Don't forget to review! I love hearing back from you guys.

Katie Moon: I'm happy you're still loving my story :) I'm also SUPER excited to write Loki into the story. He'll be really interesting

Mikomi121: Thank you for taking time to review :D I'm glad that I wrote the panic attack well. I was afraid I didn't and ended up offending someone or something like that haha

Sad rad fish: Thank you!

Thor stood out on the quinjet landing pad like a statue, Mjolnir in hand. He wore his armor proudly, complete with a red superman cape. Seeing him in typical Asgardian armor was weird, but fitting. This was Thor wearing the clothing of his culture and he was proud to share that with his friends.

"I do not know when I will return," Thor yelled over the wind. The top of a large skyscraper was not the best place for a conversation. "I will ask my father's permission to speak with my brother, but I do not know if it will be allowed."

Pepper wrapped an arm around Tony's waist. He shielded her from the breeze the best he could. "Your room will be waiting for you when you come back," she raised her voice enough for him to hear her.

Thor bowed his head. "I thank you for your hospitality, Lady Stark." Pepper frowned while Tony's looked like he had been electrocuted.

Natasha laughed under her breath. "Smooth way of telling Tony to finally put a ring on that woman," she muttered.

Thor turned to Saniya and Marsha, who were clinging on each other to avoid freezing in the early September air. "We will find answers; do not worry."

Saniya gave him a tense smile. The unknown of when her friend would come back ate at her. She was tempted to tell him to forget all about his brother and stay there with them, but she did her best to keep those thoughts to herself. It wasn't just her all this was affecting. Marsha deserved answers as much as she did. There was a time and place to demand to get something you want, and this was not it.

"Take your time," she told him through chattering teeth. "We don't need to know everything right away. Go visit Jane." Thor's expression turned wistful at the name. "I know you haven't seen her in a long time." The words were sour in her mouth, but she managed to force them out.

Steve slipped his hands in his jeans pockets. Just like the Norse god, he wasn't affected by the temperature. "Bring your dame back to the tower some time. We'd all like to meet her."

Thor beamed. "I would very much enjoy that." He raised his hammer in the air, but Saniya halted his mid-movement by engulfing him in a hug.

"You're not leaving without a hug," she smacked his arm.

He returned the gesture, lifting her several feet off the ground. Her ribs ached, but it was worth it. A hug from Thor was like a hug from a giant teddy bear. Who would pass that up? An added bonus that she hadn't expected: she stole some of his body heat and no longer felt like an ice cube.

Thor gently set her back on her feet.

"I know I said for you to take your time, but don't keep us waiting forever either." Saniya stuffed her hands in her sweatshirt, rubbing them together. "I heard Natasha doesn't have much patience."

He smiled with the force of a thousand light bulbs. It was so bright, she had to blink the dots away. "Then I shall return as soon as possible, for fear of keeping my comrade waiting."

Saniya released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Thor wasn't going to be gone forever. He was coming back. Though it was sort of ridiculous to even think such thoughts in the first place, her mind was put at ease for the most part.

Thor faltered. He placed a large hand on her shoulder. "Do not fret, Lady Saniya."

Saniya scoffed. "I'm not fretting. Go on. You've got a lot of stuff to do."

Before she froze to death on the landing pad —it was the only space in the tower big enough and outside for Thor to leave safely—, she rushed to Marsha's side. The two sisters clung together as they watched Thor lift his hammer. In a flash of light and a boom that would leave their ears ringing for hours, he was gone, leaving only an intricate design behind on the metal.

Marsha dipped her head. "I'm going to miss him."

Saniya bit down on her lower lip. "He'll be back soon," she told her. At least, she hoped so.

Pepper tugged her blazer tighter around her body. She had it the worst out of everyone since she was wearing only a skirt and a light jacket. "Everyone come inside before you catch a cold. There will not be another outbreak."

Tony opened the door, graciously holding it for Pepper. He served as a human wall between Pepper and the two sisters. "Hurry before we become popsicles and wake up seventy years later!"

They packed into the elevator. Tony and Pepper stepped off on their floor. From what she saw before the elevator slammed in her face, it was extravagant. There was a chandelier and furniture with a too minimalist look for her taste. Tony had spent his money well, even if it was on furniture people couldn't sit in. Everything was too fancy and it made her gut churn.

But that was most likely the frugal coupon-cutter nestled in the depths of her soul talking.

