popped up. "So, I made a dating profile for Bruce. Since he won't even go near a woman, it's up to us to figure out the perfect one for him."
Us? Tony didn't talk to her much, other than with innuendos and jokes, so it struck her odd that he wanted her help. Of course, if she read more into the situation, she was helping Bruce in the long run. From what she could tell, he hadn't dated anyone in a long time. It would be satisfying to find someone he could potentially marry. Maybe they'd make her a bridesmaid.
Then scenarios of Bruce smiling more ran through her mind. He had a nice smile and deserved to find someone who could make him happy. Saniya convinced herself that this was something she needed to do. Finding him a woman (or a man, if he was interested) was something Saniya would gladly help Tony with.
Bruce, on the other hand, was not so happy with the situation. He shook his head. "Tony, we've already discussed this."
They both ignored him. She tapped on a picture of a woman on the back of an elephant. A list of her interests appeared, a lot of which were extreme sports like whitewater rafting and rock climbing. Tony quickly tapped the back button at the interests.
"What type of personality do you like?" she asked as she examined the pictures.
Saniya didn't know him well enough to figure out if this was the type of person he would like to date. But based on the approval on Tony's face, Sandra L. was a good match. So was Tracy P. and Nellie M., but maybe he was basing it off of his own preferences since they all uncannily looked like Pepper. She momentarily wondered how happy Pepper would be if she found out Tony was looking at pictures of other women.
Bruce's cheeks turned a soft pink. He chose to continue analyzing data instead of answering her question.
Tony scrolled further down a profile. "He likes strong women. Ones who aren't afraid to smack around the Other Guy. Am I right?"
Her eyebrows drew together. "The Other Guy?"
"Tony, I'm not interested in dating anyone right now," Bruce stammered.
The billionaire snapped his fingers towards the scientist. "Exactly! Right now you're not interested. But what about in a week? Month? Year? I'm giving you options." Tony pressed the back button while Saniya pointed at another picture. "You should be thanking me right now, honestly."
There was a long sigh from the other side of the room. Right when it seemed Bruce was going to give in, he spoke up. "Saniya, I don't want a dating profile," he tried as a last ditch effort to stop the madness. Bruce rubbed his hands together. The look in his eyes was screaming for her to stop it in any way possible. He really didn't want this.
Her shoulders slumped. Guilt ate its way to her heart and she immediately caved. "Maybe Bruce's right. If he doesn't want to date anyone then— Oh! She owns a petting zoo!" she exclaimed. Her lips burst into a grand smile. Bruce found himself staring. "How many people do you know who own a petting zoo?"
Tony shook the phone at the scientist. "Come and look. I know you want to," he sang. Saniya patted the spot next to her.
His mouth formed a straight line. Suddenly, he began to chuckle. Bruce sat next to her despite how much he hated the dating idea. He brushed her arm as he reached for the phone. "I'll look," he told them, "but I won't—"
"Touch," Tony finished. "Yeah, yeah, just give it a chance."
Bruce tapped on a picture. A photo of a woman with a blonde perm and eccentric makeup popped up. He scrolled down to the interests then backed out. He did the same thing to the next woman. Then the next and so on. It was methodical and not at all meaningful. Several minutes passed without conversation or any sign of interest.
She tapped his ankle with her foot. "You aren't even reading the profiles. You're just pretending," Saniya scolded.
His glazed over eyes refocused on her face. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"Bruce," Tony whined. He sighed dramatically. "Oh, well. Since you're obviously not interested, I suppose I'll have to make a profile for Saniya."
Saniya whipped her head around. "What?"
A spark of understanding sparked in the scientist's eyes. Bruce's shook his head rapidly. He knew something she didn't. Tony snatched the phone and pulled up a questionnaire. He moved his fist into the thinking pose.
Bruce reached over her to grab Tony's arm. All he caught was air as he scooted away. "I know what you're doing," Bruce accused.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Please tell the class what I'm doing."
