Symptom of Your Touch

Symptom of your touch

-

If the life she led had taught her anything it was to stay calm under even the worst of circumstances – a trait she was praising at that moment. In the moment she stares at Wanda, who’s staring back at her with an unreadable expression.

“Who are you?”Despite the impulse to rip this guy apart at the seams, Natasha holds to her composure. She stays in the light, weight shifting imperceptibly, ready to make a move the moment she has an opening.

“Someone who’s tired of freaks taking over this world.” He visibly grows angry as the sentence passes his lips. Wanda winces as the muzzle of the gun is pressed harder into her temple.

This meant he was likely human. That he was weak. She shifts her line of sight, meeting Wanda’s eyes. “You realize she can rip you apart with just her mind, right?”

What he says next causes pause; “That’s the things, she can’t.” He was smug and Nat wanted to smack that look right off his face.

“He’s got some way of blocking his mind from me.”

In all her time with the young witch, Natasha had never known someone that could fight her off. She’d even gotten to Thor, a god. So how was this man keeping her at bay? The old-fashioned way it was then. Maybe trickier with the gin pressed to Wanda’s skull. She eyes the other woman, a promise in her eyes – they’d both walk away from this. One way or another.

“Well, you’re not the first fanatic we’ve taken out, not the first man with an idea of some sort or another that I’ve killed.”

“A little cocky when I’ve got the upper hand.” He spits back, eyes narrowed.

“You think because I’m an avenger I won’t kill you?” Her voice was low, eyes steady.

“I’m the one with the gun!”

“You’re a coward who waits in the shadows to attack.”

He laughs again, much like the first one she’d heard before realizing that whatever conversation she’d come out here for wasn’t about to happen. “Looks like it’s working out just fine for me. The witch can’t use her powers, I’m in control here.”

“Sure. We’ll go with that.” She nods to Wanda in a way she’d don’t in practice many times before – it was a sign for her to go on the offensive.

Without missing a beat, the younger woman drops, putting distance between the gun and her head. She may not be able to control him, but the metal in his hands was another story. It glowed red, matching her eyes, heating enough for her attacker to cry out in pain, releasing his grip on both the gun and Wanda. There’s a clatter against the pavement as the gun scatters across the pavement.

Wanda spins using her legs and his momentary distraction to kick his legs out from under him. He stumbles back, but manages to keep himself upright, sliding back into the shadows where the light can’t reach.

He pulled another weapon in the struggle, one that both women had missed, by the time either of them notices it was too late. The taser catches Wanda in the chest, keeping her down as she convulses under the current.

Nat rushes him, kicking him back. He’s stronger than she’d anticipated in the beginning, hitting back with more force than she’d been ready for. She keeps on, ignoring the pain blooming from what she assumes is a cut along her hairline, she throws a punch which is blocked. Using the moment Nat rights herself he strikes her face again, using his other hand to come up and wrap around her neck in a choke.

She gasps for a moment, but focuses despite the momentary panic, and comes down on his arm with both of hers, breaking the hold he had on her. She then lands another kick – directly to his chest. He grunts loudly as the air is pushed from his lungs by the force of it.

Recognition flares in his eyes as he realizes just how much of an upper hand he’s lost in this fight – he hadn’t been counting on the Russian coming out. He turns, starting to book it the other direction – putting distance between himself and the Black Widow.

A shot rings out, echoing loudly against the concrete walls of the ally. The man falls to the ground in heap, motionless.

Well, that was bound to get someone’s attention.

She whips around, eyeing Wanda carefully who’s still holding the gun, which is shaking in the death grip she has on it.

“Get him.” Is all she says.

She turns, hoping the man is still alive – not that she cared, but she knew taking a life would weigh on Wanda, despite how they’d met, and what the younger woman had chosen to get to that place – she knew that killing wasn’t something she’d set out for.