Steve, Natasha, Marsha, and Saniya rode the elevator back down to the living floor. Clint, perched on the back of the couch like a hawk, laughed at their pink roses and wind-tossed hair.

"Told you it was a record low for the first week in September. But nobody listens to Hawkeye."

Steve shrugged. "The cold never bothered me anyways. After the serum, I mean."

Everyone but Steve snorted. Even Natasha managed the unladylike sound. She crossed the floor to sit on Clint's lap.

"Are you going to sing for us, Rogers? It's kind of a rule when you say that line." Her lips curled into a devious smirk.

The super soldier tilted his head, the joke going right past him. Clint quietly sung 'Let It Go', much to Steve's confusion.

Saniya angled her head to have a good view of Steve's face. "You would make a nice Elsa. You have the hair for it," she commented. She held back a comment about him being frozen in ice. That seemed insensitive and she was trying to get on his good side.

Marsha hid a laugh behind a tiny hand while Clint made sure that Steve knew he was laughing. Natasha pursed her lips before nodding in agreement. Steve frowned and said something about looking up the reference later under his breath.

That was when she noticed someone was missing, and it wasn't Thor or Tony. In fact, she hadn't seen him all day.

"Where's Bruce?"

"Oh, you mean the hermit of Stark Tower?" Clint asked. She nodded. "He's been cooped up in the lab all night." He rested his hands behind his head.

Saniya tapped her foot as she thought. He was due for a thanks for taking care of her during Marsha's panic attack yesterday, so this was as good as time as any. She decided that Bruce deserved a distraction.

She paused in front of the doors and looked over her shoulder. "Marsha?" The woman in question smiled at her. "Will you be okay if I go and see Bruce?"

Her smile wavered, the lower lip morphing into something dangerously close to a pout. Marsha's eyes were wide, a lot like a sad puppy. Despite the dejected look, she nodded. "I'll be fine, but," she inhaled deeply, her voice coming out as quiet as a whisper, "what if it happens again?"

The Avengers tensed. What if the sun transformed into a green man again? What if something worse happened? At least Natasha did a good job of masking her stress from the implications of the question with cold indifference. Or maybe she wasn't concerned about another accident at all. Saniya was not a mind reader, that was for sure, and she wasn't even going to try to understand the assassin.

Steve lifted his chin in a proud manner. "If something does happen, then you will be in capable hands, ma'am."

He patted Marsha twice on the shoulder. Sure, he was perfectly friendly to Marsha who was a far worst threat (as far as abilities go) but was bordering strong dislike with Saniya. That goes to show how far the hypocrisy in Steve ran.

Or, the logical side of her said, Marsha was actually kind to him and not a royal b-i-t-c-h.

But, Steve's confident answer was good enough for her to leave her sister with the Avengers. Jarvis entertained her with show tunes on the ride down and generously opened the lab door for her. The AI was quickly becoming one of her most cherished friends.

"Please take this time to mentally prepare yourself," Jarvis warned.

It took a couple seconds to realize what Jarvis meant. Several dirty plates were stacked by the door, waiting for someone to pick them up. Nothing too awful, but it wasn't the lab that was in bad shape. Bruce was leaned up against a table with his head in his hands. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he looked like he was in a great need of a shower.

"Bruce?" she called out.

He looked up. Saniya remembered when he checked her ribs. Bruce looked awful then. Somehow, he looked even worse. His tired eyes drooped though they were considerably more alert at the sight of her. There was a light layer of five o'clock shadow on his face, making him less put together than she remembered.

Bruce cast his eyes to the ground. "Jarvis, warn me next time someone is coming down," he said hoarsely.

"I did, Dr. Banner, but you did not respond."

Saniya stepped hesitantly. "Are you hungover?" she asked in disbelief.

His eyes widened. "No, no. I... I don't drink."

She frowned and searched his face, trying to find some sort of answers to why he was acting this way. But, she was no Natasha and could not find out everything from one glance. "Then why do you look like you are? When's the last time you've slept?"

He clutched the end of the table, head facing the floor. Bruce didn't answer so Jarvis did for him.

"He has not rested since the Hulk incident two nights ago."

She crossed her arms. Here she was thinking that Bruce was the epitome of health and perfectness. If she was not standing before him, she never would have believed he let himself slide this far. Even she could see that he was close to crashing, from sleep deprivation and... something else.