His eyes pointedly glanced at her. "The same thing you have been doing for the last three days," he hissed.
Saniya crossed her arms. What had Tony been doing for the last three days? She didn't remember anything out of the ordinary. "What have you been doing?" she asked.
Tony shot him a triumphant grin. "See? She hasn't noticed a thing!"
Bruce buried his face in his hands. "This isn't going to end well," he muttered. His hands fell to his side. "I had nothing to do with this, just so you know."
"With what?"
Tony slipped off the table. He paced in front of her with an expression that made her queasy. It didn't help that Bruce was backing away like a bomb was about to explode. The doctor's face said everything he needed to say: I'm sorry. But what was he sorry for?
He rocked on his heels. "Do you have any siblings? Cousins? Anyone you're close to?"
"I'm not answering this; I don't want a dating profile," she said. Saniya crossed her arms. "I find people to date just fine without the internet."
Tony held up a finger. "Au contraire, mademoiselle. You haven't had a serious relationship for nearly five years. Only little flings and one night stands." He tilted his head. "Don't you want more? Someone to love and hold you? Someone to give your life meaning? Someone to—"
Her lips curled. "That sounds like something from a sappy romance novel."
He winked. "I'll make your life a sappy romance novel if you let me." Tony gave Bruce a meaningful look then turned his attention back to her. "Just give me your permission to perform a secret experiment on you."
Saniya leaned back. Her eyes widened slightly. "That's one of the creepiest things someone has ever said to me."
Bruce shook his head as Tony protested. "You have to admit that it came out weird," he said.
Tony frowned. "Okay, so maybe it didn't sound as good as it did in my head, but you get the idea."
"Not really, actually. What kind of experiment?"
He pinched his face together into an odd expression, like he ate a lemon. "Just answer my questions and I won't evict you." His face loosened. Saniya crossed her legs but stayed quiet. "I'll take that as your full consent. Siblings?"
"No siblings," she sighed. "I'm the only child."
"You sure about that?" Bruce shot him a crippling glare, which Tony ignored. "No secret love children your parents failed to tell you about?"
Her shoulders stiffened at the mention of her parents. "No! I'm pretty sure I'm the only child."
Bruce took a step towards the billionaire. "Maybe we should stop for lunch."
Tony held up his hand to silence him. "Not until I unveil the things I have in store." He cleared his throat. "What about secret hobbies? Talents? Abilities?"
She felt like there was something she was supposed to understand from the way he was talking. There was a hidden message that she couldn't figure out. "I can count tips at work really fast if that counts."
Tony's head lolled back. "Anything more interesting?" he pressed.
Saniya frowned. "You aren't even entering anything into the questionnaire! I really don't want to answer any more questions if you aren't going to explain anything."
"If you insist. The second part of the experiment starts now." Tony reached into his back pocket and pulled out a orange pill. All his time as Iron Man must have made him great at aiming because he threw it right between her eyes. The pill exploded into a circle of bright paint, which covered most of her face and hair.
Saniya grasped her head in pain from where the pellet hit her. Bruce rushed to her side, trying let him see how bad the damage was.
She was going to have a headache all day because of him. Her migraine was inevitable, but cleaning paint off her body was optional. Saniya pulled the familiar invisible threads and time reversed. The paint reformed into a pellet and flew back in Tony's hand. Everything reversed to the perfect spot.
"—the second part of the experiment starts now."
"Stop!" she yelled. Thor and Steve looked up from the device. Tony froze with his hand halfway into his pocket. "Don't you dare throw that paint thing at me."
Bruce fixed his glasses. "You were going to throw paint at her?" he asked.
Tony blinked. His hand fell out of his pants pocket. "The more important question is how did you know I was going to throw my paint bomb at you?"