The sound of rubber squealing steals her attention, diverting it to the opening of the ally beyond where the man had fallen. Six figures emerge from the side of the black van that comes to a screeching halt it's door already swung open, guns drawn on Nat. A cluster of red dots appears on her chest. She looks down at them, arching a brow.

“Well, boys, looks like we’ve got a party now.” She moves to the side, blocking their guns from Wanda, the cluster on her chest moves with her.

“Don’t move.” One of them calls out – a female.

“Not all boys then.” She says letting boredom mask her face. “Give me a good reason not to?”

Ignoring Nat the woman motions forward with her right hand, “Get Michaels out of here.”

“I don’t want to kill you, don’t move.” The woman barks out again.

Two of the others quickly close the distance between where they’d come to stop, the others closing in on the formation they’d come to. They hook the man – Michaels – under the arms, dragging him backward, feet scraping against the pavement.

“Who are you!” Nat demands.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

“How about we find out now.” There’s a darkness in Wanda’s voice that Nat hadn’t heard since Ultron. She comes to stand beside her, hands already toying with the red energy, almost playing with it. The hue dancing across her fingers is mimicked in her eyes.

“Nice try, Maximoff, but your magic is useless here.”

“How is that, hmm?” Her head tilts and Nat does well to hide the smirk that comes over her own face. Suddenly she feels something press into her back and knows the little witch has manipulated the gun to appear there. She slips a hand behind her, gripping it.

She doesn’t get an answer, not that Natasha had thought they would give her one. Why tell your best secret when it was the only thing that was keeping them alive at that moment? The team moves backward as s unit, covering the two men dragging Michaels. They were organized, which meant they were trained, which also meant that this was bigger than a couple of fanatics.

One had attacked on his own, yet the group was playing it safe – not engaging. Had thy just wanted to take Wanda and Nat had interrupted? That was a scarier thought, one that leads her to believe she had been right all along.

The second they are in the van Natasha moves forward; gun drawn. She fires off three shots, aiming for the tires, but return fire forces her to take cover. She hears Wanda cry out and quickly makes her way back to the younger woman.  

“Something must have ricocheted,” Wanda says when she sees the obvious concern on Nat’s face as she comes up to her, eyes scanning for injuries. Other than a few cuts and bruises she can’t see any considerable damage.

“Who the hell were they?” Wanda wonders out loud, not really asking.

“Another day, another enemy.” Nat can’t read the look that Wanda was giving her, but she assumed it was due to the tone her voice had taken on.

“Should have stayed home.” The laugh that followed the younger woman's statement seemed out of place but had Nat matching it with one of her own, shaking her head.

“Because of the almost dying, or the jealousy?” She knew it wasn’t the time, but it had slipped out.

“Can I say both?” Yes, because one was as bad as the other.

Nat rolls her eyes playfully. “Yes, you can.”

The air stagnates around them and Nat switches conversations.

“Come on, you need to be checked out.”

“I’ll live.” Wanda starts to turn towards the door but her step falters, muscles still sore from the electrical current they had been subjected to.

“Live yes, but you’ll be damned sore.” Nat takes one of her arms, wrapping it around her neck, and slips her other arm around her back, taking most of her weight.

The younger woman gives her a questioning look when Nat turns them the other way, heading towards the entrance to the ally. “Don’t need a club full of questioning eyes. We’re going home.”

The weight of the other woman shifts, and Nat almost doesn’t catch her.

“Mm, I think a hospital may be the better option.” Her voice slurred slightly, and Natasha doesn’t bother trying to hide the panicked look as Wanda pales. She’d just said she was fine, what the hell could have happened in less than a minute?

She does a double-take of all the visible injuries Wanda had suffered, but aside from blood loss none of this was a normal reaction to what she’d endured. Shit! The ricochet wasn’t that at all – they must have hit her when they returned fire on Nat during the extraction. Then she sees it, a pinprick of blood glaring back at her from Wanda’s white shirt. She’d never seen a caliber that small, what in the hell had they hit her with?

