Chapter 2
There's a pounding in her head when she finally wakes, probably from the icer that had knocked her out. She can vaguely make out voices in a heated discussion close by but the world is still blurred. Nadia blinks rapidly trying to clear the spots from her vision, groaning as she sits upwards, realising she's on a bed. She dangles her legs down, sitting forward and rubbing her temples, not yet trying to make sense of her surroundings as her senses still come back to her. Finally, she sucks in a breath, squinting at the harsh light of the room as she glances upwards, gaze following the curve of the room, or perhaps cell would be a better choice of word. The walls are a blaring white, except the front. The front is glass, a glass Nadia knows well. Bullet proof. She was in a god damned cell at the base. She'd been made.
Silence had slowly fallen as she'd moved, Nadia notes, the voices becoming more hushed until they stopped completely and she's only resigned to find three pairs of eyes staring at her. Natasha, Clint and— Tony. She swallows thickly, but does a good job of looking bored as she allows herself a moment to study their faces, smirk tugging at the corner of her lips at the sight of the black eye the red head sported and she tilts her head, brow raising as she fixes her stare at the widow. " Nice eye. " she drawls out slowly, pushing herself into a standing position, wavering slightly as the blood rushes to her head. " Purple suits you, really your colour. " she continues as she catches herself, not daring to look at the two man whose attention is fixated on her.
The redhead only snorts in return, at her feeble attempt at deflecting the attention, what they both know it was. She doesn't bother with a reply, instead glancing at the others. " I'll let Fury know she's awake. " she tells them, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. Her gaze lingers a moment longer on Clint, sympathetic hint to her gaze and Nadia rolls her eyes, fighting the urge to scoff. His expression is like that of a lost puppy and it's always wounded her to see him this hurt, but this time she bristles, shrugging it off. Good. He should be hurt. He should be mad. He should hate her.
Nadia's gaze flicks to Tony next and she thinks his expression might be worse. His jaw is clenched with barely contained anger and she knows he's hurt. He feels betrayed. She'd been living with him, working with them, all this time, only she was working against them. His only family and she'd turned against him. It had to sting. Still he says nothing, none of them say anything and the silence is killing her. Them looking at her like that is killing her. She doesn't want to be here, facing them. She'd rather they'd killed her in the field but here they were. Nadia walks towards them, ignoring the ache of her protesting muscles, still sore from where the icer has immobilised her. Lips twist into a mocking smile and it's Tony she fixes her gaze on.
" What? The Tony Stark, speechless? I never thought I'd see the day. " she feels like her inside are being torn apart, his expression a punch to the gut and she forces herself to continue forward until she reaches the front of the cell, slamming her hands against the glass front, leaning on it. " Look at you, both of you. Pathetic. I don't need your pity, I don't want it. " lips pull into a scowl, gaze narrowing.
" If you're looking for some kind of reassurance that it wasn't me, that I'm not myself? " she let's out a dry chuckle. " You're wrong. " But she's fighting a war in her head. Despite everything, she never wanted to hurt them. She doesn't now but she doesn't see any other way to make them leave. " I'm more myself than I have been in years, I'm not that girl who lived in your shadow. " her words are followed by a slow smile. " I'm my own person now, I found my purpose, aren't you proud? " sarcasm laces her tongue and as expected, it's the thing to break the camels back, a scoff leaving her brothers throat, followed by a shallow laugh.
" Who're you trying to kid, Naddy? " Tony laughs humourlessly. " You're lucky you're still here, if it wasn't for me, they'd have shipped you off to the raft already. " Clint looks uncomfortable in the background, as though suddenly realising what he's interrupting and she gives him a sharp glance, before turning her attention back to her brother as he speaks again. " Joining the very people that killed our parents? Yeah Nads, I'm real proud. " he drawls sarcastically, holding her gaze and her jaw clenches.
" So let them! " the words are clear and sharp as she practically yells them at her brother, hands coming down against the glass once more to get her point across. " What are you waiting for, huh? " lips curl into a cruel smile " I'd have thought you'd made enough bad choices, hurt enough people for one lifetime, going for round two? " if it had been anyone else, he's right, she wouldn't be here. She'd have been somewhere she couldn't cause more damage, it's only because they know her she's here, in shield containment at the nearest base. She wishes they hadn't. She didn't want special treatment, didn't want their pity. What escapes her lips next is practically a snarl, this time her whole body smashes against the glass and she ignores the protest of her her aching muscles, still sore from the icer, gaze flashes with a mixture of something else, of anger but also— grief? Nadia had been practically a child when her parents had died, they'd shipped her off to boarding school the second she was old enough. She'd grown up without them, with only vague memories and still that wound is raw. Her jaw clenches, eyes wild as she stares at her brother.
" You have no right to make judgements. " she barks a laugh, stepping backwards until she's in the middle of the cell, shoulders tense. " That was a mistake, The winter soldier went off mission, it was never supposed to happen. " there's belief in her voice, truth rings in her words. " Shield are the real murderers, they destroy lives, not save it like you foolishly believe, you're naïve, as always. You can't see it when it's staring you right in the face, can you? Obie, Me, Shield, it's all the same. " Her final words cause her body to tense, to freeze. She's angry but she doesn't want to hurt him, she never wanted to hurt any of them but she'd been backed into a corner and just like some kind of animal, she'd lashed out.