She felt like the floor was whipped out from under her. It wasn't often that she messed up like this. Sure, it was a minor mistake. Just a slip of the words that could be played off as an innocent guess. Well, maybe if she wasn't talking to geniuses who dealt with odd things like her every day. Tony wasn't going to drop it easily, not by the way he was staring at her.
In a flurry of desperation, she tried to tug the invisible strings again. The only thing she succeeded in doing was setting her chest on fire and doubling her headache.
"I j-just guessed," she stumbled. Her hand clutched her chest. It felt like someone lit a match in her lungs.
"You just guessed," he repeated with a stale voice. Tony narrowed his eyes. "That's one hell of a lucky guess."
She grasped her throbbing skull. The phantom pain of the paint bomb exploding against her head replayed over and over again. Suddenly the lights in the room were too bright. "Thank you," she said. Saniya hunched over, cradling her forehead and rubbing her temples.
Thor set the device in Steve's hand. He rose from his chair. Arguing couldn't distract him from his game, but the second she showed any pain, he was by her side like he was paying attention the entire time. To be honest, she was amazed he even noticed she was still in the room. "Lady Saniya, have you fallen ill?"
"Just a migraine," she wheezed. "And my chest caving in on itself. No big deal."
Bruce leaned his head to have a better look. "Do you want any medicine? There's some in the first aid kits underneath the sink. Clint and Natasha get hurt a lot, so we have most everything you need."
If there was a way that she didn't have to suffer the whole day, she would gladly take it. Saniya nodded. Bruce left for several moments and returned with a container of strong aspirin. She didn't even think twice as she washed the pills down with a glass of water.
Steve's forehead creased. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked Bruce.
"She'll be fine. Migraines pass eventually," he reassured. "Do you know what caused your migraine? Bright lights? Caffeine?"
"I know what caused her migraine!" Tony declared. All eyes fell to him. He seemed to light up when the attention was on him. "She had a vision," he said. "She's a psychic! She saw me throwing the paint bomb at her through her powers."
Bruce blinked. "There's no scientific proof of psychics. I doubt—"
"Really? We've dealt with Norse gods and aliens, and the idea of a psychic is doubtful? How else would she have known I was going to smack her with my patented easy-burst paint bombs?" He pointed at her. "I know you're a psychic. All the signs are there!"
Saniya fought her way through the pain to give him a weird look. "I'm not a psychic." Thor placed a hand on her forehead.
Tony pumped his fist. "So you admit that you're something!"
"I'm not anything!" she snapped. "I'm just me."
He opened his mouth, but Steve cut him off. "She looks like she's going to faint. Continue whatever you are doing later." Steve threw her a worrying look. "Dr. Banner, is there somewhere she can rest or does she need to go back upstairs?"
The doctor removed his glasses. He placed them in his front shirt pocket. "There's a cot in the back." Bruce hovered next to her, getting slightly closer then falling back. "Can you walk?"
She kept her body as still as possible. "Yeah, I'm fine." Saniya stepped off the table. The nerves in her brain fired off in response. Any movement set off alarm bells in her head.
Saniya didn't understand why it had hurt so much to reverse time. It never had before. She jumped off bridges hundreds of times in a row without feeling the way she felt.
But, when she thought about it, she always waited a couple more seconds before turning back time. Maybe her ability was like a muscle and she just sprained it. That seemed like the most reasonable explanation. It was odd that she had never figured that out in all the years she used her ability, but she didn't want to think about that now. Her head pain was distracting.
"Do not worry, I shall carry you," Thor said when it was clear she wasn't going to move. He grabbed her by the waist, careful to keep her vertical. The god needed barely any effort to carry her to the small cot.
With some help, she was tucked under several layers of blankets. Saniya's head throbbed too much to be embarrassed.
Tony hooked his fingers around the belt loops of his jeans. "You're not a psychic, but what about a witch? Oracle?" His eyes gleamed. "Can you read my mind?"
"Stark," Steve clipped.