“No, no, no.” She catches her before she falls, taking on the full weight of the taller woman. She lowers her to the ground gently. “God damn it, come on Wanda, stay with me Red. Keep those eyes open, yeah?”

“Wanda, please look at me!” Her voice shakes under the fear and panic coursing through her. Wanda tries, but whatever she’d been hit with was winning.

Nat spends the next 10 minutes in what Maria would later say was a daze. She’d pulled Hill from the dance floor, fear on her face and tears stinging the corners of her eyes. The ambulance had taken 4 minutes to arrive, and despite Wanda’s breathing staying even and strong, with each second Nat grew more anxious, staying silent as Maria took control of the situation.

“What could have done this?” Nat speaks for the first time since they’d arrived at the hospital. She hears her friend let out a breath beside her as they watch the doctors work through the glass.

“Genocide.” She sighs. “We’ve been tracking a fanatic group – they’re calling for the death of all unusual individuals.

“Powered individuals?” Maybe that’s why they didn’t take the kill shot on her.

Maria nods. “Created or born.”

“What do you know?”

“Hopefully more than they think.” She knew they had more than enough to put an end to them – but until tonight surveillance was the primary focus – to assess their threat level. Attacking two Avengers, however, would have call for their heads. This could start something bigger than it had intended. It was going to grow into a monster they couldn’t control if they didn’t cut it off at the knees.

“Until now they’ve been nothing but talk.”

“So, what changed?”

Maria can’t answer the question so she doesn’t. She’d noticed the wound on Wanda’s chest, once Nat had told her how quickly whatever had happened to her took effect, she’d known what it was. Telling Nat that before they were at the hospital and Wanda was stable wouldn’t have done much good for anyone. She’d instructed the Doctors on what to do though – before it was too late.

“I’ve seen this before.” She admits, eyes focusing on Wanda through the glass.

Nat eyes her suspiciously. “You just said they’ve been all talk up until now.”

“Them, yes.” She sighs. “This weapon isn’t theirs; a scientist in Bolivia; Montero, had astounding findings in cellular mutation, he was creating superhuman individuals. Shield caught up to him, brought him in. I’d thought that would be the end of it. Hydra, from the inside, developed a new weapon.”

Nat senses hesitation. “You better get to the part where you tell me what’s happening to her.”

Maria ignores the bite in Nat’s tone. “She was hit with a serum – it’s stripping away her powers.”

The sound blows out around her at her friend’s words. She goes through everything she knows of Wanda. There was no way she’d want to be rid of her powers, she’d lost so much already, and no matter how they came to be, Wanda had found a home in them.

“Find a way to fix it.”

“We can stall it.” She knew that wasn’t enough, but it was all she had. “When Hydra started using this weapon against the gifted Shield agents that started fighting back once we were made aware of Hydra's involvement in shield, we sought out Montero – he gave us a way to stop the effects for a short time.”

“Which is?”

“I instructed the Doctors on how to freeze its progress, a combination of drugs that hold it at bay – but there’s not much time.”

Nat nods, looking away from her friend with a sigh.

“Stark and Banner are already working on it.”

“Because that always works out well.”

She was bitter, and angry, and wanted to hit something. She wanted to find these people and do things she wouldn’t dare think about.

“She’ll be okay, Nat.” When she doesn’t get a reaction from the spy, she continues. “When this is passed, please get your head out of your ass ad tell her how you feel.”

“Like you told me how you felt.”

Maria nods. “Mm difference is I knew you didn’t love me back.”

When Maria is met with nothing but a blank face she shakes her head, of course, Nat hadn’t realized. She didn’t think anyone could love her.

“Don’t worry about it, Nat. I’m going to see how they are making out.”

Natasha watches Maria walk away, phone already pressed to her ear – presumably calling Tony. As much as she trusted Tony’s and Bruce to crack whatever this was the nagging inside her mind was eating away at her nerves. She needed to do something, she should be out there helping track down this group. Her feet wouldn’t move though, no matter how much she willed them to, it’s like they’d grown roots in the floor and this was where she’d stand.

