Comrade, oh my comrade

XLI: 𝓝𝓸𝓿𝓲𝓪

My gaze still locked on bane, I stupidly gave the man enough time to recover and send back his own blow. Knocking me into bane as we collapsed onto the bloodstained floor. "Watch where you're falling, vendetta," he slurred out, glaring as I hurried to my feet.

The man stalked around me. "So you're the little girl that has my boss all winded up" he dragged his dirty gaze against me. Back pacing away from bane I bit out. "I can't be that little. I knocked you on your ass," he snarled at me. "Lucky shot".

Then rushed me, considering his size and shape. If he tackled me to the ground, I'm fucked. I ran towards the wall, with him following. Running up it just in time, I grabbed his head as my body flipped over him, yanking him to the ground. But his reflexes were good. He slid around and  kicked me back hard. A groan left me. "Don't lose" Bane tried to yell out, but it was scratchy and horse. "I don't lose" I glared at his ass. "Sounds like it," he mumbled. "SHUT UP!"

I dodged the next few blows, trying to find a good time to plunge my blade. He tossed me into a wall. The next couple minutes, that we didn't have, were of me and the man exchanging the best blows we could and me dodging as many as I could. We ended with him on top of me, choking me to death. In my last burst of energy, I plunged my blade into his eye as deep as possible. His grip lightened up enough for me to reach my last knife and send it into his throat. Blood splashed me and a smile corrupted my face. Using all my strength, I pulled the blades in opposite directions, tearing his face and neck. He let out a blood-curdling scream, releasing me all together. I slid from under, keeping my grip tight on the blade's handles, and slammed him into the wall. His body fell limp and his blood puddled around him.

I collapsed onto my knees, the fight weighing on me now, as I tried to regain my breath. Hearing my attempts; then realized I don't hear banes anymore. A feeling I haven't felt in a long time creeps up in me as I rush to his side. His body still and his eyes were peacefully closed. "Bane" I demand. Pushing the hair from his face. An intense feeling pushes through me. "Damnit Bane" I begin mouth to mouth. Rage builds up. "Don't you fucking dare" I beat against his chest, swapping between cpr and mouth to mouth. Feeling my rage hit its boiling point, the taste of his blood on my lips. Using all my strength to bang against his chest. He chokes awake. My shoulders dropping.

"Don't do that again" I glared, rising to my feet. It takes him a minute to come to. He groans as he lifts up, then finds me. "D" He mummers. "Safe. Alive!" he nods then makes his way onto his feet. Keeping his eyes on me as he approaches. "And Natasha?" I huff. "Ready". He squints, but doesn't push further.

"We have to clear another floor, get the boys. You guys make your escape as I put down West. For good," I ordered.

"What? No. We-I am not leaving you until it's finished," his sternness came through.

"I promised D you'd come back to him. Alive." I glared. He met it with his own. "I know he wouldn't have made you promise that without securing you to do so, so no. I'm making sure you make good of both." We battled each other's stares, then realization hit him. "You're not expecting to come out of this alive," defeat drowning his voice. He shook his head. I stayed quiet. There's nothing to say. An unamused laugh left him.

"Nat, are you serious? You can't do that to him," he pointed off into the distance. anger flooding his senses. I took it in. He cared. "Do that to him, or you?" I asked, monotone.

His face scrunched. "Us! all of us! The shit you put us through, the bonds you made, regardless of how badly we want- I want to strangle you every day. We care, I care! And I'm not letting that happen."

"You lose people in this world, in this line of work you do. You will be-"

"YOU'RE NOT JUST PEOPLE!" he was in my face now. rage taking him over. "You are like a sister to D now. You are a friend of our team, you are a killer! MY killer. So we are going to go out there and kill. You are going to be the most selfish version of yourself, whatever you have to be to make sure you come home and I will have your back. We are all going home. UNDERSTOOD!?" I smirked.