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I know when to stop. I'll go get a warm towel for her head." Tony fled the room. No doubt he thought that the quicker she got over her sudden migraine, the quicker he would get answers.
Thor gripped her hand. His eyes glistened with tears. "I shall give you an honorable funeral if you pass. One with a huge feast and music to celebrate your short life." He sniffed. "You have been a dear friend of mine."
Saniya's eyes widened. Her horrified gaze met Bruce's. "I'm dying?" she squeaked.
"No!" Bruce place a hand on Thor's shoulder. "She isn't dying, Thor."
The god hunched his huge shoulders. "I recognize this sickness. Many magicians in Asgard reeked of their seiðr when it...," his eyebrows drew together, "in a way you may understand it, their seiðr clogged. My brother had experienced it several times when using his magic too frequently at its early stages. I fear for your fragile, mortal life."
Saniya shifted between looking at Thor and Bruce. Steve shrugged from his spot behind them. Bruce was just as confused as she was.
"Are you saying I smell?" she asked.
"Like a wild hog rotting under the summer sun."
Steve crinkled his nose. "That's oddly specific."
Saniya bent her nose to smell herself. All she smelt was laundry detergent, but Thor did have a god nose. He must have a stronger sense of smell. At least, she hoped so. It would be too mortifying to find out she smelt that horribly while sitting next to Bruce all day.
Tony would have said something, she decided. If she had smelt, the billionaire would've told her immediately. Bruce was too polite to say anything, but the other scientist would revel in embarrassing her. This thought calmed her. Only Thor thought she smelt horrible.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I feel fine! Just a little headache." As soon as she said that, another wave of pain washed over her. It took a number of effort to keep herself from grimacing. "Plus, I don't have any of that... sei-sai-s"
Thor's grip loosened. "Seiðr," he said in her place.
"Yeah, that." Saniya tried to sit up. "There's nothing wrong with me. Nothing magical or weird. Nothing at all."
Thor looked skeptical. His mind was already set. But if any of the Avengers had to figure out that there was something off about her, she was glad it was Thor.
Her migraine was downgraded to a headache and the burning in her chest was nonexistent. Lying down helped the pain considerably. The aspirin was kicking in, or so she told herself. There was no reason for her to lie down anymore. While she mentally tucked away a reminder to look up seiðr later, she pushed off their concerns. It wasn't until a gentle hand pushed her shoulder down that she rested her head back on the pillow.
Bruce removed his hand as quickly as he touched her. "You looked like you were in a lot of pain. Rest for a while."
"I feel fine!" she said. A stab of pain crossed over her face. Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine, but I'm not going to die either." She gave Thor a pointed look.
"Perhaps I was wrong," Thor confessed. "Your soul has a fire. I doubt it is easily extinguished." His eyes scanned her face. "And you do have more color in your skin than before. The Midgardian medicine must be helping you."
She lightly slapped his arm. "See? Don't be so quick to assume I'm going to die. It was just a fluke." Saniya stretched out her arms. "Help me back upstairs."
Bruce shook his head. "Don't, Thor. Not until I make sure it's not anything serious."
The anxiety from when Thor thought she was dying returned. "You think it's something serious?"
He shrugged. "Migraines are sometimes symptoms of serious conditions and you mentioned your chest—" Bruce paused. He took in the expression on her face. "I don't think it's anything serious. I just want to make sure. It's nothing to worry about."
Saniya placed a hand on her forehead. The lights were still too bright. "Okay. If you think that's best." She closed her eyes. "You don't mind if I rest my eyes for a couple seconds, do you?"
"Not at all."
Steve left the lab since he wasn't much help. He wasn't a doctor or Saniya's friend, so he was unneeded. Thor stayed to watch over her though it was unnecessary. She was in one of the safest places in the country, but Thor had a strong sense of duty. Bruce moved several of Tony's medical equipment from storage as quietly as he could. He prepped the equipment on the other side of the lab, making sure everything was in its place.
By the time Tony returned with the warm towel, she was fast asleep.