Saniya narrowed her eyes. What was it? Then, it hit her as she recalled their conversations between what Jarvis dubbed the 'Hulk Incident' and that moment. All the apologizing yesterday, the look in his eyes... he was guilty, and guilt was a hell of a thing to keep someone up at night.

Her —she wouldn't necessarily describe them as maternal, but that was the best description she could come up— instincts kicked in and she had to do something.

Her expression softened. She crossed the lab to place a hand on his arm. "Get some sleep," she told him.

His knuckles turned white. Then he loosened his grip, letting blood flow back through his hand. "I've been having a little trouble with that," he muttered. Bruce shifted away from her touch, but she met his movements with ease.

"Bruce," she said, voice dripping with concern, "you look like a zombie. At least try."

He didn't respond. Saniya huffed loudly. Bruce being difficult was foreign territory. She slid herself between him and the counter. Her body almost rubbing against his if she puffed out her chest. "Tell me why you can't sleep," she tried a different approach.

He shook his head. Like the last time she touched him, he backed away. Saniya wrapped her arms around his neck. The faintest hint of a flush rose up his neck, but it had the desired effect of locking him in place. "Come on. It'll only help to talk about it," she urged.

Bruce closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in through his nose. "How can you stand being near me after what happened? I've been thinking and thinking, but I still don't understand."

She frowned. "It wasn't your fault."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Her comment got to him. "The Other Guy did all the damage, sure, but I'm the one who let him. If I had more control or—" His voice was nearing hysterical when he cut himself off. Bruce roughly broke himself away and placed two fingers on his pulse point.

Saniya reached out to him but thought better. Maybe he needed his space and she was just making it worse by putting her hands all over him. "I forgive the Hulk, too," she said.

That was a partial lie. There was still an internal debate in her head whether the Hulk and Bruce were two people in one body or one person with two personalities. Bruce would be immediately forgiven. And if the Hulk was technically Bruce, then he was forgiven too.

It was easy for her to hold a grudge against a stranger or someone she disliked, but against a friend... that was impossible.

"I don't." He ran a hand through his hair, keeping his back to her. "Do you want to know why I can't sleep?"

"Bruce—"

"It's because all I can imagine when I close my eyes is crushing you between my hands." Bruce turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. His fingers dug into her flesh. The colors of his eyes began to tint a light green around the pupil. Green like the Hulk. "You could have died! Be smart and leave!"

Saniya tried and failed to hide how much his behavior scared her. The green in his eyes morphed back to the typical brown. Bruce released her immediately, staring at his hands with a horrified expression.

She calmed her shaking hands by squeezing them into two strong fists.

"I know that," she snapped back. "I know I could have died! I was thrown out a window for fuck's sake, so I understand almost dying pretty well! But you know what? It doesn't matter that I almost died because I'm still here." She tensed her arms by her side. "Stop grieving for someone who isn't dead."

Before she knew it, she was toe to toe with him and jabbing him in the chest with her pointer finger. "You feel bad, I get that. But stop! Stop it right now because neither of us had control over the situation. Holding onto stuff like this will only make you cynical."

Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but she placed her hand over his lips. Saniya tried to control the frustration in her voice. "I know I sort of snapped at you, but we are going to have a rational discussion about this. Okay? No more self-blaming, just a calm discussion."

He nodded and her hand dropped. "You might be a little late on keeping me from becoming cynical, but you made some good points." It was a jab at himself, but she heard the faint hint of amusement underneath the sadness.

Saniya stopped an eye-roll. "And here comes the part where you refute all of them and tell me how wrong I am."

There was the briefest twitch of a shy smile. If she hadn't been watching him, she would have missed it. "No, this is the part where I make some of my own," he reasoned. "The Other Guy is a part of me and is my responsibility to keep in check. Losing control is not an option."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What makes you change into the Other Guy?"

"When my heart rate gets too high..." He drifted off as two of her fingers rested on his pulse point on his neck. She swore she felt it jump under the pads of her fingers.

Saniya focused on the beat under his skin going at a steady rhythm. This was the key to what made him change to a creature of pure anger and she was measuring it with only her fingers. That amazing concept was enough to keep her embarrassed from randomly caressing his throat.

She locked eyes with Bruce. "How close are you now?"

He took several moments to reply. "Not very. I'm fairly relaxed."

