So this is a little short. Thank you for the reviews and I apologize. Things have been a little rough recently and fanfiction is something of a coping mechanism for me. I want you to know that I appreciate you for reading my stuff.

"How could we not know all of this?" Steve was in utter disbelief, as Lena outlined her experiences with the Red Room.

Bruce was happy that he could see through her impassioned report into the girl who was terrified and probably thought that all of this would haunt her later. Even if things went well, she was right. They would come back. He leaned back with his arms crossed, listening to her describe killing a man with a garrote the first time they released her.

"I did as I was told."

"Then why did you defect?" Clint asked just as quickly.

"Natasha was a nicer person to tell me to do things." Lena replied just as easily, "Ivan is smart. He keeps everything in a notebook and everything else up there." Lena tapped her temple, "It's strange what he remembers. No official documentations, no computers. We're disconnected except when we need to develop necessary skill like bypassing firewalls. They use the girls no one wants. Sometimes they buy us."

Bruce shook his head, "But where is Natasha?"

"That depends." Lena's face crumpled, "On if she lived, if she found outside help, or if she was assisted by Ivan."

"She's not dead." Bruce muttered.

Lena realized her mistake, "No—no. You're right. She's not dead. They covered my head and released me in a hotel lobby. I was a rich man's bored daughter. I rode the elevators until the man at the desk told me to stop and go up to the suite. I entered mine, and removed the panel I cut into the room before. I slipped in, killed him, then slipped out."

"So you really don't know where the Red Room is?"

"—I have an idea. It's here—I've got an extraction point but I'd have to go alone."

Bruce could tell no one really liked the idea, including Lena herself. He would offer to go with her, but she still flinched when he got too close and the threat of him becoming the Hulk was not helpful.

"They already know you've defected." Clint pointed out, staring at the map that old them nothing at all.

"I know." Lena straightened up. "But I follow Natasha and I want to get her fixed."

Natasha was not going to go away. She couldn't just lie down and accept things like a normal person. If she had been normal, she would have never really existed. While Natalia was plotting destruction of—well everyone—Natasha remained to keep small secrets safe. Even though the secret she let out was potentially devastating to everything she thought she accomplished since meeting Clint, not to mention, very, very harmful to Bruce Banner, it kept Natalia away from the nuclear codes, at least until someone thought to change them.

That wasn't enough though. She was going to fight until it was just her mind and her body again. She wished Wanda never fucked with her mind and dragged Natalia from her sleep, but wishing wouldn't get her out. She had to think—and think separately from Natalia. She needed a good distraction. Yet again, that distraction had to be Bruce. Someday, if she got the chance, she would sit down and explain to him every decision she made with him (and not his true consent) in mind. For an additional layer of distraction, Natasha released a little ballerina/assassin in training, dancing on uneven legs. She could feel Natalia shudder.

"Bitch." Natalia seemed to say.

"You miss Viktoriya, Natalia. That is a start."

There is no peace for the wicked.

Natalia had never been one to read the Bible or participate in any religious event. They were illogical. However, Alexei and his family were, so she played her part. That line, spoken by got in the Book of Isaiah was the only one she could ever remember. There is no rest for people like her and there is no hope for peace as long as she remained awake. She accepted that long ago, or so she thought as she waited.

The last night Natalia got with Alexei, she decided to wear her white dress from dress rehearsals home. It was a beautiful dress that made her look like she was flying, like a Greek Goddess descending to the human realm just for cheap entertainment. She pulled off her coat and settled at the corner of the bed, watching the way the skirt floated around her. She knew that she was allowed to have flights of fancy for a night.

The door was slammed so hard that the entire flat seemed to rattle. Natalia had been sitting, brushing her long hair to put in a braid for the night but she paused upon seeing Alexei's slouch. The scent of vodka and whiskey wafted through the air as he turned sluggishly.

"You're home." It sounded like it was more than a statement, but Natalia found that she couldn't decipher exactly what he meant.

"Of course I'm home, Alexei. I've been waiting for you. I thought you'd be home tonight as well—"

She was cut off by Alexei suddenly falling to his knees before her, taking her hands into his own. Natalia resisted the urge to flinch. That was one of the first things they taught her. Even if she knew pain was coming, she shouldn't flinch. A flinch gave away too much information, "What did I do?" His eyes shone with bleary drunken tears.

"Alexei—"

"What did I do wrong, Natasha?" He kissed her hands, palms first, "I work as hard as I can training for a war that won't happen—and I'm so sorry I can't do much more—the rations aren't working, this whole system isn't—anyway, I'm sorry and I can fix this."

Natalia shook her head, puling her hands away, "I'm not following."

"You're not happy, Natasha. Tell me how I can fix it—we can get out of here—we could go to England or America if you wanted, I know you'd like that—"

"I am happy." Natalia held his face in her hands, feeling something twist and break inside of her. She pulled him close, letting him rest his head on her lap as she ran her hand through his greasy hair, petting him much like she would a dog, "This is the happiest I've ever been. I am home."

He looked up at her so reverently that what twisted and broke was suddenly a bundle of nerves surrounded by swelling body tissue. It hurt.

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too." She said.

It hurt like getting the serum.

Like hearing Viktoriya die.

Natalia leaned over and kissed him. She helped him into bed and slid in next to him, facing away as per usual. In the morning, she got up and buttered some bread for them both for breakfast. Alexei kissed her on the cheek before she raced out the door to catch the one bus that ran through their neighborhood.

Natalia never came home.

She was always running after that. That was, until Natasha wrapped an anchor around her neck and slung it to Clint and then eventually to the rest of the Avengers.

The greatest betrayal was still Bruce Banner though.

How could Natasha forget so easily?