Marsha gripped the edge of the sink.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
It was amazing how nervous simple small talk made her. Thinking of something to say while at the same time coming up with another question was daunting. Marsha would rather fight a swarm of aliens than small talk with someone she didn't know.
She was enduring it, though, because she was obsessed with the person she was talking with. Natalie had stolen all her common sense in fifteen minutes. The date was fraying Marsha mentally as she tried to seem cooler than she actually was.
No. This wasn't a date and she shouldn't assume that. Natalie just wanted to have dinner, to chat. There was nothing better than making friends in an unfamiliar city if one was into that sort of thing.
Date or no date, Marsha had fallen hard. Her mother always commented how attached she grew to people. She said that it was what made her so endearing. Marsha prayed that was the case and she wasn't scaring Natalie away for how clingy she was becoming.
She already liked her too much.
It wasn't often that someone showed interest in her, too. Whether it was platonic or romantic, so she was latching onto whatever attention she could get. Marsha was odd in that she craved love and attention but was too terrified to find it. Natalie was an opportunity to get what she wanted without going too far out of her comfort zone.
The want for human comfort completely brainwashed her. Marsha wasn't worrying about her next incident nor did she think about it once that night. She was still the nerve-filled woman she always has been, but her anxiety were different. Instead of wondering if she would hurt people, Marsha's worst nightmare was accidentally insulting Natalie. That night, everything revolved around Natalie.
Whether this ended with her having a new girlfriend or friend, she just wanted to talk to someone.
Marsha straightened any loose strands of hair then walked out of the bathroom. There was no point in hiding there all night, nor did she want to. For once, she didn't want to stay hidden in her motel room.
Natalie grinned when she returned to the table in the small restaurant. Marsha couldn't remember who suggested this place, but she was glad for it. It was quaint with a Italian countryside appeal. It also wasn't too expensive, which was a huge plus. The restaurant was perfect, but she would have been fine going to McDonald's for dinner. She wasn't picky.
"I was getting worried you ran off on me," she said.
"I would never," Marsha replied. Her cheeks turned pink.
Natalie winked. "Good to know." She flipped through the menu. "The waiter came by five minutes ago and I ordered us a bottle of wine. I hope you like Chardonnay."
Marsha's fingers faltered as she picked up her own menu. "That sounds lovely."
Natalie glanced at her over the menu. Her smirk grew. "You never told me why you're so far from home."
"I needed to get away," she answered. Marsha's face grew hotter the longer Natalie's gaze was on her. "I mean, I love my parents —they're the best— but I wanted to get away."
She hummed in response. "Seems like an awful lot of getting away." One delicate eyebrow lifted. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You running from something?"
"Yes," she answered automatically. For once in her entire life, she wished she had an untruthful bone in her body.
"Oh?"
Marsha was saved from answering when the waiter walked up to the table. She didn't notice the terrifying glare Natalie was giving him. If she had, she wouldn't have been sitting so comfortably across from the woman.
He held a bottle of wine in his hand. "My name is Clinton and I will be your waiter for tonight. If you need anything, please, just scream," the waiter said while filling their wine glasses. He held a notepad in his free hand. "Are you ready to order?"
Natalie snapped shut her menu. "I'll have the tenderloin."
"And how would you like it done?"
"Well done," she said. Her eyes narrowed. "I want it practically burnt and very, very dead."
Clinton's throat bobbed up and down. "Sure, ma'am." He turned his head so she wasn't in his line of sight. "And for you?"
"Chicken parmesan, please," she answered.
"Comin' right up."
As soon as the waiter was out of hearing range, Natalie leaned forwards in her chair. Her eyes twinkled. "You never told me what you were running from."
Marsha stared at her lap. "I don't... You don't... My problems don't matter. You'll think it's silly."
"Is it silly to you?"
She looked up. Natalie's face was open and kind. Anything she said, she could trust with Natalie, that much she was sure.