Her fingers slid off of his neck. "Then it's safe to assume the Other Guy is in check right now?" Bruce nodded, trying to figure out where she was going with that. Saniya took a half-step closer to the scientist. This time, he didn't move away. "That was the only time I've ever seen you like that, so you have a really high success rate of controlling him. Everyone slips ups sometimes. Why beat yourself up over it?" she asked.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "That wasn't one stupid slip-up. You can't compare almost being murdered to a stupid slip-up on my part," he strained out.

She pulled his hand away from his face and held it in her own. "It was somewhat my fault too. You can't forget that."

His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "You aren't blaming yourself for wearing those shorts, are you?"

Saniya crinkled her nose. "What? What does what I was wearing have to do with anything?"

At a frightening speed, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I don't— Nevermind." Bruce mentally slapped himself.

She narrowed her eyes. "As I was saying before you commented on my shorts, I should have listened to you and ran. I still blame everyone for not telling me that you could… you know..., but I still should have listened."

Bruce shook his head. "No, I should have told you a long time ago." His lips curled into a deep frown. "I knew that you didn't know back in the helicarrier, but I never..." his voice dropped off before he began again. "I am so sorry."

Saniya clasped both of her hands to his face so he would look her in the eyes. "Everything is okay." Before be protested, she interrupted him. "You're my friend and I forgive my friends. Don't worry about it."

He blinked. "Friends," he said softly to himself, trying out the word on the tip of his tongue.

Her foot tapped the floor in an uneven rhythm. "Yeah. We're friends." Saniya picked up a lock of his hair and pulled her hand away quickly. "And as your friend, I think it's my duty to tell you that you need a shower. Like, it's at the point where it isn't optional anymore."

Bruce glanced back to his work. "I need to finish up here first."

She bumped his shoulder. "Hurry up, then. And after that I expect Jarvis to tell me that you're taking a nice, long nap, okay?" Saniya gave him a pointed look. "Promise? You need to take care of yourself."

He nodded slowly. "You're right. I will."

Saniya smiled and pecked his cheek. The scientist froze instantly. "I hope you feel better about all this soon." She stopped at the door of the lab, giving him one last look, before disappearing down the hall.

I hope you feel better about all this soon.

Bruce hoped so too. While her talk didn't make him feel much better (he did almost gain more blood on his hands), Bruce's body felt lighter. She made her stance on the subject clear and he was willing to take that in consideration. This was something he would have to think deeper about. Of course, that didn't mean he forgave himself. He stopped forgiving himself long before he met Saniya and he doubted he could anymore.

He tapped his finger on the screen, pulling back up the loading bar of three strands of DNA being compared. It'd be a couple of hours yet, but soon he would see the results.

Without knowing it, his hand lifted to the place she kissed. The feeling replayed over and over. The warmth of her lips against his skin, how unfortunately brief it had been... it irritated the Other Guy.

But the irritation wasn't bad, per se. It was more of a restlessness and Bruce didn't know how to handle that. The Hulk only had two emotions: anger and numbness. This was new. New things regarding the Other Guy were always unsettling.

"So, don't be mad, but I overheard a part of your conversation and...," Tony held back snickers over the speaker. The billionaire had taken to speaking electronically rather than face to face, which made him more confrontational. What better way to aggravate Bruce than from a room safe from his rage?

"Tony," he warned, "that was a private conversation." His face heated up as a number of questions floated to the front of his mind. Bruce wasn't sure he had the energy to convince Tony and himself that the kiss on the cheek was purely platonic.

"I know, I know. That's why I back-pedaled out of there faster than when I told Pepper that her grandmother was annoying. But, I managed to overhear, haha, one juicy bit."

Bruce closed his eyes to keep himself calm. "And what was that?"

"That part about her shorts. So, I, like any good scientist, went back and viewed the Hulk footage and noticed something I didn't see before." He did not like where this was going. "Dude! I never took you for a butt kind of guy."

He groaned, covering his face. "Tony, please don't."

"C'mon, it's funny. Saniya's butt is the sole reason for the destruction of my lab."

"Her butt is not the reason!"

He snickered, enjoying Bruce's dismay. "I wonder what she would say if I told her that you stare at her butt for an abnormal amount of time every day."

Bruce sputtered out a defense. "I don't— That's not what it's like. Tony, don't you dare!"

"I bet if I look through all the surveillance footage, I'll be able to find at least a million instances you checked out that booty. God, I am having too much fun with this."

