A Bleeding Heart

The Avengers - Part 3

Connor entered the armory and stared at the weapons inside. He grabbed two pistols and stuck them in their holsters. He turned around and saw two Katanas mounted on the wall and smiled at them. He grabbed one off the wall and traced it with his fingers. "Father...Mother." Connor stares at the sword and tilts it at an angle where he can see himself in it. "Would you be proud of your son?" Connor knew the life he had led up till this point was a bad one. He had convinced himself that everything he had up till now was for his survival. But a part of him enjoyed killing and hurting his enemies.

He hated that part of himself but he knew without it he couldn't have made it through everything he had been through. But he recognized that this was his last chance for a normal life and was determined to make up for everything he had done. And maybe, just maybe, Natasha can be a part of that life. The spy had grown on him in the short time they have spent together and he enjoyed her company a lot. Each time he saw her enter his cell room he couldn't help but have a smile on his face.

As Connor got lost in his thoughts, Natasha walked into the armory hoping for a chance to speak to the assassin before their mission. She needed some assurance from him that this mission would be different from the one three years ago. The spy entered through the door and was about to raise her voice at the man but opted to stay silent and relax into the background. Natasha wasn't able to see much of his face but she could definitely tell he was wrestling with something. From what she was able to see, his face contorted into signs of rage, anger, and pain.

She moved forward ever so slightly trying not to knock Connor out of his deep trance. Natasha kept getting closer and closer until she got too close. On pure instinct, Connor used the sword in his hand and swung it behind him holding the tip of the blade against Natasha's throat. Simultaneously, he grabbed his helmet which was resting off to the side and placed it in his before turning around.

Once he face his attacker he stared at her before letting out a long sigh. He sheathed his blade before turning and grabbing the matching blade which still resides on the wall. "It's not nice to sneak up on people." He paused for a second "I'm sorry."

Natasha let out a breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. She was more scared than she would like to admit but found comfort knowing that it was out of instinct and not out of bloodlust that he drew his sword on her neck. "Yeah. Sorry about that...I saw you standing there and wanted to see if you were a dead man walking." Natasha joked. Connor smiled, though it wasn't visible to anyone, "Yeah well unfortunately for both of us I still am." Natasha raised an eyebrow at Connor's reply. However, from what she was able to read, though not much of it, his body language told her she needed to drop the conversation and not address it. So she complied.

"I just wanted to make sure that we're good Connor. I don't want a repeat of last time." Natasha said. Connor turned around and was now facing the wall once again. His fists tightened and his jaw tightened as he spoke "What happened three years ago...it wasn't my fault! I tried to remain in control but I couldn't." Connor spoke with a harshness Natasha had never heard before, but she could tell it was directed towards her. It felt as if he was speaking to himself, cursing his own actions.

"What's that supposed to mean, are you hiding things from us...from me? And come to think of it why did you flinch when that agent called you a monster?" As those words left her lips Connor's eyes narrowed and his fist tightened even more. This single second of weak emotion caused Natasha to narrow her eyes and take a defensive stance. "It's not good to keep secrets from S.H.I.E.L.D."

Connor, meanwhile, unclenches his fists and slowly turned around facing the spy in the room. He chuckled to himself which caused Natasha to raise an eyebrow. "It's funny. You judge me for keeping secrets but you turn around and choose what version of the truth is told. I don't want to keep things from you but I need you to trust me, Natalia." Natasha's blood ran cold and she could feel chills run down her spine. It had been years since anybody used that name. Her real name. The only people who knew about that name were Fury and Clint. How the hell does he know about that?! Natasha thought to herself.