Disturbance
Shifting around in your bunk, you stared at the ceiling. The bricks were worn and cracking; the cell had obviously seen better days. A single light-bulb lit your cell, the only source of light you’ve seen in over seven months. You were currently being held prisoner in an underground cell, located somewhere in Italy. You had been convicted of stealing from the local mafia gang, which was well-known, just not to you. Though it was a case of mistaken identity, you took the fall, though escaping wasn’t a problem for you. You simply stayed there since you had no other place to go.
Nearing footsteps broke you from your thoughts, as two guards appeared, dragging a black body bag. Giving them a small wave as they unlocked the door, you noticed the bag slightly moving. They hadn’t killed your new roommate yet; at least some mobsters had curtsy. Tossing the mysterious person into the cramped cell, they slammed the metal door shut, returning to wherever they came from.
Waiting until their footsteps faded, you nimbly jumped to the floor, cautiously eyeing the body bag. Muffled words escaped the fabric, as they thrashed about. Quickly unzipping the bag, you recognized your new roommate right away. Natasha Romanova, a skilled assassin, former SHIELD agent and currently an Avenger who narrowly missed kicking you in the face. Everything you weren’t, all summed up into one. Her face was bruised and dried blood was caked to her vibrant red hair. “Well this is a surprise,” you laughed, glancing at her tied hands and gag. Her eyes pierced into yours, eyeing you suspiciously. “I’m (f/n) (l/n), your new roommate,” you chuckled, helping free the injured assassin.
She glanced at you warily, “I can’t stay here, this was a dead end,” she scoffed, rubbing her wrists. “Considering they took all your weapons, you’ll be here for a while,” you sighed, leaning against the wall. “How long-“ ”Seven months,” you cut her off, “mistaken identity. Not like I’m in a hurry to leave though, I don’t have a place to return to.” Natasha stared at you, analyzing you.
“So what is an Avenger like you doing with the Italian mafia?” you asked, cracking your neck. A few moments of silence passed before she spoke up, “There were two possible leads to a HYDRA base; this obviously isn’t the correct one,” she sighed, assessing her injuries.“When will the guards come back,” she asked, focusing her gaze of the door, already working on an escape plan. “They won’t, they leave you to rot in here,” you shrugged, glancing at your chipped fingernails. Whenever you left this place you needed a makeover, or a new body, either worked. “But you-“ ”Seven months, a human would starve before a month passed. Guess it’s a good thing I’m not one of those,” you chuckled, squeezing your hands into fists.
She backed away slowly, her eyes never leaving your body. “Everyone's reaction is always the same,” you chuckled, irritation lacing your voice, “I won’t touch you, if you don’t trust me. Though, I am your best chance at escaping this place.” Minutes passed before she responded. “What choice do I have,” she scoffed. “Follow me.”
Placing your hands onto the brick wall, you focused your energy towards the center of the elements which made up the clay, changing their composition. The wall began to evaporate, giving you access to the tunnel you had made weeks before. “I had some free time,” you explained walking into the pitch black darkness. Natasha followed a few paces back, as you led the way. “So care to explain how that wall disappeared before our eyes?” she asked, her voice echoing off the walls.
“It’s what makes me different, it’s why I keep myself out of the public eye,” you tried to be vague, not wanting to give away too much information about yourself. “I can create things out of thin air, but I can decompose things just as easy,” you stopped, taking in your surroundings. You might not be able to see in the dark, but you could sense vibrations through connecting with the elements. This allowed you to be able to visualize where objects were, similar to a bats supersonic ability. There were no major vibrations coming from above, indicating it was a good spot to ascend from. “Why did you stop?” the red head asked, her body slightly tensing up.
“This is where we escape,” you chuckled, forming a ladder on one side of the tunnel. “Put your hand out, I’ll lead you to the ladder.” Natasha hesitantly reached towards your voice, as you finished forming a manhole above your heads. Gripping her gloved hand, you placed it onto the metal ladder, “This will lead to the surface,” you explained as she ascended the ladder. Following closely after her, you both were welcomed by the fresh air and blinding sunlight.
“Damn, no wonder moles stay underground,” you complained, covering your (e/c) orbs. At the sound of Natasha clearing her throat, you looked up to see her standing before you, hands on her hips. “Why did you help me?” she demanded, obviously still not fully trusting you. “I can’t exactly keep you alive; you don’t have my abilities to do so. Killing you wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere, just make hate myself even more. Plus having a rotting corpse as a roommate isn’t exactly sanitary,” you shrugged, stretching out on the grass. You had emerged on a grassy hillside overlooking Venice.
She stood over you, still trying to comprehend everything which had just occurred. Minutes passed before you spoke up, “Shouldn’t you be going after that other lead? Your team is probably worried about you.” “Dammit, I don’t have a way of contacting them,” she hissed, patting her suit looking for some sort of communication device. “I got you,” you chuckled, picking up a handful of dirt and cupping it in your hands.
Opening your hands, you revealed a brand new smartphone. “Hope you know their number,” you handed the device to the surprised assassin, before standing up. You now began to ever dull journey to keep yourself out of the wrong hands. Maybe you should head to Kenya again, haven’t been there in a couple years. Your thoughts were interrupted as Natasha began talking to someone over the phone.
“Clint, I’m fine. The lead was a dead end, get prepared to head to Russia. I need a lift on the way there, make room for two,” she hung up without another word. “Taking someone with you?” you asked, an uneasy feeling settling in your stomach. “You,” she smirked, noticing your fidgeting. “I-um, don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m not exactly trained in my abilities, nor an assassin.” “You have abilities like no other-””And you think I’m just going to help the Avengers? Do I not get a say? I helped you escape because you do good in the world, last time I checked, I was the cause of several innocent deaths,” you snapped, cutting her off. She stared at you, at your tattered form.
Seven months in prison didn’t exactly help one’s complexion. Your torn jeans and worn Nirvana shirt made you look even worse, your combat boots were a pathetic sight and your eyes held one emotion, fear. You weren’t scared for yourself; you were scared for those around you. The roar of a jet in the distance broke your trance, forcing you to look away from the skilled assassin. You knew you didn’t have the strength to outrun her or the jet which was coming closer with each passing second. Focusing on your clothes, you warped the material, forming a replica of Natasha’s suit.
The jet landed a few hundred yards away, a team of armed agents jumping out and checking the area. “Come on, “Natasha yelled over the roar of the engine, dragging you by the arm towards the beast. A sense of deja vu overwhelmed you, as you stumbled after her, keeping away from the other agents as you crawled in after Natasha. She quickly buckled herself into one of the seats, before helping you. Your hands were shaking to the point you couldn’t buckle the harness. As the agents from before joined you, you shoved your hands in-between your legs, not wanting this flight to end up like the last.
As the jet began to ascend into the air, Natasha rested a hand onto your shoulder, giving you a look of reassurance. Slowly nodding, you glanced to the men sitting across from you; noticing them eyeing you warily. That’s right, you weren’t exactly trusted here. They know Natasha brought you for a reason; an unnatural reason at that. As the hours passed, the scenery changed from bright vibrant greens to barren trees and piles of snow. The temperature changed drastically, not that you minded, you enjoyed the brisk winds of Sokovia. You had wanted to ask Natasha what the hell was going on, where you were headed, but the roar of the engine overpowered your voice.