He glared at the ceiling. Tony was bound to be seeing the dangerous look on his face. "Tony, if you do that, I will willingly destroy an entire floor of the tower," he said and he was deadly serious.

Tony calmed down his laughter to an occasional hiccup. "Heh, okay I'll stop. You don't need to be so dramatic." He hummed quietly. "She's right. You need a shower stat."

A small smile rose on his face, despite the turbulent feelings inside of him. "I was going to get to that before you started blackmailing me."

His voice was so serious that he thought for a second it wasn't Tony on the other end. "You do that, then. I'm glad she convinced you to take care of yourself."

Bruce shut off the screen. The program ran in the background. His fingers itched to be stuffed in his pockets.

"Hey, so, Saniya just told Jarvis who told me to tell you that she wants to thank you for helping her and Marsha out yesterday. She said she forgot to tell you after she was done chewing you out for being an irrational ball of guilt."

He began to move to the hallway to hitch an elevator back to his floor. "I'm a doctor. It's what I do," he said with a wry smile.

A sad sigh left his lips. Bruce was nowhere near okay, but he was getting better. Saniya was helping him get better.

It was later in the day when Clint and Natasha walked down the hallways of the helicarrier. The upper levels were as busy as ever, with agents and important people rushing back and fro. They were used to the constant stream of people, as they were important themselves. So, it was a bit of a culture shock to be on one of the lower levels and seeing a grand total of five people.

"What room again?" Clint asked.

She double checked the numbers of the rooms they were passing. Large metal doors with nothing more than a regular lock that could be opened with a bobby pin lined the walls. It looked like a prison, which, it could be considered one if someone was stuck with the menial jobs on that floor.

"We're almost there," she murmured.

He rolled his eyes. "I know, but what's the room number?"

She brushed against his hand. "I'll know when I see it—" Natasha jerked her head. "There it is."

Clint opened the door for her, revealing rows upon rows of file cabinets. Several towers of boxes filled with manila folders sat near the corner yet to be organized. Ever since SHIELD had transferred to digital filing, there wasn't much need for rooms like these. SHEILD was always prepared, though, and kept rooms like these running in case something like Y2K happened.

These rooms were severely undermanned, but that was what made it so easy to find her. Natasha only had to look through a dozen or so employees to find the right name. Fury put her somewhere she could be useful. Finally, her amazing memory was being put to use. It was technically a demotion, but this job fit her skills well.

Clint knocked on the doorframe. "Dorie Hughes?"

Dorie put the file she was reading down. Her hair, which had used to be in a tight bun, tumbled over her face. "Who are you?"

"Agent Mulder and Scully," he answered. She frowned deeply in an unamused expression. Dorie was a tough audience. Clint sighed at his joke falling flat. "It doesn't matter who we are."

She smacked her gum against the roof of her mouth. "It kind of does. I have to record the names of everyone who comes down here."

Natasha ran a finger along the dust gathered on top of the metal cabinet. She wiped it on Clint's shirt. "Let me guess. We are the only people to come down here since you've been demoted to SHIELD's living hard drive."

She clenched her fists in her lap. "That doesn't matter. I have to record everyone who—"

Clint leaned against the wall. "Just write down that the two best Avengers came for some information." He winked at Natasha.

Dorie clenched her jaw. "That's even more ridiculous than Agent Mulder and Scully," she retorted.

Natasha smirked, looking at her best friend from the corner of her eye. "I don't think it's so ridiculous, but Cap might have us beat for the best Avenger." The agent coolly regarded Dorie. "We need a summary of your research on Aghamarshan Elliot. More specifically, what she can do."

Dorie leaned back in her chair, using it for some sort of comfort as the two agents cornered her. "I... don't... I don't know what you mean. I wasn't involved in any research."

Clint kept his face impassive. "We know Saniya Ramakrishna if that makes it easier."

There was a twitch, a tell, of how exactly Dorie felt about Saniya. There goes our one way to make her talk, Natasha thought, but she had a backup argument.

"We have Elliot in custody and some things have happened. I'm sure you have some idea of what it was," Natasha amended.

Dorie didn't cover her interest well. Her whole body perked in anticipation. "What exactly happened?"

And the fish bit the hook.

The right side of her lips curled into a half-smirk. "The sun turned into a green man the other day, for one. Not sure if you heard about that since SHIELD was good at keeping it out of the news."

She clasped her hand over her mouth though she didn't look as surprised as she should have.

