Prosperous In Battle

6: Replay

"Little Lady has a strong hit," Thor says as we watch her whilst she spars with Rogers. She was 12 now and her normal became the compound, she fell back to the not speaking thing when some guy on the street screamed at her. Clint had to remind me he was actually crazy so I didn't hit him but it set her back a little. 

She only spoke when we were home at the compound. She trained every day. She danced every day. But she still played with her doll despite her being 12 she carried her doll around with her still. It travelled with us, it was pretty much always in her hands if she wasn't training or working. 

Tony had her helping him with a new suit he was developing, it seems to me that Tilly was incredibly intelligent. She could code quickly, quicker than Tony sometimes and she could hack into IT systems. I taught her that part. Bruce is teaching her bio-medicine. Wanda is teaching her how to cook. She wasn't so good at that but hey neither was I. 

"She's been training since she came out of the womb," I tell him. "She looks so small, you wouldn't think that she had the power." "Don't underestimate women." Pepper said coming up. "Next missions come in. I can take Tilly to dance." Pepper says handing me the iPad. "Meeting in 5!" She called to Cap. As he looked away Tilly jump kicked him in the cheek when he wasn't looking. "Oops." She says with an amused smirk on her face. 

"Tilly, come here," I called to her. She ran over to me and pulled herself up over the barrier to get to me. "You could have used the stairs." I remind her pointing to them. "That way was way more fun." She says with a smile. "I have a mission, leaving tonight." I had her the Ipad." She frowned. "But Mum." "It'll be okay." "No! It's too dangerous. You can't go." She says holding the Ipad away from me. "Ottilie, it'll be okay. We need to go and help-"Why you? Why can't they go without you?" "Because we work as a team, you know that." "But when it was Hydra Bucky stayed home! Because he was their target. You don't run into the enemies home mum! You run away!" "Ottilie, baby," I say softly. "I'll come back. I promise." "They're going to take you." 

She shoves the Ipad in my chest and storms off to her room. "Sorry," Wanda says. "She'll be okay. She's just worried." "Anxiety." "Stop diagnosing my child!" I say to Tony. We all know she has anxiety issues. She manages just fine most of the time and when she doesn't I'm there. He brings it up all the god damn time. 

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After the meeting, we all get ready to leave. Ottilie was sat on the staircase tying her ballet slippers. her long legs stretched bent slightly as she did this. "I love you." "Then stay." She said firmly standing up. "Ottilie it's my job." "It's your job to be alive and look after me! If you're dead what's going to happen? They'll take me. And they'll make me kill people too." "I'll be home tomorrow afternoon." "Mum." She called out. I tried to keep my face firm as I walked away. "Mummy! Mum!" She was crying. "Mum!" She shouted loudly the door closed behind me and I got in the car. Pepper was trying to comfort her but I knew when she got like this she just needed me to hold her. Bear her dog was barking. At least he was there to comfort her. 

I convinced myself she'd be fine. I knew if I stayed there the Widows would go to the compound where Ottilie is and then she'll be in danger. 

"You okay?" Clint asked me. "Nope," I say looking out the window. No point in lying to him. I felt sick. I was scared for my life. I was scared for my daughter's safety. If Dreykov was there I wouldn't be able to kill him, stop him even if I wanted to. 

I thought about the red room whilst we drove, about all the training. I went through the combination of combat, it was like a dance I couldn't forget I'd know their moves before they knew mine. So I sat and planned. 

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"Turn around!" I tell Tony.  I finally worked out what was happening. Why we were driving into the city. "What?" "Turn around! Now!" "Natasha, Ottilie will forgive you." "They're not going after the city! They're going after Tilly." I tell him. "This is fake. it's fake. A distraction. They will watch and plot and know how we work. They'll know I leave her home alone when we go." "She's not alone! She's with Pepper." "What is she going to do? Turn the damn car around."