Until she knew Wanda would be okay.

And there she stood, for another hour – until the Doctor came out to inform her that Wanda was stable, and the drugs were doing what they should to stave off the effect of Hydra’s altered serum. They moved her to recovery and would let Nat is soon if that was what she wanted.

She thanked him quietly.

She’s not sure how much time passes between her taking the chair at Wanda’s bedside and Tony knocking on the open door, announcing his arrival. He smiles weakly at her – looking about as exhausted as she did.

He motions to the cut on her forehead. “You should let someone look at that.”

“I’ll live.” She mimics Wanda’s words from earlier in the night.

“You always do.” He says falling into the chair on the opposite side of the bed. His eyes fall to Wanda and she shakes his head.

“She’s been through so much – and now she may have to lose another part of herself.”

“Does that mean you can’t figure this out?”

“I think we should wait until she wakes up – see if civilian life is what she wants.”

Nat balks at him. “She wouldn’t want that Tony.”

“Wouldn’t you?” She can tell there’s a challenge in his voice, but he keeps the volume low.

“No.” No, because if she wasn’t who she was – if the things that happened to her never happened – no matter how atrocious those things may be, then she wouldn’t be who she was. She wouldn’t have this family to call her own. She regretted many things in her life. But not them. Not the home she’d found with this band of idiots.

“She’s strong without the power.” He tries.

“They powers have nothing to do with her strength.” There’s conviction in her tone.

“You know, it’s hard to sleep with you fools in a room.”

Both Tony and Natasha sit bolt upright, attention fully on the young woman in the bed. She wasn’t supposed to wake up until the morning at the very least.

“Wanda, are you okay?” It’s Tony that asks when her green eyes peak open, showing signs of fatigue. She smiles gently at him, ignoring the stiffness she felt.

“Not dead, so there’s that.” She turns her head seeing Nat at her side. “What happened?”

“You got hit. Specialized weapon converted by Hydra.” No point lying to the girl.

“Of course.”

While Nat and Tony are both relieved that she’s awake and coherent they share a look of concern when she can’t keep her eyes open.

“Keep an eye on her, I’ll get the Doc,” Nat says moving quickly from the room.

She finds the Doctor by the nurse's station, flipping through some paperwork. “She’s awake.” She doesn’t miss the confused look on her face.

“I don’t understand how, are you sure she’s not talking in her sleep?” 

“Conversing and eyes open.” She says simply.

He doesn’t say anything else before going directly to the room.  Nat stays in the doorway, letting Tony and Dr. Miller talk to Wanda. Though Dr. Miller is stunned she’s awake only a few hours after arriving he’s still worried about what else this serum could do to her.

“I can tell you what I know – which isn’t as much as I like at the moment, but more than you do at this point. Am I right doc?”

“Anything to help me treat my patient would be appreciated, Mr. Stark.”

“Tony.” He corrects already leading the doc from the room, past Natasha. Wanda didn’t need to hear all the details.

“Hey, you.”

Her eyes move from the floor to meet the younger woman’s. “Hey yourself.”

“Come here.” It's more of a demand than a request but is still spoken softly.

Nat walks across the small room, planting herself in the chair again. A hand is offered to her and she doesn’t even hesitate to take it in her own. Consequences be damned, she needed a bit of comfort, and Wanda did too.

“How are you feeling?”

“Still not dead. Just very tired.” Her voice seemed to grow quieter the more she spoke.

“Then you need to sleep. I’ll be here with you.” Nat promises, squeezing her hand gently.

“Good. Don’t run away.”

Wanda smiles, making Nat shake her head in amusement. She doesn’t have to ask what the little witch means by that, so she simply nods, leaning back in her chair, letting it flatten into a makeshift bed. She knew there would be little rest, and when she did get some, she’d likely be sorer than she was now, but leaving wasn’t an option now.

She’d made a girl a promise.

“Sleep well, prekrasnaya devochka.” She whispers into the room.