Natasha leaned forward. "We just need you to tell us what to expect from her."

Dorie nodded weakly at first, then with more determination. There was a newfound fire in her eyes. Someone was finally listening to her and she was eager to help. "I traced a bunch of stuff across the United States, some weird things SHIELD didn't pick up on. A lot was centered in California. That's where she used to live, right?"

"Right."

She continued effortlessly. All her information she found out was easily accessed in her memory and hadn't faded one bit. "The events were signs for the end of the world, but I thought it was weird since it only revolved around one Hindu mystic's interpretation. Out of all interpretations, it just copied his, so I really doubt the world is coming to an end, if that's what you're worried about."

"And what is his interpretation?" Clint asked.

"It'll rain fire and blood, tigers will disappear from the forests, bulls will grow mammary glands," Dorie listed. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I can write them down if you want."

She, in a flurry of paper and pens, scribbled a short list of ten things on a piece of paper. Her handwriting was slanted in her excitement of being taken seriously. When she was finished writing, Clint folded the list into his pocket.

Dorie hesitated. "I also have a copy of my research if it'll help."

Natasha's eyebrows lifted. "You made a copy of your research? That's a huge security risk, Hughes."

She pulled out a folder of papers from her book bag. Dorie flipped through them once to make sure everything was in the right place. "It's still my research. Nobody explicitly told me I couldn't." Clint took the opportunity to skim her findings when he was given the folder. "Plus, it's not a security risk if only SHIELD reads my research. I normally keep it in a locked safe."

Clint whistled. "Wow, this is a lot of information. You have a good head on your shoulders, Hughes."

Dorie shook her head but stopped herself. "Maybe... maybe I do," she conceded. The creases by her eyes smoothed. "Yeah, I'm pretty smart," she said like it was an important secret.

Natasha began to move towards the door. Clint was close behind her. "A word of advice, don't give your research to just anyone who asks for it. They might use it in ways that won't end well for you."

The blood ran out of Dorie's face as she took in the meaning of Natasha's words. "I—"

She smirked. "Don't worry, Hughes. We aren't just anybody." Natasha pointed at her. "This stays between us."

Natasha smothered a laugh as she walked out the door. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dorie lunge for a phone, most likely to call Director Fury. Her hushed conversation was barely audible in the hallway.

Clint shook his head, but there was a smile on his face. "You didn't have to scare the poor girl."

"Just keeping her on her toes," Natasha chimed. "No harm, no foul. Plus, she'll accidentally rat herself out for hoarding SHIELD information. Less paperwork for us and SHIELD has one less security risk to worry about. The worst she'll get is a slap on the wrists and a life lesson."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, rubbing his thumb on the exposed skin of her upper arm. "You are devious," he teased. She didn't disagree. "So, are you finally going to tell me why we came all this way for something we could've made a phone call about?"

Her eyes lit playfully. She pressed the button for the elevator and Clint's arm fell to his side. Still, they stood too close for people who were only colleagues. "I wanted to keep it a surprise," she confessed.

"Come on, babe."

The ex-soviet spy wrapped a finger around his belt loop. She pulled him a fraction of an inch closer. "Fury has a mission for us and I'm picking up the details. It's in Europe, so you know what that means," she said slyly.

Clint's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that we're staying at your Italian safehouse? The one on the cliff?" Natasha nodded and he pumped his fist in the air. "This is the best news I've heard all day! What's the mission?"

"I'm not completely sure yet. Fury wants to talk to us in person. All I know is that we are tracking the person responsible for the massacre in Lithuania."

He frowned. "Hydra?"

"Doubt it," she dismissed. "If it was, it would be higher priority."

"And Saniya?"

One delicate eyebrow raised. "What about Saniya?"

Clint waved his hands. "Agent Musa will literally scalp me if I don't work on her training once a day." Right as she began to roll her eyes, Clint let out an outburst. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Romanoff. I've heard the stories."

The elevator stopped and the two agents got off. They walked down the route they knew well to Fury's office. Finally, there were in familiar territory.

"Have Agent Musa take her then. It'll only be for a few days."

He looked at her like she was insane. "She's training five other people right now. No way will I be the one to tell her that she'll have to take on Saniya full time for who know's how long."

She sighed, seeing where this conversation was heading. "Are you trying to get out of the mission or trying to convince me to bring her along? I'm not sure which one you're going for."