Marsha shook her head.
The smirk morphed into a good-natured smile. "Then it is not silly to me. I want to hear it."
She sipped from her wine. Alcohol was never her thing, but maybe it would help her stop being a nervous bunny throughout their entire dinner. Natalie's eyes glanced from the wine glass back to her face.
"Please don't laugh at me."
Natalie placed her hand over Marsha's. "I would never."
Marsha's heart fluttered in her chest. "I'm running from myself," she confessed. "I seem to mess everything up. Bad things keep happening around me and I feel like it's my fault." Marsha took a deep breath. "If I go far enough, maybe things will magically get better. That's what I'm hoping for, anyways.
"Well," Natalie started, "if you feel like it's your fault, then it probably is."
Her heart, which was shaking with giddiness only moments ago, fell still. "What?"
"Bad things don't happen to good people, no matter what anyone says," she said. "If what you're saying is true, then you're doing something to cause it. What are you doing?"
The air around her turned clammy. Maybe she was doing something to cause all the horrible things. This was her fault. Everything was because of her.
It was her fault for existing. God was punishing her for being alive. Her birth parents didn't want her for a reason. Maybe that was because she always brought bad luck.
Her bottom lip trembled. "I'm just living. All I'm doing is living."
Natalie's face hardened. "That can't be all."
Before she could get out another word, the chemicals in her wine took over. Marsha slumped over in her chair after mumbling incoherent sentences. Her eyes fluttered close and her limbs fell off the table. The only sign of life was the movement of her chest.
The customers in the restaurant (all SHIELD agents) began to clean the building. In a half hour there would be no sign of them being there. Not a single crooked table or fork out of place. The owner of the restaurant, who was away on a Caribbean Cruise, would be none the wiser. SHIELD had mastered its disappearing act.
Clint whistled. He moved Marsha's body enough to restrain her wrists behind her back. "Way to send the girl into an existential crisis."
"She was already in the middle of one." Natasha stood. "She didn't tell us anything and she'll be less likely to cooperate in a cell. I did what I thought was necessary on such short time." She glared at her partner. "You shouldn't have brought the wine so early."
"I though you did the signal," Clint protested. They both knew he would pay for it the next time they sparred. He threw Marsha over his shoulder. "You'd think SHIELD's best agent would be able to find out something juicy."
"Unless there wasn't anything juicy to find out," Natasha countered. She held the door open for Clint. "What if Austin and those other places weren't done on purpose? I don't think she knows what's happening."
An agent opened the back of a containment vehicle. The walls were made of several inches of steel. It was a solid box of metal, meant to keep any type of prisoner under SHIELD control. The little thing that was Marsha had no chance of escape.
Clint set her on the cold steel as gently as he could. "Whatever. I just hope SHIELD doesn't give Double B more people to study. One's enough."
Natasha let herself laugh. "Double B?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Stands for Bruce Banner. It's his initials."
"I figured."
Clint pecked her cheek as he made his way to the front of the vehicle. "Meet you at the tower? I'm in charge of dropping her off."
Natasha glanced at the truck one last time. "Meet you there. I'll keep the bed warm."
The vehicle drove away with several SHIELD cars guarding in front and behind it. They would head to a small SHIELD base in New York until proper transportation could be made to bring her back to base. That wouldn't be for several hours. Marsha would be asleep for a long time, so there was plenty of time to prepare her cell. SHIELD had thought this moment through. There was no room for mistakes.
Natasha dropped into the driver's seat of the car that she 'borrowed'. There was a small sliver of guilt for treating Marsha the way she did. She had led her on, making her think that she even remotely cared what happened to her when she, in fact, didn't. It was cold-hearted and expected of her. The Black Widow was incapable for feeling remorse for her actions, but Natasha Romanoff was a different story.
She took a deep breath. This was more thing she was going to have to live with. Working with SHIELD meant that she had to do a lot of those kind of things.