They flashed their identification badges at a guard standing at the end of the hallway. He nodded and eased his hand off of his weapon.

Clint mustered up the most pleading expression he could. "We could leave her at your house while we do our job. I can introduce her to this sort of lifestyle as part of her training."

Natasha pursed her lips. The idea was repulsive. Bringing someone who could not defend themselves was downright cruel, and she did have some form of conscious. But, if they left her at the house... No, Natasha didn't like that idea either. The thought of someone snooping around her safehouse without her there was repulsive.

Clint was right to fear Agent Musa. That woman had a certain drive that struck fear in every man's heart. If she was in his place, she'd be mildly worried for her well-being. So, with this in mind, she nodded.

The things I do for the people I care about, she bemoaned to herself.

"Fine, but you have to arrange everything for her and convince her to come with." She glared. "I'm not going to be her babysitter or travel guide."

He smothered a grin. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

She stopped right in front of Fury's door. "Yes, but it wouldn't hurt to tell me again."

"Screw this, screw this, screw this," she repeated with each lunge. Her legs were burning, mostly from yesterday's workout. It didn't help that Clint left a list of exercises for her to do. He would find out if she didn't do them. The sneaky AI told her himself, which meant Jarvis would betray her to Clint.

If she wasn't guaranteed to be tattled on, Saniya would be sitting on the couch eating a bowl of ice cream and cursing Director Fury's name to anyone who would listen. Instead, she was in the stinky gym with Marsha talking to stupid Steve who was taking up all her attention. Marsha was explaining to Steve what a lesbian was and sexuality overall, making dramatic gestures to herself often. Some of his responses made Saniya want to bang her head against a brick wall.

Despite his ignorance on the subject, Steve was polite and made an effort to learn. If he had not, Saniya would have forced him to. But, Marsha and Steve were getting along fine and having a civil discussion.

The downside was that this civil discussion meant completely blocking Saniya out.

She hated being ignored. Hell, she could barely stand being alone for too long. It was a real problem that she was trying to work on, but it was hard to do when people were giggling ten feet away from you.

Like clockwork, Marsha laughed happily as Steve chuckled along. Saniya's lips turned into an upside-down 'u'.

Get it together, Saniya. She can laugh and talk to whoever she wants. She's your sister, not your slave.

"Hi, Bruce. How are you?"

She poked her head up at Steve's voice. Sure enough, Bruce was standing there. He looked healthier than before and was more like himself. Turned out her talk worked as a good kick in the rear.

"Fine, thank you. I'm actually here to talk with Saniya."

Saniya stood up, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants. He walked carefully towards her, forehead creased with anticipation. The way he was acting made her stomach seize up. "Is something wrong?"

"I wouldn't say wrong," he began slowly. "It's definitely not wrong, but I don't think you will be happy about it."

Her nose crinkled. "Great. Okay, well, tell me fast so I can get over it faster."

Bruce hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere else to talk?"

She nodded. "Yep. What is it?"

He gulped, obviously dreading her reaction. "I've done a lot of testing and have tripled checked my work. I'm one hundred percent positive that you are not related to your parents in any way."

Saniya blinked.

Bruce rubbed his hands together. "You're adopted."

"That's not true," she denied, but it was a weak argument. She grabbed onto Bruce's shirt to steady herself. "I don't believe you."

'I don't want to believe you' was closer to the truth, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Why would she want to admit that a part of her identity had been fake the entire time? Bruce wouldn't lie to her, though. She wasn't sure how she came to that conclusion so suddenly in the short time she knew him, she just knew he wouldn't.

Bruce released her hand from his shirt. "It's okay to feel this way," he said.

She blinked her eyes to rid themselves of the tears gathering. Saniya refused to cry because of her parents. She refused adamantly. "And you're sure of this?" In a much quieter voice she whispered: "Please say no."

"I'm sorry, but I am." The space between his eyebrows creased. "Are you okay?"

"No, I feel pretty terrible right now," she snapped. Their roles were reversed and it was Saniya who was backing away from comfort. She stormed towards the elevator. "I'm going to be alone for a while."

Marsha immediately jumped to her aid. "Saniya?"

She waved off her sister, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "Being alone includes everyone, Marsha."

Marsha looked at Bruce for answers. She hadn't overheard their conversation and Saniya wasn't going to stop and explain. She wasn't going to stop until she was drowning under a pile of blankets and finally alone.